Climatic and sea‐level control of Jurassic (Pliensbachian) clay mineral sedimentation in the Cardigan Bay Basin,Llanbedr (Mochras Farm) borehole,Wales

Early Jurassic climate is characterized by alternating cold and warm periods highlighted by studies based notably on oxygen isotopes measured on belemnite guards and other marine invertebrate shells. These climatic changes include changes in the hydrological cycle, and consequently weathering and runoff conditions. In order to clarify the erosion and weathering conditions during the Pliensbachian, this study determined the mineralogical composition of the clay fraction of 132 samples taken from the entire stage drilled in the Llanbedr (Mochras Farm) borehole (Cardigan Bay Basin). The clay mineral assemblages are composed of various proportions of chlorite, illite, illite/smectite mixed‐layers (R1 I–S), smectite and kaolinite, with possibly occasional traces of berthierine. The occurrence of abundant smectite indicates that the maximum burial temperature never exceeded 70°C. Consequently, clay minerals are considered mainly detrital, and their fluctuations likely reflect environmental changes. The variations in the proportions of smectite and kaolinite are opposite to each other. Kaolinite is particularly abundant at the base of the jamesoni Zone, in part coinciding with the δ¹³C negative excursion corresponding to the Sinemurian/Pliensbachian Boundary Event, and through the davoei Zone, whilst smectite is abundant in the upper part of jamesoni and base of ibex zones and through the subnodosus/gibbosus subzones of the margaritatus Zone. The kaolinite‐rich intervals reflect an intensification of hydrolysis and an acceleration of the hydrological cycle, while the smectite‐rich intervals indicate a more arid climate. The spinatum Zone is characterized by a distinct clay assemblage with abundant primary minerals, R1 I–S, kaolinite reworked from previously deposited sediments or from Palaeozoic rocks, and probably berthierine originating from contemporaneous ironstone‐generating environments of shallower waters. This mineralogical change by the end of the Pliensbachian likely reflects a transition from a dominant chemical weathering to a deeper physical erosion of the continent, probably related to a significant sea‐level fall consistent with a glacio‐eustatic origin.     

鄂尔多斯盆地北部中生代中晚期地层碎屑锆石U-Pb定年与物源示踪

本文采用LA-ICP-MS碎屑锆石原位微区测年方法,对鄂尔多斯盆地北部杭锦旗地区中侏罗统直罗组和下白垩统志丹群进行了砂岩碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄分布及其变化特征研究,统计和对比了前人对该区周缘岩体的同位素年代学结果,结合区域构造背景,系统地研究了盆地北部直罗组及志丹群地层物源及其演变。结果表明:(1)4个直罗组样品和2个志丹群样品锆石年龄总体呈现出270~280Ma、320~340Ma、1800~2000Ma、2300~2500Ma 4个峰值年龄段,在志丹群样品中出现有少量230~240Ma锆石年龄;(2)杭锦旗地区上述砂岩的物源主要来自阴山、大青山—乌拉山的片麻岩、麻粒岩、孔兹岩以及形成于海西期的中酸性侵入岩,同时也有狼山地区岩体、集宁地区孔兹岩的一部分贡献;(3)1800~2000Ma、2300~2500Ma峰值年龄均为华北克拉通基底构造热事件的反映,270~280Ma、320~340Ma两个峰值年龄可能记录了早石炭世—中二叠世古亚洲洋向华北板块北缘的两次快速俯冲事件;(4)下白垩统志丹群样品中出现的230~240Ma的锆石,指示晚侏罗世的燕山运动在盆地北缘引起的强烈逆冲推覆造山作用使得印支期侵入岩被抬升至地表并遭受剥蚀,从而为研究区地层进一步增加了来自蚀源区印支期侵入岩的物源;(5)与中侏罗统直罗组样品相比,下白垩统志丹群样品在2300~2500Ma峰值测点所占比例明显增加,这可能是由于早白垩世时期盆地北部沉积边界较中侏罗世相对扩展,使来自阴山的物源比例增加。     

西藏羌塘南缘青草山北花岗闪长岩锆石U-Pb年代学、地球化学特征及其成矿意义

青草山北花岗闪长岩体位于班公湖-怒江缝合带北侧、羌塘陆块南缘,呈岩脉、岩株状与晚二叠世龙格组碳酸盐岩呈侵入接触。本文对该花岗闪长岩的锆石进行了LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年代学和岩石地球化学研究,其岩浆锆石U-Pb年龄为154.8±1.2Ma(MSWD=1.7),属晚侏罗世,与热那错埃达克质英安岩年龄高度一致,岩石地球化学特征显示,青草山北花岗闪长岩属于准铝质、高钾钙碱性系列,富集轻稀土元素、大离子亲石元素,亏损重稀土元素、高场强元素,具弱Eu负异常,显示出典型岛弧岩浆岩特征;锆石原位微量元素分析表明,锆石总体富集重稀土,相对亏损轻稀土,在锆石Nb/Ta-Y图解中样品点落入金伯利岩区域,而在岩石地球化学构造环境判别图解中,样品点同样指示其可能来源于幔源岩浆。青草山北花岗闪长岩班公湖-怒江洋壳晚侏罗世北向俯冲到一定深度后,俯冲洋壳发生部分熔融,形成的岩浆在上升的过程中与地幔楔发生混染,其中,部分岩浆在侵位的过程中形成中酸性的花岗闪长质岩浆房,部分岩浆则喷出地表,形成热那错组英安岩。     

木里煤田聚乎更矿区天然气水合物气源探讨

木里煤田位于青藏高原东北缘,近年在木里煤田聚乎更矿区中侏罗统窑街组中发现了天然气水合物。为了对天然气水合物气源类型做出客观认识,本文对木里煤田聚乎更矿区中侏罗统窑街组烃源岩样品的有机质丰度、有机质类型、有机质热演化程度进行了详细研究,并在此基础上对比了研究区天然气水合物、煤层气中烷烃气的异同,最终确定研究区天然气水合物成因类型和气源。结果表明:(1)研究区中侏罗统窑街组的泥质烃源岩有机质丰度较高,属好生油岩,有机质类型属于Ⅰ型干酪根,Ro值在0.65%～1.32%之间,有机质热演化程度达到了石油伴生气阶段;(2)天然气水合物烷烃气碳同位素特征显示大部分烷烃气呈现正碳同位素特征系列,相同碳数的天然气水合物烷烃气碳同位素较煤层气轻,天然气水合物烷烃气中甲烷含量相对煤层气较低,且天然气水合物烷烃气δ13 C2值均小于-28‰,属于油型气;(3)中侏罗统窑街组烃源岩碳同位素特征与天然气水合物的碳同位素具有高度一致性,表明研究区天然气水合物气源主要来自于中侏罗统窑街组的湖相泥岩和油页岩。     

The earliest Jurassic A-type granite in the Nanling Range of southeastern South China: petrogenesis and geological implications

The tectonic transition from the palaeo-Tethyan to palaeo-Pacific dynamic domains in the South China Block (SCB) is still a matter of debate. The A-type granites collected from the southeastern SCB offered an opportunity to illustrate this tectonic transition. This article records a set of petrographic, geochronological, and geochemical data for the Wengong granitic pluton from the eastern Nanling Range. LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating shows a crystallization age of 196.9 ± 4.4 Ma with ε_Hf(t) values ranging from +2.1 to +7.7. The samples have high SiO₂, Zr+Nb+Ce+Y, FeOt/MgO, Ga/Al, and Y/Nb and are depleted in Nb–Ta, Zr–Hf, Ba, Sr, Ti, and Eu, similar to those of the A₂-type granite. Their initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios range from 0.70885 to 0.70983 and the ε_Nd(t) values range from ?2.9 to ?1.1, close to those of the Early Palaeozoic mafic rocks in the southeastern SCB. The Wengong A₂-type granite was derived from partial melting of the mafic rocks underplated into the lower crust during the Early Palaeozoic.

The Mesozoic A-type granites in the southeastern SCB can be subdivided into 229–215 Ma (Late Triassic), 197–152 Ma (Jurassic), and 135–92 Ma (Cretaceous). They differ in geochemical and spatial distribution characteristics. The Late Triassic A-type granites were formed in the post-collision extensional setting associated with the palaeo-Tethyan dynamic domain, whereas the Cretaceous A-type granites were under the control of the palaeo-Pacific dynamic domain. The A-type granites were hardly exposed during the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic and Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous. The Jurassic A-type granites were formed in the intra-plate extensional setting, a response to the tectonic transition from the palaeo-Tethyan to palaeo-Pacific dynamic domains. Thus, the occurrence of the Wengong A₂-type granite indicates that this tectonic transition possibly initiated at the earliest Early Jurassic.     

