Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-18T16:24:49.040Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Thickness Distribution of Illite Crystals in Shales. II: Origin of the Distribution and the Mechanism of Smectite Illitization in Shales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Teresa Dudek  and
Jan Środoń
Teresa Dudek*
Affiliation:
Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, Poland
Jan Środoń
Affiliation:
Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, Poland
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: nddudek@cyf-kr.edu.pl
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The distributions of illite crystal (‘fundamental particle’) thickness in <0.2 µm fractions of 13 shale samples (from the Carpathian Foredeep, Poland), obtained using the Bertaut-Warren-Averbach X-ray diffraction method (MudMaster computer program), were analyzed and interpreted in terms of the mechanism of smectite illitization. All illite crystal thickness distributions in the analyzed shales are characterized by an ‘asymptotic’ shape. The origin of the asymptotic-type distributions is explained by the heterogeneity of illite crystals in shales, i.e. superposition of different populations of crystals, those included in illite-smectite (I-S) interstratifications, and those which occur as discrete illite. The analysis of the distributions in shales shows that the most frequent thickness class of illite crystals forming I-S is 2 nm. Discrete illite is composed of thicker crystals; though crystals as thin as 2 nm can also contribute to this population. The modeling of asymptotic distributions in shales by using a number of theoretical lognormal distributions shows that with progressive diagenesis, the mean thickness of illite crystals forming the I-S component increases gradually, whereas the discrete illite does not show a clear trend.

The diverse origins of illite crystals in shales do not permit determination of the mechanism of smectite illitization from the evolution of the shape of the overall crystal-thickness distribution during diagenesis. Therefore, in order to understand the mechanism of smectite illitization in shales, an attempt was made to trace the relative gains and losses of crystals of different thicknesses during illitization. This approach indicates the following mechanism of smectite illitization in the investigated shales: dissolution of smectite monolayers accompanied by growth of 2 nm crystals which are largely of detrital origin. Nucleation of 2 nm illites seems to be very limited.

