The behavior of calcite in typical mixed-layer seawater supersaturated with respect to calcite and aragonite was investigated using saturometry techniques. Additions of reagent-grade calcite to this seawater produced surface films on the calcite, some of which are more soluble than calcite or aragonite. Correlation of film thickness and solubility with the solubilities of Mg calcites indicates that the Mg content of the surface films increases with the square root of film thickness, except for the thinnest films produced. The solubility of a given film decreases with age, a phenomenon originally described by Weyl. The aging process, as measured by diminution of the carbonate alkalinity of the seawater solutions, is approximately a logarithmic function of time. Current evidence indicates that high magnesium skeletal suspended sedimentary materials should dissolve in response to increased atmospheric CO/sub 2/.
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Wollast et al. (1980) studied this question.