Abstract
Carbonate sediments are a part of the carbon cycle (Fig. 1.14). CO2 in the atmosphere dissolves in water and makes carbonic acid (H2CO3) which reacts with Ca2+ or Mg2+ to precipitate CaCO3 or MgCO3. This process is an important sink for CO2. The rate of carbonate sedimentation globally is controlled by the supply of cations (mostly Ca2+ and Mg2+) into the ocean from rivers. This again is a function of the rate of weathering of Ca-bearing silicate minerals like plagioclase.
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© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Hanken, NM., Bjørlykke, K., Nielsen, J.K. (2010). Carbonate Sediments. In: Petroleum Geoscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02332-3_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02332-3_5
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