岩浆侵入体对有机质生烃(成熟)作用的影响及数值模拟

火山作用带来的热源对有机质的成烃进程和成烃量产生了重要影响,这种热效应一方面可以加速烃源岩的成熟和成烃作用,另一方面可以破坏先期形成的油藏。目前国内外对火山作用的生烃热效应方面的研究主要在热成熟度参数变化描述及岩浆侵入体引起的围岩热蚀变程度的讨论。火山作用对成烃/成藏的利弊,影响的时/空范围、程度的定量研究尚未报道。本次在前人研究基础上,建立了描述岩浆侵入体散热的热传导模型,进一步结合EasyRo%模型和前人报道的实测Ro数据进行了模型检验。通过调整模型的参数和岩浆侵入体厚度、位置及个数等进行了火山作用对有机质成熟作用及生烃影响的研究。模拟结果表明:岩浆侵入体的热作用范围是有限的,但是不同地质情况,影响的范围广度也不相同,对于相同厚度的侵入体,初始温度越高,作用范围越广,但是一般X/D3(X/D代表离接触面的距离与侵入体厚度的比值)。对于不同厚度侵入体而言,在侵入体热作用影响的范围内,侵入体越厚,热作用的范围越广。同时数值模拟结果也表明岩浆侵入体的存在可以改变烃源岩生烃期。     

Investigations on the petroleum generation potential of bituminous coals from the Saar region

The Saar basin contains bituminous coals (high volatile A and B). Five coals of Westphalian and Stephanian age with distinctly varying maceral compositions were analysed by Soxhlet extraction and supercritical extraction with different solvents and microscopically. From the data obtained it is concluded that the oldest coals have a potential for oil generation, whereas the younger coals do not. This conclusion is explained by varying liptinite contents and varying adsorption capacities of different vitrinite macerals for bitumen.     

A novel procedure to detect low molecular weight compounds released by alkaline ester cleavage from low maturity coals to assess its feedstock potential for deep microbial life

In recent years the widespread occurrence of microorganisms was demonstrated in deep marine and terrestrial sediments. With this discovery inevitably the question of the potential carbon and energy sources for this deep subsurface microbial life arises. In the current study a new method for the investigation of low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids linked to the kerogen matrix is presented. These LMW organic acids form a potential feedstock for deep microbial populations. Twelve coal samples of different maturity (vitrinite reflectance (R₀) of 0.28–0.80%) from several coal mines on the North and South Island of New Zealand (NZ) were examined to assess the amount of bound LMW organic acids. Formate, acetate and oxalate were detected in significant amounts whereas the amounts of these compounds decrease with increasing maturity of the coal sample. This decrease of LMW organic acids mainly correlates to the phase of diagenetic alteration of the organic matter characterized by the release of oxygen containing compounds. Concomitantly, it coincides with temperature conditions assumed to be still compatible with microbial life in the deep subsurface. First assessments of the feedstock potential and generation rates of LMW organic acids indicate that the NZ coals investigated exhibit the potential to feed deep terrestrial microbial life with appropriate substrates over geological time spans.     

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Organic Matter from Petroleum Source Rocks and Its Implications

Organic matter was experimentally extracted by supercritical fluids(CO2 1% isopropanol)from petroleum source rocks of different thermo-maturities at different buried depths in the same stratigraphic unit in the Dongying Basin.The results show that supercritical fluid extraction(SFE)is more effective than Soxhlet extraction(SE),with higher amounts and greater varieties of hydrocarbons and soluble organic matter becoming extractive.The supercritical CO2 extraction is therefore considered more valuable in evaluation of petroleum source rocks and oil resources,particularly those of immature types.     

Tectonic evolution of the Anadyr Basin,northeastern Eurasia,and its petroleum resource potential

