Clay mineral diagenesis and quartz cementation in mudstones: The effects of smectite to illite reaction on rock properties

The Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary sequence of the Vøring and Møre Basins from the Norwegian Sea has been examined with respect to mineralogy based on 319 cutting samples from five wells. A clear relationship between mineralogy and well log data is demonstrated. A significant change with respect to velocity, porosity and density occurs within the depth interval corresponding to 80–90 °C. At shallow depths/temperatures (<2.0 km/70 °C), compaction is mainly mechanical and the physical properties are similar to what has been measured by experimental compaction of mudstones. At greater depths, however, the log derived velocities and densities are higher than those produced by experimental compaction indicating significant chemical compaction. XRD analyses show a progressive alteration of smectite to illite (S–I) within this depth/temperature interval which results in the release of significant amounts of silica into solution. Detrital silt and fine-grained quartz showed no secondary quartz overgrowths. These grains are isolated within a clay matrix and surrounded by clay minerals, thus limiting the available surface area and pore space for quartz overgrowths. Chemical analyses (XRF) indicate that silica is conserved within this depth interval, and the amount released from S–I alteration was locally precipitated. Field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and cathode luminescence (CL) identified authigenic micro-crystalline quartz cement within the clay matrix at temperatures above ∼85 °C. This is accompanied by an increase in velocity and density indicating that the S–I reaction and the precipitation of authigenic quartz caused a significant change in the rock stiffness.     

双组份裂缝岩石非线性有效应力模型研究

为认识黏土矿物和裂缝对岩石有效应力的影响,提出了双组份裂缝岩石椭圆模型.同时,将双组份裂缝岩石椭圆模型等效为共聚焦的椭圆岩石环与椭圆黏土环的叠加;基于复变函数和保角变换,分别得到了黏土环内椭圆长半轴和短半轴与压力间的关系式.进而结合椭圆孔渗透率计算式和岩石有效应力表达式,计算与分析了岩石孔隙度、黏土矿物含量、硬度比以及椭圆孔截面纵横比等参数对有效应力系数的影响.结果表明,当岩石中不含黏土矿物时,有效应力系数随纵横比的减小而增大,且小于1.0,这与Bernabé的观点一致.当岩石中含有易于压缩的黏土矿物,且纵横比为1.0（孔隙截面为圆形）时,有效应力系数随硬度比和黏土矿物含量的增大而增大,甚至远大于1.0,这与Al-Wardy等的研究结论一致;当纵横比小于1.0时,有效应力系数表现出了明显的非线性特征,随硬度比的增大而增大——甚至远大于1.0,而随黏土矿物含量的增大而减小,纵横比对有效应力系数的影响受黏土矿物含量大小的影响.易于压缩组分和裂缝的存在使得岩石有效应力系数变化特征更为复杂.     

A holistic computational model for prediction of clay suspension structure

The formation of clay suspensions involves complex interactions among clay particles subjected to the geochemical environment during the sedimentation process. The structural characteristics have a major influence on the physical and mechanical behavior of the suspension. A modeling framework involving a Discrete Element Method (DEM) model with customized particle mechanical interactions is proposed in this paper for the holistic prediction of the physical structure of clay suspensions. The particle interaction force model is based on the Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO) theory that accounts for electrostatic repulsion, van der Waals attraction, contact repulsion, etc. Kaolinite is used as the model clay to demonstrate the model performance. The surface charge density of kaolinite is obtained through Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) force measurement and is implemented in the particle interaction force model in the subsequent simulations. Influencing factors, such as centrifugal acceleration, ionic concentration, platy structure of particles, and particle size, on the formation of kaolinite suspensions are studied with the numerical model and compare favorably well with the experimental data. This work lays down a unique framework consisting of computational modeling and microscale characterization of clay particles to holistically predict the characteristics of clay suspensions, which paves the basis to model and predict their bulk physical and mechanical behavior.     

Clay minerals in the late Quaternary sediment of Tulare Lake,California: Implications for climate change,weathering, and erosion processes

The clay mineralogy of Tulare Lake sediment was examined to investigate hydroclimatic and environmental changes in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains (SNM) since the most recent glacial maximum. Evolution of clay mineral assemblages elucidates significant changes in weathering, erosion, and hydroclimatic condition in the catchment. During the last glacial period (24.4–15.1 cal ka BP), low illite content implies less physical erosion of the granitic batholith rocks and a cold and arid environment in the southern SNM. Abrupt increases of illite content at 21.8–20.8 and 17.6 cal ka BP resulted from the glacier advances to the ablation zone and illite-rich glacier flour was transported down to the lake. The gradual increase of smectite induced by progressive depletion of illite-rich glacier flour from 17.6 cal ka BP toward the end of this period indicates climate was beginning to get warm and wet. From 11.9 to 5.3 cal ka BP, two warm and wet periods (10.7–9.4 and 8.2–5.2 cal ka BP) were characterized by high smectite/illite content ratios and low illite crystallinity values, suggesting intensive rainfall precipitation and more physical erosion in the highland and lowland catchment as well as more smectite formation in the terrace soils. Since the last glacial period, physical erosion, in comparison to the chemical weathering, was the dominant process responding to the hydroclimatic change in the Tulare Lake catchment. Moderate to weak chemical weathering was signified by the mostly low illite chemical weathering index of the core sediments. Such results suggest that vegetation cover in the southern SNM was low and limited.     

