5.30Ma以来华北哺乳动物群与磁性地层序列

通过中国北方５．３０Ｍａ以来含丰富哺乳动物化石的典型剖面的磁性地层研究,建立５．３０Ｍａ以来中国北方陆相哺乳动物群与磁性地层序列对比。中国黄土记录了Ｂｒｕｎｈｅｓ正极性带与Ｍａｔｕｙａｍａ负极性带,黄土年龄约２．５０ＭａＢ．Ｐ．,其中发现有午城动物群、公王岭动物群、阳郭动物群、陈家窝动物群与靖远动物群。三门组记录了Ｍａｔｕｙａｍａ负极性带下段,年龄约１．２０—２．５０Ｍａ,其中发现有三门动物群。静乐剖面的静乐红土对应于Ｇａｕｓｓ正极性带上段,年龄约２．５０—３．００Ｍａ,其中发现有静乐贺丰动物群。游河组记录了Ｇａｕｓｓ正极性带,年龄约２．５０—３．４０Ｍａ,其中发现游河动物群。泥河湾沉积对应于Ｂｒｕｎｈｅｓ正极性带、Ｍａｔｕｙａｍａ负极性带、Ｇａｕｓｓ正极性带,年龄约０．１３—３．４０Ｍａ。其中小长梁剖面记录了Ｂｒｕｎｈｅｓ正极性带与Ｍａｔｕｙａｍａ负极性带上段（含Ｊａｒａｍｉｌｏ亚带）,年龄约０．１３—１．００Ｍａ（其中含化石及石器地层年龄约０．９０—１．００Ｍａ）。榆社盆地麻则沟组记录了Ｇａｕｓｓ正极性带（２．５０—３．４０Ｍａ）,高庄组记录了Ｇｉｌｂｅｒｔ负极性带（３．４０—５．３０Ｍａ）。     

河北阳原台儿沟剖面泥河湾组底界的确定

河北阳原化稍营郝家台台儿沟剖面是泥河湾盆地新建的建阶剖面。剖面总厚度为151.45m,顶部的年龄约0.019Ma,深33.55m处为B/M界线,深123m处为M/G界线,剖面底的年龄约3.3Ma。划分为马兰组、郝家台组、泥河湾组和蔚县组。深45.65-122.65m间归泥河湾组,厚77m,泥河湾组以黄色调砂、粉砂、黏土质粉砂为主,中夹有灰绿色黏土,属河湖相沉积环境。泥河湾组底界确定的标志:底部出露较厚的砂层,代表一个沉积旋回的开始,与下伏湖沼相蔚县组呈整合接触;底界接近M/G界线,在M/G界线之上0.35m处;底界之下挖掘到早于2.6Ma的游河模拟鼠-副丁氏鼢鼠小哺乳动物化石组合和瓣鳃类化石。泥河湾组底界确定为2.6Ma。     

泥河湾层的研究现状和展望

泥河湾层是我国北方著名的第四纪河湖相地层,它以巨厚的沉积、丰富的哺乳动物化石和人类遗存为世人所瞩目.经过几代人近80年的努力,泥河湾层在地层学、古生物学、沉积学、古地理学和古人类学等方面的研究上都取得了丰硕的成果,被誉为我国研究程度最高的第四纪地层之一.近年来,随着第四纪学科的发展和全球变化研究的深入,加大泥河湾层研究力度,提高"泥河湾层”研究水平的呼声日趋高涨.预计在新的世纪,泥河湾层研究将成为我国第四纪工作的热点,它将对第四纪科学和全球变化研究做出重大的贡献.     

