Sedimentology of a saline playa in the northern Great Plains, Canada

Ceylon Lake, a small salt playa located in southern Saskatchewan, is typical of many shallow ephemeral lacustrine basins found in the northern Great Plains of western Canada. The present-day brine, dominated by magnesium, sodium, and sulphate ions, shows wide variation in composition and concentration on both a temporal and a spatial basis. The modern sediments overall exhibit relatively simple facies relationships. An outer ring of coarse grained shoreline and colluvial clastics surrounds mixed fine grained clastics and salts and, in the centre of the basin, salt pan evaporites composed mainly of mirabilite, thenardite, and bloedite. Coring of the late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary fill shows that the lake has evolved from a relatively dilute, deep water, clastic dominated basin through a shallower, brackish water, carbonate-clastic phase, and finally into the present salt dominated playa. The thick sequence of evaporites preserved in the basin suggests evolution of the brine from a Na-rich solution to a mixed Mg-Na system. The most important post-depositional processes affecting Ceylon Lake sediments are mud diapirism and salt karsting.     

博斯腾湖湖泊沉积物光释光年代测量*

使用光释光年代学的单片再生法测量了博斯腾湖沉积剖面中碳酸盐泥及粉砂质泥底部的浅湖相灰色粉细砂和风成沙的年龄,对剖面上部碳酸盐层中陆生植物残体进行了AMS ¹⁴ C测年。通过不同测片的等效剂量(D_e)值的分布状况评价了样品的晒褪程度,选择不随灵敏度校正后的自然释光信号变化的相对集中的等效剂量(D_e)值计算了样品的埋藏年龄。通过这些年龄结果的对比,发现石英矿物的OSL年龄和AMS ¹⁴ C年龄在地层上是一致的,表明尽管在浅湖相细砂中存在不完全晒褪,但根据相对较小而集中的D_e值计算得到的年龄结果是可靠的。这些年龄结果和地层资料揭示末次冰消期以来至早全新世,博斯腾湖处于无水干盆地向深水湖泊转化的浅水湖泊状态,现代深水博斯腾湖大约形成于距今8ka前后。     

川西坳陷上侏罗统遂宁组洪水-漫湖沉积特征

利用岩芯、薄片鉴定、粒度分析、录井及测井解释等资料和手段,对四川盆地川西坳陷上侏罗统遂宁组沉积特征进行研究。结果表明,川西坳陷在遂宁组沉积时期处于稳定坳陷阶段,沉积作用明显受周期性洪水注入影响,形成“洪水-漫湖”沉积体系。“洪水-漫湖”沉积主要发育冲积扇、曲流河、曲流河三角洲和湖泊4个沉积相和若干个沉积微相,其沉积具有以下特征:①频繁的湖平面升降,形成砂泥互层的地层叠加样式;②缺乏大面积分布的半深湖-深湖沉积;③河流相为主要的沉积类型;④湖盆具有多物源、多期漫湖、满盆含砂的沉积特点。“洪水-漫湖”是川西坳陷遂宁组一种沉积充填新模式,对指导油气勘探具有重要的理论和实践意义。     

柴达木盆地西部地区古近系及新近系碳酸盐岩沉积相

柴达木盆地西部地区古近系和新近系湖相碳酸盐岩主要分布于下干柴沟组上段到油砂山组,其中,下干柴沟组上段和上干柴沟组的碳酸盐岩更发育。碳酸盐岩主要岩石类型有泥晶灰岩、藻灰岩和颗粒灰岩等三大类,此外,还普遍发育由石灰质、白云质和陆源碎屑等3种组分构成的混积岩。碳酸盐岩沉积相可划分为滨湖灰泥坪、滨湖藻坪、浅湖颗粒滩、浅湖藻丘以及半深湖泥灰岩相。滨湖灰泥坪的主要岩石类型有泥晶灰岩、含陆屑泥晶灰岩、陆屑泥晶灰岩以及陆屑泥灰岩等;滨湖藻坪为藻泥晶灰岩、藻纹层灰岩、含陆屑藻泥晶灰岩;浅湖颗粒滩有亮晶或泥微晶的鲕粒灰岩、生屑灰岩和内碎屑灰岩,其次为含陆屑颗粒灰岩;浅湖藻丘为藻叠层灰岩、藻团块灰岩、藻泥晶灰岩和含陆屑藻泥晶灰岩;而半深湖泥灰岩相的主要岩石类型为泥晶灰岩、泥灰岩以及含少量陆屑泥和粉砂的泥晶灰岩或泥灰岩。碳酸盐岩沉积相表现出很强的由西南向东北的迁移性。     

