Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T15:11:44.111Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Heterogeneous mixed-layer clays from the Cretaceous Greensand, Isle of Wight, southern England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Douglas K. McCarty ,
Victor A. Drits ,
Boris Sakharov ,
Bella B. Zviagina ,
Alastair Ruffell  and
Grant Wach
Douglas K. McCarty*
Affiliation:
ChevronTexaco, 3901 Briarpark, Houston, TX 77063, USA
Victor A. Drits
Affiliation:
Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Science, Pyzevskij per. D.7, 119017 Moscow, Russia
Boris Sakharov
Affiliation:
Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Science, Pyzevskij per. D.7, 119017 Moscow, Russia
Bella B. Zviagina
Affiliation:
Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Science, Pyzevskij per. D.7, 119017 Moscow, Russia
Alastair Ruffell
Affiliation:
Queen’s University, Belfast, UK
Grant Wach
Affiliation:
Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S., BJ3 3J5 Canada
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The sea-cliffs of the Isle of Wight were deposited during a period of overall sea-level rise starting in the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) and continuing into the Aptian and Albian. They consist of fluvial, coastal and lagoonal sediments including greensands and clays. Numerous episodes of erosion, deposition and faunal colonization reflect condensation and abandonment of surfaces with firmgrounds and hardgrounds. This study focused mainly on shallow marine cycles where variations in clay mineralogy would not be expected, because overall system composition, sediment source, and thermal history are similar for all the samples in the studied section. Instead we found a wide variety of clay assemblages even in single samples within a 200 m interval.

In this interval, distinct clay mineral assemblages were found and can be described as consisting of Al-rich, Fe-richand intermediate Fe and Al compositions withrespect to 2:1 and 1:1 layers in mixed-layer arrangements. Nearly pure glauconite-nontronite clays exist in the <2 µm fraction only when the bulk rock is free of K- and plagioclase feldspar. Conditions favorable to glauconite-nontronite formation are interpreted to result from a hiatus in volcanoclastic sedimentation, thus providing a stable substrate for glauconitization.

The Fe-bearing mixed-layer clay assemblages consist of glauconite, nontronite and berthierine-like layers in various proportions with several mixed-layer clays often coexisting in the same sample. In different samples, Al-richand Fe-Mg-rich mixed-layer clays are similar in their content and distribution of 1:1 and 2:1 layers. This suggests that the original clay assemblages were similar and later diagenesis affected certain horizons resulting in substitution of Al by Fe + Mg while preserving the original layer structure and arrangement.

Structural formulae for the berthierine-like phase and berthierine-like layers in these mixed-layer clays show their layer cation composition is intermediate between odinite and standard berthierine. The total sum of octahedral cations varies from 5.26 to 5.55 whereas the amount of Fe2+ cations varies from 2.12 to 2.22 per O10(OH)8. A feature of the berthierine-like phase as well as of berthierine-like layers is that they are di-trioctahedral and Fe2+ and Fe3+ are the prevalent cations. Moreover, in these berthierine-like components, the amount of Fe2+ is greater than that of Mg (in contrast to odinite) and Fe3+ cations prevail over Al (in contrast to berthierine). The presence of authigenic ferrous Fe clays and the relationship between glauconite-nontronite and bulk mineralogy has implications for sedimentological processes and geochemical conditions during and shortly after deposition.

Keywords

BerthierineCretaceous. GlauconiteIsle of WightHeterogeneous Mixed-layer ClaysNontronite
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 52 , Issue 5 , October 2004 , pp. 552 - 575
Copyright
Copyright © 2004, The Clay Minerals Society