High-precision geochronology of the Early Cretaceous Yingcheng Formation and its stratigraphic implications for Songliao Basin,China

The Songliao Basin in Northeast Asia is the largest and longest-lived rift basin and preserves a near-continuous continental succession of the most of the Cretaceous period, providing great material to investigate the adaption of the terrestrial systems to the Cretaceous greenhouse climate and tectonic events. However, the paucity of precise and accurate radioisotopic ages from the Early Cretaceous strata of the Songliao Basin has greatly held back the temporal and causal correlation of the continental records to the global Early Cretaceous records. Three tuff layers intercalated in the Yingcheng Formation have been intercepted by the SK-2 borehole, which offer excellent materials for radioisotopic dating and calibration of the chronostratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous sequence of Songliao Basin. Moreover, the Yingcheng Formation recorded the largest and the last of the two major volcanic events in Songliao Basin, which also represents a turning point in the basin evolution history of Songliao from syn-rift stage to post-rift stage. Here we report high-precision U–Pb zircon geochronology by the CA-ID-TIMS technique on three tuff samples from the Yingcheng Formation of the SK-2 borehole in the Songliao Basin to construct a greatly improved, absolute age framework for the Yingcheng Formation and provide crucial age constraints for the Songliao Lower Cretaceous Strata. The new CA-ID-TIMS geochronology constrained the Yingcheng Formation at 102.571 + 0.320/?2.346 Ma to ca. 113 Ma, correlating to the Albian Stage. Combined with the previous published Songliao geochronology, the Quantou Formation is constrained to between 96.442 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma and 91.923 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma; the Denglouku Formation is constrained to between 102.571 + 0.320/?2.346 Ma and 96.442 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma; the age of the Shahezi Formation is estimated at ca. 113 Ma to ca. 118 Ma, which could extend to ca. 125 Ma in some locations in Songliao Basin. The major unconformity between the Yingcheng Formation and the Denglouku Formation, which represents the transition of the basin from syn-rift to post-rift is thus confined to between 102.571 + 0.320/?2.346 Ma and 96.442 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma. This is roughly contemporaneous with the change in the direction of the paleo-Pacific plate motion from west-southwest to north or northwest in mid-Cretaceous, suggesting their possible connections.     

泥河湾盆地东谷坨剖面磁性特征及环境意义

泥河湾盆地东谷坨剖面的环境磁学研究表明泥河湾盆地湖相地层的物源具有多重性,既有来自周边山地的风化碎屑,又有来自西北和北方沙漠地区的粉尘物质,导致了其古环境和气候记录的复杂性.湖相地层除记录了松山反极性时晚期和布容正极性时这两个大的极性时段以外,还记录了哈拉米洛极性亚时和另外3个短期极性漂移事件.磁组构参数表明东谷坨剖面的地层是在正常的重力分异条件下沉积的,且自沉积结束以来没有受到明显的后期扰动.磁化率最大轴的方位角显示东谷坨剖面处乃至泥河湾盆地东部的古水流方向主要(或大多数时候)为北北西-南南东向.     

泥河湾古湖的形成机制及其与早期古人类生存环境的关系

泥河湾盆地位于汾渭裂谷系的东北端,是裂谷系的重要组成部分。古近纪初恒山－大同一带发育软流圈上涌柱,导致岩浆喷发和地壳变薄,距今25～24Ma,阳原-石匣一带开始沉陷形成盆地,北侧出现伸展造山带。受到挤压作用使盆地内地壳缩短并在盆地南侧形成台地。上新世末至早更新世为盆地沉陷最盛时期,泥河湾古湖形成。距今2．0～0．8Ma,该地区为温和的温带气候环境,有的时段为亚热带气候,同时火山喷发的火山灰和风成沉积为盆地土壤提供了丰富矿物质养分,湖泊周边地区动植物繁盛,为早期古人类在此栖息提供了必要的条件。该裂谷型盆地是适于早期古人类生存和发展的地区,泥河湾盆地将是我国最有可能发现早期古人类化石的地点。     

High resolution magnetostratigraphy and deposition cycles in the Nihewan Basin (North China) and their significance for stone artifact dating

