Micritización de espeleotemas en ambiente meteórico vadoso (Cueva de Castañar de Ibor, Cáceres)

Abstract

The aragonite and calcite speleothems of the Castañar de Ibor Cave show white and matt coatings that formed by micritization and dissolution of the initial crystals. These processes are also recognised in the inner part of the speleothems. Either in the inner or outher parts the result is the lost of brightness and transparency of the speleothems. Petrographically these coatings are seen as lines of micrite liked to dissolution processes that probably occurred because of the circulation of undersaturated fluids within the cave. At the moment no organic structures have been recognised in relation to the micritizated areas, indicating very probably that the process was inorganically driven.