GOUGH'S CAVE: MICROSTRATIGRAPHY OF LATE PLEISTOCENE/EARLIEST HOLOCENE SEDIMENTS 



57 



Table 1 continued 











clay /soil granules, sediment papules. Top 25 mm: dominant very 

 coarse sand size quartz, quartzite, ferruginous nodules, etched calcite 

 and weathered limestone. Inclusions of silt size pale yellowish 

 autofluorescent material (UVL) representing reworked phosphatic 

 coprolitic material. Fine mineral is composed of very dominant pale 

 brown, dotted (PPL), low interference colours (close porphyric 

 speckled b-fabric, XPL), pale orange brown (OIL). Very little organic 

 matter. Pedofeatures: very abundant textural pedofeatures. Lower 20 

 mm: very abundant intercalations, occasional very dusty clay void 

 coatings: in upper 25 mm very abundant, very dusty/impure clay void 

 coatings: coatings on all void surfaces and ped faces; fabric 

 pedofeatures composed of abundant inclusions of banded dusty 

 clay/link capping material as fragments. 



Gravels over 

 conglomerate 



59 





Gravels. 



Structure: massive. Porosity: 10-20% voids generally coarse 

 channels and vughs. Mineral: C:F. 85:15 (silts) to 95:5 (gravels). 

 Common gravel to very coarse sand size limestone (subangular to 

 angular): various rounded/weathered aragonite. with flint/chert, 

 siltstone, etc. Common silt size and fine sand size quartz with very 

 few mica. Fine material composed of pale brown, speckled (PPL), 

 low interference colors (close porphyric. speckled b-fabric. XPL), pale 

 brown orange (OIL). No obvious organic matter. Pedofeatures: very 

 abundant intercalations, dusty/impure clay void coatings, pans, 

 "micro-channel infills". Very abundant banded fabric of clean silts. 



Area 1 (LI 02 

 metre square) 











Red Silt 



G 



0-0.095 



Red silt beneath 

 cave roof. 



As Sample 44. Massive, very fine and coarse banded material with 

 lamina fabric; generally closed vughs. An upward fining sequence of 

 coarse silt to fine silty and clay. Contains rare plant fragments as well 

 as phosphate clasts. 



Red Silt 



H 



0.33-0.40 



Red silt beneath 

 cave roof, over 

 conglomerate. 



As Sample 44. Massive/fine banded, composed of strongly elutriated 

 coarse silts with few mixed in coarse clayey fragments and sand size 

 material. Top of sample contains a gravel and silt band. 



Skeleton Rift 











Red Silt 



D 



0-0.17 



0-0.05 m: Red silt 

 beneath cave roof. 

 0.05+ m: 

 Conglomerate. 



As Samples 44 and 59. Massive with coarse banded silts. Upwards, 

 deposit is composed of gravel-rich silts with stone-sized angular to 

 subangular limestone clasts. Deposit is poorly sorted, mainly silt size 

 material, with common sand, strongly disrupted banded fabric of 

 dusty clay and silt pans with included sand. Inclusions of likely 

 fragmented link cappings as sand size clasts; rounded bone present. 



Area 3 











Red Silt 



E 



0-0.16 



0-0.16 m: Red silt 

 beneath cave roof 

 (concrete floor) 

 over conglomerate. 



As Sample 44. Breccia; massive with few vughs and fine channels. 

 Highly compact sediment; weakly to moderately impregnated with 

 calcium carbonate; poorly sorted mixture of stone size, subangular 

 limestone and a matrix of dominantly silt size quartz, mica and calcite. 

 Also includes coarse sand size quartz, weathered limestone, fossils 

 and speleothem. Patchy iron staining and depletion; possible 

 occasional charcoal stuck to the roof. Few included, embedded/coated 

 grains. Occasional thin to thick, very dusty to impure coatings. 



Red Silt 



I 



0-0.16 



0-0.16 m: Red silt 

 beneath cave roof 

 (concrete floor) 

 over conglomerate. 



Massively banded silts and clays with repeated graded beds. Some 

 fine channeling at the top. Most of porosity in the form of packing 

 voids. 



