Quaternary reactivation of flexural-slip folds by diapiric activity: example from the western Ebro Basin (Spain)

In the western sector of the Ebro Basin two types of structures deform the Quaternary terraces and pediments developed by the Ebro River and its tributaries: (1) folds up to 10 km long in the lower levels of fluvial terraces and (2) normal listric faults that produce tilting and rollover anticlines of the Quaternary deposits. Both types of structures are linked to the geometrical and lithological features of the Tertiary beds that underlie the Quaternary deposits. Quaternary folds, whose axes are parallel to the strike of the Tertiary beds, are the result of reactivation of Tertiary large-scale (60 km long) folds due to diapirism of their gypsum cores, where the gypsum units reach a maximum thickness of 3 000 m. This reactivation produced flexural-slip in some beds on the limbs of the folds, bringing about the folding of the overlying Quaternary terraces. The mechanism of Quaternary folding involves layer-parallel shear in alternating Tertiary units and folding linked to detachments and reverse layer-parallel faults. Normal listric faults are widespread throughout the studied area. They are partly parallel to low dipping Tertiary beds and are the result of a NNE-SSW tectonic extension, compatible with minor structures and focal mechanisms of recent earthquakes. The relationship between the two kinds of Quaternary structures indicates that diapirism of the gypsum cores of the anticlines was activated by extensional tectonics.     

Depositional environments of Upper Miocene (Messinian) evaporite deposits of the Sicilian Basin*

In Sicily, Messinian evaporitic sedimentary deposits are developed under a wide variety of hypersaline conditions and in environments ranging from continental margin (subaerial), to basin-margin supratidal, to intertidal, to subtidal and out into the hypersaline basin proper. The actual water depth at the time of deposition is indeterminate; however, relative terms such as ‘wave base’ and ‘photic zone’ are utilized. The inter-fingering relationships of specific evaporitic facies having clear and recognizable physical characteristics are presented. These include sub-aerial deposits of nodular calcium sulphate formed displacively within clastic sediments; gypsiferous rudites, arenites and arenitic marls, all of which are reworked sediments and are mixed in varying degrees with other clastic materials (subaerial, supratidal, and intertidal to deep basinal deposits). Laminated calcium sulphate alternating with very thin carbonate interlaminae and having two different aspects; one being even and continuous and the other of a wavy, irregular appearance (subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal deposits). Nodular calcium sulphate beds, usually associated with wavy, irregular laminated beds (supratidal, sabkha deposits); very coarsely crystalline gypsum beds (selenite), associated with more even, laminated beds (subaqueous, intertidal to subtidal deposits); wavy anastomozing gypsum beds, composed of very fine, often broken crystals (subaqueous, current-swept deposits); halite having hopper and chevron structures (supratidal to intertidal); and halite, potash salts, etc. having continuous laminated structure (subaqueous, possibly basinal). Evidence for diagenetic changes is observed in the calcium sulphate deposits which apparently formed by tectonic stress and also by migrating hypersaline waters. These observations suggest that the common, massive form of alabastrine gypsum (or anhydrite, in the subsurface) may not always be ascribed to original depositional features, to syndiagenesis or to early diagenesis but may be the result of late diagenesis.     

Evaporitic sediments of Early Archaean age from the Warrawoona Group, North Pole, Western Australia

Chemical sediments are common and diverse in the c. 3500 Myr old North Pole chert-barite unit in the Warrawoona Group, Western Australia. Although almost all original minerals were replaced during hydrothermal alteration, metamorphism and deformation, pseudomorphic relics of sedimentary and diagenetic textures and structures show that at least six lithofacies were partly or wholly chemical in origin. These contained five main chemical sedimentary components: primary carbonate mud, diagenetic carbonate crystals, primary sulphate crystals, diagenetic sulphate crystals and diagenetic sulphate nodules. All show a wide range of characteristics consistent only with a marine evaporative origin. Diagenetic carbonate and sulphate crystals, once ferroan dolomite and gypsum, were precipitated within volcanogenic lutites high on littoral mudflats. The other evaporative phases were apparently deposited behind a barrier bar composed of stranded pumice rafts. Primary sulphate crystals, once gypsum and now barite, were precipitated in semi-permanent pools immediately behind the bar. Primary carbonate mud, originally calcitic or aragonitic but now silicified, was deposited in nearby channels and on surrounding mudflats. Within these sediments, diagenetic carbonate crystals (formerly ferroan dolomite) and diagenetic sulphate nodules and crystals (once gypsum) grew during later desiccation. The existence of these evaporites, and more like them in the sediments of other Early Archaean cratons, suggests that shallow marine and terrestrial conditions prevailed over a small but significant portion of the early Earth, contrary to some models of global tectonic evolution. Their overall similarity with more recent evaporitic deposits indicates that there was greater conformity between conditions in modern and primeval sea-shore environments than might be expected, given the great age difference. The attitude implicit in many accounts of Earth's early history, that evaporites were either not deposited or not preserved in Archaean sediments, thus seems to be incorrect.     

