Limestones and dolomites are collectively referred to as carbonates because they consist predominantly of the carbonate minerals calcite (CaCO3) and dolomite (CaMg[CO3]2). 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. Consequently, the following discussion initially deals with limestones and dolomites as a single rock type and subsequently considers the complex process by which some limestones become dolomite. Carbonates are by far the only volumetrically important nonsiliciclastic sedimentary rock type. Most are marine, and thick sequences of carbonate rocks occur in all the continental ...(100 of 17457 words)
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