Carbonate Cements:

This thin-section
photomicrograph
(cross polarized light)
is from the Capitan
Fm. of the Permian
Reef Complex
contains isopachous
calcite cements
(stained red).
Isopachous cements
were precipitated in a
marine environment.
The original
composition of the
cements may have
been aragonite and
later neomorphosed to
© Peter A. Scholle, 2000 calcite. Gypsum
cements plug the
remaining porosity.
L.A. = 4.5 mm
The upper photograph
is from just outside
boundary of Carlsbad
Caverns National
Park, Eddy Co., New
Mexico, U.S.A. Acid-
etched rock surface
showing details of
radial fibrous cement
filling a large primary
cavity in the upper
Capitan reef
framework. Originally,
© Peter A. Scholle, 2000 cements were mainly
aragonite with some
high-Mg calcite and
formed botryoidal
crusts lining small as
well as large pores.
Virtually the entire

© Peter A. Scholle, 2000
© Dana S. Ulmer-Scholle, 2000
field of view above the
coin is marine cement
which may form as
much as 80% of the
total rock volume.
The lower photograph
is from the
Guadalupian Seven
Rivers-Yates Fm.
Gulf/Chevron PDB-04
well, 1736.9 ft (529.4
m) depth, Eddy Co.,
New Mexico, U.S.A.
This thin-section
photomicrograph
(plane polarized light)
of a pisolite-shoal
facies shows
spectacular bladed
cement crystals (now
replaced by dolomite)
with "square-tipped
rays". Such crystal
terminations have
been used to infer an
originally aragonite
composition for the
cements (Loucks &
Folk, 1976). L.A. =
5.75 mm.
This is a thin section
photomicrograph
(plane-polarized light;
Alizarin-potassium
ferricyanide stained
section) from the Tosi
Chert of the Park City
Fm. at Anchor Dam
and is bryozoan,
crinoidal, brachiopod
biomicrite/packstones.
This slide contains
syntaxial overgrowth
cements around the
echinoderm fragments.
The overgrowths are

© Dana S. Ulmer-Scholle, 2000
complexly zoned from
slightly ferroan to non-
ferroan to ferroan and
back to non-ferroan.
This zoning reflects
the variable pore water
chemistries that
moved through these
units with time. After
the last stage of
cementation, waters
associated with the
migration of oil into
this section resulted in
the corrosion of the
last non-ferroan and
ferroan cements. Note
the brownish black
material filling the
remaining porosity.
That is the oil still in
place. These cements
formed during burial
in the marine phreatic
zone. L.A. = 1.5 mm
This thin section
photomicrograph
(plane-polarized light;
Alizarin-potassium
ferricyanide stained
section) is from the
Permian
(Guadalupian) Tosi
Chert), Park City Fm.
at Anchor Dam, Big
Horn Basin, WY.
This photomicrograph
contains complexly
zoned calcite fills
which post-date
silicification of the
original evaporites.
Prior to calcite
precipitation, the
remnant evaporites
were leached leaving a
 insoluble residue
coating perched on the
early formed
megaquartz crystals.
L.A. = 2.5 mm

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© Dana S. Ulmer-Scholle, 2000

2. Yates/DC: This sample is from the Capitan Fm. of the Permian Reef Complex (Dark
Canyon) and contains excellent examples of Mizzia sp., miscellaneous foraminifers and
onkolites. This slide is classified as a pelbiosparite/grainstone and contains meniscus
cements. Meniscus cements are found only at grain contacts and are characteristic of
vadose cementation since they form where water films are trapped between the grains.
Again, this rock has undergone extensive diagenesis and is now mostly dolomite.

3. 5928-1: This sample is from the back-reef sediments of the Capitan Fm. of the Permian
Reef Complex (McKittrick Canyon?) and is a biolithite/boundstone consisting of blue-
green algae, peloids, calcispheres and foraminfers. This thin section contains pendent or
microstalactitic cements within the fenestral pores. Again, these cements are
characteristic of vadose environments. How do you think these cements formed? This
slide also contains internal sediment. Is there anything unusual about it? What may this
imply?

4. 4-172.5: This thin section is from the Permian Ervay Mbr of the Phosphoria Fm. of the
Big Horn Basin, WY and is biosparite/packstone consisting mainly of trepostome,
fenestrate and other bryozoans and echinoderms. Within the zooecia of the trepostome
bryozoans you should be able to find another type of internal sediment, micrite silt.
Micrite silt is chemically precipitated (probably with the aid of bacteria) bundles of
micrite. In many modern and ancient reefs, it is volumetrically an important component
of the sediments.

7. CDO-15: This sample is from the Mississippian Espiritu Santo Fm. of the Arroyo Pe–
asco Group near Ranchos de Taos. This recrystallized limestone consists of finely
crystalline, euhedral dolomite crystals encased in coarsely crystalline, poikolotopic
calcite crystals. Make sure you look at this section with crossed polarizers to see how the
calcite encases the dolomite crystals. This is an unusal fabric in carbonates and is more
commonly found in sandstones. How do you think these cements formed?
9. 8-302: This stained thin section is from the Permian Ervay Mbr of the Phosphoria Fm.
of the Big Horn Basin, WY and is dolomitized biolithite/boundstone. It contains pisolites,
peloids and blue/green? algae. Near the bottom of the slide there is a zone of calcite
cement that is called radiaxial fibrous. With the polarizers crossed, note how the
extinction sweeps across the crystals. The cause of this optical behavior is not well
understood. It may be due to poisoning of the calcite lattice by some other element during
crystal growth. Radiaxial fibrous cements may be replacements of early aragonite
cements. Go to the section on dolomitization (question 12) to complete this slide.