Department of Petroleum Geology & Sedimentology,

Faculty of Earth Sciences,

King Abdulaziz University,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

(EPS 321)
CARBONATES AND EVAPORITES
Lecture 05: Components of carbonate sediments:
2) Skeletal components.

Prof. Dr. Mahmoud A. M. Aref

II - Skeletal components

It's a reflection of the distribution of carbonatesecreting invertebrate through time and space.

Environmental factors that control distribution and

development of organisms are:

1. depth,
2. salinity,
3. substrate,
4. turbulence.
EPS 321 Lecture 05

Identification of skeletal particles

in thin section are

Shape (size) two dimensional view

Internal structure may be altered due to diagenesis.

Mineralogy (staining).

EPS 321 Lecture 05

A. MOLLUSCA
A.1. Bivalves:

Occupying marine, brackish and fresh water environments.

Mode of life:
Infaunal, epifaunal, vagile (crawlers), nektonic (freeswimming), planktonic (free-floating).
e.g. Rudists (Cretaceous) and Oyster form reef-like structure.
Mineral composition: aragonite or calcite.
Aragonite dissolution filling with drusy sparite.
Calcite retain original structure.
Bivalves fragments are elongate, rectangular to curved grains,
disarticulated.
EPS 321 Lecture 05

Bivalves

EPS 321 Lecture 05

A.2. Gastropodes:

Shallow marine,
hypersaline and brackish
water environment.
Benthic
They are composed of
aragonite that dissolve and
filled with drusy sparite
cement.
EPS 321 Lecture 05

Gastropodes

EPS 321 Lecture 05

A.3. Cephalopodes:

Wholly marine animals, nektonic-planktonic mode of life,

pelagic deep water environment.
Composed of aragonite that dissolve and filled with drusy
sparite cement
Large in size and septa are characteristics
EPS 321 Lecture 05

Cephalopodes

EPS 321 Lecture 05

B. Brachiopods:

Shallow marine, benthic, sessile organisms

Structure similar to bivalves, composed of low-Mg
calcite, thin outer layer of calcite fibers normal to
the wall, and thick inner layer composed of oblique
fiber.

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Brachiopods

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Br
ac
hio
po
d

EPS 321 Lecture 05

C. Corals

Composed of lowMg calcite that

preserve internal
microstructure as
septa and tubule.
Shallow marine,
clear water

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Corals

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D. Echinodermata

Wholly marine,
composed of single
calcite grain.
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Echinodermata

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E. Bryozoa
Colonial marine
organisms, composed
of aragonite or high-Mg
calcite
Consists of foliaceous
calcite with rounded
holes filled with calcite
spar or sediment.

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Bryozoan

EPS 321 Lecture 05

F. Foraminifera

Marine, microscopic
organisms, low- to high-Mg
calcite
Planktonic foraminifera
(Globigerina) dominate in
pelagic deposits, chalk, marls
Benthic foraminifera in
shallow seas.

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Foraminifera

EPS 321 Lecture 05

The contribution of algae and

microbes to limestone through:

providing skeletal carbonate particles

trapping grains to form laminated
sediments
attack particles through the boring
activities.

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Rhodphyta (Red algae)

Composed of cryptocrystalline calcite within

and between cell walls (cellular str.)
They coat, bind and cement substrate.

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Rhodphyta (Red algae)

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B. Chlorophyta (green algae)

Death of these plants

produce sand sized
particles, or fine
carbonate sediment
(lime mud)

EPS 321 Lecture 05

Micrite envelopes

Produced by endolithic bacteria that bore into the skeletal debris, followed
by filling of the cavities.

The processes of grain degradation produce totally micritized grains, i.e.

peloid which is devoid of internal skeletal structure.

Indicate deposition in the photic zone (100 200 m depth)

EPS 321 Lecture 05