Detrital zircon age spectra of middle and upper Eocene outcrop belts,U.S. Gulf Coast region

Recently reported detrital zircon (DZ) data help to associate the Paleogene strata of the Gulf of Mexico region to various provenance areas. By far, recent work has emphasised upper Paleocene‐lower Eocene and upper Oligocene strata that were deposited during the two episodes of the highest sediment supply in the Paleogene. The data reveal a dynamic drainage history, including (1) initial routing of western Cordilleran drainages towards the Gulf of Mexico in the Paleocene, (2) an eastward shift of the western continental divide, from the Jura‐Cretaceous cordilleran arc to the eastern edge of the Laramide province after the Paleocene and (3) a southward shift, along the eastern Laramide province, of the headwaters of river systems draining to the Mississippi and Houston embayments at some time between the early Eocene and Oligocene. However, DZ characterisation of most (~20 Myr) of the middle Eocene‐lower Oligocene section remains limited. We present 60 DZ age spectra, most of which are from the middle or upper Eocene outcrop belts, with 50–200‐km spacing. We define six to eight distinct groups of DZ age spectra for middle and upper Eocene strata. Data from this and other studies resolve at least six substantial temporal changes in age spectra at various positions along the continental margin. The evolving age spectra constrain the middle and upper Eocene drainage patterns of large parts of interior North America. The most well‐resolved aspects of these drainage patterns include (1) persistent rivers that flowed from erosional landscapes across the Paleozoic Appalachian orogen either into the low‐lying Mississippi embayment or directly into the eastern Gulf; (2) at least during marine regressions, a trunk channel that likely flowed southward along the axial part of Mississippi Embayment and integrated tributaries from the east and west; and (3) rivers that flowed to the Houston embayment in the middle Eocene that likely originated in the Laramide province in central Colorado and southern Wyoming, as Precambrian basement highs in those source areas were being unroofed.     

Low‐accommodation and backwater effects on sequence stratigraphic surfaces and depositional architecture of fluvio‐deltaic settings (Cretaceous Mesa Rica Sandstone,Dakota Group,USA)

The adequate documentation and interpretation of regional‐scale stratigraphic surfaces is paramount to establish correlations between continental and shallow marine strata. However, this is often challenged by the amalgamated nature of low‐accommodation settings and control of backwater hydraulics on fluvio‐deltaic stratigraphy. Exhumed examples of full‐transect depositional profiles across river‐to‐delta systems are key to improve our understanding about interacting controlling factors and resultant stratigraphy. This study utilizes the ~400 km transect of the Cenomanian Mesa Rica Sandstone (Dakota Group, USA), which allows mapping of down‐dip changes in facies, thickness distribution, fluvial architecture and spatial extent of stratigraphic surfaces. The two sandstone units of the Mesa Rica Sandstone represent contemporaneous fluvio‐deltaic deposition in the Tucumcari sub‐basin (Western Interior Basin) during two regressive phases. Multivalley deposits pass down‐dip into single‐story channel sandstones and eventually into contemporaneous distributary channels and delta‐front strata. Down‐dip changes reflect accommodation decrease towards the paleoshoreline at the Tucumcari basin rim, and subsequent expansion into the basin. Additionally, multi‐storey channel deposits bound by erosional composite scours incise into underlying deltaic deposits. These represent incised‐valley fill deposits, based on their regional occurrence, estimated channel tops below the surrounding topographic surface and coeval downstepping delta‐front geometries. This opposes criteria offered to differentiate incised valleys from flood‐induced backwater scours. As the incised valleys evidence relative sea‐level fall and flood‐induced backwater scours do not, the interpretation of incised valleys impacts sequence stratigraphic interpretations. The erosional composite surface below fluvial strata in the continental realm represents a sequence boundary/regional composite scour (RCS). The RCS’ diachronous nature demonstrates that its down‐dip equivalent disperses into several surfaces in the marine part of the depositional system, which challenges the idea of a single, correlatable surface. Formation of a regional composite scour in the fluvial realm throughout a relative sea‐level cycle highlights that erosion and deposition occur virtually contemporaneously at any point along the depositional profile. This contradicts stratigraphic models that interpret low‐accommodation settings to dominantly promote bypass, especially during forced regressions. Source‐to‐sink analyses should account for this in order to adequately resolve timing and volume of sediment storage in the system throughout a complete relative sea‐level cycle.     

