Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105154
Keunbae Kim , Ben Aernouts , Willem-Jan Emsens , Judith Schellekens , Rudy van Diggelen , Camiel Aggenbach , Erik Verbruggen , Boris Jansen , María J.I. Briones , Karen Vancampenhout
{"title":"Mid-infrared spectroscopy as a tool to monitor molecular changes in fens upon restoration","authors":"Keunbae Kim , Ben Aernouts , Willem-Jan Emsens , Judith Schellekens , Rudy van Diggelen , Camiel Aggenbach , Erik Verbruggen , Boris Jansen , María J.I. Briones , Karen Vancampenhout","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peatlands are crucial components of the global carbon (C) cycle but have been extensively degraded by drainage. Rewetting is a common practice to restore drained peatlands, yet its effectiveness and impacts on belowground soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics remain uncertain. To effectively monitor restoration outcomes, affordable, time-efficient, and informative tools are essential. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) provides detailed soil organic matter (SOM) characterization, but its high cost, time-intensive nature, and technical complexity limit its routine use. In contrast, mid infrared (MIR) spectroscopy, combined with chemometrics, can offer a promising alternative. This study evaluated the potential of MIR spectroscopy for: (1) reproducing the relative contribution of chemical groups as derived from py-GC/MS, (2) estimating SOC decomposability, and (3) monitoring belowground changes when undrained peatlands are drained or drained peatlands are rewetted. Our results indicated that MIR spectroscopy can effectively estimate specific chemical groups, including benzenes (R<sup>2</sup><sub>P</sub> = 0.89), carbohydrates (R<sup>2</sup><sub>P</sub> = 0.85), N-containing compounds (R<sup>2</sup><sub>P</sub> = 0.76), and <em>n</em>-alkenes (R<sup>2</sup><sub>P</sub> = 0.74), with fair predictions for lignins (R<sup>2</sup><sub>P</sub> = 0.68) and phenols (R<sup>2</sup><sub>P</sub> = 0.64). SOC decomposability, expressed as basal respiration per SOC, was also reasonably estimated (R<sup>2</sup><sub>CV</sub> = 0.74). MIR spectra significantly differed between undrained and drained fens (<em>P</em> < 0.05), whereas rewetted fens did not differ from either condition (<em>Ps</em> > 0.05). Partial least squares−discriminant analysis further identified the functional groups most responsive to hydrological changes. Overall, MIR spectroscopy represents a cost- and time-efficient tool for assessing SOM composition and carbon stability in fens, supporting data-driven peatland restoration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105154"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diagenetic and functionalized steroids in Oligocene marine mammal bones from Hokkaido, Japan","authors":"Raman Umamaheswaran , Takuto Ando , Tatsuya Shinmura , Ken Sawada","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The preservation and diagenesis of lipids in sedimentary rocks have been studied and recorded in extensive detail. However, their presence and alteration in fossil bones is yet to be fully elucidated. Marine mammal bone fossils, particularly those of cetaceans, are increasingly being studied as a result of their relatively high organic matter content and the abundance of suitable fossil specimens, making them attractive targets for such analyses. The current study focuses on the preservation of steroids and their diagenetic pathways in the bones of three Oligocene marine mammals from Hokkaido, Japan — the desmostylians <em>Ashoroa laticosta</em> and <em>Behemotops katsuiei</em>, and a whale bone. We found that the whale bone displayed preservation of biogenic cholesterol and a higher predominance of diagenetically intermediary compounds such as A-ring monoaromatic steroids, a seco-cholestatriene isomer, cholesta-3,5-diene, and cholestenes, along with cholestanes. However, the desmostylian bones showed comparatively mature distribution of steroids with predominance of diagenetically stable geolipids. To the best of our knowledge, such intermediary steroidal compounds have not been hitherto recovered from bone fossils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105141"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105150
Wei Yu , Pingping Fan , Haiquan Yang , Wenhao Li , Guomin Han , Jifei Hou , Rui Liang , Jingan Chen , Jie Li , Xuede Li
{"title":"Phosphorus limitation drives the deterministic assembly of dissolved organic matter and microbial activity in surface waters of urban lakes","authors":"Wei Yu , Pingping Fan , Haiquan Yang , Wenhao Li , Guomin Han , Jifei Hou , Rui Liang , Jingan Chen , Jie Li , Xuede Li","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, global warming and human-induced imbalances in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs have exacerbated P limitation in urban lake ecosystems. However, it remains unclear whether this change in nutrient stoichiometry affects the molecular assembly processes and microbial degradation pathways of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the surface waters of urban lakes. In this study, the molecular composition and assembly