Late Carboniferous–Early Permian Sequence Stratigraphy and Depositional Evolution in the Northeast Ordos Basin, North China

Sequence stratigraphical analysis was applied to the Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian sedimentary succession of the northeastern Ordos Basin, north China based on data acquired from ten entire logging curves and eight outcrops. The facies framework of the lithostratigraphical unit, the Taiyuan Formation comprises seven facies in two facies associations, varying from fluvio-delta to shelf-barrier islands. The facies are presented within a chronostratigraphical framework, linked by systems tract, which in turn are limited by flooding surfaces and sequence boundaries. Six third-order depositional sequences are recognised, bounded by six type 2 unconformities. An upwards-shallowing epicontinental sea sedimentary model is created, which consists of a sandstone, coal seam and carbonate succession.     

Geochronology,Mineralogy, and Geochemistry of the Tonsteins from the Permo–Carboniferous Benxi Formation,Ordos Basin,North China Craton

Tonstein layers are found worldwide in the Permo–Carboniferous coal-bearing strata. This study investigates the geochronology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of four tonstein samples from the Permo–Carboniferous Benxi Formation, Ordos Basin, North China Craton(NCC). The typical features of the studied tonsteins include thin beds, lateral continuity, angular quartz grains, and euhedral zircons with similar U-Pb ages, indicating a significant pyroclastic origin. In addition, the tonstein samples hav...     

Coexistence and inherence of diverse energy resources in the Ordos Basin, China

1 Introduction In recent years rapid economic developmentbadly needs energy resources. Exploration andexploitation of more kinds of energy resources shouldbe intensified to meet this need. According to presentliterature, oil/gas fields, coal fields as we…     

Hydrothermal mineralization in the sandstone–hosted Hangjinqi uranium deposit,North Ordos Basin,China

Tabular–type uranium ore deposits (the Hangjinqi and Daying deposits) have recently been found in the Middle Jurassic Zhiluo Formation, north of the Ordos Basin, China. Petrographic observations, the chemical composition of U minerals determined by EMPA and fs–LA–ICP–MS, whole rock geochemistry and the microthermometric study of fluid inclusions have been integrated to characterize the genetic conditions of the U mineralization in the Hangjinqi sandstone–hosted deposit. Two different groups of U minerals have been identified. One group includes coffinite(I) associated with vanadium–rich micas. Coffinite(I) is enriched in vanadium (V) and devoid of iron (Fe) and yttrium (Y) and has a LREE–enriched chondrite–normalized REE pattern. The U minerals of this group are similar to meteoric fluid infiltration related deposits. The second group has coeval coffinite(II) and coarsely crystalline calcite cement. Coffinite(II) is enriched in Y and Fe and depleted in V and is marked by a flat chondrite–normalized REE pattern, which is compatible with typical hydrothermal genetic deposits with high–salinity mineralizing fluids. The temperature and salinity of the primary aqueous inclusions in the ore–stage calcite are 120–180 °C and 8.00–16.34% (eq. wt% NaCl), respectively. These mineral assemblages, temperatures and salinities indicate that the Hangjinqi deposit was affected by two distinct types of ore–bearing fluids: low–salinity meteoric waters and high–salinity hydrothermal fluids. The meteoric fluids event began at 97 ± 5 Ma with the titling of the northern Ordos Basin and the uplift of the Hetao region to the north. Hydrothermal U mineralization occurred since 39 ± 2 Ma with the rifting of the Hetao graben. Thus, the previous biogenic model for the U mineralization should be modified in the uraniferous region of the north Ordos Basin.     

