Palaeotemperatures and Diagenetic Phases of the Upper Triassic Oil-bearing Sandstones in the Eastern Part of the Ordos Basin

The maximum palaeotemperature of oil-bearing sandstones in the UpperTriassic in the eastern Ordos basin has been determined by using many methods including thevitrinite reflectance, fluid inclusion, apatite fission track, illite crystallinity, chlorite polytypeand diagenetic change of authigenic minerals. The thermal gradient in the Late Mesozoic wasabout 2.9-3.0℃/100m. The Upper Triassic was in a mature stage of organic matter andhydrocarbon began to be generated and migrated during this period. The palaeotemperatures ofoil-bearing sandstones were in the range of 88-110℃; those for the generation and migrationof oil ranged from 112 to 122℃. The thickness of the denuded strata overlying the UpperTriassic was 2465-2750m. The present burial depth of oil-bearing sandstones is generally from400 to 1200m. At a depth of ca. 1900m, the temperature may reach 140℃. Below this depth,organic matter was supermature and mainly generated gas.     

Compositions & Melt Evolution of Upper Mantle Peridotites in the Tethyan Ophiolites

正The Jurassic–Cretaceous ophiolites in the Alpine–Himalayan orogenic belt represent fragments of oceanic lithosphere,developed in different seaways separated by Gondwana–derived ribbon continents within a broad     

Recognition of Milankovitch Cycles in the Natural Gamma—Ray Logging of Upper Cretaceous Terrestrial Strata in the Songliao Basin

Spectrogram analysis of seven natural gamma-ray logging of Member 1 of the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn1) and Member 1 and 2 of the Nenjiang Formation (K2n1-2) of Late Cretaceous age in the Songliao Basin reveals sedimentary cyclicities controlled by Milankovitch climate periodicities. The recognition of Milankovitch cycles allows estimation of an average accumulation rate of ~7.55–8.62 cm/ka for the K2qn1 sections, and ~6.69–10.16 cm/ka for the K2n1-2 sections. Two marine transgression events occurred during the deposition of K2qn1 and K2n1-2 and their ages are at ~0.74–1.10 Ma and ~2.38–4.84 Ma, respectively. Identification of Milankovitch cycles from fine-grained deep lake sedimentary rocks in the Songliao Basin may provide great potential for high-resolution stratigraphic subdivisions and correlations.     

Sedimentary and Geochemical Characteristics of Sinian Cap Carbonates in the Upper Yangtze Region

A global-scale glaciation occurred at about 600 Ma ago. As a result, the Earth became the “Snowball Earth“. The glaciation came to the end abruptly when atmospheric carbon dioxide increased to such an extent as to be about 350 times the modem level because of subaerial volcanic degassing. The rapid termination of glaciation would have led to warming of the Snowball Earth and extreme greenhouse conditions would have been created. The transfer of atmospheric carbon dioxide to oceans would give rise to the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate in warm surface seawaters, thus forming the cap carbonate rocks as observed worldwide today. Regionally persisting, thin layers of carbonate rocks directly and ubiquitously overlie Proterozoic glacial deposits almost on every continent, and are commonly referred to as cap carbonates. Their unusual litho- fabrics, stratigraphically abrupt basal and upper-level contacts and strongly negative carbonate isotopic signatures ( δ ^13Cearb. values range from -7.0‰ —0‰) suggest a chemical oceanographic origin, the details of which remain unknown. It is proposed that these enigmatic deposits are related to the destabilization of gaseous hydrate in terrestrial permafrost following rapid postglacial warming and flooding of widely exposed continental shelves and internal basins. The authors carried out studies on the geochemistry, sedimentology and palacontology of the Sinian cap carbonates in Guizhou and Hunan provinces, including the occurrence of cap carbonates of unusual fabrics, strongly negative carbon isotopic signatures, and a lot of bitumen nodules.From the results it is suggested that the cap carbonates were formed from solid methane seepage, and it is in agreement with Kennedy‘‘ s viewpoint (2001) that the cap carbonates resulted from the rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate in response to solid methane seepage.     

New Data on the Chronostratigraphy of the Upper Pleistocene Loess–Soil Series in Southwestern Siberia

Doklady Earth Sciences - We have analyzed the modern status of the chronostratigraphic differentiation of the loess–paleosoil series in southwestern Siberia and the results of luminescence...     

Minerals of the Bournonite–Seligmannite Series in Ore of the Beresitovoe Deposit,Upper Amur Region,Russia

New data are presented on segregations and compositions of bournonite-seligmannite series of minerals in gold-bearing veinlets of the Beresitovoe deposit located in the eastern part of the Mongolia–Okhotsk Orogenic Belt. It was established that these minerals represent a discrete series of stoichiometric solid compounds with As formula coefficients varying from 0.2 to 1.2. It is shown that minerals of this series are characteristic of ore deposits that undergo high-grade metamorphism, the P–T conditions of which are sufficient for melting of primary sulfides.     

Remote sensing-based analysis of the planform changes in the Upper Amazon River over the period 1986–2006

An analysis of the planform changes of the Colombian reach of the Amazon River was carried out over a period of 19.9 years. Remote sensing image processing techniques were applied to Landsat images acquired in 1986, 1994, 2001 and, 2006. These images were selected based on minimal daily water level variations, while providing the widest temporal span. Plan view river changes and geomorphologic characteristics were examined to identify which channel pattern classification best represents this large tropical river system. Discharge was also analyzed to determine whether changes in the river's plan view are a direct response to variations in discharge. The system had a depositional tendency between 1986 and 2006, with a period where erosion was more intense than deposition between 1994 and 2001. Percent change in the plan view area of the system (1.4% yr⁻¹) and the maximum migration rates (125 m yr⁻¹) suggest that this reach of the Amazon is less active than reaches upstream and the downstream reach between the confluences of the Jutaí and Japurá Rivers. Variations in discharge appear to be responsible for deposition and erosion dynamics observed after this remote sensing analysis in the Colombian reach of the Amazon River. Characteristics including multiple channels with vegetated islands developed from within-channel deposition, meandering planform, lateral activity of channel margins, and the absence of islands with saucer-like morphology suggest a multichannel, meandering pattern for this reach of the Amazon, that corresponds to a laterally active anabranching river.     

The Thermal Structure of the Upper Mantle in Eastern China——Inferred from the Petrological Model

Cenozoic basalt in eastern China contains abundant ultramafic xenoliths which are specimens of pyrolitesreleased during basaltic magma eruption. A total of 405 P-T data of pyroxene in the ultramafic rocks have beencollected, which present a more precise pyroxene geotherm. The average geothermal gradient in the upper man-tle represented by the pyroxene geotherm is about 3.3℃ / km, which is much less than that derived from theconductive thermal model (≈14℃ / km), implying the great significance of convective heat transfer. The calcu-lation shows that the contributions of convective and conductive heat transfers are 79% and 21%, respectively.The perturbation in the thermal structure of the upper mantle is an important manifestation of thetectonothermal event of Cenozoic continental rifting and intense basaltic volcanism in eastern China. Based onthe pyroxene geotherm and its comparison with the current geothermal field derived from the measurements ofthe surface heat flows, it is suggested that the Moho may be a secondary thermal boundary. The currentgeothermal field and the thermal structure of the lithosphere in eastern China may mainly reflect the result ofthe tectonothermal disturbance in the Neogene-Quaternary, in other words, the lithosphere has just begun toCool.     

