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DIAGENETIC BEHAVIOR OF BIOGENIC SULFIDES AROUND THE K/T BOUNDARY IN DAKHLA SHALE AT GABAL GIFATA, DAKHLA OASIS, EGYPT

Research Abstract
The study aims to present new information and illustrations about sulfidic sedimentary rocks in order to provide a better understanding of how the sulfide minerals might have been formed. It also presents detailed information on the major and trace element contents of various sulfide phases hosted within the sediments. The K/T sediments at Gabal Gifata (Weina and Birbaya sections), hold different morphologic patterns of sulfides including tubular burrow fills, flat sulfidic thin bands and films, fossil replacement and fills, as well as disseminated grains and framboids. The sulfide minerals are composed of pyrite, sphalerite and galena with minor greenockite set in a groundmass composed of gypsum and clays with celestite. These sulfide minerals are believed to have originated in reduced bottom-water conditions via sulfate reducing bacteria after rapid burial of organic matter. The sulfide minerals seam to develop through successive stages by segregation, filling and replacement processes in early and intermediate diagenesis. The framboidal pyrite and its associations of fine pyrite crystals were formed in early diagenesis by rapid growth. The sulfide minerals are arranged within the burrow fills in concentric shells. The outer shells are composed of pyrite while the cores are composed mostly of large sphalerite and in some cases with galena. The grain size and crystallinity of the mineral crystals increase inwards through the shells suggesting progressive formation of the sulfides from the margins to the centers. The minerals were crystallized in a sequence: pyrite, sphalerite-galena in early (pyrite) and intermediate (sphalerite-galena) diagenetic stages. The sulfidic thin bands are composed mostly of pyrite with subordinate sphalerite. The preservation of biogenic cells by pyrite within these bands and the survival of pyrite within sphalerite suggest earlier formation of pyrite by replacement of organic matter (in early diagenesis) followed by sphalerite through cavity filling (in intermediate diagenesis). The microprobe analyses of sulfides showed that the pyrite, which occurs close to the sphalerite, displays much higher concentrations of the trace elements Zn and Ni than the pyrite in the outer shells. Distinct chemical differences exist among the different colors of sphalerite. Several observations suggest that benthic conditions during the deposition of black shales were sufficiently O2-depleted as to exclude benthic organisms (anoxic/euxinic), and that a possibly sharp rise in dissolved O2 levels coincided with the onset of the overlying sediments deposition, crossing a critical threshold to dysoxic levels that allowed benthic rise.
Research Authors
Mamdouh F. Soliman
Research Department
Research Journal
THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE GEOLOGY OF AFRICA
Research Member
Research Vol
1
Research Year
2007