Role of Microbes in the Smectite-to-Illite Reaction
Abstract
Temperature, pressure, and time have been thought to control the smectite-to-illite (S-I) reaction, an important diagenetic process used for petroleum exploration. We demonstrated that microorganisms can promote the S-I reaction by dissolving smectite through reduction of structural Fe(III) at room temperature and 1atmosphere within 14 days. This reaction typically requires conditions of 300° to 350°C, 100 megapascals, and 4 to 5 months in the absence of microbial activity. These results challenge the conventional concept of the S-I reaction and of reaction kinetic models.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2004
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.1093245
Entities
People
- Dennis D. Eberl
- Hailiang Dong
- Jennifer Seabaugh
- Jinwook Kim
- Steven W. Newell
Organizations
- Miami University
- United States Naval Research Laboratory