Comparison of Kuqa foreland basin with Persian Gulf Basin in salt tectonics

Compared Kuqa foreland basin with Persian Gulf Basin in development of salt layers, salt tectonics, and the relation between salt tectonics and hydrocarbon, it is concluded that the salt diapirs are relative to hydrocarbon. Searching salt diapirs and related traps in Kuqa foreland basin is important. The forming mechanism of salt tectonic in Kuqa foreland basin is different from that of Hormuz Series, but similar to that of Lower Fars Series/Gachsaran Formation. Inspired by the role of salt tectonics of Lower Fars Series/Gachsaran Formation in hydrocarbon accumulation, the authors considered that the exploration below salt layer should be enforced, and the traps below salt layer in the southern part of the Kuqa foreland basin would be found where salt layer is thicker. On the contrary, the traps should be found both above and below the salt layer in front of the northern mountain where salt layer is thin. The Triassic and Jurassic source rocks are rich in this area with great exploration prospective.     

Effects of land‐use changes on hydrological processes in the middle basin of the Heihe River,northwest China

The effects of land‐use changes on the runoff process in the midstream plain of this arid inland river basin are a key factor in the rational allocation of water resources to the middle and lower reaches. The question is whether and by how much increasingly heavy land use impacts the hydrological processes in such an arid inland river basin. The catchment of the Heihe River, one of the largest inland rivers in the arid region of northwest China, was chosen to investigate the hydrological responses to land‐use change. Flow duration curves were used to detect trends and variations in runoff between the upper and lower reaches. Relationships among precipitation, upstream runoff, and hydrological variables were identified to distinguish the effects of climatic changes and upstream runoff changes on middle and downstream runoff processes. The quantitative relation between midstream cultivated land use and various parameters of downstream runoff processes were analysed using the four periods of land‐use data since 1956. The Volterra numerical function relation of the hydrological non‐linear system response was utilized to develop a multifactor hydrological response simulation model based on the three factors of precipitation, upstream runoff, and cultivated land area. The results showed that, since 1967, the medium‐ and high‐coverage natural grassland area in the midstream region has decreased by 80·1%, and the downstream runoff has declined by 27·32% due to the continuous expansion of the cultivated land area. The contribution of cultivated land expansion to the impact on the annual total runoff is 14–31%, on the annual, spring and winter base flow it is 44–75%, and on spring and winter discharge it is 23–64%. Once the water conservation plan dominated by land‐use structural adjustments is implemented over the next 5 years, the mean annual discharge in the lower reach could increase by 8·98% and the spring discharge by 26·28%. This will significantly alleviate the imbalance between water supply and demand in both its quantity and temporal distribution in the middle and lower reaches. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coupled surface water–groundwater model and its application in the arid Shiyang River basin,China

The planning and management of water resources in the Shiyang River basin, China require a tool for assessing the impact of groundwater and stream use on water supply reliabilities and improving many environment‐related problems such as soil desertification induced by recent water‐related human activities. A coupled model, integrating rule‐based lumped surface water model and distributed three‐dimensional groundwater flow model, has been established to investigate surface water and groundwater management scenarios that may be designed to restore the deteriorated ecological environment of the downstream portion of the Shiyang River basin. More than 66% of the water level among 24 observation wells have simulation error less than 1·0 m. The overall trend of the temporal changes of simulated and observed surface runoff at the Caiqi gauging station remains almost the same. The calibration was considered satisfactory. Initial frameworks for water allocation, including agricultural water‐saving projects, water diversion within the basin and inter‐basin water transfer, reducing agricultural irrigation area and surface water use instead of groundwater exploitation at the downstream were figured out that would provide a rational use of water resources throughout the whole basin. Sixteen scenarios were modelled to find out the most appropriate management strategies. The results showed that in the two selected management options, the groundwater budget at the Minqin basin was about 1·4 × 10⁸ m³/a and the ecological environment would be improved significantly, but the deficit existed at the Wuwei basin and the number was about 0·8 × 10⁸ m³/a. Water demand for domestic, industry and urban green area would be met in the next 30 years, but the water shortage for meeting the demand of agricultural water use in the Shiyang River basin was about 2·2 × 10⁸ m³/a. It is suggested that more inter‐basin water transfer should be required to obtain sustainable water resource use in the Shiyang River basin. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ages of sediment-hosted Himalayan Pb–Zn–Cu–Ag polymetallic deposits in the Lanping basin,China: Re–Os geochronology of molybdenite and Sm–Nd dating of calcite

