MapMaster 3

A map illustrates the distribution of calcium carbonate in modern surface sediments globally, with highest concentration found in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific and lowest concentration dominating the North Pacific, and Southern Ocean.

The distribution is represented as a percentage by weight. Areas with the least calcium carbonate, ranging from 0 percent to 20 percent, are marked in very light blue and are prevalent in large parts of the Pacific Ocean, particularly around Samoa, the South Pacific, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Light blue regions, representing 20 percent to 40 percent calcium carbonate, cover parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, including areas around Cuba, the western coast of Africa near Senegal and Mauritania, and the southern Indian Ocean near Madagascar. Medium blue areas, indicating 40 percent to 60 percent calcium carbonate, include regions in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the United Kingdom and France, the Mediterranean Sea, parts of the Arabian Sea, and the South Pacific Ocean. Blue-green regions, with 60 to 80 percent calcium carbonate, are seen in the central Atlantic Ocean, areas around the Caribbean including Cuba and Guatemala, the western coast of Africa near Gabon and Angola, and the Indian Ocean. The highest concentration of calcium carbonate, 80 percent to 100 percent, marked in dark green, is found in regions of the North Atlantic Ocean, around the Bahamas and north of Cuba, parts of the South Atlantic Ocean near the eastern coast of South America, the central Pacific Ocean, and the northern Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka.