dolomitelike

Dolomitelike refers to minerals that share structural or compositional similarities with the mineral dolomite. Dolomite itself is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, with the chemical formula CaMg(CO3)2. It crystallizes in the trigonal system, often forming rhombohedral crystals. The term "dolomitelike" is used when a mineral exhibits a similar crystal structure, chemical makeup, or other characteristic properties that remind geologists of dolomite, even if it is not dolomite itself.

Minerals that are dolomitelike can include other carbonate minerals that incorporate both calcium and magnesium, or those that form similar crystal lattices. For instance, some solid solutions or substitutions within the dolomite structure can lead to dolomitelike compounds. Researchers might use this term to describe newly discovered minerals before their exact composition and structure are fully determined, or to categorize minerals based on observed resemblances. The presence of both calcium and magnesium in a carbonate framework is a key feature that would lead to a mineral being described as dolomitelike. The concept is useful for classifying and understanding the relationships between different mineral species within the broader carbonate group.