Uppermost Permian Radiolarian Biostratigraphy of Southern Guizhou,Southwest China

With abundant deep-water upper Permian sediments,Guizhou is an ideal place for the re-search of radiolarian biostratigraphy of Upper Permian.The sections of Sidazhai and Lekang in southern Guizhou Province are studied.Lithology and biostratigraphy of the siliceous rock sequence of uppermost Permian in the two sections are introduced.Radiolarian assemblage zones,Neoalbaillella optima assem-blage zone and Klaengspongus spinosus assemblage zone in ascending order are established for the top-most Permian of southern Guizhou.The Klaengspongus spinosus zone has been the topmost radiolarian assemblage zone of Permian,which is also correlated with former ones in a considerable depth.     

New Evidence for a Cretaceous Age for a Mesozoic Nonmarine Bivalve Assemblage from Paekto-dong, Sinuiju City, The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The Sinuiju Formation in Paekto-dong, Sinuiju City in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has yielded Mesozoic nonmarine bivalve fossils, which is the first occurrence of such in the DPRK. Based on these fossil specimens, a new Cretaceous bivalve assemblage, the Arguniella yanshanensis-Sphaerium anderssoni Assemblage is erected. This assemblage includes Arguniella yanshanensis, A. lingyuanensis and Sphaerium anderssoni and can be compared with the Jehol Biota. The age of the Sinuiju Formation is also clarified and on the basis of the bivalves and the presence of a Eosestheria–Ephemeropsis–Lycoptera(E–E–L) assemblage, the formation is not Upper Jurassic, but Lower Cretaceous in age.     

Application of Strontium Isotopic Stratigraphy to DatingMarine Sedimentary Units: A Case Study from the PermianStratotype Section in Southern China

The calibration of sedimentary rock absolute dates is one of the difficulties in sedimentological and stratigraphic research. Since strontium(Sr) resides in seawater much longer(≈106 a) than the seawater intermixing time(≈103 a), the Sr isotopic composition of global seawater is uniform at any time and results in a stable system throughout geological history,based on which a global Sr isotope composition dating database has been established for age-calibration of marine strata.The Permian stratigraphic sections in the northern part of the Upper Yangtze block, southern China, record continuous marine sediments with clear stratigraphic boundaries and is suitable for stratigraphic dating of Sr isotopes. Based on sampling and Sr isotopic compositions of Permian carbonate strata in the northern part of the Upper Yangtze, a Permian Sr isotope evolution curve was established. According to the basic principles of Sr isotope stratigraphy, the global Strontium isotope age database can be used to calibrate the Permian stratigraphic dates in the northern Upper Yangtze. The results show that the Sr isotope evolution curves for the marine carbonate rocks in the Permian stratigraphic section of the Upper Yangtze present a decreasing trend from the mid-Qixia stage(P2) to the mid-Wujiaping stage(P3), and then rise from the middle Wujiaping stage to the end of Changxing stage(P3). When the Permian Sr-isotope evolution curve is compared with the global Sr isotope evolution curve in the northern Upper Yangtze, the two are consistent in their long-term evolutionary trend, indicating that Permian global geological events are important controlling factors for the composition and evolution of Sr isotopes. The 87 Sr/86 Sr value decreased gradually in the background of large-scale regressions at the turn of middle to late Permian period, revealing that the Emeishan basalt eruption occurred near the Maokou/Wujiaping boundary(GLB). Srisotope stratigraphy dating was performed on the boundaries of the Qixia Formation/Maokou Formation, Maokou Formation/Wujiaping Formation(GLB), Wujiaping Formation/Changxing Formation(WCB) and the Permian/Triassic(PTB) using the Global Strontium Isotope Age Database. The results are 270.4 Ma, 261.2 Ma, 254.5 Ma and 249.7 Ma,respectively. Based on this, the eruption age of the Emeishan basalts is defined at about 261.2 Ma., which is more coincident with that acquired from other previous dating methods on the eruption age of the Emeishan basalts, and therefore proves that the application of Sr isotopic stratigraphy to dating marine sedimentary units is an effective method.     

Source Rocks for the Giant Puguang Gas Field,Sichuan Basin:Implication for Petroleum Exploration in Marine Sequences in South China

Detailed geochemistry studies were conducted to investigate the origin of solid bitumens and hydrocarbon gases in the giant Puguang gas field. Two types of solid bitumens were recognized： low sulfur content, low reflectance （LSLR） solid bitumens in sandstone reservoirs in the Xujiahe Formation and high sulfur content, high reflectance （HSHR） solid bitumens in the carbonate reservoirs in the Lower Triassic Feixianguan and Upper Permian Changxing formations. Solid bitumens in the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation correlate well with extracts from the Upper Triassic to Jurassic nonmarine source rocks in isotopic composition of the saturated and aromatic fractions and biomarker distribution. Solid bitumens in the Feixianguan and Changxing formations are distinctly different from extracts from the Cambrian and Silurian rocks but display reasonable correlation with extracts from the Upper Permian source rocks both in isotopic composition of the saturated and aromatic fractions and in biomarker distribution, suggesting that the Permian especially the Upper Permian Longtan Formation was the main source of solid bitumens in the carbonate reservoirs in the Feixianguan and Changxing formations in the Puguang gas field. Chemical and isotopic composition of natural gases indicates that the majority of hydrocarbon gases originated from sapropelic organic matter and was the products of thermal cracking of accumulated oils. This study indicates that source rock dominated by sapropelic organic matter existed in the Upper Permian and had made major contribution to the giant Puguang gas field, which has important implication for petroleum exploration in marine sequences in South China.     

Geochemical Characteristics of the Upper Permian Longtan Formation from Northeastern Sichuan Basin: Implications for the Depositional Environment and Organic Matter Enrichment

A set of organic-rich shales of the upper Permian Longtan Formation, which is widely developed in the northeastern part of the Sichuan Basin, is a key formation for the next step of exploration and development. At present, most studies on this set of formations have focused on the reservoir characteristics and reservoir formation mechanism of the shales, and basic studies on the palaeoenvironment and organic matter(OM) enrichment mechanism have not been fully carried out. In this paper, we recov...     

Analyses of Sequence Stratigraphy and Environments across Permian—Triassic Boundary in Liaotian, Northwestern Jiangxi Province

Based on the study of lithology, sedimentology and paleontology at the Permian-Triassic boundary in Liaotian, Northwestern Jiangxi Province, the sequence stratigraphy and depositional environments across the boundary are reconstructed. The top part of the Upper Permian Changxing Formation is composed of very thick-bedded ligh-colored dolomitic limestone formed in high deposition rate on carbonate ramp,which indacates a transgression systems tract (TST). The Lower Triassic Qinglong Formation shows continuous deposition with the underlying Upper Permian. The lower member of Qinglong Formation consists of calcareous shale, shelly limestome and dolomitic limestone with abundant bivalves (Claraia sp.) and trace fossills (Chondrites). The calcareous shale at the bottom of Lower Triassic indicates a calm deep water environment to form the condensed section (CS). The shelly limestome and dolomitic limeston with shell fossils, intraclast, algal ooide show clean but turbulent environment of carbonate ramp, which produce the deposition of highstand systems tract (TST).     

Stratigraphy of the Triassic?Jurassic Boundary Successions of the Southern Margin of the Junggar Basin, Northwestern China

The Triassic?Jurassic (Tr?J) boundary marks a major extinction event, which (~200 Ma) resulted in global extinctions of fauna and flora both in the marine and terrestrial realms. There prevail great challenges in determining the exact location of the terrestrial Tr?J boundary, because of endemism of taxa and the scarcity of fossils in terrestrial settings leading to difficulties in linking marine and terrestrial sedimentary successions. Investigation based on palynology and bivalves has been carried out over a 1113 m thick section, which is subdivided into 132 beds, along the Haojiagou valley on the southern margin of the Junggar Basin of the northern Xinjiang, northwestern China. The terrestrial Lower Jurassic is conformably resting on the Upper Triassic strata. The Upper Triassic covers the Huangshanjie Formation overlaid by the Haojiagou Formation, while the Lower Jurassic comprises the Badaowan Formation followed by the Sangonghe Formation. Fifty six pollen and spore taxa and one algal taxon were identified from the sediments. Based on the key-species and abundance of spores and pollen, three zones were erected: the Late Triassic (Rhaetian) Aratrisporites?Alisporites Assemblage, the Early Jurassic (Hettangian) Perinopollenites?Pinuspollenites Assemblage, and the Sinemurian Perinopollenites?Cycadopites Assemblage. The Tr?J boundary is placed between bed 44 and 45 coincident with the boundary between the Haojiagou and Badaowan formations. Beds with Ferganoconcha (?), Unio?Ferganoconcha and Waagenoperna?Yananoconcha bivalve assemblages are recognized. The Ferganoconcha (?) bed is limited to the upper Haojiagou Formation, Unio?Ferganoconcha and Waagenoperna?Yananoconcha assemblages are present in the middle and upper members of the Badaowan Formation. The sedimentary succession is interpreted as terrestrial with two mainly lake deposit intervals within Haojiagou and Badaowan formations, yielding fresh water algae and bivalves. However, the presence of brackish water algae Tasmanites and the marine?littoral facies bivalve Waagenoperna from the Badaowan Formation indicate that the Junggar Basin was influenced by sea water caused by transgressions from the northern Tethys, during the Sinemurian.     

Oil-source correlation of the pre-Tertiary in the Huanghua Depression： Insights from stable carbon isotopes and molecular markers

Stable carbon isotopes were used together with molecular markers to constrain genetic relationships between sandstone extracts and potential source rocks in the pre-Tertiary in the Huanghua Depression, North China. Comparison of the extracts from Permo-Carboniferous terrigenous mudstones and Ordovician marine carbonates indicated that their prominent differences are in stable carbon isotopes, molecular markers and thermal maturity. Although the extracts of the Mesozoic and Lower Permian Xiashihezi Formation sandstones have some similar iso-topic characteristics, molecular markers data provide a good correlation between the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous oils and the Upper Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation mudstones, and between the Lower Permian Xiashihezi Formation oils and the Lower Permian mudstones. The results showed that the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sandstone oils were derived chiefly from the Upper Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation terrigenous mudstones and that the Lower Permian Xiashihezi Formation oils were sourced from the Lower Permian Shanxi Formation and Xiashihezi Formation terrigenous mudstones.     

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.     

Early Cretaceous Palynological Assemblages of the Shuangliao Fault Depression, Songliao Basin and their Geological Implications

The pollen and spores found in the Early Cretaceous strata of two cores from the Shuangliao Fault Depression were studied systematically, and two palynological assemblages have been recognized. Assemblage Ⅰ from the Yingcheng Formation is named Paleoconiferus-Pinuspollenites; the assemblage is characterized by an extremely high content of Paleoconifer pollen. Assemblage Ⅱ from Member 1 of the Denglouku Formation is named Cicatricosisporites-Cyathidites-Pinuspollenites; the assemblage is characterized by the abundant presence of Laevigati spores, but less Paleoconifer pollen. According to the palynological data and zircon U-Pb dating, the geological age of the Yingcheng Formation is thought to be Aptian-Albian, and that of the Denglouku Formation is thought to be Early Albian. On the basis of the composition of each assemblage, we can infer that during the depositional period of the Yingcheng Formation, the paleovegetation was mainly conifer forest, the paleoclimate was consistent with the temperate climate of today, and the paleoenvironment was humid feature. During the depositional period of Member 1 of the Denglouku Formation, the paleovegetation was mainly conifer forest and shrubs, the paleoclimate was consistent with the subtropical climate of today, and the paleoenvironment was humid. The results significantly improve our understanding of the stratigraphy in the Shuangliao Fault Depression, provide biostratigraphic evidence for the division and correlation of Early Cretaceous strata in the Shuangliao Fault Depression, and provide new data for analyzing paleovegetation and paleoclimate in the Songliao Basin.     

