Fluvial deposits within the Pleistocene Crag at Thorpe St Andrew,Norwich, England

This paper records the findings at a temporary exposure at Thorpe St Andrew near Norwich, Norfolk, UK in Early and early Middle Pleistocene Crag deposits. The British Geological Survey (BGS) describes the particular formation exposed as Norwich Crag consisting of Early Pleistocene shallow marine sediments. The section shows a succession of sorted sands and gravels overlain by a sandy diamicton. Based on field evidence and clast analysis, the sands and gravels are interpreted as the product of point bar and overbank sedimentation and represent the product of a river cutting into and aggrading within the more widespread shallow marine deposits. Composition of the sediments indicates derivation, primarily from Wroxham Crag Formation, with a contribution from Norwich Crag. The sandy diamicton is interpreted as late Middle Pleistocene Corton Till that is recorded in the area. A distinct pattern of colour changes at the top of the sands and gravels is interpreted as a soil that developed on the fluvial sediments before being overridden by the glacier that deposited the Corton Till. The existence of the fluvial sediments within the regional shallow marine deposits suggests that a fall of sea-level, possibly due to climate cooling, while the elevation of the sediments and the adjacent Crag implies that the site has been uplifted since sedimentation. This is the first observation of terrestrial sediments within the shallow marine Crag. The paper also makes a contribution to understanding the diagenetic processes that give deposits within this region some distinctive colour and sediment patterns.     

Facies,environments and sedimentary cycles in the Middle Eocene,Bracklesham Formation of the Hampshire Basin: evidence for global sea-level changes?

The Bracklesham Formation is of Middle Eocene age and occurs throughout the Hampshire Basin of southern England. The basin is elongated east-west and filled with Lower Tertiary sediments. Its southern margin is marked by either large, northward-facing monoclines, or faults, both of which underwent differential movement, with uplift of the southern side throughout the Middle Eocene. The Bracklesham Formation, which is up to 240 m thick, shows pronounced lateral facies changes with dominantly marine sediments in the east passing to alluvial sediments in the west. Four principal sedimentary environments: marine, lagoonal, estuarine and alluvial are distinguished. Marine sediments comprise six facies including offshore silty clays and glauconitic silty sands, beach and aeolian dune sands, and flint conglomerates formed on pebble beaches. Offshore sediments predominate in the eastern part of the basin, as far west as Alum Bay, where they are replaced by nearshore sediments. Lagoonal sediments comprise four facies and formed in back-barrier lagoons, coastal marshes and, on occasions, were deposited over much of the basin during periods of low salinity and restricted tidal motion. Five estuarine facies represent tidal channels, channel mouth-bars and abandoned channels. These sediments suggest that much of the Bracklesham Formation was deposited under micro- to meso-tidal conditions. Alluvial sediments dominate the formation to the west of Alum Bay. They comprise coarse to fine sands deposited on the point-bars of meandering rivers, interbedded with thick sequences of laminated interchannel mudstones, deposited in marshes, swamps and lakes. Extensive layers of ball clay were periodically deposited in a lake occupying much of the alluvial basin. In alluvial areas, fault movement exposed Mesozoic rocks along the southern margin of the basin, the erosion of which generated fault-scarp alluvial fan gravels. Locally, pisolitic limestone formed in pools fed by springs emerging at the faulted Chalk-Tertiary contact. In marine areas, flint pebbles were eroded from coastal exposures of chalk and accumulated on pebble beaches and in estuaries. From other evidence it is suggested that older Tertiary sediments were also reworked. The Bracklesham Formation is strongly cyclic and was deposited during five marine transgressions, the effects of which can be recognized throughout the basin in both marine and alluvial areas. Each of the five transgressive cycles is a few tens of metres thick and contains little evidence of intervening major regression. The cycles are thought to represent small-scale eustatic sea-level rises (‘paracycles’) superimposed upon a major transgressive ‘cycle’ that began at the base of the Bracklesham Formation, following a major regression, and was terminated, at the top of the Barton Formation by another major regression. This major cycle can be recognized world-wide and may reflect a period of rapid northward extension of the mid-Atlantic ridge.     

