Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T04:07:16.415Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diagenetic pyrite formation and sulphur isotope fractionation associated with a Westphalian marine incursion, northern England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

L. G. Love ,
M. L. Coleman  and
C. D. Curtis
L. G. Love
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Sheffield, Beaumont Building, Brookhill, Sheffield S3 7HF, England.
M. L. Coleman
Affiliation:
B.P. Research Centre, Chertsey Road, Sunbury on Thames, TW16 7LN, England.
C. D. Curtis
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Sheffield, Beaumont Building, Brookhill, Sheffield S3 7HF, England.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Pyrite textures are described and illustrated and stable S-isotope data are presented from the Alton (Gastrioceras listen) marine horizon of the Westphalian Lower Coal Measures, from sections near Penistone in central northern England, with the object of relating the paragenetic sequence of pyrite formation to the conditions of sediment deposition and diagenesis. The earliest diagenetic pyrite is dispersed as framboidal and related textures. It is followed in the marine shale, coal and ganister by more localised but more intense pyrite deposition and replacement in a variety of textures. Most of this is precompactional in age, but some, together with pyrite in veinlets and cleat, is postcompactional. Marcasite is rare and mainly late. δ34S ratios range between −35·31‰ and +20·39‰. There is a definite trend from lighter values (−1·15 ± 6·47‰) in the marine part of the sequence to much heavier values (+12·73 ± 7·66‰) in the sediment below the coal. This allows the relationship of the earliest pyrite deposition in the coal-peat and ganister to the chemistry of their own depositional fresh water to be seen but then relates the main pyrite deposition to the influx of the marine-water sulphate of the Alton horizon, and shows the penetration of this influence downward into the coal-peat and its seat-bed.

Keywords

bullioncalcitecoalconcretioncone-in-coneframboidganisteriron sulphidemarcasitepyritised fossilshalesiderite.
Type
Research Article
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , 1983 , pp. 165 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1983

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.)