A New Understanding on South China Permian Coal-bearing Strata and Coal Accumulation Regularity

The Longtan Formation was originally thought to belong to the Late Permian, but this study reveals that the lower part of this formation belongs to the Middle Permian. The study proposes the corresponding chro-nostratigraphic boundary and new schemes for the correlation of geological sections. Based on these schemes a new understanding on the accumulation regularity of Permian coal measures in South China is reached.     

Comparing the Upper Triassic Deep-sea Flysch of theShannan Terrane with the Coeval Shallow Shelf Sediments ofthe Tethys Himalaya,Southern Tibet

The provenance and paleogeography of the Upper Triassic deep-sea flysch Langjiexue Group(LG) of the Shannan Terrane in the northeastern Himalaya orogen, south of Yarlung Zangbo, have been disputed in recent years since its affinity to the Tethys Himalaya was suspected during the early 2000 s. Based on the earlier discoveries of the Upper Permian–Triassic basalts and mafic dykes from the LG and of coeval detrital zircons from the Qulonggongba Formation(QF) in shallow shelf sediments of the Tethys Himalaya, the previous viewpoints on the basin and tectonics of the LG have been recently rejected. We compared the two units of the Upper Triassic, and our results reveal a number of differences,discrepancies, and inconsistencies in the debate, raising crucial questions on the postulation and provenance model of the remote Gondwanide Orogen for the LG. It is suggested that more observations and evidence are needed to further improve the paleogeographic understanding and relationship of the two units.     

From arc-continent collision to ocean closure: Lower Cretaceous Shamuluo Formation in the western segment of the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone,central Tibet

One of most hotly debated topics concerning the Late Mesozoic evolution of Tethyan and the Tibetan Plateau is the timing of the closure of the Meso-Tethys ocean, which is represented by the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone. The Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Shamuluo Formation, which unconformably overlies the older Mugagangri Group accretionary complex, provides important information on the closure of the Meso-Tethys Ocean. This paper precisely confines the depositional age of the Shamuluo Formation in the western segment of the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone, extending it from the Late Jurassic to the Albian. Combined with the results of previous studies, we suggest that the Shamuluo Formation in the Awengco–Baerqiong region mainly contains a bathyal Berriasian–Hauterivian subunit and a shallow-marine Albian subunit. Provenance analysis indicates that the Berriasian–Hauterivian subunit was mainly derived from the Jurassic southern Qiangtang magmatic arc, while the Albian subunit was derived from the coeval volcanic rocks and the Upper Carboniferous–Upper Permian strata in the southern Qiangtang terrane. Thus, the two subunits of the Shamuluo Formation have significant distinct sedimentary facies and provenances, indicating that they were deposited in different tectonic settings.Based on the regional geological data, we suggest that the bathyal Berriasian–Hauterivian subunit and the shallow-marine Albian subunit of the Shamuluo Formation should be interpreted as a record of the oceanic arc-continent collision and the Lhasa–Qiangtang soft-collision, respectively. Thus, the closure time of the Meso-Tethys Ocean is at least limited to the Albian.     

Convergence History of the Songliao and Jiamusi Blocks in the Eastern End of Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Detrital Zircons of Late Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks

Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) is one of the largest accretionary orogenic belts in the world. The eastern segment of CAOB is dominated by Paleozoic Paleo Asian Ocean tectonic regime, Mesozoic Paleo-Pacific tectonic regime and Mongolian-Okhotsk tectonic regime. The Songliao and Jiamusi blocks are located in the easternmost part of the CAOB and are the key region to solve the problem about overprinting processes of multiple tectonic regimes. It is generally believed that the Mudanjiang Ocean between the two blocks was finally closed in the Mesozoic, but the Paleozoic magmatism also developed along the Mudanjiang suture zone, while on both sides of the suture zone, there were comparable Paleozoic strata, indicating that the two blocks had converged during the Paleozoic, and the evolution history of the two blocks in the Late Paleozoic remains controversial. The Carboniferous-Permian terrestrial strata mainly developed in Binxian, Wuchang and Tieli on Songliao Block, Baoqing and Mishan on Jiamusi Block. Samples from the Songliao and Jiamusi blocks in the Late Carboniferous-Early Permian and Late Permian are collected for comparative analysis. The LAICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results show that the maximum depositional age of Middle Permian Tumenling Formation and Late Permian Hongshan Formation in Songliao Block is ～260 Ma, while that of Tatouhe Formation and Carboniferous strata in Jiamusi Block are ～290 Ma and ～300 Ma, respectively, which supports the previous stratigraphic division scheme. The age peaks of ～290–300 Ma, ～400 Ma, ～500 Ma appeared in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian strata of Jiamusi Block and the Middle Permian strata of Songliao Block. The age peak of ～500 Ma in the Middle Permian strata of Songliao Block may come from the Cambrian basement, Mashan Complex, of Jiamusi Block, while the age peaks of ～420–440 Ma in the Carboniferous strata of Jiamusi Block may come from the Silurian magmatic arc in Zhangguangcai Range in the eastern margin of Songliao Block, reflects the history that they had been potential sources of each other, indicating that they may have combined in the Paleozoic. The Hongshan Formation of Songliao Block in the Late Permian lacks the age peak of ～500 Ma, which indicate that Jiamusi Block was not the provenance of Songliao Block in the Late Permian, that is, there was a palaeogeographic isolation between the two blocks. Combined with the ～210 Ma bimodal volcanic rocks developed along the Mudanjiang suture zone reported previously, we believe that the oceanic basin between the Songliao and Jiamusi blocks should have been connected in Late Permian and reopened during Late Permian to Late Triassic.     

Ammonoid Succession of Setorym River （Verkhoyansk Area） and Problem of Permian—Triassic Boundary in Boreal Realm

The presence of a single Otoceras species (O.boreale), morphologically very variable, at the base of the Nekuchan Formation in Verkhoyansk, we believe, is to be obvious. Some morphological evidence leaves no doubt that two described morphs of O. boreale are s strictly corresponding sexual dimorphic pair. It is very likely that Kummel‘s idea that Canadian. O. concavum Tozer is an invalid species is truthful, considering the range of variability seen in larger Siberian and Himalayan Otoceras fauna. Just above the upper Tatarian Imtachan Formation, the six stages of ammonoid succession can be recognized within the lower part of the Nekuchan Formation in the Setorym River Section:(a) Otoceras boreale;(b) Otoceras boreale-Tompophiceras pascoei; (c) Otoceras boreale-Tompophiceras pascoei-Aldanoceras;(d)Tompophiceras pascoei-Otoceras boreale-Aldanoceras;(e) Tompophiceras morpheous-T.pascoei-Aldanoceras;(f) Tompophiceras more pheous-T.pascoei-Wordieoceras domokhotovi-Ophiceras transitorium;(g)Tompophiceras morpheous-T.pascoei, corresponding to the Otoceras boreale and Tompophiceras morpheous zones. In spite of the domination of Otocerataceae or Xenodiscaceae in both oif these zones and the presence of some Permian type conodonts in the lower part of the Otoceras boreale Zone, they seem to be early Induan in age on the basis of the following arguments:(1) in contrast to the underlying regressive type sediments of the Upper Tatarian Imtachan Formation, both the Otoceras boreale and the Tompophiceras morpheous zones of the lowermost part of the Nekuchan Formation correspond to the single transgressive cycle;(2)typical early Induan ammonoids (Ophiceras and Wordieoceras) have been recognized in the Tompophiceras morpheous zone; (3) all described ammonoid succession stages (a-g) are characterized by very gradual changes and therefore correspond to the different parts of the single zone or to the different zones of the same stage, but not to the different systems (Permian and Triassic);(4)elsewhere in the Boreal realm (Arctic Canada), the conodont index species for the base of the Triassic, Hindeodus parvus, has been reported from the Otoceras boreale Zone. A new scheme of the phylogeny for the Otocerataceae and its Induan-Olenekian offspring (Araxceratidae-Otoceratidae-Vavilovitidae n.fam.-Proptychitidae-Arctoceratidae) and Xenodiscaceae is offered.     