The published data on the sedimentation conditions, structure, and tectonic evolution of the Anadyr Basin in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic are reviewed. These data are re-examined in the context of modern tectonic concepts concerning the evolution of the northwestern Circum-Pacific Belt. The re-examination allows us not only to specify the regional geology and tectonic history, but also to forecast of the petroleum resource potential of the sedimentary cover based on a new concept. The sedimentary cover formation in the Anadyr Basin is inseparably linked with the regional tectonic evolution. The considered portion of the Chukchi Peninsula developed in the Late Mesozoic at the junction of the ocean-type South Anyui Basin, the Asian continental margin, and convergent zones of various ages extending along the Asia-Pacific interface. Strike-slip faulting and pulses of extension dominated in the Cenozoic largely in connection with oroclinal bending of structural elements pertaining to northeastern Eurasia and northwestern North America against the background of accretion of terranes along the zone of convergence with the Pacific oceanic plates. Three main stages are recognized in the formation of the sedimentary cover in the Anadyr Basin. (1) The lower portion of the cover was formed in the Late Cretaceous-Early Eocene under conditions of alternating settings of passive and active continental margins. The Cenomanian-lower Eocene transitional sedimentary complex is located largely in the southern Anadyr Basin (Main River and Lagoonal troughs). (2) In the middle Eocene and Oligocene, sedimentation proceeded against the background of extension and rifting in the northern part of the paleobasin and compression in its southern part. The compression was caused by northward migration of the foredeep in front of the accretionary Koryak Orogen. The maximum thickness of the Eocene-Oligocene sedimentary complex is noted mainly in the southern part of the basin and in the Central and East Anadyr troughs. (3) The middle Miocene resumption of sedimentation was largely related to strike-slip faulting and rifting. In the Miocene to Quaternary, sedimentation was the most intense in the central and northern parts of the Anadyr Basin, as well as in local strike-slip fault-line depressions of the Central Trough. Geological and geophysical data corroborate thrusting in the southern Anadyr Basin. The amplitude of thrusting over the Main River Trough reaches a few tens of kilometers. The vertical thickness of the tectonically screened Paleogene and Neogene rocks in the southern Main River Trough exceeds 10 km. The quantitative forecast of hydrocarbon emigration from Cretaceous and Paleogene source rocks testifies to the disbalance between hydrocarbons emigrated and accumulated in traps of petroleum fields discovered in the Anadyr Basin. The southern portion of the Anadyr Basin is the most promising for the discovery of new petroleum fields in the Upper Cretaceous, Eocene, and Upper Oligocene-Miocene porous and fracture-porous reservoir rocks in subthrust structural and lithological traps.     

The petroleum generation potential and effective oil window of humic coals related to coal composition and age

A worldwide data set of more than 500 humic coals from the major coal-forming geological periods has been used to analyse the evolution in the remaining (Hydrogen Index, HI) and total (Quality Index, QI) generation potentials with increasing thermal maturity and the ‘effective oil window’ (‘oil expulsion window’). All samples describe HI and QI bands that are broad at low maturities and that gradually narrow with increasing maturity. The oil generation potential is completely exhausted at a vitrinite reflectance of 2.0–2.2%R_o or T_max of 500–510 °C. The initial large variation in the generation potential is related to the original depositional conditions, particularly the degree of marine influence and the formation of hydrogen-enriched vitrinite, as suggested by increased sulphur and hydrogen contents. During initial thermal maturation the HI increases to a maximum value, HI_max. Similarly, QI increases to a maximum value, QI_max. This increase in HI and QI is related to the formation of an additional generation potential in the coal structure. The decline in QI with further maturation is indicating onset of initial oil expulsion, which precedes efficient expulsion. Liquid petroleum generation from humic coals is thus a complex, three-phase process: (i) onset of petroleum generation, (ii) petroleum build-up in the coal, and (iii) initial oil expulsion followed by efficient oil expulsion (corresponding to the effective oil window). Efficient oil expulsion is indicated by a decline in the Bitumen Index (BI) when plotted against vitrinite reflectance or T_max. This means that in humic coals the vitrinite reflectance or T_max values at which onset of petroleum generation occurs cannot be used to establish the start of the effective oil window. The start of the effective oil window occurs within the vitrinite reflectance range 0.85–1.05%R_o or T_max range 440–455 °C and the oil window extends to 1.5–2.0%R_o or 470–510 °C. For general use, an effective oil window is proposed to occur from 0.85 to 1.7%R_o or from 440 to 490 °C. Specific ranges for HI_max and the effective oil window can be defined for Cenozoic, Jurassic, Permian, and Carboniferous coals. Cenozoic coals reach the highest HI_max values (220–370 mg HC/g TOC), and for the most oil-prone Cenozoic coals the effective oil window may possibly range from 0.65 to 2.0%R_o or 430 to 510 °C. In contrast, the most oil-prone Jurassic, Permian and Carboniferous coals reach the expulsion threshold at a vitrinite reflectance of 0.85–0.9%R_o or T_max of 440–445 °C.     

