MINERALOGY OF CARBONATE ROCKS

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Michel-Levy Color Chart

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Michel-Levy Color Chart

standard thin-section thickness

first order

second order

third order

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Michel-Levy Color Chart

Carbonate minerals have very high order birefringence colors Lock

calcite (in a marble), xp light, note pressure twinning.

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Calcite, in a rather too thin slice of a fossil (Inoceramus): Note birefringence color bands (at least third order colors)

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first order red

2nd 3rd

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Main carbonate rock minerals

Low Magnesian Calcite (LMC) High Magnesian Calcite (HMC) Ferroan Calcite Aragonite Dolomite Ankerite and Ferroan Dolomite Siderite

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Calcium carbonate minerals

LMC - low magnesian calcite - contains less than 5% magnesium HMC - high magnesian calcite - usually contains between 12 and 30% magnesium Ferroan calcite Aragonite - contains traces of strontium

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Calcium magnesium carbonate minerals

Dolomite - ordered, stoichiometric (5050 Ca and Mg in alternating layers Protodolomite - disordered and nonstoichiometric, usually young and not deeply buried
Ankerite - CaCO3.(Mg,Fe)CO3
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Carbonate Mineral Identification

X-Ray Diffraction

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X-Ray Diffraction permits determination of Ca++:Mg++ ratio in dolomite

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Carbonate Mineral Identification

X-Ray Diffraction staining

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Stains Used with Carbonate Rocks

Alizarin Red-S; stains calcite red
applied by dipping rock or thin section briefly in slightly acid stain

Titan Yellow; stains dolomite yellow

applied by boiling sample in strong alkaline solution

Potassium Ferricyanide
stains iron-bearing mineral blue may be applied together with alizarin

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calcite (stained red with Alizarin Red S) and unstained dolomite rhombs

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calcite shell (stained red with Alizarin Red S)

pore space (blue dye)

glauconite (natural green)

ferroan calcite cements in mold from dissolved aragonite shells (stained purple (Alizarin and potassium ferricyanide)

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Carbonate Mineral Identification

X-Ray Diffraction staining S.E.M. - Scanning Electron Microscopy

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aragonite needles (SEM)

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Effect of rotating stage in ppl, with dolomite crystals

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dolomite, stained with TitanYellow, replacing ooliths in a limestone

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Non-carbonate minerals
Gypsum:
grey-silver birefringence colors, like quartz, but good cleavages

Anhydrite
bright first order birefringence colors, rightangled cleavages

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Lenticular gypsum. Note gray birefringence, cleavage

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Anhydrite and dolomite, Smackover Formation (Jurassic), Alabama subsurface.

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anhydrite replacement of foraminiferal carbonate mud

dolomite rhombs

mud remnant

miliolid foram "ghost"

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anhydrite and dolomite

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Anhydrite note cleavages at right angles, bright first order interference colors

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anhydrite note the replacement of a shell fragment

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anhydrite, deep subsurface diagenetic replacement

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Non-carbonate minerals
Halite:
isotropic, cubic

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halite (SEM)

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Halite cubes (isotropic), in porous limestone, Sunniland Formation, Florida,

Note inclusion

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Non-carbonate minerals
Quartz and chert

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Chert replacing limestone.

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Chert, replacing limestone.

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Quartz crystals, replacing limestone.

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Non-carbonate minerals
Glauconite

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Adams, MacKenzie and Guilford, 1984, "Atlas of Sedimentary Rocks Under the Microscope" Longman Lock

Adams, MacKenzie and Guilford, 1984, "Atlas of Sedimentary Rocks Under the Microscope" Longman Lock

Looking at Carbonate Rocks

Compare freshly broken surfaces with weathered surfaces the latter commonly show textures much better. In the lab, slabbing, polishing, acid etching, varnishing all improve visibility. In the field, etch with acid before using the hand lens.

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The Carbonate Equation

Ca++ + 2HCO3- = CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O
dynamic equilibrium, so that removing CO2, for example, will cause movement to the right, precipitating more CaCO3.

Note that CO2 + H2O = H2CO3 (carbonic acid)

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Carbon dioxide controls CaCO3 precipitation

Adding CO2 will dissolve some carbonate Removing CO2 will precipitate more carbonate,

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The Carbonate Equation (2)

Controls on carbonate precipitation and dissolution:
temperature
CO2 solubility increases with colder temperature (compare warm and cold Coke)
carbonates are readily precipitated in warm water (where CO2 easily escapes to the atmosphere as gas) carbonates dissolve in cold water, as in the deep ocean, hence carbonate compensation depth (CCD) below which fine-grained carbonate sediments do not accumulate.

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The Carbonate Equation (3)

Controls on carbonate precipitation and dissolution:
pressure
CO2 solubility increases with higher pressure (compare Coke before and after being uncapped)
another factor in dissolution of carbonates in the deep ocean

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The Carbonate Equation (3)

Controls on carbonate precipitation and dissolution:
photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight energy = C6H12O6 (sugars) this removes CO2, encourages CaCO3 precipitation

respiration
the reverse of this reaction, releases CO2 and dissolves carbonates
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The Carbonate Equation (3)

Controls on carbonate precipitation and dissolution:
water agitation (compare to stirring Coke)
allows CO2 to escape from the water, encouraging carbonate precipitation

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The Carbonate Equation (4)

Controls on carbonate precipitation and dissolution:
oil generation is preceded by CO2 generation during organic diagenesis carbonate dissolution results in the deep subsurface

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