The rise of the diptera‐microbial mat interactions during the Cenozoic: consequences for the sedimentary record of saline lakes

Shoreline gypsiferous sediments of an inland lake in central Spain furnishes valuable insight into reconstructions of early sedimentary changes related to shore fly–microbial mat interactions in fossil gypsum precipitating saline lake systems. The association of adult and larval forms of Ephydra (Diptera) with microbial matgrounds overlying the lake margin results in the formation of gypsiferous meniscate back‐filled burrows that provide an analogue for recurring, extensively developed trace fossils that occur in Cenozoic, but not older, lacustrine gypsum rocks. In this setting, sediment burrowing by ephydridae hinders significant preservation of microbialites. The overwhelming rise of Diptera at the onset of the Cenozoic resulted in extensive feeding and dwelling activity and contributed to reshape the saline aquatic habitat where microbial mats thrived, thus leading to the formation of specific trace fossils that are illustrative of the existence of microbes in the paleoenvironment.     

Diagenetic formation of gypsum and dolomite in a cold‐water coral mound in the Porcupine Seabight,off Ireland

Authigenic gypsum was found in a gravity core, retrieved from the top of Mound Perseverance, a giant cold‐water coral mound in the Porcupine Basin, off Ireland. The occurrence of gypsum in such an environment is intriguing, because gypsum, a classic evaporitic mineral, is undersaturated with respect to sea water. Sedimentological, petrographic and isotopic evidence point to diagenetic formation of the gypsum, tied to oxidation of sedimentary sulphide minerals (i.e. pyrite). This oxidation is attributed to a phase of increased bottom currents which caused erosion and enhanced inflow of oxidizing fluids into the mound sediments. The oxidation of pyrite produced acidity, causing carbonate dissolution and subsequently leading to pore‐water oversaturation with respect to gypsum and dolomite. Calculations based on the isotopic compositions of gypsum and pyrite reveal that between 21·6% and 28·6% of the sulphate incorporated into the gypsum derived from pyrite oxidation. The dissolution of carbonate increased the porosity in the affected sediment layer but promoted lithification of the sediments at the sediment‐water interface. Thus, authigenic gypsum can serve as a signature for diagenetic oxidation events in carbonate‐rich sediments. These observations demonstrate that fluid flow, steered by environmental factors, has an important effect on the diagenesis of coral mounds.     

Characterization of model evaporitic environments through the study of lipid components

A saline circuit has been studied as a model of coastal evaporite system. The lipid composition of diverse salt ponds encompassing calcite, gypsum and halite domains has been determined. Most of the lipid materials has been found in the carbonate samples and is related to algal/cyanobacterial debris. Lipids in the gypsum domain are of heterotropic microbialorigin and extreme halophilic bacteria constitute the main lipid contribution in the halite samples. n-Alkane distributions with high predominance of n-docosane constitute a previously described feature of sedimentary evaporitic conditions that is charateristics of the intermediate calcite/gypsum samples. In the calcite domain, the presence of C20 highly branched isoprenid olephines, tetrahymanol and the large amounts of phytol constitute likely precursors of lipids usually found in evaporitic environments (i.e. C20 highly branched isoprenoid alkanes, gammacerane and high phytane/pristane ratios). Their occurence point to dehydration and hydrogenations as two main diagenetic processes leading to the formation of “evaporitic molecular markers”.     

