Mawsoniid remains (Sarcopterygii: Actinistia) from the lacustrine Missão Velha Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Araripe Basin,North-East Brazil

Mawsoniids are a lineage of extinct fresh/brackish water coelacanth fishes, common in Cretaceous Godwanan deposits of South America, North and West Africa and Madagascar. Here we formally describe mawsoniid remains from the fluvio-lacustrine Missão Velha Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Araripe Basin, North-East Brazil. The examples from the Missão Velha Formation are here described as Mawsonia cf. gigas, based mainly on elements of the lower jaw and opercular series. The occurrence of M. cf. gigas in the Missão Velha Formation expands the stratigraphic and geographical ranges of the type species.     

The Molí del Baró-1 site,a diverse fossil assemblage from the uppermost Maastrichtian of the southern Pyrenees (north-eastern Iberia)

The Molí del Baró-1 site (north-eastern Iberia) has yielded one of the richest fossil assemblages of the continental upper Maastrichtian from western Europe. It includes abundant plant (charophytes, sporomorphs, angiosperm leaves, seeds and logs), invertebrate (mollusc shells, partial insect exoskeletons and eggs) and vertebrate (teeth, bones, eggshells) fossils. The fossil assemblage is composed of both parautochthonous and allochthonous remains that mostly deposited in a pool formed at the edge of a meandering river. Plant megafossil evidence suggest that at least three angiosperm species (a willow-like dicot, palms and a likely typhacean monocot) formed the plant community growing in this fluvial environment. Tooth remains indicate that crocodylomorphs were diverse (including atoposaurids, ziphosuchians and eusuchians) which together with small theropod dinosaurs likely consumed prey carcasses or scavenged near the depositional setting. Prismatoolithid eggshells also suggest the presence of nearby nesting area of theropods. On the other hand, hadrosauroids apparently dominated phytophagous faunas including lambeosaurines as well as more basal forms. The taxonomic composition of the Molí del Baró-1 site matches the expected for the timespan and environment and represents a relevant locality to know the diversity of the latest Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems in south western Europe.     

Small sized charophyte gyrogonites in the Maastrichtian of Coll de Nargó, Eastern Pyrenees: An adaptation to temporary floodplain ponds

Charophytes bearing small sized fructifications dominated in fluviatile floodplain facies (red beds) from the Maastrichtian of Coll de Nargó and neighbouring basins in the southern Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain). These charophytes mainly belong to the genus Microchara and are often disregarded in biostratigraphic studies, which focus their attention instead on facies from permanent lakes that are richer in species which usually bear fructifications with a larger size range. However, small sized gyrogonites are also significant for biostratigraphic purposes and even include some of the index species for Maastrichtian biozones in Europe. Indeed, the charophyte assemblages from the Maastrichtian of Coll de Nargó belong to the Microchara punctata biozone, recently calibrated to the middle-upper Maastrichtian.Floodplain ponds from the Maastrichtian red beds of Coll de Nargó (Lower Red Unit) were extremely shallow, received considerable terrigenous influx and were frequently exposed, probably resulting in turbid, warm waters with high light availability. These conditions could explain the almost exclusive occurrence of charophytes with small fructifications in the Lower Red Unit. The available data, mainly based on oospores from extant species, indicate that the small size observed in gyrogonites from temporary ponds may represent an adaptation to environmental stress. Fossil species with small gyrogonites of Microchara cristata, M. punctata and Microchara nana would thus develop massively in stressed shallow ponds on fluvial floodplains. To contrast these hypotheses, we compared our results to those of four well-known case studies with similar sedimentological contexts, ranging from the Lower Cretaceous to the upper Eocene–lower Oligocene. Gyrogonite size patterns were similar in all cases, possibly suggesting that characeans display a long history of adaptation to shallow, temporary and turbid floodplain ponds by means of producing a high number of small gyrogonites, probably representing short life cycles and opportunistic strategies.     

New fossil species of the Venicoridae (Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast China

Specimens of the Venicoridae (Heteroptera) occur in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in northeastern China. We describe a new genus and two new species Halonatusivena shii gen. et sp. nov. and Halonatusivena nervosus sp. nov. from this formation. The veins of the membrane are distinctive; the edges of veins are not simple but resemble an irregular stain, with a reduced vasiform structure previously unknown in the Heteroptera. Remarkably, the antennae of one of the specimens of Halonatusivena shii exhibit morphological abnormality. An identification key for the known species of the Venicoridae is provided.     

塔里木盆地西部阿克莫木气藏地层压力特征

阿克莫木气田目前已有多口井完钻,各井在钻揭白垩系砂岩储层前,对地层压力纵向上的变化规律认识不清,在什么层位及深度下7″套管意见仍不统一。本文根据目前研究现状和生产面临问题,对白垩系各组地层分布规律、压力特征进行了详细研究,认为白垩系克孜勒苏群、库克拜组分布稳定,压力窗口相近,白垩系东巴组与上覆古近系阿尔塔什组压力窗口相近。建议今后该区钻探7″套管应下至库克拜组顶部-东巴组底部,减少地层漏失和油气勘探风险。     

