Recent advancements in the characterization of dolomite

Over the past ~20 years, rigorous field, petrographical, and geochemical studies have considerably advanced our understanding of dolomite and dolomitization. These advancements coincide with breakthroughs in reactive transport modelling, alongside the advent of high- resolution mass spectrometers that can measure novel trace and rare earth elements, and non-traditional isotopic ratios. Such advancements are paralleled by several studies that claim to have synthesized dolomite in the laboratory, providing invaluable insights into the evolution of dolomite stoichiometry and cation ordering in the geological record. This presentation will review recent advancements in the characterization of dolomite, with several examples from (1) Cenozoic "island dolomite" on the Cayman Islands (Caribbean Sea) and the Xisha Islands (South China Sea), (2) structurally-controlled "hydrothermal dolomite" in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, and (3) laboratory-based dolomitization experiments.