Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Transmission and Analytical Electron Microscopy of the Smectite-To-Illite Transition

  • Published:
Clays and Clay Minerals

Abstract

The smectite to illite reaction was studied by transmission and analytical electron microscopy (TEM/AEM) in argillaceous sediments from depths of 1750, 2450, and 5500 m in a Gulf Coast well. Smectite was texturally characterized as having wavy 10- to 13-Å layers with a high density of edge-dislocations, and illite, as having relatively defect-free straight 10-Å layers. The structures of smectite and illite were not continuous parallel to (001) at smectite-illite interfaces. AEM data showed that the smectite and illite were chemically distinct although smectite had a more variable composition. Mite formation appeared to have initiated with the growth of small packets of illite layers within subparallel layers of smectite matrix. With increasing depth, ubiquitous thin packets of illite layers increased in size until they coalesced.

A model for the transition requires that the structure of smectite was largely disrupted at the illite-smectite interface and reconstituted as illite, with concomitant changes in the chemistry of octahedral and tetrahedral sites. At least partial Na-K exchange of smectite preceded illite formation. Transport of reactants (K, Al) and products (Na, Si, Fe, Mg, H20) through the surrounding smectite matrix may have taken place along dislocations.

The smectite-to-illite conversion process for the studied samples does not necessarily appear to have required mixed-layer illite/smectite as an intermediate phase, and TEM and AEM data from unexpanded samples were found to be incompatible with the existence of mixed-layer illite/smectite in specimens whose XRD patterns indicated its presence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahn, J. H. and Peacor, D. R. (1985a) Transmission electron microscopic study of diagenetic chlorite in Gulf Coast argillaceous sediments: Clays & Clay Minerals 33, 228–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahn, J. H. and Peacor, D. R. (1985b) The smectite to ka-olinite transformation in Gulf Coast argillaceous sediments: a TEM and AEM study: in Program and Abstracts International Clay Conference, Denver, Colorado, 1985, p. 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahn, J. H., Peacor, D. R., and Essene, E. J. (1985) Coexisting paragonite-phengite in blueschist eclogite: a TEM study: Amer, Mineral. 70, 1193–1204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aronson, J. L. and Hower, J. (1976) The mechanism of burial metamorphism of argillaceous sediments: 2. Radiogenic argon evidence: Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 87, 738–744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boles, J. R. and Franks, S. G. (1979) Clay diagenesis in Wilcox sandstones of southeast Texas: implications of smectite diagenesis on sandstone cementation: J. Sed. Petrol. 49, 55–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burst, J. F. (1969) Diagenesis of Gulf Coast clayey sediments and its possible relation to petroleum migration: Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull. 53, 73–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliff, G. and Lorimer, G. W. (1975) The quantitative analysis of thin specimens: J. Microsc. 103, 203–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, J. E. and Abedin, K. Z. (1981) The relationship between fixed ammonium-nitrogen and potassium in clays from a deep well on the Texas Gulf Coast: Texas J. Sci. 33, 103–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. D. (1971) Experimental diagenetic reactions involving clay minerals: Ph.D. thesis, Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Ohio, 145 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. (1978a) The reaction of montmorillonite to mixed-layer clay: the effect of interlayer alkali and alkaline earth cations: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 42, 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. (1978b) Reaction series for dioctahedral smectites: Clays & Clay Minerals 26, 327–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. D. (1980) Alkali cation selectivity and fixation by clay minerals: Clays & Clay Minerals 28, 161–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. D. (1984) Clay mineral formation and transportation in rocks and soils: Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. A311, 241–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. and Hower, J. (1976) The kinetics of illite formation: Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer. 87, 1326–1330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberl, D. and Hower, J. (1977) The hydrothermal transformation of sodium and potassium smectite into mixed-layer clay: Clays & Clay Minerals 25, 215–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eggleton, R. A. (1984) Formation of iddingsite rims on olivine: a transmission electron microscope study: Clays & Clay Minerals 32, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eslinger, E., Highsmith, P., Albers, D., and deMayo, B. (1979) Role of iron reduction in the conversion of smectite to illite in bentonites from the Disturbed Belt, Montana: Clays & Clay Minerals 27, 327–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eslinger, E. and Sellars, B. (1981) Evidence for the formation of illite from smectite during burial metamorphism in the Belt Supergroup, Clark Fork, Idaho: J. Sed. Petrol. 51, 202–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gast, R. G. (1969) Standard free energies of exchanges of alkali metal cations on Wyoming bentonite: Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 33, 37–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heling, D. (1978) Diagenesis of illite in argillaceous sediments of the Rhinegraben: Clay Miner. 13, 211–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, J. and Hower, J. (1979) Clay mineral assemblages as low grade metamorphic geothermometers: application to the thrust faulted Disturbed Belt of Montana, U.S.A.: Soc. Econ. Paleontol. Mineral. Spec. Pubi. 26, 55–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hower, J. (1981) Shale diagenesis: in Clays and the Resource Geologist, F. J. Longstaffe, ed., Short Course Handbook 7, Mineral. Assoc. Canada, 60–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hower, J., Eslinger, E. V., Hower, M. E., and Perry, E. A. (1976) Mechanism of burial metamorphism of argillaceous sediments: 1. Mineralogical and chemical evidence: Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 87, 725–737.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iijima, S. and Buseck, P. R. (1978) Experimental study of disordered mica structure by high-resolution electron microscopy: Acta Crystallogr. A34, 709–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inoue, A. (1983) Potassium fixation by clay minerals during hydrothermal treatment: Clays & Clay Minerals 31, 81–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inoue, A. and Minato, H. (1979) Ca-K exchange reaction and interstratification in montmorillinite: Clays & Clay Minerals 27, 393–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inoue, A. and Utada, M. (1983) Further investigation of a conversion series of dioctahedral mica/smectite in the Shin-zan hydrothermal alteration area, northeast Japan: Clays & Clay Minerals 31, 401–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lahann, R. W. and Roberson, H. E. (1980) Dissolution of silica from montmorillonite: effect of solution chemistry: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 44, 1937–1943.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. H., Ahn, J. H., and Peacor, D. R. (1985) Textures in layered silicates: progressive changes through diagenesis and low-temperature metamorphism: J. Sed. Petrol. 55, 532–540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. H., Peacor, D. R., Lewis, D. D., and Wintsch, R. P. (1984) Chlorite-illite/muscovite interlayered and inter-stratified crystals: a TEM/STEM study: Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 88, 372–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipmann, F. (1982) The thermodynamic status of clay minerals: in Proc. Int. Clay Conf., Bologna, Pavia, 1981, H. van Olphen and F. Veniale, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 475–485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorimer, G. W. and Cliff, G. (1976) Analytical electron microscopy of minerals: in Electron Microscopy in Mineralogy, H. R. Wenk, ed., Springer, Berlin, 506–519.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nadeau, P. H., Tait, J. M., McHardy, W. J., and Wilson, M. J. (1984a) Interstratified XRD characteristics of physical mixtures of elementary clay particles: Clay Miner. 19, 67–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadeau, P. H., Wilson, M. J., McHardy, W. J., and Tait, J. M. (1984b) Interparticle diffraction: a new concept for interstratified clays: Clay Miner. 19, 757–769.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page, R. H. and Wenk, H. R. (1979) Phyllosilicate alteration of plagioclase studied by transmission electron microscopy: Geology 7, 393–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, E. and Hower, J. (1970) Burial diagenesis in Gulf Coast pelitic sediments: Clays & Clay Minerals 18, 165–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powers, M. C. (1967) Fluid-release mechanisms in compacting marine mudrocks and their importance in oil exploration: Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geol. Bull. 51, 1240–1254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, R. C., Jr. and Hower, J. (1970) The nature of interlayering in mixed-layer illite/montmorillonite: Clays & Clay Minerals 18, 25–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberson, H. E. and Lahann, H. E. (1981) Smectite to illite conversion rates: effects of solution chemistry: Clays & Clay Minerals 29, 129–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sayles, F. L. and Mangelsdorf, P. C., Jr. (1977) The equilibration of clay minerals with seawater: exchange reactions: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 41, 951–960.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sayles, F. L. and Mangelsdorf, P. C., Jr. (1979) Cation-exchange characteristics of Amazon River suspended sediment and its reaction with seawater: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 43, 767–779.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Środoń J. and Eberl, D. (1984) Illite: in Micas, Reviews in Mineralogy, Vol. 13, S. W. Bailey, ed., Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, D.C., 495–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabikh, A. A., Barshad, I., and Overstreet, R. (1960) Cation exchange hysteresis in clay minerals: Soil Sci. 90, 219–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tardy, Y., Duplay, J., and Fritz, B. (1985) The stability field of clay minerals as function of their composition and temperature of formation: in Abstracts, 1985 International Clay Conference, Denver, Colorado, p. 234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veblen, D. R. (1985) Extended defects and vacancy non-stoichiometry in rock-forming minerals: in Point Defects in Minerals, Geophysical Monograph 31, R. N. Shock, ed., American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 122–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veblen, D. R. and Buseck, P. R. (1980) Microstructure and reaction mechanism in biopyriboles: Amer. Mineral. 65, 599–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, C. E. and Beck, K. C. (1971) Clay-water diagenesis during burial: how mud becomes gneiss: Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Pap. 134, 96 pp.