Three lacustrine sections in the Nihewan Basin, Xiaodukou, Donggutuo and Xiaochangliang (40.1-40.4°N; 114.6-114.7°E), were closely sampled for magnetostratigraphic and deposition cycle analysis. Rock magnetic investigations show that the characteristic remanent magnetization of the sediments is mainly carried by magnetite and hematite. The Xiaodukou sequence is one of the most complete sections in the basin and has recorded substantial parts of the Brunhes and Matuyama chrons back to the termination of the Olduvai subchron. Several subchrons within the Matuyama period have been documented such as the Jaramillo, the Cobb Mt. and others. The Matuyama/Brunhes boundary, the Jaramillo, as well as the Cobb Mountain events were observed also at Donggutuo. On the basis of grain size and susceptibility data and of field investigations, the sections are divided into two longer lasting lacustrine episodes with a fluvio-lacustrine deposit in between. They are structured by 15 high-frequency deposition sub-cycles. In each cycle, the grain size fines upwards, while magnetic susceptibility decreases. This behavior is due to cyclic water level change of the ancient lake Nihewan. At Xiaodukou, the variations of the 0.2 to 7.5 μm grain size fraction can be correlated with the marine oxygen isotope stages OIS 64-OIS 11. The grey-green clayey to silty Paleolithic stone artifact layers at Xiaochangliang and Donggutuo are located at depths of 55.4 m and 43-38.7 m, respectively. They were buried when the lake-level was rising. The artifact layers have been deposited around the Cobb Mountain event during the sedimentary sub-cycle 6 of the older lacustrine phase corresponding to OIS 35, 36. Thus in contrast to the results of other studies, the estimated age of the Xiaochangliang stone artifact layer does not exceed 1.26 Ma, while the Donggutuo stone artifact layers date back to 1.21-1.15 Ma. This age determination brings the Nihewan hominids in close relation to the findings of Homo Erectus at Lantian on the Chinese Loess Plateau.     

Sequence of the Cenozoic Mammalian Faunas of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China

In the Linxia Basin on the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Cenozoic strata are very thick and well exposed. Abundant mammalian fossils are discovered in the deposits from the Late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene. The Dzungariotherium fauna comes from the sandstones of the Jiaozigou Formation, including many representative Late Oligocene taxa. The Platybelodon fauna comes from the sandstones of the Dongxiang Formation and the conglomerates of the Laogou Formation, and its fossils are typical Middle Miocene forms, such as Hemicyon, Amphicyon, Platybelodon, Choerolophodon, Anchitherium, and Hispanotherium. The Hipparion fauna comes from the red clay of the Liushu and Hewangjia Formations, and its fossils can be distinctly divided into four levels, including three Late Miocene levels and one Early Pliocene level. In the Linxia Basin, the Hipparion fauna has the richest mammalian fossils. The Equus fauna comes from the Wucheng Loess, and it is slightly older than that of the classical Early Pl     

中国陆相上新统麻则沟阶

年代地层单位麻则沟阶是中国上新统的两个阶之一,代表陆相上上新统,1999年由第二届全国地层委员会正式命名,对应于麻则沟期。"麻则沟"一名源自同名岩石地层单位麻则沟组,典型剖面位于山西省榆社县云簇镇赵庄—大马岚。麻则沟阶对应于"国际地层表"中的皮亚琴察阶,其共同的底界定义为古地磁Chron C2An.3n的底,即高斯正极性带的底,绝对年龄为3.6 Ma,这条界线在榆社赵庄剖面位于第6层麻则沟组下部的紫红色黏土层的中部,以张洼沟姬鼠(Apodemus zhangwagouensis)的首现为标志。麻则沟期与欧洲陆生哺乳动物分期的Villa-nyian早期或Villafranchian早期相当,包含1个哺乳动物群单位,即NMU13,可与欧洲的MN16对比。在榆社盆地发现的麻则沟动物群就相当于NMU13。在中国的上新世哺乳动物群中,甘肃灵台的任家沟动物群和雷家河V带动物群、河北阳原泥河湾的稻地动物群、陕西渭南的游河动物群、山西静乐的贺丰动物群、四川德格的汪布顶动物群也相当于NMU13。河北泥河湾的花豹沟剖面是麻则沟阶的辅助层型剖面。     

