Thin-section photomicrograph (plane-polarized light) of marine cements in upper Capitan reef. Entire
area represents an original void in the reef fabric; then filled with synsedimentary, fibrous to bladed,
cloudy botryoids which were interlaminated with darker, micritic encrustations. Clear, blocky
calcite filling of a later fracture can also be seen. Sample from outcrop at the south spur of the
mouth of Walnut Canyon, just outside boundary of Carlsbad Caverns National Park,
Eddy Co., New Mexico, U.S.A. Long axis of photo = 3 mm.

© Peter A. Scholle, 1999

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