Abstract:

Abstract:

Abstract:The fundamental theoretical framework of the Multisphere Tectonics of the Earth System is as follows: (1) It intends to extend the geotectonic studies from the crustal and lithospheric tectonics to the multisphere tectonics of the Earth system as a whole. (2) The global dynamics driven by both the Earth system and the cosmic celestial system: solar energy, multispheric interactions of the Earth system and the combined effects of the motions of celestial bodies in the cosmos system are the driving forces of various geological processes. (3) The Continent-Ocean transformation theory: the continent and ocean are two opposite yet unified geological units, which can be transformed into each other; neither continent nor ocean will survive forever; there is no one-way development of continental accretion or ocean extinction; the simple theory of one-way continental accretion is regarded as invalid. (4) The continental crust and mantle are characterized by multiple layers, with different layers liable to slide along the interfaces between them, but corroboration is needed that continents move as a whole or even drift freely. (5) The cyclic evolution theory: the development of Earth’s tectonics is not a uniform change, but a spiral forward evolution, characterized by a combination of non-uniform, non-linear, gradual and catastrophic changes; different evolutionary stages (tectonic cycles) of Earth have distinctive global tectonic patterns and characteristics, one tectonic model should not be applied to different tectonic cycles or evolutionary stages. (6) The structure and evolution of Earth are asymmetric and heterogeneous, thus one tectonic model cannot be applied to different areas of the world. (7) The polycyclic evolution of the continental crust: the continental crust is formed by polycyclic tectonics and magmatism, rather than simply lateral or vertical accretion. (8) The role of deep faults: the deep fault zones cutting through different layers of the crust and mantle usually play important roles in tectonic evolution. For example, the present-day mid-ocean ridge fault zones, transform fault zones and Benioff zones outline the global tectonic framework. Different tectonic cycles and stages of Earth’s evolution must have their own distinctive deep fault systems which control the global tectonic framework and evolutionary processes during different tectonic cycles and stages. Starting from the two mantle superplumes Jason (Pacific) and Tuzo (Africa), the study of the evolutionary process of the composition and structure of the crust and mantle during the great transformation and reorganization of the Meso-Cenozoic tectonic framework in China and the other regions of Asia is a good demonstration of theory of Multisphere Tectonics of the Earth System.

Abstract:With the deepening of oil and gas exploration, the importance of depth is increasingly highlighted. The risk of preservation of storage space in deep reservoirs is greater than that in shallow and medium layers. Deep layers mean older strata, more complex structural evolution and more complex hydrocarbon accumulation processes, and even adjustment and transformation of oil and gas reservoirs. This paper systematically investigates the current status and research progress of deep oil and gas exploration around the world and looks forward to the future research focus of deep oil and gas. In the deep, especially the ultra-deep layers, carbonate reservoirs play a more important role than clastic rocks. Karst, fault?karst and dolomite reservoirs are the main types of deep and ultra-deep reservoirs. The common feature of most deep large and medium-sized oil and gas reservoirs is that they formed in the early with shallow depth. Fault activity and evolution of trap highs are the main ways to cause physical adjustment of oil and gas reservoirs. Crude oil cracking and thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) are the main chemical modification effects in the reservoir. Large-scale high-quality dolomite reservoirs is the main direction of deep oil and gas exploration. Accurate identification of oil and gas charging, adjustment and reformation processes is the key to understanding deep oil and gas distribution. High-precision detection technology and high-precision dating technology are an important guarantee for deep oil and gas research.

Abstract:

Abstract:Hexangulaconulariids, an extinct family of medusozoan small shelly fossils (SSFs), were a conspicuous component of early Cambrian, shallow marine platform communities in South China. Described herein is Septuconularia crassiformis sp. nov. from Bed 5 of the Yanjiahe Formation (Cambrian Stage 2) in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province. The new species differs from the type and only other known species, S. yanjiaheensis, in the shape of the abapical portion and in the degree of curvature of the adapertural margin. The anatomy of the apical portion of the new species is unknown. The diagnosis of the genus Septuconularia is emended and the spatio-temporal distribution of hexangulaconulariids in South China is summarized. Finally, S. yanjiaheensis, with its slit-like aperture and very narrow transverse cross-section, may have been better adapted to the shallow platform environment than the broader S. crassiformis, which appears to have been less common than the type species.

