This month’s photo comes from Jon Noad (Stantec Consulting), who shares a beautiful example of herringbone cross-stratification from the late Miocene Mécanico section in Sorbas, SE Spain.
Herringbone cross-stratification forms when oscillating tidal currents alternately flow in opposite directions. Each flow leaves foresets dipping the opposite way to the previous ones, producing the characteristic zig-zag pattern, a classic signature of tidal deposition. The pen for scale gives a good sense of how well these structures are exposed.
These calcarenites were deposited shortly after the Messinian Salinity Crisis and have also yielded bird and mammal trackways.
Many thanks to Jon for sharing this wonderful image!
Do you have a great tidalite photo from your own fieldwork? Send it to us and it could be featured as a future Photo of the Month!