泥河湾地区晚上新世一个新的地层单位——稻地组

本文记述了河北泥河湾盆地的一个新的地层单位——稻地组。在四个实测剖面上对稻地组进行了分层描述,根据其岩性、化石特征、及其与上下地层接触关系,确定了该地层组的含义,并对其时代(晚上新世)作了讨论。     

Paleomagnetism of the late Cryogenian Nantuo Formation and paleogeographic implications for the South China Block

A new paleomagnetic pole position is obtained from the well-dated (636.3 ± 4.9 Ma) Nantuo Formation in the Guzhang section, western Hunan Province, and the correlative Long’e section in eastern Guizhou Province, South China. Remagnetization of the recent geomagnetic field was identified and removed for both sections. The hard dual-polarity, interpreted as primary, component of the Nantuo Formation, directs east–westward with medium inclinations, yielding an average pole of 9.3°N, 165°E, A₉₅ = 4.3° that, for the first time, passed a strata-bound reversals test. The new data are consistent with previously published paleomagnetic data of the Nantuo Formation from Malong county, central Yunnan Province, which passed a positive syn-sedimentary fold test. Together, these sites represent shallow- to deep-water sections across a shelf-to-basin transect centered at ∼33° paleolatitude. The sedimentary basin may have faced an expansive ocean toward the paleo-East. In the ∼750 Ma and ∼635 Ma global reconstructions, the South China Block (SCB) was best fitted in the northern hemisphere close to northwestern Australia. However, a direct SCB-northwestern Australia connection, inferred to have existed during the Early Cambrian–Early Devonian, had not formed by the time of ∼635 Ma.     

Relationship between volcanism and marine sedimentation in northern Austral (Aisén) Basin, central Patagonia: Stratigraphic, U–Pb SHRIMP and paleontologic evidence

The northernmost part of the oil-producing Austral Basin, known as Aisén Basin or Río Mayo Embayment (in central Patagonian Cordillera; 43–46°S), is a special area within the basin where the interplay between volcanism and the initial stages of its development can be established. Stratigraphic, paleontologic and five new U–Pb SHRIMP age determinations presented here indicate that the Aisén Basin was synchronous with the later phases of volcanism of the Ibáñez Formation for at least 11 m.yr. during the Tithonian to early Hauterivian. In this basin marine sedimentary rocks of the basal units of the Coihaique Group accumulated overlying and interfingering with the Ibáñez Formation, which represents the youngest episode of volcanism of a mainly Jurassic acid large igneous province (Chon Aike Province). Five new U–Pb SHRIMP magmatic ages ranging between 140.3 ± 1.0 and 136.1 ± 1.6 Ma (early Valanginian to early Hauterivian) were obtained from the Ibáñez Formation whilst ammonites from the overlying and interfingering Toqui Formation, the basal unit of the Coihaique Group, indicate Tithonian, early Berriasian and late Berriasian ages. The latter was a synvolcanic shallow marine facies accumulated in an intra-arc setting, subsequently developed into a retro-arc basin.     

华北泥河湾盆地郝家台地区的沉积相组合特征：以台儿沟东剖面为例

泥河湾盆地东部郝家台地区的台儿沟东剖面主要出露地层为更新统和上新统,剖面顶部为厚9.4 m的马兰黄土和古土壤,剖面中部由更新统郝家台组和泥河湾组构成,剖面下部为上新统蔚县组。郝家台组和泥河湾组为三角洲平原、三角洲前缘和少量前三角洲亚相沉积组合,其中三角洲平原亚相可分为分支河道、分支间湾、天然堤、沼泽和淡水湖泊5个微相,由发育大型板状斜层理和底冲刷面构造的粗砂夹砾石透镜体,含钙质结核的透镜状黄褐色中 细砂以及富含炭屑的深色粘土等共同构成;三角洲前缘亚相则由水下分支河道、支流间湾、河口砂坝和末端砂坝构成,以发育底冲刷面构造并夹有细砾石透镜体的细中粒砂、小型板状斜层理细砂以及分选好且质纯的细砂等组合为特征;前三角洲亚相相对不发育,主要由浅灰色粘土以及灰绿色、灰黑色粘土夹钙质结核构成。蔚县组主要由滨湖亚相和浅湖亚相构成,其中前者为多种颜色的并发育泥裂和滑塌构造的粘土、粉砂组合,局部夹有透镜状砂砾层,底冲刷面发育;后者主要由粉砂、粘土组合构成,局部可见由砂泥交互构成的透镜状层理。古水流分析结果表明,上新统蔚县组沉积物源区位于泥河湾盆地NE侧,更新统泥河湾组和郝家台组碎屑沉积物主要来自于NE和NW方向,而泥河湾组底部约15 m厚沉积物除了来自NE方向外,还有部分沉积物来自SSW方向物源区。表明自上新世以来,泥河湾盆地周边具有北高南低古地理格局,从而为盆地提供丰富的碎屑沉积物。     

40Ar/39Ar ages and geochemical characterization of Cretaceous bentonites in the Nanushuk,Seabee, Tuluvak,and Schrader Bluff formations,North Slope,Alaska

Diagenetically altered volcanic ash deposits (bentonites) found in Cretaceous terrestrial and marine foreland basin sediments have the potential to be used for chronostratigraphy and subsurface correlation across Alaska's North Slope. Detailed age and geochemical studies of these volcanogenic deposits may also shed light on the tectonic evolution of the Arctic. Though these bentonites have been previously studied, there are few published results for regional bentonite ages and geochemistry due to challenges of dating weathered volcanic ash. We analyzed mineral separates from cored bentonites recovered from wells in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska. The analyses confirm that an intense period of volcanic ash deposition on Alaska's North Slope began by the late Albian and persisted throughout the Cenomanian, an interval of rapid progradation and aggradation in the Colville basin. These results also add to a sparse record of radioisotopic ages from the Nanushuk Formation. A bentonite preserved in delta plain sediments in the upper Nanushuk Formation dates to 102.6 ± 1.5 Ma (late Albian), while a bentonite near the base of the overlying Seabee Formation was deposited at 98.2 ± 0.8 Ma, in the early Cenomanian. The two ages bracket a major flooding surface at the base of the Seabee Formation near Umiat, Alaska, placing it near the Albian-Cenomanian boundary (100.5 Ma). Several hundred feet up-section, the non-marine Tuluvak Formation contains bentonites with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of 96.7 ± 0.7 to 94.2 ± 0.9 Ma (Cenomanian), several million years older than previously published K–Ar ages and biostratigraphic constraints suggest.Major and trace element geochemistry of a sub-sample of six bentonites from petroleum exploration wells at Umiat show a range in composition from andesite to rhyolite, with a continental arc source. The bentonites become more felsic from the late Albian (∼102 Ma) to late Cenomanian (∼94 Ma). A likely source for the bentonites is the Okhotsk-Chukotka Volcanic Belt (OCVB) of eastern Siberia, a continental arc which became active in the Albian and experienced episodes of effusivity throughout the Late Cretaceous. Chronostratigraphically anomalous ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages coincide with peaks of magmatic activity in the OCVB, suggesting that these anomalously old ages may be due to magmatic contribution of xenocrysts or recycling of detrital minerals from older volcanic events. An alternative explanation for the chronostratigraphically anomalous ages is mixing of bentonites with detrital sediment derived from unroofing and erosion of metamorphic rocks in the Brooks Range, Herald Arch, and Chukotka throughout the mid to Late Cretaceous.     