Petrography and provenance of Upper Cretaceous – Palaeogene sandstones in the foreland basin system of Central Nepal

Sedimentary deposits of the Cretaceous to Miocene Tansen Group of Lesser Himalayan association in central Nepal record passive-margin sedimentation of the Indian Continent with direct deposition onto eroded Precambrian rocks (Sisne Formation onto Kaligandaki Supergroup rocks), succeeded by the appearance of orogenic detritus as the Indian continent collided with Asia on a N-dipping subduction zone. Rock samples from two field traverses were examined petrographically and through detrital zircon U–Pb dating, one traverse being across the Tansen Group and another across the Higher and Tethyan Himalaya (TH). The Tansen Group depositional ages are well known through fossil assemblages. We examined samples from three units of the Tansen Group (Amile, Bhainskati, and Dumri Formations). The Sedimentary petrographic data and Qt F L and Qm F Lt plots indicate their ‘Quartzose recycled’ nature and classify Tansen sedimentary rocks as ‘recycled orogenic’, suggesting Indian cratonic and Lower Lesser Himalayan (LLH) sediments as the likely source of sediments for the Amile Formation (Am), the TH and the Upper Lesser Himalaya (ULH) as the source for the Bhainskati Formation (Bk), and both the Tethyan and Higher Himalaya (HH) as the major sources for the Dumri Formation (Dm). The Cretaceous–Palaeocene pre-collisional Am is dominated by a broad detrital zircon U–Pb ~1830 Ma age peak with neither Palaeozoic nor Neoproterozoic zircons grains, but hosts a significant proportion (23%) of syndepositional Cretaceous zircons (121–105 Ma) would be contributions from the LLH volcanosedimentary arc, Gangdese batholith (including the Xigaze forearc). The other formations of the Tansen Group are more similar to Tethyan units than to Higher Himalaya Crystalline (HHC). From the analysed samples, there is a lack of distinctive evidence or HH detritus in the Tansen basin. Furthermore, the presence of ~23±1 Ma zircons from the HH unit suggests that they could not have been exposed until the earliest Miocene time.     

Geochemistry and geochronology of Upper Permian–Upper Triassic volcanic rocks in eastern Jilin Province,NE China: implications for the tectonic evolution of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean

We present zircon U–Pb dating, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd isotope results for the Upper Permian–Upper Triassic volcanic rocks to constrain the timing of the final closure of the eastern segment of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. The volcanic rocks were mainly collected from the Yanbian area in eastern Jilin Province, northeastern China. The zircon U–Pb dating results indicate that the samples can be classified as Upper Permian–Lower Triassic basalts (ca. 262–244 Ma) and Upper Triassic dacites (ca. 216 Ma). The whole-rock geochemical results indicate that the rocks predominately belong to the medium-K and high-K calc-alkaline series. The basalts are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs, e.g. Ba and K) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs, e.g. Nb and Ta), with weak positive Eu anomalies. The dacites are enriched in LILEs (e.g. Rb, Ba, Th, and K) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and marked depletion in some HFSEs (e.g. Nb, Ta, and Ti), with significant negative Sr, P, and Eu anomalies. Moreover, the Upper Permian–Lower Triassic basalts have low initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7037–0.7048) and high ε_Nd values (4.4–5.4). In contrast, the Upper Triassic dacites possess relatively high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7052) compared with their low ε_Nd values (1.4). The basaltic magma likely originated from the partial melting of a depleted mantle wedge metasomatized by subduction-related fluids, and the felsic magmas likely originated from the partial melting of a dominantly juvenile source with a minor component of ancient crust. Taken together, the Upper Permian–Lower Triassic basalts (ca. 262–244 Ma) are arc basalts that formed in an active continental margin setting, and the Upper Triassic dacites (ca. 216 Ma) are A-type granitic rocks that formed in an extensional setting. Therefore, the final closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean occurred during the Middle–Late Triassic.     

Features of the Influence of Weather Conditions on the Deformation Processes of the Upper Layer of the Earth’s Crust

Doklady Earth Sciences - The influence of the temperature and moisture content of the near-surface soil layer on variations of the barodeformation interaction of the boundary layer of the...     