Sequence-Stratigraphic Framework from the Carboniferous to the Permian Chuanshanian Epoch in Dianqiangui Basin and Its Adjacent Areas, Southwest China

INTRODUCTION Alotofprogresshasbeenmadeinthestudyof Carboniferoussedimentologyandstratigraphyinthe Dianqianguibasinanditsadjacentareas,whichin cludethecomprehensivesummariesonchronostratigraphyandbiostratigraphybyJinetal.(2000)and Kuangetal.(1999);theoverallandsystematicsum mariesonCarboniferouslithostratigraphybyDong(1997),Yin(1997)andZhao(1996);thecompre hensivestudyonCarboniferoussedimentaryfacies andpaleogeographybyChenetal.(1994)andFeng etal.(1998)etc..AsshowninFig.1,theDian qiang…     

Intensifying aeolian activity following the end-Permian mass extinction: Evidence from the Late Permian–Early Triassic terrestrial sedimentary record of the Ordos Basin,North China

Sedimentary successions provide direct evidence of climate and tectonics, and these give clues about the causes of the mass extinction around the Permian–Triassic boundary. Terrestrial Permian–Triassic boundary strata in the eastern Ordos Basin, North China, include the Late Permian Sunjiagou, Early Triassic Liujiagou and late Early Triassic Heshanggou formations in ascending order. The Sunjiagou Formation comprises cross-bedded sandstones overlaid by mudstones, indicating meandering rivers with channel, point bar and floodplain deposits. The Liujiagou Formation was formed in braided rivers of arid sand bars interacting with some aeolian dune deposits, distinguished by abundant sandstones where diverse trough and planar cross-bedding and aeolian structures (for example, inverse climbing-ripple, translatent-ripple lamination, grainfall and grainflow laminations) interchange vertically and laterally. The Heshanggou Formation is a rhythmic succession of mudstones interbedded with thin medium-grained sandstones mainly deposited in a shallow lacustrine environment. Overall, the sharp meandering to braided to shallow lake sedimentary transition documents palaeoenvironmental changes from semi-arid to arid and then to semi-humid conditions across the Permian–Triassic boundary. The die-off of tetrapods and plants, decreased bioturbation levels in the uppermost Sunjiagou Formation, and the bloom of microbially-induced sedimentary structures in the Liujiagou Formation marks the mass extinction around the Permian–Triassic boundary. The disappearance of microbially-induced sedimentary structures, increasingly intense bioturbation from bottom to top and the reoccurrence of reptile footprints in the Heshanggou Formation reveal gradual recovery of the ecosystem after the Permian–Triassic boundary extinction. This study is the first to identify the intensification of aeolian activity following the end-Permian mass extinction in North China. Moreover, while northern North China continued to be uplifted tectonically from the Late Palaeozoic to Late Mesozoic, the switch of sedimentary patterns across the Permian–Triassic boundary in Shanxi is largely linked to the development of an arid and subsequently semi-humid climate condition, which probably directly affected the collapse and delayed recovery in palaeoecosystems.     

Burial Metamorphism of the Ordos Basin in Northern Shaanxi

Burial metamorphism has been found in the Ordos basin of northern Shaanxi. On the basis of a rather intensive study of burial metamorphism of sandstone, it has been shown that the evolution from diagenesis to metamorphism involves four stages: cementation of clay minerals, regrowth of pressolved quartz and feldspar, cementation of carbonates and formation of laumontite. On that basis it has been put forward that the laumontite is formed by burial metamorphism of clay and carbonate minerals. According to the thermodynamic data of minerals, the conditions under which laumontite is formed are T<250℃ and X_(CO_2)<0.17. High-resolution SEM and TEM studies of clay minerals in mudstone show that there occur a mixed layer assemblage of bertherine and illite/chlorite and transformation from bertherine to chlorite. On that basis coupled by the X-ray diffraction analysis the author suggests the following transformation of clay minerals during burial metamorphism: the earliest smectite-kaolinite assemblage changes into the bertherine-illite mixture with increasing depth, then into the illite/chlorite mixed layer assemblage and finally into dispersed individual illite and chlorite. The reaction of the transformation is:smectite+kaolinite+K~+=illite+chlorite+quartz According to the study of the oxygen isotope thermometry of the coexisting illitequartz pair, the temperature of the above transformation is lower than 180℃.     

