Sedimentary shell

Ronov A.B. (1982) The Earth s sedimentary shell (quantitative patterns of its structure, composition and evolution). The 20th V.I. Vernadskiy Lecture, March 12, 1978. In The Earth s Sedimentary Shell (Quantitative Patterns of its Strcuture, Composition and Evolution) (ed. Yaroshevskiy), pp. 1-80. Nauka, Moscow. (International Geological Review English Translations 24, Nos. 11-12, 1313-1363 and 1365-1388,1982). 

Ronov A. B. (1982) The Earth s sedimentary shell (quantitative patterns of its structure, compositions, and evolution). Int. Geol. Rev. 24, 1313-1388. 

The sedimentary layer of the Earth s crust is the main carbon reservoir. The Cc and Co concentrations in the sedimentary layer are by an order of magnitude higher than in granite and basalt layers of lithosphere. The volume of sedimentary shell is about... 

The sedimentary rocks store 1.3 x 10 - tons of P and the overall amount of this element in sedimentary shell and in the granite layer of the continental crust is estimated at 6.33 x lO - tons (Dobrovolsky, 1994). 

These reasons are connected with S biogeochemical fluxes and pools in biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. However, the main reservoirs are related to lithosphere. According to Ronov (1976) and Dobrovolsky (1994), the average concentration of sulfide sulfur in sedimentary shell is 0.183% and the total amount of sulfur is 9.3 x 10 tons. In addition, the granite crustal layer contains 8.6 x 10 - tons of S. Totally in the Earth s crust there is around 94% of the global S mass (Table 24). 

The soluble Si species in the global ocean account for less than 0.001 % of the mass of this element in sedimentary rocks. According to Ronov (1976), the mass of sedimentary rocks contains 44.03% 0fSiO2, which corresponds to 493.6 x lO - tons of silicon. The total pool of this element in the granite layer and sedimentary shell amounts to 2.918 x lO tons (Table 28). 

Ronov (1976) estimated the average CaO content in sedimentary layer of 15.91 %, and in granite layer, of 2.71 %. Accordingly, the calcium reservoir in sedimentary shell is 272.8 X 10 - tons, and in the granite pool is 222.8 x lO tons. The weathering and metamorphosis of deep-layer silicates is accompanied by the formation of clay minerals with release of calcium available for plant and microbial uptake. 

The major geochemical reservoirs of the Earth that are currently in existence—inner and outer core, upper and lower mantle, upper and lower continental cmst, oceanic cmst, sedimentary shell, oceans, and atmosphere—were established early in the planet s history. On the other hand, the sizes and compositions of these reservoirs have changed over... 

Limestone. This is a sedimentary rock that is formed by the accumulation of organic marine life remains (shells or coral). Its main component is calcium carbonate. Cement rock. This is a sedimentary rock that has a similar composition as the industrially produced cement. 

Limestone CaCOs, sedimentary rock formed by the accumulation of shells or corals... 

Second in importance to the sedimentary PIC flux are the detrital remains of coccol-ithophorids, a genus of phytoplankton. As shown in Figure 15.1b, these plants deposit calcium carbonate in plates (about 50 per cell) that overlap to create an external shell. An individual coccolithophorid will create and shed these plates on a continual basis at rate of about 1 per hour. The plates also separate from each other after death of the plant, especially if the detrital remains fell into waters that promote dissolution. These plates are referred to as coccoliths and have the crystalline structure of the mineral calotte. 

Crustal Of Earth s crust, which is the outer shell of the planet. It is composed of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks and ranges in thickness from 5 to 35 km. 

Rohrlich, et al.. 1969 Gaertner and Schellmann, 1965 Leclalre, 1968 Giresse and Odin, 1973) at fairly shallow depths (< 80 meters). These reactions take place under saline or estuarine conditions. The transformation of sediment into berthierine is apparently progressive the initial sedimentary material found in shell tests becomes gradually transformed into a single phase, 7 chlorite structure. 

Diatomite A sedimentary rock formed by the burial and diagenesis of sediments consisting of abundant microscopic and amorphous silica shells from marine microorganisms. 

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