Allochthonous Mesozoic marine sequences of northeastern Asia and western North America: Correlation of the stratigraphic levels and geodynamic depositional settings

The problem of correlating the isolated outcrops of allochthonous Middle Mesozoic deposits developed in northeastern Asia and western North America includes several aspects: (1) the stratigraphic subdivision of the sequences using the radiolarian assemblages and taking into account the complex nappe-thrust structure of the region; (2) the analysis of their facies composition with reconstructing the geodynamic depositional settings; (3) the search for features in common (with respect to the previous two aspects) in all these localities. The first widely applied radiolarian analysis revealed that the Middle Mesozoic marine rocks from separate nappes and slices of tectono-stratigraphic sections in East Asia enclose 20 different-age (Norian to Hauterivian) radiolarian assemblages. The correlation of these assemblages revealed the wide lateral distribution of their host Middle Mesozoic marine sequences in the regions under consideration. The significance of the presented materials is determined by the following facts: (1) using the radiolarian analysis, the Middle Mesozoic marine sequences of northeastern Asia are first subdivided into stage and substage units with defining their analogs in western North America; (2) despite the discrete distribution of Mesozoic allochthons, it is shown that the defined stratigraphic units are widespread in northeastern Asia; (3) it is established that these allochthons consist of rocks formed in different geodynamic depositional settings: ocean floor, island arc, fore-arc, and marginal-sea domains. This spectrum of heterogeneous rocks is traceable practically through the entire northeastern Asia region.     

南海东北部中生界岩石学特征及沉积环境

南海东北部潮汕坳陷发现中—晚侏罗世到白垩纪的海相中生代地层,由泥岩、砂岩、放射虫硅质岩夹鲕粒灰岩及火山岩构成。岩石组合及沉积特征反映出,从中-晚侏罗世到白垩纪沉积水深经历了由浅到深,然后又转为陆地的一个完整旋回,沉积环境则经历了由滨浅海相到深海相,又到滨海过渡相和陆相河湖体系的演变过程,在深海相与滨海陆地过渡相之间存在一个明显的环境突变,为沉积环境缺失所致。与深海相放射虫硅质岩相伴,则夹有玄武岩（细碧岩）层。沉积反应的气候条件从中-晚侏罗世-早白垩世的温暖湿润气候环境过渡到晚白垩世的炎热干旱气候环境。这套海相中生代地层的存在对解释南海北部中生代大地构造演化以及古特提斯洋和太平洋的关系具有重要意义。     

藏南泽当卡多地区中生代放射虫动物群研究及其地质意义

雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩带一直以来被认为是新特提斯洋岩石圈的残留,其与雅鲁藏布江缝合带内相关的海相地层共同记录了新特提斯洋的演化过程以及印度—欧亚板块的碰撞过程。位于藏南泽当西南卡多附近的硅质岩剖面中发现有保存较好的中生代放射虫化石,鉴定出放射虫31属39种,识别出4个放射虫组合,并将之与邻区及西特提斯地区放射虫化石带进行对比确定其时代:Alievium longispineum-Transhsuum maxwelli组合,晚巴通期—早卡洛夫期;Hsuum maxwelli-Triactoma mexicana组合,晚卡洛夫期—牛津期;Holocryptocapsa hindei-Hiscocapsa grutterinki组合,晚巴雷姆期—早阿普特期;Hemicryptocapsa polyhedra-Obeliscoites giganteus组合,晚阿尔布期—赛诺曼期。卡多硅质岩中所含放射虫组合可为泽当蛇绿岩的形成时限及新特提斯洋的演化提供重要的微体古生物依据。     

黑龙江东部晚三叠世-早侏罗世放射虫硅质岩特征及油气远景

古生代放射虫硅质岩地层中富含浮游相生物化石,这些化石中的脂类物质和有机质在地层中往往形成海相烃源岩而富含油气资源.目前在此类地层中已开采出大量油气,有些地区已成为世界上有名的顶级大油田.在勘探工作中发现黑龙江东部晚三叠世-早侏罗世存在大量的放射虫硅质岩地层.过去未将此类地层列入勘探目标,研究认为此类地层将会成为一个潜在的油气勘探目标.     

