Abstract Detrital grain-coating clay minerals have been identified as precursors of diagenetic grain-coating clay minerals that inhibit quartz cementation and preserve good reservoir quality properties in deeply buried sandstone reservoirs. Between initial and final deposition, detrital grain coats are likely to be affected by sediment transport processes. To date, it has not been demonstrated that detrital grain-coating clays are able to survive sediment transport. Flume experiments simulating open-channel flow conditions were performed using sediments from the Ravenglass estuary (Cumbria, UK), where the distribution and characteristics of modern detrital grain-coating clays is well established. Scanning electron microscopy and automated mineralogy techniques were employed to study the sediment before and after transport to determine the stability of the detrital grain-coating clays. The experimental results show that detrital grain-coating clays are still present after sediment transport in turbulent flows with velocities up to 0.5 m s−1. The stability of the detrital grain-coating clays was enhanced by (1) high initial clay coat coverage, (2) turbulence characteristics of the flow, and (3) entrapment of the detrital grain-coating clays in bedforms. This work documents the first quantifiable evidence that estuary-derived, detrital clay coats are routinely preserved after sediment transport. Clay coat-rich estuarine sediments can therefore act as the source of clay coated grains found in cleaner estuarine sandstones and may even survive transport out into open marine settings.

中文翻译：

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沉积物运输过程中碎屑颗粒涂层粘土的磨损：对成岩粘土涂层的影响

摘要 碎屑颗粒包覆粘土矿物已被确定为成岩颗粒包覆粘土矿物的前体，在深埋砂岩储层中抑制石英胶结并保持良好的储层性质。在初始和最终沉积之间，碎屑颗粒涂层可能会受到沉积物输送过程的影响。迄今为止，尚未证明碎屑颗粒涂层粘土能够在沉积物运输中存活下来。模拟明渠流动条件的水槽实验使用来自 Ravenglass 河口（英国坎布里亚郡）的沉积物进行，在那里现代碎屑颗粒涂层粘土的分布和特征已经很好地确定。采用扫描电子显微镜和自动矿物学技术研究运输前后的沉积物，以确定碎屑颗粒涂层粘土的稳定性。实验结果表明，在流速高达 0.5 m s-1 的湍流中沉积物迁移后，碎屑颗粒涂层粘土仍然存在。碎屑颗粒涂层粘土的稳定性通过 (1) 高初始粘土涂层覆盖率、(2) 流动的湍流特性和 (3) 碎屑颗粒涂层粘土在床型中的截留而增强。这项工作记录了第一个可量化的证据，证明河口衍生的碎屑粘土涂层在沉积物运输后通常会得到保存。