Geol 464: Carbonate Geology

Semester 062
2007

Lecture 3

Components of carbonate

The components of carbonate can be divided into four groups:

1. Non-skeletal grains
2. Skeletal grains
3. Micrite
4. Cement

Skeletal grains

Matrix
(<20 )

Pores

Cement

Non-skeletal grains

1. non-skeletal grains

Ooids and pisoids

Ooids are spherical to subspherical grains consisting of one or more
regular concentric lamellae around a nucleus, usually carbonate particles
or quartz grain.
The lamellae consist mainly of CaCO3, but some have thin darker lamellae
containing organic matter.

 Ooids typically form in agitated waters where they are frequently moved as
sandwaves, dunes and ripples by tidal and storm currents, and wave action.
Depths of water where ooids precipitate usually are less than 5 m, but they
may reach 10-15 m.
All marine ooids forming today, such as in the Bahamas and Arabian Gulf,
are composed of aragonite and they have a high surface polish.
Ooids contain organic matter, located mainly between lamellae and in the
microcrystalline layers.

Aragonitic Ooids

After Kendall

Ancient ooids

Ooids in the rock record are composed of calcite (low Mg), unless dolomitized or
silicified.
Primary calcite ooids, whether in high-energy or low-energy facies, typically have a
radial texture of wedge-shaped, fibrous crystals.
Ancient ooids originally of aragonite will have been altered during diagenesis to a
greater or lesser extent.
Alternatively, the aragonite of the ooids may be dissolved out completely, to leave
oomoulds.

Original grains were ooids and intraclasts.

Some of the oomoulds have been partially or
completely infilled by deep burial dolomites.

Ooid Dissolution

0.1 mm

Moldic pore

Origin of ooids
Seawater in shallow tropical areas is supersaturated with
respect to CaCO3, together with water agitation, CO2
degassing and elevated temperature, might be sufficient to
bring about carbonate precipitation on nuclei.
The factors determining the primary mineralogy of ooids are:

Water chemistry, especially PCO

2
Mg/Ca ratio
Carbonate saturation
Degree of water agitation

Mineralogy of Ooids Through Time

Aragonite Threshold
C O S D C P T J C T
Ma 500 400 300 200 100 0
High-mg calcite and aragonite
Calcite: Mg content generally low
Sandberg (1983)

Pisoids (Pisolites)
Objective Definition
Similar to ooids but are 2 mm or greater in size.
2 mm

Can be aragonite or calcite.

Subjective Definitions
Cave Pearl Pisolites

Note concentric bands

~5 mm

Cave Pearl Pisolites

Peloids

Spherical, elliptical or angular grains, composed of microcrystalline

carbonate, but with no internal structure.
The size of peloids may reach several millimeters but the majority range
from 0.1-0.5 mm in diameter.
Most originate as fecal pellets from a range of organisms that have
ingested mud and referred to as pellets.

Fecal Pellets (Peloids)

Deposit feeder
Fecal pellets

Mud
Worm (pellet generator)

0.025 mm
Modern fecal pellets. Generally rod
shaped (circular in diameter).

Micritized Grains (Peloids)

Initial boring

Micrite fill

Complete
micritization

Micritization: Produced by endolithic algae and/or fungi.

The plants bore into grains and subsequently the boring
are filled with micrite.
Micrite may be Mg-calcite or aragonite.

Micritization Steps

0.1 mm

0.1 mm

0.1 mm

0.1 mm

Aggregates and intraclasts

Aggregates consist of several carbonate particles cemented together by a

microcrystalline cement or bound by organic matter.
In Bahamas, such grains are known as grapestones and form in relatively
protected,shallow subtidal areas.
Intraclasts are fragments of lithified or partly lithified sediment.

Intraclasts

grapestones

Grapestones

0.05