泥河湾盆地剖面顶部黄土沉积及其古地理意义

选取泥河湾盆地郝家台、小长梁和东谷坨三个典型剖面顶部的黄土沉积进行磁化率和粒度特征的研究，以期揭示盆地晚更新世以来的古地理状况。结果表明，黄土沉积可以划分为S1、L1和S0三层，与我国西北地区典型剖面的黄土堆积和深海氧同位素阶段MIS1-MIS5可以很好的对比。它记录了这一地区130Ka.B.P.以来至少千年尺度的气候和环境变化历史，也说明这一地区对东亚季风气候的变化是十分敏感的。剖面黄土沉积说明盆地在更新世晚期的发育具有差异性，由于断块抬升作用使盆地西部继续接受湖相沉积，而东部则湖盆消失，接受黄土堆积。这些初步成果对研究盆地晚更新世时期的演化具有重要意义。     

东北地区中生代岩石圈减薄时间上限的厘定:来自松辽盆地营城组火山岩年代学约束

松辽盆地是我国东北地区一个大型的晚中生代含油气沉积盆地。在盆地发育早期阶段受强烈伸展作用影响形成了大规模的断陷和大量的火山活动。本文以松辽盆地北部徐家围子断陷区火山岩的年代学研究为切入点,通过对徐家围子断陷升深更2井和徐深9-2井营城组(K_1y)火山岩的岩芯样品进行SHRIMP U-Pb定年,获得了营城组火山岩年龄为114～112 Ma,并认为该年龄结果代表了松辽盆地区域晚中生代岩浆作用的上限时间。通过对松辽盆地及邻区的火山年代学的对比发现:中国东北地区晚中生代曾发生过多期的岩浆事件,时间分别为:166～150 Ma;140～130 Ma;130～120 Ma;114～109 Ma。松辽盆地内早白垩世营城组火山岩年龄与我国东北地区中生代最后一期岩浆作用时间一致,指示了东北地区中生代最后一期岩浆事件年龄。松辽盆地营城组火山岩年龄的厘定将为本区中生代岩石圈减薄的上限时间提供进一步可靠的年代学约束。     

东北地区中生代岩石圈减薄时间上限的厘定： 来自松辽盆地营城组火山岩年代学约束

松辽盆地是我国东北地区一个大型的晚中生代含油气沉积盆地。在盆地发育早期阶段受强烈伸展作用影响形成了大规模的断陷和大量的火山活动。本文以松辽盆地北部徐家围子断陷区火山岩的年代学研究为切入点,通过对徐家围子断陷升深更2井和徐深9 2井营城组（K1y）火山岩的岩芯样品进行SHRIMP U Pb定年,获得了营城组火山岩年龄为114～112Ma,并认为该年龄结果代表了松辽盆地区域晚中生代岩浆作用的上限时间。通过对松辽盆地及邻区的火山年代学的对比发现：中国东北地区晚中生代曾发生过多期的岩浆事件,时间分别为： 166～150 Ma; 140～130 Ma; 130～120 Ma; 114～109 Ma。松辽盆地内早白垩世营城组火山岩年龄与我国东北地区中生代最后一期岩浆作用时间一致,指示了东北地区中生代最后一期岩浆事件年龄。松辽盆地营城组火山岩年龄的厘定将为本区中生代岩石圈减薄的上限时间提供进一步可靠的年代学约束。     

中国北方陆相沉积5.30Ma磁性地层序列

本文通过中国北方新第三纪晚期典型剖面的磁性地层研究,建立５．３０Ｍａ以来中国北方陆相沉积积磁性地层序列。中国黄土记录了Ｂｒｕｎｈｅｓ正极性带与Ｍａｔｕｙａｍａ负极性带,年龄约２．５０Ｍａ。静乐红土（包括静乐剖面,榆林剖面,蓝田剖面）对应于Ｇａｕｓｓ正极性带与Ｇｉｌｂｅｒｔ负极性带,年龄约２．５０￣５．３０Ｍａ。三门组记录了Ｍａｔｕｙａｍａ负极性带下段,年龄约１．２０￣２．５０Ｍａ。游河组记录了Ｇａ     

Chronologic implications of new Miocene mammals from the Cura-Mallín and Trapa Trapa formations,Laguna del Laja area,south central Chile

