Lacustrine carbonates formed in rift settings are increasingly studied not only as archives of Earth chemical and climatic history but also as potential hydrocarbon source rocks and/or reservoirs. The role of magmatic gases in their formation and diagenetic evolution, hence in their reservoir properties, remains unclear. We studied the first meter of carbonate sediment of the Dziani Dzaha volcanic crater lake (Mayotte Island) and developed a reactivetransport model with CrunchFlow software that allows the quantification of diagenetic reactions by considering depth-dependent burial rates and sediment compaction. The model is constrained by the previously documented solid-phase compositions of the lake sediment and new data consisting of 14 C dating of plant macroremains to characterize the sediment age model, chemical composition of sediment pore waters, and chemical and isotopic composition of gases dissolved and bubbling through the lake. These new data reveal a massive magmatic CO 2 contribution to the dissolved inorganic carbon of the lake, which fuels the primary productivity and carbonate formation. A pH value of 9 in the surface sediment pore waters induces supersaturation relative to aragonite, hydromagnesite, and saponite. At 1 m depth in the sediment, our model predicts that magmatic CO 2 inflows and organic matter degradation account for 22 and 2 mol % dissolved inorganic carbon, respectively. The magmatic CO 2 inflows result in a pH decrease at depth, leading to the destabilization of hydromagnesite, while saponite and aragonite remain stable. These results demonstrate the role of magmatic CO 2 in fueling carbonate production and controlling the diagenetic evolution of sediment mineralogy.

The volcanic crater lake of Dziani Dzaha in Mayotte is studied to constrain the geochemical settings and the diagenetic processes at the origin of Mgphyllosilicates associated with carbonate rocks. The Dziani Dzaha is characterized by intense primary productivity, volcanic gases bubbling in three locations and a volcanic catchment of phonolitic/alkaline composition. The lake water has an alkalinity of ca 0Á2 mol l À1 and pH values of ca 9Á3. Cores of the lake sediments reaching up to one metre in length were collected and studied by means of carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen elemental analyzer, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and X-ray powder diffraction. In surface sediments, the content of total organic carbon reaches up to 20 weight %. The mineral content consists of aragonite and hydromagnesite with minor amounts of alkaline feldspar and clinopyroxene from the volcanic catchment. Below 30 cm depth, X-ray diffraction analyses of the <2 lm clay fraction indicate the presence of a saponite-like mineral, a Mg-rich smectite. The saponite-like mineral accumulates at depth to reach up to ca 30 weight %, concurrent with a decrease of the contents of hydromagnesite and organic matter. Thermodynamic considerations and mineral assemblages suggest that the evolution of the sediment composition resulted from early diagenetic reactions. The formation of the saponite-like mineral instead of Al-free Mgsilicates resulted from high aluminum availability, which is favoured in restricted lacustrine environments hosted in alkaline volcanic terrains commonly emplaced during early stages of continental rifting. Supersaturation of the lake water relative to saponite is especially due to high pH values, themselves derived from high primary productivity. This suggests that a genetic 1 Present address: School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU Tempe Campus, ISTB4 -BLDG75, 781 E Terrace Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA 983 link may exist between saponite and the development of organic-rich carbonate rocks, which may be fuelled by the input of CO 2 -rich volcanic gases. This provides novel insights into the composition and formation of saponiterich deposits under a specific geodynamic context such as the Cretaceous South Atlantic carbonate reservoirs.

The retention behavior of three toxic chemicals, As, Cr and B, was investigated for an outcropping rock formation, the Albian Tégulines Clay (France, Aube). At a shallow depth, Tégulines Clay is affected by weathering processes leading to contrasted geochemical conditions with depth. One of the main features of the weathering is the occurrence of a redox transition zone near the surface. Batch sorption experiments of As(V), As(III), Cr(VI) and B were performed on samples collected at two depths representative either of oxidized or reduced mineral assemblages. Batch sorption experiments highlighted a distinct behavior between As, Cr and B oxyanions. Cr(VI) retention behavior was dominated by redox phenomena, notably its reduction to Cr(III). The in-situ redox state of the Tégulines Clay samples has a significant effect on Cr retention. On the contrary, As(V) reduction into As(III) is moderate and its retention slightly affected by the in-situ redox state of the Tégulines Clay. As(V) retention is higher than As(III) retention in agreement with literature data. B retention is strongly related to its natural abundance in the Tégulines clay samples. Distribution coefficient of B corrected from its natural content is expected to be very low for in-situ conditions. Finally, the retention and mobility of these oxyanions were affected by clay mineralogy, natural abundance, and reducing capacity of the Tegulines Clay.

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The evaporation of seawater in arid climates is currently the main accepted driving mechanism for the formation of ancient and recent salt deposits in shallow basins. However, the deposition of huge amounts of marine salts, including the formation of tens of metres of highly soluble types (tachyhydrite and bischofite) during the Aptian in the South Atlantic and during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, are inconsistent with the wet and warm palaeoclimate conditions reconstructed for these periods. Recently, a debate has been developed that opposes the classic model of evaporite deposition and argues for the generation of salt by serpentinization. The products of the latter process can be called “dehydratites”. The associated geochemical processes involve the consumption of massive amounts of pure water, leading to the production of concentrated brines. Here, we investigate thermodynamic calculations that account for high salinities and the production of soluble salts and MgCl 2 -rich brines through sub-seafloor serpentinization processes. Our results indicate that salt and brine formation occurs during serpentinization and that the brine composition and salt assemblages are dependent on the temperature and CO 2 partial pressure. Our findings help explain the presence and sustainability of highly soluble salts that appear inconsistent with reconstructed climatic conditions and demonstrate that the presence of highly soluble salts probably has implications for global tectonics and palaeoclimate reconstructions.

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