Organic maturation refers to the progressive and mainly irreversible transformation of organic matter (OM) in response initially to biological and later to thermal energy. Organic maturation is also referred to as organic diagenesis, organic metamorphism, and as coalification when referring to coal.
Organic matter is a minor component in most sedimentary rocks, however its importance by far outweighs its abundance. Organic matter comprises the fossil fuel resources petroleum and coal. The products of OM diagenesis govern many mineral reactions and are important in the transport and deposition of many ore minerals. Studies of organic maturation have mainly been pursued form two separate avenues: organic geochemists have investigated the chemical reactions and products of organic maturation particularly from the perspective of petroleum whereas coal petrologists have studied organic maturation of coal mainly microscopically.
Introduction
Diagenesis of OM has been considered in terms of...
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Bustin, R.M., Wüst, R.A.J. (1978). Maturation, organic. In: Middleton, G.V., Church, M.J., Coniglio, M., Hardie, L.A., Longstaffe, F.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_132
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_132
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