CLASSIFICATION OF CARBONATE ROCKS ACCORDING

TO DEPOSITIONAL TEXTURE 1
ROBERT J. DUNHAM 8
Houston, Texas
ABSTRACT
Three textural features seem especially useful in classifying those carbonate rocks that retain their
depositional texture (1) Presence or absence of carbonate mud, which differentiates muddy carbonate
from grainstone; (2) abundance of grains, which allows muddy carbonates to be subdivided into mudstone,
wackestone, and packstone; and (3) presence of signs of binding during deposition, which characterizes
boundstone. The distinction between grain-support and mud-support differentiates packstone from
wackestonepackstone is full of its particular mixture of grains, wackestone is not. Rocks retaining too
little of their depositional texture to be classified are set aside as crystalline carbonates.

INTRODUCTION terpretation of depositional environment, a n d it

T h e increasing use of thin sections a n d oiled
slabs h a s shown t h a t most limestone a n d much
dolomite retain their depositional texture, in a
more or less ghostly fashion, despite diagenesis. A
descriptive classification based on depositional
texture is thus a generally helpful adjunct to other
classifications, particularly to those based on
genetic kind of particles and to those based on
mineralogic composition. I t will n o t s u b s t i t u t e for
further description and classification, nor will it
produce ready-made interpretations, b u t it will
focus a t t e n t i o n on whichever few textural proper-
ties are chosen as particularly significant for in-
1
Part of a symposium arranged by the Research
Committee, and presented at Denver, Colorado, April
27, 1961, under joint auspices of the Association and the
Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists.
Manuscript received, April 23, 1961.
* Shell Development Company, Exploration and
Production Division. I am deeply indebted to R. L.
Folk, who shared his knowledge of carbonates and
classification prior to publication, and repeatedly con-
tributed to the evolution of the present concepts; to
R. N. Ginsburg, whose studies of Recent carbonates
clarified problems in ancient carbonates; and to D. L.
Amsbury, K. J. Hsu, S. D. Kerr, O. P. Majewske, P. F.
Moore, R. C. Murray, J. M. Parks, B. F. Perkins, G.
Rittenhouse, C. I. Smith, B. W. Wilson, and J. L.
Wilson, who gave encouragement and stimulating
criticism.
will provide the convenience of class names based
only on depositional texture.
Ideally, one could confidently divide unaltered
carbonate rocks into two main groups, which
Grabau (1904) termed clastic a n d biogenic. Ac-
cording to t h e ideal, one group is controlled
mainly b y hydraulic conditions. Origin of particles
is relatively insignificant, and subdivision is ac-
cording to particle size. Calcirudite t h u s is dis-
tinguished from calcarenite. T h e other group is
controlled mainly b y t h e biologic or biochemical
processes responsible for producing c a r b o n a t e .
H e r e , particle size is relatively insignificant, a n d
subdivision is m a d e according to origin of p a r t i -
cles. Crinoidal limestone thus is distinguished
from coral limestone. As it turns o u t , most sam-
ples are neither clearly in one group nor clearly in
t h e other. Instead, they fall in the middle ground
where hydraulic conditions a n d biologic or bio-
chemical processes are in joint control.
Focusing a t t e n t i o n on whether or not the
larger particles are transported (fragmented or
disarticulated) does not re-establish the sharp
b o u n d a r y between the two groups. T o o often one
is forced to conclude t h a t a c a r b o n a t e sediment
was transported a little b u t not far, or t h a t some
components were transported and others were not,

WAN V

EXPLANATION OF PLATE I
Looser packing would require mud-support. Samples were impregnated on the beach in such a way as to
preserve natural packing and were then reimpregnated in the laboratory and sliced. All samples were from Cayo
Centra, Cayos Areas, Campeche Banks, Mexico.
a. Coral lime gravel, X I , reflected light. South side of island, AC-64.
b. Coral-red algae lime sand, X2S, transmitted cross-polarized light. Northeast side of island, AC-47.
c. Red algae lime sand, XS, transmitted cross-polarized light. Southeast side of island, AC-83.
108
PLATE I.Grain-support in beach deposits.
PLATE II.Grain-support influenced by grain shape.
 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO DEPOSITIONAL T E X T U R E 111

or t h a t degree of transportation is indeterminate. problem thus deserves to be incorporated in class

