Relating Karst Development to Island Dolomite Formation using Petrography, Geochemistry, and Geomorphology

Three islands of study with differing types of dolomite were examined for karst features. Barbados showed that island dolomite could contain dissolutional karst features that form either during or after dolomitization. On Curacao, two types of dolomite were identified. The first documented occurrence of direct dolomite precipitation in situ was found using electron microscopy. Remnant voids from Curacao were classified and used to determine uplift and cliff retreat rates. On Isla de Mona, the influence of microbes in the mixing zone was added to the Dorag model of dolomite replacement. In addition, accounting for glacioeustasy, tectonic, and diagenetic fluctuations hypothesized large volume of dolomite. This study significantly contributes to the understanding of young dolomite formation and diagenesis as well as documenting dissolutional voids within island dolomite