Reply to the Discussion by Rose of Phelps et al. (2014) ‘Oceanographic and eustatic control of carbonate platform evolution and sequence stratigraphy on the Cretaceous (Valanginian–Campanian) passive margin,northern Gulf of Mexico’, Sedimentology, 61, 461–496

Discussion points raised by Rose ( 2016 ) concentrate on late Albian stratigraphic relationships between formations of the East Texas Basin and the San Marcos Arch of the Comanche Platform in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Criticisms of Phelps et al. (2014) regarding stratigraphic nomenclature, palaeogeography and regional lithostratigraphic correlations generally focus on interpretive aspects of the study or do not account for the full scope of published information. Revisions to the top Aptian–Albian Supersequence boundary by Rose are incompatible with the relative location of a subaerial unconformity, as well as deepening lithofacies trends and retrogradational stratigraphic patterns below the interpreted boundary. Rose's placement of the top Aptian–Albian Supersequence boundary precisely at the Albian–Cenomanian stage boundary also implies ca 1·4 Ma of diachroneity in second order sea‐level patterns between the northern Gulf of Mexico and other documented global sedimentary basins.     

A log‐normal spectral analysis of inorganic grain‐size distributions from a Canadian boreal lake core: Towards refining depositional process proxy data from high latitude lakes

Better methods for interpreting grain‐size spectra will enhance current understanding of past transport–depositional processes. A high‐resolution inorganic grain‐size dataset has been measured from a freeze core extracted from ‘Alberta Lake E’ a boreal fresh water lake 40 km east of the Athabasca Oil Sands in north‐eastern Alberta, Canada. The grain‐size spectra are remarkably consistent throughout the core, exhibiting a structure comprising six persistent grain‐size distributions below ca 250 μm, plus a rare medium‐sand distribution. Automated deconvolution of the grain‐size spectra produced poor results. Constraining the modes of two of the distributions produced deconvolution solutions that were statistically excellent and consistent with the structure of each spectrum. Statistical analysis of the ‘constrained’ solutions indicates that deconvolution successfully extracted independent grain‐size populations. Conversely, the multimodal spectra generate traditional measures (for example, mean grain size) that are inconsistent combinations of different individual populations and thus are poor proxies of transport–depositional processes. Alberta Lake E is situated in a boreal wetland landscape where sediment delivery is dominated by overland flow transport during spring melt. This context means that the Alberta Lake E grain‐size spectra can be interpreted to reflect: (i) a bedload component transported during short‐duration high discharge events that reflect the intensity of the melt; and (ii) a finer suspended load component representing material whose magnitude is controlled by the volume of the spring melt. Stratigraphically, bedload and suspended load populations demonstrate different short‐wavelength and long‐wavelength cyclicity, suggesting that spring melt is likely to be driven by cyclic external forcing factors. The links between the grain‐size spectra and spring melt have potential for generating proxy records that better capture the external controls over spring melt in boreal systems and the risks associated with these energetic hydrodynamics. This is exemplified by the coarsest Alberta Lake E distributions, which indicate that more intense spring‐melt dynamics occurred in pre‐historical times.     

湖南保靖地区龙马溪组层序地层及沉积微相研究

通过钻井、测井结合野外露头分析,运用高分辨率层序地层学思路和方法,对湖南保靖地区龙马溪组进行层序地层划分及沉积微相研究。湖南保靖地区龙马溪组划分出三个中周期基准面旋回(sq1,sq2,sq3),组成一个长周期基准面旋回(SQ1),可以在研究区内良好对比。sq1的基准面上升半旋回为深水滞留盆地沉积,基准面下降半旋回为浊积扇网状水道沉积;sq2、sq3的基准面上升半旋回为浅水滞留盆地沉积,基准面下降半旋回为浊积扇扇中前缘席状砂沉积。从早到晚沉积盆地海平面逐渐下降,沉积中心向西北方向迁移。参考层序地层特征,结合本区页岩气地质条件,认为东南部甘溪-大坨地区为页岩气勘探有利区。     

铀矿沉积学研究与发展

随着铀矿床尤其是砂岩型铀矿勘探和开发的迅速发展,砂岩型铀矿沉积学的概念应运而生。铀矿沉积学是研究沉积盆地形成演化过程中铀的成矿作用、形成环境、含铀岩（层）系特征,以及沉积作用控制下铀的富集机理和分布规律的学科。它综合了铀矿地质学、盆地分析等学科的内容,具有较明显的学科交叉特点。砂岩型铀矿沉积学是铀矿沉积学最典型的代表,它以盆地分析、砂岩型铀矿地质学为重要理论平台,结合沉积学技术方法,具体研究砂岩型铀矿形成的物质来源、成岩作用与铀的预富集、沉积物的结构构造与渗透性、沉积体系与含铀岩系分析、流体作用与后期改造、层序地层与铀的空间分布、铀富集因素与沉积和古气候环境,沉积作用因素与砂岩型铀矿预测,以及管理信息化的三维可视化建模等。以新疆伊犁盆地、吐哈盆地、鄂尔多斯盆地北部等地区代表性砂岩铀矿为实例,从铀矿聚集与沉积物形成—演化过程、沉积物特征及沉积体系分析与铀矿聚集、层序地层学与铀聚集作用等方面分析了铀矿沉积学研究的最新进展和认识。同时对铀矿沉积学的发展趋势进行了展望:认为砂岩铀矿“大规模成矿作用”和铀的“超常富集”关键地质环境、含铀岩系沉积与铀的空间分布、多种高新分析测试技术的应用等方面将是铀矿沉积学未来研究和发展的重点。由于铀矿沉积学与人类生存环境关系的重要性,并且其涉及沉积学学科的方方面面,因此有理由相信,铀矿沉积学未来可能作为沉积学的一个独立分支学科将得到更好的研究和发展。     

高分辨率层序地层学在泌阳凹陷碱矿勘查中的应用

文章根据泌阳凹陷钻井、地球物理测井、三维地震方面的资料分析,通过地震资料解译、层位综合标定、层位和断层精细解释、速度场建立、构造图制作,构建了泌阳凹陷高分辨率层序地层格架。将泌阳凹陷核一段至核三上段划分为3个长期、7个中期基准面旋回。含碱岩系主要分布于核桃园组中,与层序单元具有很好的对应关系,典型界面的地层切片和沉积体系识别显示,泌阳凹陷自核一段至廖庄组安棚次凹一直发育,到核三段逐渐萎缩;确定了核桃园组含碱岩系地层主要位于凹陷东南部深凹区的分布区域,可以指导钻井的部署。     

Temporal variations in channel patterns and facies architecture in a gravelly fluvial system: The Paleogene Iwaki Formation on the Joban Coalfield,a forearc basin in Northeast Japan

This paper examined sequence‐stratigraphic features of a gravelly fluvial system of the Iwaki Formation, which developed in a forearc‐basin setting in Northeast Japan during the Eocene through Oligocene. On the basis of three‐dimensional architectural element analysis, we discriminated three major cycles of channel complexes, which contain ten component channel deposits in total in the fluvial succession. Component channel deposits in the uppermost part of each cycle are sandier and associated with overbank muddy deposits and coal beds as compared with those in the lower part of the cycle. Mean clast‐size also decreases upsection in the entire gravelly fluvial deposits. The fluvial succession is interpreted to have been deposited in response to an overall rise in relative sea level that was superimposed by three short‐term relative sea‐level rises on the basis of vertical stacking patterns and component lithofacies features of channel deposits, and of correlation of the fluvial succession with an age‐equivalent marine succession in an area about 50 km offshore. However, geometry and stacking patterns of the channel complexes do not exhibit any distinct temporal variation and amalgamated channel and bar deposits are dominant throughout the transgressive fluvial succession. On the other hand, an overall fining‐upward pattern of the entire Iwaki Formation fluvial deposits in association with three component fining‐upward patterns is distinct, and is interpreted to be consistent with the tenet of the standard fluvial sequence‐stratigraphic models. This indicates that the present example represents one type of variation in the standard fluvial sequence‐stratigraphic models, possibly reflecting the forearc‐basin setting, which is generally represented by higher valley slope, higher shedding of coarse‐grained sediments, and shorter longitudinal profiles to the coastal area as compared with a passive‐continental‐margin setting.     