Indeed, t h e o u t s t a n d i n g differences between land-
derived sediment and carbonate sediment stem
from t h e simple fact t h a t , as a rule, land-derived
sediment is produced b y destruction far from the
site of deposition, whereas carbonate sediment is
produced by destruction a n d construction a t or
near the site of deposition. T h e recognized useful-
ness of classifications based on origin of particles
a t t e s t s to the idea t h a t carbonate grains are u n -
like land-derived sediment in distance of t r a n s -
p o r t ; if grains did n o t generally remain near
where t h e y were produced, such classifications
would lack the environmental significance they
are known to have. Possibly, the ease with which
carbonate grains are destroyed, or cemented, a c -
counts for their relatively short t r a n s p o r t .
SIGNIFICANCE OP MUD
T h e distinction between sediment deposited in
calm water a n d sediment deposited in agitated
water is fundamental. Evidence bearing on this
names. This can be accomplished in several ways.
One is to focus a t t e n t i o n on average or pre-
d o m i n a n t size, which erroneously assumes t h a t all
sizes in a sample are equally significant hydraulic-
ally. Another is to focus a t t e n t i o n on t h e size,
a b u n d a n c e , and condition of t h e coarse material
brought to the site of deposition. This emphasis
on w h a t might be called currents of delivery has
long been successful in dealing with land-derived
sediments, b u t does not work well in lime sedi-
m e n t because of t h e local origin of m a n y coarse
grains. A third w a y is to focus a t t e n t i o n on the
fine material t h a t was able to remain a t the site of
deposition. This emphasis on what might be called
currents of removal seems advisable if we wish to
characterize carbonate sediment systematically
in terms of hydraulic environment.
I n a s m u c h as calm water is characterized by
mud being able to settle to the b o t t o m a n d remain
there, it seems t h a t the m u d d y rocks deserve to be
contrasted with mud-free rocks, regardless of the

J //f/r

EXPLANATION or PLATE I I
Looser packing would require mud-support. Aggregates were made by sedimenting wet grains in quiet water
onto a bed of previously deposited grains (Halimeda plates visible at base of aggregate), drying, impregnating with
clear plastic, slicing, then staining. Plate W-d was sedimented dry.
Per cent grains is expressed in two ways, both values being rounded to the nearest 5 per cent. Per cent grain-
solid, which is measured by water displacement, refers to the volume of solid matter in the grains divided by the
volume of the aggregate. Per cent grain-bulk, which is measured by point-counting, differs in that openings and
deep indentations in grains are conventionally counted as grain instead of as pore.
a. Well sorted, well rounded, highly spherical porcelain balls, X I , 65 per cent grain-bulk, 60 per cent grain-
solid.
b. High-spired snails, X If, 45 per cent grain-bulk, 25 per cent grain-solid.
c. Small clams, X l i , 30 per cent grain-bulk, 25 per cent grain-solid.
d. Corn flakes, X I , 30 per cent grain-bulk.
e. Rose corals, X J, 70 per cent grain-bulk, 20 per cent grain-solid.
/ . Branching red algae broken to f-inch lengths, X I f, 20 per cent grain-bulk, 15 per cent grain-solid.
 igtFd

Jp3^
'-..v **

NffllP

PLATE III.Indications of grain-support.