processes of DOM in surface waters of urban lakes in response to P limitation were investigated using a combination of ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM), Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), and macrogenomic techniques. The results showed that P-limited conditions (N:P > 22.6) simultaneously increased DOM humification and aromaticity and inhibited its bioavailability. In response to nutrient stress, microbes may preferentially mineralize protein-like DOM via oxidoreductase- and transferase-mediated pathways. In addition, Lentisphaerota exhibits significantly stronger associations with DOM molecules under P-limited systems, and DOM assembly patterns shift toward a deterministic direction. The results deepen our understanding of the biogeochemical fate of DOM in urban lakes and provide new insights into the pathways of microbial-mediated DOM transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105150"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105149
Klaas G.J. Nierop , Joeri Kaal
{"title":"Thermal alteration of the aliphatic biopolymer cutan: implications for composition and degradation","authors":"Klaas G.J. Nierop , Joeri Kaal","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cutan is the operationally defined residual fraction of cuticles after solvent extraction and hydrolysis. We investigated the thermal behaviour as a consequence of charring experiments of cutan isolated from <em>Agave americana</em> and <em>Clivia miniata</em>. While both cutan fractions exhibited almost identical weight loss patterns as a function of charring temperature, the molecular degradation and transformations differed, mainly reflected by higher carboxylic acid contents released and retained in the cutan residues of <em>C. miniata</em>, whereas cutan of <em>A. americana</em> comprised and released more hydroxy-containing moieties. The extractable fractions after charring yielded initially the building blocks of cutan, but with progressive heating defunctionalisation (removal of hydroxy and carboxylic acid groups) mainly <em>n</em>-1-alkenes and <em>n</em>-alkanes were produced. The lack of polyaromatic condensation products upon charring indicates the highly saturated character of cutan under severe conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105149"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105142
Can Xie , Gangtian Zhu , Jochen J. Brocks , Yuguang Hou
{"title":"Primary and secondary steroid acids in crude oils: Implications for geological fate of steroids","authors":"Can Xie , Gangtian Zhu , Jochen J. Brocks , Yuguang Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The origin of steroid acids in sedimentary rocks remains a subject of debate. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of steroid acids in a series of genetically related crude oils with varying maturities and biodegradation ranks. Molecular structures of the steroid acids were tentatively identified based on mass spectra and comparison with standards. The results show that the steroid acids can be classified into two types. The first type, characterized by a carboxyl or carboxyalkyl group at C-3 of the A-ring, is enriched in low-maturity oils, indicating that it was generated during early diagenesis. The second type, characterized by a carboxyl group at the end of the side chain on the D-ring, only occurs in oils with specific biodegradation ranks, implying that these steroid acids originate during oil biodegradation. Based on these findings, the first and second types are named primary steroid acids and secondary steroid acids, respectively. Both types of steroid acids may originate from microbial reworking of steroid precursors. Primary steroid acids originate either prior to or simultaneously with the formation of steranes, whereas secondary steroid acids originate during later biodegradation of steranes. The patterns of carboxyl substitution in steroid biotransformation during early diagenesis versus in-reservoir biodegradation exhibit significant differences, which might serve as clues for investigating microbial communities and their metabolic activities under different geological conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105142"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105158
Zhiwei Gao , Miaoqi Cheng , Qian Deng , Haizu Zhang , Zewen Liao , Yongge Sun
{"title":"The sources of the Paleozoic petroleum systems in the Tarim Basin as revealed by geochemistry of oils and extracts from ultra-deep reservoirs","authors":"Zhiwei Gao , Miaoqi Cheng , Qian Deng , Haizu Zhang , Zewen Liao , Yongge Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105158","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105158","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sources of Paleozoic petroleum systems in the Tarim Basin remain a subject of ongoing controversy. To clarify this long-standing uncertainty, we analyzed crude oils from the Cambrian subsalt belt and drill cuttings from the Cambrian Yuertus Formation, with a primary focus on the LunTan 1 oil from the deepest reservoir within the Cambrian subsalt structure. For comparison, we used the previously proposed Middle–Upper