Catagenesis[a] is a term used in petroleum geology to describe the cracking process which results in the conversion of organic kerogens into hydrocarbons.
Generally speaking, a rise in temperature results in the volatization of unstable species or elements that are weakly attached to carbon atoms.
In almost all cases, as biogenic material matures in a geologic environment, the volatile elements such as oxygen and hydrogen are significantly reduced, resulting in a reduction in the O/C and H/C ratios.
[2] A great deal of future research is required to isolate the parameters which are most significant for inducing the catagenetic process.
Future work in the field will involve the following: For example, while it was once assumed that catagenetic processes were first-order reactions, some research has shown that this may not be the case.