The interaction of magnesium with calcite during crystal growth at 25–90°C and one atmosphere

Calcite crystals were grown in a closed system by recrystallization of synthetic and natural aragonite crystals, in the presence of various CaCl2-MgCl2 solutions with and without NaCl. The distribution of Mg2+ between calcite and solution at the entire temperature range is heterogeneous, closely following the Doerner-Hoskins (Doerner and Hoskins, 1925) distribution law. λMg2+C is strongly dependent on temperature, being: 0·0573 ± 0·0017 at 25°C, 0·0681 ± 0·0019 at 35°C, 0·0778 ± 0.0022 at 50°C, 0·0973 ± 0·0021 at 70°C, and 0·1163 ±0 ·0034 at 90°C. λMg2+C is independent of the absolute concentration of Ca2+ in solution as well as of the presence of NaCl. Relatively high λMg2+C values are obtained during the initial reaction stages when too-highly reactive synthetic aragonites are recrystallized. SEM micrographs show that calcite crystals grown from such aragonites are imperfect and that their earlier formed Mg-rich cores redissolve later, resulting in apparently inconsistent λMg2+C values. Calculations applying the new λMg2+C value for 25°C and the solubility data for magnesian calcites (Chaveet al., 1962) demonstrate that although no calcite should be expected to precipate directly from open sea water, its direct precipitation (or recrystallization from aragonite) is possible in closed diagenetic systems which still contain marine solutions, provided a temporary increase in the dissolved calcium concentration takes place. The λMg2+C values obtained allow for a new insight into processes of calcite cementation of reefs and a variety of other carbonate sediments, and for a more precise definition of dedolomitization chemistry.