Regional Loss of SiO2 and CaCO3, and Gain of K2O during Burial Diagenesis of Gulf Coast Mudrocks, USA
- Richard H. Worden2,
- Sadoon Morad3
Published Online: 17 MAR 2009
DOI: 10.1002/9781444304237.ch13
Copyright © 2000 The International Association of Sedimentologists
Book Title
Quartz Cementation in Sandstones
Additional Information
How to Cite
Land, L. S. and Milliken, K. L. (2009) Regional Loss of SiO2 and CaCO3, and Gain of K2O during Burial Diagenesis of Gulf Coast Mudrocks, USA, in Quartz Cementation in Sandstones (eds R. H. Worden and S. Morad), Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781444304237.ch13
Editor Information
- 2
School of Geosciences, The Queen's University, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
- 3
Sedimentary Geology Research Group, Institute of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 B, S–75236, Uppsala, Sweden
Publication History
- Published Online: 17 MAR 2009
- Published Print: 3 MAR 2000
ISBN Information
Print ISBN: 9780632054824
Online ISBN: 9781444304237
- Summary
- Chapter
Keywords:
- regional loss of SiO2 and CaCO3 and gain of K2O during burial diagenesis of Gulf Coast mudrocks, USA;
- chemical evidence for SiO2 loss;
- petrographic evidence for SiO2 gain/loss;
- CaO loss during burial;
- source of quartz cement in associated sandstones
Summary
Ten of 11 wells from the onshore Texas portion of the Tertiary Gulf of Mexico sedimentary basin for which whole-rock analyses are available exhibit loss of SiO2 relative to Al2O3, and in three of the wells SiO2/Al2O3 ratios decrease with increasing depth. At least some mudrocks lose SiO2 during burial diagenesis, and mudrocks seem to be a sufficient source for the quartz cement in Gulf Coast Tertiary sandstones. Most wells are also characterized by loss of Ca (as CaCO3) and some display gain in K2O. Burial diagenesis of mudrocks is an open chemical process in which all mudrocks lose some components, and some mudrocks gain components as well.