Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the marginal marine Middle and Upper Miocene of the eastern Campine area,northern Belgium (southern North Sea Basin)

A stratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental analysis with organic‐walled palynomorphs of the Bolderberg and Diest formations provides new insights in the depositional history during Miocene times at the southern border of the North Sea Basin. The Neogene transgression invaded Belgium from a north–northwestern direction and fully marine sediments were deposited in the northern part of Belgium. The age and the palaeoenvironment of the deposits at the very border of the southern North Sea Basin remained till a few decades ago incomplete. The recovered dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and green algae from the Bolderberg Formation in the Wijshagen Borehole indicate a marginal marine depositional environment during late Burdigalian and Langhian times in the eastern Campine area, in contrast to the deeper marine conditions prevailing to the north–northwest. The relative dating of the Bolderberg Formation confirms that maximum flooding occurred during Langhian to early Serravallian times. Deposition apparently took place during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, and ended when the climatic deterioration set in at around 14 Ma. A hiatus spanning ca. 2 Ma separates the Middle Miocene Bolderberg Formation from the Upper Miocene Diest Formation in the eastern Campine area at the border of the North Sea Basin. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Upper Miocene Deurne Sands (Diest Formation) of northern Belgium,southern North Sea Basin

Diverse and well‐preserved palynomorph assemblages recovered from the Deurne Sands, a local member of the Upper Miocene Diest Formation near Antwerp, allow the recognition of dinoflagellate cyst biozones defined in the North Atlantic realm (East Coast, USA) and the North Sea region (Nieder Ochtenhausen well, northern Germany). Based on the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and the calcareous microfossils, the deposition of the Deurne Sands took place at some time during middle to late Tortonian (Late Miocene). These sands can be correlated biostratigraphically with the Dessel Sands in the Campine area of northern Belgium. This correlation demonstrates the existence of two separate and contemporary depositional areas in northern Belgium during early Late Miocene times. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Types,characteristics and implication for hydrocarbon exploration of the Middle Miocene deep-water sediments in Beikang Basin,southern South China Sea

The internal seismic architectures of the Middle Miocene in Beikang Basin, southern South China Sea, were investigated and described using regional 2D seismic data from Guangzhou Marine Geology Survey. In particular, five typical seismic facies were identified based on an integrated analysis of the amplitude, continuity, contact relationship, and morphologies of seismic reflections. Bathyal-abyssal fine-grained sediments, deltaic front sandy bodies, turbidites, and small-scale turbidite channels were developed in the Middle Miocene according to the tectonic-sedimentary evolution of the sedimentary basins in the southern South China Sea. The findings of this study suggest that deltaic front sandy bodies and turbidites can be considered as the two major types of deep-water clastic reservoirs for the depression stage of Beikang Basin. A well-developed source-reservoir-cap assemblage was composed by deep rift-stage source rocks, deep-water clastic reservoirs of the Middle Miocene, and bathyal-abyssal deep-water fine-grained sediments after the Middle Miocene, implying a good potential for hydrocarbon exploration.©2019 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy and depositional history of Miocene and Lower Pliocene formations in northern Belgium (southern North Sea Basin)

The occurrence of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) in the Diest Formation, a largely decalcified succession with a poor fossil content, and in the adjacent strata of Lower Miocene and Lower Pliocene formations, allowed a biostratigraphic evaluation of these deposits and an assessment of the hiatus between the lithostratigraphic units. The Diest Formation was deposited during Tortonian – Messinian times. Dinocyst biozones defined in the North Sea region and the U.S.A. East Coast are recognised within the Diest Formation, although environmental factors seem to have influenced the presence of some key zonal species in the shallow-marine deposits of northern Belgium. The two members of the Diest Formation studied, i.e., the Dessel Sands and the Diest Sands, appear to be strongly diachronous. The depocentre was located in the Campine area during the early Tortonian and shifted to the area north of Antwerp during late Tortonian to Messinian times. The age assessment provides a correlation of the sequence boundaries of Haq et al. (1987) at the top of the Diest Formation with SB 5.5.     

