Precipitation of Metastable Carbonate Phases from Seawater (original) (raw)

Nature volume 226, pages 348–349 (1970) Cite this article

Abstract

BECAUSE of the widespread occurrence of carbonates in marine sediments there has been a continuing interest in the mineralogy of carbonate phases that can be chemically precipitated from seawater1–9. The discovery of metastable carbonate minerals (aragonite and high-magnesium calcites) of non-skeletal origin occurring as cementing material in submarine sedimentary environments10–12 has further stimulated interest in mechanisms that might explain these occurrences. Aragonites have been formed from seawater in a variety of experiments approximating natural conditions7,8,13. Attempts at the synthesis of high-magnesium calcites in such conditions have met with little success. We only know of three published papers in which high-magnesium calcites have been precipitated from seawater2,5,9,. In only one of these was supporting X-ray diffraction evidence presented to document the mineralogy and in all cases the phases were produced by the addition of Na2CO3 or NaHCO3.

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Author notes

  1. PHILIP G. MALONE
    Present address: Department of Geology, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, 45431

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560
    K. M. TOWE & PHILIP G. MALONE

Authors

  1. K. M. TOWE
  2. PHILIP G. MALONE

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TOWE, K., MALONE, P. Precipitation of Metastable Carbonate Phases from Seawater.Nature 226, 348–349 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/226348a0

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