Middle–Late Triassic sedimentation in the Helanshan tectonic belt: Constrain on the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Ordos Basin,North China

The Helanshan tectonic belt is located to the west of the Ordos Basin, and separates the Alxa (or Yinshan) Massif to the west from the Ordos block to the east. Triassic sedimentation in the Helanshan tectonic belt records important information about tectono-sedimentary process between the Alxa Massif and the Ordos block. Detailed geological mapping and investigation on the lithological package, sedimentary facies and paleocurrent orientation have been conducted on the Middle to Upper Triassic clastic rocks in the Helanshan tectonic belt. The succession is characterized by upward-fining sequence and comprises coarse grained alluvial-fluvial facies in the lower part as well as deltaic-lacustrine facies in the upper part. Based on detailed study and comparisons on the sedimentary sequence along various sections, the Middle to Upper Triassic strata have been revealed that show clear southeastward-deepening sedimentary differentiation and transgression from southwest to northeast, which are consistent with the southeastward flowing paleocurrent. These features indicate a southeastward-dipping paleogeography in the Helanshan tectonic belt, which was original western part of southeastward orientated fluvial-lacustrine system in the northwestern proto-Ordos Basin. Further to the east, the Triassic succession in the Ordos Basin displays gradually thickening and alluvial-fluvial system flowed from southeast to northwest, showing a huge thick sedimentary wedge in the western basin margin. Together with the Late Permian–Early Triassic closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean to the north, the Late Triassic extensional structures and diabase dykes in the Helanshan tectonic belt, all the above sedimentary features could be mostly interpreted as records of an extensional basin correlated to post-collisional collapse of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.     

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.     

Detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology of Permian strata in the Galilee Basin,Queensland, Australia

The late Carboniferous to Triassic tectonic history of eastern Australia includes important periods of regional-scale crustal extension and contraction. Evidence for these periods of tectonism is recorded by the extensive Pennsylvanian (late Carboniferous) to Triassic basin system of eastern Australia. In this study, we investigate the use of U–Pb dating of detrital zircons in reconstructing the tectonic development of one of these basins, the eastern Galilee Basin of Queensland. U–Pb detrital zircon ages were obtained from samples of stratigraphically well-constrained Cisuralian and Lopingian (early and late Permian, respectively) sandstone in the Galilee Basin. Detrital zircons in these sandstones are dominated by a population with ages in the range of 300–250 Ma, and ages from the youngest detrital zircons closely approximate depositional ages. We attribute these two fundamental findings to (1) appreciable derivation of detrital zircons in the Galilee Basin from the New England Orogen of easternmost Australia and (2) syndepositional magmatism. Furthermore, Cisuralian sandstone of the Galilee Basin contains significantly more >300 Ma detrital zircons than Lopingian sandstone. The transition in detrital zircon population, which is bracketed between 296 and 252 Ma based on previous high-precision U–Pb zircon ages from Permian ash beds in the Galilee Basin, corresponds with the Hunter–Bowen Orogeny and reflects a change in the Galilee Basin from an earlier extensional setting to a later foreland basin environment. During the Lopingian foreland basin phase, the individual depocentres of the Galilee and Bowen basins were linked to form a single and enormous foreland basin that covered >300 000 km² in central and eastern Queensland.     

Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology

The Bayanhot Basin is a superimposed basin that experienced multiple-staged tectonic movements; it is in the eastern Alxa Block, adjacent to the North China Craton(NCC) and the North Qilian Orogenic Belt(NQOB).There are well-developed Paleozoic–Cenozoic strata in this basin, and these provide a crucial window to a greater understanding of the amalgamation process and source-to-sink relationships between the Alxa Block and surrounding tectonic units.However, due to intensive post-depositional modification, and lack of subsurface data,several fundamental issues—including the distribution and evolution of the depositional systems, provenance supplies and source-to-sink relationships during the Carboniferous– Permian remain unclear and thus hinder hydrocarbon exploration and limit the geological understanding of this basin.Employing integrated outcrop surveys, new drilling data, and detrital zircon dating, this study examines the paleogeographic distribution and evolution, and provenance characteristics of the Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin.Our results show that the Bayanhot Basin experienced a long-term depositional evolution process from transgression to retrogression during the Carboniferous–late Permian.The transgression extent could reach the central basin in the early Carboniferous.The maximum regional transgression occurred in the early Permian and might connect the Qilian and North China seas with each other.Subsequently, a gradual regression followed until the end of the Permian.The northwestern NCC appeared as a paleo-uplift area and served as a sediments provenance area for the Alxa Block at that time.The NCC, Bayanwula Mountain, and NQOB jointly served as major provenances during the Carboniferous–Permian.There was no ocean separation, nor was there an orogenic belt between the Alxa Block and the NCC that provided sediments for both sides during the Carboniferous–Permian.The accretion of the Alxa and North China blocks should have been completed before the Carboniferous period.     

Climatic control on the composition of Carboniferous–Permian Gondwana sediments,Khalaspir basin,Bangladesh

Late Paleozoic or Permo-Carboniferous Gondwana successions world-wide are marked by widespread and lengthy glaciation (~ 67 Ma), and multiple transitions from Icehouse to Greenhouse state. Mineralogical and compositional changes in sandstones and mudstones of the Gondwana succession in drill hole GDH-45 from the Khalaspir basin of Bangladesh are interpreted in a climatic framework, using the proxies of the Mineralogical Index of Alteration (MIA) and the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA). Low MIA (< 75) and CIA (< 70) values in the lowermost unit (Unit 1) of the Khalaspir Gondwana sequence indicates minimal chemical weathering of the source and imply cold and dry glacial climatic conditions. Values increase progressively in the overlying Unit 2, suggesting warming and deglaciation. Very high MIA (80–100) and CIA (90–100) values in Unit 3 indicate intense chemical weathering associated with warm and humid climatic conditions in a post-glacial setting. These changes are recorded in both sandstones and mudstones, illustrating the value of acquiring data for a variety of size grades. The stratigraphic changes are also well recorded by progressively decreasing K₂O/Al₂O₃ and increasing Ga/Rb ratios, the combination of which may comprise a new geochemical proxy of climate and weathering. Upward increase in the modal Q / (F + L) and Qp / (F + L) ratios are also consistent with change from cool to warm and humid climate in the source region. The change in climatic conditions within the Khalaspir sequence is also well correlated with the Gondwana successions of other continental blocks, and records the climatic fluctuations and extent of climatic impact in Gondwanaland during the Permo-Carboniferous.     

Tight oil play characterisation: the lower–middle Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Jimusar Sag,Junggar Basin,Northwest China

The lower–middle Permian Lucaogou (P₂l) Formation is a “sandwich-type’’ combination of source rocks and reservoirs that is considered to be a potential tight oil reservoir in the Jimusar Sag (JS). We investigated the P₂l Formation using a designated workflow to assess its potential as a viable tight oil reservoir play using geological, petrographical, petrophysical, and geochemical characterisation of core samples. The results showed that the P₂l source rocks have a widespread distribution (up to 1500 km²), a huge thickness (up to 160 m), a relatively high abundance of organic matter (averaging 3.12 wt%), a good sapropelic quality, and a moderate thermal maturity. The reservoir consists mainly of dolomites and siltstones, predominantly characterised by secondary dissolved pores, with medium–high porosity (averaging 9.1%) and relative low permeability (averaging 0.26 mD), high abundance of brittle minerals (averaging 87.1%), and low abundance of clay minerals (averaging 11.2%) with low water sensitivity. The results demonstrate that in the JS area the P₂l Formation has great potential for tight oil production with its considerable hydrocarbon expulsion quantities, good oil storage capability, and reservoir frackability potential and provide a basis for further evaluation of the tight oil potential of the P₂l Formation in the wider Junggar Basin and for identifying similar plays elsewhere.     

Spatial–temporal characteristics of surface water quality in the Taihu Basin,China

Taihu Basin is one of the most developed and industrialized regions in China. In the last two decades, rapid development of economy as well as an increase in population has resulted in an increase of pollutants produced and discharged into rivers and lakes. Much more attention has been paid on the serious water pollution problems due to high frequency of algal blooming. The dataset, obtained during the period 2001–2002 from the Water Resources Protection Bureau of the Taihu Basin, consisted of eight physicochemical variables surveyed monthly at 22 sampling sites in the Taihu Basin, China. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to identify the characteristics of the surface water quality in the studied area. The temporal and spatial variations of water quality were also evaluated by using the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) method. PCA extracted the first two principal components (PCs), explaining 86.18% of the total variance of the raw data. Especially, PC1 (73.72%) had strong positive correlation with DO, and was negatively associated with COD_Mn, COD, BOD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TP and TN. PC2 (12.46%) was characterized by pH. CA showed that most sites were highly polluted by industrial and domestic wastewater which contributed significantly to PC1. The sites located in the west of Lake Taihu were influenced by farmland runoff which may contribute to nitrogen pollution of Lake Taihu, whereas the monitoring sites in the eastern of Lake Taihu demonstrated that urban residential subsistence and domestic wastewater are the major contaminants. FSE indicates that there is no obvious variance between 2001 and 2002 among most sites. Only several sites free from point-source pollution appear to exhibit good water quality through the studied period.     

