Specific surface as a measure of burial diagenesis of chalk.

ODP Leg 130, Site 807, in the western equatorial Pacific, penetrates a sequence of pelagic carbonate ooze, chalk and limestone. Compaction, recrystallisation and cementation of the carbonate matrix are diagenetic processes expected to be taking place more or less simultaneously. In order to assess the relative importance of the three processes, simple models have been established to illustrate changes in pore space, particle size and -shape and the resulting trends in the specific surface. Specific surface and porosity of the samples were measured using image analysis on electron micrographs of polished sections. Using these simple models, trends in the measured specific surface can be interpred throughout the majority of the geological sequence.