Calcite (Inventory)/Popcorn

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Revision as of 00:13, 28 April 2012

Popcorn

The Popcorn field of the Calcite section should be used to record stations where cave popcorn is found.

Cave popcorn are small balls of calcite, aragonite and more rarely gypsum which project from surfaces such as bedrock and other speleothems. It usually appears in clusters but can rarely occur singularly. Dense growths of popcorn that terminate downwardly are known as trays. Popcorn can form almost anywhere and comes in a few varieties including button popcorn which has flattened nodules. Any observation of popcorn no matter its composition should be recorded here. Popcorn nodules may be smooth like flowstone or chalky and round like edible popcorn. They may terminate in aragonite needles and appear only on one side of speleothems or terminate abruptly in a stratographic layer. The size of each individual nodule can vary from tiny to small but usually does not grow much bigger than an inch or so.

Gallery

Button popcorn

See also

• Tray

References

• Palmer, Arthur N. (2007) Cave Geology CAVE BOOKS, Dayton, OH p 288 ISBN-13: 978-0-939748-66-2, ISBN-10: 0-939748-66-5
• Hill, Carol; Paolo Forti (1997) Cave Minerals of the World (Second Edition ed.) National Speleological Society pp 59-61 ISBN: 1-879961-07-5