The essential structural unit of the carbonates is the (CO 3) 2– group. Deer et al. (1992) state that there are about 60 known carbonates in nature though only one, calcite, commonly forms in soil. Dolomite is the second most common in soils, though it is always inherited rather than neoformed. The only other carbonate likely to be encountered in the soil environment is siderite, which forms in hydromorphic environments. Basic properties of these three carbonates are shown in Table C6. All three carbonates have high birefringence, and show the phenomenon of twinkling in thin section. This is strongest in the case of calcite.
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Bibliography
Brookings, D.G., 1988. Eh–pH Diagrams for Geochemistry. New York: Springer.
Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A., and Zussman, J., 1992. An introduction to the Rock Forming Minerals. Harlow, UK: Longmans. 696 pp.
Shulman, D., and Chesworth, W., 1985. Calcium carbonate solubility in the C horizon of a Southern Ontario, Canada, luvisol. Chem. Geol., 51: 115–122.
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Chesworth, W. et al. (2008). Carbonates. In: Chesworth, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3995-9_90
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