Research evolution and development direction in the early diagenesis

Early diagenesis, an important study subject, has been given extensive attention. The main characters, geological response and study methods of the early diagenesis were summarized. The theoretical progresses on movement and transform of elements, the process of sulfate reduction, mathematical models, microorganism action during early diagenesis, and the application to multi-metal nodules and early diagenesis and mineralization, environmental sedimentology and soil estimation were stated systematically. Early diagenesis has broad and bright prospects not only in theory but also in application, and three future trends are predicted. First, the area of early diagenesis study will be enlarged widely to lake, delta, soil. Then, the stable or nonstable one-dimensional, two-dimensional or three-dimensional multi-layer early diagenesis models will be established, and the methods and theoretical achievements of early diagenesis will be widely applied in environmental sedimentology to supervise and treat environment pollution.