豫西苗岭统馒头组二段皱饰构造与遗迹化石共生特征*

埃迪卡拉纪以来,微生物与后生动物之间呈此消彼长的关系,但在寒武纪苗岭世却出现了微生物成因沉积构造和后生动物扰动构造短暂共存的现象。笔者在豫西馒头组二段下部识别出包括皱饰构造与微生物席裂构造在内的2种微生物成因沉积构造,对皱饰构造与遗迹化石的共生关系进行了分类,建立了席上足辙迹(Monomorphichnus henanensis)与牧食迹(Jinningichnus badaowanensis)、席下水平漫游迹(Planolites montanus)、席下深层泥岩中生物扰动共3种微生物席与后生动物的共生模式和生态演化模型。上述研究表明,具有特殊环境耐受性的“机会主义”动物在食物来源较为宽松的潮坪环境中与微生物席共存,这种微生物席与后生动物短暂而“和谐”的共存关系不仅延续了埃迪卡拉纪双方的部分共生特征,且在以混合底为主导的显生宙生态环境中得到了进一步变化与发展。     

Ancient synsedimentary structural control on thrust ramp development: an example from the Northern Apennines, Italy

The Umbria-Marche-Sabina foreland fold and thrust belt (Northern Apennines, Italy) provides excellent test-cases for the hypothesis of ancient syndepositional structural features controlling thrust ramp development. The sedimentary cover, Late Triassic to Miocene in age, is made of platform and pelagic carbonates, whose deposition was controlled by significant synsedimentary extension. Normal faulting, mainly during the Jurassic and the Late Cretaceous-Palaeogene, determined sensible lateral thickness variations within the relative sequences. By late Miocene the sedimentary cover was detached from its basement along a mainly evaporitic horizon, and was deformed by means of eastward-verging folds and thrusts.
In order to locate the points where thrust ramps branch-off the basal detachment, both line-length and equal-area techniques were used in the construction of a balanced cross-section through three major fault-related folds in southeastern Umbria. The nucleation of thrust ramps was controlled by the occurrence of Jurassic and Cretaceous-Palaeogene synsedimentary normal faults. These interrupted the lateral continuity of the evaporitic unit (the Late Triassic Anidriti di Burano Fm.) at the base of the sedimentary cover, and acted as obstacles to the eastward propagation of the thrust system, giving rise to major folds which originated from tip-line folding processes.
Therefore, the inferred relationships between ancient normal faults and late thrusts indicate that synsedimentary tectonic structures and the related lateral stratigraphic variations can be envisaged as mechanically important perturbations, which effectively control the nucleation and development of thrust ramps.     

从席底构造到第五类原生沉积构造:沉积学中具有重要意义的概念

发育微生物席或微生物膜的沉积底被形象地称为席底,在席底上由于微生物席的发育使沉积物富黏性而抗水流改造,并在沉积面和沉积层内形成一系列奇形怪状的原生沉积构造,如变余波痕、皱饰构造、微生物席碎片、纺锤状或次圆状收缩裂缝等等,这些构造都归为席底构造;与席底相对应,那些不发育微生物席或微生物膜的沉积面则称为混合底,在混合底上单个沉积颗粒受到水流剪切与变形作用的改造而形成诸如正常波痕等原生沉积构造,这些沉积构造则归为混合底构造。席底和席底构造的概念很重要,用来专指微生物沉积作用的产物而区别于混合底和混合底构造。从沉积学概念的演变方面分析,混合底构造就是1964年Pettijohn和Potter所定义的原生沉积构造,他们曾经将其归为4大类并且沿用至今;席底构造也就是微生物形成的(或相关的)原生沉积构造,由于其在形成机理和形态上与Pettijohn和Potter所定义的原生沉积构造存在较大的区别,Noffke 2001年认为其应该具有合适的分类位置,所以就将席底构造归为“第五类原生沉积构造”并纳入Pettijohn和Potter 1964年的原生沉积构造的分类体系之中。从席底构造到第五类原生沉积构造,概念的演变表明了万能的微生物在沉积作用过程中的重要性以及沉积学家对微生物沉积作用认识的深入。这些相关的沉积构造及其所形成的席底,就像叠层石(被当作正生长原生沉积构造)一样在前寒武纪地层之中较为普遍。随着后生动物的大规模出现而造成的寒武纪“农艺革命”(Agronomic revolution)的开始,显生宙的席底及其相关的席底构造多出现在那些不适宜后生动物居住的地方并大多被混合底及其相关的混合底构造所替代;因此,与微生物相关的原生沉积构造,除熟知的叠层石以外,在席底上发育的一系列原生沉积构造,由于其具有特别的指相意义并有助于古环境重塑而被很自然地归到“第五类原生沉积构造”。该类构造由于其在前寒武纪的普遍性和显生宙的局限分布性,特别是在生物大灭绝事件之后的灾难性泛滥,对于研究地球表层环境的演变具有重要意义。所以说,从席底构造到第五类原生沉积构造,是近年来沉积学发展过程中所出现的较为重要的基本概念。根据这一重要概念,对前寒武纪地层中一些常常被认为是遗迹化石、长期以来存在的“臼齿状构造谜”(Molar-tooth structure enigma)等奇形怪状的沉积构造的成因以及从前寒武纪到显生宙地层中均有分布的特殊的纹理化构造等,将会得到一些更加合理的认识;另一方面,关于微生物形成的原生沉积构造的研究,对于了解地球表层生物变化与沉积变化之间的复杂关系将会发现更多的新问题而得到进一步的思考与研究。     