柴达木盆地西部新生界陆相湖盆碳酸盐岩沉积环境与沉积模式*

利用野外露头、岩心、测井录井和分析化验资料,对柴达木盆地西部(简称“柴西地区”)新生界干柴沟组湖相碳酸盐岩进行了研究,划分了其沉积微相类型,研究了其分布规律,分析其形成环境和控制因素,并建立了相应沉积模式。该区湖相碳酸盐岩在垂向上与碎屑岩频繁互层,湖相碳酸盐岩包括颗粒灰岩、藻灰岩、泥晶灰岩和混积岩4大类11种,划分出了灰泥坪、颗粒滩、藻丘(礁)、浅湖湾以及(半)深湖泥灰岩相等5种沉积微相。通过分析不同碳酸盐岩及其微相时空展布特征,认为其发育主要受控于湖盆构造运动、湖平面变化、陆源碎屑注入、古气候与古水介质条件、古地貌与古水深环境,并在此基础上建立了柴西湖相碳酸盐岩的沉积模式。研究认为柴达木盆地西部干柴沟组沉积时期,湖盆为典型咸化湖盆,构造活动相对稳定,湖平面上升达到峰值。碳酸盐岩主要发育在湖侵期,高频湖平面变化形成了碳酸盐岩与碎屑岩频繁互层。在枯水期,盆地坡折处发育碎屑岩滩坝或三角洲前缘沉积;在湖侵期,盆地坡折处发育了鲕粒滩及藻灰岩,盆地洼陷区发育泥灰岩或灰质泥岩。     

Carbonate deposition and facies distribution in a central Michigan marl lake

Relatively pure lacustrine carbonates referred to as marl are being deposited in Littlefield Lake, central Michigan, a hard-water lake with little terrigenous clastic influx. Thick accumulations of marl form both progradational marl benches along lake margins, and islands or lakemounts in the lake centre. Marl benches develop flat platforms up to 20 m wide in very shallow water and steeply inclined slopes, up to 30°, extending into deep water. The flat landward platform is frequently covered by algal pisoliths while the upper portion of the lakeward-sloping bottom is overgrown by Chara which in the summertime becomes thickly encrusted with low-magnesian calcite. Marl islands are flat-topped features that formed over relict highs on Pleistocene drift which underlies the lake basin. These are fringed by marl benches identical to those found along lake margins. Marl benches are composed of four units: two thin facies deposited on the shallow-water bench platform and two thicker faces deposited on the bench slope developed in moderate water depths. These in turn overlie a fifth facies deposited in deep water. A coarsening-upward sequence is developed in these sediments as a result of both mechanical sorting, and primary production of carbonate sand and gravel in shallow water. In addition to facies sequences and size grading, trends upsection of increasing carbonate content and decreasing insoluble content may serve to identify temperate-region lacustrine carbonate deposits in the rock record.     

