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176:, U.S., region. The origin of this type of tessellated pavement remains uncertain. The size and shape of these polygons appears to be dependent to a large extent on the grain size, texture, and coherence of the rock. This polygonal tessellation is best developed in relatively fine-grained, uniform, and siliceous or silicified sandstones.
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The loaf formations occur on the parts of the pavement closer to the seashore, which are immersed in water for longer periods of time. These parts of the pavement do not dry out so much, reducing the level of salt crystallisation. Water, carrying abrasive sand, is typically channelled through the
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The pan formation is a series of concave depressions in the rock that typically forms beyond the edge of the seashore. This part of the pavement dries out more at low tide than the portion abutting the seashore, allowing salt crystals to develop further; the surface of the "pans" therefore erodes
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in fine-grained sediments. Often, the outlines of the polygons formed by this type of cracking are preserved and accentuated by the infilling of the cracks with material of a different composition from that of either the clayey or calcareous sediments in which the cracks form. The infilling of the
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The final type of tessellated pavement consists of relatively flat, sandstone surfaces that typically exhibit a complex pattern of five- or six-sided polygons. Typically, these polygons vary greatly in size from 0.5 to 2 m in width. These polygons are defined by well-developed fractures that
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The second type of tessellated pavement consists of a bedrock surface that exhibits joints that form polygons that are typically regular in size, spacing, and junctions. Typically, these polygons represent the cross-sections of polygonal, typically hexagonal joints, called
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along joints as to cause the bedrock along the joints to be either raised or recessed as the result of differential erosion. This type of tessellated pavement is commonly observed along shorelines where wave action has created relatively flat and extensive
285:
In S.J. Smith, ed., pp. 7–24, Papers and
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Tasman Peninsula : A symposium conducted by the Royal Society of Tasmania at Port Arthur, Tasmania, November 1–3. Royal Society of Tasmania, Tasmania.
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In R.W. Young and G.C. Nanson, eds., pp. 11–20, Aspects of
Australian sandstone landscapes. Special Publication No. 1, Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. 126 pp.
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cracks by sediments of a different character often preserved the polygonal pattern of the cracking where it can be exhumed by erosion as a patterned pavement after the sediment becomes lithified into a sedimentary rock.
84:, that are subdivided into either more or less regular rectangles or blocks approaching rectangles by well-developed systematic orthogonal joint systems. The surface of individual beds, as exposed by
208:. This tessellated pavement consists of a marine platform on the shore of Pirates Bay, Tasmania. This example consists of two types of formations: a
139:. They consist of polygonal cracking, often associated with individual 'plates' that tend to be concave upward, that characterizes the formation of
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Megapolygons in
Ladinian Limestones of Triassic of Southern Alps: Evidence of Deformation by Penecontemporaneous Desiccation and Cementation.
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Philosophical
Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences. vol. 371, no. 20120353. 18 pp.
69:; tessellated pavements formed by cooling contraction; tessellations formed by mud cracking and lithification; and tessellated
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The third type of tesselation recognized by
Branagan is associated with the shrinkage and cracking of fine-grained, either
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The most common type of tessellated pavement consists of relatively flat rock surfaces, typically the tops of
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joints, causing them to erode faster than the rest of the pavement, leaving loaf-like structures protruding.
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Geological Survey of
Northern Ireland, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 172 pp.
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The most well known example of a tessellated pavement is the
Tessellated Pavement that is found at Lufra,
27:, Tasmania, where a rock surface has been divided by fractures, producing a set of rectangular blocks
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Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures
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Four types of tessellated pavements are recognized: tessellated pavements formed by
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Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 387–392.
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Evolving fracture patterns: columnar joints, mud cracks and polygonal terrain.
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and keeps the surfaces of these platforms relatively clear of debris.
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sometimes have raised rims. They are found within exposures of the
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more quickly than the joints, resulting in increasing concavity.
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Journal of
Sedimentary Petology. vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1040–1058.
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Nonequilibrium scale selection mechanism for columnar jointing.
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A reconnaissance geology and geomorphology of Tasman
Peninsula.
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Journal of Sedimentary Petology. vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 715–723.
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Banks, M.R., E.A. Colhoun, R.J. Ford, and E. Williams (1986)
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180:Tessellated Pavement, Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
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39:surface that is subdivided into polygons by
350:Recent algal mats of a Persian Gulf Lagoon.
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385:Assereto, R.L., and C.G. Kendall (1971)
368:(3rd ed.). London: Unwin Hyman. 302 pp.
348:Kendall, C.G., and P.A. Skipwith (1968)
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364:Collinson, J., and D. Thompson, (2006)
328:Wilson, H. E., and P. I. Manning, 1978,
188:Sunrise on the tessellated pavement at
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420:Down to Earth – Geology Exhibition
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31:In geology and geomorphology, a
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330:Geology of the Causeway Coast.
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23:A tessellated pavement at
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164:Archaeological Site in
410:The Terrigal Formation
366:Sedimentary Structures
253:Branagan, D.F. (1983)
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255:Tesselated pavements.
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35:is a relatively flat
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404:Bouddi National Park
302:Goehring, L. (2013)
150:Hawkesbury Sandstone
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174:Boulder, Colorado
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216:formation.
152:within the
431:Categories
338:0337060940
264:0864180012
228:References
170:Cretaceous
166:Queensland
133:calcareous
90:weathering
437:Petrology
292:0080-4703
141:mudcracks
137:sediments
71:sandstone
49:polygonal
41:fractures
206:Tasmania
111:basaltic
67:jointing
61:Overview
200:on the
160:at the
99:bedrock
86:erosion
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154:Sydney
129:clayey
45:joints
370:ISBN
334:ISBN
288:ISSN
260:ISBN
214:loaf
114:lava
78:beds
37:rock
210:pan
204:of
131:or
120:in
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