Recent analog of gypsified microbial laminites and stromatolites in solar salt works and the Miocene gypsum deposits of Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Accumulation of microbial mats and stromatolites dominate in the crystallization ponds of solar salt works west of Alexandria, Egypt. These microbial mats are laminar in the permanent submerged part of the ponds. The microbial mats commonly form sites for growth of gypsum crystals during periods having higher salinity. In the dominant submerged part of the pond, domal stromatolites are common around groundwater seepage holes. In the shallow, intermittent margin of the ponds, the laminated microbial structure forms laterally close-linked hemispheroidal stromatolite type, with unidirectional and multidirectional ripple mark-like morphology on their surface. The microbial laminite and stromatolite types in the modern solar salt works are similar to the organic-rich Miocene gypsum beds of El-Barqan (west Alexandria, Egypt) and Rabigh (north Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). The Miocene organic-rich beds consist of interlayered dark-colored microbial laminae and light-colored gypsum laminae. These beds may have three different variations: regular even lamination, laterally closed-linked hemispheroidal stromatolites, and/or discrete hemispheroidal stromatolites. Petrographic examination of the microbial laminites and stromatolites in the solar salt works and the Miocene gypsum beds indicate that the dark-colored, organic-rich laminae are composed of micritized microbial laminae and/or brown organic filaments. In El-Barqan area, the light-colored gypsum-rich laminae are composed of either gypsum crystal fragments, or lenticular and prismatic gypsum. These gypsum crystals are either entrapped within the microbial filaments or are nucleated at the surface of the microbial laminae to form a radial pattern, whereas in Rabigh area, the light-colored gypsum-rich laminae are composed of secondary porphyrotopic, poikilotopic, or granular gypsum crystals. By comparison of the microbial structure in the Miocene gypsum beds with the recent occurrence of the microbial laminites and stromatolites in the solar salt works, it is demonstrated that the organic-rich Miocene gypsum beds were formed in a very shallow salina with slightly fluctuating brine levels.     

前寒武纪海侵砂岩中的微生物砂质碎片：以北京南口虎峪剖面大红峪组为例

碎屑岩中微生物形成的原生沉积构造,由于缺乏直接的微生物证据,其识别常常比较困难。位于北京西北郊的南口虎峪一带,古元古代晚期的大红峪组(1650～1600Ma),海侵体系域砂岩地层与高水位体系域砂泥质白云岩和叠层石白云岩组成了较为有规律的沉积相序特征,成为将大红峪组划分为三个三级层序的主要标志。在大洪峪组的海侵体系域砂岩层中,一种类似于碳酸盐岩中的“内碎屑”的奇特的砂质碎片,代表了前寒武纪海侵砂岩沉积面上曾经发育过微生物席;该砂质碎片与变余波痕和皱饰构造组成系列席底构造,特殊的形态和产出特点成为窥视前寒武纪砂岩中微生物席发育的一种典型标志。因此,南口虎峪剖面大红峪组海侵砂岩中的微生物砂质碎片及其相关的席底构造的发现,有益于今后对类似沉积构造的阐释与研究,特别是那些常常被厘定为前寒武纪古老的后生动物遗迹化石的沉积构造;同时也表明,在前寒武纪地层之中,除了要关注叠层石之类的微生物沉积构造以外,碎屑岩中也存在微生物活动的若干证据即席底构造(第五类原生沉积构造),这些特别的沉积构造对前寒武纪沉积环境重塑具有重要意义。     

The behavior of lithium and its isotopes in oilfield brines: evidence from the Heletz-Kokhav field, Israel

Twenty-four brine samples from the Heletz-Kokhav oilfield, Israel, have been analyzed for chemical composition and Li isotope ratios. The chemical composition of the brines, together with geological evidence, suggests derivation from (Messinian) seawater by evaporation that proceeded well into the gypsum stability field but failed to reach the stage of halite crystallization. The present salinity of the samples (18-47 g Cl/L) was achieved by dilution of the original evaporitic brine by local fresh waters. Like brines from other sedimentary basins, the Li/Cl ratios in the Heletz-Kokhav samples show a prominent Li enrichment (five-fold to eight-fold) relative to modern seawater. The isotopic ratios of Li, expressed in the δ ⁶Li notation, vary from −26.3 to −17.9‰, all values being significantly higher than that of modern seawater (−32‰) irrespective of their corresponding Li concentration (1.0-2.3 mg/L). The isotopic composition of Li and the Li/Cl ratio in the oilfield brines were acquired in two stages: (a) The original evaporated seawater gained isotopically light Li during the diagenetic interaction between the interstitial Messinian brine and the basin sediments. A parent brine with an elevated Li/Cl ratio was formed. The brine was later diluted in the oilfields. (b) The δ ⁶Li values of the final brines were determined during epigenetic interaction with the Heletz-Kokhav aquifer rocks. At the same time, the Li/Cl ratio inherited from stage (a) remained largely unchanged. This work represents the first use of lithium isotopic composition to elucidate the origin and evolution of formation waters in sedimentary basins.     

沉积型天青石矿床的地质特征及其成因探讨

沉积型天青石矿床和蒸发岩类 ,特别是石膏的沉积密切相关 ,含矿地层主要是纹层状叠层石或藻灰岩。天青石中硫、锶同位素值和海水硫、锶同位素值相近。在蒸发条件下海水浓缩到一定浓度时 ,产生天青石沉积 ,或是富锶的硫酸型晶间卤水和钙碳酸盐反应 ,形成交代型天青石。天青石主要分布于蒸发盐盆地的边缘部位 ,位于钙碳酸盐和钙硫酸盐沉积的过渡带     

Algal crusts, autochthonous and clastic gypsum in a cannibalistic evaporite basin: a case history from the Messinian of Northern Apennines

The Messinian Vena del Gesso Basin in the Northern Apennines is filled by very thick (up to 35 m) beds of coarse crystalline gypsum (selenite) associated with thinner carbonate and shaly (euxinic) intercalations. The conventional Usiglio model of salt fractionation does not apply to this evaporitic sequence for the following reasons: carbonate which underlies gypsum is not evaporitic but algal in origin; most gypsum did not precipitate from surface brines but at and below a sediment-water interface occupied by algal mats; a significant portion (10–80%) of gypsum beds is composed of redeposited selenite which was removed from the margins and transported toward the centre of the basin by slope-controlled currents and gravity flows (debris flows). We call this process cannibalistic because of its intraformational character (connected with evaporative fall of water level) and volumetric importance. A recurrent vertical pattern of six main facies (euxinic to gypsum fanglo-merates) is interpreted as a bathymetric, regressive cycle controlled by both sedi-mentological and tectonic-eustatic factors. The inferred environmental setting is a residual turbidite trough (Marnoso-arenacea) evolving abruptly toward lagoonal conditions and filled up to sea level by evaporitic and mechanical (mostly fluvial) processes. Repeated inundations of restricted-marine water started the depositional cycle thirteen or fourteen times.     

