Genesis of island dolostones

Cenozoic ‘island dolostones’ are found on islands throughout the oceans of the world. Due to their geological youth and lack of deep burial, these dolostones provide an opportunity to resolve some of the mysteries surrounding the dolomite problem. In island dolostone bodies, which are of variable size and variable dolomitization, the petrographic and geochemical properties of the dolostones are characterized by geographic and stratigraphic variations. In the larger island‐wide dolostone bodies, like those found on Grand Cayman, there are progressive increases in mole %Ca (%Ca mean : 53·9 to 57·6%), depletion of the heavier 18 O and 13 C isotopes (δ 18 O mean : 3·6 to 2·1‰ VPDB ; δ 13 C mean : 3·1 to 1·4‰ VPDB ), and changes from fabric‐retentive to fabric‐destructive fabrics and a decrease in the amount of dolomite cement from the coastal areas towards the centres of the islands, similar to the Little Bahama Bank. These changes define geographically concentric zones that parallel the coastlines and reflect geochemical modification of the dolomitizing fluid through water–rock interactions, mixing with meteoric water and the changes in the rate and flux of seawater as it flowed from coasts to island interiors. The pattern of dolomitization, however, is not consistent from island to island because geographic and stratigraphic variations, specific to each island, influenced groundwater flow pattern (for example, geometry and size of the islands; the porosity and permeability of the precursor limestone), the duration of the dolomitization reaction, and other factors. The geographic extent of dolomitization and variation in dolomite stoichiometry of island dolostones may be comparable to the reaction stages established in high‐temperature laboratory experiments.