Characterization of natural organic matter in bentonite clays for potential use in deep geological repositories for used nuclear fuel

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is developing a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel in a suitable rock formation at a depth of approximately 500 m. The design concept employs a multibarrier system, including the use of copper-coated used fuel containers, surrounded by a low-permeability, swelling clay buffer material within a low permeability, stable host rock environment. The natural organic matter (NOM) composition of the bentonite clays being considered for the buffer material is largely uncharacterized at the molecular-level. To gain a better understanding of the NOM in target clays from Wyoming and Saskatchewan, molecular-level methods (biomarker analysis, solid-state ¹³C NMR and solution-state ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)) were used to elucidate the structure and sources of NOM. Organic carbon content in three commercially available bentonites analyzed was low (0.11–0.41%). The aliphatic lipid distribution of the clay samples analyzed showed a predominance of higher concentration of lipids from vascular plants and low concentrations of lipids consistent with microbial origin. The lignin phenol vanillyl acid to aldehyde ratio (Ad/Al) for the National sample indicated an advanced state of lignin oxidation and NOM diagenesis. The ¹³C NMR spectra were dominated by signals in the aromatic and aliphatic regions. The ratio of alkyl/O-alkyl carbon ranged from 7.6 to 9.7, indicating that the NOM has undergone advanced diagenetic alteration. The absence lignin-derived phenols commonly observed in CuO oxidation extracts from contemporary soils and sediments as well as the lack of amino acids suggests that the material corresponding to the aromatic signal is not composed of lignin or proteins but may be derived from another source such as black carbon or some other non-extractable aromatic-rich NOM. The aliphatic signal appears to correspond to long-chain compounds with little side branching based on the results of the one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) solution-state ¹H NMR analyses. Overall, the organic geochemical analyses suggest that the NOM is composed mainly of plant-derived waxes and highly aromatic carbon with low contributions from small molecules. The compounds identified by the molecular-level analysis of NOM in the clay samples are hypothesized to be recalcitrant but future studies should examine if these compounds may serve as a microbial substrate to further test the observations of this study. Furthermore, our study suggests that the NOM has undergone diagenesis and that marine NOM signatures are no longer recognizable or detectable. As such, future work may also examine the diagenesis of these deposits to further understand the NOM geochemistry and paleoenvironmental conditions in bentonite deposits.     

Geochemical studies on the organic matter from the Douala Basin (Cameroon)—I. Evolution of the extractable organic matter and the formation of petroleum

The soluble extracts, as well as the hydrocarbons from cores taken between 700 and 4000 m depth in the thick homogeneous sedimentary series of the Douala Basin (Cameroon), have been analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. They display quantitative and qualitative changes due to the effect of diagenesis with burial. The progressive evolution of this detrital organic matter has been followed from the very immature stage to the generation of oil and gas. Thermal maturation experiments in the laboratory have confirmed the most important naturally occurring changes.     

The yield and isotopic composition of radiolytic H2, a potential energy source for the deep subsurface biosphere

The production rate and isotopic composition of H₂ derived from radiolytic reactions in H₂O were measured to assess the importance of radiolytic H₂ in subsurface environments and to determine whether its isotopic signature can be used as a diagnostic tool. Saline and pure, aerobic and anaerobic water samples with pH values of 4, 7, and 10 were irradiated in sealed vials at room temperature with an artificial γ source, and the H₂ abundance in the headspace and its isotopic composition were measured. The H₂ concentrations were observed to increase linearly with dosage at a rate of 0.40 ± 0.04 molecules (100 eV)⁻¹ within the dosage range of 900 to 3500 Gray (Gy; Gy = 1 J Kg⁻¹) with no indication of a maximum limit on H₂ concentration. At ∼2000 Gy, the H₂ concentration varied only by 16% across the experimental range of pH, salinity, and O₂. Based upon this measured yield and H₂ yields for α and β particles, a radiolytic H₂ production rate of 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁴ nM s⁻¹ was estimated for the range of radioactive element concentrations and porosities typical of crustal rocks. The δD of H₂ was independent of the dosage, pH (except for pH 4), salinity, and O₂ and yielded an αD_H2O-H2 of 2.05 ± 0.07 (αD_H2O-H2 = (D/H)_H2O to (D/H)_H2), slightly less than predicted radiolytic models. Although this radiolytic fractionation value is significantly heavier than that of equilibrium isotopic exchange between H₂ and H₂O, the isotopic exchange rate between H₂ and H₂O will erase the heavy δD of radiolytic H₂ if the age of the groundwater is greater than ∼10³ to 10⁴ yr. The millimolar concentrations of H₂ observed in the groundwater of several Precambrian Shields are consistent with radiolysis of water that has resided in the subsurface for a few million years. These concentrations are well above those required to support H₂-utilizing microorganisms and to inhibit H₂-producing, fermentative microorganisms.     

