The proposed project will investigate the kinetics of calcite and dolomite precipitation at temperatures between 100 and 300oC and corresponding hydrostatic pressures (about 300 to 1000 atm). This project will be a significant contribution to understanding burial diagenesis and hydrothermal alteration of carbonate rocks because it will provide a systematic database for rates of calcite and dolomite precipitation (and dolomitization of calcite) at high temperatures and pressures. A planning grant is necessary to 1) refine the high temperature and pressure continuous-flow-stirred reactor system which will be used for the experiments; 2) conduct preliminary experiments to determine the optimal combinations of flow rate, chemical compositions of initial fluids, and seed masses for a given precipitation rate; 3) collect preliminary data on the magnitude of kinetic effects of each fluid parameter.
