Abstract Dolomite is among the most common carbonate minerals in ancient rocks but its formation is rarely observed today, a longstanding puzzle known as the “Dolomite Problem.” Recent advances in experimental mineralogy, geochemistry, and global abundance reconstructions have begun to resolve this problem. One hypothesis is that dolomitization should be reframed as a two‐stage process involving the nucleation and growth of protodolomite, followed by thermally driven recrystallization. Levenson et al. (2026, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL120386 ) provide geochemical evidence for this model using clumped isotope thermometry, finding formation temperatures in Mesozoic dolomites consistent with progressive burial alteration. They suggest that the scarcity of dolomite in younger rocks reflects insufficient time at elevated burial temperatures. Alternative pathways to dolomite formation, including at low temperatures and shallow burial depths, also deserve continued consideration as the community works toward a more complete resolution of the Dolomite Problem.
Ian Z. Winkelstern (Sat,) studied this question.