This book covers the more basic aspects of carbonate minerals and their interaction with aqueous solutions; modern marine carbonate formation and sediments; carbonate diagenesis (early marine, meteoric and burial); the global cycle of carbon and human intervention; and the role of sedimentary carbonates as indicators of stability and changes in the Earth's surface environment. The selected subjects are presented with sufficient background information to enable the non-specialist to understand the basic chemistry involved. Tested on classes taught by the authors, and approved by the students, this comprehensive volume will prove itself to be a valuable reference source to students, researchers and professionals in the fields of oceanography, geochemistry, petrology, environmental science and petroleum geology.

"G.M. FriedmanThis fine book ... provides an excellent overview of low-temperature carbonate geochemistry.... It will become a best seller.American Association Petroleum Geologists" --D. Pirrie "This book fills a gap in currently available textbooks and can be recommended to a wide audience....to paraphrase the authors, whether your work involves monitoring atmospheric chemistry from Antarctic ice cores, performing diagenetic studies on carbonate sediments from the Alps, the deep sea or tropical reefs, or carrying out complex laboratory experiments in carbonate geochemistry, then there is something in this book for you!" --Journal of Sedimentary Petrology "A bibliographic reference list containing more than one thousand citations completes a thorough and authoritative compilation which presents a very readable text backed by chemical equations, diagrams and case studies." --Australian Mineral Foundation Journal; ERISTAT "..the book will be of great value to both the established researchers and non-specialists with an interest in sedimentary carbonates." --:Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta