Diagenesis of Siliciclastic

Rocks

Diagenesis
all chemical, physical and biological changes undergone by a
sediment after its initial deposition, and during and after the
sediment is changed into rock (Bates and Jackson, 1987).
does NOT include weathering at surface or metamorphism at
great depths.
Takes place at pressures up to several kilobars (mainly <10
km depth), temps. up to ~300oC

Diagenesis
all chemical, physical and biological changes undergone by a
sediment after its initial deposition, and during and after the
sediment is changed into rock (Bates and Jackson, 1987).
does NOT include weathering at surface or metamorphism at
great depths.
Takes place at pressures up to several kilobars (mainly <10
km depth), temps. up to ~300oC

Diagenesis
Diagenesis: all changes to sediment/sedimentary rock from the
time of deposition to the onset of metamorphism.

Diagenetic Changes
Burrowing
Boring
Encrustation

Compaction
Cementation
Dissolution
Pressure solution

Replacement
Recrystallization
Fracturing
Etc.

The Effects of Diagenesis May Enhance or

Degrade Reservoir Quality

Diagenesis: Temp and Pressure

Typical range of geothermal

gradients

Weathering Erosion
& Transportation

Deposition
Eogenesis
Interaction of detrital
assemblages with pore
waters at shallow burial &
under influence of
depositional system

Effective Burial
Compaction & pore
water expulsion
Dehydration of clays,
gypsums & organic matter
Decarboxylation of
organic matter
Petroleum generation

Overpressure Buildup

Mesogenesis
Mechanical & Chemical
compaction
Interstitial waters influence by
increasing T& P & form
products of burial reactions in
adjacent & enclosing sediments.
Growth of cements
Destruction of primary
porosity.

Telogenesis
Interaction with
meteoric water,at
shallow burial
depths

Structural inversion

Realms of Diagenesis
Eogenetic Diagenesis
Eogenetic regime is the depositional environment
Dominated by dissolution of unstable minerals
Formation of charachteristic new minerals
(e.g. Glauconite, pyrite, illite/smectite clay mineralsetc.)

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Mesogenetic regime is the environment of deep burial.

Principal factors that drive diagenetic reactions:

Increase in Temperature
Increase in Pressure
Change in pore water composition &
Presence of fine organic material

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Increase in Temperature:
Causes increase in the rates of chemical reactions.
Stable or metastable minerals at Ecogenetic stage
becomes unstable.
causes increase in solubility of minerals except
carbonate minerals.

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Mesogenetic regime is the environment of deep burial.

Principal factors that drive diagenetic reactions:

Increase in Temperature
Increase in Pressure
Change in pore water composition &
Presence of fine organic material

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Increase in Pressure
Solubility of minerals increases with increasing stress at
grain contacts. (e.g. pressure solution in sandstone).

Grain Dissolution

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Mesogenetic regime is the environment of deep burial.

Principal factors that drive diagenetic reactions:

Increase in Temperature
Increase in Pressure
Change in pore water composition &
Presence of fine organic material

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Changed pore water composition
Strongly influences dissolution and precipitation
reactions.
Pore water composition change due to chemical
reaction of pore waters with clays &

Large scale circulation of Formation waters.

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Changed pore water composition
Strongly influences dissolution and precipitation
reactions.
Pore water composition change due to chemical
reaction of pore waters with clays &
Large scale circulation of Formation waters.
Downward migration of fresh water.
Upward expelling of pre water by compaction.

 Changed pore water composition

Pore water composition change due to chemical reaction
of pore waters with clays

Alteration of smectite clays to illite at burial depths is

a common diagenetic process (dehydration) that
releases water.
Si, Na, Ca, Fe, Mg ions are released in solution
changing chemical composition of pore water.

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Presence of Organic Matter
Bacterial oxidation & sulfate reduction of organic
matter occurs at shallower depths.

At greater depths sulphate reduction give way to

fermentation producing methane, bicarbonate ions &
hydrogen ions.

Realms of Diagenesis
Mesogenetic Diagenesis
Presence of Organic Matter
Initial fermentation by microbial activity but with
increasing burial depths chemical changes such as
polymerisation, polycondensation (formation of humic &
fulvic acids by combinations of organic molecules) &
insolublization (conversion of humic acids to insoluble
humin).

Conversion of organic matter into highly complex

geopolymer Kerogene which is precursor to petroleum
generation.

Realms of Diagenesis
Telogenetic Diagenesis

Upliftment & Exposure of deeply buried sediments.

Characterized by lowered temperatures & pressure
Minerals formed at deep burial may become unstable &
may undergo dissolution and alteration.

Realms of Diagenesis
Telogenetic Diagenesis
Telogenetic modifications include:
Oxidation & destruction of organic matter
Oxidation of iron carbonates to form iron oxides &
hematite
Oxidation of sulfides to form sulphates such as
gypsum
Alteration of detrital feldspar to kaolinite.
May enhance or reduce porosity.

Major Diagenetic Process

Compaction
Cementation

Major Diagenesis Processes

Compaction results in decrease in sediment
volume and hence porosity caused by loading
& or tectonic processes

Major Diagenesis Processes

Compaction

Cementation
Pore-filling minerals precipitated into voids
within sediment/sedimentary rocks.
Quartz
Chert
Chalcedony
Opal

Hematite
Limonite

Phosphate
Clay
Glauconite

Calcite
Aragonite
Mg-calcite
Dolomite
Siderite

Cementation
Cements come in numerous fabrics
Fibrous
Bladed
Acicular
Pendant
Concentric
Poikilotopic
Botryoidal
Drusy
Syntaxial
Micritic
Massive
etc.
(McIlreath and Morrow, 1990)

Cementation
Origin
Cements precipitate from pore waters (vadose and phreatic
zones).
Timing ranges from synsedimentary to burial
Cements give clues about water chemistry (pH, Eh, etc) and
environment

Cementation
Origin
Cements can also be precipitated directly on (and below) the
sea floor

Sandstone Cementation

SEM

300 m
cement

Quartz grain

Sandstone Cementation

ppl

xn
chalcedony

Sandstone Cementation

Sandstone Cementation

Calcite Cement