References

Bailey, S.W. and Bailey, S.W., (1988) Structures and compositions of other trioctahedral 1:1 phyllosilicates Hydrous Phyllosilicates (Exclusive of Micas) Washington, D.C Mineralogical Society of America 169–188 10.1515/9781501508998-011.Google Scholar
Bailey, S.W. Banfield, J.F. Barker, W.W. and Katchan, G., (1995) Dozyite, a 1:1 regular interstratification of serpentine and chlorite American Mineralogist 80 65–77 10.2138/am-1995-1-207.Google Scholar
Bennet, S. Copestake, P. and Hooker, N.P., (1985) Stratigraphy of the Britoil 72/10-A Well, Western Approaches Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 96 225–261 10.1016/S0016-7878(85)80007-9.Google Scholar
Besson, G. and Drits, V.A., (1997) Refined relationships between chemical composition of micas and their infrared spectra in the OH stretching region Clays and Clay Minerals 45 158–183 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450204.Google Scholar
Bray, R.J. Duddy, I.R. Green, P.F. and Underhill, J.R., (1998) Multiple heating episodes in the Wessex Basin: implications for geological evolution and hydrocarbon generation Development, Evolution and Petroleum Geology of the Wessex Basin London Geological Society 199–213.Google Scholar
Brindley, G.W., (1982) Chemical compositions of berthierines — Areview Clays and Clay Minerals 30 153–155 10.1346/CCMN.1982.0300211.Google Scholar
Chung, F.H., (1974) Quantitative interpretation of X-ray diffraction patterns of mixtures. I. Matrix-flushing method for quantitative multicomponent analysis Journal of Applied Crystallography 7 519–525 10.1107/S0021889874010375.Google Scholar
Drits, V.A. (1987) Mixed-layer minerals: Diffraction methods and structural features. Proceedings of the International Clay Conference, Denver, 1985, pp. 33–45.Google Scholar
Drits, V.A. and Merlino, S., (1997) Mixed-layer minerals Modular Aspects of Minerals Budapest Eötvös University Press 153–190.Google Scholar
Drits, V.A., (2003) Structural and chemical heterogeneity of phyllosilicates and clay minerals Clay Minerals 38 403–432 10.1180/0009855033840106.Google Scholar
Drits, V.A. Lindgreen, H. and Salyn, A., (1997) Determination by X-ray diffraction of content and distribution of fixed ammonium in illite-smectite. Application to North Sea illite-smectites American Mineralogist 82 79–87 10.2138/am-1997-1-210.Google Scholar
Drits, V.A. Sakharov, B.A. Lindgreen, H. and Salyn, A., (1997) Sequential structure transformation of illite-smectite-vermiculite during diagenesis of Upper Jurassic shales from the North Sea and Denmark Clay Minerals 32 351–371 10.1180/claymin.1997.032.3.03.Google Scholar
Drits, V.A. Sakharov, B.A. Dainyak, L.G. Salyn, A.L. and Lindgreen, H., (2002) Structural and chemical heterogeneity of illite-smectite from Upper Jurassic mudstones of East Greenland related to volcanic and weathered parent rocks American Mineralogist 87 1590–1607 10.2138/am-2002-11-1209.Google Scholar
Dupley, J., (1988) Geochimie des argiles et geothermonmetrie del populations monominerals de particles Strasbourg, France L’Universite’ L. Pasteur Thesis.Google Scholar
Goldring, R., (1999) Sedimentological aspects and preservation of Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) bentonites (fuller’s earth) in southern England Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Palaontologie 214 3–24 10.1127/njgpa/214/1999/3.Google Scholar
Hallam, A. and Sellwood, B.W., (1968) Origin of fuller’s earth in the Mesozoic in southern England Nature 220 1193–1195 10.1038/2201193a0.Google Scholar
Jackson, M.L., (1985) Soil Chemical Analysis — Advanced Course 2nd Madison, Wisconsin, USA Published by the author.Google Scholar
Jeans, C.V. Merriman, R.J. and Mitchell, J.G., (1977) Origin of Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous fuller’s earths in England Clay Minerals 12 11–44 10.1180/claymin.1977.012.1.02.Google Scholar
Jeans, C.V. Merriman, R.J. Mitchell, J.G. and Bland, D.J., (1982) Volcanic clays in the Cretaceous of southern England and Northern Ireland Clay Minerals 17 105–156 10.1180/claymin.1982.017.1.10.Google Scholar
Farmer, V.C. and Farmer, V.C., (1974) The layer silicates Infrared Spectra of Minerals London Mineralogical Society 331–363 10.1180/mono-4.15.Google Scholar
