Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article
dolomitization The transformation of limestone to dolomite(1), by the conversion of CaCO3 to CaMg(CO3)2. This occurs by the addition of magnesium to the sediment or rock and may take place soon after deposition or at various stages during diagenesis. Dolomitization is thought to occur in supratidal areas where sea water is drawn into the sediment and evaporation results in a high ratio of magnesium to calcium in the pore waters. Deeply buried limestone may become dolomitized if a mixture of fresh water and sea water passes through the rock. Dolomitization results in a 13% increase in porosity, making dolomites important reservoir rocks.
More From encyclopedia.com
effective porosity , effective porosity 1. That proportion of the total pore space in a rock which is capable of releasing its contained water. Clay, for example, may hav… Country Rock , Country rock The term country rock refers to a body of rock that receives or hosts an intrusion of a viscous geologic material. Intrusions into count… Exfoliation , Exfoliation Exfoliation is the term used to describe the peeling away of sheets of rock millimeters to meters in thickness from a rock's surface due… Aquifer , Aquifer Aquifers are geologic formations capable of yielding significant amounts of groundwater. The ground-water in most aquifers is stored in the o… Desalinization , Desalinization Because only 1 percent of the Earth's water is fresh, it is useful to utilize the oceans as a means of supplementing the fresh-water s… Lithification , Lithification When sediments are first deposited, they are unconsolidated and are not considered a rock . Lithification is the process of converting…