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COBISS: 1.01 TIMING OF PASSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND SEDIMENTATION AT CAVE OF THE WINDS, MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, USA ČASOVNO USKLAJEVANJE RAZVOJA JAMSKIH PROSTOROV IN SEDIMENTACIJA V JAMI CAVE OF THE WINDS, MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, ZDA Fred G. Luiszer1 Abstract UDC 551.3:551.44:550.38 .Izvleček UDK 551.3:551.44:550.38 550.38:551.44 550.38:551.44 Fred G. Luiszer: Timing of Passage Development and Sedi- Fred G. Luiszer: Časovno usklajevanje razvoja jamskih pro- mentation at Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs, Colorado, storov in sedimentacija v jami Cave of the Winds, Manitou USA. Springs, Colorado, ZDA In this study the age of the onset of passage development and Članek se osredotoča na začetek razvoja jamskih prostorov the timing of sedimentation in the cave passages at the Cave in časovno sosledje sedimentacije v jami Cave of the winds, of the Winds, Manitou Springs, Colorado are determined. The Manitou Springs, Kolorado. V bližini jame se nahajajo alu- amino acid rations of land snails located in nearby radiometri- vialne terase, ki so bile datirane z radiometrično metodo. Z cally dated alluvial terraces and an alluvial terrace geomorphi- geomorfološko metodo so bile povezane z jamo Cave of the cally associated with Cave of the Winds were used to construct Winds. V teh aluvialnih terasah so bili najdeni fosilni ostanki an aminostratigraphic record. This indicated that the terrace kopenskih polžev, na katerih so bile opravljene datacije z ami- was ~ 2 Ma. The age of the terrace and its geomorphic rela- nokislinami, ki so pokazale starost ~ 2 Ma let. Starost aluvialnih tion to the Cave of the Winds was use to calibrate the magne- teras in njihova geomorfološka povezava z jamo Cave of the tostratigraphy of a 10 meter thick cave sediment sequence. The Winds, sta služila kot izhodišče za natančnejšo časovno umes- results indicated that cave dissolution started ~4.5 Ma and cave titev 10 metrov debele sekvence jamskih sedimentov, ki so bili clastic sedimentation stopped ~1.5 Ma. magnetostratigrafsko opredeljeni. Raziskava je pokazala, da se Key words: Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs, magneto- je raztapljanje v jami pričelo pred ~4.5 Ma leti, medtem ko se je stratigraphy, aminostratigraphy, land snails. odlaganje klastičnih sedimentov prenehalo pred ~1.5 Ma let. Ključne besede: Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs, ZDA, magnetostratigrafija, aminostratigrafija, kopenski polži. INTRODUCTION Cave of the Winds, which is 1.5 km north of Manitou of passage development and sedimentation needed to be Springs (Figure 1), is a solutional cave developed in the determined. The task of dating the age of caves has al- Ordovician Manitou Formation and Mississippian Wil- ways been an enigma because dating something that has liams Canyon Formation. Commercialized soon after been removed is not possible. Sediments deposited in its discovery in the1880s it has been visited by millions of the cave passages, however, can be dated, which then can visitors in the last 125 years. As part of an extensive study be used to estimate the timing of the onset of cave dis- (Luiszer, 1997) of the speleogenesis of the cave the timing solution and when the local streams abandoned the cave. 1 University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Geological Sciences, Campus Box 399, Boulder, CO 80302, USA. Received/Prejeto: 13.12.2006 TIME in KARST, POSTOJNA 2007, 157–171 Fred G. Luiszer A specially constructed coring device was utilized to core several locations in the cave. The natural remnant mag- netization (NRM) of samples taken from the cores were Colorado use to construct a magnetostratigraphic record. This Denver record by itself could not be used to date the age of the sediments because sedimentation in the cave stopped El Paso sometime in the past and part of the record was missing. County An alluvial terrace, which overlies the Cave of the Winds, is geomorphically related to the cave. The age of 25 the alluvial terrace, which had not been previously dated, can be used to determine the age of the youngest stream Cave of the Winds deposited sediments in the cave. An abundant number and variety of land snails were found when this alluvium 24 was closely searched. Biostratigraphy could not be used Colorado Springs to determine the age of the terrace because all of the snail species found were extant, however, the amino acid ra- Manitou Springs tions of the snails collected from this terrace and nearby radiometrically dated terraces were used to construct an 25 aminostratigraphy that was used to date the alluvium. Once the age of the terrace was determined the age of the youngest magnetic chron of the magnetostratigraphic re- Fig. 1: Location of study area. cord could be assigned thus enabling the dating of cave