Genetic Interpretation of the Textural–Structural Appearance of Early Permian Sylvinite Rocks in the Caspian Basin

Lithology and Mineral Resources - The paper presents the results of studying sylvinite rocks of the Lower Permian halogenic formation in the West and East Perelyub sites with perspectives for the...     

Carboniferous–Permian Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Environment of Southeastern Inner Mongolia, China: Constraints on Final Closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean

In this paper we discuss the timing of final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean based on the field investigations of the Carboniferous–Permian stratigraphic sequences and sedimentary environments in southeastern Inner Mongolia combined with the geology of its neighboring areas. Studies show that during the Carboniferous–Permian in the eastern segment of the Tianshan-Hinggan Orogenic System, there was a giant ENE–NE-trending littoral-neritic to continental sedimentary basin, starting in the west from Ejinqi eastwards through southeastern Inner Mongolia into Jilin and Heilongjiang. The distribution of the Lower Carboniferous in the vast area is sparse. The Late Carboniferous or Permian volcanic-sedimentary rocks always unconformably overlie the Devonian or older units. The Upper Carboniferous–Middle Permian is dominated by littoral-neritic deposits and the Upper Permian, by continental deposits. The Late Carboniferous–Permian has no trace of subduction-collision orogeny, implying the basin gradually disappeared by shrinking and shallowing. In addition, it is of interest to note that the Ondor Sum and Hegenshan ophiolitic mélanges were formed in the pre-Late Silurian and pre-Late Devonian respectively, and the Solonker ophiolitic mélange formed in the pre-Late Carboniferous. All the evidence indicates that the eastern segment of the Paleo-Asian Ocean had closed before the Late Carboniferous, and most likely before the latest Devonian (Famennian).     

Geochemical and Geological Characterization of Marine-Continental Transitional Shale: A Case Study in the Ordos Basin, NW China

The organic-rich shale of the Shanxi and Taiyuan Formation of the Lower Permian deposited in a marine-continental transitional environment are well developed in the Ordos Basin, NW China, which is considered to contain a large amount of shale hydrocarbon resources. This study takes the Lower Permian Shanxi and Taiyuan shale collected from well SL# in the Ordos Basin, NW China as an example to characterize the transitional shale reservoir. Based on organic geochemistry data, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observations, the desorbed gas contents of this transitional shale were systematically studied and the shale gas potential was investigated. The results indicate that the Lower Permian Shanxi and Taiyuan shale has a relatively high total organic carbon (TOC) (average TOC of 4.9%) and contains type III kerogen with a high mature to over mature status. XRD analyses show that an important characteristic of the shale is that clay and brittle minerals of detrital origin comprise the major mineral composition of the marine-continental transitional shale samples, while the percentages of carbonate minerals, pyrite and siderite are relatively small. FE-SEM observations reveal that the mineral matrix pores are the most abundant in the Lower Permian shale samples, while organic matter (OM) pores are rarely developed. Experimental analysis suggests that the mineral compositions mainly govern the macropore development in the marine-continental transitional shale, and mineral matrix pores and microfractures are considered to provide space for gas storage and migration. In addition, the desorption experiments demonstrated that the marine-continental transitional shale in the Ordos Basin has a significantly potential for shale gas exploration, ranging from 0.53 to 2.86 m3/t with an average value of 1.25m3/t, which is in close proximity to those of terrestrial shale (1.29 m3/t) and marine shale (1.28 m3/t). In summary, these results demonstrated that the Lower Permian marine-continental transitional shale in the Ordos Basin has a significantly potential for shale gas exploration.