A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GLAUCONITE AND THE ASSOCIATED CLAY FRACTION IN MODERN MARINE SEDIMENTS

The crystallinity and mineralogy of both the glauconite and the clay fraction of samples from six contemporary marine environments were investigated by X-ray diffraction. In those areas where glauconite is now forming, the mineralogy and the degree of crystallinity of both the glauconite pellets and the associated clay fraction are similar. In contrast, detrital and relic glauconites are observed to have mineralogies that are different from their clay fractions. No consistent relationship was observed between degree of crystallinity and color of the pellets. Further, only two classes of glauconite as defined by BURST (1958) were common: expandable, interlayered clays and two or more clay minerals in a mixed assemblage. Based on the clay fraction-glauconite similarities and other supporting evidence, glauconite on the Scotia Ridge is concluded to be authigenic. Glauconite from Santa Monica Bay, California and from the continental shelf off Morocco appear to be detrital. Glauconite pellets in the shelf sediments off Guinea and the southeastern Atlantic Shelf of the United States are both detrital and authigenic. The poor crystallinity exhibited by the Chatham Rise glauconite is in contrast to the well-crystallized associated clay fraction and indicates that they are not genetically related. However, the origin of this glauconite remains in doubt.     

东海沉积物中海绿石的研究

关于东海现代沉积物中的海绿石,前人曾有过报道,但都限于一般性的描述。近年来我们对东海表层沉积物中的海绿石进行了较为系统的研究,工作范围为东经121°-129°,北纬26°30′-32°00′,样品233个。分别进行了镜下鉴定、透射电镜和扫描电镜观察,并以多晶X-射线衍射法,化学全分析、差热分析、红外吸收光谱和电子探针等方法进行较系统的矿物学研究。本文就东海表层沉积物中海绿石的矿物学特征,产状及分布进行阐述,并对其成因作了初步的探讨。     

内蒙古西乌珠穆沁旗阿木山组海绿石的特征及其沉积环境

在内蒙古西乌珠穆沁旗晚石炭世—早二叠世阿木山组第三段泥晶灰岩中发现有海绿石。对海绿石的微观特征分析表明,阿木山组海绿石呈团粒状结构,同时呈胶体产出于方解石周边,显示了原生海绿石的基本特点。电子探针的组分分析表明,阿木山组中的海绿石为高成熟度的海绿石。通过对不同地区和不同环境下海绿石的组分特征分析,建立了一种海绿石沉积的理想模式,同时揭示了阿木山组第三段海绿石化作用是在含氧量不够充分的弱还原状态下的正常浅海中进行的。本区阿木山组的下碎屑岩段和上灰岩段是在海水两进两退环境下的沉积,阿木山组灰岩中发现的海绿石则有可能代表了一个海进的开始。本区海绿石的发现及研究,对于进一步研究该区层序地层特征、地层格架及区域地层对比具有重要意义。     

Application of Glauconite Sedimentary Geochronology

Glauconite is widely distributed in space and time.In China glauconite-bearing strata are extensive occurrence ranging from Late Cretaceous to Middle Proterozoic in age.X-ray powder analysis,X-ray diffracition analysis and differential thermal analysis revealed that glauconite has a mica-type structure between dioctahedron and trioctahedron.Its chemical composition is:Al2O310.6%,SiO249.23%,MgO3.24%,Fe2O317.40%,FeO1.8%,and K2O7.92%,Its crystal form and thermal properties are very similar to those of mica-like clay minerls.According to isotopic age determinations of glauconite in modern oceans (including the East China Sea,the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea),we consider that in the extreme case glauconite is an authigenic mineral.It is generally formed in sedimentary rocks.Is has further proved that glauconite can be used to determine the ages of sedimentary rocks.     