The role of wave reworking on the architecture of storm sandstone facies, Bell Island Group (Lower Ordovician), eastern Newfoundland

Stacked shallow marine cycles in the Lower Ordovician, Bell Island Group, of Bell Island, Newfoundland, show upward thickening and upward coarsening sequences which were deposited on a storm-affected shelf. In the Beach Formation each cycle has a facies sequence comprised, from base to top, of dark grey mudstones, light grey mudstones, tabular sandstones and mudstones, lenticular sandstones and mudstones, and thick bedded lenticular sandstones, reflecting a progressive increase of wave orbital velocities at the sediment surface. The mudstones and tabular sandstones reflect an environment in which the sea floor lay in the lower part of the wave orbital velocity field and in which tempestites were deposited as widespread sheets from weak combined flow currents. The lenticular sandstones in the succeeding facies are wave reworked sands, commonly lying in erosional hollows and having erosional tops and internal hummocky cross-stratification. Planar lamination is relatively uncommon and sole marks are mainly absent. In this facies oscillatory currents were dominant and accumulated sand in patches generally 10–30 m in diameter. The facies formed on the inner shelf where the oscillatory currents generated by storm waves had powerful erosional effects and also determined the depositional bedforms. Mud partings and second-order set boundaries within sandstone beds are believed to separate the products of individual storms so that many lenticular sandstone beds represent the amalgamation of several event beds. This interpretation has important implications for attempts to estimate event frequency by counting sandstone beds within a sequence and for estimates of sand budgets during storm events. The thick bedded lenticular facies appears to have been formed by erosion of the mud beds between the lenticular sands, leading to nearly complete amalgamation of several lenticular sand bodies except for residual mud partings. In the overlying Redmans Formation the process of amalgamation progressed even further so that nearly all the mud partings were removed, resulting in the formation of thick bedded tabular sandstones. Sequence stratigraphic analysis of the cyclical sequence suggests that the cycles were eustatically controlled. The rising limb of the sea level curve produced only the dark grey mudstone part of the cycle while the remainder of the cycle was deposited on the falling limb. There is a gradational but rapid facies transition from the tabular to the lenticular sandstone facies which is interpreted as occurring at the inflexion point on the falling limb. The thick bedded facies of the Beach Formation and the thick bedded tabular facies of the Redmans Formation represent periods of maximum sea level fall. The stacked cycles in the Beach Formation are interpreted as an aggradational, high frequency sequence or parasequence set bounded at the top by a sequence boundary and succeeded by the three aggradational parasequences of the Redmans Formation. The recognition of storm facies with sandstone beds of very different bed length has important implications for the reservoir modelling of such facies.     

Marine geology of Port Phillip,Victoria

The marine geology of Port Phillip is described in detail, based on data from seismic profiling, vibrocoring and grab sampling. Three major unconsolidated facies can be distinguished: sands and muddy sands peripheral to the present coastline, muds covering the major central region, and channel fills of muds and sands. The first two facies units result from an increase in wave sorting towards the coast, reworking of Tertiary and Quaternary sandstone outcrops around the coast, and a dominant mud supply from river sources into the central area. The distribution and thicknesses of the unconsolidated facies have been augmented by a shallow‐seismic program that reveals the thicknesses of the modern sediments overlying an older surface comprised of consolidated clays and sandy clays of Pleistocene or older age. In central Port Phillip, muds and sands up to 27 m‐thick have infilled Pleistocene channels cut into underlying consolidated units. Sediments immediately above the channel bases show characteristic seismic patterns of fluvial deposition. The presence of peat deposits together with gas phenomena in the water column suggest organic breakdown of channel‐fill deposits is releasing methane into the bay waters. Outside the channel areas, carbon‐14 dating indicates that the unconsolidated sediments largely post‐date the last glaciation sea‐level rise (<6500 a BP), with an early Holocene period of rapid deposition, similar to other Australian estuaries. Stratigraphic and depositional considerations suggest that the undated channel‐fill sequences correlate with the formation of cemented quartz‐carbonate aeolianite and barrier sands on the Nepean Peninsula at the southern end of Port Phillip. Previous thermoluminescence dating of the aeolianites suggests that channel‐fill sequences B, C and D may have been deposited as fluvial and estuarine infills over the period between 57 and 8 ka. The eroded surface on the underlying consolidated sediments is probably the same 118 ka age as a disconformity within the Nepean aeolianites. Further estuarine and aeolianite facies extend below the disconformity to 60 m below sea‐level, and may extend the Quaternary depositional record to ca 810 ka. Pliocene and older Tertiary units progressively subcrop below the Quaternary northwards up the bay.     

