Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:47:26.610Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Clay Minerals in the MacAdams Sandstone, California: Implications for Substitution of H3O+ and H2O and Metastability of Illite

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Wei-Teh Jiang ,
Donald R. Peacor  and
Eric J. Essene
Wei-Teh Jiang
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1063
Donald R. Peacor
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1063
Eric J. Essene
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1063
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Clay minerals from the MacAdams Sandstone, Kettleman North Dome, California, have been studied by electron microscopy. The clay minerals fill pore space associated with fractured and brecciated clasts of K-feldspar. Curved packets of muscovite and kaolinite are caused by deformation of detrital muscovite that resulted in opening of fissures subsequently filled with dominant kaolinite and minor intergrown mixed-layer illite/smectite (I/S). Regions of authigenic R1 I/S (rectorite) with characteristic ~20 Å periodicity are intergrown with kaolinite in microfissures within K-feldspar or detrital muscovite. Clusters of small grains of muscovite with nearly ideal composition occur as stacks and intergrown with kaolinite and are tentatively inferred to be authigenic. Contrary to previous reports, no illite was found in these samples.

Electron microprobe analyses previously obtained on Kettleman Dome “illite” and subsequently used as a prime example of analyses of illite rich in excess interlayer water (H2O) and hydronium ion (H3O+) are shown to have been obtained on mixtures, and are not representative of the actual clay mineral compositions. Previous conclusions regarding significant H3O+ and H2O contents of illite are invalid because of inaccuracies inherent in bulk and EMPA analyses of illite, and do not affect arguments regarding the metastability of illite. Hydronium substitution should be favored via the reaction H2O + H+ = H3O+ only in highly acidic fluids. Ordinary illite forming in sedimentary environments with carbonates and iron oxides is unlikely to have significant H3O+ substituted for K+.

Keywords

Electron microscopyHydroniumIlliteKaoliniteMuscoviteRectorite
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , February 1994 , pp. 35 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © 1994, Clay Minerals Society

Footnotes

*

Contribution No. 496 from the Mineralogical Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences.

