Diagenesis of silica-rich mounded chalk, the Coniacian Arnager Limestone, Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - Diagenesis of silica-rich mounded chalk, the Coniacian Arnager Limestone, Denmark

AU - Buus Madsen, Heine

AU - Stemmerik, Lars

AU - Surlyk, Finn

PY - 2010/1

Y1 - 2010/1

N2 - The Coniacian Arnager Limestone Formation is exposed on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It is composed of mound-bedded siliceous chalk, and X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy indicate a content of 30-70% insoluble minerals, including authigenic opal-CT, quartz, clinoptilolite, feldspars, calcite, dolomite, and barite. Opal-CT and clinoptilolite are the most common and constitute 16-53% and 2-9%, respectively. The content of insoluble minerals varies laterally bothwithinthemounds and inplanar beds, and the opal-CT content varies by up to 10% vertically. Themounds consist of twomicrofacies, spiculiticwackestone and bioturbated spiculitic wackestone, containing 10-22% and 7-12% moulds after spicules, respectively. Subsequent to deposition and shallow burial, dissolution of siliceous sponge spicules increased the silica activity of the pore water and initiated precipitation of opal-CT. The opal-CT formed at temperatures around 17°C, the precipitation lowered the silica activity and the Si/Al ratio of the pore water, resulting in precipitation of clinoptilolite, feldspar and smectite. Calcite formed synchronouslywith the latest clinoptilolite.Minoramounts of quartz precipitated in pore water with low silica activity during maximum burial, probably to depths of 200-250 m. The dissolution of sponge spicules and decomposition of the sponge tissue also resulted in the release of Ba2+, Sr2+,Mg2+, Ca2+ and CO3 2-, facilitating precipitation of barite and dolomite. Precipitation of especially opal-CT reduced the porosity to an average of 40% and cemented the limestone. The study highlights the diagenetic pathways of bio-siliceous chalk and the effects on preservation of porosity and permeability.

AB - The Coniacian Arnager Limestone Formation is exposed on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It is composed of mound-bedded siliceous chalk, and X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy indicate a content of 30-70% insoluble minerals, including authigenic opal-CT, quartz, clinoptilolite, feldspars, calcite, dolomite, and barite. Opal-CT and clinoptilolite are the most common and constitute 16-53% and 2-9%, respectively. The content of insoluble minerals varies laterally bothwithinthemounds and inplanar beds, and the opal-CT content varies by up to 10% vertically. Themounds consist of twomicrofacies, spiculiticwackestone and bioturbated spiculitic wackestone, containing 10-22% and 7-12% moulds after spicules, respectively. Subsequent to deposition and shallow burial, dissolution of siliceous sponge spicules increased the silica activity of the pore water and initiated precipitation of opal-CT. The opal-CT formed at temperatures around 17°C, the precipitation lowered the silica activity and the Si/Al ratio of the pore water, resulting in precipitation of clinoptilolite, feldspar and smectite. Calcite formed synchronouslywith the latest clinoptilolite.Minoramounts of quartz precipitated in pore water with low silica activity during maximum burial, probably to depths of 200-250 m. The dissolution of sponge spicules and decomposition of the sponge tissue also resulted in the release of Ba2+, Sr2+,Mg2+, Ca2+ and CO3 2-, facilitating precipitation of barite and dolomite. Precipitation of especially opal-CT reduced the porosity to an average of 40% and cemented the limestone. The study highlights the diagenetic pathways of bio-siliceous chalk and the effects on preservation of porosity and permeability.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0037-0738

VL - 223

SP - 51

EP - 60

JO - Sedimentary Geology

JF - Sedimentary Geology

IS - 1-2

ER -