Visualization of pH and Ca concentration around CaCO₃ crystals during dissolution and growth

Abstract

We have recently started an attempt to visualize the distribution of pH and Ca concentration around CaCO₃ crystals which inorganically grows or dissolves, by applying the method used for the research on the biogenic calcification of foraminifers.The pH change near a dissolved calcite and aragonite surface has been succeeded, which may provide new insights into both inorganic and biogenic formation mechanism of CaCO_3.