上海淤泥质黏土微结构特性及固结过程中的结构变化研究

土体的微结构对土的工程力学特性具有决定性影响,对上海原状淤泥质黏土在不同固结压力下进行了固结试验,同时对相应荷载作用下的土样进行SEM试验,进而对每级荷载下土样水平切面和垂直切面上的土团粒（包括团粒的形状、平均表面面积及团粒的定向性分布）进行统计对比分析;另外,通过压汞试验对土体的孔隙进行定量分析。二者相互结合,从而揭示土体发生变形的宏观机制及土体在受力过程中具有逐渐破损、产生各向异性的特征。     

Effect of maceral subtypes and mineral matrix on measured reflectance of subbituminous coals and dispersed organic matter

The variability in reflectance of huminite (texto-ulminite, eu-ulminite A and B, different types of corpohuminite) and liptinite groups of macerals in subbituminous coals was examined using reflected light microscopy. All macerals were selected from coal and interbedded carbonaceous shale and carbonate sediment samples from the 515-m-thick coal deposit No. 2 located in the Hat Creek valley of south-central British Columbia. The measurements obtained reveal that, in addition to burial depth, reflectance distribution depends on maceral subtypes and associated mineral matrix.Huminite in the coals and sediments (kerogen) consists mainly of humotelinite, with eu-ulminite B being the dominant maceral sub-type. Reflectance values determined on huminite in coals and Type IIIb kerogen increase from eu-ulminite A and phlobaphinite type 1 through eu-ulminite B and phlobaphinite type 2 to gelinite. The reflectance of all five huminite maceral subtypes studied increases with depth. However, the increase of phlobaphinite type 1 and gelinite reflectance with depth is irregular.A comparison of the reflectance values obtained for the same maceral subtype (eu-ulminite B) from the interbedded coal, shale and carbonate samples records consistent differences, implying some dependence of the reflectance (and perhaps rate of organic maturation) on the mineral matrix. Generally, the highest eu-ulminite B reflectance was recorded from carbonate rocks and the lowest from shale, whereas coal matrix produced intermediate values.At present, it is not known whether differences in reflectance of eu-ulminite found in the above lithologies are due to differential retention, efficiency of reaction products removal, thermal conductivity of the lithologies, or existence of a calcium carbonate catalyst.     

Transformation of organic carbon and its potential impact on lead weathering in firing range soils

Lead （Pb） is normally considered as a trace element in soils and sediments for geochemical study. However, the concentration of Pb in firing range soils is generally so high that it should be considered as a major element during the evaluation of the soil geochemical properties. Soil organic matter （SOM） has been reported as one of the major factors to expedite the corrosion of metallic lead （Pb） in acidic and organic-rich soils. The main impacts of SOM on the fate and transport of Pb in firing range soils lie in the following two aspects; （1） the complexation of organic matter with Pb, which has received lots of attention, and; （2） changes in soil redox potential due to the transformation of SOM and its subsequent impact on Pb speciation, which has rarely been investigated. Soils from 6 different firing ranges are selected for this study. These samples have been stored under a closed condition for more than 3 years. The soil moisture contents were well-retained, as all the samples were kept in closed plastic buckets. The analytical data showed that the summation of the soil total organic carbon content （TOC） and inorganic carbon contents （TIC） were consistent with soil total carbon contents （TC） measured in previous years, although the TOC and TIC contents have changed respectively after years of storage. In general, it is observed that the soil TOC decreased against an increase of TIC. The mass balance on such a transformation suggested a major conversion of organic carbon （Corg） to inorganic carbon （CO3^2-） in the stored soils.     

