2017. 8. 30.

Influence of depositional environment on sandstone diagenesis - AAPG Wiki

Depositional environment influences many aspects of sandstone diagenesis. The flow chart in Figure 1 shows the
interrelationship of depositional environment with the many factors controlling sandstone diagenesis.

Contents [hide] 
1 Sediment texture and composition
2 Depositional pore-water chemistry
3 Marine pore-water chemistry
4 Marine diagenesis
5 Nonmarine pore-water chemistry and
cements
6 Cements Figure 1 Flow chart showing the interrelationship of depositional
7 Diagenesis and depositional pore waters environment with the many factors controlling sandstone diagenesis. After
8 See also Stonecipher et al.[1]

9 References
10 External links

Sediment texture and composition

Depositional environment affects sediment composition by determining the amount of reworking and sorting by size
or hydraulic equivalence. Sediments that have a higher degree of reworking are more mechanically and chemically
stable. The energy level of depositional environments affects sorting by size or hydraulic equivalence and consequently
produces different detrital mineral suites.[2]
For example, different facies of the Wilcox Group along the Gulf Coast of Texas have different compositions that are
independent of their source area.[2] Wilcox basal fluvial point bar sands are the coarsest and contain the highest
proportion of nondisaggregated lithic fragments. Prodelta sands, deposited in a more distal setting, contain fine
quartz, micas, and detrital clays that are products of disaggregation. Reworked sands, such as shoreline or tidal sands,
are more quartzose.

Depositional pore-water chemistry

Depositional pore-water chemistry of a sandstone is a function of depositional environment. Marine sediments typically
have alkaline pore water. Nonmarine sediments have pore water with a variety of chemistries. In nonmarine sediments
deposited in conditions that were warm and wet, the pore water is initially either acidic or anoxic and has a high
concentration of dissolved mineral species.[3]

Marine pore-water chemistry

Marine water is slightly alkaline. Little potential for chemical reaction exists between normal marine pore water and the
common detrital minerals of sediments deposited in a marine environment. Therefore, diagenesis of marine sandstones
results from a change in pore-water chemistry during burial or the reaction of less stable sediment with amorphous
material.[3]

Marine diagenesis
The precipitation of cements in quartzarenites and subarkoses
deposited in a marine environment tends to follow a
predictable pattern beginning with clay authigenesis associated
with quartz and feldspar overgrowths, followed by carbonate
precipitation. Clay minerals form first because they precipitate
more easily than quartz and feldspar overgrowths, which
require more ordered crystal growth. Carbonate cement stops
the further diagenesis of aluminosilicate minerals.
Figure 2  Typical diagenetic pathways for marine
sediments. Copyright: Burley et al.;[3] courtesy Blackwell

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2017. 8. 30. Influence of depositional environment on sandstone diagenesis - AAPG Wiki

The diagram in Figure 2 summarizes typical diagenetic Scientific.

pathways for marine sediments.

Nonmarine pore-water chemistry and cements

Nonmarine pore-water chemistry falls into two climatic
categories: (1) warm and wet or (2) hot and dry. The chemistry
of pore waters formed in warm and wet conditions is usually
acidic or anoxic with large concentrations of dissolved mineral
species. The interaction of organic material with pore water is a
critical factor with these waters. The depositional pore water of
sediments deposited in hot and dry conditions is typically
slightly alkaline and dilute. Figure 3 Typical diagenetic pathways for warm and
wet nonmarine sediments. Copyright: Burley et
The diagram in Figure 3 shows typical diagenetic pathways for
al.;[3]courtesy Blackwell Scientific.
warm and wet nonmarine sediments.

Cements
The table below, compiled from data by Thomas[4] shows the cements that generally characterize specific depositional
environments.

Environment Facies Cement

Dune Quartz overgrowths dominate; also clay coats
Eolian Grain-coating clays; in areas that were alternately moist and dry anhydrite, dolomite, or
Interdune
calcite common
Flood
Chlorite, illite, smectite, and mixed-layer clay
plain
Fluvial
Calcite at base, grading up into calcite plus quartz, quartz plus clay minerals, and clays plus
Channel
minor carbonate
Nearshore Carbonate minerals such as calcite or siderite; illite in sands deposited where fresh and
All
marine marine water mix
Marine shelf All Calcite mainly; also dolomite, illite, chlorite rims, and quartz
Greater variety than other environments; cements include quartz, chlorite, calcite, illite, and
Deep marine All
occasional siderite or dolomite

Diagenesis and depositional pore waters

In the Wilcox of the Texas Gulf Coast, certain minerals precipitate as a result of the influence of depositional pore-
water chemistry:[1]
Mica-derived kaolinite characterizes fluvial/distributary-channel sands flushed by fresh water
Abundant siderite characterizes splay sands and lake sediments deposited in fresh, anoxic water
Chlorite rims characterize marine sands flushed by saline pore water
Glauconite or pyrite characterizes marine sediments deposited in reducing or mildly reducing conditions
Illite characterizes shoreline sands deposited in the mixing zone where brackish water forms
Chamosite characterizes distributary-mouth-bar sands rapidly deposited in the freshwater–marine water mixing
zone

See also
Sandstone porosity and permeability prediction
Sandstone diagenetic processes
Effect of composition and texture on sandstone diagenesis

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2017. 8. 30. Influence of depositional environment on sandstone diagenesis - AAPG Wiki

Hydrology and sandstone diagenesis

Predicting sandstone reservoir porosity
Predicting sandstone permeability from texture
Estimating sandstone permeability from cuttings

References
1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stonecipher, S. A., R. D. Winn, Jr., and M. G. Bishop, 1984, Diagenesis of the Frontier Formation, Moxa
Arch: a function of sandstone geometry, texture and composition, and fluid flux , in D. A. McDonald, and R. C.
Surdam eds., Clastic Diagenesis: AAPG Memoir 37, p. 289–316.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stonecipher, S. A., and J. A. May, 1990, Facies controls on early diagenesis: Wilcox Group, Texas Gulf
Coast , in D. Meshri and P. J. Ortoleva, eds., Prediction of Reservoir Quality Through Chemical Modeling, I:
AAPG Memoir 49, p. 25–44.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Burley, S. D., J. D. Kantorowicz, and B. Waugh, 1985, Clastic diagenesis, in P. J. Brenchley, and B.
P. J. Williams, eds., Sedimentology: Recent Developments and Applied Aspects: London, Blackwell Scientific
Publications, p. 189–228.
4. ↑ Thomas, R., 1983, An introduction to the thin section analysis of the diagenetic histories of clastic rocks, in I.
Hutcheon, A. Oldershaw, and R. Thomas, eds., Clastic diagenesis: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
Short Course, University of Calgary, chapter 3, 56 p.

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