The Crystalline Phase of the Carbonate Moonmilk: A Terminology Approach

Abstract

Izvleček: Kristali, ki gradijo trdno fazo jamskega mleka, lahko zrastejo iz različnih raztopin kot posledica anorganskih in/ali organskih procesov. Terminologija, ki se uporablja za defi niranje keristalinske faze jamskega mleka je obsežna. Kakorkoli, če se kdo posveti široko sprejeti klasifi kaciji in terminologiji uporabljeni v sedimentni petrologiji, se ta široki obseg izrazov, ki opisujejo določeno obliko karbonatov lahko zoži na naslednje tri kategorije: vlaknati kristali, polikristali in kalcitizirana vlakna; uporabljeni izrazi, glede velikosti in oblike kalcitnih kristalov v jamskem mleku ter njihov medsebojni odnos, pa postanejo v tem primeru vprašljivi.

The crystals forming the solid phase of moonmilk deposits can grow from various solutions due to inorganic or/and organic processes. The terminology used so far to defi ne the crystalline phase of the moonmilk is vast. However, if one applies for the widely accepted classifi cation and terminology used in sedimentary petrology, this wide range of terms describing particular morphologies of carbonates may be narrowed to the following three categories: fiber crystals, polycrystals, and calcifi ed fi laments, and applied whenever the size and shapes of calcite crystals in moonmilk and their mutual interrelationships come into discussion.