Nanoscale crystal fabric preserved in dolomite ooids at the onset of the
Shuram Excursion
Abstract
Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) forms in minor quantities in modern environments
yet comprises most of the Precambrian carbonate rock record. Precambrian
dolomites are often fine-grained and fabric-retentive and are
interpreted to have precipitated as primary cements or formed as early
diagenetic replacements of CaCO3. Detailed physical and chemical
characterization of these dolomites could inform their origin and
relevance for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Here, we use
synchrotron radiation to produce a nanometer-resolution crystal
orientation map of one exquisitely-preserved ooid deposited at the onset
of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion (~574 Ma). The
crystal orientation map reveals small (~10μm) acicular,
radially-oriented crystals grouped into bundles of similarly-oriented
crystals with varying optical properties. We interpret that this
dolomite formed via primary, spherulitic precipitation during ooid
growth in shallow marine waters. This result provides additional
evidence that the physicochemical properties of late Precambrian oceans
promoted dolomite precipitation and supports a primary origin for the
Shuram excursion.