Devonian lacustrine shore zone architecture: Giving perspective to cliff exposures with ground penetrating radar

Lake margin sedimentary systems have been the subject of only limited study. The cyclic Middle Devonian lacustrine succession of Northern Scotland contains repeated developments of shore zone sandstones and thus provides an ideal location for the study of these units. The cycles comprise deep lake, shallow lake, playa and shore zone facies. Detailed field observations are presented alongside ground penetrating radar data which has aided large‐scale and three‐dimensional characterization of the shore zone sand bodies. Loading and discrete channel forms are recognized in thin‐bedded sandstones within the lower portion of the lake shore zone successions. Up‐section, the sandstone beds appear to become amalgamated, forming subtle low angle accretionary bar complexes. Where imaged on the radar profiles, the repeated development of shoreward migrating features succeeded by more shallow angled lakeward accreting surfaces is recognized; these are ascribed to washover and swash–backwash processes, respectively. The orientation of these features is similar to palaeocurrent measurements from oscillation ripples, suggesting an alignment of the shore zone bars perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Further loaded sandstone beds and sand‐filled shallow channel features overlie the bar forms. The context of the shore zone facies allows the controls on its formation to be examined. The shore zone sandstones overlie playa facies which contain abundant desiccation horizons, reflecting the most arid phase in the climatically controlled lacustrine cycle. As climatic conditions ameliorated, the rejuvenation of fluvial systems resulted in the transport of sand out into the basin. Initial deposition was limited to intermittent events where sediment was laid down on a water‐saturated substrate. High resolution fluctuations in lake level resulted in periodic short‐lived reworking events along the lake margins which produced amalgamated sands, forming low relief bars. Shore zone reworking is likely to have occurred over a wide  area as the lake margin migrated back and forth, and gradually transgressed.     

Sedimentological characteristics and facies of the evaporite-bearing Kirmir Formation (Neogene), Beypazari Basin, central Anatolia, Turkey

A thick sedimentary sequence comprising fluvial, lacustrine and volcano-sedimentary rocks is present in the Neogene Beypazari Basin, central Anatolia. These units display considerable lateral facies variation and interfinger with alkaline volcanic rocks along the north-eastern margin of the basin. The uppermost Miocene Kirmir Formation contains numerous evaporite horizons. The evaporite sequence is up to 250 m thick and may be divided into four lithofacies. In ascending stratigraphical order these are: (1) gypsiferous claystone facies, (2) thenardite-glauberite facies, (3) laminar gypsum facies and (4) crystalline gypsum facies. These facies interfinger with one another laterally along a section from the margins to central parts of the basin. The lithological and sedimentological features of the Kirmir Formation indicate fluvial, saline playa mudflat, hypersaline ephemeral playa lake and very shallow subaqueous playa lake depositional environments, which probably were influenced by alternating semi-arid and evaporative conditions.     

新疆巴里坤湖十五万年来古水文演化序列

通过巴里坤湖钻孔岩芯沉积相分析、年代学测定、粒度分析、碳酸盐及其稳定同位素测定、孢粉分析等综合研究,建立了巴里坤湖沉积岩芯剖面十五万年来的时间序列、湖水位变化的古水文演化序列,分辨出十五万年来经历的高湖面阶段和低湖面阶段。低湖面阶段对应于冰期阶段,在冰期时,降水主要积累于山地,进入湖泊的水量较少,湖水位降低;高湖面阶段对应于间冰期的到来,山地冰川融化,湖水位迅速上升,但很快达到新的平衡,水位保持稳定。     

Quaternary sedimentology of the Rose Creek fan delta, Walker Lake, Nevada, USA, and implications to fan-delta facies models