Abstract:Ceratodus is a form genus of ceratodontid lungfishes. Until now, only 14 specimens have been reported from the Mesozoic of China. Detailed measurements and characteristic comparisons based on 15 well-preserved lungfish tooth plates of Ceratodus type, uncovered from the upper member of the Upper Jurassic Shaximiao Formation at Luojiashan, Qianfeng District, Guang'an, Sichuan Province in 2019, allow us to establish a new species, Ceratodus guanganensis sp. nov., on the basis of its small swollen irregular triangular tooth plate with four low and swollen radial crests on the occlusal surface without denticles. Other specimens from the same locality can be referred to C. szechuanensis and C. youngi. This is the first discovery of Ceratodus in the Guang'an region and represents the fifth Ceratodus fossil site in the Sichuan Basin. The discovery indicates that the climate was hot and arid in the Sichuan Basin during the Late Jurassic, and reveals a tectonic paleogeographic relationship between the Yangtze block in southwestern China and the Kola Basin in northern Thailand.

Abstract:Seafloor irregularities influence rupture behavior along the subducting slab and in the overriding plate, thus affecting earthquake cycles. Whether seafloor irregularities increase the likelihood of large earthquakes in a subduction zone remains contested, partially due to focus put either on fault development or on rupture pattern. Here, we simulate a subducting slab with a seafloor irregularity and the resulting deformation pattern of the overriding plate using the discrete element method. Our simulations illustrate the rupture along three major fault systems: megathrust, splay and backthrust faults. Our results show different rupture dimensions of earthquake events varying from tens to ca. 140 km. Our results suggest that the recurrence interval of megathrust events with rupture length of ca. 100 km is ca. 140 years, which is overall comparable to the paleoseismic records at the Mentawai area of the Sumatran zone. We further propose the coseismic slip amounts decrease and interseismic slip amounts increase from the surface downwards gradually.

Abstract:The northern Wuyi metallogenic belt contains many polymetallic deposits associated with the Pingxiang–Guangfeng–Jiangshan–Shaoxing Fault (PSF). To study how the PSF has controlled the near-surface mineralization during tectono-magmatic events, a magnetotelluric survey was conducted in the region and a reliable 2D crustal resistivity model was developed. From this model, we inferred that the PSF is characterized by a continuous low-resistivity belt that extends from the surface to the lower crust in the study area and connects to a large conductor in the lower crust. Moreover, the crustal fluid fraction and pressure gradient estimated by our resistivity model exhibited a conspicuous anomaly at the PSF; thus, a material migration model was proposed to explain the source and migration channels of fluids during mineralization. We attributed the Mesozoic minerogenesis to the PSF rework and found that deep fluids were formed in the lower crust and migrated upward through the PSF to the uppermost crust, thereby controlling the large-scale metallogenic belt in the northern Wuyi area. Moreover, we proposed that the formation of mineral system can be divided into three stages, including initially structural formation, structural rework and the migration of ore-bearing fluids.

Abstract:Calculated Bouguer gravity anomalies from the Andean orogenic belt interpreted as derived from regional gravity data to aid understanding of the lithospheric structure and tectonic evolution of the belt. These anomalies reveal lithospheric structures distributed throughout the belt, including linear and circular structures. NE-trending structures reflect sinistral transpression across the northern part of the belt, and NW-trending structures represent dextral transtension in the southern part. These results are supported by gravity-anomaly patterns that demonstrate mantle flow in a trench-parallel direction both northward and southward away from the stagnation band that is beneath the subducting Nazca slab. This mantle flow has served as an important driving force in the evolution of the Andean orogenic belt. Features of the modified tectonic model of the Andean orogenic belt are consistent with the spatial variation in and interpretation of Bouguer gravity anomalies.

