Silica‐rich layering at Blanche Point, South Australia

Abstract

The chemistry and mineralogy of much of the Late Eocene Blanche Point Formation of South Australia show that biogenic and volcanogenic products were the only significant contributor to the sedimentary record. Intermittent volcanic activity followed by dissolution of the resultant silicic ash and small scale migration of silicon with reprecipitation as the oxide, provides the simplest and most likely explanation for the repetitive nature of the silicification. Seemingly, this was controlled by local silica concentrations which in turn were apparently controlled by the biota. Changes in circulation patterns and/or water depth may have initiated the environmental variations recorded in the formation.