Crystallographic Insights into High-Resolution Events, Carbonate Precipitation and Diagenesis Using Electron Backscatter Diffraction

While Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) microscopy has been extensively applied in metamorphic, igneous, and siliciclastic sedimentary rocks, its potential in carbonate sedimentology remains largely untapped. This study demonstrates how EBSD, integrated with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy, provides quantitative crystallographic and compositional characterization at micrometer-scale resolution — revealing textural and diagenetic features that are unresolvable through conventional petrographic microscopy. Our multi-faceted investigation spans a range of carbonate components and settings, from skeletal grains and fossil material to abiotic cements and microbial carbonates across geological timescales. By mapping crystal size, orientation, and lattice distortion at sub-micrometer resolution, EBSD enables rigorous differentiation of primary depositional fabrics from diagenetic overprints, the identification of distinct cement generations, and the characterization of recrystallization pathways. Case studies include the detection of previously unrecognized micrometer-scale cyclicity in Cretaceous stromatolites, structural analysis of growth patterns in Precambrian herringbone calcite and the resolution of micritic fabrics in carbonate microproblematica. Together, these examples illustrate the capacity of EBSD to complement and extend traditional petrographic methods in carbonate sedimentology, providing a robust quantitative framework for investigating precipitation mechanisms, skeletal mineralogy, cement stratigraphy, and diagenetic history across a wide range of carbonate systems.