Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 4-1983 Sedimentation Rate of Salt Determined by Micrometeorite Analysis James Matthew Barnett Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Barnett, James Matthew, "Sedimentation Rate of Salt Determined by Micrometeorite Analysis" (1983). Master's Theses. 1562. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1562 This Masters Thesis-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 Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SEDIMENTATION RATE OF SALT DETERMINED BY MICROMETEORITE ANALYSIS by James Matthew Barnett A Thesis . Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Geology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 1983 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. SEDIMENTATION RATE OF SALT DETERMINED BY MICROMETEORITE ANALYSIS James Matthew Barnett, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1983 The sedimentation rate of the A-l Evaporite of Michigan was determined by analysis of micrometeorites found as inclusions in the halite deposit. The samples were obtained from the Dow Chemical Company salt well number eight. The residue from the dissolved salt was magnetically separated and later analyzed by Particle Induced X-ray Emission ( PIXE), X-ray diffraction, and microprobe techniques. The amount of extraterrestrial material was determined from the quantity of nickel present. A sedimentation rate of .01 to .4 centimeters per year was calculated for the salt based on a constant influx rate of meteoritic 4 material of 1 x 10 tons per year. This sedimentation rate is much slower than previously reported sedimentation rates for salt. This relatively slow sedimentation rate and the close association of hydrocarbons with salt suggests that the original hydrocarbon content o f petroleum-producing evaporite basins may be much greater than previously believed. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following without whom this work would have never been completed. I would fir s t like to thank Dr. W. Thomas Straw for the idea of this study, and his helpful criticism as my thesis advisor. Thanks also go to Dr. William B. Harrison I I I and Dr. John Grace for th eir advice and th eir patience. I would like to thank the Graduate College for their financial support, Dr. Steve Ferguson (Western Michigan University) for the PIXE analysis, Dr. Robert Eisenberg (Western Michigan University) for the use of the centrifuge, Vivian Schull (Michigan State University) for the microprobe analysis, Robert Havira (Western Michigan University) for help in the technical areas and with the photography, Stu McDonald * • (University of Michigan) for aquisition of the core, and to John T. Parr (Analytical Science Corporation) and Dr. Donald E. Brownlee (University of Washington) for their advice on the retrieval and preparation of micrometeorites. Heartfelt thanks must also go to Dr. Gilbert Klapper (University of Iowa) for believing in me when no one else would; Kathy Fulker (Conoco Oil Company) for her unfaltering support of my work; my folks, T il and Norm, for both economic and mental support; my sister, Rachel, for ignoring my mess; B ill and Suzanne Gierke and B ill and Linda Harrison for putting me up; Art and Kathy Williams for putting up with me; Carol Harkness and family for the typing and the friend­ ship; and to a ll the librarians at Western Michigan, the University ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. of Michigan, and the University of Illin o is who helped immensely. I would like to dedicate this work to Halle, my youngest, whose death and rny pride were the driving force in the final compilation o f this work. James Matthew Barnett Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy O f a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of “sectioning” the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University Micrcxilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1320631 BARNETT, JAMES MATTHEW SEDIMENTATION RATE OF SALT DETERMINED BY MICROMETEORITE ANALYSIS WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY M.S. 1983 University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, A nn Arbor. M I 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V 1. Glossy photographs or pages. 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print_____ 3. Photographs with dark background S 4. Illustrations are poor copy S' 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy. 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page. 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages ^ 8. Print exceeds margin requirements_____ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine____ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print. 11. Page(s) _ _ _ _ _ _ lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)________ seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered ______ . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages,______ 15. Other _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ University Microfilms International Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . .................. .... ii LIST OF FIGURES ..... ............... ............. vi LIST OF TABLES ................. v ii INTRODUCTION TO EVAPORITES . ................ 1 Economic Significance of Evaporites ................ 1 Previous Work.................. .... .............................. ... 4 Geochemistry . ................ ..... 5 Laminations in Evaporites ................ 8 Geological Setting ................... 13 Michigan Basin Model ............... ..... 17 A-l Evaporite Deposition...................... 18 INTRODUCTION TO MICROMETEORITES ............... 21 Previous Work ........ ................... ........ 21 Ori gi n of the Spheres ................... .* 24 Volcanic O r i g i n ................... 25 Industrial Origin .......... 26 Biologic Origin . ........................ 26 Inorganic Precipitation ......... 27 Extraterrestrial Origin ................... ....... 27 MICROMETEORITES IN SEDIMENTS ................. 30 Laboratory Procedure . .......................... 32 Non-Magnetic Fraction ................... 34 Magnetic Fraction .................. 34 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. X-Ray Diffraction Analysis ............ 37 Microprobe Analysis ................ 37 RESULTS . ................................................. , 39 PIXE Results ........ .....