Calcite Mineral Generation in Cold-Water Travertine Huanglong, China

Abstract

Mineral generations could help us to understand the physical, chemical and biological processes within their formation, and then to reconstruct the sedimentary paleo-environment and paleo-climate. The calcite in the Huanglong cold-water travertine can be divided into three mineral generations, which reveal two different sedimentary environment systems respectively. In the calcium cycle, calcite mineral generation exposes a step in recycling marine matter to the land, and it also allows the land to proliferate, which mainly manifeste in the addition of plant debris, algae and microbial residues, so that the topography has been accumulating.