Keywords

Crystal-size DistributionDiagenesisIlliteFundamental ParticlesIllite-smectiteLognormal DistributionShalesSmectite Illitization
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 51 , Issue 5 , October 2003 , pp. 529 - 542
Copyright
Copyright © 2003, The Clay Minerals Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brime, C. and Eberl, D.D., (2002) Growth mechanism of low-grade illites based on shapes of crystal thickness distributions Schweizerisches Mineralogisches und Petrogrographisches Mitteilungen 82 203 209.Google Scholar
Brime, C. Castro, M. and Valin, M.L., (2002) Recognizing illitization progress from diagenesis to very low-grade metamorphism in rocks of the Cantabrian Zone (Spain) Schweizerisches Mineralogisches und Petrogrographisches Mitteilungen 82 211 219.Google Scholar
Burkhard, D., (2002) Kinetics of crystallization: example of micro-crystallization in basalt lava Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 142 724–737 10.1007/s00410-001-0321-x.Google Scholar
Christidis, G.E., (1995) Mechanism of illitization of bentonites in the geothermal field of Milos Island, Greece: Evidence based on mineralogy, chemistry, particle thickness morphology Clays and Clay Minerals 43 569–586 10.1346/CCMN.1995.0430507.Google Scholar
Clauer, N. Środoń, J. Francù, J. and Šucha, V., (1997) K-Ar dating of illite fundamental particles separated from illitesmectite Clay Minerals 32 181–196 10.1180/claymin.1997.032.2.02.Google Scholar
Drits, V. Salyn, A.L. and Šucha, V., (1996) Structural transformations of interstratified illite/smectites from Dolna Ves hydrothermal deposits: dynamics and mechanisms Clays and Clay Minerals 44 181–190 10.1346/CCMN.1996.0440203.Google Scholar
Drits, V. Eberl, D.D. and Środoń, J., (1998) XRD measurement of mean thickness, thickness distribution and strain for illite and illite-smectite crystallites by the Bertaut-Warren-Averbach technique Clays and Clay Minerals 46 38–50 10.1346/CCMN.1998.0460105.Google Scholar
Dudek, T. (2001) Diagenetic evolution of illite-smectite in the Miocene shales from the Przemyśl area (Carpathian Foredeep). PhD thesis, Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, 155 pp.Google Scholar
Dudek, T. Środoń, J. Eberl, D.D. Elsass, F. and Uhlik, P., (2002) Thickness distribution of illite crystals in shales. I: X-ray diffraction vs. high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements Clays and Clay Minerals 50 562–577 10.1346/000986002320679305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eberl, D.D. and Środoń, J., (1988) Ostwald ripening and interparticle diffraction effects for illite crystals American Mineralogist 73 1335 1345.Google Scholar
Eberl, D.D. Środoń, J. Kralik, M. Taylor, B.E. and Peterman, Z.E., (1990) Ostwald ripening of clays and metamorphic minerals Science 248 474–478 10.1126/science.248.4954.474.Google Scholar
Eberl, D.D. Drits, V. and Środoń, J., (1998) Deducing growth mechanisms for minerals from the shapes of crystal size distributions American Journal of Science 298 499–533 10.2475/ajs.298.6.499.Google Scholar
Eberl, D.D. Nuesch, R. Šucha, V. and Tsipursky, S., (1998) Measurement of fundamental illite particle thicknesses by X-ray diffraction using PVP-10 intercalation Clays and Clay Minerals 46 97 10.1346/CCMN.1998.0460110.Google Scholar
Elsass, F. Środoń, J. and Robert, M., (1997) Illite-smectite alteration and accompanying reactions in a Pennsylvanian underclay studied by TEM Clays and Clay Minerals 45 390–403 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450309.Google Scholar
Higgins, M.D., (2002) A crystal-size distribution study of the Kiglapait layered mafic intrusion, Labrador, Canada: evidence for textural coarsening Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 144 314–330 10.1007/s00410-002-0399-9.Google Scholar
Inoue, A. and Kitagawa, R., (1994) Morphological characteristics of illitic clay minerals from a hydrothermal system American Mineralogist 79 700 711.Google Scholar
Inoue, A. Velde, B. Meunier, A. and Touchard, G., (1988) Mechanism of illite formation during smectite-to-illite conversion in a hydrothermal system American Mineralogist 73 1325 1334.Google Scholar
Kile, D.E. Eberl, D.D. Hoch, A.R. and Reddy, M.M., (2000) An assessment of calcite crystal growth mechanism based on crystal size distributions Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 64 2937–2950 10.1016/S0016-7037(00)00394-X.Google Scholar
Kirkpatrick, R.J., Lasaga, A.C. and Kirkpatrick, R.J., (1981) Kinetics of crystallization of igneous rocks Kinetics ofGeochemical Processes Washington, D.C. Mineralogical Society of America 321–398 10.1515/9781501508233-012.Google Scholar
Marsh, B.D., (1988) Crystal size distribution (CSD) in rocks and the kinetics and dynamics of crystallization I. Theory Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 99 277–291 10.1007/BF00375362.Google Scholar
Nadeau, P.H. Tait, J.M. McHardy, W.J. and Wilson, M.J., (1984) Clay Minerals 19 67–76 10.1180/claymin.1984.019.1.07.Google Scholar
Nadeau, P.H. Wilson, M.J. McHardy, W.J. and Tait, J.M., (1984) Interparticle diffraction: a new concept for inter-stratified clays Clay Minerals 19 757–769 10.1180/claymin.1984.019.5.06.Google Scholar
Nadeau, P.H. Wilson, M.J. McHardy, W.J. and Tait, J.M., (1985) The conversion of smectite to illite during diagenesis: evidence from some illitic clays from bentonites and sandstones Mineralogical Magazine 49 393–400 10.1180/minmag.1985.049.352.10.Google Scholar
Reynolds, R.C. Jr., (1992) X-ray diffraction studies of illite/smectite from rocks, <1 µm randomly oriented powders, and <1 µm oriented powder aggregates: the absence of laboratory-induced artifacts Clays and Clay Minerals 40 387–396 10.1346/CCMN.1992.0400403.Google Scholar
Środoń, J., (1981) X-ray identification of randomly interstratified illite/smectite in mixtures with discrete illite Clay Minerals 16 297–304 10.1180/claymin.1981.016.3.07.Google Scholar
Środoń, J., (1984) X-ray powder diffraction identification of illitic materials Clays and Clay Minerals 32 337–349 10.1346/CCMN.1984.0320501.Google Scholar
Środoń, J. Andreoli, C. Elsass, F. and Robert, M., (1990) Direct high-resolution transmission electron microscopic measurements of expandability of mixed-layer illite/smectite in bentonite rock Clays and Clay Minerals 38 373–379 10.1346/CCMN.1990.0380406.Google Scholar
Środoń, J. Eberl, D.D. and Drits, V., (2000) Evolution of fundamental particle size during illitization of smectite and implications for the illitization mechanism Clays and Clay Minerals 48 446–459 10.1346/CCMN.2000.0480405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Środoń, J. Elsass, F. McHardy, W.J. and Morgan, D.J., (1992) Chemistry of illite-smectite inferred from TEM measurements of fundamental particles Clay Minerals 27 137–158 10.1180/claymin.1992.027.2.01.Google Scholar
Šucha, V. Kraus, I. Gerthofferová, H. Petes, J. and Sereková, M., (1993) Smectite to illite conversion in bentonites and shales of the East Slovak Basin Clay Minerals 28 243–253 10.1180/claymin.1993.028.2.06.Google Scholar
Uhlik, P. Šucha, V. Elsass, F. and Čaplovičová, M., (2000) High-resolution transmission electron microscopy of mixed-layer clays dispersed in PVP-10: A new technique to distinguish detrital and authigenic illitic material Clay Minerals 35 781–789 10.1180/000985500547232.Google Scholar