Applications of micro-X-ray fluorescence mapping to iron bands in iron-oxide concretion to evaluate its formation and reaction rate

Fe oxide Liesegang bands have often been observed in sedimentary and igneous rocks, and they are formed during weathering and alteration by water-rock interactions. In this study, micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping was used to study the Fe bands in an Fe oxide concretion from the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone in Utah, USA, to estimate the duration of their formation. Most of the peaks in Fe concentration are steeper on the inner side than on the outer side, which indicates a supply of ferrous ions (Fe2+) from outside the concretion. The precipitation of Fe oxide was controlled by pH buffering that resulted from a reaction between acidic water and alkaline pore water that formed through the dissolution of an earlier calcite concretion. The reaction rate within the Fe oxide concretion was estimated from the width of the Fe peaks and the expected diffusion coefficient for Fe through the rock matrix, and it was found to be no more than years to decades-faster than previously estimated. This demonstrates that μ-XRF mapping is a useful technique to extract quantitative information about water-rock interactions from rocks.