Sedimentation in Blue Holes
Sediment buildup in blue holes is quite exceptional. Instead of near the margins, sedimentation happens in the middle of holes. Sediments of various types help in the preservation of fossils and records of climate. Saprophyllite, detrital peat, and lacustrine marl are the primary sediments that accumulate and form layers in blue holes. There are microfossils in these levels.
Sediment cores extracted from three Bahamas blue holes revealed that more sapropel, detrital and freshwater peat, and lacustrine marls were discovered at greater depths. Wood, Charophytes, and Hydrobiidae microfossils were discovered at a depth of roughly 150 cm in the sediment core.
Blue Hole
Blue Hole: A blue hole is an underwater, large marine sinkhole or cavern. They can cover areas bigger than cities and are hundreds of meters long. Carbonate bedrock, such as coral reefs or limestone, makes up blue holes. They may contain tidally-influenced fresh, marine, or mixed water. By releasing nutrients, some of the holes help the biodiversity in their natural surroundings. Off the coast of Mexico, a blue hole measuring 900 feet deep was found in 2021. In February 2023, a study on the blue hole was first published in the Frontiers in Marine Science publication.
In this article, we will read about Blue Hole, interesting facts about them, the formation of blue hole, their location, biodiversity, and the great blue hole of Belize.
Table of Content
- What is Blue Hole?
- Facts about Blue Hole
- Formation of Blue Hole
- Blue Hole Location
- Blue Hole Biodiversity
- Sedimentation in Blue Holes
- Fossil Preservation in Blue Holes
- Great Blue Hole – Belize