Research of the Conductive Structure of Crust and the Upper Mantle beneath the South-Central Tibetan Plateau

With the super-wide band magnetotelluric sounding data of the Jilong (吉隆)-Cuoqin (措勤) profile (named line 800) which was completed in 2001 and the Dingri (定日)-Cuomai (措迈) profile (named line 900) which was completed in 2004,we obtained the strike direction of each MT station by strike analysis,then traced profiles that were perpendicular to the main strike direction,and finally obtained the resistivity model of each profile by nonlinear conjugate gradients (NLCG) inversion. With these two models,we described the resistivity structure features of the crust and the upper mantle of the center-southern Tibetan plateau and its relationship with Yalung Tsangpo suture: the upper crust of the research area is a resistive layer with resistivity value range of 200-3 000 ?·m. The depth of its bottom surface is about 15-20 km generally,but the bottom surface of resistive layer is deeper in the middle of these two profiles. At line 900,it is about 30 km deep,and even at line 800,it is about 38 km deep. There is a gradient belt of resistivity at the depth of 15-45 km,and a conductive layer is beneath it with resistivity even less than 5 ?·m. This conductive layer is composed of individual conductive bodies,and at the south of the Yalung Tsangpo suture,the conductive bodies are smaller with thickness about 10 km and lean to the north slightly. However,at the north of the Yalung Tsangpo suture,the conductive bodies are larger with thickness about 30 km and also lean to the north slightly. Relatively,the conductive bodies of line 900 are thinner than those of line 800,and the depth of the bottom surface of line 900 is also shallower. At last,after analyzing the effect factors to the resistivity of rocks,it was concluded that the very conductive layer was caused by partial melt or connective water in rocks. It suggests that the middle and lower crust of the center-southern Tibetan plateau is very thick,hot,flabby,and waxy.     

Lithostratigraphy and geochemistry of Upper Vendian‒Lower Cambrian deposits in the northeastern Baltic monocline

The results of investigations of Upper Vendian?Lower Cambrian deposits in the northeastern part of the Baltic monocline specify views on the evolution of depositional environments of sedimentary successions constituting the basal part of the sedimentary cover in inner areas of the northwestern East European Platform. It is shown that the Late Vendian and initial Cambrian were characterized by the consecutive influx of relatively mature terrigenous detrital material that originated from both the weathering crust of the Baltic Shield and new sources. Its deposition was interrupted by notable, although likely asynchronous, hiatuses, which are registered at the base of the Upper Vendian Vasileostrovskaya and Voronkovo formations and Lower Cambrian Lomonosov Formation. In the Late Vendian, sedimentary material was transported from the Baltic Shield, while beginning from the initial Early Cambrian the additional contribution to the formation of the sedimentary cover of the Baltic monocline was provided by coarse-grained sedimentary material from the Timan margin of the Baltica as follows from U?Pb isotopic ages obtained for detrital zircons. At the same time, lithogeochemical parameters of fine-grained rocks experienced no substantial changes.     

A Periglacial Palaeoenvionment in the Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian Tobra Formation of the Salt Range, Pakistan

The Upper Carboniferous—Lower Permian(Upper Pennsylvanian-Asselian) Tobra Formation is exposed in the Salt and Trans Indus ranges of Pakistan.The formation exhibits an alluvial plain(alluvial fan-piedmont alluvial plain) facies association in the Salt Range and Khisor Range.In addition,a stream flow facies association is restricted to the eastern Salt Range.The alluvial plain facies association is comprised of clast-supported massive conglomerate(Gmc),diamictite(Dm)facies,and massive sandstone(Sm) Hthofacies whereas the stream flow-dominated alluvial plain facies association includes fine-grained sandstone and siltstone(Fss),fining upwards pebbly sandstone(Sf),and massive mudstone(Fm) Hthofacies.The lack of glacial signatures(particularly glacial grooves and striatums) in the deposits in the Tobra Formation,which are,in contrast,present in their timeequivalent and palaeogeographically nearby strata of the Arabian peninsula,e.g.the AI Khlata Formation of Oman and Unayzah B member of the Saudi Arabia,suggests a pro-to periglacial,i.e.glaciofluvial depositional setting for the Tobra Formation.The sedimentology of the Tobra Formation attests that the Salt Range,Pakistan,occupied a palaeogeographic position just beyond the maximum glacial extent during Upper Pennsylvanian-Asselian time.     

