An aragonite sea contains aragonite and high-magnesium calcite as the primary inorganic carbonate precipitates. In contrast, a calcite sea is one in which low-magnesium calcite is the primary inorganic marine calcium carbonate precipitate.

The Early Paleozoic and the Middle to Late Mesozoic oceans were predominantly calcite seas, whereas the Middle Paleozoic through the Early Mesozoic and the Cenozoic (including today) are characterized by aragonite seas.¹²³⁴⁵.

Citations

References

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