The 3·2 km long Rose Creek fan delta of west‐central Nevada is prograding from an active rift margin into the 32 m deep Walker Lake. A case study of the forms, processes and facies of this fan delta reveals that the proximal and medial zones mainly are of sub‐aerial origin, and the distal zone is of lacustrine origin. Pebbly to bouldery rock‐avalanche mounds >100 m thick (Facies A) and muddy to bouldery debris flow levées 0·5 to 2·0 m thick (Facies B) dominate the proximal zone, whereas mostly matrix‐supported cobbly pebbly debris flow lobes 0·1 to 1·0 m thick (Facies C) typify the medial zone. Surficial pebble lags and gully fills (Facies D) are widespread in both zones but, in exposures, comprise only partings or lenticles between debris flow units. The distal fan delta mainly consists of lakeshore to lake‐bottom tracts formed by extensive wave reworking of debris flow facies. Nearshore deposits include erosional cobbly boulder lag beaches (Facies E), pebbly constructional beaches attached at headcuts or on barrier spits (Facies F), pebbly upper shoreface (Facies G) and sandy lower shoreface (Facies H) tracts positioned lakeward of the beach, and pebbly landward‐dipping foresets (Facies I) and backshore‐pond sand and mud (Facies J) present landward of the spits. Erosional lag beaches fringe the windward north side of the fan‐delta front, attached constructional beaches characterize the central zone, and southward‐elongating barrier spits typify the leeward south side, extending from the zone of greatest projection of the fan delta into the lake. Shoreline facies asymmetry results from largely unidirectional longshore drift caused by high fetch to the north and minimal fetch to the south, combined with the arcuate shape of the fan‐delta front. The spits overlie a platform deposited below common wave base consisting of south‐east‐trending cones of pebbly Gilbert foresets (Facies K) and sandy toesets (Facies L). Typically slumped silt and mud (Facies M) fringe both this platform and lower shoreface sand in deeper water. This case demonstrates facies types and patterns that are inconsistent with the widely promoted fan‐delta facies model having a front consisting of an apron of radially directed Gilbert foresets deposited where sub‐aerial flows enter the lake. The Rose Creek fan‐delta front instead features a sharp contact between sub‐aerial and lakeshore facies formed where waves erode, sort and redistribute heterogeneous debris flow sediment into the various shallow‐to‐deep lake facies. Gilbert foresets are present only in the lee of the fan delta where sediment moving by longshore drift reaches the brink of the spit front. This facies scenario results from the infrequency of fan‐building events versus nearly constant wind‐induced waves, a scenario that, in contrast to the popular Gilbert model, probably is the norm for fan deltas. The level of Walker Lake, and thus the position of wave reworking on the Rose Creek fan delta, fluctuated over a range of ～157 m during the last 18 kyr, producing complex interfingering between sub‐aerial and lakeshore facies across a 1700 m wide radial belt, typifying a wave‐modified, freestand lacustrine fan delta.     

Sedimentology of gravelly Lake Lahontan highstand shoreline deposits,Churchill Butte,Nevada, USA

Gravelly shoreline deposits of the latest Pleistocene highstand of Lake Lahontan occur in pristine depositional morphology, and are exposed in gravel pits along Churchill Butte in west-central Nevada. Four environments differentiated at this site are alluvial fan/colluvium, lakeshore barrier spit, lake lower-shoreface spit platform, and lake bottom. Lakeshore deposits abut, along erosional wave headcuts, either unsorted muddy to bouldery colluvium fringing Churchill Butte bedrock, or matrix-supported, cobbly and pebbly debris-flow deposits of the Silver Springs fan. The lakeshore barrier spit is dominated by granule pebble gravel concentrated by wave erosion of the colluvial and alluvial-fan facies. The lakeward side of the barrier consists of beachface deposits of well-sorted granules or pebbles in broad, planar beds 1–10 cm thick and sloping 10–15°. They interfinger downslope with thicker (10–25 cm) and less steep (5–10°) lakeward-dipping beds of fine to medium pebble gravel of the lake upper shoreface. Interstratified with the latter are 10–40-cm-thick sets of high-angle cross-beds that dip southward, alongshore. Higher-angle (15–20°), landward-dipping foresets of similar texture but poorer sorting comprise the proximal backshore on the landward side of the barrier. They were deposited during storm surges that overtopped the barrier berm. Gastropod-rich sand and mud, also deposited by storm-induced washover, are found landward of the gravel foresets in a 15-m-wide backshore pond. Algal stromatolites, ostracodes, and diatoms accumulated in this pond between storm events. The lake lower shoreface, extending from water depths of 2 to 8 m, consists of a southward-prograding spit platform built by longshore drift. The key component of this platform is large-scale sandy pebble gravel in 16° southward-dipping `Gilbert' foresets that grade at a water depth of about 6–7 m to 4°-dipping sandy toesets. A shift from bioturbated lower-shoreface sand and silt, to flat and laminated lake-bottom silt and mud, occurs between water depths of 10–40 m and over a shore-normal distance of ≥250 m. This lake-bottom mud facies, unlike the others, is areally expansive.     

