dolomite
Sign in to savecarbonate mineral – CaMg(CO₃)₂
AI overview
Dolomite is a naturally occurring mineral made of calcium, magnesium, and carbon compounds that is found in rocks around the world. It matters because it's an important resource used in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing, and it also helps scientists understand how certain rocks and mountains form.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
Dolomite and calcite look similar under a microscope, but thin sections can be etched and stained in order to identify the minerals. Photomicrograph of a thin section in cross and plane polarised light: the brighter mineral grains in the picture are dolomite, and the darker grains are calcite.
Dolomite (/ˈdɒl.əˌmaɪt, ˈdoʊ.lə-/) is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally CaMg(CO3)2. The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite (see Dolomite (rock)). An alternative name sometimes used for the dolomitic rock type is dolostone.