References

Ahn, J. H., and Peacor, D. R., (1986) Transmission electron microscopic data for rectorite: Implications for the origin and structure of “fundamental particles”: Clays & Clay Minerals 34, 180–186.Google Scholar
Alpers, C. N., and Nordstrom, D. K., (1988) Solid solution properties and deuterium fractionation factors for hydronium-bearing jarosites from acid mine waters: Eos 69, 1480.Google Scholar
Burley, S. D., (1984) Patterns of diagenesis in the Sherwood Sandstone Group (Triassic), United Kingdom: Clay Miner. 19, 403–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Essene, E. J., (1989) The current status of thermobarometry in metamorphic rocks: in Evolution of Metamorphic Belts, Geol. Soc. Spec. Pub. 43, Daly, J. S., Cliff, R. A., and Yardley, B. W. D., eds., Geol. Soc., London, 1–44.Google Scholar
Ireland, B. J., Curtis, C. D., and Whiteman, J. A., (1983) Compositional variation within some glauconites and illites and implications for their stability and origins: Sediment. 30, 769–786.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jahren, J. S., and Aagaard, P., (1992) Diagenetic illite-chlorite assemblages in arenites. I. Chemical evolution: Clays & Clay Minerals 40, 540–546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jannas, R. R., Beane, R. E., Ahler, B. A., and Brosnahan, D. R., (1990) Gold and copper mineralization at the El Indio deposit, Chile: J. Geochem. Explor. 36, 233–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiang, W.-T., Nieto Garcia, F., and Peacor, D. R., (1992) Composition of diagenetic illite as defined by analytical electron microscope analyses: Implications for smectite-illite-muscovite transitions: Abstracts, 29th International Geological Congress, Kyoto 1992 1, p. 100.Google Scholar
Jiang, W.-T., Essene, E. J., and Peacor, D. R., (1990a) Transmission electron microscopic study of coexisting pyrophyllite and muscovite: Direct evidence for the metastability of illite: Clays & Clay Minerals 38, 225–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiang, W.-T., Peacor, D. R., Merriman, R. J., and Roberts, B., (1990b) Transmission and analytical electron microscopic study of mixed-layer illite-smectite formed as an apparent replacement product of diagenetic illite: Clays & Clay Minerals 38, 449–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juster, T. C., Brown, P. E., and Bailey, S. W., (1987) NH4-bearing illite in very low grade metamorphic rocks associated with coal, northeastern Pennsylvania: Amer. Mineral. 72, 555–565.Google Scholar
Lanson, B., and Champion, D., (1991) The I/S-to-illite reaction in the late stage diagenesis: Amer. J. Sci. 291, 473–506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, G., Peacor, D. R., Essene, E. J., Brosnahan, D. R., and Beane, R. E., (1992) Walthierite, Ba0.5&wsqu;0.5A13(SO4)2(OH)6, and huangite, Ca0.5&wsqu0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6, two new minerals of the alunite group from the Coquimbo region, Chile: Amer. Mineral. 77, 1275–1284.Google Scholar
Li, G., Peacor, D. R., Merriman, R. J., Roberts, B., and van der Pluijm, B. A., (1994) TEM and AEM constraints on the origin and significance of chlorite-mica stacks in slates: An example from Central Wales, U.K.: J. Struct. Geol. (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lippmann, F., (1981) Stability diagrams involving clay minerals: in 8th Conference Clay Mineral Petrology, Teplice 1979, Konta, J., ed., Univ. Karlova, Praha, Czechoslovakia, 153–171.Google Scholar
Lippmann, F., (1982) The thermodynamic status of clay minerals: in Proceedings of the 7th International Clay Conference, Bologna, Pavia, 1981, Olphen, H. van and Veniale, F., eds., Elsevier, New York, 475–485.Google Scholar
Loucks, R. R., (1991) The bound interlayer H2O content of potassic white micas: muscovite—hydromuscovite-hydropyrophyllite solutions: Amer. Mineral. 76, 1563–1579.Google Scholar
Macchi, L., Curtis, C. D., Levison, A., Woodward, K., and Hughes, C. R., (1990) Chemistry, morphology, and distribution of illites from Morecambe gas field, Irish Sea, offshore United Kingdom: Bull. AAPG 74, 296–308.Google Scholar
Merino, E., (1975a) Diagenesis in Tertiary sandstones from Kettleman North Dome, California. I. Diagenetic mineralogy: J. Sed. Pet. 45, 320–336.Google Scholar
Merino, E., (1975b) Diagenesis in Tertiary sandstones from Kettleman North Dome, California. II. Interstitial solutions: Distribution of aqueous species at 100°C and chemical relation to the diagenetic mineralogy: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 39, 1629–1645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merino, E., and Ransom, B., (1982) Free energies of formation of illite solid solutions and their compositional dependence: Clays & Clay Minerals 30, 29–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morad, S., (1990) Mica alteration reactions in Jurassic reservoir sandstones from the Haltenbanken area, offshore Norway: Clays & Clay Minerals 38, 584–590.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, R. M., and Webb, R. W., (1990) Geology of California: 2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York, 541 pp.Google Scholar
Ohr, M., Halliday, A. N., and Peacor, D. R., (1991) Sr and Nd isotopic evidence for punctuated clay diagenesis, Texas Gulf Coast: Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 105, 110–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peacor, D. R., (1992) Diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism of shales and slates: in Reviews in Mineralogy 27, p. R. Buseck and P. H. Ribbe, eds., Miner. Soc. Amer., Chelsea, 335–380.Google Scholar
Primmer, T. J., and Shaw, H. F., (1987) Diagenesis in shales: Evidence from backscattered electron microscopy and electron microprobe analyses: Proceedings of the 8th International Clay Conference, Denver, 1985, Schultz, L. G., Olphen, H. van, and Mumpton, F. A., eds., The Clay Minerals Society, Bloomington, 135–143.Google Scholar
Pye, K., and Krinsley, D. H., (1983) Inter-layered clay stacks in Jurassic shales: Nature 304, 618–620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reed, S. J. B., (1975) Electron Microprobe Analysis: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 400 pp.Google Scholar
Van der Pluijm, B. A., Lee, J. H., and Peacor, D. R., (1988) Analytical electron microscopy and the problem of potassium diffusion: Clays & Clay Minerals 36, 498–504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Pluijm, B. A., and Kaars-Sijpesteijn, C. H., (1984) Chlorite-mica aggregates: Morphology, orientation, development and bearing on cleavage formation in very-low-grade-rocks: J. Struct. Geol. 6, 399–407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Veblen, D. R., Guthrie, G. D. Jr., Livi, K. J. T., and Reynolds, R. C. Jr. 1990() High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction of mixed-layer illite/smectite: Experimental results: Clays & Clay Minerals 38, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warren, E. A., and Ransom, B., (1992) The influence of analytical error upon the interpretation of chemical variations in clay minerals: Clay Miner. 27, 193–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, C. E., and Pollard, L. D., (1973) The Chemistry of Clay Minerals: Elsevier, New York, 213 pp.Google Scholar