The transmittance color index of amorphous organic matter: a thermal maturity indicator for petroleum source rocks

Since the mid-1980s, Texaco has used the transmittance color index (TCI) of amorphous kerogen as an indicator of kerogen thermal maturation. The technique simply involves the direct measurement of a white-light spectrum as it is transmitted through a particle of amorphous organic matter (AOM). In brief, TCI values are obtained by the analysis of white light originating from a 100-W 6-V tungsten lamp attached to a photometric microscope. The assignment of particular TCI values is based on the increasing curvature of spectra with increasing maturity. TCI curves shift from an average wavelength around 580 nm for samples of immature, amorphous kerogen (i.e., material with a mean, random vitrinite reflectance of about 0.20%) to about 660 nm for samples containing very dark brown to some black particulate material (i.e., kerogen with a mean, random vitrinite reflectance of about 2.15%). The range of TCI values covers all zones of petroleum generation and preservation. In our opinion, TCI can provide as accurate a basis for maturation interpretations as is available from vitrinite reflectance (or from the mean random reflectance of some zooclasts, such as graptolites and chitinozoans), or the widely used visual estimate the thermal alteration index (TAI) or the similarly determined conodont color index (CAI). TCI is probably most useful, however, in those situations where the rocks to be examined have not yet reached the semianthricite coalification stage (≈2.0% vitrinite reflectance).     

石油和沉积有机质中C3-、C4-烷基取代二苯并噻吩的鉴定

采用人工合成标准物质共注实验、与文献报道的保留指数对比并结合异构体的结构及性质的方法,对石油和沉积有机质中 C3-和 C4-烷基取代二苯并噻吩类含硫多环芳烃化合物进行了系统的鉴定。确定了常规色谱质谱（GC-MS）分析中,烷基取代二苯并噻吩异构体在 HP-5MS （5%-苯基甲基聚硅氧烷）色谱柱上的标准保留指数。确认了前人初步鉴定的部分三甲基二苯并噻吩异构体甲基取代基位置,初步比较了 C3-和 C4-烷基取代二苯并噻吩在不同成因石油和沉积有机质中的分布特征,初步探讨了 C3-和 C4-烷基取代二苯并噻吩潜在的地球化学意义。研究结果为今后进一步探索烷基取代二苯并噻吩系列在石油和沉积有机质中的地球化学意义奠定了可靠的基础。     

Evaluation of Greek low-rank coals as potential raw material for the production of soil amendments and organic fertilizers

This study evaluates Greek peat and coal samples for applications in the agricultural/horticultural sector and assesses the suitability of a certain peat/coal either as soil conditioner or as raw material for manufacturing organic fertilizers.Twenty-six samples of different rank ranging from peat to subbituminous coal obtained from several Greek peat/coal deposits, were studied. The laboratory tests included: a) pH and electrical conductivity (EC) determinations, as well as proximate, ultimate and maceral analyses, in order to characterize the samples, b) major and trace element analyses of both the total and the easily exchangeable fractions (EEF), in order to assess the phytotoxicity effect, c) cation exchange capacity (CEC) determination in mixtures of the samples (5 wt.%) with a certain soil (95 wt.%), in order to evaluate the peat/coal impact, and d) the determination of the contents of humic substances (HS), as well as of carboxylic and phenolic groups.The majority of the samples reveal moderate to high ash yields (16–80 wt.%), a slightly acidic to neutral character and electrical conductivity ranging from 100–2500 μS/cm. Concerning the environmental impact of the sensitive trace elements, which might be leached, As, Mn, Ni and Sr show relatively strong mobilization in some samples, although severe impacts are not expected. The soil's CEC is generally improved, although it remains at moderate levels. The most interesting aspect is the humic acids content, which ranges between 9.6 and 52.2 wt.% on a dry basis, exceeding 25 wt.% for most of the samples. The obtained results enable an initial correlation among the different parameters and a rating of the samples according to their suitability for soil-amelioration agents.     

The effect of maturation on the configuration of pristane in sediments and petroleum

The absolute stereochemistry of pristane in a sample of contemporary marine Zooplankton, Messel shale (Germany) and Djatibarang (Java) crude has been determined by gas Chromatographic methods. The relative stereochemistry in Irati shale (Brazil), Green River (U.S.) crude, Halibut (Australia) crude has also been determined, and confirmed for a sample of the Green River shale. The stereoisomer distributions indicate a loss of stereospecificity of the phytol-derived 6(R),10(S) pristane with increasing geological maturation. For example, the least mature geological sample, the Eocene Messel shale, contains solely the 6(R),10(S) isomer, whereas a mature sample, Djatibarang crude, contains 50% of the 6(R),10(S) isomer and 25% of each of the 6(R),10(R) and 6(S),10(S) isomers.     

