Permo-Carboniferous Radiolarians from the Wupata＇erkan Group, Western South Tianshan, Xinjiang, China

The Wupata‘erkan Group, also called Wupata‘erkan Formation, distributed in the South Tianshan, Xinjiang,China, mainly consists of gray and dark gray fine-grained clastic rocks, interlayered with volcanic rocks, carbonates and cherts. Some ultra-basic rocks (blocks) punctuate the formation. The formation was variously assigned to Silurian-Middle Devonian, Silurian-Lower Devonian, and pre-Devonian, mainly based on Atrypa bodini Mansuy, Hypothyridina parallelepipedia (Brour.) and Prismatophyllum hexagonum Yoh collected from the limestone interlayers, respectively.However, radiolarian fossils obtained from 24 chert specimens of the Wupata‘erkan Group, mainly include Albaillella sp.cf. A. undulata Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon, Albaillella sp. cf. A. indensis Won, Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto, Albaillella sp. and Latentifistulidae gen. et. sp.indet., are earliest Carboniferous and Late Permian. The earliest Carboniferous assemblage is characterized by Albaillella sp. cf. A. undulata Deflandre, Albaillella sp. cf. A. paradoxa Deflandre, Albaillella cf. A. deflandrei Gourmelon and Albaillella sp. cf. A. indensis Won, and the Late Permian assemblage by Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa Ishiga, Kito and Imoto. This new stratigraphic evidence indicates that the Wupata‘erkan Group is possibly composed of rocks with different ages from Silurian to Permian, and therefore, it is probably an ophiolite mrlange. The discovery of Late Permian Albaillella sp. cf. A. excelsa provides more reliable evidence supporting the existence of a Permian relic ancient oceanic basin in the western part of Xinjiang South Tianshan.     

Integrated Biostratigraphy, Depositional Setting and Geochemical Analyses for Petroleum Potential Evaluation of the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian – Albian) Strata of the Koppeh-Dagh Basin, Northeastern Iran

The lower Cretaceous rock units of the Koppeh-Dagh Basin of northeastern Iran were investigated here in terms of biostratigraphy, depositional setting and geochemical analyses to find out if they, alike other parts of the world, are rich in petroleum. For this purpose, a stratigraphic framework is established using calcareous nannofossil and palynological elements. A nannoplankton zonation based on which subzones of the zones CC7 – CC8 of Sissingh(1977) and their equivalent NC6 – NC8 of Roth(1978) was established indicating a Late Barremian–Albian age. Palynological assemblages led us to establish the local palynozone of Odontochitina operculata. A dominantly marginal basin to a transitional zone between shelf and basin under a dysoxic–anoxic condition with low to moderate sedimentation rates coincided with a gradual sea level rise was introduced as the environment of deposition for the strata via interpretation of the palynological parameters and quantitative palynology. The obtained data from Rock-Eval pyrolysis in compilation with palynofacies analysis reveals that the studied succession contains mainly gas-prone type III kerogen. The Spore Coloration Index(SCI) alongside with the Rock-Eval pyrolysis results(low values of HI and TOC) proves that these rock units locally produced natural gas during the time under consideration.     

Early Cretaceous sedimentary provenance and structural evolution of the central Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone,Iran: implications for palaeogeographic reconstructions of the northern Neo-Tethyan margin

ABSTRACT

The Early Cretaceous was an important epoch in the evolution of the Earth system in which major tectonic episodes occurred, especially along the Alpine–Himalayan belt. The paucity of reliable palaeogeographic data from the central segment of this geological puzzle, however, hampers the reconstruction of a panoramic view of its Early Cretaceous palaeogeography and geodynamic setting. Here we present multidisciplinary provenance data from Lower Cretaceous strata of the overriding plate of the Neo-Tethyan subduction zone (the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone; SSZ, of central Iran), including structural, basin-fill evolution, petrographic and geochemical analyses. Sandstone provenance analysis of Lower Cretaceous red beds suggests the occurrence of sub-mature litho-quartzose sandstones attributed to an active continental arc margin in convergent setting predominantly derived from plutonic, quartzose sedimentary and metamorphic rocks exposed in the central SSZ. Weathering indices indicate moderate chemical weathering in the source area which may be related to close source-to-sink relationships or arid climate. Our palaeogeographic reconstructions and original geological mapping indicate that the erosion of uplifted basement rocks exposed in horst blocks provided the sediment sources for the syn-extensional deposition of uppermost Jurassic–lowermost Cretaceous conglomerates and Lower Cretaceous siliciclastic red beds within a continental retro-arc basin during initiation of the ‘Neo-Tethys 2?. The polyphase tectonic reactivation along the principal fault of the study area controlled the syn- and post-extensional tectonostratigraphic evolution that reflect the corresponding mechanical decoupling/coupling along the northern Neo-Tethyan plate margin.     