Radiolarian-bearing conglomerate from the Hayang Group, the Kyongsang Supergroup, southeastern Korea

The non-marine Cretaceous Kyongsang Supergroup, which is divided into the Sindong, the Hayang and the Yuchon groups, is widely distributed in southeastern Korea. Radiolarian-bearing pebbles are collected from the conglomerates of the Kumidong and the Kisadong formations of the Hayang Group. The age of radiolarian fossils range from Late Permian to Middle Jurassic. In Korea, Permian to Middle Jurassic marine chert beds are not exposed. The directions of paleocurrents of the Kumidong and the Kisadong formations are mainly from the northeast to southwest. During Cretaceous time, the Mino-Tamba Belt, within which Permian to Middle Jurassic chert beds are exposed, is suggested to have been located northeast of the Kyongsang Basin. The radiolarian faunas of the Hayang Group are similar to those of the Mino-Tamba Belt and other associated Mesozoic accretionary belts in Japan (e.g. the Ashio Belt). The provenance of the radiolarian-bearing pebbles collected from the Kumidong and the Kisadong formations is interpreted to be the Mino-Tamba Belt and other associated Mesozoic accretionary belts in Japan.     

PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CENO-TETHYS: MICROPALEONTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM PELAGIC SEDIMENTS IN THE YARLUNG ZANGBO SUTURE ZONE, SOUTHERN TIBET

PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CENO-TETHYS: MICROPALEONTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM PELAGIC SEDIMENTS IN THE YARLUNG ZANGBO SUTURE ZONE, SOUTHERN TIBET     

Sedimentary settings of marine middle mesozoic allochthonous complexes of northeastern asia and their correlation

The correlation of the Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous cherty-volcanic complexes constituting nappe scales of the tectonostratigraphic sections of the Okhotsk-Koryak orogenic belt served as a basis for interpreting the lateral and vertical series of Norian–Barremian marine sedimentary settings in the North Pacific. The correlation was based on radiolarian and geodynamic analyses. The taxonomic compositions of radiolarian assemblage were used as proxies for reconstructing oceanic and marginal marine settings and the seafloor topography (deep and shallow neritic regions, elevated areas (atolls, guyot, and island arcs), facilitating the upwelling). The stage-by-stage reconstruction of the paleoenvironments became possible owing to the stage subdivision of previously almost entirely barren allochthonous formations.     

放射虫硅质岩对华南古地理的启示

放射虫硅质岩在中国南方及邻区广泛分布,有重要的古地理意义。按其时空分布,可分为南区及北区和东带。南区包括滇西、滇东南、桂西和桂南,主要为晚古生代至中生代早期放射虫硅质岩。滇西硅质岩带南延至泰国和马来西亚,代表古特提斯主支。滇东南、桂西和桂南的硅质岩则指示古特提斯多岛洋的分支海盆。北区包括两广中北部、湘赣中南部和长江中下游一带,主要为二叠纪中晚期放射虫硅质岩,标志当时扬子台缘与古特提斯洋连通的深水盆地。东带沿南海和东海外侧的岛弧分布,从菲律宾北巴拉望经琉球到西南日本内带,主要为中二叠世至晚侏罗世放射虫硅质岩,与古地磁证据一起指示了该期间华南南方一个低纬度的远洋盆地,可称为“古南中国海”。它的张开可能是中晚二叠世云开地体和中国东南部其他地方造山事件的原因,它的随后发展对华南东部三叠纪和侏罗纪古地理演化也有重大影响。晚侏罗世太平洋伊泽奈崎板块的迅速北移,使“古南中国海"俯冲消减,导致东南沿海大规模的钙碱性岩浆活动。     

四川广元上寺剖面长兴阶放射虫动物群演变及控制因素

对四川广元上寺剖面大隆组的放射虫动物群进行了详细的鉴定和丰度、分异度的统计。发现该放射虫动物群丰度和分异度均较低,以泡沫虫和内射虫为主,含少量十字多囊虫的分子;其丰度和分异度与长兴期海平面变化具有很好的耦合关系:放射虫丰度、分异度较大的层位对应于长兴早期和长兴晚期两次最大海侵事件发生的层位。相对长兴晚期而言,长兴早期放射虫的丰度和分异度较大,这与长兴早期水体相对较深有关。此外,有孔虫与放射虫丰度变化呈现很好的负相关性,这与它们不同的生活习性和水深的变化有关。分析表明:水深的变化是上寺剖面放射虫动物群演变的主要控制因素。     

