Geochemical Journal, Vol. 6, pp. 83 to 92, 1972

Geochemical behavior of chemical species inthe processes of limestone formation.

Part I. Chemical composition of corals andlimestones in the Ryukyu Islands

AKIRA TOKUYAMA1, YASUSHI KITANO2and KIYOSHI KANESHIMA1

Institute of Chemistry, Ryukyu University,Naha, Okinawa1 and Faculty of Science,

Nagoya University, Nagoya2, Japan

(Received April 11, 1972; in revised form November JO, 1972)

Abstract-As one of the steps that lead to understanding limestone formation, the geo-chemical behavior of chemical species during limestone formation from corals was dis-cussed by calculating values of concentration factors for chemical species between lime-stones and corals. During the limestone formation, iron, silicon, aluminum, manganeseand phosphorus are enriched in limestones, while sodium, chloride and sulfate ions areremoved to river waters from corals. Aluminum seems to he the least mobile elementin the processes. The chemical composition of river waters in the limestone areas of theRyukyu Islands is interpreted to be a result of addition of sulfate, sodium, calcium andbicarbonate from corals and limestones through dissolution and of supply of chlorideand sodium from dry fallout and precipitation of sea salt.