Which of the following is NOT a dolomitization model?

• A. Metamorphism
• B. Evaporative
• C. Seepage Reflux
• D. Burial

Answer: (A)

Dolomitization happens when magnesium-rich fluids replace calcium in calcite to form dolomite, a process driven by diagenetic fluid movement rather than high-temperature metamorphic reactions. The common pathways people use to explain this replacement are evaporation-driven or sabkha-type settings that concentrate Mg-rich brines, seepage reflux where seawater–derived fluids circulate through the rock and promote replacement, and burial dolomitization where long-term diagenetic fluids from deeper sources alter calcite during burial. Metamorphism, on the other hand, involves high temperatures and pressures that drive different metamorphic reactions and recrystallization, not the typical diagenetic replacement of calcite by dolomite. So metamorphism is not considered a dolomitization model.