New radiolarian biostratigraphic age constraints on Middle Triassic basalts and radiolarites from the Inner Hellenides (Northern Pindos and Othris Mountains, Northern Greece) and their implications for the geodynamic evolution of the early Mesozoic Neotethys

The Avdella Mélange in the northern Pindos Mountains and its equivalent formation, the Loggitsion Unit in the Othris Mountains expose early Mesozoic (Mid-Late Triassic) oceanic fragments beneath the Western Greek Ophiolite Belt of the Inner Hellenides, Northern Greece. The mélange consists of locally interfingering blocks and slices of ribbon radiolarite, radiolarian chert and pillow basalt and is usually overthrust by Jurassic ophiolites. New Middle and Upper Triassic radiolarian biostratigraphic data are presented from radiolarites and basalt-radiolarite sequences within mélange blocks. Pillow basalts associated with the radiolarites provide clues to the opening of the Neotethyan ocean basin. The radiolarians indicate a Middle Triassic age (latest Anisian, probably early Illyrian), which is documented for the first time in the northern Pindos Mountains. The new radiolarian biostratigraphic data suggest that rift-type basalt volcanism already began in pre-Ladinian time (late Scythian?—Anisian). These basalts were then overlain by Upper Anisian to Carnian (?Norian) radiolarites.     

New data on correlation of the Middle Mesozoic oceanic and island arc rocks of Eastern Asia

Using a radiolarian method, correlation of stages and substages of the Middle Mesozoic submarine volcanic-siliceous sequences was carried out for the vast territory of Eastern Asia for the first time. The correlation of fragmented outcrops of genetically various siliceous-terrigenous-volcanic rocks showed a broad lateral distribution of sediments from the Norian to Hauterivian stages inclusive within the studied area. This work, based on a combination of paleontological, structural-tectonic, and lithological-petrological methods in contrast to the terrane approach, has demonstrated the possibility of age and facial characteristics of isolated outcrops of the Middle Mesozoic submarine rocks for the huge territory of Eastern Asia.     

南海表层沉积物中放射虫多样性与丰度的分布与环境

采用定量分析方法, 较系统地探讨了整个南海不同环境表层沉积物中放射虫的分布特征及其环境指示意义.结果显示: 南海表层沉积物中放射虫的种类多样性和个体丰度随着水深而增加, 表明南海较深水处的放射虫壳体溶解现象不明显; 上升流活动和海底火山喷发有利于放射虫的大量繁殖, 产生区域性的沉积富集; 反之, 较深水的陆坡区沉积物中出现放射虫种类与丰度异常减少, 可能属浊流搬运再沉积的结果, 物源来自陆架或上陆坡; 种类组成以热带-亚热带特征为主, 还包含了一定数量的冷水种或极区种, 表明在特定海区的古环境分析中采用单一指标判断可能会造成误解.沉积物中放射虫的综合指标较好地反映了南海的生态与沉积环境特征.      

南海表层沉积物中放射虫的组合特征与海洋环境

南海拥有较齐全的边缘海地理地貌与生态环境, 沉积物中保存的放射虫种类繁多, 个体丰富.本文采用数理统计与聚类分析方法, 对表层沉积物中放射虫的组合特征进行了较为详细的定量分析, 以期获得可靠的放射虫组合与分布的特征.聚类分析结果显示, 放射虫组合在南海表层沉积物中的分布大致可区分为5种类型: 陆架浅水区型、陆坡珊瑚礁区型、中央海盆区型、南部富营养区型和夏季上升流区型, 它们分别对应于特有的海洋环境, 并由含有某些优势种类的放射虫群落所组成.进一步分析还表明, 南海的北部、中部和南部分别表现为3个不同生态环境的海区: 北部海区受陆源影响较为明显; 中部海区被中央水团、海底火山活动和夏季上升流活动所控制; 南部海区总体上属于典型的珊瑚礁海洋环境, 生态与沉积环境明显优越于北部海区.南海表层沉积物中放射虫的组合分布特征较好地响应和反映了所在海区的生态环境与沉积条件, 是探讨古海洋环境的重要依据.      

