Dolomitization micro-conditions constraint on dolomite stoichiometry: A case study from the Miocene Huangliu Formation, Xisha Islands, South China Sea

Abstract

The micro-conditions that control dolomitization processes were still not well known in natural environments. Cenozoic “island dolostones” are ideal for examining the processes since they are geologically young and have not experienced deep burial conditions. Miocene dolostones from the Xisha Islands, located in the South China Sea, are similar to those found on Grand Cayman Island, located in the Caribbean Sea. These dolostones are composed of low-Ca dolomite (LCD, < 55 mol % CaCO3; hereafter referred to as %Ca) and high-Ca dolomite (HCD, > 55 %Ca). Individual dolomite crystals are commonly formed entirely of LCD or HCD, and/or HCD cores that are encased by LCD and alternating zones of HCD and LCD (1–10 μm thick). The crystal textures indicate that the LCD and HCD are primary growth features (no obvious recrystallization) that formed as the dolomite replaced the limestone precursor. The compositional features (%Ca in LCD and HCD, average %Ca, and proportion of LCD and HCD) and geochemical parameters (O/C isotopes, Sr, Fe and Mn) of dolomite indicate that the Mg was incorporated into dolomite crystals in an orderly manner that was mainly controlled by the interaction of fluid properties and crystal structure. The fact that dolomite stoichiometry varied laterally and vertically throughout the successions shows that micro-scale physicochemical conditions played a critical role in the evolution of individual dolomite crystals. The similarities between the dolostones of the Xisha Islands and Grand Cayman, which are 15,795 km apart, indicate that the factors that control the micro- and large-scale features of these dolostones must have undergone similar processes or experienced similar physicochemical conditions despite their disparate settings.