Sediment Diagenesis

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 S di t Di
Sediment i
Diagenesis
Diagenesis referstothesumofalltheprocessesthatbringaboutchanges(e.g.,
referstothesumofalltheprocessesthatbringaboutchanges(e g
compositionandtexture)inasedimentorsedimentaryrocksubsequentto
depositioninwater.Theprocessesmaybephysical,chemical,and/orbiologicalin
natureandmayoccuratanytimesubsequenttothearrivalofaparticleatthe
sedimentwaterinterface.

Therangeofphysicalandchemicalconditionsincludedindiagenesis is0to200oC,
1to2000barsandwatersalinitiesfromfreshwatertoconcentratedbrines.Infact,
therangeofdiagenetic environmentsispotentiallylargeanddiagenesis canoccurin
anydepositionalorpostdepositionalsettinginwhichasedimentorrockmaybe
placedbysedimentaryortectonicprocesses.Thisincludesdeepburialprocessesbut
excludesmoreextensivehightemperatureorpressuremetamorphicprocesses.
l d i hi h hi

Earlydiagenesis referstochangesoccurringduringburialuptoafewhundred
p ( 4 oC)andwhereuplift
meterswhereelevatedtemperaturesarenotencountered(<140 ) p
abovesealeveldoesnotoccur,sothatporespacesofthesedimentarecontinually
filledwithwater.
 E l Diagenesis
Early Di i
1. Physicaleffects:compaction.

2. Biological/physical/chemicalinfluenceofburrowingorganisms:
bioturbation andbioirrigation.
andbioirrigation

3. Formationofnewmineralsandmodificationofpreexisting
minerals.
minerals

4. Completeorpartialdissolutionofminerals.

5. Postdepositionalmobilizationandmigrationofelements.

6 Bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
6. B t i ld d ti f i tt
Physical effects and compaction
(resulting from burial and overburden in the sediment column,
most significant in fine-grained sediments shale)

Porosity = = volume of pore water/volume of total sediment

 E l Diagenesis
Early Di i
1. Physicaleffects:compaction.

2. Biological/physical/chemicalinfluenceofburrowing
organisms:bioturbation andbioirrigation.
andbioirrigation

3. Formationofnewmineralsandmodificationofpreexisting
minerals.
minerals

4. Completeorpartialdissolutionofminerals.

5. Postdepositionalmobilizationandmigrationofelements.

6 Bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
6. B t i ld d ti f i tt
 Bi t b ti /bi i i ti
Bioturbation/bioirrigation

Someorganisms,suchascrabsandsnails,mixsurfacesedimentssimplybycrawlingandplowing
throughit.Moreimportantly,others,especiallypolychaete wormsandbivalves,burrowintothe
sedimentandingestthesedimentparticlestoextractorganicmatterasfood Suchburrowing
sedimentandingestthesedimentparticlestoextractorganicmatterasfood.Suchburrowing
activitycanextendtoseveraltensofcentimetres.Oncetheirburrowsareconstructed,some
organismsremaininthemandflushtheburrowswithoverlyingseawater,bringingaboutenhanced
exchangebetweenporewatersandoverlyingseawater.Thisprocessisreferredtoasbioirrigation.
 E l Diagenesis
Early
1. Physicaleffects:compaction.
Ph i l ff i

2. Biological/physical/chemicalinfluenceofburrowingorganisms:
b
bioturbation
b andbioirrigation.
db

3. Formationofnewmineralsandmodificationofpreexisting
minerals.

4. Completeorpartialdissolutionofminerals.

5. Postdepositionalmobilizationandmigrationofelements

6. Bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
 Ion exchange on the surface and
intrasheet layers of clay minerals
 Authigenic minerals

Framboidal pyrite

Carbonate cement
5 m

2
m
Chert
 E l Diagenesis
Early
1.
1 Physicaleffects:compaction.
Physicaleffects:compaction

2. Biological/physical/chemicalinfluenceofburrowingorganisms:
bioturbation andbioirrigation.
andbioirrigation

3. Formationofnewmineralsandmodificationofpreexisting
minerals.
i l

4. Completeorpartialdissolutionofminerals.

5. Postdepositionalmobilizationandmigrationofelements.

6. Bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
 Bi i sediments
Biogenic di t
CaCO3 SiO2

100m 10m 25m

Coccolithophores Foraminifera Diatoms Radiolaria

100m 10m
25m

From:http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/foram.html
 Saturation state of the oceanic water column
Calcite Aragonite

0 2 4 6 0 1 2 3 4 5
0 0

1000 1000

2000 2000

Depth (m)
pth (m)

