Ferricrete is a hard, erosion-resistant layer of sedimentary rock, usually conglomerate or breccia, that has been cemented into a duricrust by iron oxides. The iron oxide cements are derived from the oxidation of percolating solutions of iron salts.[1] Ferricretes form at or near the land surface and may contain non-local sediments that have been transported from outside the immediate area of the deposit.
The name is a combination of ferruginous and concrete. Synonyms include ferruginousduricrust, hardpan and ironpan.[1]
Ferricrete deposits along the Animas River watershed in Colorado have been classified as:
Ferricrete is used widely in South Africa to create roads in rural areas. It is better known in these regions by its Afrikaans name "Koffieklip" (coffee stone).
References
^ a bDictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms, 2nd Edition. American Geological Institute in cooperation with the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., 646 p., ISBNÂ 0-922152-36-5.
^Verplanck, Philip L.; et al.; Ferricrete Classification, Morphology, Distribution, and Carbon-14 Age Constraints in Environmental Effects of Historical Mining, Animas River Watershed, Colorado, US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 1651, 2007, p. 726 PDF