Carbonate rocks (limestones and dolomites) constitute a major partof the geological column and contain not only 60% of the world'sknown hydrocarbons but also host extensive mineral deposits. Thisbook represents the first major review of carbonate sedimentologysince the mid 1970's. It is aimed at the advanced undergraduate -postgraduate level and will also be of major interest to geologistsworking in the oil industry. Carbonate Sedimentology is designed to take the readerfrom the basic aspects of limestone recognition and classificationthrough to an appreciation of the most recent developments such aslarge scale facies modelling and isotope geochemistry. Novelaspects of the book include a detailed review of carbonatemineralogy, non-marine carbonate depositional environments and anin-depth look at carbonate deposition and diagenesis throughgeologic time. In addition, the reviews of individual depositionalsystems stress a process-based approach rather than one centered onsimple comparative sedimentology. The unique quality of this bookis that it contains integrated reviews of carbonate sedimentologyand diagenesis, within one volume.

Sedimentology and stratigraphy are neighbors yet distinctly separate entities within the earth sciences. Sedimentology searches for the common traits of sedimentary rocks regardless of age as it reconstructs environments and processes of deposition and erosion from the sediment record. Stratigraphy, by contrast, concentrates on changes with time, on measuring time and correlating coeval events. Sequence stratigraphy straddles the boundary between the two fields. This book, dedicated to carbonate rocks, approaches sequence stratigraphy from its sedimentologic background. This book attempts to communicate by combining different specialities and different lines of reasoning, and by searching for principles underlying the bewildering diversity of carbonate rocks. It provides enough general background, in introductory chapters and appendices, to be easily digestible for sedimentologists and stratigraphers as well as earth scientists at large.

Carbonate Sediments and Their Diagenesis

This book on geology and hydrogeology of carbonate islands is volume 54 in the Developments in Sedimentology series.

Sedimentology and stratigraphy are neighbors yet distinctly separate entities within the earth sciences. Sedimentology searches for the common traits of sedimentary rocks regardless of age as it reconstructs environments and processes of deposition and erosion from the sediment record. Stratigraphy, by contrast, concentrates on changes with time, on measuring time and correlating coeval events. Sequence stratigraphy straddles the boundary between the two fields. This book, dedicated to carbonate rocks, approaches sequence stratigraphy from its sedimentologic background. This book attempts to communicate by combining different specialities and different lines of reasoning, and by searching for principles underlying the bewildering diversity of carbonate rocks. It provides enough general background, in introductory chapters and appendices, to be easily digestible for sedimentologists and stratigraphers as well as earth scientists at large.