Detrital Zircon U‐Pb Ages and Geochemistry of the Silurian to Permian Sedimentary Rocks in Central Inner Mongolia,China: Implications for Closure of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean

The Solonker suture zone has long been considered to mark the location of the final disappearance of the PaleoAsian Ocean in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB). However, the time of final suturing is still controversial with two main different proposals of late Permian to early Triassic, and late Devonian. This study reports integrated wholerock geochemistry and LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages of sedimentary rocks from the Silurian Xuniwusu Formation, the Devonian Xilingol Complex and the Permian Zhesi Formation in the Hegenshan-Xilinhot-Linxi area in central Inner Mongolia, China. The depositional environment, provenance and tectonic setting of the Silurian-Devonian and the Permian sediments are compared to constrain the tectonic evolution of the Solonker suture zone and its neighboring zones. The protoliths of the silty slates from the Xuniwusu Formation in the Baolidao zone belong to wacke and were derived from felsic igneous rocks with steady-state weathering, poor sorting and compositional immaturity. The protoliths of metasedimentary rocks from the Xilingol Complex were wackes and litharenites and were sourced from predominantly felsic igneous rocks with variable weathering conditions and moderate sorting. The Xuniwusu Formation and Xilingol Complex samples both have two groups of detrital zircon that peak at ca. 0.9–1.0 Ga and ca. 420–440 Ma, with maximum deposition ages of late Silurian and middle Devonian age, respectively. Considering the ca. 484–383 Ma volcanic arc in the Baolidao zone, the Xuxiniwu Formation represents an oceanic trench sediment and is covered by the sedimentary rocks in the Xilingol Complex that represents a continental slope sediment in front of the arc. The middle Permian Zhesi Formation metasandstones were derived from predominantly felsic igneous rocks and are texturally immature with very low degrees of rounding and sorting, indicating short transport and rapid burial. The Zhesi Formation in the Hegenshan zone has a main zircon age peak of 302 Ma and a subordinate peak of 423 Ma and was deposited in a back-arc basin with an early marine transgression during extension and a late marine regression during contraction. The formation also crops out locally in the Baolidao zone with a main zircon age peak of 467 Ma and a minor peak of 359 Ma, and suggests it formed as a marine transgression sedimentary sequence in a restricted extensional basin and followed by a marine regressive event. Two obvious zircon age peaks of 444 Ma and 280 Ma in the Solonker zone and 435 Ma and 274 Ma in Ondor Sum are retrieved from the Zhesi Formation. This suggests as a result of the gradual closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean a narrow ocean sedimentary environment with marine regressive sedimentary sequences occupied the Solonker and Ondor Sum zones during the middle Permian. A restricted ocean is suggested by the Permian strata in the Bainaimiao zone. Early Paleozoic subduction until ca. 381 Ma and renewed subduction during ca. 310–254 Ma accompanied by the opening and closure of a back-arc basin during ca. 298–269 Ma occurred in the northern accretionary zone. In contrast, the southern accretionary zone documented early Paleozoic subduction until ca. 400 Ma and a renewed subduction during ca. 298–246 Ma. The final closure of the Paleo-Asian ocean therefore lasted at least until the early Triassic and ended with the formation of the Solonker suture zone.     

Cambrian Fossil Embryos from Western Hunan,South China

The exquisitely preserved fossil embryos of Markuelia recovered from the limestones of the Middle Cambrian Haoqiao Formation and Upper Cambrian Bitiao formation in western Hunan, South China are described and illustrated in detail for the first time.A new species Markuelia elegans sp.nov.is established based mainly on embryos from the Upper Cambrian.A few of animal's resting eggs,which are comparable with those of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation,have been also found in the Upper Cambrian of western Hu...     