鄂尔多斯盆地三叠系延长组长7沉积相分析

三叠纪延长期长7沉积期是鄂尔多斯盆地中生代湖盆发育的鼎盛时期,沉陷幅度大,湖盆范围广。通过研究明确了长7沉积期物源来自盆地周边五个方向,其中东北部、西南部为主要物源方向,西部、南部、西北部为次要物源方向;长7主要发育三角洲相和湖泊相,进一步划分出5种亚相10种微相,其中长73期湖盆面积最大,半深湖—深湖相浊积砂体不发育,暗色泥岩及高阻泥岩发育,为中生界主要优质烃源岩;长72期,半深湖—深湖相沉积面积明显减少,浊积砂体较发育;长71期,湖盆面积及半深湖-深湖相沉积面积继续减少,浊积砂体最为发育,是长7油藏的主力储层。     

Saline lake carbonates within an Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous continental red bed sequence in the Atacama region of northern Chile

The Codocedo Limestone Member is a thin but laterally persistent lacustrine sequence within the red beds of the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Quebrada Monardes Formation, in the Atacama region of northern Chile. The thick succession of clastic terrigenous sediments of the Quebrada Monardes Formation was deposited in an arid to semi-arid environment. Sedimentary facies are indicative of deposition of aeolian dunes, alluvial fans and braided streams, playa-lake mudflats, and saline lakes and coastal lagoons. The strata accumulated in a N-S elongated extensional back-arc basin on the landward side of an active volcanic arc. The 3 m thick Codocedo Limestone Member marks striking facies changes within the Quebrada Monardes Formation. It is underlain by a thick sequence of conglomerates and sandstones, deposited on alluvial fans. The limestone itself is characterized by evaporite minerals and laterally continuous laminations, indicative of deposition by vertical accretion in a perennial saline lake. The overlying siltstones and fine sandstones contain geodes and gypsum pseudomorphs and were deposited on playa-lake mudflats. The limestone therefore represents a relatively short period of lacustrine deposition within an essentially terrigenous succession. The lake was possibly formed quite suddenly, for example by damming of the basin by a lava flow. Sedimentation in the perennial lake was predominantly cyclical. Seasonal planktonic algal blooms produced millimetre-scale laminations. Interbedded with these laminites are centimetre-scale beds of evaporitic gypsum, anhydrite and minor halite. The evaporite minerals have been largely replaced by calcite, chalcedony and quartz. The centimetre-scale cycles may have resulted from periodic freshwater input into the lake. After a period of about 3000 yr the lake dried up, to be replaced by extensive playa-lake mudflats. The Codocedo Limestone Member possibly formed a plane of detachment during an early Tertiary phase of E-W directed regional compression. The limestones and evaporites were folded and extensively brecciated. This deformation probably resulted from simple shear along the bedding plane of the relatively weak evaporite minerals prior to their replacement by calcite and quartz.     

滇池湖盆第四系沉积相、古地磁和孢粉的初步研究

滇池湖盆位于云南省中部,是该省内较大型的山间盆地之一。盆地中沉积了较厚的新生代地层,并有多层褐煤和油气显示。 为解决昆明地区的能源和用水问题,建国以后有许多地质单位和研究者在本区作过大量的地质勘探和研究工作,为进一步研究该盆地提供了丰富的资料。一九七九年以来,笔者在野外工作的基础上,对滇池东北侧施工的Tk-9和Tk-15孔的岩心进行了较系统的沉积相、古地磁和孢粉等工作。本文就已获得的部分资料,提出一些看法。     