Dolomite–silica stromatolites in Miocene lacustrine deposits from the Duero Basin, Spain: the role of organotemplates in the precipitation of dolomite

This research provides an ancient analogue for biologically mediated dolomite precipitation in microbial mats and biofilms, and describes the involvement of highly structured extracellular polymeric secretion (EPS) templates in dolomite nucleation. The structure of EPS is shown to match the hexagonal–trigonal lattice geometry of dolomite, which favoured the epitaxial crystallization of dolomite on the organic substrate. This structure of EPS also matches the arrangement of silica nanospheres in opal, which further accounts for the organically‐templated formation of opal enabling the non‐replacive co‐existence of dolomite and silica. The study is focused on a 50 m thick dolomite succession that is exposed in central areas of the Tertiary Duero Basin and was deposited in a mudflat‐saline lake sedimentary complex during the Middle to Late Miocene (9 to 15 Ma). In the intermediate intervals of the succession, poorly indurated dolomite beds pass gradually into silica beds. On the basis of sedimentological, compositional, geochemical and petrographic data, silica and dolomite beds have been interpreted as mineralized microbial mats. The silica beds formed in marginal areas of the lake in response to intense evaporative concentrations; this resulted in the rapid and early precipitation of opal. Silicification accounted for the exceptional preservation of the microbial mat structure, including biofilms, filamentous and coccoid microbes, and EPS. Extracellular polymeric secretions have a layered structure, each layer being composed of fibres which are arranged in accordance with a reticular pattern, with frequent intersection angles at 120° and 60°. Therefore, the structure of EPS matches the lattice geometry of dolomite and the arrangement of silica nanospheres in opal. Additionally, EPS binds different elements, with preference to Si and Mg. The concurrence of suitable composition and surface lattice morphologies in the EPS favoured the crystallization of dolomite on the substrate. In some cases, dolomite nucleation took place epicellularly on coccoid micro‐organisms, which gave way to spheroid crystals. Organic surfaces enable the inorganic mineral precipitation by lowering the free energy barrier to nucleation. Most of the microbial mats probably developed on the lake floor, under sub‐aqueous conditions, where the decomposition of organic matter took place. The subsequent formation of openly packed dolomite crystals, with inter‐related Si‐enriched fibrils throughout, is evidence for the pre‐existence of fibrillar structures in the mats. Miocene dolomite crystals are poorly ordered and non‐stoichiometric, with a slight Ca‐excess (up to 5%), which is indicative of the low diagenetic potential the microbial dolomite has towards a more ordered and stoichiometric structure; this confirms that microbial imprints can be preserved in the geological record, and validates their use as biosignatures.     

Possible indicators of microbial mat deposits in shales and sandstones: examples from the Mid-Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, Montana, U.S.A.

It has been suspected for some time that microbial mats probably colonized sediment surfaces in many terrigenous clastic sedimentary environments during the Proterozoic. However, domination of mat morphology by depositional processes, post-depositional compaction, and poor potential for cellular preservation of mat-building organisms make their positive identification a formidable challenge. Within terrigenous clastics of the Mid-Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, a variety of sedimentary structures and textural features have been observed that can be interpreted as the result of microbial colonization of sediment surfaces. Among these are: (a) domal buildups resembling stromatolites in carbonates; (b) cohesive behaviour of laminae during soft-sediment deformation, erosion, and transport; (c) wavy–crinkly character of laminae; (d) bed surfaces with pustular–wrinkled appearance; (e) rippled patches on otherwise smooth surfaces; (f) laminae with mica enrichment and/or randomly oriented micas; (g) irregular, curved–wrinkled impressions on bedding planes; (h) uparched laminae near mud-cracks resembling growth ridges of polygonal stromatolites; and (i) lamina-specific distribution of certain early diagenetic minerals (dolomite, ferroan carbonates, pyrite). Although in none of the described examples can it irrefutably be proven that they are microbial mat deposits, the observed features are consistent with such an interpretation and should be considered indicators of possible microbial mat presence in other Proterozoic sequences.     

