Hostname: page-component-669899f699-rg895 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-27T11:37:40.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

K-Ar Dating of Illitic Fractions of Estonian “Blue Clay” Treated With Alkylammonium Cations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Sam Chaudhuri ,
Jan Środoń  and
Norbert Clauer
Sam Chaudhuri
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
Jan Środoń
Affiliation:
Institute of Geological Sciences PAN, Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, Poland
Norbert Clauer
Affiliation:
Centre de Géochimie de la Surface (CNRS-ULP), 1 rue Blessig, 67084 Strasbourg, France
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Two clay fractions of a Cambrian claystone from Estonia, consisting essentially of illite and 20% expandable illite-smectite, (I-S) were treated with C12 and C18 alkylammonium cations for K-exchange. Both the untreated and treated samples were dated by the K-Ar method. The treated clays lost several percent of their original K2O, with greater losses for longer-chain cations and for longer reaction time, in accordance with previously published studies. The dates of the treated clay fractions were 20–30 Ma lower than those of the untreated clays. The decrease in the dates suggests preferential opening of older, detrital clays. The K-Ar dates of the illite layers susceptible to K extraction by the various treatments were calculated by subtracting K2O and radiogenic 40Ar values of the consecutive step products, and they were plotted against the total % K2O removed, used as an indicator of the reaction progress. Extrapolation of the plot revealed a detrital (1550 Ma) and a diagenetic (380 Ma) age for the 2 illitic minerals present in the investigated shale sample. The inferred Devonian age of diagenesis of the Estonian clay corresponds to the period of massive dolomitization in the area. Both alteration processes can be related to a Devonian incursion of hot or alkaline fluids, which helps to explain the occurrence of 20% expandable I-S in claystones that have never been buried more than 1000 m.

Extrapolated K-Ar ages and K2O contents of the illitic minerals, estimated from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, were used to model the experimental data. A good agreement was reached when dilution effects (chlorite and expanded illite) were taken into account.