海绿石 K-Ar、40Ar/39Ar 年代学研究

海绿石是与沉积岩同时形成的高钾层状硅酸盐自生矿物，其 K-Ar、40Ar/39Ar 年龄存在失真现象。笔者认为，引起年龄失真的主要原因是由于该矿物结构中含有可膨胀层。通过测量可膨胀层含量及中子活化过程中39Ar的丢失率，使可对海绿石常规 K-Ar、40Ar/39Ar 年龄进行校正，得到其年龄校正公式。     

Origin and geochemical characterization of the glauconites in the Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation,Narmada Basin,central India

This study presents geochemical characteristics of glauconites in estuarine deposits within the Maastrichtian Lameta Formation in central India. Resting conformably over the Bagh Group, the Lameta Formation consists of ~4-5 m thick arenaceous, argillaceous and calcareous green sandstones underlying the Deccan Traps. The sandstone is friable, medium-to coarse-grained, well-sorted and thoroughly crossstratified, and contains marine fossils. Detailed petrography, spectroscopy and mineral chemistry indicates unique chemical composition of glauconite with high K_2O, MgO, Al_2O_3 and moderate TFe_2O_3. Glauconite is formed by the replacement of K-feldspars, initially as stringers in the cleavages and fractures of feldspars. Incipient glauconite subsequently evolves fully, appearing as pellets. Fully-evolved glauconite pellets often leave tiny relics of K-feldspar. XRD exhibits characteristic peak of 10A from basal(001)reflection of glauconite, indicating the "evolved" character. The K_2O content of glauconites in the Lameta Formation varies from 5.51% to 8.29%, corroborating the "evolved" to "highly-evolved" maturation stage.The TFe_2O_3 content of glauconite varies from 12.56% to 18.90%. The PASS-normalized-REE patterns of glauconite exhibit a "hat-shape" confirming the authigenic origin of glauconites. The slightly-negative to slightly-positive Ce anomaly value and the moderate TFe_2O_3 content of glauconite agree well with a suboxic,estuarine condition. The replacement of K-feldspar by the glauconite contributes towards the high K_2O content. Compositional evolution of glauconites in the Lameta Formation is similar to those observed in many Precambrian sedimentary sequences.     

佳木斯地块金矿石英的热释发光与含金性

乌拉嘎、平顶山、老柞山金矿是佳木斯地块三个重要的金矿。研究表明，石英是金矿中重要的脉石矿物，也是金的主要载体。ＳｉＯ２含量低于９８％，而∑（Ａｌ２Ｏ３＋Ｋ２Ｏ＋Ｎａ２Ｏ）含量高于１．３％的石英为含金石英；含金或富含金石英的热释发光谱以双峰或多峰为其主要特征。因此，上述石英的标型特征可作为金矿床重要的找矿标志，对佳木斯地块的矿点评价和扩大找矿远景有着重要的意义     

Glauconitization of detrital silica substrates in the Barton Formation (upper Eocene) of the Hampshire Basin, southern England

Upper Eocene detrital silica grains (chert and quartz) of the Hampshire Basin display alteration and replacement fabrics by glauconite. Silica grains have etched surfaces due to glauconitization which appear green in reflected light and thin section. Quartz grains were glauconitized by surface nucleation and replacement, which spreads from the margin with progressive glauconitization, replacing the quartz grain interior. Chert grains were glauconitized by surface replacement and nucleation internally along cracks and in pores. Different forms of glauconite are associated with the two minerals; glauconite associated with quartz is generally highly-evolved whereas glauconite associated with chert is of the evolved variety. This is interpreted as being due to different surface-reaction control mechanisms associated with the two forms of silica. There is no evidence to suggest that glauconite evolved in stages from a nascent form. Two crystalline morphological forms of glauconite are found associated with both quartz and chert. Glauconite growing within a confined space has a laminated morphology whilst glauconite occurring on the surface has a rosette morphology.     

