Figure 3-7. Smectite (at white arrow) on aragonite in a stalagmite from Carlsbad Caverns. Growth direction of aragonite is to right. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis indicates presence of Si, Mg, and minor Al in arrowed material. The arrowed material may be part of a coating visible below it, and it may have peeled upwards during sample preparation. There is another image of smectite in this stalagmite.      Scanning electron microscope secondary electron image generated with a 5 keV acccelerating voltage; white scale bar at lower right is 5 microns long. Georgia Giant speleothem, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, U.S.A; Sample CB74. Sample collected by Dr. George A. Brook; image generated with the kind help of Dr. John P. Shields of the University of Georgia Center for Advanced Ultrastructural Research.
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