The Lanping basin is a significant Pb–Zn–Cu–Ag mineralization belt of the Sanjiang Tethyan metallogenic province in China. Over 100 thrust-controlled, sediment-hosted, Himalayan base metal deposits have been discovered in this basin, including the largest sandstone-hosted Pb–Zn deposit in the world (Jinding), and several Cu ± Ag ± Co deposits (Baiyangping, Baiyangchang and Jinman). These deposits, with total reserves of over 16.0 Mt Pb + Zn, 0.6 Mt Cu, and 7000 t Ag, are mainly hosted in Meso-Cenozoic mottled clastic rocks, and strictly controlled by two Cenozoic thrust systems developed in the western and eastern segments of the Lanping basin.To define the metallogenic history of the study area, we dated nine calcite samples associated with copper sulfides from the Jinman Cu deposit by the Sm–Nd method and five molybdenite samples from the Liancheng Cu–Mo deposit by the Re–Os method. The calcite Sm–Nd age for the Jinman deposit (58 ± 5 Ma) and the molybdenite Re–Os age for the Liancheng deposit (48 ± 2 Ma), together with previously published chronological data, demonstrate (1) the Cu–Ag mineralization in the western Lanping basin mainly occurred in three episodes (i.e., ∼56–54, 51–48, and 31–29 Ma), corresponding to the main- and late-collisional stages of the Indo–Asian orogeny; and (2) the Pb–Zn–Ag (±Cu) mineralization in the eastern Lanping basin lacked precise and direct dating, however, the apatite fission track ages of several representative deposits (21 ± 4 Ma to 32 ± 5 Ma) may offer some constraints on the mineralization age.     

Role of hypsometry and planform in basin hydrologic response

The effects of variations of drainage basin morphometry and relief characteristics on flood peak magnitude and time-to-peak are investigated using simulated stream networks. The networks are produced by three models: headward growth, systematic capture, and minimum power relaxation. Translational and kinematic wave flood routing were used to generate synthetic hydrographs. Peak discharge and time-to-peak are predictable to a high degree by five different sets of morphometric-relief parameters. In order of decreasing order of importance in predictive ability the parameters characterize basin size, relative relief, basin concavity, and basin shape. Both simulated and natural stream networks exhibit strong dependence of planimetric morphometry upon basin concavity. The effect of this dependency is to increase the effect of basin concavity upon flood hydrographs.     

Sediment budget of the Napo River,Amazon basin,Ecuador and Peru

The upstream‐downstream sediment budget along the Napo River (100 520 km², 6300 m³ s^?1) was studied in the Andean foothills of Ecuador, at the west of the Amazon basin. A comparative study was made during four hydrological cycles (2001–2005) for three hydrological stations located upstream, and during one hydrological cycle (2004–2005) for the fourth one located near the mouth of the Napo River (region of Iquitos in Peru). This analysis showed an unusual increase in the concentration of suspended sediment recorded for the western part of the Amazon plain. Like the runoff (81 l s^?1 km²), which is a world's maximum, the erosion rate (1160 t km^?2 year^?1, i.e. 47% of total suspended solid (TSS) export at the exit of Ecuador), one of the highest for a floodplain basin is the result of a stepper slope than in the rest of the Andean foothills, where typically sedimentation phenomena are predominant, and can be explained in part by a greater tectonic activity. Similar phenomenes were evidenced in small mountainous rivers in New Guinea (Milliman and Syvitski, 1992; Milliman, 1995). On the headwaters of the Napo River drainage basin, the tectonic uplift causes the Pastaza Megafan's existence. This progressively diverts the course of Napo River towards north and also provokes the remobilization of fine fluvial deposits. Moreover, this geodynamic trend is completed by the impact of volcanic eruption, earthquakes and landslides. The combination of these phenomena, so common in the region, has provided a large sediment transfer, not only at present but also in the past, as can be confirmed by the presence of incised terraces, mainly formed by volcanic materials. Then, these results were compared with a similar study carried out further south in the Madeira basin at the Bolivian foothills. These studies show the spatio‐temporal variability of the relation between sediment transfer and geodynamic processes at the Andean Piedmont. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南秦岭古生代盆地演化中幕式流体过程及成岩成矿效应

从南秦岭古生代盆地构造-沉积演化出发,通过分析古生界不同层位流体成岩成矿事实与盆地发展演化之间的关系,探讨了南秦岭早古生代—泥盆纪演化时期多幕流体过程和成岩成矿效应。幕式流体成岩成矿最早可追溯到早寒武世,区域上从东到西形成了重要的碳硅质岩中重晶石/毒重石矿床及金、铂族元素矿化;早、中志留世继续发展,形成了钠长石岩、重晶石岩、铁碳酸盐岩、硅质岩与铅-锌、金矿床;中泥盆世为最强烈的一次热水沉积活动,其规模大、热水沉积产物多样,形成了泥盆系硅质岩-钠长石岩-重晶石岩-铁白云石岩中的铅锌(铜)矿床、铁白云石硅质岩中铅锌(铜)矿床以及钠长石角砾-铁白云石板岩中金-铜矿床。     

