Geochemical and multi-isotopic (⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr, ¹⁴³Nd/ ¹⁴⁴Nd, ²³⁸U/ ²³⁵U) perspectives of sediment sources, depositional conditions, and diagenesis of the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin, USA

Journal Article · Wed Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.10.021· OSTI ID:1457133

Phan, Thai T. ^[1]; Gardiner, James B. ^[1]; Capo, Rosemary C. ^[2]; Stewart, Brian W. ^[2]

---

1. Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)
2. Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

Here, we investigate sediment sources, depositional conditions and diagenetic processes affecting the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian Basin, eastern USA, a major target of natural gas exploration. Multiple proxies, including trace metal contents, rare earth elements (REE), the Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotope systems, and U isotopes were applied to whole rock digestions and sequentially extracted fractions of the Marcellus shale and adjacent units from two locations in the Appalachian Basin. The narrow range of εNd values (from –7.8 to –6.4 at 390 Ma) is consistent with derivation of the clastic sedimentary component of the Marcellus Shale from a well-mixed source of fluvial and eolian material of the Grenville orogenic belt, and indicate minimal post-depositional alteration of the Sm-Nd system. While silicate minerals host >80% of the REE in the shale, data from sequentially extracted fractions reflect post-depositional modifications at the mineralogical scale, which is not observed in whole rock REE patterns.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE); USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)
• Grant/Contract Number: FE0004000
• OSTI ID: 1457133
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1577200
• Report Number(s): NETL-PUB-20701; PII: S0016703717306841; TRN: US1901301
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 222, Issue C; ISSN 0016-7037
• Publisher: The Geochemical Society; The Meteoritical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
Uranium isotopes
Neodymium isotopes
Radiogenic strontium isotopes
Rare earth elements
Redox
Carbonate diagenesis
Marcellus shale