My research interests center on studying the kinetics of the smectite to illite process in argillaceous rocks (bentonites, K-bentonites and shales). Kinetics are better understood in a given geologic setting through mathematical modeling of the smectite to illite transformation, the measurement of timing from K-Ar dating of dialectics illite, and the extent of the process via X-ray Diffraction analyses. The combined data not only elucidate how smectite converts to illite, these data also elucidate important geologic processed prompting the conversion. For example, the measurement of the timing and extent of this transformation indicate that diagenetic illite formed from a basinwide pulse of fluids in the Appalachian Basin (see American Mineralogist, 2002, v. 87, 1519-1529). The ages of diagenetic illite indirectly date the timing of Cu-Ag mineralization in the Polish Kupferschiefer (See papers co-authored with Achim Bechtel in Economic Geology, 1999, 2000, Chemical Geology, 2000). On going studies are aimed at using the K-ar ages of illite to date the timing of potassic diagenesis in the Phosphoria Formation (K. Sanford, MS thesis).
I am also active in the comparison of K-Ar ages of diagenetic illite and the comparison of these ages to the age of chemical remnant magnetization. I am collaborating with Doug Elmore (Oklahoma University) on the comparison of K-Ar ages to CRM ages to understand further diagenetic processes in select settings (contact metamorphism, progressive burial and thrust sheet burial). This project is the MS thesis of Ankan Basu and this project is funded by DOE.
Other topics of interest include: Origin of the clay minerals at the K-T boundary in Denmark, Glauconite clay mineralogy in the Coastal Plain, Genesis of platinum minerals in the Polish Kupferschiefer.