Is Darwin's ‘Abominable Mystery’ still a mystery today?

Darwin described the Cretaceous diversification and subsequent rapid rise of flowering plants (angiosperms) as an “abominable mystery”: how could they have achieved worldwide ecological dominance by early Paleogene times when the oldest angiosperm fossils are only Cretaceous in age? However, recent phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographical analyses have suggested a much earlier, perhaps Triassic origin for the stem angiosperms. We suggest that the fossil record is accurately reflecting the rapid diversification of the crown angiosperms that molecular data suggests occurred in Cretaceous–early Palaeogene times, and which coincides with similar explosive diversifications that occurred in other parts of the terrestrial biota including insects, birds and mammals. Early, stem angiosperms are poorly represented in the fossil record for a combination of taphonomic and ecological reasons. We conclude that the reported evidence shows that the Darwin's “mystery” is in fact no mystery and confirms that it merely requires an appropriate reading of the fossil record.     

Sedimentary facies analysis and depositional model of gravity-flow deposits of the Yanchang Formation,southwestern Ordos Basin,NW China

During the deposition of the Chang-7 (Ch-7) and Chang-6 (Ch-6) units in the Upper Triassic, gravity flows were developed widely in a deep lake in the southwestern Ordos Basin, China. Based on cores, outcrops, well-logs and well-testing data, this paper documents the sedimentary characteristics of the gravity-flow deposits and constructs a depositional model. Gravity-flow deposits in the study area comprise seven lithofacies types, which are categorised into four groups: slides and slumps, debris-flow-dominated lithofacies, turbidity-current-dominated lithofacies, and deep-water mudstone-dominated lithofacies. The seven lithofacies form two sedimentary entities: sub-lacustrine fan and the slump olistolith, made up of three and two lithofacies associations, respectively. Lithofacies association 1 is a channel–levee complex with fining-/thinning-upward sequences whose main part is characterised by sandy debris flow-dominated, thick-bedded massive sandstones. Lithofacies association 2 represents distributary channelised lobes of sub-lacustrine fans, which can be further subdivided into distributary channel, channel lateral margin and inter-channel. Lithofacies association 3 is marked by non-channelised lobes of sub-lacustrine fans, including sheet-like turbidites and deep-lake mudstones. Lithofacies association 4 is represented by proximal lobes of slump olistolith, consisting of slides and slumps. Lithofacies association 5 is marked by distal lobes of slump olistolith, comprising tongue-shaped debris flow lobes and turbidite lobes. It is characterised by sandy debris flow, muddy debris flow-dominated sandstone and sandstone with classic Bouma sequences. Several factors caused the generation of gravity flows in the Ordos Basin, including sediment supply, terrain slope and external triggers, such as volcanisms, earthquakes and seasonal floods. The sediment supply of sub-lacustrine fan was most likely from seasonal floods with a high net-to-gross and incised channels. Triggered by volcanisms and earthquakes, the slump olistolith is deposited by the slumping and secondary transport of unconsolidated sediments in the delta front or prodelta with a low net-to-gross and no incised channels.     

Characteristics and Origin of Tight Oil Accumulations in the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin, North-Central China

The Upper Triassic oil accumulations in the Ordos Basin is the most successful tight oil play in China,with average porosity values of less than 10% and permeability values below 1.0 mD.This study investigated the geological characteristics and origin of the tight oil accumulations in the Chang 6 member of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Shanbei area based on over 50,000 petrological,source-rock analysis,well logging and production data.The tight oil accumulation of the Chang 6 member is distributed continuously in the basin slope and the centre of the basin.The oilwater relationships are complex.Laumontite dissolution pores are the most important storage spaces,constituting 30%-60% of total porosity and showing a strong positive relationship with oil production.The pore-throat diameter is less than 1 μm,and the calculated critical height of the oil column is much larger than the tight sand thickness,suggesting that the buoyancy was probably of limited importance for oil migration.The pressure difference between the source rocks and sandstone reservoirs is inferred to have provided driving force for hydrocarbon migration.Two factors of source-reservoir configuration and laumontite dissolution contributed to the formation of the Chang 6 tight oil accumulations.Intense hydrocarbon generation and continuous sand bodies close to the hydrocarbon kitchen are the foundation for the large-scale oil distribution.Dissolution of feldspar-laumontite during the process of organic matter evolution generated abundant secondary pores and improved the reservoir quality.     

胶东玲珑金矿田175号脉群深部地质特征与成矿预测

玲珑金矿属于以石英脉型为主的金矿床,其矿脉受玲珑断裂和破头青断裂控制。区内脉群发育,175号脉群是玲珑金矿的主要大型金矿脉群之一。文章通过总结175号脉群成矿地质背景、矿床地质特征,分析了控矿因素、矿体赋存规律、矿石类型等;阐述了175号脉群深部成矿规律,并根据见矿工程利用地质块段法预测175号脉群11—101勘探线范围-800 m标高以下(332+333)金矿石量192.44×10~4 t,金金属量8.5t。     

水库群供调水系统实时调度研究

以大连市复杂水库群供、调水系统为背景,在对系统特性分析的基础上,提出了系统实时调度框架及二层耦合结构模式,设计了以"总量控制、耦合嵌套、多维决策、滚动修正"为核心的实时调度流程。在径流预报方面,提出了基于超越概率的水库群供、调水系统长期入库径流预报方法,结合中期GFS(Global Forecasting System)数值预报技术对不同时段入库径流进行滚动预报。在调度模型方面,采用基于动态规划的建模求解新方法和常规调度方法,为调度决策提供参考。实例研究表明,建立的实时调度系统实现了滚动预报和滚动调度,具备了实时性;实现了宏观总控与局部调整相结合的调度目标,具备了调度决策不同时间尺度耦合嵌套特性,证明了系统的适用性。研究成果对于同类系统实时调度具有重要参考价值。     

东北大三江盆地群早白垩世存在统一湖盆的沉积学证据

大三江盆地群位于黑龙江省东部,中生代以来经历了多期构造运动,形成现今各自分割的10余个残余盆地。由于缺乏关键性证据,前人对大三江地区早白垩世是否存在统一湖盆存在争议。本次研究通过野外地质调查和钻井岩心观察,认为盆地总体缺乏边缘相沉积,并且主要以三角洲平原亚相和滨浅湖亚相为主。古水流恢复和重矿物特征显示,研究区主要存在西部和西北部、东部以及东南部三大物源体系,并且平面上具有由四周向中心汇聚的特征。地震资料反射特征显示下白垩统具有典型的断陷-坳陷复合结构,坳陷时期地层由各盆地中心至边部未出现明显的地层减薄现象,现今的盆地边界断裂多为后期对盆地进行改造、破坏的逆冲断裂。这些证据都是对大三江地区早白垩世存在统一湖盆的有力支撑。本研究不仅能为大三江盆地群原型盆地的恢复提供重要依据,也将为东北盆地群油气资源远景评价和进一步的勘探部署提供参考。     

Bicyclic alkanes in source rocks of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin and their inconsistency in oil-source correlation

The Triassic Yanchang Formation is the main source rocks for Mesozoic oil in Ordos Basin. The formation includes 10 oil-bearing beds (Ch 1–Ch 10), that each can be further divided into two to three intervals. Abundant C₁₂–C₁₄ and C₁₅–C₁₆ bicyclic alkanes have been detected in the formation in the Xifeng oilfield, Ordos Basin. The C₁₂–C₁₄ group is dominated by C₁₂ and C₁₃, and the C₁₅–C₁₆ group contains abundant C₁₅. The groups show three distribution patterns: A) the C₁₂–C₁₄ group is the major component in the non-source rocks of the Ch 7-1 and Ch 8-1 intervals; B) both groups are abundant and are common in source rocks of the Ch 7-3 interval; and C) the C₁₅–C₁₆ group is the major component in source rocks of the Ch 7-3 interval and also in sediments that contain type Ⅰ or partial sapropel type Ⅱ₁ organic matter (OM) in the Ch 7-2 and Ch 8-1 intervals. Although thermal maturities of the source rocks in the Ch 7 section are similar, they show significant differences with respect to the drimane isomerisation index, which indicates that the drimane rearrangement is controlled by thermal evolution of the sediments, but may also be closely related to the depositional environment. This study determined that reducing environments are more conducive to preservation of drimane than oxic environments. The drimane isomerisation index and the value of the hopane parameter Tm/Ts are positively correlated. The parameter Tm/Ts varies over a wide range within the sequence, and the large variations may be a result of terrigenous OM input by turbidity currents and/or gravity flows, mixed with the autochthonous sediments. Abundant homodrimane in both source rocks may reflect reducing environments in deep lakes and major input of higher plant OM. Organic-rich shale and oil shale in the Ch 7-3 interval of the Yanchang Formation are the primary sources of oil in reservoirs in the Xifeng area. The crude oil is rich in bicyclic alkanes that are dominated by C₁₅–C₁₆ as source rocks with pattern C for bicyclic alkanes, which indicates an origin mainly from the Ch 7-3 interval. The main peaks in all of the crude oils are associated with 8β(H)-drimane and lower abundance of rearranged drimane. However, most of the source rocks have a main peak associated with 8β(H)-homodrimane or rearranged drimane. Weak microbial action, selective degradation and water washing may be the cause of the significant difference in bicyclic sesquiterpane composition between the crude oil and the source rocks. The result suggests that oil-source correlations based on the bicyclic sesquiterpanes are questionable.     

吉林白山刘家堡子狼洞沟金银矿床地球化学特征及成因探讨

通过对刘家堡子-狼洞沟金银矿床地质、成矿元素和同位素地球化学特征的分析和研究,发现矿区内近EW向和NE向断裂构造是主要容矿构造;最佳找矿元素前缘晕组合为As-Sb-Zn,矿上晕元素组合为Au-Ag-Pb-Hg,尾晕元素组合为Ni-Cu-Co;成矿作用中,古老基底中元古宙老岭群变质岩系为成矿提供了丰富的物质来源,而燕山期构造岩浆活动在提供成矿物质的同时还提供了热动力。刘家堡子-狼洞沟金银矿床应划属为与燕山晚期超浅成中酸性岩浆岩有关的中低温热液构造裂隙充填型金银矿床。     

鄂尔多斯盆地姬源—陇东地区三叠系延长组长7段致密储层成岩作用

鄂尔多斯盆地姬源—陇东地区三叠系延长组长7段致密储层主要为发育在深湖亚相中的浊积岩,部分为三角洲前缘亚相中的水下分流河道砂体。前人对致密储层成岩作用的研究较少,需弄清成岩作用对致密储层孔隙发育的影响。通过铸体薄片与扫描电镜对大量钻井取心样品进行观察与分析,认为影响研究区长7段致密储层孔隙类型与规模的成岩作用主要包括压实压溶作用、胶结作用与溶解作用3种类型,压实作用是储层致密的主要因素,特别是发育在三角洲前缘分流间湾和浊积扇边缘的薄层砂体,在压力作用下更易受到泥岩排出孔隙水的影响,形成方解石胶结。伊利石胶结与方解石胶结进一步使得储层致密。少量的绿泥石薄膜成为残余粒间孔保留与包裹岩屑颗粒后期溶蚀的基础,溶蚀作用是研究区储层孔隙形成的主要作用。成岩作用的研究为储层物性的研究提供了进一步依据。     

北京密云放马峪基性岩墙群LA-MC-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄及其意义

太古宙基性岩墙群在北京密云地区广泛分布,其年代学研究一直备受关注,多年来取得了一些数据,但对太古宙变质片麻岩控制作用未做论述。利用LA-MC-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素测定技术,测得放马峪石榴辉石岩中锆石的年龄为2497±15Ma,此年龄被解释为区内变质片麻岩成岩年龄应早于基性岩墙群成岩年龄,其为研究区内太古宙片麻岩成岩年龄提供了重要的参考数据。