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Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic...
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Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 10611

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberto Buccione

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Interests: geochemistry; trace elements; mineralogy; rare earth elements; ore deposits
Dr. Rabah Kechiched

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratoire des Réservoirs Souterrains: Pétroliers, Gaziers et Aquifères, Université Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla 30000, Algeria
Interests: mineralogy; geochemistry; rare earth elements; paleoenvironment; economic geology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue in “Minerals” entitled “Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction”.

Clays are a mineralogical species of great interest in various fields of geoscience and are among the most used proxies for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental studies in several geological settings.

The formation and composition of clay minerals are influenced by climatic conditions, and their occurrence in sediments can be useful for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental interpretive purposes; while they do not provide direct indications of climatic parameters, they can furnish records of overall climatic impact.

This information can also be derived from the integration of mineralogy and geochemistry, which are also used to record paleoclimatic conditions since several elements, including rare earth elements, are very sensitive to environmental and climate changes. Thus, considering of the mineralogy and geochemistry of clay minerals is certainly an effective tool in assessing paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental conditions.

For this Special Issue, I invite submissions presenting data and results that highlight the usefulness of minerochemical characterization of clays in providing valuable data on paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions. In this regard, multi-analytical studies on clay composition that use different types of analytical instruments, such as atomic absorption spectroscopy, atomic emission spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, are welcome.

Dr. Roberto Buccione
Dr. Rabah Kechiched
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • clay composition
  • clay associations
  • mineralogy
  • X-ray diffraction
  • geochemical composition
  • multi-analytical techniques
  • paleoclimate
  • climate change
  • paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate reconstruction