鄂尔多斯盆地及邻区晚石炭世本溪期构造—沉积环境及原型盆地特征

原型盆地恢复有助于盆地构造—岩相古地理的研究和揭示盆山耦合,对油气勘探与开发具有重要的指导意义。本文利用最新的钻井、测井及露头资料,以沉积相为研究实体,运用盆—山结合的思路,由点—线—面进行分析,重建了鄂尔多斯盆地晚石炭世本溪组沉积时期的构造—沉积环境,研究了原型盆地特征及性质。本溪组沉积期,鄂尔多斯盆地沉积具有东西分异的特征：淳化—庆阳—吴起地区及北部伊盟地区为暴露剥蚀区,东部为克拉通内坳陷盆地,西部为克拉通边缘裂陷盆地。乌达—呼鲁斯台及鄂尔多斯—神木地区发育三角洲相,并向南逐渐推进;鄂西石嘴山、环县及鄂东府谷、延安地区以环带状潮坪—泻湖相为主,受间歇性海侵影响;吴忠、柳林—吉县地区发育低能的泻湖相;中卫—中宁、韩城及以东地区发育不同深度的陆棚及开阔台地。该时期盆地构造环境表现为南北向双向俯冲、贺兰拗拉槽再活化,格局经历了南隆北倾向北隆南倾的转变。受此影响,鄂尔多斯盆地构造古地理格局开始由东西分异逐渐向南北分异转变,受东西两侧海侵影响沉积相带呈环带状展布,但在盆地北部发育潮控三角洲,表现出近缘特征。晚石炭世鄂尔多斯盆地构造—沉积环境与原型盆地特征与其对周缘大地构造运动的响应。     

四川盆地下寒武统膏盐岩发育特征与封盖有效性分析

四川盆地下寒武统广泛发育一套膏盐岩,主要沉积于早寒武世龙王庙期。基于四川盆地深井及实测剖面中膏盐岩的识别和统计,发现下寒武统有川南和鄂西两大聚盐区,最厚达690.40m;川南聚盐区西部以含泥含云质石膏岩类和含膏砂泥岩类为主,东部及颚西聚盐区主要为含膏白云岩类。结合前人研究,认为膏盐岩发育于浅水缓坡沉积环境,有潮上萨布哈和缓坡蒸发两类成因。通过对川南聚盐区储盖匹配关系及后期构造与膏盐岩封盖性分析,表明下寒武统膏盐岩与盐下震旦系优质的白云岩储层在空间上具有良好的匹配关系;四川盆地边界大断裂及边界外寒武系的抬升暴露让膏盐岩在盆地外封盖性失效,而在盆地内膏盐岩的封盖性较好。威远气田解剖表明有膏盐岩分布的威远地区成藏,而无膏盐岩分布的资阳地区气藏被破坏,显示了下寒武统膏盐岩在四川盆地油气成藏中具有重要的作用。     

Early Cambrian Ichnofossils from the Mussoorie Syncline and revision of Trace Fossil Biozonation of the Lesser Himalaya,India

A new locality bearing ichnofossils of the Cruziana Assemblage Zone-Ⅲ from the Mussoorie syncline,Lesser Himalaya,is located in rocks of Member-B of the Dhaulagiri Formation,Tal Group,exposed along the Maldewta-Chhimoli fresh road cut section.The site yielded ichnofossils Bergaueria perata,Cochlichnus anguineus,？Diplocraterion isp.,Dimorphichnus obliquus,diplichnitiform Cruziana bonariensis,Diplichnites gouldi,Glockeria isp.,Helminthopsis isp.,Monomorphichnus lineatus,Phycodes palmatum,Palaeophycus striatus,Planolites beverleyensis,Planolites montanus,Treptichnus cf.T.pedum,scratch marks and an undetermined worm impression.An Early Cambrian age （Cambrian Series 2） is assigned to the ichnofossil-bearing strata based on the stratigraphic position between the Drepanuroides and Palaeoolenus trilobite zones.A revised Cambrian ichnofossil zonation is presented for the Tal Group of the Mussoorie syncline.Together with their occurrence on rippled surfaces,and the lateral displacement of some trackways （due to current action）,a sub-aqueous shallow-marine depositional setting is proposed for the rocks of Member-B.     