Keywords

Alkylammonium CationsEstonian “Blue Clay”IlliteK-ArShale Diagenetic Age
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , February 1999 , pp. 96 - 102
Copyright
Copyright © 1999, 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.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bonhomme, M.R. Thuizat, R. Pinault, Y. Clauer, N. Wendling, R. and Winkler, R., 1975 Méthode de datation potassiumargon. Appareillage et technique Note technique Inst Géol Univ Strasbourg 3 .Google Scholar
Burley, S.D. and Flisch, M., 1989 K-Ar chronology and the origin of illite in the Piper and Tartan fields, Outer Moray Firth, U.K. North Sea Clay Miner 24 285–315 10.1180/claymin.1989.024.2.11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clauer, N. and Chaudhuri, S., 1996 Inter-basinal comparison of the diagenetic evolution of illite/smectite minerals in buried shales on the basis of K-Ar systematics Clays Clay Miner 44 818–824 10.1346/CCMN.1996.0440613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clauer, N. Środoń, J. Francu, J. and Šucha, V., 1997 K-Ar dating of illite fundamental particles separated from illite-smectite Clay Miner 32 181–196 10.1180/claymin.1997.032.2.02.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clauer, N. Zwingmann, H. and Chaudhuri, S., 1996 Isotopic (K-Ar and oxygen) constraints on the extent and importance of the Liassic hydrothermal activity in Western Europe Clay Miner 31 301–318 10.1180/claymin.1996.031.3.02.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eberl, D. Środoń, J. Northrop, H.R., Davis, J.A. and Hayes, F., 1986 Potassium fixation in smectite by wetting and drying ACS Symposium Series 323, Geochemical processes at mineral surfaces Washington, DC Am Chem Soc 296–326.Google Scholar
Eberl, D.D. Velde, B. and McCormick, T., 1993 Synthesis of illite-smectite from smectite at Earth surface temperatures and high pH Clay Miner 28 49–60 10.1180/claymin.1993.028.1.06.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ehrenberg, S.N. and Nadeau, P.H., 1989 Formation of diagenetic illite in sandstones of the Garn Formation, Haltenbanken area, Mid-Norwegian continental shelf Clay Miner 24 233–253 10.1180/claymin.1989.024.2.09.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elsass, F. Środoń, J. and Robert, M., 1997 Illite-smectite alteration and accompanying reactions in a Pennsylvanian underclay studied by TEM Clays Clay Miner 45 390–403 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glasmann, J.R. Larter, S. Briedis, N.A. and Lundegard, P.D., 1989 Shale diagenesis in the Bergen High area, North Sea Clays Clay Miner 37 97–112 10.1346/CCMN.1989.0370201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glasmann, J.R. Lundegard, P.D. Clark, R.A. Penny, B.K. and Collins, I.D., 1989 Geochemical evidence for the history of diagenesis and fluid migrations: Brent sandstones, Heather field, North Sea Clay Miner 24 255–284 10.1180/claymin.1989.024.2.10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gorokhov, I.M. Clauer, N. Turchenko, T.L. Melnikov, N.N. Ku-tyavin, E.P. Pirrus, E. and Baskakov, A.V., 1994 Rb-Sr systematics of Vendian-Cambrian claystones from the east European platform: Implications for a multi-stage illite evolution Chem Geol 112 71–89 10.1016/0009-2541(94)90105-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, R.L. Guldman, S.G. Matthews, J.C. Lander, R.H. Duffin, M.E. and Kyser, T.K., 1991 Clay mineral diagenesis in core KM-3 of Searles Lake, California Clays Clay Miner 39 84–96 10.1346/CCMN.1991.0390111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirsimae, K. Jorgensen, P. and Kalm, V., 1997 Low-temperature illite-smectite in Lower Cambrian clays in North Estonia Abstr of Golden Jubilee Meeting of Clay Miner Group, Aberdeen, UK, no. 17 .Google Scholar
Lagaly, G. Weiss, A. and Heller, L., 1969 Determination of the layer charge in mica-type layer silicates Proc Int Clay Conf. 61–80.Google Scholar
Laird, D.A. Scott, A.D. and Fenton, T.E., 1987 Interpretation of al-kylammonium characterization of soil clays Soil Sci Soc Am J 51 1659–1663 10.2136/sssaj1987.03615995005100060046x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackintosh, E.E. and Lewis, D.G., 1968 Displacement of potassium from micas by dodecylammonium chloride Trans 9th Int Congr Soil Sci 2 695–703.Google Scholar
Mackintosh, E.E. Lewis, D.G. and Greenland, D.J., 1971 Dodecyl-ammonium-mica complexes: I. Factors affecting the exchange reaction Clays Clay Miner 19 209–218 10.1346/CCMN.1971.0190402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackintosh, E.E. Lewis, D.G. and Greenland, D.J., 1972 Dodecyl-ammonium-mica complexes: II. Characterization of the reaction products Clays Clay Miner 20 125–134 10.1346/CCMN.1972.0200303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mens, K. Bergstrom, J. and Lendzion, K., 1990 The Cambrian System on the East-European Platform Correlation Chart and Explanatory Notes. IUGS Publ 25 .Google Scholar
Moore, D.M. and Reynolds, R.C. Jr, 1997 X-ray diffraction and the identification and analysis of clay minerals Oxford-New York Oxford Univ Pr.Google Scholar
Mossman, J.-R., 1991 K-Ar dating of authigenic illite/smectite material: Application to complex mixtures of mixed-layer assemblages Clay Miner 26 189–198 10.1180/claymin.1991.026.2.04.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Odin, G.S. and Odin, G.S., 1982 Interlaboratory standards for dating purposes Numerical dating in stratigraphy New York J. Wiley 123–149.Google Scholar
Pevear, D.R., Kharaka, Y.K. and Maest, A.S., 1992 Illite age analysis, a new tool for basin thermal history analysis Proc 7th Int Symp on Water-Rock Interactions, Park City, Utah 1251–1254.Google Scholar
Pichugin, M.S. Puura, V.A. Vingisaar, P.A. and Erisalu, E.K., 1977 Regional metasomatic dolomitization associated with tectonic disturbances in Lower Paleozoic deposits of the northern Baltic region Int Geol Rev 19 903–912 10.1080/00206817709471088.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Price, K.L. and McDowell, S.D., 1993 Illite/smectite geothermo-metry of the Proterozoic Oronto Group, midcontinent rift system Clays Clay Miner 41 134–147 10.1346/CCMN.1993.0410203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruhlicke, G. and Kohler, E.E., 1981 A simplified procedure for determining layer charge by the n-alkylammonium method Clay Miner 16 305–307 10.1180/claymin.1981.016.3.08.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruhlicke, G. and Niederbudde, E.A., 1985 Determination of layer charge density of expandable 2:1 clay minerals in soils and loess sediments using alkylammonium method Clay Miner 20 291–300 10.1180/claymin.1985.020.3.02.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sears, K.S. Hesse, F.R. and Vali, H., 1995 An alternative approach to differentiate between detrital and diagenetic illitic material Book of Abstr, Euroclay’ 95; Leuven 382–383.Google Scholar
Środoń, J., 1984 X-ray powder diffraction identification of illitic materials Clays Clay Miner 32 337–349 10.1346/CCMN.1984.0320501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Środoń, J., 1995 Reconstruction of maximum paleotempera-tures at present erosional surface of the Upper Silesia Basin, based on the composition of illite/smectite in shales Studia Geol Pol 108 9–22.Google Scholar
Środoń, J. 1998. Extracting K-Ar ages from shales: A theoretical test. Clay Miner 33:in press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Środoń, J. Morgan, D.J. Eslinger, E.V. Eberl, D.D. and Karlinger, M.R., 1986 Chemistry of illite/smectite and end-member illite Clays Clay Miner 34 368–378 10.1346/CCMN.1986.0340403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steiger, R.H. and Jäger, E., 1977 Subcommission on geochronology: Convention on the use of decay constants in geo- and cosmochronology Earth Plan Sci Lett 36 359–362 10.1016/0012-821X(77)90060-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Šucha, V. Kraus, I. Gerthofferova, H. Petes, J. and Serekova, M., 1993 Smectite to illite conversion in bentonites and shales of the East Slovak Basin Clay Miner 28 243–253 10.1180/claymin.1993.028.2.06.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiss, A., 1963 Mica-type layer silicates with alkylammonium ions Clays Clay Miner 10 191–224 10.1346/CCMN.1961.0100116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar