Carbonate rocks are a class of sedimentary rocks composed of carbonate minerals.

There are two major types; Limestone which is composed of calcite or aragonite and Dolostone
which is composed of dolomite. Calcium carbonate is the most abundant chemical sediment in
the ocean, making up roughly ten percent of sediments. The principal chemical and physical
controls on carbonate formation in oceans and lakes are those that control CO 2 concentration
however there are numerous others as well.
Three factors that control CO 2 concentration are temperature, pressure and degree of
agitation. Basically any factor that removes CO 2 from normal ocean water, converting
bicarbonate to carbonate ions, increases the production of carbonate rocks . An increase in
temperature creates a decrease in CO 2, hence why there are more carbonates in warmer
waters. As well as an increase in pressure creates a decrease in CO 2 so there is more carbonates
in shallow water. When there is a higher degree of agitation, there is less CO 2, and
consequently less carbonates formed. However strong water movement can indirectly create
great volumes of carbonate sediment despite its tendency to erode. Other factors that control
the production of carbonate rocks are sediment masking (where clastic sediments accumulate
rapidly), light availability (photosynthersizers remove CO 2, increasing carbonate production) and
carbonate compensation depth. Organic activity effects calcium carbonate subtly. Decay adds
CO2, decreasing carbonate rock production whereas bacterial activity removes CO 2, increasing
production. There are numerous important carbonate forming organisms including coral and
codiacean green algae. Many types of rocks are created organically. Lime muds are mostly
aragonite, and created in numerous different ways including the death and decay of benthonic
organisms or accumulation of planktonic biota. Many sand/gravel size carbonate sediments

form from the breakdown of shells and bioclasts (rotted by microbonng fungi, algae and
sponges, altered into peliod.
The initial deposition of calcite/aragonite depends on the ratio of Mg/Ca, aragonite
being more accommodating to Mg through cation substitution. Normal ocean environments
are close to the boundary, therefore slight changes can result in global shifts in the deposition
of carbonate rocks. Throughout Earths history there has been alternating periods of aragonite
seas and calcite seas. During intervals of rapid seafloor spreading, hydrothermal vents near
spreading zones release Ca into oceans and consume Mg through hydrothermal reactions with
bedrock. Resulting in the deposition of low-Mg calcite and higher sea levels. When sea floors
are spreading slowly, the concentrations of Ca are lower and Mg are higher. This results in the
deposition of aragonite and lower sea levels. A third common carbonate rock exists, dolostone,
however it is uncertain how its formed. It is suggested that its formed when calcite and
aragonite are converted to dolomite by direct replacement of Ca by Mg. To do so, you must
expose calcite or aragonite to water with a high Mg/Ca ratio and a high absolute concentration
of Mg.
Furthermore, the amount of CO 2 has a direct effect on the deposition of carbonate rocks.
Factors that control the deposition of carbonates are temperature, pressure, organic activity
and numerous more. The majority of carbonates are formed in a warm, shallow, marine
environment. Carbonates can also be paleoclimate indicators because of the alternating
periods of calcite rich and aragonite rich seas, therefore are very important to scientists.

EASC 2702
Essay #5: Carbonate Rocks
Victoria Hollohan
201342805
October 29th, 2014