西藏阿里西部地区的放射虫硅质岩

一、产出概况阿里西部地区的放射虫硅质岩相当发育,在北喜马拉雅区、冈底斯区和喀喇崑仑区均有出露.岩石多为棕红色、紫红色和灰绿色,少数为灰色.呈层状,似层状或透镜状,产于三叠纪、侏罗纪和白垩纪的地层中,其产出情况各地有所不同,分述如下;     

Early Eocene Radiolarian Fauna from the Sangdanlin, Southern Tibet: Constraints on the Timing of Initial India-Asia Collision

This is a new report on the early Eocene radiolarian fauna from the Sangdanlin section in the Gyirong region, along the southern margin of the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone. The Sangdanlin section measured in this study is divided into three lithostratigraphic units from bottom to top: the Zongzhuo, Sangdanlin, and Zheya formations. Abundant radiolarian fossils were obtained from the Sangdanlin section and 54 species of 30 genera were identified and assigned as follows: Cryptamphorella conara-C. macropora the late Cretaceous Zone and Amphisphaera coronate, Buryella tetradica-Bekoma campechensis, and B.bidartensis-B. divaricata the Paleocene-early Eocene Interval Zones. The Paleocene–early Eocene radiolarian zones are comparable to the radiolarian zones RP4-RP8 in New Zealand. Based on the data of radiolaria and lithofacies, it is suggested that the Zongzhuo Formation should be deposited along the base of the north-facing, continental slope of the Greater Indian continental margin, and the Sangdanlin Formation should be a deep marine, sedimentary sequence located in a foreland basin. The early Eocene radiolarian fauna in the Sangdanlin Formation constrains the initial age of the India-Asia collision to no later than 53.6 Ma.     

Aalenian to Cenomanian Radiolaria of the Bermeja Complex (Puerto Rico) and Pacific origin of radiolarites on the Caribbean Plate

The study of the radiolarian ribbon chert is a key in determining the origins of associated Mesozoic oceanic terranes and may help to achieve a general agreement regarding the basic principles on the evolution of the Caribbean Plate. The Bermeja Complex of Puerto Rico, which contains serpentinized peridotite, altered basalt, amphibolite, and chert (Mariquita Chert Formation), is one of these crucial oceanic terranes. The radiolarian biochronology presented in this work is mainly based by correlation on the biozonations of Baumgartner et al. (1995) and O??Dogherty (1994) and indicates an early Middle Jurassic to early Late Cretaceous (late Bajocian?Cearly Callovian to late early Albian?Cearly middle Cenomanian) age. The illustrated assemblages contain about 120 species, of which one is new (Pantanellium karinae), and belonging to about 50 genera. A review of the previous radiolarian published works on the Mariquita Chert Formation and the results of this study suggest that this formation ranges in age from Middle Jurassic to early Late Cretaceous (late Aalenian to early?Cmiddle Cenomanian) and also reveal a possible feature of the Bermeja Complex, which is the younging of radiolarian cherts from north to south, evoking a polarity of accretion. On the basis of a currently exhaustive inventory of the radiolarite facies s.s. on the Caribbean Plate, a re-examination of the regional distribution of Middle Jurassic sediments associated with oceanic crust, and a paleoceanographic argumentation on the water currents, we come to the conclusion that the radiolarite and associated Mesozoic oceanic terranes of the Caribbean Plate are of Pacific origin. Eventually, a discussion on the origin of the cherts of the Mariquita Formation illustrated by Middle Jurassic to middle Cretaceous geodynamic models of the Pacific and Caribbean realms bring up the possibility that the rocks of the Bermeja Complex are remnants of two different oceans.     

煤山D剖面的放射虫动物群与海平面变化

煤山D剖面长兴组的放射虫动物群的研究成果很少.对煤山D剖面的放射虫动物群进行了详细的鉴定、个体数量和种的数量的统计.结果表明: 煤山D剖面长兴组的放射虫动物群的相对丰度、简单分异度与长兴期海平面变化具有耦合性: 放射虫丰度、分异度较大的层位基本对应于长兴早期和长兴晚期2次最大海侵事件发生的层位.长兴早期放射虫的丰度和分异度较大(相对长兴晚期而言), 这与长兴早期水体相对较深有关.煤山剖面放射虫动物群与海平面变化之间的这种耦合性为海平面变化的研究提供了依据.      