Middle to late Miocene sequence stratigraphy of the Transylvanian Basin (Romania)

The history of Middle to Late Miocene evolution of the Transylvanian Basin was determined by the bordering Carpathian orogen evolution, the tectonic events being well recorded by the sedimentary history. The basin evolved in a back-arc setting, under a regional, compressional stress field. The major tectonic events produced during the Late Sarmatian and Post-Pannonian were related to the reactivation of the pre-Badenian fault systems. The Transylvanian Basin got uplifted after the Late Pannonian (? during the Pliocene), and at least 500 m of sedimentary cover was eroded.

Based on seismic and well-log interpretation, core and outcrop sedimentology, and microfauna, eight sequences were defined. The early Middle Miocene sequences are roughly synchronous to five 3rd order global sea-level cycles. Most of the recognized sequence boundaries are enhanced by regional tectonic events. The sedimentary evolution was also strongly influenced by salt-tectonics, active starting with the Late Sarmatian.

Two sequences were identified in the Lower Badenian deposits. The third sequence (late Early Badenian to early Mid Badenian) preserves information about deeper shelf settings. The lowstand of the following sequence was responsible for the deposition of the salt formation (late Mid Badenian), an important lithostratigraphic marker in the sedimentary record of the basin. In general, the Upper Badenian deposits (parts of the 4th and 5th sequences) belong to deep marine submarine fan systems. The Sarmatian (partially 5th, 6th and partially 7th sequences) was characterized by diverse salinity conditions, stretching from brackish to hypersaline, and by high tectonic instability, which induced several significant relative sea-level falls. During that time, deltaic (north) and fandeltaic (east) systems fed submarine fans, stacked between salt-related submarine heights (“channeled” deep-marine depocenters). Most of the Pannonian deposits (partially 7th and 8th sequences) belong to submarine fan systems, but shallower facies were also found in the western and eastern part of the basin.     

Astronomical Dating of the Middle Miocene Hanjiang Formation in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea

The Hanjiang Formation of Langhian age(middle Miocene) in the Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB),South China Sea consists of deltaic siliciclastic and neritic shelf carbonate rhythmic alternations,which form one of the potential reservoirs of the basin.To improve stratigraphic resolutions for hydrocarbon prospecting and exploration in the basin,the present study undertakes spectral analysis of high-resolution natural gamma-ray(NCR) well-logging record to determine the dominant frequency components and test whether Milankovitch orbital signals are recorded in rhythmic successions.Analytical results indicate the orbital cycles of precession(～19 ka and～23 ka), obliquity(～41 ka),and eccentricity(～100 ka and～405 ka),which provide the strong evidence for astronomically driven climate changes in the rhythmic alternation successions.Within biochronological constraint,a high-resolution astronomical timescale was constructed through the astronomical tuning of the NGR record to recent astronomically calculated variation of Earth’s orbit. The astronomically tuned timescale can be applied to calculate astronomical ages for the geological events and bioevents recognized throughout the period.The first downhole occurrences of foraminifers Globorotalia peripheroronda and Globigerinoides sicanus are dated at 14.546 Ma and 14.919 Ma,respectively,which are slightly different from earlier estimates in the South China Sea. When compared with the global sea-level change chart,the astronomical estimate for the sequences recognized based on microfossil distributions have the same end time but the different initiation time. This is probably due to the local or regional tectonic activities superimposed on eustatic rise which postponed the effect of global sea-level rising.Astronomical timescale also resolves the depositional evolution history for the Langhian Stage(middle Miocene) with a variation that strongly resembles that of Earth’s orbital eccentricity predicted from 13.65 Ma to 15.97 Ma.We infer that the main factor controlling the variability of the sedimentation rate in the Hanjiang Formation is related to the～405-ka-period eccentricity.     

The magnetic properties of Quaternary and Tertiary sediments in the southern North Sea

Cores from boreholes penetrating late Quaternary, glacial, interglacial and postglacial sediments and the underlying late Cenozoic delta complex of the southern North Sea have been examined for their magnetic properties. A magnetic polarity stratigraphy has been established as an aid to biostratigraphic dating of the sediments; the Kaena-Gauss and Gauss—Matuyama transitions and the base and top of the Olduvai subchron have been identified. The strength and stability of laboratory-induced isothermal remanent magnetisation display clear magneto-petrological variations, which match lithostratigraphic changes in the cores. Principal component analysis has picked out a basin-wide and palaeoenvironmental consistency in the magnetic data. Large, multi-domain magnetite grains predominate in the post-deltaic and fluvio-deltaic sediments, whereas smaller greigite or titanomagnetite grains are concentrated in the intertidal and marine deltaic facies. Since heavy mineral analysis indicates that most of the deltaic detritus derived from common source areas, the differences in magnetic mineralogy have probably been caused by the sediment transport processes operating within the delta complex.     

