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Variations in organic geochemistry of anoxic-oxic black shale-carbonate sequences in the Pennsylvanian of the Midcontinent, USA

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5750988
Two cores containing thin organic-rich phosphatic black shale members, the Excello and Little Osage shales, and transitional lithologies from Pennsylvania cyclothems of southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma were characterized by geochemical and organic petrographic methods by very detailed sampling. Organic petrography, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, n-alkane and isoprenoid distributions, and C/sub 27//C/sub 29/-sterane ratios indicate that shallow-water, more oxic facies contain dominantly terrestrial organic matter while deep water phosphatic organic-rich black shales contain significant proportions of marine algal organic matter. Oxidized facies, although having low total organic carbon (TOC) contents, tended to have increased TOC-normalized bitumen and hydrocarbon contents and increased diasterane/normal sterane ratios. Anoxic facies had higher TOC and bitumen contents, contained larger proportions of non-hydrocarbon extractables, and had lower diasterane/normal sterane ratios than oxidized facies. Enrichment of V and Ni, and especially an increasing V/Ni + V ratio, coincide with increased anoxia. Eustatic sea level rise and rapid transgression over the craton, with flooding of adjacent brackish-marine (peat) swamps and resultant influx of large supplies of nutrients and humic detritus, appears to be the key geologic control of black shale deposition. The nutrients fostered high algal productivity while terrestrially-derived organic matter provided a sink for oxygen which enhanced anoxia.
Research Organization:
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (USA)
OSTI ID:
5750988
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040201 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
040500* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Properties & Composition
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
BLACK SHALES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DEPOSITION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION VII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPES
KANSAS
LIGHT NUCLEI
LITHOLOGY
MATERIALS
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NICKEL
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
OKLAHOMA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
PALEOZOIC ERA
PEAT
PENNSYLVANIAN PERIOD
PETROGRAPHY
PYROLYSIS
RESOURCES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFUR 34
SULFUR CONTENT
SULFUR ISOTOPES
SWAMPS
TAR
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
VANADIUM
VARIATIONS
WETLANDS