Rb-Sr dating of Paleozoic glauconite from the Llano region,central Texas

Glauconite from eight stratigraphic horizons (Cambrian to Pennsylvanian) in the Llano Uplift, central Texas and two Cretaceous glauconites were analyzed by the Rb-Sr method. Only two untreated samples provide ages in agreement with those anticipated from current best estimates of the geologic time scale. With one exception all the other apparent ages fall short of the estimated age of deposition by as much as 22%. Low ages, the pattern customarily observed, are attributed to postdepositional loss of radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr from expandable layers by weathering or during diagenesis.Detailed leaching experiments using a variety of reagents were performed to characterize the behavior of glauconite. The most promising treatment, which we recommend as standard procedure in all future studies, is with ammonium acetate which is able to purge the mineral of loosely-bound Rb and Sr while leaving tightly-bound components intact. After appropriate leach, three other Rb-Sr ages were brought into coincidence with their estimated ages of deposition.In contrast an Upper Cambrian glauconite was found to be extremely resistant to further alteration by chemical attack′, providing an age of 429 ± 17 M yr. Although 17% short of the age of deposition, this age is interpreted as the time of a real event: diagenetic recrystallization induced by burial. Comparison of data from four samples indicates that for Paleozoic glauconite, conditions exist in which the Rb-Sr system is less susceptible to mild disturbance than is the K-Ar system.     

对“指相矿物”海绿石的重新认识

长期以来，海绿石一直被认为是在特定海洋条件下形成的自生矿物，被作为海相标志，随着陆相海绿石的不断发现，有必要对这一观点进行重新认识。本文通过对不同地区、不同环境中的海绿石的统计研究认为：海绿石既可以形成于海洋环境，也可以形成于陆相湖泊环境，海绿石不能作为海洋环境的指相矿物；一般来说，形成于陆相湖泊环境的海绿石与形成于海洋环境的海绿石相比，在化学成分上具有Ａｌ２Ｏ３、Ｋ２Ｏ含量高而ＦｅＯ含量低的特点     

MORPHOLOGY, INTERNAL STRUCTURE, AND ORIGIN OF GLAUCONITE PELLETS

Glauconite pellets exhibit considerable variety in morphology and internal structure. Recognized morphological types are: (1) ovoidal or spheroidal; (2) tabular or discoidal; (3) mammillated; (4) ellipsoidal; (5) vermicular; (6) composite; and (7) fossil casts, internal molds, or replacements. Types of internal structures include: (1) random microcrystalline, (2) oriented microcrystalline, (3) micaceous, (4) organic (?) replacements, (5) coatings on detrital grains, and (6) fibroradiated rims. These characteristics can be used to interpret the origin and/or subsequent history of pellet types. Suggested origins include: (1) chemical precipitation, (2) expansion and alteration of detrital mica, (3) alteration of fecal pellets, (4) alteration of clay fillings of fossil tests, (5) mechanical aggregation, and (6) chemical replacement. Not all glauconite pellets exhibit diagnostic characteristics with regard to their genesis. Original morphologies may be obscured by abrasion (reworking) prior to final burial. Internal structures may be changed by recrystallization or other diagenetic processes. It is concluded that glauconite pellets have multiple origins. They can form from several different parent materials and by several different processes. Frequently, however, characteristics which might reveal the original nature of the pellets have been lost during reworking and diagenesis. Inasmuch as glauconite occurrences differ in kind and variety of pellets, recognition of pellet types and their distribution is potentially useful for stratigraphic correlation or environmental determinations.     

Glauconitic bryozoan shells in shelf sediments of Western Kamchatka

Glauconite segregations in Oligocene–Miocene shelf sediments of Western Kamchatka (Kakert and Gakkha horizons) are studied. Glauconite occurs in the studied samples as morphologically different grains, finely dispersed cement, and pseudomorphoses after organogenic structures (siliceous sponge spicules, diatom algae frustules, and others). In addition, samples of the clasts of bryozoans, volcanic glass, and terrigenous grains revealed for the first time traces of the boring algae similar to recent species of genus Hyella and, possibly, Dalmatella, whose tubules are sometimes filled with the finely dispersed glauconite. Our data based on the detailed petrographic studies and SEM investigations confirm and supplement the opinion of several researchers about an important role of microbiota on the glauconite formation. The paper discusses different stages of the glauconite formation in sediments of the Kakert and Gakkha horizons and the possible setting of glauconite infilling in the algal borer trails and holes.     