北黄海盆地东部坳陷中新生代构造样式

北黄海盆地东部坳陷中新生代自下而上发育中侏罗统、上侏罗统、下白垩统、渐新统和新近系,划分为3个构造层,即下构造层、中构造层和上构造层,分别对应盆地的中生代断陷-反转阶段、古近纪断陷—反转阶段和区域沉降阶段3期构造演化阶段。不同的构造演化阶段造就了不同的构造样式,基于地震反射资料,结合盆地地质结构特征,总结了坳陷构造样式特征,即伸展构造、挤压构造、反转构造及扭动构造4种样式,以伸展构造样式为主,翘倾断块、滑动断阶及逆牵引背斜是研究区内有利于油气运聚成藏的主要构造样式。     

南海南部北康盆地生物礁的类型及油气勘探前景

南海南部北康盆地发育大量的生物礁,蕴藏丰富的油气资源。文章基于北康盆地高精度地震数据及钻井数据的研究表明,北康盆地的生物礁成像较好、类型齐全,有点礁、台地边缘礁、块状礁、层状礁、塔礁、环礁共6类型。其发育演化可以分为4个阶段,分别为早中新世的初始发育阶段、中中新世早期的繁盛阶段、中中新世晚期的衰退阶段和晚中新世的淹没阶段。古近纪及早中新世的断裂活动产生了大量的构造高点,为生物礁的初始发育创造了条件,而中中新世以来基底快速沉降导致的相对海平面的快速上升决定了生物礁主要发育于中中新世时期,而晚中新世以来相对海平面持续上升,致使生物礁退积到隆起顶部,从而进入淹没阶段。北康盆地的生物礁数量多、规模大,而且很少受后期成岩作用的二次改造,具备优质储层形成的前提。同时,区域烃源岩、疏导体系、盖层及生物礁的分布等油气地质条件,决定了中部隆起西部和东部隆起东部是北康盆地今后生物礁油气勘探的重点区域。     

Seismic Characteristics and Development Patterns of Miocene Carbonate Platform in the Beikang Basin, Southern South China Sea

The Beikang Basin is located in the southern part of the South China Sea(SCS), which is one of most tectonically complex sea areas. It is a deepwater sedimentary basin that was mainly deposited during the Cenozoic era. Owing to data restrictions, the research on carbonate platforms of this area is still in its infancy. High-resolution seismic data are analyzed to identify the Miocene carbonate platforms and reconstruct the architecture and growth history. The carbonate platforms of Beikang Basin...     

阿拉斯加北坡盆地楚科奇海域层序格架

阿拉斯加北坡盆地经历了石炭纪—中侏罗世的被动大陆边缘阶段、中侏罗世—早白垩世的波弗特海裂谷阶段、早白垩世晚期—现今的布鲁克斯造山和前陆盆地阶段,盆山格局在古生代和现今发生了反转。盆地楚科奇海域可划分为4个一级层序与8个二级层序:4个一级层序为富兰克林巨层序、埃尔斯米尔巨层序、波弗特海裂谷巨层序、布鲁克林巨层序,层序界面分别为T_(100)、JU、K1;8个二级层序为下埃尔斯米尔超层序(SQ1)、中埃尔斯米超层序(SQ2)、上埃尔斯米尔超层序(SQ3)、下波弗特海裂谷超层序(SQ4)、上波弗特海裂谷超层序(SQ5)、下布鲁克林超层序(SQ6)、中布鲁克林超层序(SQ7)、上布鲁克林超层序(SQ8),层序界面分别为MU、PU、LCU、MAU、MBU。楚科奇海域的有利勘探区带为汉娜坳陷。     