Relationship between the Malan Loess and the Salawusu Formation in the Salawusu River Area,Ordos,and Their Geological Ages

In the middle and lower reaches of the Salawusu River. the Salawusu Formation regarded traditionallyas fluvio-lacustrine deposits actually includes a series of strata which mainly consist of eolian sandy depositsnamed as "Chengchuan Formation" by the authors. The eolian sand of the Chengchuan Formation and theMalan loess distributed in the upper reaches of the Salawusu River are deposits of sand and loess faciesformed by wind action during the same period. The relationship of the Chengchuan Formation and theMalan Loess with the Salawusu Formation which is really of fluvio-lacustrine deposits is that the formertwo superpose the latter. This can be demonstrated by the difference of the extinct species proportion of thefaunas in different strata. In this area. the Salawusu formed during the early period of Late Pleistocene.while the Malan Loess and the Chengchuan Formation deposited during the late period of the LatePleistocene.     

萨拉乌苏组地层年代学研究

我国北方地区晚更新世河湖相标准地层——萨拉乌苏组地层的年代学研究,有助于正确理解萨拉乌苏组与马兰黄土以及与冰期气候对比等关系。笔者近年来根据野外层位对比和地层沉积相的划分,采用同位素年代测定,并结合黄土-古土壤序列研究的最新成果,初步建立了可以与黄土、深海沉积记录和冰期气候波动对比的萨拉乌苏组地层序列。认为河湖相沉积的萨拉乌苏组形成于约140-70kaBP的末次间冰期,大致与深海氧同位素第5阶段对应,与黄土高原古土壤S₁发育同期。城川组风成细砂形成于约70-10kaBP的末次冰期,与黄土高原的马兰黄土是同期异相地质体.      

Formation of glaciolacustrine Late Pleistocene end moraines in the Tasman Valley,New Zealand

Detailed examination of the Tekapo Formation in the Tasman Valley, New Zealand has identified 20 facies, and five facies associations. These associations are delta foresets and bottomsets, sediment density flows, ice-contact lake sediments with ice-rafted debris and resedimentation deposits, and outwash gravels. Interpretation of the sediment-landform associations informed by observations at modern glacier termini suggests that the Late Pleistocene Tekapo Formation moraines have been formed by downwasting of a more expanded Tasman Glacier. During the early stages of glacier retreat, ponds on the glacier surface develop into thermokarst lakes which enlarge and coalesce to form a large supraglacial lake. Continued downwasting causes the lake outlet river to entrench into the impounding latero-frontal ice-cored moraine, lowering the lake level. This exposes lake-bottom sediments and forms shorelines on the proximal slopes of the ice-cored moraine. As the ice-cored moraine melts, these lake sediments are deformed and deposited against the Mt. John moraine. The observations and interpretations reported here suggest the Late Pleistocene end moraine is a constructional feature not a structural (glaciotectonic) feature as suggested by previous studies.     

我国北方上更新统城川组的建立

在传统认为属河湖相沉积的萨拉乌苏组,经研究在其上部划分出一套以风成砂沉积为主的城川组。城川组风成砂与马兰黄土是同期风力分异出来的产物;城川组的沉积相、沉积环境和古生物与其下的萨拉乌苏组是不同的。萨拉乌苏河流域的城川组,马兰黄土形成于晚更新世晚期,萨拉乌苏组为晚更新世早期;前者相当于玉木冰期,推测年代距今70000a。     

萨拉乌苏组沉积时代的重新厘定

重新认识我国北方地区晚更新世河湖相标准地层--萨拉乌苏组的形成时代，对于萨拉乌苏组与马兰黄土的关系，与冰期气候对比等具有重要意义。笔者近年来根据野外层位对比和地层沉积相的划分，采用绝对年代控制，并结合黄土－古土壤序列研究的最新成果，初步建立了可以与黄土、深海沉积记录和冰期气候波动对比的萨拉乌苏组地层序列。认为河湖相沉积的萨拉乌苏组形成于约１４００００～７００００ａ.Ｂ.Ｐ.的末次间冰期，大致与深海氧同位素第５阶段对应，与黄土高原古土壤Ｓ１发育同期。城川组风成细砂形成于约７００００～１００００ａ.Ｂ.Ｐ的末次冰期，与黄土高原的马兰黄土是同期异相地质体.     