陆相二叠系-三叠系界线研究进展

着重介绍了几个目前陆相二叠系—三叠系界线（TPTB）研究的重点剖面及其生物地层学研究进展；分析了陆相二叠系—三叠系界线综合地层学研究现状，包括生物地层学、事件地层学、同位素年代学、磁性地层学和层序地层学等；剖析了陆相二叠系-三叠系界线地层学研究中存在的问题及进一步的研究方向。生物地层方面，陆相二叠系-三叠系界线附近存在晚二叠世与早三叠世生物混生的层位，其中不同类别生物的时间界线常不一致，又由于陆相界线地层中含脊椎动物化石的层位一般较少，以脊椎动物化石（Lystrosaurus）为标准的精确界线常不确定，因而需重新寻找并确定陆相三叠系底界的标准化石。事件地层标志可能会成为连结海、陆相二叠系-三叠系界线地层高精度对比的纽带。     

三肇凹陷葡萄花油层高分辨率层序地层划分及沉积特征研究

应用高分辨率层序地层学理论,通过对各级基准面旋回的沉积动力学分析,依据１０口井岩心和１２５６口井测井资料,把松辽盆地三肇凹陷葡萄花油层划分为１个长期基准面旋回、２个中期基准面旋回、１２个短期基准面旋回,提出了葡萄花油层南部为同沉积构造抬升控制的中部缺失而非底部缺失的层序地层新格架。通过对短期基准面旋回内储层沉积特征、单砂体展布规律的研究,认为葡萄花油层主要储层水下河道砂体比原认识更连续,且延伸较远, 分流平原、内前缘相带南移达３６ｋｍ,这对深入认识该区油藏类型、聚油规律、特别是高含水期剩余油挖潜具有重要意义,对指导整个松辽盆地北部岩性油气藏勘探与开发具有重大影响。     

Detrital zircon and apatite constraints on depositional ages,sedimentation rates and provenance: Pliocene Productive Series,South Caspian Basin,Azerbaijan

We used detrital zircon U/Pb geochronology and apatite (U–Th–Sm)/He thermochronology to better constrain depositional ages and sedimentation rates for the Pliocene Productive Series in Azerbaijan. U/Pb analysis of 1,379 detrital zircon grains and (U–Th–Sm)/He analysis of 57 apatite grains—from Kirmaky Valley and Yasamal Valley onshore sections, Absheron Peninsula—yielded two distinct sub‐populations: “young” Neogene grains and “old” Mesozoic, Palaeozoic and Proterozoic/Archean grains. The large numbers of Neogene age grains (around 10% of all grain ages) provided a new absolute age constraint on the maximum depositional age of the Lower Productive Series of 4.0 Myr. These “young” Neogene zircon grains most likely originated from volcanic ash falls sourced from the Lesser Caucasus or Talesh Mountains. In this paper we propose a timescale scenario using the maximum depositional age of the Productive Series from detrital zircon grain U/Pb constraints. Potential consequences and limitations of using apatite (U–Th–Sm)/He dating method in estimating maximum depositional ages are also discussed. These new age constraints for the Lower Productive Series gave much faster sedimentation rates than previously estimated: 1.3 km/Myr in the South Caspian Basin margin outcrops and up to 3.9 km/Myr in the basin centre. The sedimentation rates are one of the highest in comparison to other sedimentary basins and coeval to global increase in sedimentation rates 2–4 Myr. The older group of detrital zircon grains constitutes the majority of grains in all sample sets (~80%). These older ages are inferred to reflect the provenance of the Productive Series sediment. This sediment is interpreted to have been derived from the Proterozoic and Archean crystalline basement rocks and Phanerozoic cover of the East European Craton, Proterozoic/Palaeozoic rocks of the Ural Mountains and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Greater Caucasus. This sediment was likely supplied from northerly sourced drainage that emptied into the South Caspian Basin.     