Modern sedimentology and hydrology of Lake Manitoba,Canada

Lake Manitoba, North America's thirteenth largest lake, occupies a glacier-scoured basin in south-central Manitoba. Despite its large size, the lake is extremely shallow with a mean depth of 4.5 m. The lake can be subdivided into two connected but distinctly different basins: a small, irregular-shaped North Basin and a much larger and smoother South Basin. Most of the water inflow is from the Waterhen River (42% of the inflow) and from precipitation directly on the lake's surface (40%), while nearly 60% of the outflow is by evaporation. Lake Manitoba water is alkaline and brackish with the salinity dominated by sodium and chloride ions. The surficial offshore deposits of the main South Basin of the lake consist mainly of silt and clay-sized sediments composed of detrital components (clay minerals, quartz, carbonates, and feldspars) and endogenic/authigenic components (carbonates, sulfides, and organic matter). In addition to these modern sediments, several areas of relict fluvial-shoreline sand and till deposits occur in the South Basin. The lacustrine processes presently operating in Lake Manitoba reflect the influence of (1) the extreme shallow depth of the lake, (2) the basin morphology, and (3) the water chemistry. In addition, land clearing and increased watershed drainage have resulted in substantially increased sedimentation rates in the South Basin during the past century.     

辽东苏子河盆地聂尔库组沉积相与沉积环境研究

辽东苏子河盆地是早白垩世形成的小型断陷盆地,盆地内发育了相对连续的陆相沉积,是研究白垩纪陆地环境及气候演化的理想地区。早白垩世晚期沉积的聂尔库组地层出露连续,沉积现象典型。通过分析聂尔库组沉积岩类型、沉积构造、古生物化石及垂向沉积序列,可识别出扇三角洲相和湖泊相,其中扇三角洲相包括扇三角洲平原亚相、扇三角洲前缘亚相和前扇三角洲亚相,湖泊相主要为滨浅湖泥砂沉积。研究表明,聂尔库组形成于断陷盆地边缘陡坡带,属于间歇性洪水控制的扇三角洲—湖泊沉积体系,经历了扇三角洲—湖泊—扇三角洲的沉积环境变化,代表了断陷湖盆由深陷扩张期—抬升收缩早期的沉积充填过程。根据沉积岩与沉积相特征,结合古生物、特殊沉积、黏土矿物及地球化学资料,认为早白垩世晚期辽东地区总体与当时全球"温室气候"的大背景相一致,处于高温干旱/潮湿的气候条件,但这种高温气候具有不均一性,存在气候波动。     

陆相盆地滩坝砂体沉积特征及其形成与保存条件 ——以青海湖现代沉积为例

滩坝砂体由于经历了湖浪作用的反复淘洗物性良好,成为近年来石油勘探界关注的热点。通过对我国最大的内陆湖泊（青海湖）现代沉积特征的实地考察,从沉积环境、水动力及沉积特征等诸多方面建立了滨岸滩坝沉积的综合鉴别特征,指出低角度冲洗交错层理、反粒序（滩）、正粒序（坝）以及不含泥质等特征是识别滩坝砂体的典型标志。分析结果表明:物源—水动力—湖盆底形—湖岸线—湖平面（基准面）是决定青海湖滩坝是否发育（形成+保存）的主控因素,其中物源为滩坝形成提供了物质基础,水动力为沉积物改造及滩坝形成提供了源动力,湖盆底形与湖岸线决定了滩坝形成的平面位置与规模范围,湖平面（基准面）的升降变化决定了已形成滩坝沉积保存与否的地质命运。陆源滩坝砂体的形成较为容易,但保存较难,只要具备物源、湖盆底形及水动力等基本条件,低位域、高位域及湖侵域都可能形成滩坝砂体,但只有位于长期基准面旋回早期或三级层序湖侵期的滩坝沉积才能得到较好的保存。这对我国陆相盆地岩性油气藏勘探开发具有一定借鉴意义。     

The role of hydrothermal fluids in sedimentation in saline alkaline lakes: Evidence from Nasikie Engida,Kenya Rift Valley