 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO DEPOSITIONAL T E X T U R E 113

a m o u n t and size of included coarse material. Folk
(1959) and B r a m k a m p and Powers (1958) in their
new classifications of c a r b o n a t e rocks h a v e m u c h
the same viewpoint. T h e terms m u d and grains
are used variously by different a u t h o r s . Usage
here is based on particle size, grains being larger
t h a n 20 microns and mud being smaller t h a n 20
microns. T h e distinction thus parallels t h e distinc-
tion between m a t r i x and grains in sandstone (Pet-
tijohn, 1957, p . 284). Freedom from mud is t a k e n
to mean virtual absenceless t h a n 1 per cent.
GRAIN-SUPPORT AND MUD-SUPPORT
Rocks bearing carbonate m u d constitute t h e
bulk of m a n y carbonate sequences and therefore
require subdivision. T h e most useful textural sub-
division of such rocks seems to be on the basis of
a b u n d a n c e of grains. Such subdivision allows
m a p p i n g of gradients in r a t e of production of
grains relative to r a t e of accumulation of m u d .
T h r e e degrees of a b u n d a n c e can be recognized.
I n t h e most common case, grains are a b u n d a n t
enough to be prominent, say more t h a n 10 per
cent, b u t are not so a b u n d a n t as to s u p p o r t one
another. I n such a texture, the grains are some-
times said to be "floating." Here they will be
called " m u d - s u p p o r t e d . " Rocks in which grains
are less a b u n d a n t t h a n 10 per cent constitute a
second category. Rocks in which grains are so
a b u n d a n t as to s u p p o r t one another, just as they
do in mud-free rocks, which are necessarily
" g r a i n - s u p p o r t e d , " are a third category.
T h e distinction between m u d - s u p p o r t and
grain-support seems to be more meaningful t h a n

^ '3JJS

EXPLANATION OP PLATE I I I
Floored interstices, shelter effects, embayed contacts, and overly close packing indicate grain-support.
a-dFloored interstices are produced by fine sediment filtering into coarser sediment, and by concurrent
deposition of fine and coarse sediment. Marine infiltering reaches deeply only if the size difference is large, and
even then does not fill interstices to the roof.
a. Oyster shells infiltered by lime mud in the laboratory, X I , reflected light. Mud floors (Fi) are layered, and
drape over irregularities. Shrinkage during drying reduced the amount of mud in the interstices, but voids (V) were
beneath the shells before drying.
b. Gravel, Halimeda, and ooliths infiltered by very fine sand in the laboratory, X I , reflected light. Sand
largely fills interstices in the gravel layer, reaches part way through the Halimeda layer, and does not enter the
oolith layer. The voids (V) beneath the pebbles are original shelter effectsthe sediment did not shrink during
drying.
c. Beach sand infiltered by lime mud in the laboratory, X5, reflected light. Infiltering (M) is negligible except
in the top layer of grains. Note the shelter effects at the large grain (S).
d. Floored interstices (Fd) produced by concurrent deposition of ooliths and Halimeda in the laboratory, in
volume ratio of 3:1, X3, reflected light. Ooliths making floors (Fi) in lower quarter of picture filtered into inter-
stices in previously deposited bed of pure Halimeda.
e. Embayed contacts, X20, transmitted unpolarized light. Lake Valley limestone, Mississippian, Sacramento
Mountains, New Mexico, AGN.
/ . Overly close packing, X50, transmitted unpolarized light. Mission Canyon formation, Mississippian, Shell
Richey NP-1, Richey field, Dawson County, Montana, NP 1-7312.
114 ROBERT J. DUNHAM