Ordovician (O<sub>2–3</sub>) end-member source oil (YM2) as a reference. Sequential extraction revealed that Bitumen III (adsorbed hydrocarbons on clay/kerogen) was free of drilling mud contamination and its molecular compositions and <em>n</em>-alkane carbon isotopes were comparable to those of routinely extracted organic matter, and thus was employed in the present study. Regardless of thermal maturity effects, sterane and hopane distributions in the crude oils strongly correlate with those in the Yuertus shale. The presence of aryl isoprenoids in the crude oils indicates deposition under euxinic conditions. The <em>n</em>-alkane carbon isotopes of the crude oils range from −34‰ to −36‰, aligning with the estimated δ<sup>13</sup>C values of <em>n</em>-alkanes derived from the Yuertus shale (–32‰ to −36‰), but they are significantly depleted compared to those in the typical O<sub>2–3</sub> source rocks (−30‰ to −31‰). Given the close geochemical affinity between most Paleozoic oils and the YM2 oil, we suggest that the Yuertus shale is the primary source rock for these petroleum systems. However, caution is warranted in oil-source correlations due to geochemical variations between the two black rock series within the Yuertus Formation and potential in-reservoir alterations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105158"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105129
Volker Thiel, Manuel Reinhardt, Maria Thirase, Alina Klick, Volker Karius
{"title":"Organic signatures from modern and ancient seagrass in coarse-grained sediments near Poel Island, Baltic Sea","authors":"Volker Thiel, Manuel Reinhardt, Maria Thirase, Alina Klick, Volker Karius","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seagrass meadows are regarded to play an important role in mitigating climate change by acting as a sink of organic carbon (C) in their underlying sediments. This study investigates the C sequestration potential of seagrass in coarse-grained nearshore deposits near Poel Island in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Four ∼60 cm long sediment cores from <em>Zostera marina</em> meadows were analyzed for the nature and quantity of particulate organic C. Emphasis was placed on the questions (i) whether seagrass coverage would lead to an enhanced C storage in this high-energy proximal setting, and (ii) whether the stored C has a seagrass origin or derives from other, marine or terrestrial sources. We observed that total organic C (TOC) contents in the rhizosphere of seagrass vegetated areas are currently very low (0.05–0.22%) and similar to unvegetated areas. However, a several-cm-thick, dark brown layer, residing at a depth of 40–60 cm, was strongly enriched in TOC (up to 17%) and contained most of the organic matter stored in the sediment profiles studied. A combination of lipid biomarkers, scanning electron microscopy, <sup>14</sup>C age dating, and <sup>13</sup>C measurements in TOC and individual lipids revealed that the organic matter in this layer originated from seagrass. This material was abruptly buried ∼2000 years ago, possibly because of a storm event. Our findings highlight that event-driven burial of seagrass biomass can provide a critical pathway for Blue Carbon storage over relevant (10<sup>2</sup>–10<sup>3</sup> yrs) timespans in coarse-grained proximal sediments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 105129"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146070972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2025.105125
Ibrahim Atwah , Maram Alsaif
{"title":"Novel diamondoid detection technique using pMRM (GC-MS/MS): Enabling source rock-oil-condensate correlations","authors":"Ibrahim Atwah , Maram Alsaif","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2025.105125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2025.105125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lower and higher diamondoids persist from early oil generation into high-maturity condensates and can fingerprint fluids when classical biomarkers are depleted. However, routine measurement of higher diamonoids has been limited by their trace abundances and poor fragmentation. A method based on pseudo-Multiple Reaction Monitoring (pMRM) on gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed to detect and quantify diamondoids using nine diverse petroleum and rock-extract samples. In pMRM, the molecular ion was monitored in the first and third quadrupoles while a modest collision energy was applied in the collision cell to suppress interferences. Relative to selected ion monitoring, signal-to-noise for higher diamondoids increased markedly, enabling confident peak detection in the late-elution window. Optimal collision energies followed cage size, approximately 20 electron-volts for triamantane, 40 for tetramantanes, and 50 for pentamantanes and cyclohexamantane. