Early Diagenetic Silica Deposition in Algal Cysts and Spores: A Source of Sand in Black Shales?
ABSTRACT Devonian black shales deposited on the North American craton contain abundant Tasmanites cysts. Although these are typically flattened because of compaction, a small proportion are filled with diagenetic silica. The latter are spherical to ellipsoidal (0.1-0.5 mm), and filled with chalcedony, microquartz and megaquartz, and single quartz crystals. Chalcedonic cyst fillings are preserved best in cheat and phosphate nodules, whereas megaquartz and single quartz crystals are most common in shale matrix. Together with colloform textures, this suggests that the various silica types originated from recrystallization of early diagenetic silica deposits. Thin sandstone beds in the Chattanooga Shale (e.g., Bransford Sandstone) contain abundant quartz sand that is much coarser than the detrital quartz component of the underlying black shales. Because of this, their quartz component is thought to have been transported over considerable distances from the basin margin. However, because certain shale horizons contain as much as 10% silicified cysts that upon reworking could have yielded quartz grains of fine to coarse sand size, the quartz component of these sandstone beds may actually have formed in situ. Indeed, petrographic examination of the sandstone beds shows them to contain quartz grains with morphological and textural features of "cyst" quartz (e.g., rounding, sphericity, chalcedony, pyrite inclusions, lobate grain margins). Thus, silica deposition in algal cysts may provide a significant component of intrabasinal quartz sand in shale sequences. Distinction of this type of quartz from extrabasinal detrital quartz is important to the reconstruction of the depositional history of shale sequences.
Alterations in the Non-Clay-Mineral Fraction of Pelitic Rocks Across the Diagenetic to Low-Grade Metamorphic Transition, Ouachita Mountains, Oklahoma and Arkansas
ABSTRACT The transformation of smectite to illite has been cited by many authors as a source of silica during diagenesis of mudrocks. Illites themselves, however, undergo chemical changes as they recrystallize into micas during high-grade diagenesis/low-grade metamorphism. Average compositions of phyllosilicates from the literature suggest that an equivalent amount of silica is available from transformation of illite to muscovite as from illitization of smectites. The fate of silica released by this process has not been reported, but could be a major contributor to the silt-size quartz population. The quartz and feldspar fraction of pelites from the Stanley Shale (Mississippian) in the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas was separated using sodium bisulfate fusions. The mineralogy and the grainsize distribution of this fraction were determined using standard petrographic and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Bulk rock samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) methods. The data obtained were related to illite crystallinity and vitrinite reflectance as reported by Guthrie et al. (1986) and Houseknecht and Matthews (1985). Both the percentage of quartz and the mean grain size of the quartz and feldspar fraction increase with greater illite crystallinity values. The growth in quartz is especially apparent in the finest size fractions. A corresponding decrease in the silica content of the clay-mineral fraction is also observed. Development of quartz polycrystallinity occurs across the same interval. Whole-rock chemical abundances show no statistical correlation with thermal maturity. Relative to titanium, both the major-element and the trace-element concentrations show little variation. Rare-earth element ratios do not correlate with thermal maturity and remain essentially constant. Our results are consistent with reported differences between quartz in schists and their shale precursors, and suggest that release of silica during diagenesis of phyllosilicates continues after the smectite-illite transformation. This silica precipitates as quartz within the pelite, consistent with the suggestion by Blatt (1987) that metapelites are the source of abundant silt-size quartz. The lack of whole-rock chemical variation with thermal maturity implies closed-system behavior across much of the pelite-to-metapelite transition.
Geological, mineralogical and chemical characterization of Devonian kaolinite-bearing sediments for further applications in the ceramic (tiles) industry in La Paz, Bolivia
Clay minerals are widely distributed in Bolivia; among them, illitic clays are most common in the Altiplano where they are mined for use in the ceramic industry that has been growing in the last few years. In addition to illitic sediments, kaolinitic sediments have been recently discovered in sedimentary units in the Bolivian Altiplano. Residual ball clay occurrences in Devonian sedimentary units were studied as part of this work. Geological mapping and geophysical studies (ERT and GPR) were done for better understanding the origin of the deposits and were part of a preliminary study of the mineral potential to define the relationship with the host rock. Chemical and mineralogical techniques such as X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma analyses were performed in samples from the studied area to verify the presence of kaolinite. Atterberg limits and behaviour of the raw material in ceramic specimens supported by chemical analyses show that this material is suitable for manufacturing tile ceramics. This study provides fundamental knowledge for deposit exploitation and future generation of an alternative source of employment for the inhabitants of Micaya.