Glaucony facies revisited: from sedimentary chronology to ocean–climate–society archives

Authigenic green clays, particularly interstratified glauconite–smectite minerals (glaucony), are emerging as powerful archives for understanding Earth’s environmental, geochemical, and climatic history. Their mineralogical, isotopic, and chemical properties capture key aspects of the co-evolution of the ocean–climate system and life through deep time. Because glaucony forms at or near the sediment–water interface, it has long been utilized in geochronology and stratigraphy. However, uncertainties related to its variable formation rates, susceptibility to diagenetic overprinting, and complex incorporation of detrital phases have limited its broader application.Recent advances in in situ dating techniques (e.g., K–Ar and Rb–Sr), coupled with refined petrographic and mineralogical screening, indicate that highly evolved and impurity-free glauconitic grains can yield robust, directly datable records. At the same time, new geochemical investigations reveal that glauconitization at continental margins significantly influences major and trace element cycles (e.g., Fe, K, Mg, Si, REEs) and contributes to reverse weathering, thereby playing a critical role in global marine element budgets and the carbon cycle.The primary aim of this Research Topic is to bring together recent and advanced studies on the glauconitization process. This collection will explore the mineralogical, geochemical, and environmental processes that drive glauconitization, as well as its implications for carbon cycling, climate regulation, and resource potential. Beyond their role as archives of Earth history, glaucony and related green clays are increasingly recognized for their applied dimension — for instance, as carriers of nutrients in ecological and agricultural contexts (e.g., ‘green’ fertilizers). This research focus thus seeks to bridge fundamental mineralogical processes with their societal and environmental applications.This Research Topic seeks to reappraise glaucony as a versatile tool for geochronology, paleoceanography, paleoenvironmental reconstructions, and present-day sustainability challenges. We welcome contributions that:Explore dating methodologies for glaucony, including single-pellet approaches and improved screening techniques.Examine glauconitization and reverse weathering as drivers of elemental and isotopic cycling (e.g., REEs, Nd), while also addressing lighter and sensitive elements such as N, C, and Li.Link glauconitization to climate intervals and sea-level changes.Assess the diagenetic stability of glaucony under burial and fluid–rock interaction.Investigate the role of glaucony-bearing facies as sequence stratigraphic markers (e.g., maximum flooding surfaces, condensed sections).Present case studies from recent to ancient sedimentary archives that highlight the environmental controls on glaucony formation.Explore the ecological and agricultural applications of glauconite, including its role as a natural resource for nutrient supply and carbon management. Topic editors: Adrián López-Quirós, Maxim Rudmin, Andre Baldermann Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84153/glaucony-facies-revisited-from-sedimentary-chronology-to-ocean-climate-society-archives