The mechanism of barrier river reaches in the middle and lower Yangtze River

Alluvial channel has always adjusted itself to the equilibrium state of sediment transport after it was artificially or naturally disturbed. How to maintain the equilibrium state of sediment transport and keep the river regime stable has always been the concerns of fluvial geomorphologists. The channel in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is characterized by the staggered distribution of the bifurcated river and the single-thread river. The change of river regime is more violently in the bifurcated river than in the single-thread river. Whether the adjustment of the river regime in the bifurcated river can pass through the single-thread river and propagate to the downstream reaches affects the stabilities of the overall river regime. Studies show that the barrier river reach can block the upstream channel adjustment from propagating to the downstream reaches; therefore, it plays a key role in stabilizing the river regime. This study investigates 34 single-thread river reaches in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. On the basis of the systematic summarization of the fluvial process of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the control factors of barrier river reach are summarized and extracted: the planar morphology of single-thread and meandering; with no flow deflecting node distributed in the upper or middle part of the river reach; the hydraulic geometric coefficient is less than 4; the longitudinal gradient is greater than 12‰, the clay content of the concave bank is greater than 9.5%, and the median diameter of the bed sediment is greater than 0.158 mm. From the Navier-Stokes equation, the calculation formula of the bending radius of flow dynamic axis is deduced, and then the roles of these control factors on restricting the migration of the flow dynamic axis and the formation of the barrier river reach are analyzed. The barrier river reach is considered as such when the ratio of the migration force of the flow dynamic axis to the constraint force of the channel boundary is less than 1 under different flow levels. The mechanism of the barrier river reach is such that even when the upstream river regime adjusts, the channel boundary of this reach can always constrain the migration amplitude of the flow dynamic axis and centralize the planar position of the main stream line under different upstream river regime conditions, providing a relatively stable incoming flow conditions for the downstream reaches, thereby blocking the upstream river regime adjustment from propagating to the downstream reaches.     

New Evidence of Sauropod Dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic Period of Thailand

The oldest dinosaur assemblages of Thailand deposit in continental sedimentary rocks of the Nam Phong Formation. Not only Isanosaurus attavipatchi was discovered but at least two more species of basal sauropods were found. A partial skeleton from Phu Hin Tan locality refers to sauropod taxon A. It is different from Isanosaurus and shares some characteristics with basal sauropods in the Early Jurassic. The sauropod taxon B was found in Non Sra Ard locality. Base on postcranial skeleton, sauropod taxon B shares some characteristics of the family Vulcanodontidae. Moreover, several fragments of the sauropods specimen are also found in Pha Khok Wang Yang and Phu Noi localities. All of the evidences above indicate that there are a highly diversity of sauropods in the Nam Phong Formation. At least three sauropod species (including Isanosaurus) were found in the Nam Phong formation. The issue about the age of the Nam Phong has been debated for a long time between the Triassic and Jurassic age. All of sauropodomorphs, in this study, are more likely the Early Jurassic period dinosaurs than the Triassic period dinosaurs. And they have deposited in the upper part of Nam Phong Formation.     

The Loppio Oolitic Limestone (Early Jurassic,Southern Alps): A prograding oolitic body with high original porosity originated by a carbonate platform crisis and recovery

The Loppio Oolitic Limestone is a lithostratigraphic unit of the Early Jurassic Trento Platform in the Southern Alps, Northern Italy, which deposited over an area of ca. 3500 km². It appears as a roughly tabular or wedge-shaped sedimentary body with thickness gradually increasing from 0 to ca. 100 m toward the western platform margin. We investigated the sedimentology, petrography and bulk carbonate carbon isotope geochemistry of the Loppio Oolitic Limestone in order to shed light on its depositional setting and origin. The Loppio Oolitic Limestone is made almost exclusively of oolitic grainstone, and can be subdivided in two parts. In the lower part, ooids are poorly sorted and sedimentary structures are scarce or absent. In the upper part, sorting becomes good and sedimentary structures are common. The vertical succession of sedimentary structures and the upward increase in sorting suggest a shallowing upward trend within the oolite. A reddened surface, meteoric cements and dinosaur footprints occur at the top of the unit, testifying for a subaerial exposure which is also confirmed by carbon and oxygen stable isotopic data. In terms of sequence stratigraphy, the Loppio Oolitic Limestone represents a Highstand Systems Tract, bounded at the top by a subaerial exposure surface. Bulk carbonate stable carbon isotope curves across the Loppio Oolitic Limestone from 7 stratigraphic sections could be correlated over distances of tens of km on the whole Trento Platform. This correlation suggests that the deposition of ooids was nearly synchronous across the platform. A negative excursion of carbon isotopes with magnitude of ca. 1‰ VPDB was identified within a lime mudstone unit (“Nodular lithozone” of the Monte Zugna Formation) immediately below the Loppio Oolitic Limestone, which can be correlated to a global perturbation of the carbon cycle in the mid-Sinemurian. The flooding of a wide area of formerly peritidal carbonate platform below the wave base was interpreted as due to an ecological crisis that caused a drop of carbonate production. We suggest that the subsequent recovery of carbonate production is marked by the shallowing upward succession of the Loppio Oolitic Limestone, which quickly occupied the accommodation space formed in consequence of the crisis, thus preventing the platform drowning. The Loppio Oolitic Limestone deposited as an initially highly porous oolitic sand that was then topped by a clayey interval (base of the Rotzo Formation), giving origin to a structural and stratigraphic configuration that could be favourable for the accumulation of hydrocarbons in the subsurface. The recurrence of similar facies superpositions, formed in consequence of perturbations of the carbon cycle with documented climatic effects, is discussed with regard to the Tethysian record of Mesozoic carbonate platforms.     