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the method were assessed to be 0.01 and 0.05 ng ml<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. Utilizing pMRM, many crude oils were suitable for direct injection (“dilute and shoot”), whereas rock extracts, heavy and biodegraded crudes, and some condensates benefited from a silica-gel preparation step. In those cases, approximately 60 mg of sample was sufficient to prepare a saturated, n-alkane free fraction suitable for detecting higher diamondoids using pMRM. The pMRM method demonstrated high analytical reproducibility across chemically diverse matrices including rock extracts, crude oils, and condensates, with relative standard deviations for normalized higher diamondoids typically below 10% over a three month monitoring period, confirming the stability and robustness of Quantitative Extended Diamondoid Analysis (QEDA) measurements using the pMRM approach. These results indicate that pseudo multiple reaction monitoring enables routine, high sensitivity measurement of higher diamondoids and provides molecular fingerprints that support oil-oil, oil-condensate, and condensate-source rock correlations, which were previously difficult to achieve due to the inherent compositional variability among these sample types.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 105125"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145975562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105128
Shun-Feng Yan , Xiao-Min Zheng , Lin Li , Hai-Yan Zheng , Mao-Wen Yuan , M. Santosh , Sheng-Rong Li
{"title":"Experimental evidence on the bitumen role of the metal enrichment in the Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit","authors":"Shun-Feng Yan , Xiao-Min Zheng , Lin Li , Hai-Yan Zheng , Mao-Wen Yuan , M. Santosh , Sheng-Rong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the role of bitumen in the metallogenesis of the Erdaokan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit. Using in situ high-pressure diamond anvil cell (DAC) experiments, natural metal-rich bitumen from the deposit was reacted with water up to 623 K. Optical microscopy revealed that bitumen transitions into a mobile, partially dissolved phase at high temperature. Upon subsequent cooling to ∼473 K, new spherical particles precipitated from the fluid. Raman spectroscopy identified these new precipitates as metal halides. This finding is geochemically consistent with the Pb-rich nature of the source bitumen and the Ag-Pb-Zn signature of the deposit. Significantly, the experimental precipitation temperature (∼473 K) aligns closely with the upper temperature boundary of the natural mineralization stage derived from fluid inclusion studies (∼464 K). These results provide direct experimental evidence that bitumen can function as an active ore fluid, capable of transporting metals at high temperatures and precipitating them as intermediate metal halides during cooling. This mechanism is interpreted as a key process in the enrichment and formation of the Erdaokan deposit.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 105128"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organic GeochemistryPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105136
Xueyou Tan , Sijia Nie , Xijun Wang , Wei Peng , Xu Wang , Suyang Cai , Jingwen Zheng , Xiaoyong Wang , Zhushi Ge , Liangliang Ren , Jiang Wei
{"title":"Thermal evolution characteristics of dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran and fluorene and their homologues and their geochemical implications","authors":"Xueyou Tan , Sijia Nie , Xijun Wang , Wei Peng , Xu Wang , Suyang Cai , Jingwen Zheng , Xiaoyong Wang , Zhushi Ge , Liangliang Ren , Jiang Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2026.105136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dibenzothiophene (DBT or SF), dibenzofuran (DBF or OF) and fluorene (F) series compounds are characterized by high structural stability and are widely used in sedimentary environment discrimination and maturity assessment. However, their diagnostic parameters can be overprinted by thermal effects at high maturity. To investigate this, we conducted closed-system pyrolysis experiments (275–450℃) on a saline lacustrine source rock from the Paleogene Shahejie Formation and analyzed the products using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Specific results show that: (1) The DBT series dominated throughout, with reaction pathways shifting from methylation below 325℃ to demethylation above this threshold. (2) The DBF series exhibited lower thermal stability with a “decrease–increase–decrease” pattern, whereas the F series was more stable at medium to high temperatures. (3) Traditional proxies like the DBT/P–Pr/Ph cross-plot showed an environment trend from marine to coal-derived with increasing temperature, which misrepresents the constant high-salinity, reducing conditions of the source rock, highlighting a significant maturity overprint. In contrast, a new discrimination diagram based on parameters derived from the combined DBT, DBF, and F series effectively minimized thermal interference, consistently and correctly indicating the original depositional environment. This demonstrates the greater robustness of the ‘3Fs’ series over individual compounds for paleoenvironment reconstruction, especially in high-maturity samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":400,"journal":{"name":"Organic Geochemistry","volume":"213 ","pages":"Article 105136"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}