龙井水库大坝的渗流和稳定分析

本文以龙井水库大坝为例,运用有限单元法对粘土心墙坝的渗流进行分析计算,同时运用瑞典圆弧滑动法和简化Bishop法对粘土心墙坝的坝体稳定进行分析计算,在此基础上对水库大坝进行了渗流安全评价和稳定性安全评价。     

Quartz cementation in Late Cretaceous mudstones,northern North Sea: Changes in rock properties due to dissolution of smectite and precipitation of micro-quartz crystals

Late Cretaceous mudstones from two wells located in the northern North Sea and the Norwegian Sea have been examined with respect to quartz cement. Two different types of quartz cement (Type 1 and Type 2) have been identified using SEM/EDS/CL-analysis of drill-bit cuttings at depths 2370–2670 m (80–85 °C). Type 1 appears as relatively large aggregates (30–100 μm) of depth/temperature related crypto- or microcrystalline to macrocrystalline irregular quartz cement formed by local re-crystallization of biogenic silica. The CL-responses of Type 1 quartz cement give a clear indication of an authigenic origin. Type 2 quartz cement represents relatively high amounts of extremely fine-grained micro-sized (1–3 μm) crystals embedded as discrete, short chains or small clusters/nests within the illitized clay matrix. The CL-responses of micro-quartz crystals indicate an authigenic origin. The micro-quartz is most probably sourced from silica released during the smectite to illite dissolution–precipitation reaction. The petrographic evidence indicates that most of the silica released by the smectite to illite reaction has not been exported out of the mudstones. The silica released produce a subtle inter-connected micro-quartz network interlocked with aggregates of micro-quartz and authigenic clay crystals. This micro-quartz cementation process causes a significant and sharp change in the mudstone stiffness at the onset of the chemical compaction regime. This is indicated by an abrupt increase in well log velocity (Vp) and change in seismic facies close to 2500 m (80/85 °C).     

The Paleocene–Eocene transition in the marginal northeastern Tethys (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan)

We studied two sections that accumulated during the Paleocene–Eocene transition in shelf waters in the northeastern Tethys. Stable carbon isotopic compositions of marine and terrestrial biomarkers are consistent with a ¹³C depletion in the oceanic and atmospheric carbon dioxide pools during the Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum (LPTM; Subzone P5b). The 2–3‰ negative δ ¹³C excursion in planktic foraminifera coincides with minimum δ ¹⁸O values, an incursion of transient subtropical planktic foraminiferal fauna, and the occurrence of an organic-rich sapropelite unit in Uzbekistan, which accumulated at the onset of a transgressive event. Biomarker distributions and hydrogen indices indicate that marine algae and bacteria were the major organic matter sources. During the Late Paleocene (Subzones P4 and P5a), the marginal northeastern Tethys experienced a temperate to warm climate with wet and arid seasons. Most likely, warm and humid climate initiated during the LPTM (Subzone P5b) and subsequently extended during the Eocene (Zone P6) onto adjacent land areas of the marginal northeastern Tethys. Received: 18 May 1999 / Accepted: 2 February 2000     

Distribution of Grain Size and Clay Minerals in Sediments from the INDEX Area, Central Indian Basin

The granulometry of 21 box core sediments from five selected sites in the Central Indian Basin (CIB) have been studied to understand the sediment size characteristics in the Pioneer area before the benthic disturbance experiment. The sediments are predominantly clayey silt. Statistical parameters were determined to understand the control and variations in the grain size. The mean grain size (M z φ) ranged from 7.0 to 8.6 for the surface and from 6.6 to 8.6 for the subsurface sediments, indicating deposition of very fine fractions during the Neogene period. The sediments were poorly sorted as revealed from the higher σI values (2.7 to 2.9). Higher and negative values of skewness (SK I ) indicated a winnowing action of prevailing currents in the area. Average kurtosis (K G ) values for the surface (0.4 to 0.8) and subsurface (0.5 to 1.2) showed that sediments were very platykurtic and leptokurtic. Clay mineralogical studies showed that smectite had a wider range (from 6% to 55%) and decreased southward because of its terrigenous origin. The terrigenous influence of the sediments could be documented as far as 12°S. Smectite and kaolinite increased eastward and chlorite decreased southward. This observation positively correlated with the mean current direction in the area. However, the influence of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) in the area could be predicted from the southward increase in chlorite content.     

粘土矿物保存海洋沉积有机质研究进展及其碳循环意义

海洋沉积物吸附有机质的量和有机质循环周期与粘土矿物类型和吸附方式密切相关,并在全球碳循环中扮演着不同的角色。粘土吸附有机质有物理吸附和化学吸附之分,前者主要存在于粘土的微孔隙中,参与年、十年或百年尺度的循环;后者主要存在于粘土矿物层间和外表面,稳定性较好,有机质易于保存,可参与百万年或更长时间的循环,这种不同时间尺度内的碳循环,将会改写海洋沉积物有机碳“源”、“汇”的关系。不同类型粘土矿物的性质存在差异,决定了吸附有机质量的多寡,蒙脱石的吸附量远大于伊利石的吸附量,这可能是造成全球不同海域中有机碳“源”、“汇”变化的原因。海洋沉积物处于水圈、生物圈和岩石圈的交汇地带,有机碳的差异和变化,都会对全球碳循环及气候变化产生重要的影响。     

Monitoring of internal failure evolution in soils using computerization X-ray tomography

Computerized X-ray tomography (CT) has been used in disciplines such as soil science, geology and rock mechanics to analyze the texture of geomaterials. However, this potentially useful method has not thus far been used adequately in engineering geological analyses.To investigate its feasibility, CT is utilized in this study to monitor the evolution of internal failure in soil masses. An apparatus that can be fitted into the chamber of a medical CT was built to conduct geotechnical tests. Loading and shearing experiments were performed on bentonite, kaolinite, sand, silicon powders, and glass beads. CT images have been taken on different cross-sections inside the specimens to monitor soil deformation continuously. The results of direct shear, horizontal and vertical loading tests are presented and discussed. It has been demonstrated that CT is a powerful non-destructive and non-invasive tool for engineering geological analyses.