3000 3000
Dep

4000 4000

N. Atlantic 5000
5000 N. Pacific N. Atlantic
N. Pacific

6000
6000

Wewillalsoseehowcarbonatemineraldissolutioniscloselylinkedtothe
oxidativedegradationoforganicmatter.
 O li silica
Opaline ili
-1 -1
Ni (nmol kg )
-1 SiO 2 (mol kg ) PO 4 (mol kg )

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 50 100 150 200 0 1 2 3 4

0 0

1000 1000
PTH (m)

2000 North 2000

Pacific
DEP

3000 3000
North
Atlantic North
North
Pacific
4000 Altantic 4000
North North
Pacific Atlantic
5000 5000

UnlikeCaCO3,alltheoceanicwatercolumnisundersaturated withrespectto
p
amorphoussilicabutonlyafraction(<50%)ofthismaterialdissolvesinthewater
columnasitfallsthroughitafterthedeathoftheorganisms.Mostoftheopal
dissolutionoccursattheseafloor.
 E l Diagenesis
Early
1. Physicaleffects:compaction.
Ph i l ff i

2. Biological/physical/chemicalinfluenceofburrowingorganisms:
b
bioturbation
b andbioirrigation.
db

3. Formationofnewmineralsandmodificationofpreexisting
minerals.

4. Completeorpartialdissolutionofminerals.

5. Postdepositionalmobilizationandmigrationofelements.

6. Bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
 P d l remobilization
Post-depositional bl

Whilesomeelementsescapethe
sedimentthroughadvectionofpore
watersasaresultofcompaction,many
othersmigrateinandoutofthe
sedimentbydiffusion,drivenby
d b d ff d b
concentrationgradientsestablishedasa
resultofdiagenetic processessuchas
mineraldissolution ion exchange and
mineraldissolution,ionexchange,and
bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
 E l Diagenesis
Early
1.
1 Physicaleffects:compaction.
Physicaleffects:compaction

2. Biological/physical/chemicalinfluenceofburrowingorganisms:
bioturbation andbioirrigation.
andbioirrigation

3. Formationofnewmineralsandmodificationofpreexisting
minerals.
i l

4. Completeorpartialdissolutionofminerals.

5. Postdepositionalmobilizationandmigrationofelements.

6. Bacterialdegradationoforganicmatter.
 l processes
Anabolic
 f catabolic
Sequence of b l reactions
In the presence of free O2: G (kJ/mol)

(1) Aerobic respiration: (CH2O)106(NH3)16H3PO4 + 138O2H3PO4 + 16HNO3 + 106CO2 + 122H2O -475

In the absence of free O2:

(1) Denitrification:
(CH2O)106(NH3)16H3PO4 + 94.4HNO3H3PO4 + 55.2N2 + 106CO2 + 177.2H2O -448
(1) Manganese reduction:
(CH2O)106(NH3)16H3PO4 + 236MnO2 + 472H+H3PO4 + 236Mn2+ + 16NH3 + 106CO2 + 366H2O -349
(1) Iron reduction:
(CH2O)106(NH3)16H3PO4 + 212Fe2O3 + 848H+H3PO4 + 424Fe2+ + 16NH3 + 106CO2 + 530H2O -114
(1) Sulfate reduction:
(CH2O)106(NH3)16H3PO4 + 53SO422H3PO4 + 53S22 + 16NH3 + 106CO2 + 106H2O -77
77
In the absence of free and linked oxygen:

(1) Disproportionation:
(CH2O)106(NH3)16H3PO4H
H3PO4 + 16NH3 + 53CO2 + 53CH4 -58
58
 f catabolic
Sequence of b l reactions

From: Gaillard JF (1999)

 d h
Oxygen penetration depth

From: Mouret et al. (2010) Deep-Sea Research I, 57: 528-540.

 O
Oxygen t ti d
penetration th
depth
1. Oxygencontentoftheoverlyingwaters

2. Porosity

3. Rateoforganicmattercatabolism
Organicmattercontent
Reactivityoftheorganicmatter
Temperature

From: Burdige (2006) Geochemistry of Marine Sediments)

 d h
Oxygen penetration depth

From: Middelburg et al. (1997)

Deep-Sea Res. I 44: 327-344 From: Burdige (2006) Geochemistry of Marine Sediments
 f catabolic
Sequence of b l reactions

Oxic

Suboxic

Sulfidic
Anoxic
 d zonation
Redox

From: Froelich et al. (1979) GCA, 43: 1075-1090. From: Burdige (2006) Geochemistry of Marine Sediments