Illite Diagenesis, Illite Polytypes, and K/Ar Age Dating – Its Significance for Basin Evolution

Georg H. Grathoff

Geoscience Center Göttingen, Dept. of Sedimentology/Environmental Geology
&
Portland State University

Talk by Georg H. Grathoff in MN 16, on Tuesday, 12th December 2006, 16:15

Illite is the most common mineral on the earth's surface (Garrels and Mackenzie 1971).It can be detrial and diagenetic in origin. Diagentically it forms in multiple near-surface and shallow geologic environments (e.g. burial diagenesis, low-temperature metamorphism, hydrothemal processes, weathering from muscovite).
I will discuss how understanding the nature,origin, polytypes, and age of illite helped unravel the depositional and diagenetic history of sedimentary basins, especially the Illinois Basin.