Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Minerals Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 6360

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zixiao Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
Interests: geobiology; nano-geochemistry; biosignatures; co-evolution of environment and life on early Earth

Prof. Dr. Glenn Stracher

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

East Georgia State College, University System of Georgia, Swainsboro, GA 30401, USA
Interests: thermodynamics; structural geology; mineralogy; petrology

Dr. Yu Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Emergency Management and Safety Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
Interests: coal chemistry; geochemistry; environmental mineralogy and biogeochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon-bearing rocks, such as carbonaceous shale, coal, carbonate and graphite-bearing metasedimentary rocks, play a pivotal role in the Earth’s geochemical cycles, which influence various processes; these include the deep carbon cycle, surface weathering, biomineralization, and climate change. These rocks form in a wide range of geological settings, from the high-pressure, high-temperature conditions in the Earth’s mantle to the low-temperature, near-surface environments in sedimentary basins. It is crucial to understand the geochemical factors that control the generation and transformation of carbon in these rocks in order to determine the complex interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere; this would have significant implications for the search of potential life and habitable environments on early Earth and beyond. This Special Issue aims to compile recent research on the formation, stability, and transformation of carbon in rocks under various geochemical conditions.

This Special Issue thus welcomes the submission of original contributions that explore the geochemical factors governing the generation and transformation of carbon in rocks, including but not limited to, the following: (1) the mineralogy and geochemistry of carbon-bearing rocks; (2) carbon isotope systematics in carbon-bearing rocks; (3) kinetic controls on the formation and growth of carbon-bearing rocks in Earth’s multi-sphere system; (4) biotic and abiotic processes in the generation and transformation of carbon in rocks; (5) the role of carbon-bearing minerals in deep-surface carbon cycling and climate change on Earth; (6) mineral phase transformations and carbon sequestration during carbon storage processes; (7) mineral evolution and environmental geochemical responses in coal and organic matter systems; and (8) advances in analytical techniques for the in situ and high-resolution analysis of carbon-bearing rocks.

Dr. Zixiao Guo
Prof. Dr. Glenn Stracher
Dr. Yu Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

metasedimentary rocks
coal including coal fires
carbonaceous shale
carbonate
carbon isotope systematics
origin and evolution of life
global carbon cycling

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 8546 KB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Organic Matter Enrichment in Middle Ordovician Shales of the Wulalike Formation, Western Margin of the Ordos Basin

by Xueting Qi, Yanshu Yin, Jianfeng Zhang and Kang Liu

Minerals 2026, 16(3), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030234 - 25 Feb 2026

Viewed by 395

Abstract

Marine shales of the Middle Ordovician Wulalike Formation in the Ordos Basin constitute a key target for shale gas exploration. However, the sedimentary environments associated with different shale lithofacies vary significantly, and the mechanisms controlling the organic matter enrichment remain incompletely understood. To address this issue, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing organic matter enrichment in distinct lithofacies. Based on mineralogical and elemental geochemical data, Wulalike Formation shales can be grouped into three lithofacies associations (i.e., siliceous shales, calcareous shales, and mixed shales). Results indicate that the siliceous shale, with the highest TOC (avg. 1.05%), was deposited under a warm and humid climate with relatively high productivity and anoxic to euxinic bottom waters, promoting preservation. In contrast, the calcareous and mixed shales, formed under semihumid to semiarid climates with lower productivity and variable terrigenous input, exhibit lower TOC. Comprehensive analysis shows that, against the background of generally low organic matter abundance, organic matter enrichment were primarily associated with redox conditions and paleoclimate, with terrigenous input playing a dual role, while paleoproductivity had a limited effect. The overall lower TOC, compared to typical marine shales, may be attributed to deposition in a nutrient-limited, restricted, stagnant basin distal from volcanic sources. This study provides new insights into the organic matter enrichment mechanisms of Ordovician source rocks in the western Ordos Basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 17330 KB

Open AccessArticle

Lithofacies Identification and Gas-Bearing Potential Evaluation of Shallow Shale Gas in China: A Case Study of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formations, Northern Guizhou

by Peiyan Li, Jiliang Yu, Ming Xie, Dan Lu, Gangquan Li, Xuan Chen, Deqiang Sun and Yuhao Deng

Minerals 2026, 16(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020203 - 16 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1806