北海盆地维京地堑渐新统砂岩侵入体形态特征及成因

砂岩侵入体是由处于浅埋藏阶段、尚未固结的砂质沉积物发生液化并侵入到上覆盖层所形成的一类软沉积物变形,在北海盆地维京地堑渐新统地层中非常发育。为探讨砂岩侵入体的形态特征及诱发机制,通过高分辨率三维地震及测井资料,利用地震反射结构分析、地震相干切片等手段对砂岩侵入现象进行了识别;并结合多边形断层系统、流体充注与砂岩侵入之间的关联性,对砂岩侵入体的成因机制进行了分析。结果表明:在地震剖面上可识别的砂岩侵入体多呈V型或W型强振幅反射特征,其横向展布规模约1~2 km,垂向侵入高度约100~200 m;流体的大规模充注及多边形断层诱发盖层破裂是形成砂体内部超压并诱发其发生液化的关键因素。砂岩侵入体在形成之后可以作为流体运移通道,对强化流体的垂向运移具有重要意义;并且砂岩侵入体本身即可作为油气的有利储集体。因此识别并分析砂岩侵入体的成因机理,对盖层封闭性评价及油气勘探具有重要指导意义。     

北黄海盆地东部坳陷下白垩统砂岩成岩作用及其储层意义

通过对取芯井砂岩镜下特征及孔隙度渗透率变化的分析,研究了北黄海盆地东部坳陷下白垩统砂岩的成岩作用及其储层意义。结果显示,储层砂岩类型以长石砂岩、长石石英砂岩和岩屑石英砂岩为主,处于中成岩作用阶段的A亚期末期至B亚期早期。主要的成岩作用类型有压实作用、压溶作用、胶结作用、交代作用、蚀变作用、溶蚀作用和重结晶作用,主要孔隙类型有粒间孔隙、粒内孔隙、填隙物内孔隙和次生裂缝。长石砂岩是主要储层。压实作用、压溶作用、胶结作用和重结晶作用使砂岩孔隙度减小,降低了储层物性,起到破坏性作用;交代作用、蚀变作用和溶蚀作用使砂岩孔隙度增大,改善了储层物性,起到建设性作用。孔隙度和渗透率整体上由浅变深而呈现由大到小趋势,在深度为3 000~3 020 m和3 140~3 250 m时出现异常高值,孔隙度与渗透率的异常高值带是次生孔隙发育带。     

北黄海盆地东部前中生界基底特征

北黄海盆地是中国近海唯一未获得油气突破及勘探程度最低的含油气盆地（朝鲜已在该盆地东部实现了工业性油气突破）,朝鲜在东部凹陷的3口钻井证实北黄海盆地东部凹陷主体前中生界基底是下古生界(Pz₁)地层,与上覆以砂泥岩为主的中-新生界地层在地球物理特征上有很大差异,该特征提供了以地球物理资料推断和确定中-新生界盆地基底特征的可靠性。通过重力、磁力及大量多道地震资料解释认为,北黄海盆地前中生界基底最大埋深约5.5 km,凹陷主体部位前中生界基底以下古生界碳酸盐岩为主,其东北角可能存在上古生界碎屑岩基底,而凹陷南部可能是元古界浅变质岩基底。     

Occurrence of Middle Miocene Fossil Cyprinid Fish in the Northern Qaidam Basin and its Paleoenvironmental Implications

With a thick sequence of early Eocene to Pleistocene terrestrial records, the Qaidam Basin on the northern Tibetan Plateau provides an important sedimentary archive for understanding the paleoenvironmental evolution of the northeast Tibetan Plateau. In this study, specimens of fossil fish remains are collected from the late Middle Miocene (Serravallian, ~12Ma) of the middle member of the Shang Youshashan Formation, Dahonggou (DHG) section, in the northern Qaidam Basin. Based on a systematic study of these materials, the remains have assigned to Cyprinidae, with typical pharyngeal teeth and dorsal fin spines with serrations on the posterior edge. Our discovery improves understanding of the cyprinid fish distribution characteristics in the Qaidam Basin during the Cenozoic. Co-occurrences of terrestrial brackish ostracod species Cyprideis and long chain alkenonesin the layer indicate that the studied cyprinid fish lived in a generally large brackish to saline water body during the late middle Miocene (Serravallian), when the climate of Qaidam Basin was still not sufficiently dry to form an extreme saline water lake.     

