CaCO₃ Precipitation

We grow calcium carbonate minerals in controlled conditions to investigate the partitioning of trace elements and fractionation of isotopes from the fluid into the mineral. We are particularly interested in the formation of intermediate metastable phases, such as amorphous calcium carbonate and vaterite, which are likely to play a role in the formation of most natural carbonates. We are trying to work out how the formation and transformation of these intermediate phases might alter the composition of the mature mineral, compared to if it formed directly from seawater.