Chemical variation in a partially dolomitized Visean limestone bed, Isle of Man

The analysis of an acid-soluble and acid-insoluble fraction of one systematically sampled, partially dolomitized limestone bed is reported. The original lime sediment, composed principally of skeletal remains, pellets, occasional intraclasts, detrital quartz, illite, and muscovite has been modified by the addition of calcite, dolomite, and dickite cements and has been patchily replaced by dolomite, quartz, and pyrite. Rapid chemical and mineralogical variations occur over short distances, i.e. within IO m. Fe and Mn are both present in greater concentration in dolomite than in calcite. Dolomite itself varies in overall composition within the limestones and dolostones but is always Sr-deficient. The insoluble residue is dominated by quartz. Authigenic quartz occurs but its distribution is controlled by pre-existing detrital quartz so SiO~distribution corresponds to a detrital arrangement. TiO~ and K20 follow the distribution of SiO2 and are believed to be sited in detrital minerals, muscovite, and other unidentified minerals. Sulphur,~present in pyrite, has a patchy distribution but is deficient in totally dolomitized areas suggesting removal of pyrite during dolomitization.