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2325 KiB  
Article
Geochemical Record of Late Quaternary Paleodepositional Environment from Lacustrine Sediments of Soda Lake, Carrizo Plain, California
by Alejandro Rodriguez, Junhua Guo, Katie O’Sullivan and William Krugh
Minerals 2024, 14(3), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030211 - 20 Feb 2024
Viewed by 577
Abstract
This study investigates the responses of the depositional environments of Soda Lake sediments to climatic shifts from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene epoch based on the results of major and trace elements of the North Soda Lake (NSL) NSL1A core. The [...] Read more.
This study investigates the responses of the depositional environments of Soda Lake sediments to climatic shifts from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene epoch based on the results of major and trace elements of the North Soda Lake (NSL) NSL1A core. The NSL1A core records the sedimentary evolution of the Soda Lake watershed since at least 25 cal ka BP. Element analyses provide evidence that Soda Lake sediments are mostly derived from marine sequences in the Southern Coast Ranges of California. Variation in proxies for paleoweathering, paleoclimate, paleosalinity, paleoproductivity, paleoredox, and water depth is utilized to reconstruct the evolution of the sedimentary environment. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values indicate low to moderate chemical weathering in the sediment source regions. Paleoredox proxies indicate that the NSL1A core formed in a mainly subreduction environment. The NSL1A core is divided into four zones based on the results of the proxies. Zone 4 (5.0–5.8 m) of the sediment core indicates stable hydroclimatic conditions with low and constant sand and silt content, suggesting a warm and relatively humid environment. Zone 3 (3.35–5.0 m) represents the early half of the Last Glacial Maximum interval and a high lake stand. The elevated sand content suggests postflood events due to the northerly migration of westerly storm tracks. Zone 2 (1.075–3.35 m) reveals nuanced changes, including decreasing salinity, slight increases in wetness, detrital trace metals, and paleoproductivity. These subtle shifts suggest a multifaceted environmental evolution: a trend toward wetter conditions alongside a prolonged shift from cooler to warmer periods. Zone 1 (0.15–1.075 m) spans the Lateglacial to Holocene transition as well as Early and Middle Holocene, marked by significant hydrologic and ecologic variability including rapid warming during the Bølling–Allerød and rapid cooling linked to the Younger Dryas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction)
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37 pages, 73671 KiB  
Article
Developing Characteristics of Shale Lamination and Their Impact on Reservoir Properties in the Deep Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation Shale of the Southern Sichuan Basin
by Xiao Ma, Jinqi Xu, Wenhui Liu, Yaohua Wang, Huricha Wu and Jingqiang Tan
Minerals 2024, 14(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020171 - 04 Feb 2024
Viewed by 758
Abstract
The deep shale of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation in the southern Sichuan Basin has high gas potential. The development characteristics of lamination could significantly impact reservoir property. Samples were investigated using microscopic observation, element analysis, organic petrology analysis, mineralogy analysis, and pore structure analysis [...] Read more.
The deep shale of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation in the southern Sichuan Basin has high gas potential. The development characteristics of lamination could significantly impact reservoir property. Samples were investigated using microscopic observation, element analysis, organic petrology analysis, mineralogy analysis, and pore structure analysis to determine the types of laminae and laminasets, clarify the formation conditions of argillaceous lamina and silty lamina as well as their relationships with the sedimentary environment, and explore the influence of laminae on shale reservoir property. Results indicate that the Wufeng Formation shale exhibits weak development of laminae due to bioturbation, while the Longmaxi Formation shale develops continuous, parallel, and plate-like laminae. Compared with light silty lamina-rich shale, dark argillaceous lamina-rich shale usually develops in an anoxic reduction environment, with higher total organic carbon content, porosity, pore volume, specific surface area, and more developed organic matter pores, which can provide greater space for shale gas adsorption and storage. Shales in the middle section of the Longmaxi Formation are characterized by the development of silty-argillaceous interbedded type laminaset, which have good reservoir performance, making them the primary target for deep shale gas exploration and development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction)
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15 pages, 7621 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Quantitative X-ray Diffraction Mineral Analysis Methods
by Jingyun Xiao, Yougui Song and Yue Li
Minerals 2023, 13(4), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13040566 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3375
Abstract
X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, as one of the most powerful methods, has been widely used to identify and quantify minerals in earth science. How to improve the precision of mineral quantitative analysis is still a hot topic. To date, several quantitative methods have [...] Read more.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, as one of the most powerful methods, has been widely used to identify and quantify minerals in earth science. How to improve the precision of mineral quantitative analysis is still a hot topic. To date, several quantitative methods have been proposed for different purposes and accompanied by diverse software. In this study, three quantitative mineral analysis methods, including the reference intensity ratio (RIR), Rietveld, and full pattern summation (FPS) methods, are compared and evaluated to systematically investigate their accuracy and applicability. The results show that the analytical accuracy of these methods is basically consistent for mixtures free from clay minerals. However, there are significant differences in accuracy for clay-mineral-containing samples. In comparison, it seems that the FPS method has wide applicability, which is more appropriate for sediments. The Rietveld method has been shown to be capable of quantifying complicated non-clay samples with a high analytical accuracy; nevertheless, most conventional Rietveld software fails to accurately quantify phases with a disordered or unknown structure. The RIR method represents a handy approach but with lower analytical accuracy. Overall, the present results are expected to provide a potentially important reference for the quantitative analysis of minerals in sediments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction)
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22 pages, 13051 KiB  
Article
Geological Characteristics and Paleoenvironmental Evolution of Fine-Grained Sediments in the Third Member of the Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Depression, SW China
by Yunfei Lu, Jingchun Tian, Qingshao Liang and Xiaobing Lin
Minerals 2023, 13(4), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13040510 - 02 Apr 2023
Viewed by 2117
Abstract
This study investigated, in detail, the characteristics of the Late Triassic fine-grained sediments in the third member of the Xujiahe Formation (Xu-3 Member), in the Western Sichuan Depression, and the paleoenvironmental evolution during their deposition through petrological interpretation, mineralogical composition characterization, and element [...] Read more.
This study investigated, in detail, the characteristics of the Late Triassic fine-grained sediments in the third member of the Xujiahe Formation (Xu-3 Member), in the Western Sichuan Depression, and the paleoenvironmental evolution during their deposition through petrological interpretation, mineralogical composition characterization, and element geochemical analysis. According to the mineralogical composition, the Xu-3 Member can be divided into two petrological types, namely clayey fine-grained felsic sedimentary rocks and lime fine-grained felsic sedimentary rocks. The main mineral components are siliceous, clay, and carbonate minerals. Through the cluster analysis of major elements, all samples could be divided into two types with different major elemental characteristics. Trace elements exhibited distinct Sr depletion, relative enrichment of large ion lithophile elements, and high field strength elements. Two REE enrichment patterns were observed, which could be attributed to differences in the provenance area and tectonic background. The paleoclimate of the sedimentary area was warm and humid, but it was hotter and drier in the southern and central parts of the depression. The change trend of paleo-productivity was consistent with the paleoclimate. The waters in the sedimentary environment were mainly brackish water to saline water, with fresh water in the southern part of the depression. The paleo-redox conditions of the waters were mainly sub-oxidation to sub-reduction, but the southern part of the depression was more oxidative. The provenance area experienced a moderate degree of chemical weathering under a warm and humid paleoclimate, same as the depositional area. However, the depositional environments differed between the northern and south-central parts of the depression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction)
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21 pages, 25501 KiB  
Article
Origin and Paleoenvironmental Conditions of the Köprüağzı Evaporites (Eastern Anatolia, Turkey): Sedimentological, Mineralogical and Geochemical Constraints
by Pelin Güngör Yeşilova and Ozan Baran
Minerals 2023, 13(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13020282 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2430
Abstract
Köprüağzı evaporites mainly consist of primary (selenite and gypsarenite) and secondary (massive, laminated and satin-spar) gypsum lithofacies, as well as minor anhydrite, and are interbedded with clastic and carbonate units. Sedimentological-mineralogical and geochemical findings reveal that the depositional basin extends from a lagoon [...] Read more.
Köprüağzı evaporites mainly consist of primary (selenite and gypsarenite) and secondary (massive, laminated and satin-spar) gypsum lithofacies, as well as minor anhydrite, and are interbedded with clastic and carbonate units. Sedimentological-mineralogical and geochemical findings reveal that the depositional basin extends from a lagoon to the hinterland. These data confirm that too much detrital input was transported into the basin with multiple salinity and pH value fluctuations, organic matter activity and reducing conditions. Geochemical data point out the shallow environment and the mixing of hydrothermal fluids and fresh waters. The investigated evaporites were exposed to diagenesis and alteration under the influence of a hot—dry and minor humid climate, tectonism and pressure. The 87Sr/86Sr, δ34S and δ18O isotope values of Köprüağzı evaporites reveal that they are of Miocene marine sulfate origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Clays and Their Application to Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction)
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