堆積岩有機物の研究  [in Japanese] Studies on the organic matter in sedimentary rocks:A review  [in Japanese]

Organic matter is usually a minor constituent in most sedimentary rocks and its study was far behind other geo-scientific field. Recently, however, studies on the role of organic matter in sediments and sedimentary rocks as the parameter of diagenesis and the indicator of sedimentary environments made marked progress. In this paper, many recent works on this subject by Japanese scientists are introduced and reviewed. Finally, present author's view for the future development of this field is given.