The origin and maturation of lagoonal glauconites: a case study from the Oligocene Maniyara Fort Formation,western Kutch,India

An integrated study of the sedimentology, micropalaeontology, mineralogy and geochemistry of glauconites in the Oligocene Maniyara Fort Formation (western Kutch, India), has been undertaken. Authigenic glauconites, mostly of evolved type, formed within a back‐barrier lagoonal environment. Foraminifera help constrain the biostratigraphy and along with sedimentological evidence, provide information on the depositional conditions. Glauconite in the Maniyara Fort Formation occurs either as infillings within intra‐particle pores of larger foraminifers, or as an altered form of faecal pellets. X‐ray diffraction studies reveal the less mature nature of glauconite infillings compared to the glauconite pellets. Electron microprobe investigation confirms a relative enrichment of K₂O and total Fe₂O₃ in the latter. Both varieties of glauconite formed by initial authigenic precipitation of K‐poor glauconite and subsequently matured by addition of potassium in the interlayer sites and fixation of total iron in the octahedral sites; calcium, magnesium and aluminum were released from the glauconite structure concomitantly. Alkaline conditions during the entire process of glauconite formation did not allow dissolution of foraminiferal tests. Mineralogical and chemical characteristics of the Maniyara Fort Formation glauconites are more similar to deep marine glauconites than those reported from other shallow or marginal marine settings. A low negative cerium anomaly, as well as abundant pyrite, suggests formation of glauconite in sub‐oxic micro‐environments, created by decay of organic matter associated with foraminiferal chambers and faecal pellets. Sub‐oxic condition apparently prevailed relatively longer within the Maniyara Fort Formation lagoons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

De glauconiarum origine

The glauconitic facies is widespread on present-day continental shelves from 50° S to 65° N and at water depths between 50 and 500 m, and is in particularly great abundance on the upper slope and outer shelf between 200 and 300 m. It is also common in many ancient rocks of post-late Precambrian age. It occurs as sand- to pebble-sized, essentially green particles (granular facies) but also as a surface coating on particles and hardgrounds and as a diffuse impregnation (film and diffuse facies). We suggest the replacement of the term ‘glauconite’, which has been interchangeably used to designate a morphological form and a specific mineral, by glaucony (facies) and glauconitic smectite and glauconitic mica as end members of the glauconitic mineral family. The widely accepted model of Burst and Hower for glauconitization requires a degraded, micaceous (2: 1 layer lattice structure) parent clay mineral. However, detailed analysis of numerous samples of Recent glaucony reveals that such a parent substrate is exceptional. The model therefore requires modification. Generally the parent material is carbonate particles, argillaceous (kaolinitic) faecal pellets, infillings of foraminiferal tests, various mineral grains and rock fragments, that pass gradually into the commonly occurring green grains. We show that the process of glauconitization is achieved by de novo authigenic growth of automorphous crystallites in the pores of the substrate, accompanied by progressive alteration and replacement of the substrate. It is this two-fold evolution that causes the ‘verdissement’of granular substrates, macrofossils and hardgrounds. The authigenic mineral is an iron-rich and potassium-poor glauconitic smectite. While new smectites are growing into the remaining pore space the earlier smectites are modified by incorporation of potassium, producing decreasingly expandable minerals with a non-expandable glauconitic mica as the end member. This mineralogical diversity of the glauconitic mineral family explains the highly variable physical and chemical properties of glaucony. Four categories, nascent, little-evolved, evolved and highly-evolved glaucony are distinguished. Glauconitization appears to be controlled by a delicate balance between degree of physical confinement of a particle and the amount of ionic exchange between the micro-environment and ambient open marine sea water. The optimum conditions for glauconitization are those of semi-confinement. As a result the interior of a grain is more glauconitized than its less confined periphery. Similarly, for identical substrate types, large grains (500μm) provide more favourable substrates for glauconitization than lesser confined small grains. On a larger scale the formation of glaucony is governed by the availability of iron and potassium and the balance between detrital influx and winnowing. Low accumulation rates expose grains to the open marine environment for sufficiently long times (10⁵-10⁶ years for highly-evolved glaucony).     

