Carbonate rock

<p>Carbonate rocks are a class of <a href="/facts/Sedimentary_rock/HQDCjrco">sedimentary rocks</a> composed primarily of <a href="/facts/Carbonate_mineral/8DUmuAhp">carbonate minerals</a>. The two major types are <a href="/facts/Limestone/8ntvtFnR">limestone</a>, which is composed of <a href="/facts/Calcite/gKMHYQJo">calcite</a> or <a href="/facts/Aragonite/QGcD3SLs">aragonite</a> (different crystal forms of CaCO3), and <a href="/facts/Dolomite_(rock)/EGXDL0zm">dolomite rock</a> (also known as dolostone), which is composed of <a href="/facts/Dolomite_(mineral)/tQfyK6AF">dolomite</a> (CaMg(CO3)2). They are usually <a href="/facts/Dunham_classification/mYxJ9h8D">classified on the basis of texture and grain size</a>. Importantly, carbonate rocks can exist as metamorphic and igneous rocks, too. When recrystallized carbonate rocks are <a href="/facts/Metamorphic_rock/JRp6dsCm">metamorphosed</a>, <a href="/facts/Marble/5JEFb0qu">marble</a> is created. Rare <a href="/facts/Igneous_rock/xeMJhUah">igneous</a> carbonate rocks even exist as <a href="/facts/Intrusive_rock/Wl6xaY1a">intrusive</a> <a href="/facts/Carbonatite/FQXo0Td3">carbonatites</a> and, even rarer, there exists <a href="/facts/Volcanic/c2M5upml">volcanic</a> carbonate <a href="/facts/Lava/q2an5SVN">lava</a>. 
</p><p>Carbonate rocks are also crucial components to understanding <a href="/facts/Geological_history_of_Earth/Jx7ClmF4">geologic history</a> due to processes such as <a href="/facts/Diagenesis/F1nATwdp">diagenesis</a> in which carbonates undergo compositional changes based on kinetic effects. The <a href="/facts/Correlation/egkluAEm">correlation</a> between this compositional change and <a href="/facts/Temperature/QyGe4gmj">temperature</a> can be exploited to reconstruct past climate as is done in <a href="/facts/Paleoclimatology/p3x22QaC">paleoclimatology</a>. Carbonate rocks can also be used for understanding various other systems as described below.
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Carbonate rock open-in-new

Carbonate rock