Calcareous Tufa: Deposition and Erosion during Geological Times
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear editor and authors
I revised the work by Fubelli and Dramis entitled “Calcareous tufa: deposition and erosion during geological times”. In my opinion is a good contribution about one of the major controlling factors on tufa deposition. The manuscript is well structured and easy to read. Figures are appropriate and of good quality. References are also adequate (although some suggestions can be found in my comments, below). My recommendation is the manuscript should be published after minor corrections or modifications.
Chemical formulae need to be corrected by placing the subscripts.
L. 106: maybe would be better change “massive” by “highly indurated”. The term “massive” has textural connotations that do not seem to fit with the meaning that the authors try to describe.
L. 107-108: diagenesis in tufas occurs very soon after deposition and linked to the depositional environment. In some cases, diagenesis ceases when deposition ceases (and fluvial incision or erosion occurs), so diagenesis is also linked to climate, see Andrews, 2006 and Rodríguez-Berriguete, 2020; additionally, tufas commonly show strong anisotropy in permeability. This should be mentioned in my opinion.
L. 144: better to use “pool” or “lake” instead of “basin”.
L. 159-171: there is a relationship between tufa deposition and warm, humid climates, is true. However, some questions should be considered here: (i) delayed responses of aquifers to climate changes (aridification) may result in formation of tufa during arid periods, see Rodríguez-Berriguete & Alonso-Zarza (2019); (ii) an aquifer may intersect the topography in deeply incised areas and tufa may form even in arid or semi-arid periods (Viles et al., 2007; Ordoñez et al., 2005; Vázquez-Urbez et al., 2012); (iii) deposition of tufa depends on water saturation in calcite, so situations with diluted waters (not allowing tufa deposition) may occur during humid periods in some settings (see an example in Renaut et al., 2013); (iv) tectonic stage in a basin strongly influences the height of the water table and then the deposition of tufa (see an example in Camuera et al., 2015).
L. 279-281: this has many exceptions: Vázquez-Urbez et al. (2012); Viles et al (2007). It would be nice to mention and discuss this because the appropriate conditions for tufa deposition are not related just to climate (although it is one of the most important controlling factors, indeed).
Table 1 and L. 286-293: in the case of Spain, you are using data from a very limited array of works. You are not using some works which do not fit with your point about relation of climate and tufa deposition. I think your work would be strengthened by using also other works such as those I referred above and commenting the other factors that can influence tufa deposition during periods with climate conditions that theoretically are not favourable.
L. 312: change “tuff” by “tufa”.
Dr. Álvaro Rodríguez Berriguete
Author Response
Chemical formulae need to be corrected by placing the subscripts.
A: Chemical formulae have been corrected in the whole text.
- 106: maybe would be better change “massive” by “highly indurated”.
The term “massive” has textural connotations that do not seem to f it with the meaning that the authors try to describe.
A: Modified as suggested.
- 107-108: diagenesis in tufas occurs very soon after deposition and linked to the depositional environment.
In some cases, diagenesis ceases when deposition ceases (and fluvial incision or erosion occurs), so diagenesis is also linked to climate, see Andrews, 2006 and Rodríguez-Berriguete, 2020; additionally, tufas commonly show strong anisotropy in permeability. This should be mentioned in my opinion.
A: The text has been improved and Rodrigez-Berriguete 2020 has been cited (and added in the reference list).
- 144: better to use “pool” or “lake” instead of “basin”.
A: Modified as suggested.
- 159-171: there is a relationship between tufa deposition and warm, humid climates, is true. However, some questions should be considered here: (i) delayed responses of aquifers to climate changes (aridification) may result in formation of tufa during arid periods, see Rodríguez-Berriguete & Alonso-Zarza (2019); (ii) an aquifer may intersect the topography in deeply incised areas and tufa may form even in arid or semi-arid periods (Viles et al., 2007; Ordoñez et al., 2005; Vázquez-Urbez et al., 2012); (iii) deposition of tufa depends on water saturation in calcite, so situations with diluted waters (not allowing tufa deposition) may occur during humid periods in some settings (see an example in Renaut et al., 2013); (iv) tectonic stage in a basin strongly influences the height of the water table and then the deposition of tufa (see an example in Camuera et al., 2015). appropriate
A: The text has been modified, taking into account the reviewer’s suggestions.