any alternative percentage boundary. A grain-
supported rock is full of its particular mixture of
grains, whereas a mud-supported rock is not. In
land-derived sediments, the figures 65 per cent
grains, 35 per cent porosity or interstitial debris,
have been used to mark the boundary between
grain-support (framework) and mud-support (dis-
rupted framework). If all carbonate grains were
as equidimensional as ooliths, a percentage
boundary might equally well be substituted for
visual distinction between mud-support and
grain-support in carbonate rocks; but carbonate
grains commonly are shaped like potato chips and
twigs instead of like marbles. Because of this, a
grain-supported rock whose grains are Ivanovia, a
platy alga shaped rather like a cornflake, or
Halimeda, would contain a far smaller percentage
of grains than would a grain-supported rock whose
grains are crinoid ossicles. A 65 per cent boundary,
or a 50 per cent boundary, would put the Ivanovia
rock in one group and the crinoid rock in another
group; yet both rocks would contain as much of
their particular mixture of grains as their volume
allows them to hold.
Objection may arise that differentiating mud-
supported from grain-supported rocks is impos-
sibly subjective because of the need to envision a
three-dimensional arrangement of irregular shapes
by looking at a two-dimensional view. The diffi-
culty is real but not so bad as it at first seems.
(The errors are not much greater than those en-
countered in attempting to measure or estimate
per cent grains in rocks having hollow or indented
grains.) Experience gained in examining mud-free
carbonates, which are necessarily grain-supported
is an aid in determining what the kind of support
is in muddy carbonates. Other aids are the
floored interstices, embayed grains, overly close
packing, and sheltering effects seen in grain-sup-
ported rocks and not in mud-supported rocks.
Illustrations of these and of grain-supported
natural and artificial aggregates are shown in
Plates I - I I I .
The phenomenon of grain-support has the
added importance of bearing on the postdeposi-
tional history of the sediment. Soluble grains that
are grain-supported are in contact with each
other, and thus have a chance of forming a con-
nected network of molds (or incomplete molds)
unlike the relatively disconnected molds in mud-
supported rocks. Furthermore, compaction affects
grain-supported sediment differently than it does
mud-supported sediment. The grains in grain-
supported sediment carry the weight of the over-
burden. This tends to cause weak grains to brec-
ciate. It also tends to protect from compaction

777777*

EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV
(X5, transmitted unpolarized light)
o. Coral lime boundstone. Toronto limestone, Pennsylvanian Virgil, Greenwood County, Kansas, L-38-8b.
b. Laminated lime boundstone (stromatolite). Cabbage-head structure in West Spring Creek limestone,
Ordovician, Arbuckle Mountains, ADN-1.
c. Floored lime boundstone. Floored openings (F) constructed by intergrown complex (C) of encrusting Fo-
raminifera, algae, and hydrozoans? Permian Wolfcamp. Shell State ETA-5, Townsend field, Lea County, New
Mexico, ETA5-10368.2.
 'iXM?&

m ynAn I, 1^1

PLATE IV.Binding in boundstone.



US
5'
L ilpB

is*
B|K^pjr-i
* '; . . %

PLATE V.Mudstone and wackestone.

 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO DEPOSITIONAL TEXTURE 117

TABLE I. CLASSIFICATION OF CARBONATE ROCKS ACCORDING TO DEPOSITIONAL TEXTURE

DEPOSITIONAL TEXTURE RECOGNIZABLE DEPOSITIONAL TEXTURE

NOT RECOGNIZABLE
Original Components Not Bound Together Ouring Deposition Original components
were bound together
Contains mud during deposition...
as shown by intergrown Crystalline Carbonate
( particles of clay and fine silt size ) Lacks mud
and is skeletal matter,
Mud-supported Grain-supported grain-supported lamination contrary to gravity,
or sediment-floored cavities that
are roofed over by organic or { Subdivide according to
Less than More than
questionably organic matter and classifications designed to bear
10 percent grains 10 percent grains
are too large to be interstices. on physical texture or diagenesis.)