Larson, R.L., (1991) Latest pulse of the Earth: evidence for a mid-Cretaceous superplume Geology 19 547–550 10.1130/0091-7613(1991)019<0547:LPOEEF>2.3.CO;2.Google Scholar
McCarty, D.K. and Reynolds, R.C. Jr., (1995) Rotationally disordered illite-smectite in Paleozoic K-bentonites Clays and Clay Minerals 43 271–284 10.1346/CCMN.1995.0430302.Google Scholar
Moore, D.M. and Reynolds, R.C. Jr., (1997) X-ray Diffraction and the Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals 2nd New York Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Odin, G.S., (1988) Green Marine Clays Amsterdam Elsevier.Google Scholar
Roberts, D.G. Thompson, M. Michener, B. Hossack, J. Carmichael, S. and Bjornseth, H.M., (1999) Paleozoic to Tertiary rift and basin dynamics: Mid-Norway to the Bay of Biscay — a new context for hydrocarbon prospectivity in the deep water frontier Proceedings of the 5th Petroleum Geology of NW Europe Conference 1 7–40 10.1144/0050007 London.Google Scholar
Ruffell, A.H. and Wach, G.D., (1998) Firmgrounds — key surfaces in recognition of parasequences in the Aptian Lower Greensand Group, Isle of Wight (southern England) Sedimentology 45 91–107 10.1046/j.1365-3091.1998.00147.x.Google Scholar
Ruffell, A.H. Hesselbo, S.P. Wach, G.D. Wray, D.S. and Simpson, M.I., (2002) Fuller’s earth(bentonite) in the Lower Cretaceous (Upper Aptian) of Shanklin (Isle of Wight, southern England) Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 113 281–290 10.1016/S0016-7878(02)80034-7.Google Scholar
Sakharov, B.A. Lindgreen, H. Salyn, A.L. and Drits, V.A., (1999) Determination of illite-smectite structures using multispecimen XRD profile fitting Clays and Clay Minerals 47 555–566 10.1346/CCMN.1999.0470502.Google Scholar
Schultz, L.G. Shepard, A.O. Blackmon, P.D. and Starkey, H.C., (1971) Mixed-layer kaolinite-montmorillonite from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Clays and Clay Minerals 19 137–150 10.1346/CCMN.1971.0190302.Google Scholar
Shutov, V.D., Katz, M.Yu., Drits, V.A. and Sokolova, A.L. (1973) Crystallochemical heterogeneity of glauconites depending on conditions of their formation and postsedimentary changes. Proceedings of the International Clay Conference, Madrid, 1972, pp. 269–279.Google Scholar
Środoń, J. Drits, V.A. McCarty, D.K. Hsieh, J.C.C. and Eberl, D.D., (2001) Quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis of clay-bearing rocks from random preparations Clays and Clay Minerals 49 514–528 10.1346/CCMN.2001.0490604.Google Scholar
Toth, T.A. and Fritz, S.J., (1997) An Fe-berthierine from a Cretaceous laterite: Part I. Characterization Clays and Clay Minerals 45 564–579 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450408.Google Scholar
Toth, T.A. and Fritz, S.J., (1997) An Fe-berthierine from a Cretaceous laterite: Part II. Estimation of Eh, pH and pCO2 conditions of formation Clays and Clay Minerals 45 580–586 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450408.Google Scholar
Tsipursky, S.I. Ivanovskaya, T.A. Sakharov, B.A. Zviagina, B.B. and Drits, V.A., (1992) The nature of coexistence glauconite, Fe-illite and illite in granular Fe-bearing nodules from deposits having different lithology and age Lithologiya I Poleznye Iscopaemye 5 65–75.Google Scholar
Wray, D.S. and Wood, C.J., (1998) Distinction between detrital and volcanogenic clay-richbeds in Turonian-Coniacian chalks of eastern England Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 52 95–105 10.1144/pygs.52.1.95.Google Scholar
Yoshida, S. Jackson, M D Johnson, H D Muggeridge, A.H. Martinius, A.W., Martinsen, O. and Dreyer, T., (2001) Outcrop studies of tidal sandstones for reservoir characterization (Lower Cretaceous Vectis Formation, Isle of Wight, southern England) Sedimentary Environments Offshore Norway — Paleozoic to Recent Amsterdam Elsevier Science B.V. 233–257 10.1016/S0928-8937(01)80016-3.Google Scholar
Young, B. Morgan, D.J. and Highley, D.E., (1978) New fuller’s earthoccurrences in the Lower Greensand of southeastern England Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy 87 B93–B96.Google Scholar
Zimmerle, W., (1979) Lower Cretaceous tuffs in northwest Germany and their geotectonic significance Aspekte der Kreide Europas, Journal of the Union of Geological Sciences, Series A6 285–402.Google Scholar