Geol 464: Carbonate Geology

Semester 062
2007

Lecture 2

Mineralogy of Carbonate sediments

the principal rock-forming carbonate minerals are:

Calcite - CaCO3

some substitution of Mg
"low Magnesium calcite" with less than 4 mol.% MgCO3 and "high
Magnesium calcite" with greater than 4 mol.% but typically ranging between 11
and 19 mol.% MgCO3

Aragonite - a "polymorph" (CaCO3) Orthorhombic

Aragonite is unstable at surface temperatures and pressures and in time

high-Mg calcite loses its Mg.

Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2
Might also see Siderite (FeCO3) , Magnesite (MgCO3),
Rhodocrosite (MnCO3). Ankerite - Ca (Fe,Mg,Mn)(CO3)2
Non carbonate minerals in limestones include terrigenous
quartz and clay, and pyrite, hematite chert and phosphate of
diagenetic origin.
Evaporite minerals in particular gypsum-anhydrite, may be
closely associated with carbonates.

Adjectives for Field Use

Dolomitic - has the mineral dolomite in it
Calcareous - has the mineral calcite in it (not used
with limestone)
Argillaceous - has clay present in it.
Arenaceous - has sand size detrital grains
Fossiliferous - "skeletal" material of animals and
plants
Oolitic - contains oolites (ooids)
Pisolitic - contains pisolites (pisoids)
Peloidal contains peloids
Cherty - contains chert nodules
Brecciated - the rock is broken in situ

Calcite Group
Calcite: CaCO3

minor Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, Co

Magnesite: MgCO3 [Mg, Fe] CO3

Siderite: FeCO3 [Fe, Mg] CO3 minor Ca,Mn
Rhodochrosite: MnCO3 minor Mg,Mn,Fe,Zn,Co
Smithsonite: ZnCO3 minor Fe,Ca,Co,Mg,Mn,Cu,Cd

Aragonite Group
Aragonite: CaCO3

minor Pb, Sr, Ba, K

Witherite: BaCO3

minor Sr

Strontianite: SrCO3

minor Ca

Cerussite: PbCO3

Dolomite Group
Dolomite: CaMg(CO3)2

minor Mn, Co, Zn

Ankerite: Ca[MgFe](CO3)2 transition series to dolomite

Kutnahorite: CaMn (CO3)2

Recognition and Distinction

of Carbonate Mineral Phases
Acid?
Staining?
X-ray diffraction?
Mass spectrometry
Light petrography?
CL petrography

Carbonate
Staining
Alizarin Red S
Potassium Ferricyanide
Rhodamine Fluorescent Dye
Non-ferroan calcite stains pink
Ferroan calcite stains blue to mauve
Non-ferroan dolomite does not take the stain
Ferroan dolomite stains turquoise- blue

Staining for
Mineralogical
Identification
Alizarine Red S

Lower Permian
Clear Fork Group,
subsurface,
West Texas

Staining for
Mineralogical
Identification
Alizarine Red S
Lower Permian
Clear Fork Group,
subsurface,
West Texas

Staining for Mineralogical

Identification
Potassium Ferricyanide

Fe-rich
Calcite

CL Imaging of Carbonate
Phases
Using Cathodoluminoscope, which bombards a polished
thin-section with electrons in special small vacuum
chamber mounted in a microscope stage and causes
luminescence, can revel details of cements and overgrowths.

Cathodoluminescence
Petrography

CL Imaging of Dolomite
Phases
Identification of
Original Fabric

Cathodoluminescence

Plane light

Middle Permian
San Andres Formation,
subsurface, West Texas
From Ruppel and Cander (1988)

CL Imaging of Dolomite
Phases
Middle Permian
San Andres Formation,
subsurface, West Texas
Cathodoluminescence

Plane light

Anhydrite

Dolomite 1
(High Fe, low Mn)
From Ruppel and Cander (1988)

CL Imaging of Dolomite
Phases
Middle Permian
San Andres Formation,
subsurface, West Texas

Cathodoluminescence

Plane light

Dolomite 1

Dolomite 4
Dolomite 2

From Ruppel and Cander (1988)

CL Imaging of Dolomite
Phases
Middle Permian
San Andres Formation,
subsurface, West Texas
Cathodoluminescence
Dolomite 2
(High Fe, low Mn)
Plane light

Anhydrite

Dolomite 3
(v. high Fe, low Mn)

Dolomite 4
(High Mn,
Low Fe)

From Ruppel and Cander (1988)

CL Imaging of Dolomite
Phases
San Andres Formation,
subsurface, West Texas

Cathodoluminescence
Anhydrite

Dolomite 2

Plane light
Dolomite 4
Dolomite 3

From Ruppel and Cander (1988)