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Minerals
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Advances in Carbonate Sedimentology: From Deposition to Diagenesis
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Advances in Carbonate Sedimentology: From Deposition to Diagenesis

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1703

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xuan Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Earth Science, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China
Interests: depositional environments; carbonate facies; sequence stratigraphy; reservoir heterogeneity; carbonate platform
Dr. Zhongxiang Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Earth Science, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China
Interests: depositional environments; carbonate facies; sequence stratigraphy; reservoir heterogeneity; carbonate platform

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbonate sedimentology fundamentally focuses on the origins, depositional processes, and initial characteristics of carbonate rocks. The formation of these rocks is predominantly controlled by biological activity and chemical precipitation within marine environments, resulting in complex depositional systems such as reefs, shoals, and tidal flats. The initial fabric and composition of these sediments set the critical groundwork for all subsequent diagenetic alterations.

In recent decades, the field has been revolutionized by high-resolution imaging techniques, 3D seismic geomorphology, and advanced geochemical proxies. These tools allow us to reconstruct paleoenvironments with unprecedented detail, quantify carbonate factory productivity, and understand the controls on platform architecture and sequence stratigraphy in carbonate systems.

A robust sedimentological framework is essential for predicting the initial porosity and permeability distribution in carbonate reservoirs. The original depositional texture—from mud-rich interiors to grain-dominated shoals—creates the primary heterogeneity that diagenetic processes later modify. Accurately mapping these facies is therefore a prerequisite for understanding how reservoir quality evolves through deep time.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent progress in carbonate sedimentology, sequence, carbonate platform models, formation mechanisms of carbonate minerals, and mineral transformations in diagenesis. We seek contributions that enhance our ability to interpret depositional environments, model reservoir heterogeneity, and integrate sedimentology with diagenesis to build comprehensive models of carbonate systems.

