10/30/2015

CarbonateClassification|GeoMika

GeoMika
FluidDynamics,Disasters,Geophysics,
andFieldwork

CarbonateClassification
Postedon27July2013byMika

CompareandcontrastthecarbonateclassificationschemesofFolkandDunham.
Carbonaterocksarecomposedofallochemsandorthochems.Allochemsaretheoutsidecomponents,effectively
grainsthataretheequivalentofclastsinsandstones.Orthochemsaretheinsidecomponents,the
microcrystallinebindingmaterialsofmatrixorcement.Commoncarbonateclassificationschemesdistinguish
betweenallochemandorthochemcomponents,thetypeofmatrixorcement,anddescribetherocktexture.The
mostpopularclassificationsystemsaretheFolksystem,createdbyRobertFolkoftheUniversityofTexas,andthe
Dunhamsystem,createdbyRobertJ.DunhamoftheAmericanAssociationofPetroleumGeologists.
FolkClassification
TheFolkclassificationschemeisbasedonpairingprefixesdescribing
theallochem,andsuffixesdescribingtheorthochem.Forprefixes,the
allochemscanbeintraclasts(foreignfragments),ooids(coated,rounded
calciumcarbonategrains),bioclasts(skeletalremains),andpeloids
(finegrainedclastswithoutinternalstructure).Theprefixesmaybe
stackedinorderofprevalence.Forsuffixes,thebindingmaterialisa
spariteformicrocrystallizedcement,micriteforfinegrainedmatrix,
andruditeforcoarsergrainedmatrix.Thisclassificationsystem
focusesonobjectivedescriptiveasopposedtointerpretation.For
example,itdoesnotdifferentiatebetweenacementandarecrystallized
micrite:botharesparite.
Folkalsoappliedtheconceptoftexturalmaturitytocarbonatesby
lookingatgraintomatrixratios.Descriptorslikesparse,packed,poorly
FolkClassificationSystem.Source:ImperialCollege
RockLibrary

washed,unsorted,sorted,androundedareaddedtothefrontofthe
allochemorthochemname.Thesedescriptorsaddprecisiontothe
name,andgiveinformationabouttheenergylevelofthedepositionsite.
Ahighenergysitewithstrongcurrentswouldabrademore,rounding

grainsandwashingawayfinerparticles,resultinginincreasedsorting.
DunhamClassification

TheDunhamclassificationschemeisprimarilytexturaldescriptions,withgrainpackingandgraintomatrix
ratio.Whiletheallochemgeometryisimportant,theallochemcompositionisignoredinthisnamingsystem.
Describinggrainpackingincludesobservingthedegreeofgrainsupport.Agrainsupportedlimestonewas
probablyporousatthetimeofformation,withprimarysparrycement.Amatrixsupportedlimestonewith
floatinggrainsprobablyoriginallyformedasmicrite,whichlaterrecrystallizedassecondarysparrycement.
Mudstoneandwackestonearebothmudsupportedclasticrocks,whereallochemgrainsarefloatingina
micritematrix.Mudstonehasfewergrains(<10%oftotalcomposition)andmoresilt,whilewackestonehasmore
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10/30/2015

CarbonateClassification|GeoMika

grains(>10%oftotalcomposition)andmoreclay.
Packstoneisagrainsupportedclasticrockwithsomemud,wherethe
allochemgrainsareintangentialcontent.Itcontainssomemud.
Grainstoneisagrainsupportedclasticrockwithnomud,where
allochemgrainsareindirectcontact.
EmbryandKlovanmodifiedtheDunhamschemetodistinguish
limestoneswithlargeclasts,whereatleast10%oftherocksaregreater
than2millimetersindiameter(>10%ofcomponentsare
>2mm).Floatstoneisalargeclastmatrixsupportedrock,while
rudstoneisalargeclastgrainsupportedrock.
Boundstonesaretheonlynonclasticlimestonesinthisclassification
system,wherethecomponentsareboundtogetherduringformation.
DunhamClassificationSystem.Source:Imperial
CollegeRockLibrary

TheEmbryandKlovanmodificationsubdividesthisbymechanismof
binding:framestonefororganismsthatbuildrigidframeworkslike
reefsorspongesbindstonefororganismsthatencrustandbindlike

algaeandstromatolitesandbafflestonefororganismsthattrapsedimentthroughparallelcolumnslikevertical
corals.
Finally,crystallinecarbonatesisthecatchalltermforalllimestoneswheretheoriginaldepositionaltexture
unrecognizable.
ThisentrywaspostedinGeoscienceandtaggedallochem,carbonate,cement,classification,Dunham,Folk,limestone,matrix,micrite,orthochem,sedimentation,
SedimentationSaturday,sparite,texturalmaturity,texture.Bookmarkthepermalink.

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