Zircon U-Pb geochronology of Early Jurassic-Late cretaceous volcanic rocks in North Yellow Sea BasinEI北大核心CSCD

The X-drilling cores of the North Yellow Sea basin reveal two sets of Mesozoic clastic rocks, which are the dark rocks in lower part and the red rocks in upper part, respectively. There are two layers of volcanic rocks at the bottom and the upper part of the dark rock unit. The volcanic rocks at the bottom part are trachytic dacite while rocks at the upper part are clastic dacite. The zircon grains from the upper and lower units of volcanic rocks are euhedral-subhedral columnar crystals and show oscillatory zoning on cathodoluminescence images. 22 tests of zircons in the trachytic dacite from the bottom part yield an age of 141-151 Ma, with weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 145±2 Ma. Whereas 18 tests of zircons from the sample at the upper part give 206Pb/238U ages around 139-149 Ma with weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 141±2 Ma, which implies that the X well volcanic rocks belong to Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. Comparing with the age and geochemical characteristics of the Mesozoic igneous rocks in Shandong peninsula, we suggest that the igneous rocks from both the North Yellow Sea basin and Jiaolai basin were formed under same dynamic setting, i.e., the subduction related volcano arc and back-arc extension. ©, 2015, Science Press. All right reserved.     

Paragenesis of fluids under evaporates in the Volga-Ural Basin

To unravel the mystery of the relationship between evaporates, Ca–Cl brines and accumulations of oil and N₂ in the basins of ancient cratons, their N₂, CH₄ and He concentration ratios, as well as the isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C and ³He/⁴He) were compared within the Volga-Ural basin. The study allowed subsalt fluids from Volga-Ural Basin to divide into two genetic groups. The first one is found within the basin's platform area. It includes Ca–Cl brines, high-viscosity heavy oil, bitumen and N₂, which has concentrations higher than that of CH₄ and positive values of δ¹⁵N. The second one is tied to the edge of the platform, the Ural Foredeep and Peri-Caspian Depression. In this group, only the oil and gas reservoirs, which have more CH₄ than N₂, and possibly negative values of δ¹⁵N, were discovered. Interaction of gas components in compared fluids indicates great role of degassing in the formation of their composition. It is suggested that the fluids of the first group (N₂ > CH₄) is what remains, and the second group (N₂ < CH₄) is what is disappears from the rocks during their metamorphism and degassing.     

Diagenetic evolution of the upper Cretaceous limestone and sandstone exhumed reservoirs in the western Basque–Cantabrian Basin,North Spain

The Basque–Cantabrian Basin (NE Spain) has been considered one of the most interesting areas for hydrocarbon exploration in the Iberian Peninsula since the 60th to 70th of last century. This basin is characterized by the presence of numerous outcrops of tar sands closely associated with fractures and Triassic diapirs. The aims of this work is to establish the diagenetic evolution of the Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks with special emphasis in the emplacement of oil and their impact on reservoir quality. The studied rocks are constituted of carbonates and sandstones that contain massive quantities of bitumen filling vugs and fractures.Petrographic results indicate that the carbonate rocks from Maestu outcrops are bioclastic grainstones and wackestones, whereas the tar sandstones from Atauri and Loza outcrops are dominated by quartzarenites and subordinated subarkoses. The paragenetic sequence of the main diagenetic phases and processes include, pyrite, bladed and drusy calcite cement, calcite overgrowths, silicification of bioclasts and microcrystalline rhombic dolomite cement, and first stage of oil emplacement, blocky calcite cement, coarse crystalline calcite cement, calcitized dolomite, calcite veins, saddle dolomite and stylolites filled by the second phase of oil entrance. Together with the above mentioned diagenetic alterations, the arenites are affected by early kaolinitization of feldspars and the scarce formation of clay rim and epimatrix of illite. All sandstones and dolomitized carbonate rocks show high intercrystalline and intergranular porosity which is full by biodegraded hydrocarbons (solid bitumen). The biodegradation affects alkanes, isoprenoids and partially hopanes and steranes saturated hydrocarbons. Aromatics hydrocarbons, like naphthalenes, phenanthrenes, dibenzothiophenes and triaromatics are also affected by biodegradation. Results indicate that the first HC emplacement corresponds to early stage of calcite and dolomite cementation, and the second and more important emplacement is related to fracturation processes resulting in the formation of excellent reservoirs.