Saline alkaline lakes that precipitate sodium carbonate evaporites are most common in volcanic terrains in semi‐arid environments. Processes that lead to trona precipitation are poorly understood compared to those in sulphate‐dominated and chloride‐dominated lake brines. Nasikie Engida (Little Magadi) in the southern Kenya Rift shows the initial stages of soda evaporite formation. This small shallow (<2 m deep; 7 km long) lake is recharged by alkaline hot springs and seasonal runoff but unlike neighbouring Lake Magadi is perennial. This study aims to understand modern sedimentary and geochemical processes in Nasikie Engida and to assess the importance of geothermal fluids in evaporite formation. Perennial hot‐spring inflow waters along the northern shoreline evaporate and become saturated with respect to nahcolite and trona, which precipitate in the southern part of the lake, up to 6 km from the hot springs. Nahcolite (NaHCO₃) forms bladed crystals that nucleate on the lake floor. Trona (Na₂CO₃·NaHCO₃·2H₂O) precipitates from more concentrated brines as rafts and as bottom‐nucleated shrubs of acicular crystals that coalesce laterally to form bedded trona. Many processes modify the fluid composition as it evolves. Silica is removed as gels and by early diagenetic reactions and diatoms. Sulphate is depleted by bacterial reduction. Potassium and chloride, of moderate concentration, remain conservative in the brine. Clastic sedimentation is relatively minor because of the predominant hydrothermal inflow. Nahcolite precipitates when and where pCO₂ is high, notably near sublacustrine spring discharge. Results from Nasikie Engida show that hot spring discharge has maintained the lake for at least 2 kyr, and that the evaporite formation is strongly influenced by local discharge of carbon dioxide. Brine evolution and evaporite deposition at Nasikie Engida help to explain conditions under which ancient sodium carbonate evaporites formed, including those in other East African rift basins, the Eocene Green River Formation (western USA), and elsewhere.     

Deep to shallow lacustrine evaporites in the Libros Gypsum (southern Teruel Basin, Miocene, NE Spain): an occurrence of pelletal gypsum rhythmites

ABSTRACT A number of non‐marine evaporite units composed of primary gypsum were deposited in saline lakes that developed in the southern Teruel Basin (NE Spain) during the Miocene. In the basin depocentre, a continuum of lacustrine evaporite lithofacies influenced by the activity of organisms is displayed. The Libros Gypsum was deposited in a deep lake, in which water stratification became unstable with progressive shoaling. Rhythmites, composed of laminae of pelletal gypsum and laminae of very fine lenticular gypsum crystals mixed with siliceous microorganisms, formed in addition to gypsum turbidites, intraformational gypsum breccias and slump structures. The pelletal laminae originated from the faecal activity of animals (crustaceans?) ingesting gypsum crystallites in the lake water during episodes of maximum evaporation, whereas the laminae of very fine lenticular gypsum mixed with microorganisms accumulated during episodes of relative dilution. In the wide marginal zones of the basin, the Libros Gypsum unit consists of massive to thin‐bedded bioturbated gypsum and thin‐bedded clotted gypsum, which formed in intermediate to very shallow (palustrine) water depths. The bioturbated gypsum lithofacies were produced by the action of diverse organisms, presumably worms and coleopterans, and chironomid larvae to a lesser extent; the massive lithofacies precipitated in very shallow water; and the thin‐bedded lithofacies formed in shallow to deeper settings. The thin‐bedded clotted gypsum is a relatively deep facies that may have diverse origins (e.g. bioturbation, compaction, disruption of soft sediments and early diagenesis). There is a well‐developed metre‐scale cyclicity in the marginal lake sequences, which is not observed in the inner lake deposits. This suggests a depth control in the various lacustrine subenvironments to record cyclic evaporitic processes. The isotopic composition of the gypsum indicates early sulphate‐reducing bacterial activity in the bottom of the lake and suggests that the sulphate was derived from the chemical recycling of Triassic evaporites of the country rocks.