川西北天井山泥盆系平驿铺组油砂储层沉积学研究

通过岩石学、沉积学和储层地质学分析认为天井山平驿铺组主要发育灰白色中-厚层石英砂岩、石英砂岩夹粉砂岩、粉砂质泥岩和泥岩。从平驿铺组油砂储层中识别出临滨亚相,并进一步划分为上临滨、中临滨和下临滨3个微相;得出了平驿铺期龙门山地区持续沉降并接受自西向东方向的古特提斯洋的海侵的初步认识。海侵带来的大量陆源碎屑物质堆积在沉降区,形成了北东向展布、北西—南东分带、北西厚而南东薄的平驿铺组的陆缘碎屑滨岸沉积。储层的物性受沉积相的控制,上临滨微相的储层物性最好,中临滨微相次之,下临滨微相较差。     

杭州湾北岸更新世以来沉积环境记录及古气候变迁

文章通过对杭州湾北岸孔深为237.80 m的BZK04钻孔进行沉积物岩性、微体古生物、孢粉组合、粒度含量、古地磁和OSL测年的综合分析,讨论研究区更新世以来沉积环境演变及古气候变迁特征,建立第四纪多重地层划分对比框架。结果显示, BZK04孔岩心自下而上可分为基岩长河组碳质泥岩（Ech）和早更新世以来的嘉兴组（N-Qp1 j）、前港组（Qp2q）、东浦组（Qp3d）、宁波组（Qp3n）、镇海组（Qhzh）地层;有孔虫鉴定为11属17种,其中包括16种底栖有孔虫,1种浮游有孔虫;介形类鉴定为8属8种;孢粉分析显示含37种类型,其中木本植物花粉18种,草本植物花粉11种,蕨类孢子8种,孢粉组合中木本植物含量最高,约为85.1%,蕨类孢子次之,约为8.7%,草本植物花粉含量仅为6.3%。根据岩性分层特征、沉积相、孢粉、有孔虫及介形虫以及粒度分布频率曲线对钻孔的沉积环境进行综合分析,可将沉积环境记录划分18个孢粉组合带和七个古气候旋回变迁,其中早更新世为河流相和河湖相沉积,揭示第三暖期—第4冷期的两个古气候旋回;中更新世以河流相、湖泊相和河湖相为主,揭示第五暖期—第6冷期的两个古气候旋回;晚更新世以潮坪相、河口湾相、浅海相沉积为主,对应第七暖期—第8冷期的两个古气候旋回;全新世时期为潮坪相和河湖相沉积,对应大西洋期和亚北方期。研究结果为进一步掌握长江三角洲南翼更新世以来的第四纪沉积环境变化、地层划分和古气候演变等提供基础资料。     

Synorogenic alluvial-fan – fan-delta deposition in the Papuan foreland basin: Plio-Pleistocene Era Formation,Papua New Guinea

The Pliocene to possibly Pleistocene uppermost Orubadi and Era Formations, southwest margin of the Papuan Peninsula, are interpreted as having been deposited in alluvial-fan, fan-delta and shallow-marine environments. The alluvial-fan facies consists primarily of lenticular, coarse-grained conglomerate (up to 2 m boulders) and cross-bedded and horizontally laminated sandstone. Conglomerate and sandstone were deposited in shallow fluvial channels and by overbank sheetfloods. The facies also contains thick mudflow diamictite and minor tuff and terrestrial mudstone. The shallow-marine and fan-delta facies, in contrast, consists of heterogeneously interbedded marine and terrestrial mudstone, sandstone, diamictite, conglomerate and limestone. Marine mudstone is calcareous, sandy, bioturbated, and contains marine shells. Limestone is mostly packstone that has a varied, open-marine fauna. Rare coral boundstone is also present. Marine sandstone is burrowed to bioturbated and is hummocky cross-stratified in places. Some marine mudstone contains sandstone pillows formed by loading of unconsolidated sand by storm waves. Other sandstone in the fan-delta facies is cross-bedded, lacks shells and was probably deposited by fluvial processes. Several conglomerate beds in the fan-delta facies are well sorted and imbricated and were also deposited by stream floods. The synorogenic Orubadi and Era Formations were deposited in a foreland basin formed from loading of the Papuan–Aure Fold and Thrust Belt on the edge of the Australian craton. Deformation in the fold and thrust belt was probably related to docking and compression of the Finisterre Terrane–Bismarck Arc against the New Guinea Orogen. The Era Formation interfingers with the reefal Wedge Hill Limestone in which reef facies likely grew on a deforming anticline. Era Formation siliciclastics were sourced from volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks that were uplifted in the orogen to the northeast. Volcanic sediment was derived mostly from a then-active volcanic arc likely related to southward subduction at the Trobriand Trough.     