The shipway limestone of gower: Sedimentation on a storm-dominated early carboniferous ramp

A detailed sedimentary study of the Lower Carboniferous (Courceyan) Shipway Limestone Formation at Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula (South Wales) has shown that the bioclastic limestones represent a storm-dominated sequence that contains the storm-related sedimentary structure hummocky cross-stratification (HCS). Conformably overlying the Shipway Limestone is a cross-stratified oolitic sandbody with evidence of subaerial exposure. Six sedimentary lithofacies are identified in these two formations which record a distal to proximal, shallowing-upward trend that passes from beneath mean wave-base to above fairweather wave-base. The shallow marine facies model constructed by Wu (1982) from his study of the Lower Carboniferous limestone sequences of South Wales is re-evaluated. Modifications proposed for the model include the addition of two distal tempestite facies and a proximal oolite sand body. The Shipway Limestone and Brofiscin Oolite record the first major, basin-wide, shallowing-upward phase of the Lower Carboniferous in South Wales.     

下扬子区孤峰组放射虫化石带划分及环境分析

下扬子区中二叠统孤峰组线硅质岩中的放射虫化石极其丰富,这些化石主要阿尔拜虫类（ａｌｂａｉｌｌｅｌｌｉｄｓ）球形多囊虫类（Ｓｐｈｅｒｉｃａｌｐｏｌｙｃｙｓｔｉｎｅ）十字多囊虫类（ｓｔａｕｒａｘｏｎｐｏｌｙｃｙｓｔｉｎｅ）组成,其中以Ｐｓｅｕｄｏａｌｂａｉｌｌｅｌｌａｃａｌｐｒａｔａ．Ｐ．ｌｏｎｇｔａｎｅｎｓｉ,Ｐ．ｃｆ．ｌｏｎｇｉｃｏｒｎｉｓ,ＨｅｇｌｅｒｉａＭａｍｍｉｌｌａ,Ｆｏｌｌｉｃｕｃｕｌｌ     

Dependence on pressure of conduction by hopping of small polarons in minerals of the Earth's lower mantle

Electrical conductivity of the lower mantle-like assemblage (Mg,Fe)SiO₃ perovskite-(Mg,Fe)O magnesiowüstite is usually analyzed using the quasi-chemical Arrhenian approach of diffusion. The conductivity of this assemblage has often been attributed to hopping of small polarons, because of the low value of the activation energy and the small negative activation volume. However, the solid-state physics approach can provide more arguments, for or against conduction by polarons. We have tried to bridge the gap between the two approaches and identify the physical quantities entering the phenomenological activation parameters. In particular, we have investigated the pressure dependence of the activation energy, and the physical meaning of the activation volume. Hopping is controlled by the binding energy of the polaron and by the value of the exchange integral, which increases with pressure causing the observed decrease of the activation energy. From the physical theory and the results of experiments at pressures up to 40 GPa and temperatures up to 400 ^∘C, we have estimated the values of parameters characteristic of polarons: radius, mobility, time between jumps and adiabaticity. These values are compatible with conduction by small adiabatic polarons. The consequences for extrapolations to lower mantle conditions of the presence of a temperature dependent preexponential term in the expression for conductivity have been examined. It was found that the extrapolations are not significantly different from those using the Arrhenius equation. Received: 5 November 1998 / Revised, accepted: 4 May 1999     

准噶尔盆地火山岩分类研究与应用

岩石分类一直是人们长期探索的课题。由于油气勘探的需要,针对储层研究的盆地火山岩分类已经成为火成岩研究的重要新方向。在综合分析国内外火山岩分类研究的基础上,根据3条野外剖面和21口钻井岩心岩屑的观察描述、岩石薄片鉴定和化学成分分析等资料,依照结构-成分-成因分类原则,建立了适于储层评价的准噶尔盆地石炭系火山岩及其他岩类的岩性分类体系和识别标准。将本区火山岩划分为火山熔岩、火山碎屑熔岩、火山碎屑岩、沉火山碎屑岩等4大类;同时将盆地内与火山岩共生的其他岩类也进行分类和识别,共划分出8大类45种基本类型。与我国东部的中新生代盆地火山岩不同,本区古生代火山岩普遍遭受较长期风化改造和蚀变作用,常见有绿泥石化、碳酸盐化和黏土矿化。这些蚀变会影响到TAS图解岩性判别的结果,因此笔者探讨了蚀变条件下的岩石识别和定名方法。本文分类体系针对火山岩储层研究,结果显示,基于该分类体系岩性与储集空间的类型及其变化规律呈现明显相关性,不同岩性的储集空间类型、组合方式和发育程度存在差异,由此可指导火山岩油气勘探。