Abstract

Gas-bearing potential in marine shales is governed by lithofacies-scale mineralogical heterogeneity and its coupling with organic-matter enrichment. We analyzed 40 core samples from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Zheng’an area, northern Guizhou (wells AD-2, AD-3, and AD-4), using whole-rock XRD, total organic carbon (w(TOC) %), and in situ gas content (cm³/g). A normalized quartz–clay–carbonate ternary diagram was applied to classify samples into siliceous shale (S), clay-rich shale (CM), calcareous shale (C), and mixed shale (M), and further into subfacies (e.g., S-1, S-2, and CM-1). Most samples plotted within the siliceous–clay transition field. Against this compositional background, w(TOC) mainly ranged from 4% to 6%, with the 4%–5% bin accounting for 57.5%; well AD-4 showed a relatively stable distribution, whereas wells AD-2 and AD-3 exhibited stronger vertical variability. In situ gas content varied systematically with lithofacies: CM displayed higher and more concentrated values (maximum 4.78 cm³/g), whereas S was more dispersed, with persistently low values in the continuous S-2 interval (minimum 0.15 cm³/g). Favorable intervals were associated with the continuous development of CM-1 and S-1, whereas S-2 required interval-specific assessment under an overall low-carbonate background. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 3859 KB

Open AccessArticle

Depositional Environments and Carbonaceous Sources of the Cheng-Gang Crystalline Graphite Deposit Revealed by Elemental and Isotopic Evidence

by Feng Liu, Wenbo Rao, Yangyang Zhang, Jianjun Cui and Weijun Yao

Minerals 2026, 16(2), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020120 - 23 Jan 2026

Viewed by 489

Abstract

The Cheng-gang crystalline graphite deposit is a recently discovered medium-to-large-sized deposit within the Tan-Lu Fault Zone (TLFZ), East China. However, the knowledge on this deposit remains limited, resulting in a poor understanding of its genesis. In this study, this deposit is chosen to elucidate the degree of graphite mineralization, the nature and depositional environments of the protoliths, and the carbon source of graphite through geochemical and stable isotope investigations, and mineralogical analysis. The fixed carbon contents in the graphite-ore-bearing layers range from 2% to 3%. X-ray diffraction analyses reveal a high degree of graphitization. Analyses of elemental ratios indicate that the protoliths of metamorphic rocks predominantly consist of felsic rocks derived from the upper crust and deposited in brackish-water and reducing environments (anoxic to dysoxic). Stable carbon isotope analyses show that CH₄ with lighter carbon isotopes released from the decomposition of pristine organic matter was trapped into adjacent inorganic reservoirs and the residual fraction with heavy carbon isotopes evolved to become graphite under metamorphism. Assuming the existence of isotope exchange between carbonate minerals and graphite, the temperature of peak metamorphism is estimated to be 580–860 °C, corresponding to amphibolite–granulite facies during regional metamorphism. The direct mixing of organic fluids and adjacent inorganic reservoirs may have contributed to graphite ore formation and needs to be further explored in future studies. The findings shed light on the genesis of the TLFZ graphite deposits, providing practical implications for local mineral exploration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

30 pages, 12078 KB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Carbonates in the Ejecta of South Sakhalin Mud Volcano, Sakhalin Island, Russia: Diversity, Origin, and Sources

by Svetlana N. Kokh, Ella V. Sokol, Valery V. Ershov and Olga P. Izokh

Minerals 2026, 16(1), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010117 - 22 Jan 2026

Viewed by 659

Abstract

The South Sakhalin mud volcano (Sakhalin Island, Russia) emits HCO₃-Cl/Na-Mg water, emanates CO₂ prevailing over CH₄ in the gas phase, and extrudes mud bearing five carbonate mineral species. The study focuses on the distribution, diversity, and origin of the carbonate minerals from the mud volcano (MV) ejecta, in terms of carbon cycle processes. The data presented include a synthesis of field observations, compositions of MV gases and waters, chemistry of carbonate minerals, as well as stable isotope geochemistry of MV waters (δ¹³C, δD, and δ¹⁸O) and carbonates (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O). The sampled MV waters are isotopically heavy, with δ¹⁸O = +5.7‰ to +7.5‰ VSMOW, δD = −18.0‰ to −11.0‰ VSMOW, and ¹³C (δ¹³C_DIC = +6.9‰ to +8.1‰ VPDB). This composition may be due to the dilution of basinal water with dehydration water released during the diagenetic illitization of smectite. Carbonates in the sampled mud masses belong to three genetically different groups. Mg-rich siderite, (Fe_0.54–0.81Mg_0.04–0.30Ca_0.05–0.23Mn_0.00–0.08)CO₃, disseminated in abundance throughout the mud masses, coexists with common calcite and sporadic ankerite. The trace-element chemistry of Mg-siderite, as well as the oxygen (δ¹⁸O = +34.4‰ to +36.8‰ VSMOW) and carbon (δ¹³C = −1.3‰ to +0.6‰ VPDB) isotopic signatures, confirms its authigenic origin. Siderite formed during early diagenesis of the Upper Cretaceous sandy and clayey marine sediments mobilized by mud volcanism in the area. Another assemblage, composed of dawsonite, siderite, and vein calcite (±kaolinite), represents altered arkose sandstones found as few fragments in the mud. This assemblage may be a marker of later CO₂ flooding into the sandstone aquifer in the geological past. The trace-element chemistry, particular morphology, and heavy C (δ¹³C = +5.5‰ to +7.0‰ VPDB) and O (δ¹⁸O = +39.1‰ to +39.5‰ VSMOW) isotope compositions indicate that aragonite is the only carbonate species that is related to the current MV activity. It crystallized in a shallow reservoir and was maintained by CO₂ released from rapidly ascending liquefied mud and HCO₃-Cl/Na-Mg-type of MV waters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2031 KB

