Tafoni and Other Rock Basins
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2023
Keywords
Tafoni, Gnammas, Solution pits, granite, sandstone, global distribution
Abstract
Tafoni and gnamma are cavernous weathering phenomena that have been extensively surveyed, discussed, and studied. From delicate, polygonal cells (2–4 mm) to huge circular pits (30 m þ), they develop in a variety of rock substrates, commonly in sandstone (tafoni) and granite (gnamma). Early research on their initiation and development was divisive, but current studies indicate polygenetic, differential weathering from intrinsic factors including hydrolysis, hydration of lithologic constituents, to extrinsic influences like moisture availability, insolation, and salinity. Increasingly, it is believed that complex, feedback cycles are responsible for their sigmoidal rates of development.
Citation
Paradise, T. R. (2023). Tafoni and Other Rock Basins. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 3, 204-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.09570-1