References

10. References

Ashby, D. A. & Pearson, M. J. 1979. Mineral distribution in sediments associated with the Alton Marine Band near Penistone, South Yorkshire. In Mortland, M. M. & Farmer, V.C. (eds) Developments in Sedimentology 27, 311–21. Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Berner, R. A. 1969. Migration of iron and sulfur within anaerobic sediments during early diagenesis. AM J SCI 267, 19–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boctor, N. Z., Kullerud, G. & Sweany, J. L. 1976. Sulfide minerals in Seelyville Coal, III. Chinook Mine, Indiana. MINERAL DEPOSITA 11, 249–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calver, M. A. 1968. Distribution of Westphalian marine faunas in Northern England and adjoining areas. PROC YORKSHIRE GEOL SOC 37, 1–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chambers, A. & Trudinger, P. A. 1979. Microbiological formation of stable sulfur isotopes. A review and critique. GEOMICROBIOLOGYS 1, 249–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Claypool, G. E., Holser, W. T., Kaplan, I. R., Sakai, H. & Zak, I. 1980. The age curves of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in marine sulfate and their mutual interpretation. CHEM GEOL 28, 199–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, M. L. & Raiswell, R. 1981. Carbon, oxygen and sulphur isotope variations in concretions from the Upper Lias of N.E. England. GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM ACTA 45, 329–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curtis, C. D., Pearson, M. J. & Somogyi, V. A. 1975. Mineralogy, chemistry and origin of a concretionary siderite sheet (clay-ironstone band) in the Westphalian of Yorkshire. MINERAL MAG 40, 385–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunham, K. C. 1970 Mineralisation by deep formation waters: a review. TRANS INST MIN MET 79B, 127–36.Google Scholar
Dvornikov, A. G. & Tikhonenkova, E. G. 1968. On distribution and composition of iron disulphides from coals of the Donbas. ZAP VSES MINERAL 0-VA 97, 309–20.Google Scholar
Franks, P. C. 1969. Nature, origin and significance of cone-in-cone structures in the Kiowa Formation (Early Cretaceous), North-Central Kansas. J SEDIMENT PETROL 39, 1438–54.Google Scholar
Goldhaber, M. B. & Kaplan, I. R. 1974. The sulfur cycle. In Goldberg, E. D. (ed.) Ideas and observations on progress in the study of the seas, 5, 569–655. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Holser, W. T. & Kaplan, I. R. 1966. Isotope geochemistry of sedimentary sulfates. CHEM GEOL 1, 93–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, G. A. L. 1981. Geographical evolution from Laurasia to Pangaea. PROC YORKSHIRE GEOL SOC 43, 221–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kizilstein, L. Y. 1967. Morphology and origin of some secreted syngenetic pyrite in coal beds of the Donetz basin. LITHOL ECON MIN DEP 2, 256–8.Google Scholar
Love, L. G. 1964. Early diagenetic pyrite in fine grained sediments and the genesis of sulphide ores. In Amstutz, G. C. (ed.), Sedimentology and Ore Genesis, 11–37. Amsterdam: Elsevier.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Love, L. G. 1967. Early diagenetic iron sulphide in Recent sediments of the Wash, England. SEDIMENTOLOGY 9, 327–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Love, L. G. & Amstutz, G. C. 1966. Review of microscopic pyrite from the Devonian Chattanooga Shale and Rammelsberg Banderz. FORTSCHR MINERAL 43, 273–309.Google Scholar
Maynard, J. B. 1980. Sulfur isotopes of iron Sulfides in the Devonian-Mississippian shales of the Appalachian basin: control by rate of sedimentation. AM J SCI 280, 772–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maynard, J. B. & Lauffenburger, S. K. 1978. A marcasite layer in prodelta turbidites of the Boden formation (Mississippian) in Eastern Kentucky. SOUTHEAST GEOL 20, 47–58.Google Scholar
Nakai, N. & Jensen, M. L. 1964. The kinetic isotope effect in the bacterial reduction and oxidation of sulfur. GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM ACTA 28, 1893–912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oertel, G. & Curtis, C. D. 1972. Clay ironstone concretion preserving fabrics due to progression compaction. BULL GEOL SOC AM 83, 2597–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parratt, R. L. & Kullerud, G. 1979. Sulfide minerals in Coal Bed V Minnehaha Mine, Sullivan County, Indiana. MINERAL DEPOSITA 14, 195–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, M. J. 1979. Geochemistry of the Hepworth Carboniferous sediment sequence and origin of the diagenetic iron minerals and concretions. GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM ACTA 43, 927–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Price, F. T. & Shieh, Y. N. 1979. The distribution and isotopie composition of sulfur in coals from the Illinois Basin. ECON GEOL 74, 1445–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raiswell, R. 1982. Pyrite texture, isotopie composition and the availability of iron. AM J SCI 282, 1244–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raiswell, R. & Plant, J. 1980. The incorporation of trace elements into pyrite during diagenesis of black shales, Yorkshire, England. ECON GEOL 75, 684–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramsbottom, W. H. C. 1971. Palaeogeography and goniatite distribution in the Namurian and early Westphalian. C R CONGR INT STRAT GEOL CARBONIF SHEFFIELD 4, 1395–400.Google Scholar
Rees, C. E. 1973. A steady state model for sulphur isotope fractionation in bacterial reduction processes. GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM ACTA 37, 1141–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rickard, D. T. 1970. The origin of framboids. LITHOS 3, 269–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, B. W. & Kusakabe, M. 1976. Quantitative preparation of sulphur dioxide for 34S/32S analysis. ANAL CHEM 47, 1179–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwarcz, H. P. & Burnie, S. W. 1973. Influence of sedimentary environments on sulfur isotope ratios in clastic rocks: a review. MINERAL DEPOSITA 8, 264–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, J. W. & Batts, B. D. 1974. The distribution and isotopie composition of sulfur in coal. GEOCHIM COSMOCHIM ACTA 38, 121–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smyth, M. 1966. A siderite–pyrite association in Australian coals. FUEL 45, 221–31.Google Scholar
Sweeney, R. E. & Kaplan, J. R. 1973. Pyrite framboid formation: laboratory synthesis and marine sediments. ECON GEOL 68, 618–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vallentyne, J. R. 1963. Isolation of pyrite spherules from Recent sediments. OCEANOGR LIMNOL 8, 16–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, D. & Thiessen, R. 1913. The origin of coal. U S BUR MINES BULL 38.Google Scholar
Williams, E. G. & Keith, M. L. 1963. Relationship between the sulfur in coals and the occurrence of marine roof beds. ECON GEOL 58, 720–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodland, B. G. 1975. Pyritic cone-in-cone concretions. FIELDIANA 33, 125–39.Google Scholar
Ziegler, P. A. 1981. Evolution of sedimentary basins in North-West Europe. In Illing, L. V. & Hobson, G. D. (eds) Petroleum Geology on the continental shelf of North-West Europe, 3–39. London: Heyden.Google Scholar