The carbonate compensation depth (CCD) is the depth in the ocean below which calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolves more rapidly than it accumulates, preventing the formation of carbonate sediments. This depth varies with the acidity, temperature, and pressure of the seawater. The CCD is significant in paleoceanography and sedimentology, as it influences the distribution of carbonate sediments on the ocean floor.
Reference: Berger, W. H., & Winterer, E. L. (1974). “Plate Stratigraphy and the Fluctuating Carbonate Line.” Pelagic Sediments: On Land and Under the Sea. International Association of Sedimentologists Special Publication No. 1.