A biofilm and organomineralisation model for the growth and limiting size of ooids

TL;DR

This paper presents a mathematical model for ooid growth based on biofilm mineralisation, predicting a limiting size and explaining internal structures, which aligns with experimental observations and offers insights into ooid formation.

Contribution

The model introduces a novel biofilm and organomineralisation framework for understanding ooid growth and size limitation, inspired by tumor growth models.

Findings

Predicts a limiting size for ooids based on biofilm mineralisation

Matches experimental growth ring patterns in laboratory-grown ooids

Provides insights into the internal structure and formation processes of ooids

Abstract

Ooids are typically spherical sediment grains characterised by concentric layers encapsulating a core. There is no universally accepted explanation for ooid genesis, though factors such as agitation, abiotic and/or microbial mineralisation and size limitation have been variously invoked. We develop a mathematical model for ooid growth, inspired by work on avascular brain tumours, that assumes mineralisation in a biofilm to form a central core and concentric growth of laminations. The model predicts a limiting size with the sequential width variation of growth rings comparing favourably with those observed in experimentally grown ooids generated from biomicrospheres. In reality, this model pattern may be complicated during growth by syngenetic aggrading neomorphism of the unstable mineral phase, followed by diagenetic recrystallisation that further complicates the structure. Our model provides a potential key to understanding the genetic archive preserved in the internal structures of naturally occurring ooids.