Influences of the Basin Brines on Hydrocarbons of the Anthracosia Shales from Southwestern Poland

Previous studies have shown that the oxidizing brines from the Early Permian Rotliegende sequence have influences on the organic matter of Kupferschiefer. However, inside the Rotliegende sequence there are two other black shales: the Lower and Upper Antracosia shales, which have not been studied as much in detail as in Kupferschiefer. In the present study 12 samples from the Lower and Upper Antracosia shales were analyzed by organic geochemical methods in order to clarify the influences of the oxidizing brines on organic matter. The results indicate that the organic matter of the samples from the Upper Antracosia shale and the bottom of the Lower Antracosia shale was oxidized under the influences of the oxidizing brines. The oxidation resulted in a depletion of saturated hydrocarbons and the alky Is of the aromatic compounds.     

泰国难府-程逸缝合带中灰岩块的 虫筳 类生物地层学

The study area, Nan Province, northern Thailand is geotectonically situated within the Nan-Uttaradit Suture, the once back-arc basin between the Sukhothai Zone and Indochina Block. Permian Fusulinacean fauna from limestone blocks within the suture has been investigated and the Nan area has been mapped in detail. These may provide the useful information for understanding the faunal assemblage and overall ge-ometry of stratigraphic successions in the basin. The strata were intensely folded and thrust. Scattered Per-mian limestones found in Nan area are blocks within shale interbedded with tuffaceous rock. The contact between this unit and the adjacent units, the strongly foliated shale and tuffaceous sedimentary strata that are mildly metamorphosed and giving phyllitic tex-tures, has been interpreted as a west-dipping normal fault, namely the Pha Sing Fault. This fault runs par-allel to the Highway no.1080 (Nan-Tha Wang Pha). Middle and early Late Permian fusulinacean fauna found in the Nan area contains Neoschwagerina, Pseudodoliolina, Colania, Lepidolina, and Colaniella. Additionally, late Early Permian fusulinacean and Middle Triassic radiolarian fauna have been reported in this area (e.g., Fontaine, 2002; Saesaengseerung et al. 2008). These paleontological data show the existence of Nan Back-arc Basin during late Early Permian (Artin-skian) to Middle Triassic. Moreover, the similarity of fusulinacean assemblage yielding Permian limestone blocks of the Nan Back-arc Basin and the ones of the Indochina Block has been interpreted that the Permian limestone blocks in the Nan Back-arc Basin were part of the continental shelf within the Indochina Block.     

Formation Mechanism of the Changxing Formation Gas Reservoir in the Yuanba Gas Field, Sichuan Basin, China

In a very gentle platform-margin paleogeographic environment, platform-margin reef flat facies carbonate reservoir rocks were developed in the Changxing Formation of Yuanba field. Later weak structural evolution and diagenetic evolution caused the Changxing Formation to form lithologic traps, with good reservoirs such as dissolved bioclastic dolostone and dissolved pore dolostone. The Changxing Formation gas reservoir is a pseudo-layered porous lithologic gas reservoir under pressure depletion drive, with high H2S and moderate CO2 contents. This paper predictes that the conducting system for the Changxing Formation gas reservoir is possibly composed of the pores and microfractures in the Changxing Formation reservoir, the top erosional surface of the Changxing Formation, as well as the micropores and microfractures in the underlying formations. The Changxing Formation reservoir has experienced 3 hydrocarbon charging stages. This paper suggests that diffusion is the major formation mechanism for this gas reservoir. In the Middle and Late Yanshanian, the Yuanba area entered the major gas charging stage. The gas migrated mainly through diffusion and with the assistance of seepage flow in small faults and microfractures from the source rocks and the other oil-bearing strata to the Changxing Formation carbonate reservoir rocks, forming lithologic gas pools. In the Himalayan Epoch, the lithologic traps were uplifted as a whole without strong modification or overlapping, and were favorable for gas preservation.