The Contribution of Humic Substances to the Formation of Kerogens in Marine and Terrestrial Environments: An Alternate Approach

Critical examination of the data on elemental compositions of humic substances and the corresponding kerogens reported by various investigators led to a modified scheme of formation of kerogens. According to the proposed route, only the humic substances rich in carboxyl groups, such as soil fulvic acids, can, in principle, contribute together with lipids to the formation of type II hydrogen-rich kerogen, whereas soil humic acids contribute to the formation of type III kerogen.