臼齿状构造成因新解——以天津蓟县高于庄组第三段为例

臼齿状构造（Molar—tooth structure）是一种主要发育在前寒武纪非叠层石碳酸盐岩中的沉积构造。由于形态多样且缺乏现代的类比物,国内外地质学家曾先后建立多种模式来解释其成因,这些模式大致可以归为两类：地震液化模式和生物成因模式。近年来,一种新的模式：气泡膨胀与迁移模式得到了地质学家的广泛引用。产在天津蓟县剖面高于庄组第三段非叠层石碳酸盐岩沉积序列上部的臼齿状构造,虽然可以应用气泡膨胀与迁移模式来解释其形成机制,但是,考虑到臼齿状构造可能是微生物席封闭沉积面所激发的气泡膨胀与迁移作用的产物,并且气泡可能是由于细粒沉积中微生物提供的有机质的裂解作用的结果,表明了臼齿状构造的形成间接地与微生物生命活动存在关联。因此,可以将臼齿状构造归为席底构造（第五类原生沉积构造）的一种类型。     

广义"断层转折褶皱"的几何学正演数值模拟

提出了一个广义“断层转折褶皱”的几何学数值模拟方法,并用C＋＋语言编制了相应的数值模拟软件。该软件能模拟非常复杂的褶皱冲断系统,包括多转折“剪切断层转折褶皱”（multi-bend shear fault-bend folds）、复合楔体构造（composite wedge structures）、以及多滑脱层褶皱冲断系统（multi-detachment fold and thrust systems）。通过把一个沉积岩层分解成“膝折带”（kink-band）和“膝折楔”（kink-wedge）两部分,解决了模拟曲线形态的多转折断层转折褶皱的难点问题,而以往的几何学方法仅对真实的褶皱形态作了粗略的线性近似。通过把复杂的褶皱冲断系统分解成一系列迭加的滑脱层系,可以模拟复杂的楔体构造,并提供这些构造演化的二维动画。该软件被应用于美国加里福尼亚州的Wheeler山脊,一个活动的楔体构造,其构造解释得自于大量钻井数据,正演数值模拟再现了该构造的主要特征。     

四川渠县三叠系膏盐的同生、成岩、后生及表生变化

本文论述了四川渠县三叠系的膏盐在沉积后的不同阶段所发生的各种变化,并提出根据膏盐的变化特征推测它们的原生沉积条件、卤水咸化程度及研究区的矿床保存条件。     

Dolomitization,gypsum calcitization and silicification in carbonate–evaporite shallow lacustrine deposits

This paper describes and interprets the mineral and facies assemblages that occur in carbonate–evaporite shallow lacustrine deposits, considering the importance of the processes pathway (i.e. dolomitization, gypsum calcitization and silicification). The Palaeogene deposits of the Deza Formation (Almazán Basin, central‐northern Spain) are selected as a case study to determine the variety of physicochemical processes taking place in carbonate–evaporite shallow lakes and their resulting diagenetic features. Dolostones are the predominant lithology and are composed mainly of dolomite with variable amounts of secondary calcite (5 to 50%), which mainly mimic lenticular gypsum (pseudomorphs). Five morphological types of dolomite crystal were identified as follows: dolomite tubes, dolomite cylinders, rhombohedral dolomite, spheroidal and quasi‐rhombohedral dolomite, and cocoon‐shaped dolomite. The dolomite cylinders and tubes are interpreted as the dolomitized cells of a widespread microbial community. The sequence of diagenetic processes started with growth of microlenticular interstitial gypsum in a calcareous mud deposited on the playa margin mudflats, and that sometimes included microbial sediments. Immediately following growth of gypsum, dolomite replaced the original calcite (or possibly aragonite) muds, the microbial community and the gypsum. Partial or total replacement of gypsum by dolomite was related mainly to the biomineralization of endolithic microbial communities on gypsum crystals. Later calcitization took place under vadose, subaerial exposure conditions. The development of calcrete in distal alluvial settings favoured the release of silica and subsequent silicification on the playa margin mudflats. Stable isotope compositions of calcite range from ?9·02 to ?5·83‰ δ¹³C_PDB and ?7·10 to 1·22‰ δ¹⁸O_PDB; for the dolomite, these values vary from ?8·93 to ?3·96‰ δ¹³C_PDB and ?5·53 to 2·4‰ δ¹⁸O_PDB. Quartz from the cherts has δ¹⁸O_SMOW values ranging from 27·1 to 31·1‰. Wide variation and relatively high δ¹⁸O_SMOW values for dolomite indicate evaporitic and closed hydrological conditions; increased influx of meteoric waters reigned during the formation of secondary calcite spar.