Some aspects of interstitial water movements in simulated sedimentary systems

Biological and abiological factors influencing interstitial water movements in sediments were studied in a simulated system. The porosity and permeability of the system decreased significantly during the 10 months of the experiment. The major governing processes were the production of an algal mat at the water-sediment interface, formation of biomass in interstitial spaces, diagenetic changes of buried algal material, and the formation of iron sulphide, evaporites, and gas locks in the sediments. The relevance of heteropermeability to the flow of underground fluids, as related to ore genesis, movement of non-miscible liquids, and environmental studies, and that of gas locks to cementation is discussed.