1. n. [Geology]
[(Mg,Al,Fe) 12(Si,Al) 8O20(OH) 16]
A platy, pale green mineral of the mica group of sheet silicates, also considered to be a type of clay mineral, found in sedimentary and low-grade metamorphic rocks. Chlorite is a common authigenic mineral lining the pores of sandstones. In some cases, the presence of authigenic chlorite on sand grains can inhibit the growth of pore-filling cements during diagenesis and preserve pore space for occupation by hydrocarbons.
See related terms: cement, glauconite, hydrothermal, hydrothermal alteration, sandstone, sedimentary