Abstract:The Qilian–Haiyuan fault zone in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau has been the source of strong earthquakes in the region. In its middle segment, the Jinqianghe fault is an important active fault within the Tianzhu seismic gap; however, little is known about its slip behavior. To present a new horizontal displacement distribution along this fault, we used WorldView-2 stereo pairs and unmanned aerial vehicle-based photogrammetry to construct digital elevation models to obtain a detailed tectono-geomorphic interpretation and geomorphic offsets. The offset marker measurements yielded 135 geomorphic displacements and 8 offset clusters. Radiocarbon dating was used to establish the regional age sequence of the geomorphic units in offset fluvial terraces at four study sites. The displacements and ages linked the offset clusters with the geomorphic unit sequence; the Holocene strike-slip rate of the Jinqianghe fault was estimated to 4.8–5.6 mm/a at ~4–12 ka and 2.9–4.7 mm/a from ~4 ka. Three recent earthquakes (with a recurrence interval of ~1000 years) represent an active seismic period, revealing the potential seismic hazard along this fault because it has not ruptured in the last 1500 years.

Abstract:This study focuses on the nature of giant micas occurring at the contact between the ?zvatan (foid-bearing) syenites and the metamorphic basement in Central Anatolia. The studied micas are dark greenish-black in color and crystallized within vein shape like bodies as a narrow lens. The origin and processes responsible for the formation of these independent crystals of the giant micas were investigated by mineralogical, petrographical and geochemical analyses with the use of Confocal Raman Spectroscopy (CRS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Polarized Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (PED-XRF) and Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA). According to XRD, CRS, FTIR and EPMA data, the giant micas are phlogopite. EPMA results reveal that studied mica minerals represent the products of re-equilibrated primary mica characterized by high MgO and FeO and low Al2O3 and TiO2 contents. The trace element concentrations of the giant micas display similar patterns with the upper crust. The giant micas are crystallized within small cubicles from an alkaline magma and their composition is possibly modified by a mixing event between the crust- and mantle-derived magmas and contaminated at varying extent by the basement metamorphic rocks.

Abstract:The Changning–Menglian Belt represents the main Paleo-Tethyan Suture in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, which divides Gondwana- and Eurasia-derived continental fragments from each other. The belt contains ultramafic–mafic volcanic rocks that provide evidence of the tectonic processes which operated during the evolution of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean. New geochemical data for Early Carboniferous volcanics in the southern Changning–Menglian Belt show that wehrlites have cumulate and poikilitic textures, and contain low-Fo (84.2–87.2) olivine, clinopyroxene with low Mg# values (79.4–85.6), and spinel with high Cr# values (67.8–72.4). Estimated equilibrium temperatures obtained using olivine-spinel Fe-Mg exchange geothermometry range from 978°C to 1373°C (mean = 1205°C; n = 3). These observations combined with a lack of reaction or melt impregnation textures indicate that these units represent magmatic cumulates rather than having formed as a result of mantle-melt reactions. Both wehrlites and basalts in the belt have subparallel rare earth element (REE)-and primitive-mantle-normalized multi-element patterns with slightly positive Nb-Ta anomalies, but negligible Eu and Zr-Hf anomalies. The volcanics have similar Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions with εNd(t) values of 4.2–4.5 (mean = 4.3; n = 3) and 4.0–4.4 (mean 4.2; n = 4), respectively, and also have similar immobile element ratios, such as Nb/La, Nb/U, Th/La, Zr/Nb, Th/Ta, La/Yb, Nb/Th, Nb/Y, and Zr/Y. These characteristics indicate both units have ocean island basalt (OIB)-like geochemical affinities, consistent with the fact that the clinopyroxene in the wehrlites is compositionally similar to OIB-related cumulus clinopyroxene. This suggests that both the wehrlites and basalts were derived from similar parental magmas that underwent generally closed-system magmatic differentiation dominated by fractionation of the olivine and clinopyroxene. This parental magma was likely generated in an oceanic seamount setting from an OIB-type mantle source (i.e., asthenospheric mantle) containing garnet-spinel lherzolite material. Combing this new data with that from oceanic seamount volcano-sedimentary suites derived from previous research enables the identification of a mature late Paleozoic ocean basin between the passive northeastern Gondwanan margin and the northward-migrating microcontinent of Lanping–Simao.

