Carbonatite facts for kids
Carbonatite is a special kind of igneous rock. Igneous rocks are formed when hot, melted rock (called magma or lava) cools down and becomes solid. What makes carbonatite unique is that more than half of it is made of carbonate minerals. These are the same kinds of minerals found in things like chalk or seashells!
Because carbonatite is mostly made of carbonates, it can sometimes look a lot like marble. Marble is a different type of rock, so scientists often need to do special tests to tell them apart.
Where Carbonatites Are Found
Carbonatites usually appear in specific shapes and places. You might find them as small plugs, which are like old volcano necks. They can also form as dikes (flat sheets of rock that cut through other rocks) or sills (flat sheets that squeeze between other rock layers). Sometimes, they are found as breccias (rocks made of broken pieces cemented together) or veins (thin lines of minerals within other rocks).
Almost all carbonatites are found near or in areas where the Earth's crust is pulling apart. These areas are called continental rifts. This means they are often linked to places where the Earth's plates are moving and creating new cracks or valleys.
Carbonatite Through Time
Scientists have noticed that there seems to be more carbonatite activity happening now than in the past. This type of igneous rock has been forming more and more throughout Earth's long history. It started way back in the Archean eon, which was a very, very old time in Earth's past, and it continues to form today.
It's interesting because carbonates, in general, are often created by living things. For example, shells and bones are made of carbonate minerals. This connection makes carbonatites a fascinating rock to study!
Images for kids
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Magnesiocarbonatite, from Verity-Paradise Carbonatite Complex of British Columbia. Specimen is 75 mm wide.
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Okaite, an ultramafic rock found near the carbonatite of the Oka Carbonatite Complex, Oka, Quebec
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Thin section of apatite-rich carbonatite in cross polarised transmitted light. The sample is from Siilinjärvi apatite mine.
See also
In Spanish: Carbonatita para niños
