Carbonate Sedimentary Rocks

Chemical sedimentary rocks are classified according to the predominant minerals precipitated to form the rock and their texture. The are deposited by precipitation from solution rather than release from suspension.

TEXTURE COMPOSITION ROCK NAME

Clastic
Calcite fragments and calcite cement. White or grey in color. Fizzes stongly with dilute HCl. LIMESTONE

Clastic
Rounded calcite ooliths and calcite cement. OOLITIC LIMESTONE

Clastic
Calcite fragments and calcite cement with significant alteration to the magnesium bearing carbonate dolomite. Fizzes with dilute HCl. DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE

Crystalline
Calcite almost completely transformed to dolomite. Often yellowish-tan in color. Fizzes weakly with dilute HCl or only when powdered. DOLOMITE or DOLOSTONE

TEXTURE	COMPOSITION	ROCK NAME
Clastic	Calcite fragments and calcite cement. White or grey in color. Fizzes stongly with dilute HCl.	LIMESTONE
Clastic	Rounded calcite ooliths and calcite cement.	OOLITIC LIMESTONE
Clastic	Calcite fragments and calcite cement with significant alteration to the magnesium bearing carbonate dolomite. Fizzes with dilute HCl.	DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE
Crystalline	Calcite almost completely transformed to dolomite. Often yellowish-tan in color. Fizzes weakly with dilute HCl or only when powdered.	DOLOMITE or DOLOSTONE

The table lists some of the more common chemical sediments. There are a large number of rare crystalline chemical sediments that form rocks of economic significance.