Abstract:Luku alkali syenite is distributed throughout the southern end of the Hongge basic-ultrabasic intrusion in Panzhihua, Sichuan, SW China. Using LA-ICP-MS, the alkali syenite intrusion yielded a zircon U-Pb age of 264.5 ± 1.6 Ma, concordant with the ages of the E’meishan large igneous province (260 Ma). The intrusion displayed silica-saturated, Al-adequate and alkali-rich signatures, with SiO2 62.07%–64.04%, Al2O3 16.26%–16.79% and Na2O + K2O 9.17%–9.91% (averaging 9.31%). The rock falls into the alkaline zone on the SiO2-A.R. diagram, as well as in the potassium zone on the K2O-Na2O diagram, indicating a potassium alkaline rock. The rock has a low total REE concentration and showed enrichment in LREE (LREE/HREE = 7.06–7.95), typical negative Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.73–0.80), trace element deficiencies in LILEs (Ba, K, Sr, Zr) and enrichment in HFSEs (Th, U, Nd, Sm, Ta and Nb), displaying crust and mantle element information. Zircons show a strong positive Ce anomaly and negative Eu anomaly, similar to the characteristics of crustal source magmatic zircon, however the (Lu/Gd)N ratio ranges from 1.48 to 3.17, and the (Yb/Sm)N ratio ranges from 38.49 to 77.15, which are similar to the characteristics of mantle-derived magmatic zircon. In the La/Yb-δEu correlation diagram, the data plots near the boundary between crust type and crust-mantle type. From the combined ‘trinity’ spatiotemporal relationship of Indosinian intermediate-acid alkali intrusive rocks in the Panxi area with E’meishan basalt and basic-ultrabasic intrusive rocks, the regional tectonic evolution and the partial melting model of the most intraplate magma sources, we believe that the Luku alkali syenite in Sichuan was formed from the partial melting of a crust-mantle source material, due to underplating of the mantle plume basic magma.

Abstract:The latest Cretaceous magmatic activity in the eastern segment of the Lhasa terrane provides important insights for tracking the magma source and geodynamic setting of the eastern Gangdese batholith, eastward of eastern Himalayan Syntaxis. Detailed petrological, geochemical and geochronological studies of the intrusive rocks (monzodiorites and granodiorites) of the eastern Gangdese batholith are presented with monzodiorites and granodiorites giving zircon U–Pb crystallization dates of 70–66 Ma and 71–66 Ma with εHf(t) values of ?4.8 to +6.2 and ?1.9 to +5.3, respectively. These rocks are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous I-type granites showing geochemically arc-related features of enrichment in LREEs and some LILEs, e.g., Rb, Th, and U, and depletion in HREEs and some HFSEs, e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti. The rocks are interpreted to be derived from partial melting of mantle material and juvenile crust, respectively, which are proposed to be triggered by Neo-Tethyan slab rollback during northward subduction, with both experiencing ancient crustal contamination. The studied intrusive rocks formed in a transitional geodynamic setting caused by Neo-Tethyan oceanic flat subduction to slab rollback beneath the eastern Gangdese belt during the latest Cretaceous.

Abstract:Whether there is a relationship between widespread Cenozoic igneous rocks and the activated Ailao Shan–Red River shear zone (ASRR) in western Yunnan, SE Tibet, remains highly controversial. New geochronological, and geochemical data derived from Cenozoic igneous rocks both within and far from the ASRR offers answers. Although these coeval felsic rocks (36.9–33.5 Ma) are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements, they also display some special geochemical features, such as high Y and Yb values of syenitic porphyries, which contrast with the high Sr and low Y contents of monzoporphyries and granitic porphyries. The syenitic porphyries exhibit geochemical characteristics similar to those of coeval mafic magmas, e.g., high K2O, Y, and Yb contents, indicating that the former were probably generated by fractional crystallization of the latter. However, the high Sr/Y (56.1–109) monzoporphyries and granitic porphyries, combined with their low MgO, and Cr (or Ni) contents, suggest that they were mainly derived from partial melting of a thickened mafic lower crust. Given that these Cenozoic magmatic events exhibiting planar distributions occurred outside of the activation of the ASRR (31–20 Ma), then they were not controlled by the latter. Instead, they were tied to convective removal of a thickened lower lithospheric mantle in western Yunnan during the Paleogene.