Open AccessArticle

Geochemical Characteristics and Paleoenvironmental Significance of the Xishanyao Formation Coal from the Xiheishan Mining Area, Zhundong Coalfield, Xinjiang, China

by Yongjie Hou, Kaixuan Zhang, Xiangcheng Jin, Yongjia Xu, Xiaotao Xu and Xiaoyun Yan

Minerals 2025, 15(7), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070686 - 27 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1011

Abstract

The eastern Junggar Basin in Xinjiang, China is a key coal-bearing region dominated by the Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation. Despite its significance as a major coal resource base, detailed paleoenvironmental reconstructions of its coal seams remain limited. This study investigates the B₁, B₂, B₃, and B₅ coal seams of the Xishanyao Formation using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to assess geochemical indicators of the depositional environment during coal formation. The results show that the coal samples are characterized by high inertinite content and low vitrinite reflectance, indicative of low-rank coal. Slight enrichment of strontium (Sr) was observed in the B₁, B₂, and B₅ seams, while cobalt (Co) showed minor enrichment in B₃. Redox-sensitive elemental ratios (Ni/Co, V/Cr, and Mo) suggest that the peat-forming environment ranged from oxidizing to dysoxic conditions, with relatively high oxygen availability and strong hydrodynamic activity. A vertical trend of increasing paleosalinity and a shift from warm–humid to dry–hot paleoclimatic conditions was identified from the lower (B₁) to upper (B₅) coal seams. Additionally, the estimated atmospheric oxygen concentration during the Middle Jurassic was approximately 28.4%, well above the threshold for wildfire combustion. These findings provide new insights into the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Xishanyao Formation and offer a valuable geochemical framework for coal exploration and the assessment of coal-associated mineral resources in the eastern Junggar Basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 7293 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Genetic Mechanism and Geological Significance of Calcite in Buried-Hill Karstic Reservoirs: A Case Study of the Lower Paleozoic Carbonate Reservoirs in the Bohai Sea

by Xiuzhang Song, Tongyao Zhang, Peng Hao, Yahao Huang, Yinjun He and Chunyan Zang

Minerals 2025, 15(5), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050508 - 11 May 2025

Viewed by 1044

Abstract

Calcite in hydrocarbon reservoirs records abundant information about diagenetic fluids and environments. Understanding the formation mechanisms of calcite is crucial for predicting reservoir characteristics and hydrocarbon migration. This study identifies the types of authigenic calcite present in the Lower Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs of the Bohai Bay Basin through petrographic analysis, cathodoluminescence, and other experimental methods. By integrating electron probe microanalysis, in situ isotopic analysis, and fluid inclusion studies, we further constrain the source of the diagenetic fluids responsible for the authigenic calcite. The results show that there are at least three types of authigenic calcite in the Lower Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs of the Bohai Sea. Calcite cemented in the syn-depositional-to-early-diagenetic stage displays very weak cathodoluminescence, with δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O and paleo-salinity distributions similar to those of micritic calcite. These features suggest that the calcite was formed during burial heating by sedimentary fluids. Calcite filling fractures shows heterogeneous cathodoluminescence intensity, ranging from weak to strong, indicating multiple stages of cementation. The broad elemental variation and multiple cementation events suggest that the diagenetic fluid sources were diverse. Isotopic data show that samples with carbon isotope values greater than −2.9‰ likely formed through water–rock interaction with fluids retained within the strata, whereas samples exhibiting more negative δ¹³C were formed from a mixed-source supply of strata and mantle-derived fluids. Calcite that fills karst collapse pores exhibits alternating bright and dark cathodoluminescence, strong negative δ¹⁸O shifts, and variability in trace elements such as Mn, Fe, and Co. These characteristics indicate a mixed origin of diagenetic fluids derived from both meteoric freshwater and carbonate-dissolving fluids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Geochemical Controls on the Generation and Transformation of Carbon in Rocks

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI