Development of Sulfuric Acid Speleogenetic Deposits within Cavernous Middle Eocene Beds: Inference on Hydrocarbon Gas Seepages, Giza Pyramids Plateau, Egypt
Author:
Affiliation:

Clc Number:

Fund Project:

This work is supported by the Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University (BSU-FSC-0805699). The author appreciates Prof. Dr. Mohamed Shahien, Head of the Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University for his assistance during the field work and constructive comments that significantly improved the former edition of the manuscript. Special gratitude to Mr. Ali Hassan and Miss. Amal Mokhatar, analytical lab technicians at Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University for their kind assistance during the lab work. The author would like to thank Prof. Jasper Knight, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa for his critical reading of the manuscript and the corrections and constructive comments that significantly improved the manuscript. The thanks also extend to Dr. Jo De Weala, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy for his constructive comments and suggestions.

  • Article
  • |
  • Figures
  • |
  • Metrics
  • |
  • Reference
  • |
  • Related
  • |
  • Cited by
  • |
  • Materials
  • |
  • Comments
    Abstract:

    Development of sulfuric acid speleogenetic mineral deposits within cavernous middle Eocene beds of the Pyramids plateau is linked to hydrocarbon gas seepages. The work carried out field observations, binocular, polarizing, scanning and transmitted electron microscopy investigation, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence analyses. The morphological and petrographic features and chemical composition of the studied mineral deposits reveal a hypogene sulfuric acid speleogenesis. A model comprised of the following stages can be used to explain the presence of these features. (1) Ascent of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas associated with hydrocarbon seepages from the Cretaceous reservoirs under reducing conditions followed by oxidation to sulfuric acid (H2SO4), (2) descent of carbonic acid (H2CO3)-rich solution generated from surface sources, (3) reaction of H2SO4 and H2CO3 with the calcareous and argillaceous host rocks, (4) formation of H2SO4 speleogenetic by-products represented by natroalunite, aluminium-phosphate-sulfate, hydrated halloysite and Fe/Mn oxides within the replacive gypsum, and (5) subsequent stresses due to the formation of nearby stratiform cavities gave rise to the development of fractures/veinlets filled with displacive fibrous satinspar gypsum. The study sets the paleokarst features of the Giza Pyramids plateau within a hypogene sulfuric acid karst system developed by the action of groundwater containing H2S, H2SO4 and H2CO3.

    Reference
    Related
    Cited by
Get Citation

Hanan S. BADAWY.2021. Development of Sulfuric Acid Speleogenetic Deposits within Cavernous Middle Eocene Beds: Inference on Hydrocarbon Gas Seepages, Giza Pyramids Plateau, Egypt[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica(),95(3):946-961

Copy
Share
Article Metrics
  • Abstract:
  • PDF:
  • HTML:
  • Cited by:
History
  • Received:August 17,2019
  • Revised:May 20,2020
  • Adopted:
  • Online: June 23,2021
  • Published: