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Clay mineral studies of the Tripoli Formation (Lower Messinian), Sicily

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

E. Azzaro
Affiliation:
Istituto di Mineralogia, Petrografia, Geochimica, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy
A. Bellanca
Affiliation:
Istituto di Mineralogia, Petrografia, Geochimica, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy
R. Neri
Affiliation:
Istituto di Mineralogia, Petrografia, Geochimica, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy

Abstract

The characterization of clay mineral assemblages in the diatomite-dominated Tripoli Formation (Lower Messinian, central Sicily) has resulted in delineation of suites dominated by generally well-crystallized dioctahedral smectite and illite of low crystallinity, with lesser amounts of kaolinite and chlorite. These minerals are thought to have a mainly detrital origin related to the calcareous and marly formations exposed in the margins of the depositional area. Vertical fluctuations of the montmorillonite/illite ratio and changes of the crystallinity and chemical composition of these phyllosilicates support environmental interpretations from isotopic data of associated carbonates, and point to a wide variability of depositional conditions ranging from evaporating to brackish. Early diagenesis of the clay minerals was controlled by the primary composition of the sediment which, in turn, affected the porewater chemistry.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1988

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