Changes

==Carbonates are different from sandstones==

==Carbonates are different from sandstones==

Carbonate sediments have several features that set them apart by comparison with siliciclastics. Carbonate sediments tend to form and be deposited in situ, with enormous volumes of calcareous material provided by the death, disintegration, or digestion of plant and animal matter (Ginsburg and James, 1974). The coarser material tends not to be widely spread or abraded by waves and currents. Consequently, uniform grain sorting is not a major characteristic of carbonates. There can be a great diversity of grain sizes and shapes in most carbonate sediments compared to sandstones.

Carbonate sediments have several features that set them apart by comparison with siliciclastics. Carbonate sediments tend to form and be deposited in situ, with enormous volumes of calcareous material provided by the death, disintegration, or digestion of plant and animal matter.<ref>Ginsburg, R. N., and N. P. James, 1974, Holocene carbonate sediments of continental shelves, in C. A Burk and C. L. Drake, eds., The geology of continental margins, New York, Springer-Verlag, p.137–155.</ref> The coarser material tends not to be widely spread or abraded by waves and currents. Consequently, uniform grain sorting is not a major characteristic of carbonates. There can be a great diversity of grain sizes and shapes in most carbonate sediments compared to sandstones.

There are some similarities to siliciclastic environments. Various sedimentary bodies such as beaches, barrier islands, shelf sediments, gravity flows, and dune sands are also found in carbonate settings.

There are some similarities to siliciclastic environments. Various sedimentary bodies such as beaches, barrier islands, shelf sediments, gravity flows, and dune sands are also found in carbonate settings.