Ocean Plate Stratigraphy in East and Southeast Asia

Ancient accretionary wedges have been recognised by the presence of glaucophane schist, radiolarian chert and mélange. Recent techniques for the reconstruction of disrupted fragments of such wedges by means of radiolarian biostratigraphy, provide a more comprehensive history of ocean plate subduction and successive accretion of ocean floor materials from the oceanic plate through offscraping and underplating.Reconstructed ocean floor sequences found in ancient accretionary complexes in Japan comprise, from oldest to youngest, pillow basalt, limestone, radiolarian chert, siliceous shale, and shale and sandstone. Similar lithologies also occur in the mélange complexes of the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and other regions. This succession is called ‘Ocean Plate Stratigraphy’ (OPS), and it represents the following sequence of processes: birth of the oceanic plate at the oceanic ridge; formation of volcanic islands near the ridge, covered by calcareous reefs; sedimentation of calcilutite on the flanks of the volcanic islands where radiolarian chert is also deposited; deposition of radiolarian skeletons on the oceanic plate in a pelagic setting, and sedimentary mixing of radiolarian remains and detrital grains to form siliceous shale in a hemipelagic setting; and sedimentation of coarse-grained sandstone and shale at or near the trench of the convergent margin.Radiolarian biostratigraphy of detrital sedimentary rocks provides information on the time and duration of ocean plate subduction. The ages of detrital sediments becomes younger oceanward as younger packages of OPS are scraped off the downgoing plate.OPS reconstructed from ancient accretionary complexes give us the age of subduction and accretion, direction of subduction, and ancient tectonic environments and is an important key to understanding the paleoenvironment and history of the paleo-oceans now represented only in suture zones and orogenic belts.     

On the Age of the Ophiolitic Complexes in Northeastern Jiangxi:A Micropaleontological Analysis

The age assignment of cherts from ophiolitic/metamorphic complexes in northeastern Jiangxi is widely regarded as one of the crucial issues in the tectonic interpretation of South China. The ophiolitic and metamorphic complexes in northeastern Jiangxi have been traditionally regarded as part of the Proterozoic “Banxi (=Penhsi) Group” of the Jiangnan Uplift. However, recent reports of Late Paleozoic radiolarians from the rock complexes have caused some researchers to question the traditional interpretation of the tectonic and paleogeographic framework in the region; but other workers are suspicious about these findings. In order to test the validity of the putative radiolarians, we, an interdisciplinary study group including micropaleontologists, tectonic specialists and regional geologists, conducted field investigations and multiple re-samplings of the localities where the reported fossils were collected. Our comprehensive study shows that the chert of the ophiolitic complex and the associated low-grade metamorphic slate yield Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic acritarchs, confirming the traditional view of their age assignment (Proterozoic); on the other hand, no recognizable radiolarian fossils have been discovered therein, thus raising questions about the recently published result of Paleozoic radiolarian findings. Probable causes for the putative radiolarian findings are thus discussed herein. Geochemical characteristics indicate that the chert sedimentation most probably occurred under a continental margin setting.     

赣东北蛇绿混杂岩带和变质岩系中"放射虫硅质岩"的再研究

赣东北蛇绿混杂岩和变质岩中的硅质岩时代问题已成为研究华南区域构造和古地理的焦点之一，长期以来被地质学界认为属于江南古陆元古代“板溪群”的范畴。近年来，关于该构造岩系中存在晚古生代放射虫动物群的报道，导致一些学者怀疑该地区传统的构造古地理格局需要重新解释。对此，许多地学工作者提出异议。为了验证上述放射虫动物群的报道的准确性，从古生物学、构造地质学和区域地质调查等多领域进行了野外调查和样品的多次重复系统采集；同时，对已发表的资料进行了再分析。研究显示，赣东北蛇绿混杂岩和变质岩中的硅质岩和扳岩的岩石薄片和微体古生物分析样品中未产出放射虫化石，但是在部分硅质岩和板岩样品中却发现了中-新元古代的疑源类化石。有关硅质岩的主量元素、稀上元素中Ce异常值、（La/Ce）x比值和微量元素等地球化学特征显示其沉积作用与陆源物质有关，沉积环境接近大陆边缘、远离深海远洋环境。