Part 1. Composition and Distribution of Recent Sediments in Laguna Madre, Tamaulipas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22201/10.22201/igl.01855530e.1968.84.105Keywords:
coastal barrier, salinity, wind erosion, terraces, silty-clay sedimentsAbstract
Laguna Madre in Tamaulipas, located on the Mexican coast of the Gulf of Mexico, occupies a shallow basin separated from the sea by a coastal barrier. The climate is arid, with a strong predominance of evaporation, and freshwater input from rivers to the lagoon is minimal. Consequently, the lagoon is in a process of desiccation, with increasing salinity in the remaining waters and salt precipitation in the marginal zones. This paper presents a study of the factors that characterize the basin environment and dominate the composition, distribution, and deposition of the sediments filling it. Sediment distribution has been influenced mainly by the inflow of seawater into the lagoon, internal wave energy, and aeolian action. Based on their texture, composition, and mineralogy, the sediments have been delimited into three groups, which appear to be the most notable lithological units in this depositional environment. The internal structures of the lagoon sediments show frequent and notable changes in lithofacies, both vertically and horizontally, corresponding to ecological variations in its development. Finally, a brief comparison is made between Laguna Madre, Tamaulipas, and Laguna Madre, Texas, highlighting the aspects in which they differ from each other.
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