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Integrating Detailed Petrography, Geochemistry, and Mineralogy to Elucidate Extensive Early Diagenesis in the Eocene Carbonates of Qatar

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Integrating Detailed Petrography, Geochemistry, and Mineralogy to Elucidate Extensive Early Diagenesis in the Eocene Carbonates of Qatar Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 6-2020 Integrating Detailed Petrography, Geochemistry, and Mineralogy to Elucidate Extensive Early Diagenesis in the Eocene Carbonates of Qatar Brooks H. Ryan Western Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Geochemistry Commons, and the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Ryan, Brooks H., "Integrating Detailed Petrography, Geochemistry, and Mineralogy to Elucidate Extensive Early Diagenesis in the Eocene Carbonates of Qatar" (2020). Dissertations. 3562. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/3562 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INTEGRATING DETAILED PETROGRAPHY, GEOCHEMISTRY, AND MINERALOGY TO ELUCIDATE EXTENSIVE EARLY DIAGENESIS IN THE EOCENE CARBONATES OF QATAR by Brooks H. Ryan A dissertation submitted to the Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Geological and Environmental Sciences Western MichiGan University June 2020 Doctoral Committee: Stephen E. Kaczmarek, Ph.D., Chair John M. Rivers, Ph.D. R.V. Krishnamurthy, Ph.D. © 2020 Brooks H. Ryan INTEGRATING DETAILED PETROGRAPHY, GEOCHEMISTRY, AND MINERALOGY TO ELUCIDATE EXTENSIVE EARLY DIAGENESIS IN THE EOCENE CARBONATES OF QATAR Brooks H. Ryan, Ph.D. Western MichiGan University, 2020 Eocene carbonates comprising the Umm er Radhuma (UER), Rus, and Dammam Formations, cover 80% of the surface and extend >300 m into the subsurface of Qatar. These rocks record marine sedimentation in shallow sub-tidal to restricted settinGs. Despite underGoinG only shallow burial (<1000 m), extensive diagenetic alteration has occurred. Given that little work on this topic has been published previously, the objectives of this work are to document diagenesis in the Eocene, and to integrate petrography, mineralogy, and Geochemistry to delineate the timing and environments of diaGenesis of these Eocene carbonates. Detailed petrographic data show that dolomitization occurred early in the UER, before the formation of diagenetic chert, palygorskite, pyrite, calcite, and gypsum cements. Bulk dolomite δ18O values, coupled with clumped isotope-derived (∆47) temperatures and dolomitizing fluid δ18O values, suggest dolomitization took place in near-normal marine fluids, perhaps during shallow burial. These data challenge the current paradigm of larGe-scale, top-down hypersaline reflux dolomitization in the UER. Associated depth trends of increasing crystal size and with increasinG stoichiometry and cation orderinG but variable δ18O further suggest that UER dolomites were extensively recrystallized prior to the formation of all other mineral phases. This finding challenges an analysis of the literature which suggests that extensive dolomite recrystallization only happens late in the diagenetic history and/or with deep burial. Similarly, the overlying Rus Fm. consists of dolomitized peritidal facies interbedded with Gypsum, as well as more open marine deposits hiGher in the formation. However, petrographic data shows dolomite formed prior to gypsum cementation, and bulk δ18O and δ13C data suGGest a non-evaporative origin. The intimate association between dolomites and meteoric calcites elsewhere in the section indicate that Rus dolomites have likely been recrystallized multiple times, possibly in meteoric-related fluids. The key findings of this study are that early diagenesis can be extremely complex, and that current paradigms related to reflux dolomitization and dolomite recrystallization may need to be reevaluated. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of my family members, friends, and colleaGues who have unconditionally supported me throughout this 4-year journey. Special thanks go to Steve, who has been more than an academic advisor, but also a life advisor, during my time in Kalamazoo. His efforts in shaping my life after the PhD should not Go unrecoGnized. I would also like to thank the criticisms and support of my committee members John and RV. John has essentially been a co- advisor for this dissertation, and I am grateful for his ideas in helping shape much of my interpretations presented herein. I also want to thank John and his family for their hospitality while we stayed with them in Qatar for a week in 2018 and 2019. I also want to acknowledge Dr. David Budd from the University of Colorado, Boulder for his highly insightful and educational critiques of two chapters of this dissertation that were submitted for publication. His input has been invaluable, and I am very appreciative for his thorough reviews of my work. Special thanks also go to my parents who have always taught me to work hard and do the riGht thinG at all staGes of my life. I would like to acknowledge the fundinG support of ExxonMobil Research Qatar, who not only provided funding for all research aspects of this project but also funded me for 1.5 years as a Research Assistant. Thanks to Western MichiGan University’s Department of GeoloGical and Environmental Sciences, who funded me the other 2.5 years throuGh a Teaching Assistantship. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Society for Sedimentary Geology are also acknowledged for funding throughout this dissertation. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge support from my German Shepherd, Dolo, whom I raised during the last half of this dissertation. I named him in honor of the mineral dolomite, which makes up the bulk of this dissertation. Brooks H. Ryan ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 References ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 II. EARLY AND PERVASIVE DOLOMITIZATION BY NEAR-NORMAL MARINE FLUIDS: NEW LESSONS FROM AN EOCENE EVAPORITVE SETTING IN QATAR ........................................................ 10 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Geological BackGround ................................................................................................................................. 13 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................................................. 17 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................................ 50 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 51 Data Availability Statement ........................................................................................................................ 51 References .......................................................................................................................................................... 51 III. EARLY AND EXTENSIVE RECRYSTALLIZATION OF CENOZOIC DOLOMITES DURING SHALLOW BURIAL ................................................................................................................................................... 62 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................... 62 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 63 Geological SettinG ............................................................................................................................................ 64 iii Table of Contents—continued Methods ............................................................................................................................................................... 65 Results ................................................................................................................................................................
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