Recent work in the central Andean Main Range of Chile near Laguna del Laja (∼37.5°S, 71°W) has produced the first mammal fossils for the region. Fossils, locally abundant and well preserved, occur patchily across a wide area southeast of the lake. Mammalian remains are derived from generally strongly folded (kilometer-scale) exposures of the locally ∼1.8 km thick, early to middle Miocene Cura-Mallín Formation; two identifiable specimens have been recovered from the overlying Trapa Trapa Formation as well. Both formations consist primarily of well-stratified (1–5 m thick layers) volcaniclastic and volcanic strata, deposited predominantly in fluviatile systems. The Cura-Mallín Formation is possibly the southern continuation of (or lateral equivalent to) the richly fossiliferous Abanico Formation mapped between ∼32°S and 36°S. Intensive sampling in a series of localities east and south of Laguna del Laja has yielded diverse faunas, in addition to radioisotopically dateable horizons. The new fossil mammal faunas represent as many as six South American Land Mammal “Ages” (SALMAs). Fossils, together with preliminary ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar radioisotopic dates, ranging from ∼9 to 20 Ma across the exposed thickness of the Cura-Mallín Formation and into the overlying Trapa Trapa Formation, provide a robust geochronological framework for middle Cenozoic strata in the Laguna del Laja region. The sequence of directly superposed mammalian assemblages at Laguna del Laja is one of the longest in all of South America, rivaled only by the classic Gran Barranca section of Patagonian Argentina. These data illuminate the geological history of the area and its record of mammalian evolution. The potential to isotopically date these diverse faunas with high precision (error ± 0.5 Ma) presents a rare opportunity to calibrate related portions of the SALMA sequence.     

Down‐slope facies variability within deep‐water channel systems: Insights from the Upper Cretaceous Cerro Toro Formation,southern Patagonia

In southern Patagonia, outcrops of the Upper Cretaceous Cerro Toro Formation preserve a >150 km long deep‐water axial channel belt in the Magallanes–Austral Basin, providing a unique opportunity to investigate longitudinal variations in the depositional characteristics of a deep‐water channel system. This study documents sedimentological, stratigraphical and geochronological data from the Cerro Toro Formation in the Argentine sector of the basin. New results are integrated with previous work from the Chilean basin sector to conduct a basin‐scale comparison of the timing of deposition, provenance and lithofacies proportions. The Cerro Toro channel belt includes a nearly 1000 m thick section characterized by high‐density turbidites and mass‐wasting deposits. Two ash beds from the base of the section yield U–Pb zircon ages of 90·4 ± 2 Ma and 88·0 ± 3 Ma, indicating similar initiation ages as documented in the Chilean sector. The U–Pb detrital zircon age spectra from samples in the study area reveal similar provenance trends to samples from the Chilean basin sector, with peak age populations at 310 to 260 Ma, 160 to 135 Ma and 110 to 82 Ma. The maximum depositional age of the channel belt in the Argentine sector is 87·8 ± 1·5 Ma and all new geochronology data corroborate an 86 to 80 Ma depositional age for the main Cerro Toro channel belt. Statistical analyses of 7370 beds from nearly 8000 m of new and previously published stratigraphic sections along the entire outcrop belt suggest progressive variations in the down‐system proportion of lithofacies. In the up‐slope region, lithofacies representing mass wasting processes (for example, debris‐flow and mass‐transport deposits) account for ca 29% of the stratigraphic thickness, as opposed to 5% in the down‐slope region of the channel belt, where turbidity current deposits are more prevalent. The proportion of beds >1 m thick also decreases systematically down slope, particularly for conglomeratic turbidite deposits. This work highlights that: (i) the proportion of thick beds and distribution of lithofacies are key down‐system changes in the stratigraphic fill of this deep‐water channel belt; (ii) detrital zircon trends suggest a relatively well‐mixed longitudinal depositional system; and (iii) geochronology of the main Cerro Toro outcrop belt supports but does not necessitate the model of a single, roughly age‐equivalent, channel system. This study has implications for understanding the downslope variability in depositional processes, stratigraphic architecture and reservoir quality of submarine channel systems.