Abstract
Porosity is shown to be the dominant control of sedimentary density, inasmuch as the average mineral densities vary over very small ranges. Cementation, recrystallization, and compaction in response to gravity are the dominant processes which make for increasing density at increasing depths of burial; geologic age as such is not a controlling factor. The dominant process in the compaction of clays is the squeezing out of water in response to gravity; this distinguishes diagenesis in clays from the corresponding changes in sands and silts.. Compaction of clays in response to gravity, may reduce the porosity by as much as 46 percent, and increase the density to 1.60 g/cc. The greatest increase in clay density occurs in the 500 m to 800 m interval, even though such critical diagenetic changes have been observed at depths as great as 2,000 m. The average density gradient for clays varies between 0.02 and 0.05 g/cc per 100 m. M. E. Burgunker
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