Prof. Dr. Xuan Chen
Dr. Zhongxiang Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbonate platform models
  • carbonate facies
  • sequence stratigraphy
  • reservoir heterogeneity
  • mineral formation mechanisms
  • carbonate minerals
  • carbonate rocks
  • carbonate systems
  • carbonate reservoirs
  • diagenesis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 24394 KB  
Article
Multi-Stage Origins of Dolomite in the Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation and Its Implication for pH Fluctuations in the Alkaline Lake
by Zhuang Yang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Xincai You, Wenjun He and Wei Li
Minerals 2026, 16(5), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050519 - 14 May 2026
Viewed by 212
Abstract
The Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag of the Junggar Basin represents one of the oldest and most significant alkaline lacustrine systems, hosting abundant dolomite that serves as a key unconventional reservoir. However, the formation mechanism of dolomite remains unclear. This study integrates [...] Read more.
The Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag of the Junggar Basin represents one of the oldest and most significant alkaline lacustrine systems, hosting abundant dolomite that serves as a key unconventional reservoir. However, the formation mechanism of dolomite remains unclear. This study integrates detailed petrography, geochemistry and cyclostratigraphy to elucidate the origin and distribution of dolomite. Petrographic characteristics indicate a penecontemporaneous origin for the dolomite, with no apparent hydrothermal influence. Mineralogical features exhibit a multi-zonation structure of dolomite, aligning with in situ Fe content, jointly indicating that a multi-stage formation process of dolomite from core to rim. Microbial methanogenesis likely played an important role in the dolomite formation. Spatially, dolomite is enriched in the transition zone but scarce in the depocenter zone, where sodium carbonate prevails. This distribution is primarily controlled by pH differentiation between the transition zone and the depocenter zone of the Mahu Sag. In the transition zone, orbitally driven wet–dry cycles regulated the lake-level change, which, in turn, controlled pH fluctuation, as revealed by the silica precipitation during humid phases and dissolution during arid intervals. In the depocenter zone, lake water remained at a high-pH state, which was unfavorable for dolomite formation. These findings highlight that pH dynamics, linked to orbital climate cycles, played a critical role in governing dolomite formation and distribution in this ancient alkaline lake, providing new insights for the formation of dolomite in alkaline lacustrine environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carbonate Sedimentology: From Deposition to Diagenesis)
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40 pages, 18498 KB  
Article
Genetic Mechanism of Calcareous Interbeds in Shoreface Reservoirs and Implications for Hydrocarbon Accumulation: A Case Study of the Donghe Sandstone Reservoir in Hade Oilfield, Tarim Basin
by Rui Xie, Xiaoyun Lin, Shan Jiang, Kaiyu Wang, Jian Liu and Yijing Lu
Minerals 2026, 16(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030259 - 28 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 465
Abstract
Calcareous interbeds are widely developed in marine clastic sequences, where laterally continuous, tight calcareous interbeds act as critical controls on the formation of lithologic traps and the distribution of oil. However, the genetic mechanisms and development models of these interbeds, particularly under deep-burial [...] Read more.
Calcareous interbeds are widely developed in marine clastic sequences, where laterally continuous, tight calcareous interbeds act as critical controls on the formation of lithologic traps and the distribution of oil. However, the genetic mechanisms and development models of these interbeds, particularly under deep-burial conditions subject to complex fluid interactions, remain poorly understood. Using the Donghe Sandstone in the Hade Oilfield (Tarim Basin) as a case study, this paper investigates the genetic evolution of calcareous interbeds via an integrated approach combining core observation, thin-section petrography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), stable isotope analysis, fluid inclusion microthermometry, and heavy fraction analysis. The results indicate that: (1) The carbonate cements within the interbeds are compositionally complex, dominated by calcite but characterized by a diagnostic assemblage of anhydrite, ferroan calcite, and ankerite. (2) During the depositional to shallow burial stages, seawater evaporation and meteoric freshwater influx led to the supersaturation of calcium-rich pore waters near the surface. This facilitated the precipitation of early cement assemblages, which are predominantly of freshwater origin and consist mainly of non-ferroan calcite nodules, dolomite, and anhydrite. (3) During the deep burial stage, the injection of high-salinity brines and organic acid decarboxylation triggered Thermochemical Sulfate Reduction (TSR). This process caused the extensive consumption of the pre-existing anhydrite and the formation of authigenic pyrite, followed by the tight occlusion of remaining porosity through the precipitation of late-stage ferroan calcite and ankerite. (4) In the broad slope setting, these tight calcareous interbeds constitute effective flow barriers, resulting in a stepped distribution of the oil–water contact. Within the reservoir compartments segmented by these interbeds, crude oil maturity exhibits a distinct inversion (i.e., higher maturity below the interbeds and lower maturity above), confirming the critical sealing capacity of the interbeds during hydrocarbon accumulation. Ultimately, this study establishes a genetic model coupling calcareous interbed development with deep-burial fluid alteration, providing new geological insights for predicting subtle traps in marine sandstone reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carbonate Sedimentology: From Deposition to Diagenesis)
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19 pages, 5743 KB  
Article
Characteristics of Cambrian Oolitic Rocks in Northern Sichuan, South China: Implications for the Aragonite–Calcite Sea Transition
by Lingling Xiao, Qi Li, Xiyu Ye and Jinglin Wang
Minerals 2026, 16(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020185 - 8 Feb 2026
Viewed by 552
Abstract
The Cambrian Period represents a critical yet debated interval in the global transition from “Aragonite Seas” to “Calcite Seas”. This study reconstructs the physicochemical evolution of paleoseawater through microstructural analysis and trace element geochemistry of Cambrian oolitic rocks in the northern Sichuan Basin, [...] Read more.
The Cambrian Period represents a critical yet debated interval in the global transition from “Aragonite Seas” to “Calcite Seas”. This study reconstructs the physicochemical evolution of paleoseawater through microstructural analysis and trace element geochemistry of Cambrian oolitic rocks in the northern Sichuan Basin, South China. Our results demonstrate that micrite envelopes on ooid margins and early submarine cements (Stage 1) effectively least-altered signals, resisting diagenetic alteration. Consequently, the maximum values of trace element in these fabrics serve as reliable proxies for paleoseawater reconstruction. Ooids from the upper Canglangpu Formation to the Longwangmiao Formation (Lower Cambrian, Series 2) are characterized by concentric laminations with tangential ultrastructures, high Sr contents (up to 1536 ppm), and high seawater molar Mg/Ca ratios (hereafter mMg/Ca, up to 5.02). These features contrast sharply with the radial fabrics, low Sr contents (<400 ppm), and low seawater mMg/Ca ratios (<0.4) observed in the Xixiangchi Formation (Upper Cambrian, Furongian). Integrating regional data with global correlations, this study confirms that Aragonite Sea conditions persisted on the northern margin of the Yangtze Block until at least the late Early Cambrian (Stage 4). The Middle Cambrian (Miaolingian) represents a pivotal transitional interval, leading to a complete shift to a stable Calcite Sea by the Late Cambrian (Furongian). These findings provide crucial regional constraints for refining the Phanerozoic model of seawater chemical evolution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Carbonate Sedimentology: From Deposition to Diagenesis)
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