Article
Article
Marl
Article By:
Dean, Walter E. U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado.
Last reviewed:November 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.407400
In the most general use of this term, a sediment that consists of a mixture of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and any other constituents in varying proportions. Marls usually are fine-grained, so that most marls consist of CaCO3 mixed with silt and clay. The dominant carbonate mineral in most marls is calcite (CaCO3), but other carbonate minerals such as aragonite (another form of CaCO3), dolomite [Ca, Mg (CO3)2], and siderite (FeCO3) may be present also. See also: Aragonite; Calcite; Carbonate minerals; Dolomite; Siderite
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