Simple X-ray diffraction techniques to identify Mg-calcite, dolomite and magnesite in tropical coralline algae and assess peak asymmetry  

Authors / CoAuthors

Nash, M.C. | Opdyke, B.N. | Troitzsch, U. | Trafford, J.M.

Abstract

Concern about the impact of ocean acidification on organisms secreting high magnesium calcite skeletons has led to renewed interest in the mineralogy of these organisms. The identification of minerals making up the skeletons of tropical coralline algae, and in particular the determination of the Mg-content of calcite, is most commonly performed with X-ray diffraction. This method, based on XRD peak position, attracted criticism in the past because it produced Mg-contents that were in some cases lower compared to those based on chemical analyses of the bulk sample (in solution). The recent discovery of dolomite and magnesite in living coralline algae skeletons in addition to Mg-calcite explained this issue, and it is our goal in the present study to reinstate XRD as a reliable, quick and affordable method for the study of the mineral make-up of coralline algae species. In this paper we review the history of mineralogical analyses on tropical coralline algae and identify physical preparation methods that can affect results. We build on existing XRD methods to develop simple sampling and analytical methods to identify the presence of dolomite and magnesite, and numerically assess peak asymmetry that is caused by the overlapping reflections of calcite, dolomite and magnesite. These methods do not require specialist crystallographic knowledge or expensive or time consuming processes. The additional information our methods produce can be used to study intra-cellular calcification, and helps to rapidly assess and compare the mineral make-up of large numbers of samples. We conclude that XRD should be an integral part of any mineralogical analysis of coralline algae skeletons, which may be composed of not only Mg-calcite (Ca1.0-0.6Mg0-0.4CO3), but also dolomite (Ca0.5Mg0.5CO3), magnesite (MgCO3) and aragonite (CaCO3).

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nonGeographicDataset

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73828

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• External Publication

( Theme )

• carbonate

( Theme )

• environmental

( Theme )

• habitat

( Theme )

• marine

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Earth Sciences

• Published_Internal

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2012-03-21T00:00:00

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