Biofilm Origin of Clay-Coated Sand Grains


Wooldridge, LJ, Worden, RH ORCID: 0000-0002-4686-9428, Griffiths, J, Thompson, A and Chung, P (2017) Biofilm Origin of Clay-Coated Sand Grains. Geology (Boulder), 45 (10). pp. 875-878.

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Abstract

The presence of clay-sized particles and clay minerals in modern sands and ancient sandstones has long presented an interesting problem, because primary depositional processes tend to lead to physical separation of fine- and coarse-grained materials. Numerous processes have been invoked to explain the common presence of clay minerals in sandstones, including infiltration, the codeposition of flocculated muds, and bioturbation-induced sediment mixing. How and why clay minerals form as grain coats at the site of deposition remains uncertain, despite clay-coated sand grains being of paramount importance for subsequent diagenetic sandstone properties. We have identified a new biofilm mechanism that explains clay material attachment to sand grain surfaces that leads to the production of detrital clay coats. This study focuses on a modern estuary using a combination of field work, scanning electron microscopy, petrography, biomarker analysis, and Raman spectroscopy to provide evidence of the pivotal role that biofilms play in the formation of clay-coated sand grains. This study shows that within modern marginal marine systems, clay coats primarily result from adhesive biofilms. This bio-mineral interaction potentially revolutionizes the understanding of clay-coated sand grains and offers a first step to enhanced reservoir quality prediction in ancient and deeply buried sandstones.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Clastic rocks, Clastic sediments, Clay minerals, Europe, Great Britain, Sandstone, England, Sheet silicates, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Sedimentary rocks, Sediments, Silicates, Sand
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 15 Sep 2017 14:14
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 06:54
DOI: 10.1130/G39161.1
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3009475

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