Direct visualization of clay microfabric signatures driving organic matter preservation in fine-grained sediment

Sedimentary Diagenesis, Depositional Environments, and Benthic Fluxes

“…For example, Fe 3þ in the interior of specific mineral particles may react only very slowly with HS À present in pore solution (10 4 -10 5 years; Canfield et al, 1992;Goldhaber and Kaplan, 1974). Likewise, C org may be incorporated into mineral structures or closely packed aggregates, inhibiting remineralization (Curry et al, 2007;Hedges and Keil, 1995;Mayer, 1994a,b). Diagenetic reactivity is therefore defined in large part by physical distribution and availability as well as native chemical composition and thermodynamic stability.…”

Clay mineralogy, organic carbon burial, and redox evolution in Proterozoic oceans

“…Upon deposition in seawater, fine clay crystals tend to flocculate and form aggregates that incorporate significant amounts of OM . In the aggregates, the OM tends to be irregularly distributed, occurring as blebs and smears intimately associated with clays (Ransom et al, 1997;Curry et al, 2007). The result of OM incorporation is a significant decrease in permeability, in part from a greater percentage of pore space being occupied by OM and the subsequent creation of inaccessible micro-porosity (Curry et al, 2007).…”

Organic matter heterogeneities in 2.72Ga stromatolites: Alteration versus preservation by sulfur incorporation

“…(g) Organic matter is pervasive of the clay nanofabric as well as $10 nm thick layers within the clay domains. The terminology of clay structures used here is that described in Curry et al (2007). (Sinninghe Damste and De Leeuw, 1990).…”