青海南部早二叠世火山-沉积背景的岩石地层序列

研究区位于青海南部长江源区, 大地构造上属东特提斯构造域, 为金沙江结合带与澜沧江结合带间昌都地块的一部分.青海南部二叠系沉积类型复杂, 多呈断块(片)状出露, 尤其是受火山事件影响的下二叠统.关于下二叠统(乌拉尔统)的对比及地层划分目前仍存在较多争议, 认识的不同点主要集中于火山岩的层序归属、地质时代、区域对比等.以实测剖面为基础, 系统调查岩石地层的岩性组合、沉积环境等, 通过着重于各地层单位(尤其是火山岩系)的生物群研究, 重新厘定火山-沉积背景下的岩石地层序列.类动物群的研究表明诺日巴尕日保组和九十道班组在青海南部地区具穿时性.地层序列的建立表明青海南部早二叠世早期为较稳定的浅灰色中厚层状碳酸盐岩.罗甸期强烈的火山喷发, 形成了特殊火山-沉积地貌, 对沉积古地理格局形成明显的制约, 沉积相变快, 可划分为4种沉积类型, 形成同期异相的诺日巴尕日保组和尕笛考组.自祥播期之后, 主要为一套厚层状生物屑灰岩(九十道班组), 在青海南部分布较广, 代表火山活动暂时停止后的台地相沉积, 罗甸期复杂的古地理格局, 至此则构成相对统一的较稳定的浅水碳酸盐岩台地.      

华南晚二叠世层序—古地理及聚煤规律*

晚二叠世是地质历史中重要的成煤时期,在中国南方多个省区都形成了可采煤层。受海平面变化的影响,华南地区晚二叠世发育一套完整的陆相—海陆过渡相—海相含煤岩系。通过对野外露头及钻孔剖面资料分析,识别出了区域不整合面、下切谷底部冲刷面、河道间古土壤层和沉积相转换面等关键层序地层界面,以及依据海相石灰岩标志层横向分布规律反映的区域最大海泛面,同时结合前人关于华南地区地层对比及煤层对比方面的成果,将华南上二叠统划分为3个三级层序及9个体系域。利用单因素分析多因素综合作图法恢复了各层序中岩相古地理及煤层分布规律,结果表明:层序Ⅰ中煤层主要形成于潮控下三角洲平原以及潟湖潮坪环境,厚煤层的展布受这些沉积相带控制;层序Ⅱ中三角洲平原环境中煤层最厚,开阔台地煤层最薄,平面上煤层厚度表现为西部厚、中部次之、东部无煤的阶梯式递变;层序Ⅲ中煤层主要形成于三角洲平原环境,此时聚煤作用主要发生于华南西部的康滇古陆东侧,在华南中部及东部大部地区发育的浅海台地和深水盆地均不利于聚煤作用发生。     

可容纳空间转换系统的定量模拟

为探讨盆地两侧可容纳空间和层序叠加模式的非一致性变化,利用SEDPAK二维层序模拟软件,通过考虑控制层序沉积过程的不同参数,对可容纳空间转换系统进行定量模拟并提出新的认识.模拟结果表明,盆地两侧同期层序叠加模式可以分为"同步"和"非同步"两种,同步叠加模式多出现在层序的低位体系域及高位体系域后期,非同步叠加模式多出现在层序的水进体系域及高位体系域初期.多种地质参数的合理组合,盆地两侧同期层序均可形成非同步叠加模式.非同步叠加模式对体系域界面的识别、层序对比具有一定的参考价值.     

北京西山寒武系层序地层

为了使北京西山地质学方面的研究更为全面,并为其他地区寒武系的研究提供对比,以北京西山地区出露的寒武纪地层为根据.进行了层序地层学和沉积学方面的研究.该区寒武纪地层多为碳酸盐岩,岩石类型以各种灰岩及白云岩为主.按照层序地层学的原理和工作方法,结合区域层序界面特征把该区寒武系划为16个三级层序,其中SQ1-SQ3为Ⅰ型层序,Ⅱ型层序则较为发育,SQ4-SQ16都为Ⅱ型层序.研究区寒武系属于典型的碳酸盐岩台地沉积.由于寒武纪研究区内地形地势平缓,构造沉降比较稳定,因而深切谷等标志不发育,所有层序都缺失低水位体系域(LST)或陆架边缘体系域(SMST)沉积.