Definition
Most modern and ancient aquatic (marine, brackish, and lacustrine) environments were sufficiently oxygenated to permit colonization by numerous benthic, planktic, and nectic organisms. Due to excess oxygen the biologically produced organic matter is rapidly degraded. The sediments formed thereby exhibit only very low amounts of organic matter.
In contrast, very high rates of primary production and/or stagnant water bodies result in black shale sedimentation, which is associated with oxygen depletion or even lack of oxygen within the substrate and to some extent also within the water column. Degradation of organic matter is incomplete, partly by anaerobic bacteria, causing strong enrichment of organic matter in sediments. Black shales therefore commonly exhibit excellent preservation of organic molecules and mineralized soft tissues and hard parts of organisms.
The importance of black shales for scientists and the society are twofold. Black shales serve as source rocks for...
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Oschmann, W. (2011). Black Shales. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_37
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