Abstract:Cretaceous magmatism is widely distributed on both sides of the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone (BNSZ). These rocks record the subduction to closure history of the Bangong–Nujiang Tethys Ocean (BNO) and the collisional history between the Lhasa (LS) and Qiangtang (QT) terranes. The Xiabie Co granite in Nyima County, which located on the southern margin of the QT terrane, Tibet. In this study, whole-rock geochemistry; Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Pb isotopes; and laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) zircon U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes of the Xiabie Co granite in the Nyima area have been studied to constrain its petrogenesis and tectonic setting. Our study can help explain the tectonic evolution of the BNSZ and crust-mantle interaction. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the granite was emplaced at ca. 120 Ma. The granite contains a small amount of hornblende and has high silicon (SiO2 = 73.97–78.03 wt%).

Abstract:The magma source, petrogenesis, tectonic setting and geochronology of the late Paleozoic A-type granites widely exposed in the Zhaheba area, East Junggar, have thus far not been well-constrained. A better understanding of these issues will help to reveal the magmatic processes and continental growth of Central Asia. The A-type granites in Zhaheba include the Ashutasi alkaline granites and the Yuyitasi syenogranites, which were emplaced at 321.5 ± 4.8 Ma and 321.7 ± 0.6 Ma, respectively. The major rock-forming minerals are orthoclase, perthite, arfvedsonite and quartz, which exhibit the following principal geochemical characteristics of A2-type granites. (1) Their REE distribution curves each exhibit a ‘V’-shaped pattern and a marked depletion in Eu. They are rich in large-ion lithophile elements Rb, Th and U as well as high-field-strength elements Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf, but significantly depleted in Ba, Sr, P and Ti. (2) Their (87Sr/86Sr)i values (0.7021–0.7041), εNd(t) values (4.57–5.16) and REE distribution patterns are in basic agreement with those of the Kalamaili A-type granite belt in East Junggar. The TDM2 values of the alkaline granites and syenogranites range from 661 to 709 Ma. The A-type granites may be the products of upwelling asthenosphere-triggered partial melting of immature lower crust. The alkaline granites were late-stage products of crystallization and differentiation. Compared to the syenogranites, the alkaline granites are significantly lower in K2O, Na2O, Al2O3, FeO, MgO and CaO, but significantly higher in incompatible elements (e.g., SiO2, Rb, and Sr). The magmatic crystallization temperatures of the syenogranites and alkaline granites are 874°C and 819°C, respectively. As their age gradually decreases (peak ages: 322 Ma and 307 Ma, respectively), there is a gradual decrease in the TDM2 of the A-type granites and a gradual increase in the εNd(t) value from the Ulungur belt to the Kalamaili belt in East Junggar. The study of A-type granites is therefore one of the keys to understanding the laws and mechanisms of crustal accretion during the Phanerozoic period, as well as also being of great significance for understanding the Paleozoic accretion.

Abstract:Granitic gneiss (orthogneiss) and Himalayan leucogranite are widely distributed in the Himalayan orogen, but whether or not the granitic gneiss made a contribution to the Himalayan leucogranite remains unclear. In this study, we present the petrological, geochronological and geochemical results for orthogneisses and leucogranites from the Zhada area, Western Himalayas. Zhada orthogneiss is composed mainly of quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite and muscovite, with accessory zircon and apatite. Orthogneiss zircon cathodoluminescence (CL) images show that most grains contain a core with oscillatory zoning, which indicates an igneous origin. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb dating of the zircon cores in the orthogneiss shows a weighted 206Pb/238U age of 515 ± 4 Ma (early Paleozoic), with sponge-like zircon rims of 17.9 ± 0.5 Ma (Miocene). Zhada leucogranite shows 206Pb/238U ages ranging from 19.0 ± 0.4 Ma to 12.4 ± 0.2 Ma, the weighted average age being 16.2 ± 0.4 Ma. The leucogranites have a low Ca content (<1 wt%), FeOt content (<1 wt%), Rb content (67.0–402 ppm), Sr content (<56.6 ppm), Ba content (3.35–238 ppm) and Rb/Sr ratio (0.5–14.7), which are similar to the geochemical characteristics of the Himalayan leucogranite derived from muscovite dehydration partial melting of metasediments and representative of most Himalayan leucogranites. The highly variable Na2O + K2O (4.33 wt%–9.13 wt%), Al2O3 (8.44 wt%–13.51 wt%), ∑REE (40.2–191.0 ppm), Rb (67.0–402 ppm) and Nb (8.23–26.4 ppm) contents, 87Sr/86Sr(t) ratios (0.7445–0.8605) and εNd(t) values (?3.6 to ?8.2) indicate that the leucogranite is derived from a heterogenetic source. The nonradiogenic Nd isotope values of the studied Zhada leucogranite and orthogneiss range from ?8.2 to ?3.6 and from ?8.7 to ?4.1, respectively. Therefore, the general mixing equation was used to perform the Sr and Nd isotope mixing calculations. The results indicate that the heterogenetic source was the Tethyan Himalayan Sequence (THS)/Higher Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) metasediments and Zhada orthogneiss. The Zhada area experienced crustal anatexis during the Miocene and the heterogenetic source of the orthogneiss and metasediment may have experienced crustal anatexis controlled by muscovite dehydration. The Zhada leucogranite inherited not only the geochemical characteristics of the Himalayan metasediment (muscovite dehydration melting), but also the trace elements and Sr-Nd isotopic characteristics of the Zhada orthogneiss. These results indicate that the Paleozoic Zhada orthogneiss was involved in crustal anatexis at 17.9 ± 0.5 Ma (Miocene) and that the muscovite dehydration of the metasediments in the heterogenetic source produced fluid, which may have caused the orthogneiss solidus lines to decline, triggering a partial melting of the Zhada orthogneiss. It is therefore proposed that Himalayan leucogranite is a crust-derived granite rather than a S-type granite, as previously hypothesized.

Abstract:The Beiya porphyry-skarn Au deposit is one of the largest gold deposits in China, temporally and spatially associated with Eocene intrusions in a post-collisional setting in western Yunnan, China. In this study, we report new whole-rock geochemistry, Sr-Nd isotope, zircon U-Pb geochronology and in situ zircon Hf-O isotopes of quartz-monzonite and biotite-monzonite porphyries from the Beiya deposit. The porphyry-skarn mineralization at the Beiya deposit is mainly associated with the quartz monzonite porphyry (35.8 ± 0.6 Ma), while the biotite-monzonite porphyry (34.3 ± 0.5 Ma) represents a post-mineralization intrusion crosscutting the main orebodies and the quartz-monzonite porphyry. Both intrusions have high-K and adakitic composition and are characterized by high Sr/Y ratios, high SiO2 and Al2O3 concentrations (SiO2 = 69.80–73.86 wt%; Al2O3 = 14.11–15.19 wt%), and low MgO, Cr, and Ni concentrations (MgO = 0.2–1.0 wt%; Cr = 1.76–11.13 ppm; Ni = 2.52–11.72 ppm). Their Sr-Nd isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7066–0.7077; εNd(t) = ?5.3 to ?1.5) are consistent with the lower crustal-derived amphibolite xenoliths (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7060–0.7100; εNd(t) = ?10.0 to 0.0), indicating that they might be derived from a thickened juvenile lower crust beneath the Yangtze Craton. The biotite-monzonite porphyry has lower zircon δ18O values of +5.3‰ to +6.8‰ and higher εHf(t) values of ?2.3 to +5.5 than those of the quartz-monzonite porphyry with δ18O values of +7.1‰ to +8.2‰ and εHf(t) values of ?3.8 to +1.5, implying that they were derived from different parts of the lower crust. High Ba/La and Pb/Ce ratios suggest that the quartz-monzonite porphyry is derived from a volatiles-rich reservoir. Relatively higher La/Yb, Sm/Yb and Dy/Yb ratios of the biotite-monzonite porphyry indicate residual garnet in the source, indicating a deeper source than that of the quartz-monzonite porphyry. The hydrous components should be represented by the amphibole-rich lithologies, which has relatively shallower depth than that of the garnet-bearing mafic thickened lower crust. Our data suggest that the mineralized quartz-monzonite porphyry at the Beiya deposit is derived from partial melting of amphibole-rich lithologies in the upper part of the thickened juvenile lower crust beneath the Yangtze Craton, while the post-mineralization biotite-monzonite porphyry is derived from the basal, and volatiles-poor, part of the juvenile lower crust.