dissolution and sedimentation. FIELD AND LABORATORY PROCEDURES Amino Acid Dating Paleomagnetism Snails were collected from outcrops of the Nussbaum Al- A coring device was used to sample the cave sediments luvium, and from younger radiometrically dated alluvia at six cored holes in the Grand Concert Hall (Fig. 3). The (Fig. 2) for the purpose of dating the Nussbaum Alluvi- core samples were obtained by means of a coring device um by means of amino-acid racemizatio. in which a hand-powered hydraulic cylinder drives a Approximately 50 kg of sandy silt was collected at stainless-steel, knife-edged barrel down into the sedi- each site. To minimize sample contamination, washed ments. Up to 40 cm of sediment could be cored each trip plastic buckets and fresh plastic bags were used. The into the hole without sediment distortion. Samples were samples were loaded into containers with a clean metal also collected from hand-dug pits at Mummys Alcove shovel and with minimal hand contact. In the lab, the and Sniders Hall (Fig. 3). Additionally, samples were col- samples were disaggregated by putting them in buckets lected from a vertical outcrop in Heavenly Hall (Fig. 3). filled with tap water and letting them soak overnight. The pits and outcrops were sampled for paleomagnetic The samples were then washed with tap water study by carving flat vertical surfaces and pushing plastic through 0.5-mm mesh scree. Following air drying, the sampling cubes into the sediment at stratigraphic inter- mollusks were hand picked from the remaining matrix vals ranging from 3.0 to 10.0 cm. The samples were ori- by means of a small paint brush dipped in tap water. ented by means of a Brunton compass. The mollusks were then identified. Only shells that were The core barrel and all pieces of drill rod that at- free of sediment and discoloration were selected for fur- tached to the barrel were engraved with a vertical line so ther processing. These shells were washed at least five that the orientation of the core barrel could be measured times in distilled water while being sonically agitated. with a Brunton compass within ±2°. A hand-operated The amino-acid ratios were determined on a high-per- hydraulic device was used to extract the sediment core formance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) at the Institute from the barrels. As the core was extruded, a fixed thin of Arctic and Alpine Research (University of Colorado, wire sliced it in half, lengthwise. Plastic sampling cubes Boulder). were then pushed into the soft sediment along the center line of the flat surface of the core half at regular intervals 158 TIME in KARST – 2007 TIMING OF PASSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND SEDIMENTATION AT CAVE OF THE WINDS, MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, USA Figure 2. GEOLOGY MAP OF COLORADO SPRINGS AND MANITOU SPRINGS AREA with locations of snail collection sites. Geology adapted from Trimble and Machette, (1979). Ypp Qv Xgnb Kpl Qv Qv Kpl Qp Qb Qv Qes Qp PINEY CREEK ALLUVIUM MCr Qs (UPPER HOLOCENE) KPr Qlo I25 N38 Garden of the Gods Road Qb EOLIAN SAND MCr Qes Kpl (HOLOCENE) Kpl CENTENNIAL BLACK CANYON BROADWAY ALLUVIUM (LATE Qb PLEISTOCENE) Ypp Ypp U D Qp Qlo MODERN FLOOD Qlo LOUVIERS ALLUVIUM MCr Tn Qlo (LATE PLEISTOCENE) CAVE OF THE Qv QpPLAIN WINDS FILLMORE Qb Qs SLOCUM ALLUVIUM Pf U D CHESNUT (LATE PLEISTOCENE) Fillmore Street Qb VERDOS ALLUVIUM Qv (LATE PLEISTOCENE) KPr Tn Qp MCr ROCKY FLATS ALLUVIUM Qrf (EARLY PLEISTOCENE) Qv STARLIGHT ACRES NUSSBAUM ALLUVIUM Tn (LATE PLIOCENE) D Kpl U Qrf Pf U D Manitou Springs Qp Kpl LARAMIE, FOX HILLS, and PIERRE FORMATIONS (CRETACEOUS) N N38 Ypp Ave. Kpl KPr CRETACEOUS, JURASSIC, TRIASSIC, Pf da and PERMIAN ROCKS Qs Pf Qv Neva Qv Pf FOUNTAIN FORMATION Xgnb COLORADO (PENNSYLVANIAN) Qlo Colora CITY Qes do Ave. MCr MISSISSIPPIAN, ORDOVICIAN, Qs Pf Qv AND CAMBRIAN ROCKS Qlo Qv Ypp PIKES PEAK GRANITE Pf (PRECAMBIAN) Qp Qv KPr Xgnb BIOTITE GNEISS Kpl (PRECAMBIAN) Pf Qrf Qlo Ypp D I25 U D Qrf U Qes Collection sites for amino acid Kpl racemization study 0 1 2 3 4 MILES 0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS (generally ~5.0 cm). The samples at Sniders Hall, Mum- dicate Devonian to Late Mississippian karst development mys Alcove, and Hole 1 were taken with 3.2 cm3 sampling (Hose & Esch, 1992). Subsequent Cenozoic dissolution cubes; all other samples were taken with 13.5 cm3 cubes. along some of these paleokarst features has resulted in In the lab, the NRM (Natural Remanent Magnetiza- the formation of cave passage (Fish, 1988). Between the tion) of all samples was initially measured. Subsequently, Pennsylvanian and Late Cretaceous, about 3000 m of the samples were subjected to alternating-field (A. F.) sediments, which contain abundant shale beds, were de- demagnetization and remeasured. All samples were first posited over the initial cave. Very little, if any, cave de- demagnetized at 10, and then at 15 millitesla (mT).