Oct 2022
The processes that turn a soft mud into a solid rock differ fundamentally in siliciclastic and carbonate environments. While clayey sediments gradually become a rock mainly by compaction due to sedimentary overburden and the expulsion of pore water, lithification occurs very quickly in most carbonate shelf sediments, i.e. without mechanical compaction by an early diagenetic import of calcium carbonate filling the pore space. But where does this cement carbonate come from? It cannot be assumed to be imported over long distances because of the very low permeability of the muds. Surprisingly, these processes are poorly investigated until today. But already in the field indications of them can be found, because the rocks, which have undergone such a lithification, show a strict dichotomy of the resulting rocks.
Axel was born in Germany and studied geology and palaeontology in Kiel (N-Germany), obtaining his PhD in 1996. In his diploma thesis he worked on recent cold-water carbonates from northern Norway, and in his doctoral thesis on Silurian carbonates from the island of Gotland (Sweden). After his doctorate, he went to Lille (France) as a Humboldt fellow, then to Bremen and Tübingen as a postdoc, and finally to Erlangen, where he now works as a professor of palaeontology. His main field of interest are microfacies and diagenesis of carbonate rocks. Since 2002, he organises and leads the renown annual International Courses on Carbonate Microfacies ("Flügel Courses").