CARBONATE PRODUCTION

As mentioned previously, the active areas that produce carbonate sediments have been termed the “carbonate factory” by James (1979). It is important to note that most carbonate sediment is produced in the shallow-marine environment within a few tens of meters of the water surface. The sediment either remains where it was produced or it can be transported landward onto tidal flats or into beach/eolian dune complexes. It also can be transported offshore into deeper water and be deposited in the deep slope or basin environment, along with the sediment derived from the shallow part of the open-ocean water column.

The modern carbonate factory analog presented below is the west side of Andros Island on the Great Bahama Bank.