Current tufa sedimentation in a high discharge river: A comparison with other synchronous tufa records in the Iberian Range (Spain)

The smaller deposition of the Ebrón River compared to two other synchronous tufa records in the Iberian Range is linked to 1) the absence of long areas of increased slope, 2) the occurrence of significant CO2-rich groundwater springs in the middle reach, and 3) the higher discharge and water depth. Certain high-discharge events were recorded as lower deposition rates concurrent in the three rivers. Moreover, anomalous water temperatures calculated from the calcite δ18O in the three rivers for a coincident time span support a regional anomaly in the precipitation δ18O. Thus, the evolution of the short-term tufa deposition rates and calcite δ18O composition through time can detect regional climate and hydrology changes and therefore can be robust criteria for correlation in the geological record.