Can Calcium Carbonate and Silica can be dissolved and reformed as a cement by the action of natural acids?

Question

Eleanor Apodaca · Accepted Answer

Yes.

One can tell if a sedimentary rock is soft or hard based on the existence or lack of broken calcium carbonate shells. Sand stone is simply sand unless there is a chemical reaction between the dissolved Calcium Carbonate in the sand and an acid such as #CO_2# forming Carbonic acid # H_2CO_3#. With the chemical reaction Sand layers become Sandstone. The more Calcium Carbonate that is turned into a form of cement by the natural chemical reactions the harder the sandstone layer. A fossil is any preserved evidence of a living organism. I have discovered fossilized spark plugs off the coast of Oregon, in Sunset Bay. The calcium carbonate in the water reacted with the rusting spark plug to form a cement that "glued" the rocks, sand, and metal together. Therefore, in the correct circumstances, calcium carbonate does react to form a natural cement, and this reaction can happen very quickly.

Victoria Argento · Answer

undefined Yes, calcium carbonate and silica can be dissolved and reformed as cement by the action of natural acids. This process is known as chemical weathering. In the presence of natural acids like carbonic acid (formed from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolving in rainwater) or organic acids produced by decaying vegetation, calcium carbonate and silica minerals in rocks can dissolve. When these dissolved minerals are transported and then reprecipitated in suitable conditions, they can form cement-like materials, contributing to the process of sedimentation and lithification in the Earth's crust.