叠层石中的海绿石化和黄铁矿化:以天津蓟县中元古界铁岭组为例*

作为微生物碳酸盐岩的主要类型之一,叠层石是微生物席的主要建造物已成为共识。天津蓟县中元古界铁岭组二段叠层石生物礁灰岩发育,其中的细粒叠层石被前人解释为微生物席捕获碳酸盐泥的微生物建造物,使得其既不同于现代叠层石,也不同于显生宙尤其是寒武纪的叠层石。更为特殊的是,这些叠层石中的海绿石和黄铁矿代表着2种特殊的矿化作用,其中研究区普遍产出的黄铁矿,作为硫酸盐还原细菌的产物,是了解古代微生物的窗口;而发育在高能浅海的海绿石,产出环境不同于现代海绿石,不能作为慢速沉积环境的指示矿物,亦不具有沉积间断的地质意义。2种矿化作用表明铁岭组叠层石是由沉淀作用而非捕获碳酸盐泥形成,这为了解中元古代叠层石的形成和特征提供了一些有益的线索。     

Etude isotopique de l'altération naturelle d'une formation à glauconie (méthode à l'argon)

In Normandy (France), the glauconite bearing base of the Cenomanian has a wide distribution in outcrops and boreholes. Glauconite pellets are subjected to natural weathering and fluvial transport following separation from the glauconite-bearing bedrock by streams and creeks which dissolve the carbonate fraction. From the 100 samples collected, 19 samples from the studied horizon have been selected after X ray, diffaction studies. X ray diffractron techniques show that the non weathered glauconite pellets are composed of well-ordered gilauconites. In the reworked glauconite, the alteration is manifested by a slight opening of the structure. In addition, the diffractogramm yield a fast and sensitive estimation of the K contents of the glauconites. Lowering of the K content goes hand in hand with the opening of the glauconite structure. 12 samples were selected from the autochtonous horizon (fresh outcrop and borehole) a second group of 7 samples was taken from alluvions (streams and quaternary terraces) to study the effects of natural weathering. As actually, no other glauconite-bearing horizons are found in the region, the glauconite pellets in the alluvions can only be derived from the studied bedrock. Reworking and natural weathering of the glauconites leads to a decrease of the K content of 10–15%. Argon analysis shows that comparable percentage of radiogenic argon is lost at the same time so that the apparent ages do not change (in the errors limits). These results are only valid for well-ordered glauconites and continental alteration under moderate climate with basic fresh water. In conclusion, it can be stressed that the credibility of glauconite K-Ar ages does not change after such a reworking.     

Glaukonit aus der Regensburger Oberkreideformation

Some of the upper cretaceous sedimentary rocks near Regensburg, Germany, are rich in glauconite pellets of 63–200µ diameter. The clay fractions < 2µ of the same rocks are rich in glauconite-mica too.X-ray analysis, chemical analysis and petrographical tests show that, the glauconite pellets must be excrements of marine animals which took up glauconite-mica from sea-bottom.The glauconite materials from these rocks are 1M-micapolymorphs. A comparison of this glauconite with 1M-glauconites cited in literature by other authors shows close aggreement in K₂O/MgO- and K₂O/Fe₂O₃ ratios. Within the range of analytical errors the structure formulae of all these 1M-glauconites differ from one another only by the oxidation ratio of iron and — corresponding to this ratio — by the aluminum contents of the octahedral lattice layer. The differences of the 1M-glauconites in octahedral layer populations may due to different redox potentials during glauconite formation or to oxidation during rock diagenesis or rock weathering later on.In a similar manner 1Md-polymorphs of glauconite-mica may have developed from 1M-glauconite by oxidation of iron and corresponding removement of K⁺ and (H₃O)⁺ ions from interlayer lattice positions.     

