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Organisms that die in a high concentration of calcium carbonate will undergo:

A) Silicification
B) Carbonization
C) Nodulation
D) Calcification

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Organisms that die in an environment rich in calcium carbonate typically undergo a process called calcification, which contributes to the formation of sedimentary layers and eventually limestone.

Step-by-step explanation:

Organisms that die in a high concentration of calcium carbonate typically undergo calcification. Calcification is the process of deposition of mineral salts in the collagen fiber matrix that crystallizes and hardens the tissue. In marine environments, when organisms with calcium carbonate structures die, their skeletal remains contribute to sediment on the ocean floor. Over time, this sediment can form limestone, a major carbon reservoir on Earth, through a long-term process of mineralization. Other fossilization processes like carbonization involve preservation as a thin film of carbon and commonly occur with leaves, fish, and graptolites. Silicification and nodulation are not the correct processes associated with the presence of high concentrations of calcium carbonate.

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