The various (low-Mg calcite, intermediate-Mg calcite, high-Mg calcite, and aragonite) carbonate components from the Pennsylvanian Brush Creek Formation of Pennsylvania are preserved in different stages of diagenetic alteration. In general, these components follow the predicted diagenetic changes in structure, mineralogy, and chemistry deduced from theoretical considerations for progressively altered carbonates.

The low-Mg calcite brachiopods show no signs of either structural or chemical alteration. The shell material is preserved as low-Mg calcite fibers with no apparent dissolution and/or infilling by diagenetic calcite. Also, the average Sr²⁺ content of the brachiopods is 820 ppm, which is in agreement with the chemical content of their Holocene counterparts. In contrast, the intermediate-Mg calcite rugose corals show signs of structural aggrading neomorphism. The trabecular fibers are in part recrystallized to small mosaic calcite grains. This structural alteration is concomitant with chemical changes in the Brush Creek rugose corals. The least-altered components contain about 1,770 ppm Sr²⁺, whereas the most altered components contain only about 1,030 ppm Sr^{2+ /SUP>. For the high-Mg calcite crinoids, diagenetic alteration is mostly a cementation process with minor mineralogical alteration. The open meshwork structure typical of the Echinodermata is infilled in the Brush Creek crinoids by diagenetic cement. This infilling cement has decreased the average Sr2+ content of 2,140 ppm of unaltered crinoids to that of 1,090 ppm Sr2+ for the most-altered Brush Creek crinoids. Scanning electron microscope analysis of the originally aragonitic mollusks (gastropods, pelecypods, and cephalopods) shows a complete structural diagenetic transition series. The original and least-altered mollusk material is preserved as nacre, which is always aragonite. The second phase of the transition series in the mollusks is represented by the aggrad ng neomorphism of the nacreous tablets into small, coarse mosaic calcite crystals. The structural transition is completed by the replacement of the mosaic calcite by coarse calcite spar. Mineralogically, the mollusk material changes from aragonite to aragonite-calcite to calcite, relative to the least- and to the most-altered specimens, respectively. The structural and mineralogical changes of the originally aragonitic mollusks are also confirmed by changes in their overall chemical composition. Average Sr2+ values measured for the least-altered Brush Creek mollusk material is 4,470 ppm. Mollusk material of the second phase of the diagenetic transition series contains on average about 2,170 ppm Sr2+. The most-altered mollusks, which are calcite, contain on average a out 1,110 ppm Sr2+. Similarily, the Na+ values follow the diagenetic trend of strontium. The least-altered material contains 750 ppm Na+, the intermediate-altered material contains 420 ppm Na+, and the most-altered material contains 250 ppm Na+.}

Thus the diagenetic alteration process and rate proceed in accordance with mineralogical stability. This sequence is aragonite, high-Mg calcite, intermediate-Mg calcite, and low-Mg calcite relative to fastest to slowest reaction, respectively. The diagenetic alteration and preservation process of the Brush Creek carbonate components is probably a two-stage event. The first stage occurs in the marine phreatic zone, and the second stage occurs in the meteoric phreatic zone.

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