A new TOC,Rock-Eval,and carbon isotope record of Lower Jurassic source rocks from the Slyne Basin,offshore Ireland

This paper presents an integrated assessment of total organic carbon, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, carbonate δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O, and total organic carbon δ¹³C record of Upper Sinemurian–Aalenian age from the Slyne Basin (well 18/25-1), offshore Ireland. Total organic carbon (up to 5.2 wt%) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis data highlights the Portree Shale Formation Equivalent (Lower–?Middle Toarcian) as a mature (T_max ∼440 °C) source rock dominated by type II kerogens. This interval is more than 90 m thick.In a previously unexplored paleogeographical domain regarding stable carbon isotopes, the δ¹³C record shows positive values during the Upper Sinemurian, a negative trend followed by a minor positive trend during the uppermost Sinemurian–Lower Pliensbachian, a negative trend during the lowermost Lower Toarcian, and then the return to more positive δ¹³C values. Despite the biostratigraphic uncertainty, the coarse resolution of the dataset, and the complex assessment of diagenetic effects, we suggest that the δ¹³C record of the studied well records the Raricostatum Zone positive CIE, the Sinemurian-Pliensbachian Boundary Event, and the negative CIE associated with the T-OAE. The T-OAE positive CIE is not clearly defined in the obtained dataset. The slight post T-OAE negative CIE recovery to more positive values and the continuation of a relatively high organic content is coeval with a regional organic matter preservation interval observed in several Northern-European locations.These new datasets and their interpretation add to the understanding of the paleoenvironmental dynamics during the Early–?Middle Jurassic in the Northern European domain and opens new possibilities for hydrocarbon exploration in Ireland's offshore.     

Geochemistry,reservoir characterization and hydrocarbon generation potential of lacustrine shales: A case of YQ-1 well in the Yuqia Coalfield,northern Qaidam Basin,NW China

Ever since a breakthrough of marine shales in China, lacustrine shales have been attracting by the policy makers and scientists. Organic-rich shales of the Middle Jurassic strata are widely distributed in the Yuqia Coalfield of northern Qaidam Basin. In this paper, a total of 42 shale samples with a burial depth ranging from 475.5 m to 658.5 m were collected from the Shimengou Formation in the YQ-1 shale gas borehole of the study area, including 16 samples from the Lower Member and 26 samples from the Upper Member. Geochemistry, reservoir characteristics and hydrocarbon generation potential of the lacustrine shales in YQ-1 well were preliminarily investigated using the experiments of vitrinite reflectance measurement, maceral identification, mineralogical composition, carbon stable isotope, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, methane isothermal adsorption and rock eval pyrolysis. The results show that the Shimengou shales have rich organic carbon (averaged 3.83%), which belong to a low thermal maturity stage with a mean vitrinite reflectance (R_o) of 0.49% and an average pyrolytic temperature of the generated maximum remaining hydrocarbon (T_max) of 432.8 °C. Relative to marine shales, the lacustrine shales show low brittleness index (averaged 34.9) but high clay contents (averaged 55.1%), high total porosities (averaged 13.71%) and great Langmuir volumes (averaged 4.73 cm⁻³ g). Unlike the marine and marine-transitional shales, the quartz contents and brittleness index (BI) values of the lacustrine shales first decrease then increase with the rising TOC contents. The kerogens from the Upper Member shales are dominant by the oil-prone types, whereas the kerogens from the Lower Member shales by the gas-prone types. The sedimentary environment of the shales influences the TOC contents, thus has a close connection with the hydrocarbon potential, mineralogical composition, kerogen types and pore structure. Additionally, in terms of the hydrocarbon generation potential, the Upper Member shales are regarded as very good and excellent rocks whereas the Lower Member shales mainly as poor and fair rocks. In overall, the shales in the top of the Upper Member can be explored for shale oil due to the higher free hydrocarbon amount (S₁), whereas the shales in the Lower Member and the Upper Member, with the depths greater than 1000 m, can be suggested to explore shale gas.