Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T18:53:28.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

K/Ar Systematics of Bentonite and Shale in a Contact Metamorphic Zone, Cerrillos, New Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

James L. Aronson  and
Mingchou Lee
James L. Aronson
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Mingchou Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
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.

To test the ability of illitic clay minerals to retain argon, K/Ar ages were measured on grain-size separates from the Cretaceous Mancos Shale and associated bentonites that have been transformed into K-bentonite near the contact with a large Tertiary igneous stock. The ages of size separates of illite/ smectite from the K-bentonite nearest the contact were internally concordant and matched the hornblende K/Ar age of the stock. In contrast, K/Ar data from clay size fractions from shales adjacent to each K-bentonite were internally discordant with measured ages that were much greater than the age of the intrusion. Thus, significant radiogenic argon was retained by fine-grained detrital illite, even in shale samples very near the igneous contact. These results are convincing evidence that illitic clay minerals are excellent K/Ar clocks under conditions prevailing in sedimentary and diagenetic environments.

Keywords

Age datingBentoniteContact metamorphismIlliteIllite/smectiteK/Ar ages
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , August 1986 , pp. 483 - 487
Copyright
Copyright © 1986, The Clay Minerals Society

Footnotes

1

Contribution No. 158 of the Department of Geological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University.

References

Aronson, J. L. and Burtner, R. L., 1983 K/Ar dating of illitic clays in Jurassic Nugget Sandstone and timing of petroleum migration in Wyoming Overthrust Belt Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull. 67 414.Google Scholar
Aronson, J. L. and Hower, J., 1976 Mechanism of burial metamorphism of argillaceous sediment. 2. Radiogenic argon evidence Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 87 738–744.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonhomme, M. G., Buhmann, D. and Besnus, Y., 1983 Reliability of K/Ar dating of clays and silicifications associated with vein mineralizations in Western Europe Geol. Rundsch 72 105–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burtner, R. L. and Aronson, J. L., 1984 K/Ar age dating of authigenic illite in the Nugget Sandstone, Wyoming 34.Google Scholar
Clauer, N., 1981 Rb-Sr and K-Ar dating of Precambrian clay and glauconite Precambrian Res. 15 331–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cobban, W. A. and Mallory, W. W., 1972 Cretaceous stages Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region Denver, Colorado Assoc. Rocky Mountain Geol. 190–206.Google Scholar
Disbrow, A. E. and Stoll, W. C. (1957) Geology of the Cerrillos area, Santa Fe County, New Mexico: New Mexico Bur. Mines Mineral Res. Bull. 48, 73 pp.Google Scholar
Giletti, B. J., 1974 Studies in diffusion I: argon in phlogopite mica Geochemical Transport and Kinetics 634 107–116.Google Scholar
Hart, S. R., 1964 The petrology and isotopic-mineral age relations of a contact zone in the Front Range, Colorado J. Geol. 72 493–525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoffman, J. C., 1979 An evaluation of potassium uptake by Mississippi-river-borne clays following deposition in the Gulf of Mexico .Google Scholar
Hoffman, J., Hower, J. and Aronson, J. L., 1976 Radiometric dating of time of thrusting in the disturbed belt of Montana Geology 4 16–20.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jäger, E., Jäger, E. and Hunziker, J. C., 1979 Introduction to geochronology Lectures in Isotope Geology Berlin Springer-Verlag 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Law, E., 1983 Petrologic, geochronologic, and isotopic investigation of the diagenesis and hydrocarbon emplacement in the Muddy Sandstone, Powder River Basin Cleveland, Ohio Case Western Reserve University.Google Scholar
Lee, M., 1984 Diagenesis of the Permian Rotliegendes Sandstone, North Sea: K/Ar, 18O/16O, and petrographic evidence Cleveland, Ohio Case Western Reserve University.Google Scholar
Nadeau, P. H., 1980 Burial and contact metamorphism in the Mancos Shale .CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nadeau, P. H. and Reynolds, R.C., 1981 Burial and contact metamorphism in the Mancos Shale Clays & Clay Minerals 29 249–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Obradovich, J. D. and Cobban, W. A., 1975 A time scale for the Late Cretaceous of the Western Interior of North American Geol. Assoc. Canada Spec. Pap. 13 31–54.Google Scholar
Perry, A. E. Jr., 1974 Diagenesis and K-Ar dating of shales and clay minerals Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 85 827–830.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, R. C. and Hower, J., 1970 The nature of inter-layering in mixed-layer illite/montmorillonites Clays & Clay Minerals 18 25–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seemann, U., 1979 Diagenetically formed interstitial clay minerals as a factor in Rotliegendes Sandstone reservoir quality in the Dutch sector of the North Sea J. Petrol. Geol. 1 55–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sommer, F., 1975 Histoire diagénétique d’une série gréseuse de Mer du Nord. Datation de l’introduction des hydrocarbures Revue Inst. Fr. Petrole. 30 729–741.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stalder, P. J., 1973 Influence of crystallographic habit and aggregate structure of authigenic clay minerals on sandstone permeability Geol. Mijnbouw 52 217–220.Google Scholar
Steiger, R. H. and Jäger, E., 1977 Subcommission on geochronology: convention on the use of decay constant in geo-and cosmochronology Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 36 359–362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Wijhe, D. H., Lutz, M. and Kaasschieter, J. P. H., 1980 The Rotliegend in The Netherlands and its gas accumulations Geol. Mijnbouw 59 3–24.Google Scholar
Weaver, C. E. and Wampler, J. M., 1970 K, Ar, illite burial Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 81 3423–3430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar