Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Plant-controlled supratidal anhydrite from Al-Khiran, Kuwait

Nature volume 288, pages 257–260 (1980)Cite this article

Abstract

We report here that in the supratidal zone of the Al-Khiran sabkha, diagenetic anhydrite occurs exclusively in association with the living halophyte Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pallas) M .B. This anhydrite has a hair cream-like consistency and the bulk of it has formed as pseudomorphs after gypsum crystals. On the death of the plant at the end of its life cycle, the anhydrite is hydrated back to gypsum. This two-way transformation results in a series of characteristic textures, whose preservation could be due to the comparative ‘youth’ of the sabkha, which is in the very earliest stages of evaporite diagenesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Butler, G. P. Ohio geol. Soc. 1, 120–152 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kinsman, D. J. J. Am. Petrol Inst. Prog. Rep. (1969).

  3. Shearman, D. J. Inst. Min. Metall. Trans. B75, 208–215 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Mossop, G. D. & Shearman, D. J. Inst. Min. Metall. Trans. B, 147–154 (1973).

  5. Holliday, D. W. Inst. Min. Metall. Trans B, 81–84 (1973).

  6. Shearman, D. J. & Fuller, J. G. Bull. Can. petrol. Geol. 17, 496–525 (1969).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ostroff, A. G. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 28, 1363–1372 (1964).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cody, R. D. & Hull, A. B. Geology (in the press).

  9. Rouse, J. E. & Sherif, N. Nature 285, 470–472 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. West, I. M., Ali, Y. A. & Hilmy, M. E. Geology 7, 354–358 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Perthuisot, J. P. Bull. geol. Soc. Fr. 19, 1145–1149 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Kuwait University, Kuwait

    A. Gunatilaka, A. Saleh & A. Al-Temeemi

Authors
  1. A. Gunatilaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Saleh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Al-Temeemi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gunatilaka, A., Saleh, A. & Al-Temeemi, A. Plant-controlled supratidal anhydrite from Al-Khiran, Kuwait. Nature 288, 257–260 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/288257a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/288257a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing