On the use of geochronology of detrital grains in determining the time of deposition of clastic sedimentary strata

Placing geologic events in a temporal framework is essential to telling the story of Earth history. However, clastic sedimentary rocks can be difficult to date in an absolute reference because they are made up of grains that are older than the rock in which they are now found, and some clastic rocks do not contain fossils that allow precise reference to the Geologic Timescale. For such rocks, the isotopic dating of detrital minerals can be used to estimate the time of deposition; the clastic rock must be younger than the youngest grain analysed. However, many researchers eschew this simple and straightforward approach in favour of schemes that estimate the maximum allowable depositional age as the weighted mean of the age of several grains, chosen by a variety of selection criteria. This is a mistake; in the absence of a geochemical resemblance apart from the similarity of their age, detrital grains should not be assumed to have originated in the same system and therefore any averaging or other manipulation of such data is statistically invalid and produces results without geologic significance. In the absence of interbedded volcanic rocks or index fossils, dating of detrital minerals can be an important aid in understanding the time of deposition of clastic rocks, but the best estimate will come from taking note of the youngest single grain and not by inappropriately averaging data.     

Climatically controlled lacustrine clinoforms: Theory and modelling results

Lacustrine basins and their deposits are good paleoclimate recorders and contain rich energy resources. Shelf-margin clinoforms do exist in deep lacustrine basins, but with striking differences from those in deep marine basins, caused by a correlation between the river-derived sediment supply and the lake level. This study uses empirical relationships to calculate the water and sediment discharge from rivers and coeval lake level during wet–dry cycles at 10 s of ky time scale. Sediment supply and lake-level changes are used for a stratigraphic forward model to understand how lacustrine clinoforms develop under different climate conditions. The results show that both wet and dry cycles can be associated with thick deep-water fan deposits, supporting the existing climate-driven lacustrine model proposed based on field data (e.g. Neogene Pannonian Basin and Eocene Uinta Basin). The wet period with high sediment supply and rising lake level creates the highly aggradational shelf, progradational slope and thick bottomset deposits. This is contrary from marine basin settings where the presence of rising shelf-margin trajectory commonly indicates limited deep-water fan deposits. This work suggests marine-based stratigraphic models cannot be directly applied to lacustrine basins.     

环境演变研究时间序列的建立方法评述

对环境演变时间序列建立的几种主要方法的纪年原理、应用状况及应用的优点、范围、局限性进行了阐述和比较，包括长寿命宇宙成因核素在内的同位素纪年方法主要判别第四纪以来大时间尺主的沉积物的地质年龄，且能很好地应用于全球变化的研究，但百余年来沉积物的年龄及侵蚀历史变化的研究只能通过^210Pbex、^137Cs等半衰期相对较短的核素来进行；指出^210Pbex可望在现代流域侵蚀环境演变以及其效应评价的研究中获得新的突破。     

Characterisation and preliminary quantification of the methane reservoir in a coastal sedimentary source: San Simón Bay,Ría de Vigo,NW Spain

Ría de Vigo is a river valley flooded by the sea, with a bay (San Simón Bay) at its innermost part. The accumulation of Holocene sediment in San Simón Bay has been studied by the integration of 1) large scale high resolution seismic data, and 2) detailed geochemical analysis of a gravity core. In San Simón Bay the majority of the seismic records are obscured by acoustic turbidity which represents gassy sediments, but on records from Rande Strait it is possible to distinguish two Quaternary seismic sequences; an Upper Pleistocene sequence (SQ1) and a Holocene sequence (SQ2). Only SQ2 is recognized in San Simón Bay where it is comprised of two seismic units; the upper unit represents the HST sediment, i.e. the period of highest sea level. A gravity core taken within the gassy zone at 10 m water depth provided 3.55 m of fine-grained sediments (muds) from the youngest seismic unit (4 m thick). Geochemical analysis show high values (4 to 10%) of TOC. Sediment and porewater analyses indicate a distinct sulphate–methane transition zone (SMTZ) between 60 and 80 cm where sulphate is depleted (to <1.7 mM) and methane increases (to >0.4 mM). The top of the acoustic turbidity (the gas front) at 80 cm corresponds to the lower limit of the SMTZ. The methane cannot have been derived from the underlying metamorphic and granitic rocks, but was probably derived by microbial degradation of the organic matter in the Holocene sediments. We estimate that the sediments of the Bay contain approximately 1.8 × 10⁶ m³ of organic carbon and 275 ton of methane.     

黄河口现代海洋沉积高分辨率地震地层学研究

本文运用地震地层学的知识,结合KDG2和S3钻孔资料,对2002年得到的现代黄河口地区的浅地层地震剖面进行了分析解释,共划分出中更新世以来11个地震地层单元,对每个地震地层单元进行了地震相的有关描述,对剖面上出现的地质现象给予了合理推测和详细分析,并结合相邻的钻孔资料,与全球冰期进行对比,构筑了黄河口地区晚第四纪以来地层的沉积模式。     

碳、氧、锶同位素在羌塘盆地龙尾错地区层序地层研究中的应用

结合野外露头层序地层研究,探讨了羌塘盆地龙尾错地区中上侏罗统地层层序地层划分及其C、O、Sr同位素响应.认为自中侏罗统布曲组(J2b)-上侏罗统雪山组一段(J3xs1)可划分出三个三级层序.其中布曲组-索瓦组二段下部,C、O、Sr同位素在同一层序内呈有规律变化:在TST体系域内δ13C、δ18O、87Sr/86Sr均值较高,在纵向变化曲线上表现为正偏,而在HST体系域内表现为相对的负偏.其纵向上的三次明显正偏与负偏可分别对应于三次海底的停滞与扩张.文章同时分析了个别异常样品的数据特征及其成因.     

塔里木盆地北部古生界密集段分布型式与海平面变化的关系

塔里木盆地北部震旦纪－古生代层序地层格架中,发育着６个可作为生油层的大型密集段或复合密集段。密集段在层序格架中有４种叠置型式,即进积组合,退积组合,加积组合和上超组合。不同的叠置型对应于不同的海平面变化过程。相应地,密集段的发育规模及时空展布有着明显的差别,其中,在退积层序组合和进积层序组合中,密集段垂向上相互叠置,侧向上彼此邻接,构成层数与厚度复杂多变的复合密集段,是盆地中的主力生油层。     

塔里木盆地北部库车坳陷白垩系层序地层与体系域特征

结合露头和钻井资料对库车坳陷白垩系进行了层序地层划分，共分出1个一级层序、3个二级层序、8个三级层序，对其体系域的构成及其纵、横向变化特征进行了讨论。结果表明，沉积物主要来自北部的天山造山带；盆地及其充填层序的南北不对称性，反映了白垩纪库车坳陷的性质具有前陆盆地的特征。在苏善组的2个层位发现了厚度达10－20m的暗色泥岩，反映本区白垩纪的干热型气候曾间歇性出现过短暂的潮湿时期。     

Miocene facies associations and sedimentary evolution of the Southern Transylvanian Basin (Romania): Implications for hydrocarbon exploration

The Transylvanian Basin is a mature hydrocarbon province of Romania characterized by two petroleum systems: Mesozoic (thermogenic) and Miocene (biogenic). An extensive outcrop-based sedimentological and micropaleontological study correlated to seismic and well data discusses the elements of the Miocene petroleum system. The facies associations are indicative of alluvial, fandelta, shallow- and deep-marine settings. These are grouped into four different depositional systems (evaporite, mud-carbonate, sand-mud and sand-gravel). Their evolution in time and space shows large differences between various parts of the basin that have important consequences for exploration.     

Seismic stratigraphy and subsidence analysis of the southern Brazilian margin (Campos,Santos and Pelotas basins)

The Campos, Santos and Pelotas basins have been investigated in terms of 2D seismo-stratigraphy and subsidence. The processes controlling accommodation space (e.g. eustacy, subsidence, sediment input) and the evolution of the three basins are discussed. Depositional seismic sequences in the syn-rift Barremian to the drift Holocene basin fill have been identified. In addition, the subsidence/uplift history has been numerically modeled including (i) sediment flux, (ii) sedimentary basin framework, (iii) relation to plate-tectonic reconfigurations, and (iv) mechanism of crustal extension. Although the initial rift development of the three basins is very similar, basin architecture, sedimentary infill and distribution differ considerably during the syn-rift sag to the drift basin stages. After widespread late Aptian–early Albian salt and carbonate deposition, shelf retrogradation dominated in the Campos Basin, whereas shelf progradation occurred in the Santos Basin. In the Tertiary, these basin fill styles were reversed: since the Paleogene, shelf progradation in the Campos Basin contrasts with overall retrogradation in the Santos Basin. In contrast, long-term Cretaceous–Paleogene shelf retrogradation and intense Neogene progradation characterize the Pelotas Basin. Its specific basin fill and architecture mainly resulted from the absence of salt deposition and deformation. These temporally and spatially varying successions were controlled by specific long-term subsidence/uplift trends. Onshore and offshore tectonism in the Campos and Santos basins affected the sediment flux history, distribution of the main depocenters and occurrence of hydrocarbon stratigraphic–structural traps. This is highlighted by the exhumation and erosion of the Serra do Mar, Serra da Mantiqueira and Ponta Grossa Arch in the hinterland, as well as salt tectonics in the offshore domain. The Pelotas Basin was less affected by changes in structural regimes until the Eocene, when the Andean orogeny caused uplift of the source areas. Flexural loading largely controlled its development and potential hydrocarbon traps are mainly stratigraphic.