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Title: Bioturbating animals control the mobility of redox-sensitive trace elements in organic-rich mudstone

Journal Article · · Geology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/G37025.1· OSTI ID:1228036
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [4];  [4];  [4]
  1. Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland, St. John's Newfoundland (Canada)
  2. Univ. of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)
  3. Univ. of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); College of Charleston, Charleston, SC (United States)
  4. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Bioturbating animals modify the original mineralogy, porosity, organic content, and fabric of mud, thus affecting the burial diagenetic pathways of potential hydrocarbon source, seal, and reservoir rocks. High-sensitivity, synchrotron rapid scanning X-ray fluorescence elemental mapping reveals that producers of phycosiphoniform burrows systematically partition redox-sensitive trace elements (i.e., Fe, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and As) in fine-grained siliciclastic rocks. Systematic differences in organic carbon content (total organic carbon >1.5 wt%) and quality (Δ13Corg~0.6‰) are measured between the burrow core and host sediment. The relative enrichment of redox-sensitive elements in the burrow core does not correlate with significant neo-formation of early diagenetic pyrite (via trace metal pyritization), but is best explained by physical concentration of clay- and silt-sized components. A measured loss (~–15%) of the large-ionic-radius elements Sr and Ba from both burrow halo and core is most likely associated with the release of Sr and Ba to pore waters during biological (in vivo) weathering of silt- to clay-sized lithic components and feldspar. In conclusion, this newly documented effect has significant potential to inform the interpretation of geochemical proxy and rock property data, particularly from shales, where elemental analyses are commonly employed to predict reservoir quality and support paleoenvironmental analysis.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
1228036
Journal Information:
Geology, Vol. 43, Issue 11; ISSN 0091-7613
Publisher:
Geological Society of AmericaCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Mud deposition and diagenesis within an Early Palaeozoic clinothem: Power Steps Formation, Newfoundland, Canada journal May 2019
Pheomelanin pigment remnants mapped in fossils of an extinct mammal journal May 2019

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