OOIDS AND PELOIDS

Contents
 Ooids
 Formation of ooids
 Factors Affecting ooids growth
 Conclusion
 Peloids
 Depositional environment of Peloids
Ooids
 Ooids are small (< 2 mm in diameter),
spheroidal, "coated"
(layered) sedimentary grains, usually
composed of calcium carbonate, but
sometimes made up of iron- or phosphate-
based minerals.
 Pisoids are similar to ooids, but are larger

than 2 mm in diameter.
 Oolite (egg stone) is a sedimentary

rock formed from ooids.
Ooids on the surface of a limestone; Carmel Formation
(Middle Jurassic) of southern Utah
A thin slice of calcitic ooids from the Carmel Formation, Middle Jurassic,
of southern Utah, USA
Formation
 An ooid forms as a series of concentric layers
around a nucleus. The layers contain crystals
arranged radially, tangentially or randomly.
The nucleus can be a shell fragment, quartz
grain or any other small fragment.

Two main types of ooid. An ooid with tangentially arranged

crystals is shown in the left and an ooid with radially arranged
crystals is on the right.
 The formation of these objects has been
speculated from the early 19th Century and
ideas for their origin range from crinoid eggs,
insect eggs to the present day explanation of
precipitated layers of CaCO3.
 Recent ooids are forming today in places
such as the Bahamas and Shark Bay, Australia
and are all composed of aragonite.
Factors Affecting Ooid Growth
The following factors have an affect on ooid
growth:

 Supersaturation of CaCO3
 Nuclei
 Agitation
 Location
 Water depth
 Supersaturation:
the concentration needed to be above 0.002
moles/litre and below 0.0167 moles/litre for
ooids to form successfully. Below 0.002
moles/litre only aragonite needles or poor ooids
formed. Above 0.0167 moles/litre the ooids
formed an amorphous mass.
 Nuclei:

The type of nuclei affects the rate of growth

and the size of each lamination (Davies et al.,
1978). Organic coating on the nuclei give faster
and longer precipitation, while using oxidised
quartz show much slower and shorter
precipitation.
 Agitation:
The agitation an ooid undergoes must be
enough to keep it in suspension for the
growing phase followed by removal to a non-
supersaturated fluid.
Agitation may also control ooid size.
 Location:

The location off ooid formation is

important. They must be kept in the same
area throughout the formation, in order that
their life cycle can be completed.
 Water Depth:
Most ooids form in water less than 2m deep, but
this may have more to do with wave agitation and
tidal movements than water depth itself.
Conclusion
Ooids are spherical accumulations of carbonate
grains as either aragonite or calcite. They require a
high level of supersaturation with respect to
carbonate, the presence of nuclei and agitation.
There is a relationship between the amount of ooids
formed and the water depth, but this may be due to
shallower water having a higher level of agitaiton.
Ooids go through several stages during formation,
including a sleeping phase, which may involve the
use of organic material in order to initiate a new
layer.
Peloids
 Peloids are fecal pellets that are
produced by organisms that
consume calcium carbonate mud.
 Formed from organism
excretions of undigested calcium
carbonate mud.
 Tend to be oval in shape and
uniform in size.
 Unlike ooids, peloids lack concentric
and radial internal structures, making them easy to
distinguish from ooids and other non-skeletal grains.
 Peloids can be identified by their dark color due to
the organic matter from which they are formed.
Depositional environment

 Peloids collect in lagoons and shallow

intertidal zones where they are protected
from rough ocean currents.
 However, peloids will not remain protected

forever and will eventually break down

into micrite.
 Through burial processes, peloids will

become cemented and preserved.