New Data on Geochronology of the Upper Quaternary Loess–Soil Series in the Terek–Kuma Lowland

Lithology and Mineral Resources - Drilling recovered the upper part (23 m) of the upland loess–paleosol series (LPS) on the right bank of the Kuma River near the Otkaznoe Settlement....     

Sedimentary Facies Models on Carbonatite in the Upper Shuaiba Member of Lower Cretaceous in Daleel Field, Oman

The Upper Shuaiba Member (USH) is the main force pay bed in the Daleel field in northern Oman; 5 layers including A, B, C, D, and E were divided in profile, and layer D and layer E are the main beds. With the development of exploration in the Daleel oil field, studying the sedimentary systems about their inner composition and the collocation in dimension, and setting up the sedimentary models in the USH are becoming more and more necessary and important to meet the further explora- tion requirement. Based on the data of geology, seism, and paleo-biology, according to the analysis method on carbonatite depositional system, the litho-facies assemblage and sedimentary environment in the USH were studied. Intershoal low-lying sub-facies (where the water depth is 10–50 m) and shallow shoal sub-facies (where the water depth is not more than 10 m) were extinguished in the layer D, and storm deposit was found in layer E1, in which intershoal low-lying sub-facies also developed. The feature of the sedimentary sub-facies and the sedimentary condition were analyzed, and the sedimen- tary model was set up in the article: the carbonatite intershoal low-lying developed under the back-ground of open land in shallow sea, where storm events usually occurred in the Lower Cretaceous in the area.     

Geochemical Indicators of “Camouflaged” Pyroclastic Material in the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Deposits of the Eastern Russian Platform

Doklady Earth Sciences - Based on the results of studying the lithological–geochemical features of the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous mudrocks and black shales in the Eastern Russian...     

Upper Campanian–Maastrichtian holostratigraphy of the eastern Danish Basin

One of the most expanded upper Campanian–Maastrichtian successions worldwide has been cored in a series of boreholes in eastern Denmark. A high-resolution holostratigraphic analysis of this part of the Chalk Group has been undertaken on these cores, notably Stevns-1, in order to provide a record of changes in chalk facies, water depths and sea-water temperatures. Combined lithological data, a suite of petrophysical logs including gamma ray (GR) logs, nannofossil and dinoflagellate palaeontology, stable carbon isotopes, seismic reflection and refraction sections form the basis for the definition of two new formations and six members, three of which are new, and for recognition of Boreal nannofossil subzones UC15e^BP to UC20d^BP. The upper Campanian–lowermost Maastrichtian Mandehoved Formation is subdivided into the Flagbanke and Boesdal Members and the Maastrichtian Møns Klint Formation is subdivided into the Hvidskud, Rørdal, Sigerslev, Kjølby Gaard Marl and Højerup Members. The Boesdal and Rørdal Members show high GR values and a pronounced chalk-marl cyclicity. The Rørdal and the thin Kjølby Gaard Marl Members have a regional distribution and can be traced over most of the Danish Basin, whereas the Højerup Member is restricted to the easternmost part of Sjælland. The other members consist of rather featureless white chalk.     

On the Chemical Evolution of Upper Mantle of the Early Earth—An Experimental Study on Melting of the Silicate Phase in Jilin Chondrite at High Pressures

Relatively old ages of chondrites(normally around 4.5Ga)suggest that their parent bodies did not experience any mely-fractionation under high temperature and high pressure conditions pertaining to the interior of terrestrial plaets.Therefore,it is reasonable to take chondrites as starting materials in the study of the chemical evolution of the early earth.The sillicate phase in the Jilin chondrite (H5)was chosen for this purpose because it possesses a chemical composition similar to that of the primitive mantle.The melting experiment was carried out at 20-30 k bar and has rsulted in a product which contains1-5% melts in addition to solid cryustal phase.The chemical composition of the melt phases and the partitioning of various elements between the coexisting silicate melts are geochemically similar to those of anatectic rocks on the earth.This can thus serve as the basis for discussing the chemical evolution of the early upper mantle.