国内难溶性钾矿资源及其开发利用

国内难溶性钾矿资源较丰富,可分为含钾岩石和含钾矿物两大类及若干亚类。含钾沉积岩有:富钾火山沉积凝灰岩(绿豆岩),含钾砂、页岩,含钾泥灰岩,含钾石膏泥,含钾磷块岩等;含钾岩浆岩有:霞石正长岩、霓辉石石英正长岩、流纹斑岩、正长斑岩、花岗伟晶岩、钾长粗面凝灰熔岩等;含钾变质岩有:钾长浅粒岩、云母片岩、钾长混合片麻岩等;可作钾矿资源的含钾矿物有:钾长石、明矾石、伊利石、白榴石、海绿石等。目前,绿豆岩,含钾砂、页岩,流纹岩,海绿石,白榴石等已可单独开采利用,制作钾肥;霞石正长岩、伊利石、钾长石、明矾石等可被综合回收利用;粗面岩、响岩、粗玄岩,含钾泥灰岩、钾长浅粒岩等尚待开发利用。     

奥连特盆地白垩系海绿石成因类型及沉积地质意义

厄瓜多尔奥连特盆地白垩系Napo组UT段发育一套分布广泛的富含海绿石的硅质碎屑岩,针对海绿石的岩相、矿物学、地球化学及时空属性进行分析,可以揭示海绿石的组分、成熟度、形成及成因类型,结合地质约束有助于理解其形成的沉积地质意义.利用偏光显微镜、X射线衍射、电子探针及Qemscan对海绿石矿物的岩相、矿物组成和主量元素进行系统地分析.暗绿色、呈弯曲玫瑰花状的海绿石具有高的K₂O含量(平均值为8%,质量百分比),是形成于海相低沉积速率环境的高演化成熟型海绿石云母矿物或狭义范畴的海绿石.化学组分和时空属性揭示研究层段的海绿石经历了一定程度风暴流和/或潮汐流作用的搬运改造,属于层内准原地海绿石.UT段海绿石含量向上的增大趋势和成熟度的变化,以及横向上从盆地东部斜坡区埋深2~3 km到西部盆缘露头区相距约120 km的海绿石在形态和化学成分上具有相似性,指示其主要是层内准原地海绿石的特点.UT段垂向上海绿石含量增大的趋势同时反映外陆棚物源区原地海绿石向岸方向的短距离迁移,反映了相对海平面持续上升的海进过程;而且同时期海绿石平面上的广泛分布指示沉积时期的环境属于构造稳定的陆表海.      

海绿石的成因、指相作用及其年龄意义

海绿石以独特的绿色自生色和球粒形状与围岩形成明显反差,关于其成因、演化、沉积和地层学意义目前存在3种普遍被认可并被采用的观点：海绿石是典型的海相沉积自生矿物,原地海绿石是“慢速、弱还原、较深水环境”的典型指相矿物之一;通常是海侵相的产物,含海绿石的地层在浅海沉积中常被作为海侵时期“凝缩段”及其相关沉积的识别标志之一;是沉积年代学中K-Ar、⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年龄理想的测定对象。在采用海绿石作为典型指相矿物的过程中,应注意海绿石可以形成于多种沉积环境中,只有原地海绿石才能作为海侵时期“凝缩段”及其相关沉积的识别标志;海绿石年龄往往呈“年轻化”或“老化”,没有火成岩定年准确,只有成熟、富钾的海绿石才是最好的定年对象。