RECRYSTALLIZATION OF LIMESTONE

TO DOLOMITE
Presented by: Zohreh Baghban
Professor: Dr. Shafiee
10/30/2014

Content
Recrystallization vs. dolomitization
Carbonate rocks
Limestone
Dolostone
Limestone vs. dolomite
Porosity and permeability
References

RECRYSTALLIZATION VS. DOLOMITIZATION

Recrystallization vs. dolomitization

recrystallization: rearrangement of crystal mass or crystal defects (including grain
boundaries)
If accompanied by deformation, recrystallization can produce a crystallographic
preferred orientation, lineation, foliation, and porphyroclasts.
If no phases appear or disappear during the recrystallization, onlygrain growthis
occurring; this coarsening is driven by the free energy of grain boundaries, which is the
energy resulting from two crystals being in contact along an imperfect boundary.
Dolomite is very common in the rock record but the mineral dolomite is rarely observed
forming in sedimentary environments. For this reason it is believed that most dolomites
form when lime muds or limestones are modified by postdepositional chemical change.

Recrystallization vs. dolomitization

Two mechanisms of dolomitization of limestones have been proposed based on field and
laboratory studies.
Evaporative Reflux. This mechanism involves the evaporation of seawater to form a brine
that precipitates gypsum. After precipitation of gypsum, the brine is both enriched in Mg
relative to Ca and has a higher density. If the brine then enters the groundwater system and
moves downward into buried limestones. This Mg-rich brine then reacts with the calcite in
the limestone to produce dolomite.
Mixing of Seawater and Meteoric Water.This mechanism involves the mixing of
groundwater derived from the surface with saline groundwater beneath the oceans.
Dolomitization is thought to occur where the two groundwater compositions mix with each
in the porous and permeable limestone within a few meters of the surface.
The dolomitization process results in a slight volume reduction when limestone is converted into
dolomite.
Dolomite is thought to form when thecalcite(CaCO2) in carbonate mud or limestone is modified
by magnesium-rich groundwater. The available magnesium facilitates the conversion of calcite
intodolomite(CaMg(CO2)3). This chemical change is known as dolomitization.

Recrystallization
A specimen of coarsely crystalline dolomitic marble from Thornwood, New
York. This specimen is approximately 3 inches (6.7 centimeters) across.

CARBONATE ROCKS

Carbonate Rocks
The carbonate rocks make up 10 to 15% of sedimentary rocks. They largely
consist of two types of rocks.
Limestones which are composed mostly of calcite (CaCO3) or high Mg
calcite [(Ca,Mg)CO3], and
Dolostones which are composed mostly of dolomite [CaMg(CO 3)2]
Because carbonate minerals in general are soluble in slightly acidic waters,
they often have high porosity and permeability, making them ideal
reservoirs for petroleum.

LIMESTONE
Photomicrograph showing skeletal oolitic
limestone, with clean calcite cement, from the
Lower Triassic Period (magnified 18). Courtesy
of A. Bosellini

Limestone
Limestone is asedimentary rockcomposed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) in
the form of the mineralcalcite.
Limestones are for the most part primary carbonate rocks.
They consist of 50 percent or more calcite and aragonite (both CaCO 3).
It most commonly forms in clear, warm, shallow marine waters.
Limestone is forming in the Caribbean Sea, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Gulf of
Mexico, around Pacific Ocean islands and within the Indonesian archipelago.
The limestone that makes up these cave formations is known as "travertine" and is a
chemical sedimentary rock. A rock known as "tufa" is a limestone formed by
evaporation at a hot spring, lake shore, or other area.
All limestones contain at least a few percent other materials. These can be small
particles of quartz, feldspar, clay minerals, pyrite, siderite and other minerals.