山西地区太原组腕足动物古生态及其环境特征

长期以来,前人对山西地区太原组腕足动物的研究侧重于描述性工作,而对于古生态特征及其环境背景的研究则重视不够。本文主要分析了该区太原组腕足动物的产状规律、纵横向上分布的变化及其古生态特征,在此基础上,结合岩性特征、沉积构造及部分微量元素的分析等,将太原组划分为5种主要的沉积相。笔者主要讨论了处于封闭、半封闭状态下水体安静,浑浊度高,具有一定淡化作用,以大量发育舌形贝类为特征的近岸浅水海湾或分流间湾泥岩相;位于潮间或潮下带,以富含腕足动物化石为特征的正常浅海碳酸岩相;以及动物化石稀少,但虫管潜穴丰富,以粉细砂岩与泥岩互层的潮坪相。根据上述特征及与邻区的对比,推测本区太原组是在一个巨大的海湾背景条件下形成的一套海陆交互相沉积。     

Lower Pleistocene deltaic and marine sediments in boreholes from the central North Sea

Lower Pleistocene sediments recovered in boreholes from the Aberdeen Ground Formation in the central North Sea indicate that the unit was deposited in a delta front to prodelta/shallow, open shelf marine setting. Possible estuarine and clastic nearshore marine deposits have been identified on the western margin of the basin. The delta front sediments consist of interbedded, structureless to laminated sands and muds with organic debris, ferruginous nodules and common soft sediment deformation structures. Sporadic rippled and graded beds, basal scours to beds and starved ripples suggest periodic wave–current reworking. Prodelta/shelf marine sediments are predominantly argillaceous with only occasional thin sand beds and rare phosphatic bands. One exceptionally thick sand body or submarine channel-fill although this remains uncertain. The estuarine/clastic nearshore marine sediments include coarse channel-lag deposits and rippled and laminated subtidal sands. A rich microfossil assemblage recovered from the prodelta/shelf marine sequence indicates that deposition occurred under fluctuating climatic conditions.     

准噶尔盆地玛6井区侏罗系三工河组S22砂层地震相分析

现代新技术手段是克服地震资料解释多解性的重要方法。作者在本文中以三维地震资料为基础，运用Stratimagic地震相分析以及振幅切片等技术手段，对准尔盆地玛6井区侏罗系三工河组S2^2砂体展布进行了全面分析，识别出研究目的层段骨架砂体的平面展布特征，并进一步结合地震剖面的反射结构特征，展开精细的地震相研究。研究结果发现，玛6井区三江河组S2^2砂层主要为一个三角洲沉积。     

Middle Pleistocene glacial stratigraphy at Baxter Rivulet,western Tasmania,Australia

Mapping, analysis and interpretation of glacigenic sediments in the King Valley, Tasmania has led to a revision of the Pleistocene stratigraphy of Tasmania. The sediments provide evidence of a glaciation that occurred between the Middle Pleistocene Henty Glaciation and the Early Pleistocene Linda Glaciation. The Moore Glaciation is estimated, on the basis of weathering rinds, amino-acid dating and palaeomagnetism to have occurred between 400000 and 550000 yrs BP. At Baxter Rivulet, sediments of the Moore Glaciation rest unconformably on highly weathered till and weathered Ordovician limestone and are overlain by outwash gravel of the Henty Glaciation. The Moore Glaciation sediments can be divided into four formations on the basis of lithology, organic content and degree of chemical weathering. The Huxley Formation (oldest) was deposited by an ice advance of the Mt. Jukes Glacier and is overlain by the Baxter Formation. The Baxter Formation consists of a bed of organic silty sand which records a cool non-forested flora of an interstadial period. The overlying Pyramid and Moore formations are outwash gravels from the Mt. Jukes and King Valley glaciers respectively. Though deposited during the same general ice advance, these two gravels were deposited at different times and show that the glaciers of the West Coast Range had spatially differentiated responses to climatic change.     

