Travertine

uring the spring of 1960, an uncle showed me a ‘petrifying spring’ near Plaxtol in Kent Dwhere twigs had been encased in a calcareous jacket. A twig was collected and having - cently been given I. Evan’s Observer’s Book of Geology by my parents, I found a photograph of another petrifying spring and an explanation of its origin. In those days, Derbyshire was too far for a holiday destination, and I took little further interest until a research studentship with Professor G. E. Fogg became available in 1971. Tony Fogg had recently moved to the University College of North Wales, Bangor and the research was to be into cyanobacterium mats, with fieldwork along the Red Sea coast. The fieldwork never materialised but my interest in algal mats had been aroused. A chance stroll along the Bangor shore revealed beautifully calcified cya- bacterium mats, and Tony generously allowed me to investigate these instead. The old Plaxtol collection was retrieved and yielded abundant cyanobacteria. It became apparent that here was a wealth of information about a rock whose formation was so rapid, that the process could be studied in days rather than years – an exceptional state of affairs. A search of the literature also revealed that the rock, a form of travertine, had other unusual features.

This book presents basic knowledge and key objectives of research of geological, geochemical, and microbial properties and processes in travertines, carbonate deposits precipitated from calcareous hot springs. Much of the contents are based on the authors’ researches performed in Japan and Indonesia over the last decade. Travertine is one of the most active sedimentary systems, which have a potential impact on the Earth’s environment. It is also an accessible epitome of the Earth’s history, cultivating ancestral bacteria and representing a modern analog for ancient stromatolites. Readers can learn how integration of various scopes and methods unveils mysterious phenomena in travertine and can find clues for considering the early history of the Earth and life. This book includes a monographic chapter on Japanese onsens, or hot springs, which may help tourists to select the best places to enjoy the unique features of travertine.