Abstract:The Taishanmiao Au deposit is in the western part of the Ningshan–Zhenan ore field, in the South Qinling orogen. Based on geological and geochemical features, we propose that the Taishanmiao Au deposit is a magmatic-hydrothermal type of deposit. All samples have high SiO2, K2O + Na2O contents and differentiation index values, low CaO, MgO, P2O5, and TiO2 contents, are enriched in high field-strength elements, and depleted in large ion lithophile element. The stable isotope δ34S values of pyrite vary from 6.8%–7.8%, and the H-O isotopic compositions of quartz from quartz-pyrite veins indicate the ore-forming fluid is a mixture of a small amount of magmatic-hydrothermal solution and groundwater. Lead isotope ratios of pyrite and silicalite can show that the ore-forming materials were derived from a mixed source containing mantle and crustal materials. At the same time, the LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of monzogranite is 198.4 ± 4.2 Ma. Combined with the regional geological background, the intracontinental extension in the late collisional orogeny and large-scale lithospheric thinning associated with mantle uplift may lead to large-scale mineralisation in the region.

Abstract:Oil group separation, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of saturated hydrocarbons, carbon isotope analysis of fractions and tests on trace elements were all carried out to determine the origin of shallow Jurassic heavy oils in the northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin, northwestern China. Results showed that all the crude oils had been subjected to different degrees of biodegradation, on an order ranging from PM 6 to 9, which yielded many unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) and formed a huge spike in the mass chromatogram (M/Z = 85). Two heavy oils from the Karamay area underwent slight biodegradation, characterized by the consistent ratios of biomarker parameters. C21/C23 and C23/H of the two samples were 0.81 and 0.85, while G/H, C27/C29 and C28/C29 were 0.38 and 0.40, 0.16 and 0.27, 0.87 and 0.86, respectively. The isomerization parameters of terpane and steranes were 0.50–0.53, and 0.48–0.49, respectively. The above geochemical indices indicated that the crude oils in the study area were in the marginally mature stage. The parent materials were a mixture, consisting of bacteria, algae and some higher plants, formed under reducing depositional conditions, which is in agreement with the source rocks of the Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu depression. The carbon isotopic compositions of saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, NSO and asphaltene were ?31‰? to ?30.3‰, ?29.5‰ to ?29.03‰, ?29.4‰ to ?28.78‰ and ?28.62‰ to ?28.61‰, respectively. These findings are in agreement with the light carbon isotope of kerogen from the lower Permian Fengcheng Formation. Furthermore, V/Ni and Cr/Mo of all the crude oils were 0.01 to 0.032, 0.837 to 10.649, which is in good agreement with the ratios of the corresponding elements of the extracts from the Fengcheng Fm. carbonate source rock. As a result, a two–stage formation model was established: (1) the oil generated from the carbonate source rocks of the Fengcheng Formation migrated to the Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic traps during the Late Triassic, forming the primary oil reservoirs; (2) during the Late Jurassic period, the intense tectonic activity of Yanshan Episode II resulted in the readjustment of early deep primary reservoirs, the escaped oils gradually migrating to the shallow Jurassic reservoir through cross-cutting faults, unconformities and sand body layers. The oils then finally formed secondary heavy oil reservoirs, due to long–term biodegradation in the later stage. Therefore, joint methods of organic, isotopic and element geochemistry should be extensively applied in order to confirm the source of biodegradation oils.