西藏札达盆地上新统一早更新统河湖相地层多重地层划分与对比

根据札达盆地河湖相地层实测剖面中的接触关系、沉积旋回、沉积体系、岩相、岩性、古生物特征和ESR、古地磁测年结果,笔者对札达盆地上新统一早更新统河湖相地层进行了重新划分和时代确定。结合该套河湖相沉积的岩石地层、生物地层、年代地层、磁性地层、层序地层和地质构造事件,对札达盆地上新统一早更新统河湖相地层进行了多重地层的划分与对比。将札达盆地河湖相地层划分为3个组、4个沉积相、7个沉积亚相、11个岩性段。由新到老划分为：早更新统香孜组（Qp^1-1X）、上新统古格组（N22g）和上新统托林组（N2^1t）。     

会理-会东及邻区中元古代东川群层序地层分析

广泛出露于四川会理－会东及云南东川等地的中元古代东川群地层,由于其中赋存有丰富的矿产资源,包括铜 矿、铁矿等而倍受重视。前人对其地层划分、岩石学及其含矿性等进行了系统的研究,取得了一系列的成果和认识,但尚未对其进行系统的层序地层研究。本文在野外地质考察的基础上,通过室内的详细分析,建立了东川群的沉积层序,即１个Ｉ级层序（时限约２．３亿年）,１２个Ⅱ级层序。     

Early and Middle Pleistocene river systems in eastern England: evidence from Leet Hill,southern Norfolk,England

Pleistocene sediments at Leet Hill, southern Norfolk are examined in terms of their sedimentary structures, palaeocurrent indicators, clast and heavy mineral lithology and litho- and morphostratigraphic position. Colour of the quartzite and vein-quartz clasts is used to differentiate the Bytham and the Kesgrave sands and gravels, with the Bytham sands and gravels having a significantly higher proportion of coloured material. The Kirby Cane sands and gravels are the lower sedimentary unit and were deposited by the Bytham river, which drained a catchment extending into central England. At Leet Hill, erosion of the Kesgrave Sands and Gravels by the Bytham river has given the Kirby Cane sands and gravels a distinctive lithological assemblage. Trace clast lithologies suggest that the Kesgrave Sands and Gravels in the region of Leet Hill were deposited in a coastal location with an input from northern sources as well as southern and Welsh sources diagnostic of the Thames catchment. The glaciofluvial Leet Hill Sands and Gravels were deposited by outwash from the Anglian Scandinavian ice sheet. Initially the flow direction of the outwash was determined by the Bytham river valley, but this changed to a southerly direction once the valley had been infilled. This paper provides the first indication of the location of the boundary (Early Pleistocene coastline) between the fluvial Kesgrave Sands and Gravels and the marine equivalent reworked by coastal processes, and demonstrates the way the pre-glacial relief initially controlled patterns of glaciofluvial sedimentation during the early part of the Anglian glaciation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

渭河-三门峡盆地三门组沉积充填特征、物源区及其构造意义

渭河盆地和三门峡盆地内发育的河湖相三门组沉积,记录了上新世-更新世的盆地沉积历史,对认识区域古环境及盆地演化特征具有重要意义.通过两个盆地三门组地层的沉积相分析和物源重建,发现2.8~2.6 Ma盆地环境发生了明显变化,2.8~2.6 Ma渭河盆地由深湖转为浅湖沉积,水位下降,而三门峡盆地由河流相转为滨浅湖,水位上升.结合前人古地貌重建和区域应力反演结果,认为上新世渭河盆地和三门峡盆地相互独立,早更新世两个盆地才连通,湖水由渭河盆地注入三门峡盆地,形成统一的三门古湖.对比区域构造事件和物源分析结果,认为青藏高原的快速隆升导致秦岭的抬升,可能是盆地及其水系演化的触发动力.