AQA GCSE Chemistry · 8462
Specification 4.9.1.2 · Paper 2
Revise: The Early AtmosphereCarbonates precipitated from the water as solids and accumulated as sediments. In this way, carbon that had been in atmospheric carbon dioxide became part of material deposited in the oceans, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide left in the air. Dissolving the gas and forming carbonate sediments are connected steps, not two unrelated explanations.