Diagenesis of volcanogenic sediments in a Tertiary saline lake: Wagon Bed Formation, Wyoming.

Abstract

3 diagenetic facies occur in this tuffaceous Eocene Formation: 1) a fresh glass-smectite facies in fluvial and flood plain environments: 2) a clinoptilolite (+heulandite) facies in mixed fluvial, flood plain, and lacustrine environments, and 3) a K-feldspar-carbonate facies in lacustrine environments. The authigenic aluminosilicates formed after burial as a result of different pore fluid compositions inherited from these environments. Diagenetic reactions took place in moderately saline, but not highly alkaline pore fluids. -from Authors