Mud s t o ne Wack e s tone Pack s tone Grai nstone Boundstone

any sheltered mud beneath strong grains, perhaps during deposition are scarce, b u t are worth special
making the mud more susceptible to leaching. a t t e n t i o n . T h r e e signs of binding during deposi-
Collapse brecciation improved permeability in tion are recognized (PL I V ) . One is interconnected
m u d d y grain-supported limestone composed skeletal m a t t e r , such as occurs where colonial
mostly of Ivanovia in the P a r a d o x formation of t h e corals or encrusting Foraminifera grow one on t h e
Desert Creek field, U t a h ( M u r r a y , 1960, p . 66). other. Another is lamination contrary to gravity,
Leaching of mud from interstices in m u d d y grain- such as occurs in t h e crinkly lamination of
supported limestone composed mostly of crinoids stromatolites. T h e third is sediment-floored cavi-
caused the porosity in some of t h e Devonian ties t h a t are too large to be interstices and are
reservoirs in Andrews County, Texas (F. J. Lucia, roofed over by organic or questionably organic
personal communication). m a t t e r , such as the large and small tunnels and
grottoes in coral reefs.
BINDING
CLASSES AND NAMES
Most carbonate rocks retaining their deposi-
tional texture are lithified sediment made of T h e concepts outlined above allow five textural
clearly discrete and originally loose particles. T h e classes to be recognized (Table I ) . T h e names
rocks t h a t differ by showing signs of being bound tentatively a t t a c h e d to these classes are fairly

~*. TOW

EXPLANATION OF PLATE V
(X25, transmitted unpolarized light)
a. Ostracod lime mudstone, less than 1 per cent grain-bulk. Duperow formation, Late Devonian, Brown's
Gulch section, Blaine County, Montana, BG-17.
b. Mixed-fossil dolomite wackeslone, 20 per cent grain-bulk. The rock contains no calcite. San Andreas Permian,
Shell D. Roberts No. 15, 5,124 feet, Wasson field, Yoakum County, Texas, 1-300.
c. Ostracod-lithiclast lime wackeslone, slightly dolomitized, 40 per cent grain-bulk. Duperow formation, Late
Devonian, Shell Richey NP-1, 8,900 feet, Richey field, McCone County, Montana, 1.562.
118 ROBERT J. DUNHAM

short, meaningful English nouns that apply only
to texture. They can be combined with names for
grain-kind classes and mineralogic classes, as
shown in the figure captions, and they also can
stand alone where mineralogy and grain-kind are
not at issue.
Mudstone.Muddy carbonate rocks containing
less than 10 per cent grains (10 per cent grain-bulk
as defined in PL II) are termed mudstone PI. V).
The name mudstone is synonymous with calcilu-
tite, except that it does not specify mineralogic
composition and thus avoids such ambiguities as
dolomite calcilutite, and it does not specify that
the mud is of clastic origin. The significance of
mudstone, aside from the implication of calm
water, is the apparent inhibition of grain-produc-
ing organisms.
Wackestone.Mud-supported carbonate rocks
containing more than 10 per cent grains (10 per
cent grain-bulk) are termed wackestone (PI. V).
The name has much against it, but it does have
the advantage of calling to mind a mixture of mud
and grains similar to that seen in some sandstones,
and it is less awkward than expressions such as
calcarenitic calcilutite or calcarenitic limestone.
Packstone.Grain-supported muddy carbon-
ate rocks are termed packstone (PI. VI). Grain-
support is generally a property of rocks deposited
in agitated water, and muddiness is generally a
property of rocks deposited in quiet water. A rock
exhibiting both properties is peculiar, and it is
well to have it isolated for further study. It may
record simple compaction of wackestone, as is
suggested where interstices are completely filled
with mud. It may record early or late infiltering
of previously deposited mud-free sediment, or
prolific production of grains in calm water, as is
suggested where interstices are floored with mud.
It may record mixing by burrowers or incomplete
winnowing or partial leaching of mud, as is sug-
gested by patchily distributed mud.
Grainstone.Mud-free carbonate rocks, which
are necessarily grain-supported, are termed
grainstone (PI. VII). Grainstones are not all of the
same hydraulic significance. Some are current
laid; some are the product of mud being bypassed
while locally produced grains accumulate, or of
mud being winnowed from previously deposited
muddy sediment; and some, conceivably, are the
product of locally produced grains accumulating
too rapidly to be contaminated by mud. Com-
monly, origin cannot be definitely known from