- 279-281: this has many exceptions: Vázquez-Urbez et al. (2012); Viles et al (2007). It would be nice to mention and discuss this because the conditions for tufa deposition are not related just to climate (although it is one of the most important controlling factors, indeed).
A: The text has been modified, and the two suggested references have been added.
Table 1 and L. 286-293: in the case of Spain, you are using data f rom a very limited array of works. You are not using some works which do not f it with your point about relation of climate and tufa deposition. I think your work would be strengthened by using also other works such as those I referred above and commenting the other factors that can influence tufa deposition during periods with climate conditions that theoretically are not favourable.
A: The table derives from a previous article that related the U/Th dates of tufa from different countries and the climatic variations of the recent Late Pleistocene. In that article, the reference works were collected randomly, so there are exceptions in the table. In any case, the presence of exceptions has been underlined in the text.
- 312: change “tuff” by “tufa”.
A: modified as suggested.
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper is very interesting and includes valuable information for other researchers. The below issues must be addressed
1-please correct the typos, check superscript/subscript
2-please re-organize your paper as
Chapter 1 must be introduction-compile all literature and then add a brief paragraph for the originality of the work, the difference between this study and the existing literature, and then methodology, results and discussion, and conclusion
3-state the limitation of the work if any
4-please refer to the recent publication in this journal and revised your paper accordingly
5-add the factors that are affecting the calcareous tufa formation and its overall performance
6-"the reduction of thermophile vegetation species and the southward migration of the boreal forest" what is the solution for this? i expect to see the authors' contribution here
Author Response
I would suggest that the paper would benefit from the inclusion of a table outlining the different types of calcareous tufa, including the distinctive main characteristics, as well as more examples of tufa deposits and associated landforms using more photos or graphical sketches. This would provide readers with a clearer and more rapid understanding of the range of calcareous tufa and their d istribution. Additionally, more detailed examples of tufa deposits and associated landforms would add depth to the authors' arguments and help readers understand the complex relationships between tufa deposition/erosion and climatic factors.
A: The article has added new figures showing different types of tufa and an evolutionary scheme of tufa dams and pools.
Reviewer 3 Report
Summary:
The authors present a comprehensive overview of calcareous tufa deposition and erosion during geological times. The paper highlights the role of climatic factors in the formation of calcareous tufa and proposes a model that explains the processes involved in tufa deposition and erosion. The paper is well-written, and the arguments are presented in a clear and logical manner. However, in my opinion, the paper would benefit from the inclusion of a table outlining the types of calcareous tufa and more examples of tufa deposits and associated landforms as imagery (or graphic sketches).
Specific Comments:
The paper provides an excellent overview of calcareous tufa deposition and erosion. The authors present a convincing argument for the role of climatic factors in tufa formation and erosion. The model proposed to explain the processes involved in tufa deposition and erosion is well-reasoned and supported by the available evidence and literature. The authors have done a good job of explaining the processes involved in tufa formation and erosion and their links to climate change.
However, I would suggest that the paper would benefit from the inclusion of a table outlining the different types of calcareous tufa, including the distinctive main characteristics, as well as more examples of tufa deposits and associated landforms using more photos or graphical sketches. This would provide readers with a clearer and more rapid understanding of the range of calcareous tufa and their distribution. Additionally, more detailed examples of tufa deposits and associated landforms would add depth to the authors' arguments and help readers understand the complex relationships between tufa deposition/erosion and climatic factors.
So, I would recommend this paper for publication with minor revisions.
Author Response
1-please correct the typos, check superscript/subscript
Done.
2-please re-organize your paper as Chapter 1 must be introduction-compile all literature and then add a brief paragraph for the originality of the work, the difference between this study and the existing literature, and then methodology, results and discussion, and conclusion.
We believe that the proposed scheme, typical of a research paper, does not apply to a review.
3-state the limitation of the work if any
Like above.
4-please refer to the recent publication in this journal and revised your paper accordingly
- Done.
5-add the factors that are affecting the calcareous tufa formation and its overall performance
- Done.
6-"the reduction of thermophile vegetation species and the southward migration of the boreal forest" what is the solution for this? i expect to see the authors' contribution here
- This is stated in a cited paper. Any discussion of the topic goes beyond the context of the article.
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors did the necessary corrections
