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Near surface generation, burial recrystallization, and structural overprinting of carbonate platform dolomites
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  • Published: 11 January 2026

Near surface generation, burial recrystallization, and structural overprinting of carbonate platform dolomites

  • Gaurav Siddharth Gairola1,
  • Samuel T. Thiele2,
  • Pankaj Khanna1,3,
  • Ahmad Ramdani1,
  • Yuri Panara1,
  • Sebastian Patino1,
  • Peter K. Swart4,
  • Richard Gloaguen2 &
  • …
  • Volker Vahrenkamp1 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Sedimentology
  • Stratigraphy

Abstract

Hyperspectral analysis of carbonate rocks provides a novel method to recognize not only calcite/dolomite alterations, but also to differentiate dolomite fabrics. Coupled with digital outcrop models, hyperspectral data provide an integrated representation of the geometric and mineralogical characteristics of exposed dolomite geobodies at sub-seismic resolution and over large (seismic-scale) extent. This facilitates the continuous, unbiased, and data-driven assessment of the spatial distribution of dolomites, dolomite types and properties. Here we integrate hyperspectral attributes, geochemical data, fracture analysis, tectonic, and thermal histories to constrain the process and timing of dolomitization and the compositional and textural heterogeneity at cm-scale. Our results suggest that the km-scale strata-bound dolomitized layers of the Arab-D member formed in an overall regressive system tract. near the surface (T ~ 30 °C) by refluxing of slightly evaporated seawater (-1.0 to 0‰ SMOW). With undolomitized shallow transgressive mudstone/wackestone layers forming baffles restricting downward fluid flow, the dolomitization process apparently was repetitive and linked to high frequency cycles with preferential dolomitization of cycle-top grainstone facies. Multiple reflux events during high-frequency cycle deposition led to the alternating dolomite/calcite layering. Thus, a classical one-time-dolomitize-all end-of-sequence reflux system is not indicated. The early-formed metastable dolomites were then recrystallized during burial and finally overprinted by a hot (80 °C or more) deep-seated fluid with a composition of up to 6.5‰ SMOW. This fluid was channeled by a NW-SE oriented regional fracture trend, which originated from a Late Cretaceous plate-wide structural event related to the Alpine I tectonic deformation. As the dolomite fabric was altered, porosity and permeability became enhanced. The temperatures derived from clumped isotope analysis, thermal history, and the Alpine I related fracture conduits consistently suggest a latest Cretaceous origin for the final burial dolomite maturation and textural overprinting.

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Data availability

The hypercloud datasets will be made available upon request from the corresponding author (GSG), and all other data is available within the manuscript.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project has been provided by KAUST Baseline and ANPERC Center funding to the PI V. Vahrenkamp. Government affairs (GA) at KAUST are thanked for helping with the required permits for drone data acquisition. We also extend our gratitude to Dr. Rainer Zühlke for his scientific contributions, as well as his insightful discussions and valuable feedback throughout the preparation and revision of this manuscript. GSG would personally like to thank EXPLO Group at Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), Germany for their support during his visit at HIF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering, Physical Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Gaurav Siddharth Gairola, Pankaj Khanna, Ahmad Ramdani, Yuri Panara, Sebastian Patino & Volker Vahrenkamp

  2. Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Germany

    Samuel T. Thiele & Richard Gloaguen

  3. Discipline of Earth Science, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

    Pankaj Khanna

  4. MGG/RSMAS, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    Peter K. Swart

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  1. Gaurav Siddharth Gairola
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Contributions

GSG: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing - original draft. ST: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing - review & editing, Software. PK: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Project administration, Writing - review & editing. AR: Formal analysis, Writing - review & editing. YP: Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing - review & editing. SP: Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing - review & editing. PS: Formal analysis, Methodology, Data curation, Writing - review & editing. RG: Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing - review & editing. VV: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision, Writing - review & editing.

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Correspondence to Gaurav Siddharth Gairola.

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Gairola, G.S., Thiele, S.T., Khanna, P. et al. Near surface generation, burial recrystallization, and structural overprinting of carbonate platform dolomites. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35353-4

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  • Received: 28 May 2025

  • Accepted: 05 January 2026

  • Published: 11 January 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35353-4

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Keywords

  • Low-temperature stratabound dolomites
  • Cyclic dolomitization
  • Fracture-related diagenesis
  • Arab-D dolomites outcrop analog
  • Drone-based hyperspectral imaging
  • Plate-wide diagenetic signature
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