EXPLANATION OF PLATE VI
(X5, transmitted unpolarized light)
a. Crinoid lime packstone overlying lens of lime mudstone. Overly close packing (75 per cent grain-bulk)
suggests that grain-support was acquired during compaction. Mission Canyon formation, Mississippian, Shell
Richey NP-1, Richey field, Dawson County, Montana, NP 1-7312.
b. Hydrozoan? lime packstone. Floored interstices (F) indicate that grain-support is original and suggests
infiltering. Permian Wolfcamp, Shell Hilburn No. 1, Townsend field, Lea County, New Mexico, SH-1-10,556.
c. Coated-grain lime packstone. Abraded nuclei of grains indicates turbulent water; presence of mud indicates
quiet water; patchy distribution of mud suggests that burrowers mixed originally interbedded sand and mud
together. Toronto limestone, Pennsylvanian Virgil, Kansas, Bed A.
PLATE VI.Packstone.
PLATE VII.Grainstone.
 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO DEPOSITIONAL T E X T U R E 121

the single sample t h a t is being classified. T h e
class name thus denotes merely the absence of
m u d , and, of course, the corollary t h a t t h e grains
are supported by each other. If the grains were
n o t self-supporting, the former presence of now-
recrystallized mud would be indicated. Subdivid-
ing grainstone, so as to include more evidence in
class names, is a t e m p t a t i o n . M a n y possible s u b -
divisions suggest themselves. Grain size is, of
course, one possibility. Sorting is a n o t h e r , for t h e
well-sorted grainstones are scarce enough to be
noted. Wear is another. N a m e s such as calcirudite,
sortedslone, and wornstone are useful in s t u d y i n g
some suites of rocks, b u t , a t present, none of these
properties seems of wide enough application to
w a r r a n t being incorporated in a general classifica-
tion.
Boundstone.Carbonate rocks showing signs of
being bound during deposition are termed
boundstone (PL I V ) . T h e signs of binding are
specific, and they occur within the sample being
classified. Except for t h a t , the concept of b o u n d -
stone plays the same role as the reefoid carbon te,
biohermal carbonate, constructed biogenic car-
b o n a t e , klintite, and biolithite of other classifica-
tions.
Crystalline carbonates.Inasmuch as this clas-
sification is concerned with depositional environ-
m e n t s , the rocks retaining too little of their deposi-
tional texture to be classified m u s t be set aside.
Such rocks are here termed crystalline carbonates
(specifically, crystalline dolomite, crystalline lime-
stone). Although depositional texture is lacking,
relics or ghosts of grains commonly allow classifi-
cation according to origin of grains; for example,
crinoid-bearing crystalline dolomite.
REFERENCES
Bramkamp, R. A., and Powers, R. W., 1958, Classifica-
tion of Arabian carbonate rocks: Geol. Soc. America
Bull., v. 69, no. 10, p. 1305-1318.
Folk, R. L., 1959, Practical petrographic classification
of limestones: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull.,
v. 43, no. 1, p. 1-38.
Grabau, A. W., 1904, On the classification of sedimen-
tary rocks: Am. Geologist, v. 33, p. 228-247.
Murray, R. C , 1960, Origin of porosity in carbonate
rocks: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 30, no. 1, p. 59-84.
Pettijohn, F. P., 1957, Sedimentary rocks, 2d ed.: New
York, Harper and Bros.

"^ TO5?

EXPLANATION or PLATE VII

(X5, transmitted unpolarized light)
a. Oolith lime grainstone (oolite). Note the sheltering done by the coated brachiopod shell (5) near the center
grains are smaller and more numerous above the shell than below the shell; compare Plate III-c. Wapanucka
limestone, Pennsylvanian Morrow, Bromide, Oklahoma, W-23.
b. Fusulinid lime grainstone, druse-cemented. Seemingly loose packing is due to fusulinids being unusually
elongate. Uniform orientation (long axis perpendicular to page) and breakage indicate that the grains are current-
laid. Back-reef limestone of Capitan reef, Permian Guadalupe, Pinery Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains, Texas,
PN-6-A.
c. Lithiclast lime grainstone. Note the sand-floored interstices (F); compare Plate Ill-d. El Paso limestone,
Ordovician, Franklin Mountains, Texas, AGE.