Instrumental methods applied in the investigations of carbonate minerals in the Middle Jurassic sideritic rocks with respect to diagenetic processes

Abstract

Carbonate minerals in the Middle Jurassic sideritic rocks from the Polish Lowlands, north-eastern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains and the Częstochowa region have been studied applying accessible instrumental methods. The following techniques were applied: polarization microscope, staining with the Evamy’s solution, cathodoluminescence, microprobe, fluid inclusions and isotopic analyses. Most of these methods were not available either in the 20ies of the past century when studies of sideritic iron ores in Poland had begun, or in 50ies and 60ies when they were in full progress. The sideritic rocks are mainly represented by clayey siderites (they contain also muddy and sandy varieties), sideritic sandstones and sideritic coquina, less frequently by sideritic conglomerates and mudstones. Sideroplesite is the main carbonate mineral that builds the sideritic rocks, while pistomesite and siderite are less frequent. Fe-calcite and Fe-dolomite, ankerite, and sporadic dolomite occur in lesser amounts. Syderoplesite and siderite have crystallized in the early diagenesis (eodiagenesis), in the zone of microbiologic methanogenesis, at temperatures of about 20°C, from the porous waters of marine origin, or from marine waters mixed with fresh waters. Sideroplesite enriched in magnesium, pistomesite, calcite and ankerite sequently have formed at the later diagenetic stage (mezodiagenesis). These minerals have crystallized at temperatures above 60°C, from the porous waters of marine origin, or from the fluid which interacted with the adjacent rocks. Fe-calcite was formed in the zone of microbiologic methanogenesis, while the ankerite – in the zone of thermal decarboxylation.