Tectono-stratigraphic modelling of the North Sicily continental margin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

A two-dimensional numerical modelling that simulate the kinematic and thermal response of the lithosphere to thinning was used for the quantitative reconstruction of the late Neogene to Recent times tectonic and stratigraphic evolution of the North Sicily continental margin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea). The numerical study of the evolution of the North Sicily margin builds on the crustal image and kinematic interpretation of the margin obtained by Pepe et al. [Tectonics 19 (2000) 241] on the basis of seismic data and gravity modelling. Tectonic modeling indicate that different segments of the margin were undergoing different vertical movements, which are mainly expression of the rifting and thinning of the lithosphere occurred during tectonic evolution of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. A prediction of the pre-rift basement topography and the Moho along the margin converges to a value of 6.5 km for the depth of necking and a temperature-dependent EET (500° isotherm). The model fails to reproduce the morphology of the Solunto High confirming its non-extensional origin. A polyphase evolution is required to reproduce the observed syn- and post-rift stratigraphy. During the first rifting stage (between 9 and 5 Ma), crustal thinning factors reach maximum values of 1.27 in the Cefalù basin. A similar value is predicted for the subcrustal thinning around 60 km NNE of the profile margin. Crustal thinning factors increase during the second rifting stage (from 4 to 2 Ma) and reach values of 2 and up to 3.5 in the Cefalù basin and in the continent–oceanic transition zone, respectively. Similarly, subcrustal lithospheric thinning factors reach values up to 2.5 in the distal sector of the margin. An uplift of more than 100 m is predicted for the North Sicily shelf and surrounding onshore areas during the post-rift stage. The evolution of thermal structure with time is very sensitive to the partial thinning factors describing the evolution of the thinning itself during time. The lithosphere preserved part of its strength during extension. The effective elastic thickness (EET) along the margin through time is 24 km at the onset of rifting and reaches values less to 8 km during the second rifting stage in the northeastern end of the margin.     

北黄海盆地东部坳陷中生界沉积特征及演化

北黄海盆地是我国近海勘探及研究程度均较低的中新生代叠合断陷盆地, 而东部坳陷是其内最具油气勘探前景的二级构造单元。通过岩芯观察与测井相分析, 结合三维地震资料, 认为东部坳陷中生界主要发育扇三角洲、辫状河三角洲、三角洲与湖泊沉积。受构造演化阶段的制约, 不同时期具有不同的沉积演化特征。其中中侏罗世处于湖盆的初期断陷期, 半深湖-深湖亚相发育, 仅在坳陷边缘见少量小规模的扇三角洲沉积。晚侏罗世处于断陷扩展期, 整体为一个完整的湖进-湖退旋回, 早期北部缓坡发育三角洲沉积, 南部及东部陡坡见扇三角洲沉积, 中后期则由于湖平面上升, 发育暗色泥岩为主的湖泊沉积, 晚期北部缓坡见小规模三角洲前缘沉积。早白垩世处于断陷萎缩期, 垂向发育2个正旋回沉积序列, 其中旋回下部以扇三角洲、辫状河三角洲相为主, 向上渐变为滨浅湖沉积。     

北黄海盆地东部坳陷侏罗纪古地形与沉积体系分布

北黄海盆地东部坳陷经历了多期复杂的构造演化,同沉积期盆地的古地形控制了物源区、沉积区及沉积物的搬运方向和方式。本文利用单井剥蚀量和原始沉积厚度计算、构造沉降量计算等方法,恢复了东部坳陷中侏罗世(J_2SQ1和J_2SQ2)和晚侏罗世(J_3SQ1和J_3SQ2)的古地形。J_2SQ1时期盆缘隆起连片,东部隆起已初具雏形,东部隆起两侧形成了两个凹陷区;J_2SQ2时期东部隆起扩大,成为坳中隆起,隆起两侧的凹陷区加深,北部的凹陷逐渐转变为主凹陷区;J_3SQ1时期东部隆起两侧凹陷继续加深;J_3SQ2凹陷区抬升,盆地整体沉积面积比前期略有减小。构造古地形控制了沉积物搬运和堆积。古隆起、古斜坡是沉积物通道,控制砂体的堆积和分布,其中陡坡带发育冲积扇和扇三角洲沉积,而缓坡带发育河流和三角洲沉积;古凹陷是沉积物的堆积场所,一般发育水下扇和湖泊沉积。东部隆起作为坳中隆起,不仅分隔了凹陷区,且成为重要的物源区。