新疆库鲁克塔格青白口系北塞纳尔塔格组流纹岩的成因及其地质意义

运用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年获得库鲁塔格西山口地区北塞纳尔塔格组蚀变流纹岩的形成时代为841.0±1.4Ma（MSWD=0.42）, 蚀变流纹岩的发现指示塔里木北缘新元古代中期除发育大量的侵入岩外还存在火山活动。地球化学特征分析表明, 岩石富集Rb、 Ba、 K等大离子亲石元素和轻稀土元素, 明显亏损Nb、 Ta、 P、 Ti等高场强元素。此外岩石富集Sr、 强烈亏损Y和Yb, 高的Sr/Y（>40）和（La/Yb）_N（>40）比值的特征与埃达克岩类似。蚀变流纹岩Hf同位素值ε_Hf（t）=-29～-9, Hf的二阶段模式年龄T_DM²=3.43～2.24Ga, 结合岩石较低的Mg^#、 Eu正异常以及强烈亏损重稀土元素的特征表明,其可能源于加厚古老基性下地壳的部分熔融。此外蚀变流纹岩低的锆石饱和温度T_Zr=761℃～768℃,表明源区发生部分熔融时存在外来流体的加入。结合已有区域地质资料, 初步认为蚀变流纹岩形成与塔里木北缘新元古代早、 中期洋—陆俯冲碰撞作用有关。     

渝东南下古生界页岩构造裂缝形成及分布控制因素

天然裂缝对页岩气储集和渗流有重要影响,但目前对页岩构造裂缝研究不够深入。本文通过露头、岩心裂缝观察和分析,探讨了渝东南下古生界页岩构造裂缝类型、形成机理及分布控制因素。基于裂缝特征及力学成因,将剪切裂缝分为高角度剪切裂缝、倾斜滑脱裂缝和水平滑脱裂缝。倾斜滑脱裂缝是在上覆岩层重力和水平构造应力共同作用下沿应力集中的软弱面发生剪切滑动形成,水平滑脱裂缝是在构造挤压应力作用条件下主要沿页理面方向的剪切或层间滑动形成;页理发育程度及岩层曲率是控制水平滑脱裂缝形成的关键因素,岩石矿物组成、构造作用及岩层厚度是控制其它类型构造裂缝形成和分布的主要因素,页岩岩石力学层的划分需要根据裂缝特征、岩性变化特征、岩石力学参数及沉积界面等综合确定,岩层厚度与层间构造裂缝密度呈负相关关系。     

香港世界地质公园晚侏罗世荔枝庄组岩石组合及其成岩地质过程解析

中国东南大陆晚侏罗世地层普遍缺失,仅零星见于个别地区,香港新界东北的荔枝庄组即为其一。荔枝庄组出露于香港世界地质公园沉积岩园区的荔枝庄地区,自下往上由火山岩—沉积岩—火山岩组合而成,沉积岩中发育大型包卷层理和滑塌构造等典型沉积构造,是香港地区最具代表性的晚侏罗世火山—沉积岩系。通过实测地层剖面研究,确定其成岩过程大体上可划分为早期普林尼式火山爆发、中期破火山口湖相沉积和晚期普林尼式火山爆发三个阶段,以湖相沉积作用为主、火山喷发作用为辅;受晚期火山岩浆活动的影响,沉积岩层普遍发生硅化或炭化。荔枝庄组独特的岩石组合与形成的古地理环境,为探讨中国东南大陆中生代火山活动—沉积作用方式与成岩过程,提供了难得的研究实例。     

准噶尔盆地东部沙帐地区中二叠统平地泉组一段致密油源储组合模式

综合利用录井、镜下薄片及压汞等资料,对准噶尔盆地东部沙帐地区中二叠统平地泉组一段致密油储集层岩性、储集空间和孔隙结构等特征进行了分析,在此基础上结合平一段致密油纵向岩性组合特征及源储关系,总结了平一段致密油源储组合模式。研究发现平一段致密油储集层岩性以碎屑岩为主,云质类岩石次之,储层孔隙结构具"粗态型"、"偏细态型"和"细态型",储集空间表现为常规孔隙与纳米孔隙并存;平一段源储组合表现为"泥包砂"、"砂包泥"和"砂泥互层"。研究表明:平一段储集层表现为致密储层特征,纳米孔喉是致密油储层的主体孔喉,平一段致密油具有源储一体型、源储交接型和源储隔离型三类组合模式。     

上扬子会泽地区早三叠世飞仙关组砂岩物源特征:来自重矿物铬尖晶石和碎屑锆石的限定

上扬子会泽地区早三叠世飞仙关组主要为河流相的紫红色砂岩,物源主要来自于西部和西北部。碎屑重矿物组合表明物源主要来自于岩浆岩,且重矿物中发现大量碎屑铬尖晶石和锆石。本文运用电子探针微区成分分析和碎屑锆石U-Pb测年方法,对上扬子早三叠世飞仙关组砂岩中铬尖晶石和碎屑锆石进行分析。铬尖晶石电子探针化学成分分析显示,其具有高铬、低Fe~(3+)和高TiO_2含量的特征,源岩分析指示这些铬尖晶石来源于与洋岛/板内、岛弧以及大火成岩省相关的火成岩。同时,碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄测定表明,飞仙关组的物源主要来自于248~272Ma和715~997Ma的岩浆岩。铬尖晶石和碎屑锆石综合分析表明,248~272Ma的物源岩石具有大火成岩省玄武岩特征,主要为峨眉山玄武岩及同期基性侵入岩;715~997M的物源为洋岛/板内玄武岩类,主要为研究区周缘与新元古代苏雄组及其同期的岩浆岩;铬尖晶石指示的岛弧性质物源则可能源自1000~1100Ma的岩浆岩。同时,碎屑锆石还指示古元古代和早寒武世发育岩浆作用,且存在古老的新太古代结晶基底。这些资料为上扬子地区构造演化提供了沉积学的证据。