  • Weaver, C. E. and Pollard, L. D. (1973) The Chemistry of Clay Minerals: Elsevier, Amsterdam, 213 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yau, Y. C., Anovitz, L. M., Essene, E. J., and Peacor, D. R. (1984) Phlogopite-chlorite reaction mechanisms and physical conditions during retrograde reaction in the Marble Formation, Franklin, New Jersey: Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 88, 299–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yau, Y. C., Lee, J. H., Peacor, D. R., and McDowell, S. D. (1983) TEM study of illite diagenesis in shale of Salton Sea geothermal field, California: in Program and Abstracts, 20th Annual Meeting, Clay Minerals Society, Buffalo, New York, 1983, p. 42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeh, H.-S. and Savin, S.M. (1977) The mechanism of burial diagenetic reactions in argillaceous sediments: 3. Oxygen isotope evidence: Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer. 88, 1321–1330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida, T. (1973) Elementary layers in the interstratified clay minerals as revealed by electron microscopy: Clays & Clay Minerals 21, 413–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan, 1006 C. C. Little Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA

    Juno Ho Ahn & Donald R. Peacor

Authors
  1. Juno Ho Ahn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Donald R. Peacor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Contribution No. 412, the Mineralogical Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ahn, J.H., Peacor, D.R. Transmission and Analytical Electron Microscopy of the Smectite-To-Illite Transition. Clays Clay Miner. 34, 165–179 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1986.0340207

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1986.0340207

Key Words

Search

Navigation