Abstract
It has been proposed that shallow carbonate seas of Upper Ordovician and Jurassic ages precipitated calcite as the primary calcium carbonate phase1–3, unlike such settings today. It is expected that such seas were undersaturated with respect to the more soluble aragonite, so that aragonitic invertebrate skeletons would have tended to dissolve. Here we describe examples in which this seems to have been the case. Our evidence consists of submarine-cemented horizons in which aragonite fossils have been dissolved out to leave open moulds. The walls of the moulds are encrusted by contemporaneous organisms, confirming the early timing of the aragonite dissolution.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sandberg, P. A. Sedimentology 22, 497–537 (1975).
Sandberg, P. A. Nature 305, 19–22 (1983).
Wilkinson, B. H., Owen, R. M. & Carroll, A. R. J. sedim. Petrol. 55, 171–183 (1985).
Mackenzie, F. T. & Pigott, J. D. J. geol. Soc. Lond. 138, 183–196 (1981).
Wilkinson, B. H., Janecke, S. U. & Brett, C. E. J. sedim. Petrol. 52, 47–57 (1982).
Wilkinson, B. H. Smith, A. L. & Lohmann, K. C. in Carbonate Cements SEPM spec. Publn 36 (eds Schneidermann, N. & Harris, P. M.) 169–184 (1984).
Palmer, T. J. J. Paleont. 52, 109–117 (1979).
Palmer, T. J. Palaeontology 22, 189–228 (1979).
Fily, G. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris Ser. D 278, 3039–3042 (1974).
Palmer, T. J. & Fürsich, F. T. Palaeontology 17, 507–524 (1974).
Fürsich, F. T. & Palmer, T. J. Proc. geol. Ass. Lond. 86, 171–181 (1975).
Fürsich, F. T. Neues. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Abh. 158, 1–63 (1979).
Palmer, T. J. & Jenkyns, H. C. Sedimentology 22, 125–135 (1975).
Marshall, J. D. thesis, Univ. Leicester (1979).
Sellwood, B. W., Scott, J., Mikkelsen, P. & Akroyd, P. Mar. Petrol. Geol. 2, 44–55 (1985).
Sellwood, B. W., Scott, J., James, B., Evans, R. & Marshall, J. in Petroleum Geology of North West Europe Vol. 1 (eds Brooks, J. & Glennie, K. W.) 129–137 (Graham & Trotman, London, 1987).
Marshall, J. D. & Ashton, M. Sedimentology 27, 271–289 (1980).
Bodenbender, B. E., Wilson, M. A. & Palmer, T. J. Lethaia 22 (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Palmer, T., Hudson, J. & Wilson, M. Palaeoecological evidence for early aragonite dissolution in ancient calcite seas. Nature 335, 809–810 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/335809a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/335809a0
This article is cited by
-
Detailed sedimentological investigation of the late cretaceous fort munro formation, western sulaiman range, Pakistan
Carbonates and Evaporites (2024)
-
Detailed diagenetic investigation and their impact on the reservoir potential of Upper Cretaceous mixed carbonate-siliciclastic succession, Rakhi Nala Section, Eastern Sulaiman Range, Pakistan
Carbonates and Evaporites (2023)
-
Presence of microporosity in Miocene carbonate platform, Central Luconia, offshore Sarawak, Malaysia
Arabian Journal of Geosciences (2018)
-
Computational modeling of calcite cementation in saline limestone aquifers: a phase-field study
Geothermal Energy (2017)
-
Origin and paleoecology of Middle Jurassic hiatus concretions from Poland
Facies (2011)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.