自然和人类活动作用下月湖沉积物有机质来源及其演变

潟湖海湾可以保存环境演化和人类活动的良好记录,碳氮元素含量及同位素特征可用来有效地反演这些演化。对位于山东半岛的月湖柱状样和沿岸表层样总有机碳、总氮、稳定碳氮同位素的分析表明,陆源物质对月湖沉积物和有机质的贡献很小,其沉积物中有机质的主要来源是维管植物大叶藻和各种海洋藻类。在2002年前大约140 a的沉积历史中,大叶藻对沉积物有机质的贡献比例呈上升趋势,其中在约1930年和1980年有两次明显的上升,前者可能因为种群的快速繁育,后者则可能是1979年口门筑坝后由于湾内环境恶化,大叶藻开始大量死亡的表现。月湖海洋藻类的有机碳埋藏通量在沉积记录中保持相对稳定,而大叶藻则增加了一倍,但两者都有一定程度的波动。研究结果表明自然环境演变（如沙嘴生长、口门缩小）和人类活动（如筑坝、修筑虾池）对月湖生态环境及有机碳埋藏的影响在沉积物中有清晰的记录。     

准噶尔盆地深层地质结构叠加演变与油气赋存

根据地表露头、地震、钻井、测年资料,应用地层回剥方法,对准噶尔盆地深层结构进行了解剖。现今的构造区划是石炭系顶面隆坳格局的反映,深、浅层地层沉积隆坳格局和构造变形特征存在差异。石炭纪末的构造事件导致盆地褶皱变形、隆升剥蚀,形成了北西向为主的背向斜构造。早二叠世-中二叠世,沉积在南部,存在多沉积中心、多构造应力环境,形成了二叠纪早中期重要的烃源岩层系。晚二叠世-侏罗纪存在两期大型湖进坳陷盆地沉积,将下伏盆地埋藏,为盆地重要的区域盖层。早侏罗世-中侏罗世西山窑组含煤岩系是盆地内重要的烃源岩层系,中侏罗统头屯河组沉积前,盆地内形成西南高、北东低的大型车莫古隆起,并遭受了强烈剥蚀。白垩系沉积前,盆地受深层断裂活动控制,在侏罗系形成雁列组合正断层构造。白垩纪-新生代,盆地发生翘倾构造作用,北天山山前强烈沉降,褶皱变形,北部隆升。盆地深层存在石炭系、二叠系和侏罗系富含有机质的烃源岩,与叠合连片发育的三叠系、侏罗系、白垩系、新生界泥岩、煤系、膏泥岩等构成了盆地内多套源盖组合,成为盆地油气富集的基础。盆地深层油气围绕构造变动后的富烃中心区赋存。     

The origin and evolution of chondrites recorded in the elemental and isotopic compositions of their macromolecular organic matter

Extraterrestrial organic matter in meteorites potentially retains a unique record of synthesis and chemical/thermal modification by parent body, nebular and even presolar processes. In a survey of the elemental and isotopic compositions of insoluble organic matter (IOM) from 75 carbonaceous, ordinary and enstatite chondrites, we find dramatic variations within and between chondrite classes. There is no evidence that these variations correlate with the time and/or location of chondrite formation, or with any primary petrologic or bulk compositional features that are associated with nebular processes (e.g., chondrule and volatile trace element abundances). Nor is there evidence for the formation of the IOM by Fischer-Tropsch-Type synthesis in the nebula or in the parent bodies. The elemental variations are consistent with thermal maturation and/or oxidation of a common precursor. For reasons that are unclear, there are large variations in isotopic composition within and between chondrite classes that do not correlate in a simple way with elemental composition or petrologic type. Nevertheless, because of the pattern of elemental variations with petrologic type and the lack of any correlation with the primary features of the chondrite classes, at present the most likely explanation is that all IOM compositional variations are the result of parent body processing of a common precursor. If correct, the range of isotopic compositions within and between chondrite classes implies that the IOM is composed of several isotopically distinct components whose relative stability varied with parent body conditions. The most primitive IOM is found in the CR chondrites and Bells (CM2). Isotopically, the IOM from these meteorites resembles the IOM in interplanetary dust particles. Chemically, their IOM resembles the CHON particles of comet Halley. Despite the large isotopic anomalies in the IOM from these meteorites, it is uncertain whether the IOM formed in the interstellar medium or the outer Solar System, although the former is preferred here.