Alginite is a component of some types of

kerogen Kerogen is solid, insoluble organic matter in sedimentary rocks. Comprising an estimated 1016 tons of carbon, it is the most abundant source of organic compounds on earth, exceeding the total organic content of living matter 10,000-fold. It ...

alongside amorphous organic matter. Alginite consists of organic-walled marine microfossils, distinct from inorganic (silica)-walled microfossils that comprise

diatomaceous earth Diatomaceous earth (), diatomite (), or kieselgur/kieselguhr is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from more than 3 μm to le ...

. Alginite is a complex soil aggregate of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

based

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

turned

volcanic ash Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, created during volcano, volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used t ...

and calcium carbonate. This material contains a complete spectrum of minerals, biological, macro- and micro-organisms helping to turn lands fertile again in regions where soil has been severely degraded in the past. At least two forms of alginite are distinguishable, "alginite A" (

telalginite Telalginite is a structured organic matter (alginite) in sapropel, composed of large discretely occurring colonial or thick-walled unicellular algae such as ''Botryococcus'', ''Tasmanites'' and '' Gloeocapsomorpha prisca''. Telalginite is present in ...

) and "alginite B" (

lamalginite Lamalginite is a structured organic matter (alginite) in sapropel, composed of thin-walled colonial or unicellular algae that occur as distinct laminae, cryptically interbedded with mineral matter. It displays few or no recognisable biologic structu ...

). The "A" form contains morphologically distinguishable microfossils while the "B" form is more amorphous and film-like.

References

External links

* * Sedimentology Organic minerals Petrology {{Microbiology-stub