Carbonate dissolution and precipitation in coastal environments: Laboratory analysis and theoretical consideration

We have conducted laboratory experiments to examine CaCO 3 dissolution and precipitation in saltwater‐freshwater mixing zones, with a view to understanding and predicting porosity changes in coastal environments. Mixing of seawater or saline subsurface water with fresh water can be of major importance in the chemical diagenesis of carbonate rocks and sediments. We used artificial seawater and NaCl solutions of different concentrations under different CO 2 partial pressures and with different mixing ratios. Two‐dimensional flow cells filled with glass beads and crushed calcium carbonate rock were used to measure calcium carbonate precipitation and dissolution, respectively. An important feature of these experiments is that the results are shown to agree well with a relatively simple transport theory describing mineral precipitation/dissolution that results from the nonlinear dependence of CaCO 3 saturation upon electrolyte concentration. The theory demonstrates that the rate of dissolution or precipitation depends on the curvature (and sign) of the solubility as a function of salinity, the square of the salinity gradient, and the macroscopic dispersion coefficient. The theory is largely scale independent and depends upon field parameters that can be determined. Analysis of data from three field sites (Yucatan peninsula, Bermuda, and Mallorca) demonstrates excellent agreement between field observations and theory.