Data on stratotypes of the neopleistocene-holocene regional and local subdivisions in the Caspian region

Considered in the work are data characterizing stratotypes of regional and local stratigraphic subdivisions, which are distinguished in the Neopleistocene-Holocene sedimentary succession of the Caspian region. The succession is composed of sediments deposited by the Caspian transgressions and intervening continental sediments of the late Quaternary. Except for stratotypes of the Tyurkyany Horizon and Gyurgyany Formation, which are established in borehole sections, the other ones represent the well-stratified natural sections accessible for examination of their subdivisions distinguished based on biostratigraphic criteria. Mollusks of the genus Didacna Eichwald and fossil assemblages of large mammals are used to substantiate stratigraphy of marine and terrestrial deposits, respectively.     

恒河深海扇东北区域晚第四纪气候和海平面变化对沉积作用的控制

通过对恒河深海扇沟道间均质细粒沉积物的氧同位素地层划分,本文讨论了晚更新世以来冰川—气候旋回和海平面变化对印度洋北部大陆坡地带各种活跃的沉积因素（陆源和碳酸盐物质的沉积通量、浊流活动的强度和频度、粘土矿物分布、碳酸盐浓度和钙质生物壳的溶解度）的控制作用和因素间的相互关联。     

皖西贵池、宿松地区中下三叠统沉积环境及层序分析

摘要：皖西中、下三叠统为一套碳酸盐岩沉积。从下往上,其沉积环境经历了从盆地－开阔陆棚－开阔台地－局限台地－潮上蒸发台地这样一个海水逐渐变浅、盐度不断增高的环境演化序列．据露头剖面分析,这套碳酸盐岩地层可分成３个层序。层序均由低水位、海进和高水位体系域组成,特征明显。据其岩性特征及准层序的叠置方式,识别出了追赶碳酸盐体系（ｃａｔｃｈｕｐｃａｒｂｏｎａｔｅｓｙｓｔｅｍ）和并进碳酸盐体系（ｋｅｅｐｕｐｃａｒｂｏｎａｔｅｓｙｓｔｅｍ）。     

Pendleian (early Serpukhovian) marine carbonates from SW Spain: sedimentology,biostratigraphy and depositional model

The San Antonio–La Juliana tectono‐sedimentary unit contains the only Namurian marine carbonates in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The analysis of this unit is fundamental in understanding the sedimentary evolution and tectonic movements which operated during the Namurian in this area. Using foraminifera the succession has been assigned to two biozones (Zones 17 and 18), both occurring in the Pendleian (early Namurian). Seven stratigraphic sections have been analysed: San Antonio, Burjadillo, Lavadero de la Mina, Cornuda, Lozana, Caridad and Via Crucis. The stratigraphic succession of the San Antonio–La Juliana Unit consists of olistolites in the basal part, with common debris‐flow deposits (mainly of carbonates, with minor siliciclastic rocks), and turbidites, all of them embedded in shales. These rocks, interpeted as slope deposits, pass up into shallow‐water platform facies, with sediments characteristic of the inner platform and tidal flats. Above these rocks, terrigenous deltaic deposits occur. Thus, the stratigraphic sections show an overall shallowing‐upward trend. The isolation of some outcrops, and the duplication and absence of some parts of the stratigraphic succession are explained by tectonic movements. Overall, tectonic factors seem to be the main control rather than glacio‐eustatic or autocyclic processes, and sedimentation took place in a strike‐slip regime. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Quaternary Seismic Stratigraphy of the Eastern Bengal Shelf

An ultra-high-resolution seismic study of the eastern Bengal Shelf with the parametric narrow-beam echosounder Parasound allows the interpretation of late Quaternary depositional patterns in terms of seismic stratigraphy. Accommodation space was still present on the outer shelf during the last lowstand, where a prograding delta developed in the western survey area. Oolitic beach ridges were later formed on top of this lowstand delta. Farther east, large parts of the shelf were exposed to subaerial erosion and a river system extended seaward across the area. A subaqueous highstand delta prograded southwards following the maximum transgression about 7,000 years ago. Its foreset beds exhibit acoustic voids very likely generated by sediment liquefaction, possibly caused by episodic energetic events such as major cyclones and/or earthquakes. Bottomset sediments extend seaward close to the shelf break in the west, whereas no Holocene sediments cover the outer shelf in the east.