DOLOSTONE
Photomicrograph showing pisolitic dolomite from
the Upper Triassic Period (magnified 5).
Courtesy of A. Bosellini

Dolostone
Dolostones are carbonate rocks composed almost entirely of dolomite - (Ca,Mg)CO 3.
Dolomites are mainly produced by the secondary alteration or replacement of
limestones; i.e., the mineral dolomite [CaMg(CO 3)2] replaces the calcite and aragonite
minerals in limestones duringdiagenesis.
Almost all dolomites are believed to be produced by recrystallization of preexisting
limestones, although the exact details of this dolomitization process continue to be
debated.
Most dolostones appear to result from diagenetic conversion of calcite or high-Mg
calcite to dolomite, after primary deposition of the original calcium carbonate bearing
minerals.
Dolomite originates in the same sedimentary environments as limestone - warm,
shallow, marine environments where calcium carbonate mud accumulates in the
form of shell debris, fecal material, coral fragments and carbonate precipitates.

LIMESTONE VS. DOLOSTONE

Limestone vs. dolostone

Limestone can be easily recognized
in hand specimen or outcrop
because of its high solubility in HCl.
whereas limestones tend to weather
to a white or gray colored rock.

A dolostone, on the other hand, will not fizz until a fine

powder is made from the rock or mineral.

Also, dolostones tend to weather to a brownish color rock.

The brown color of dolostones is due to the fact that Fe

occurs in small amounts replacing some of the Mg in
dolomite.

Dolomite is slightly harder than limestone.

POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY

Porosity and permeability

The dolomitization process results in a slight volume reduction when
limestone is converted into dolomite.
This can produce a porosity zone in the strata where dolomitization has
occurred.
These pore spaces can be traps for subsurface fluids likeoil and natural gas
.
This is why dolomite is often a reservoir rock that is sought in the
exploration for oil and natural gas.
Dolomite can also serve as a host rock forlead,zincandcopperdeposits.

Porosity and permeability in depth

Carbonate Porosity Versus Depth: A
Predictable Relation for South Florida
James W. Schmoker andRobert B. Halley
This study examines the porosity of limestones and
dolomites in the South Florida basin.
Two data subsets with carbonate compositions of 75
to 100% limestone (489 intervals) and 75 to 100%
dolomite (336 intervals) were derived from the
original data set.
Dolomite porosity is lower than limestone porosity in
the near surface, but does not decrease as rapidly
with depth.
The figure reinforces the widely held supposition,
based on practical experience and supported by the
fact that dolomites account for about 80% of North

Porosity and permeability

Frequency cross-plot of
neutron and density log
responses from zones in
the Viola of the Belcher
A-1 well.

Porosity and permeability

Continuum of rock fabrics and associated porositypermeability transforms. (A) Rock-fabric numbers
ranging from 0.5 - 4 defined by class-average and
class-boundary porosity-permeability transforms. (B)
Fabric continuum in nonvuggy limestone. (C) Fabric
continuum in nonvuggy dolostone.

Porosity and permeability

Schematic drawings of dolomite crystal growth and porosity evolution through

time. (A) Initial dolomitization of limestone would result in the most porous
dolomite. Porosity is decreased as additional dolomite was precipitated on
existing rhombs (B), then (C).

REFERENCES

References
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/532232/sedimentary-rock/80283/Shales-of-economic-value
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens212/carbonates.htm
http://geology.com/rocks/dolomite.shtml
http://geology.com/rocks/limestone.shtml
http://www.geol.ucsb.edu/faculty/hacker/geo102C/lectures/part2.html
http://sofia.usgs.gov/publications/papers/carb_porosity/index.html
U.S. Geological Survey, 600 Fourth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
R. P. Steinen, 1980, Mississippian non-supratidal dolomite, Ste. Genevieve Limestone, Illinois basin: Evidence for mixed-water
dolomitization,inD. H. Zenger, J. B. Dunham, and R. L. Ethington, eds., Concepts and models of dolomitization: SEPM Spec. Pub.
28, p. 163-196.
Zenger, D. H., J. B. Dunham, and R. L. Ethington, eds., 1980, Concepts and models of dolomitization: SEPM Spec. Publ. 28, 320 p.

http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/Bulletins/PS3 /
http://www.beg.utexas.edu/lmod/_ IOL-CM07/old-4.29.03/cm07-step04.htm
http://aapgbull.geoscienceworld.org/content/85/3/530/F2.expansion.html#F1