Chapter 7 Stability of Detrital Heavy Minerals During Burial Diagenesis

Abstract Detrital heavy-mineral assemblages respond to increasing burial diagenesis by progressive dissolution of unstable components. Case studies from sedimentary basins worldwide show a uniform pattern of relative stability. The order of stability during burial diagenesis is olivine (least stable) Interpretation of provenance using heavy-mineral data from sandstones likely to have suffered burial diagenesis must carefully consider the possibility that some heavy-mineral species have been eliminated through dissolution. Evaluation of provenance under such circumstances must rely on parameters that are demonstrably unaffected by diagenesis. A combined approach, integrating provenance-sensitive ratio measurements with varietal data, either petrographic, geochemical or isotopic, is recommended.