Abstract:Researches into shale lithofacies, their sedimentary environments and relationship benefit understanding both of sedimentary cycle division and unconventional hydrocarbon exploration in lacustrine basins. Based on a 100~300-m-thick dark shale, mudstone and limestone encountered in the lower third member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation (Es3l member) in Zhanhua Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China, routine core analysis, thin sectioning, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mineralogical and geochemical measurements were used to understand detailed facies characterization and paleoclimate in the member. This Es3l shale sediment includes three sedimentary cycles (C3, C2 and C1), from bottom to top, with complex sedimentary characters and spatial distribution. In terms of the composition, texture, bedding and thickness, six lithofacies are recognized in this succession. Some geochemical parameters, such as trace elements (Sr/Ba, Na/Al, V/Ni, V/(V + Ni), U/Th), carbon and oxygen isotopes (δ18O, δ13C), and total organic carbon content (TOC) indicate that the shales were deposited in a deep to semi-deep lake, with the water column being salty, stratified, enclosed and reductive. During cycles C3 and C2 of the middle-lower sections, the climate was arid, and the water was salty and stratified. Laminated and laminar mudstone–limestone was deposited with moderate organic matter (average TOC 1.8%) and good reservoir quality (average porosity 6.5%), which can be regarded as favorable reservoir. During the C1 cycle, a large amount of organic matter was input from outside the basin and this led to high productivity with a more humid climate. Massive calcareous mudstone was deposited, and this is characterized by high TOC (average 3.6%) and moderate porosity (average 4%), and provides favorable source rocks.

Abstract:Calcite cements are volumetrically dominant among the most diagenetic constituents in turbidite sandstones of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Depression. The results show carbonate cements mainly occur in three phases: Calcite I (pre-compaction), Calcite II (post-compaction) and ankerite in the turbidite sandstone. The isotopic composition of Calcite I and Calcite II range from ?4.3‰ to 4.4‰, ?3.5‰ to 4.3‰ PDB, respectively, suggesting that the calcite cements are mainly derived from the interbedded shales. The early calcite cement precipitated from the mixing of lacustrine and meteoric waters at 38–69°C. The late-phase calcite precipitated from pore waters modified by water-rock interactions at 64–126°C. Two distribution patterns of calcite cements can be identified, depending on their position within the sandstone. The peripheral cementation of the sandstones is near the sand-shale contact. The development of cement is controlled by sandstone thickness and the properties of the interbedded shale. For scattered cementation, the distribution of the calcite cement is not controlled by the sand-shale contact. Calcite cement was preferentially distributed in coarse-grained sandstones, indicating that sandstones with high original permeability are the preferred pathway for the migration of early diagenetic fluids.

Abstract:Organic matter (OM) and minerals are major particle components of lacustrine shales. The influence of OM and minerals on pore space and structure in organic-rich oil-prone shales containing a large range of total organic carbon (TOC) contents is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the variation in pore space and structure of low mature lacustrine shales in the Songliao Basin (NE China), based on a study of the mineralogy, petrography, geochemistry, and geophysical properties of shales. Different pore types make markedly different contributions to the mineral surface area (MSA) and pore volume (PV) of the shales. There exists a negative correlation between MSA/PV and TOC in mesopores (r2 = 0.75/0.65) and macropores (r2 = 0.74/0.68), and a positive correlation in micropores (r2 = 0.59/0.64), which are associated with the variation of mineral and TOC contents. A positive relationship between the throat/pore ratio and TOC (r2 = 0.82) shows an increase in throat radius and decrease in pore radius with increasing TOC content. This relationship is supported by the reduction in mean pore diameter (MPD) for large pores and increase in MPD for small pores. These variations are related to the decreased pores by quartz plus feldspar (Q + F) content, increased throats by clay minerals, and enhanced pore-fill by OM. We propose that the variation of OM and minerals is a key control on the pore space and structure of low mature organic-rich oil-prone shales.

Abstract:Cenozoic fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the southwestern Qaidam Basin, as typical salinized lacustrine sediments, are significantly different from those in other freshwater lakes under the impact of the high salinity in the lake. Many fine-grained sedimentary rock samples were selected from the lower member of Neogene (N1) in the Gaskule Oilfield, Qaidam Basin, northwest China, with the aim to analyze and test their petrology, pore structure, and organic geochemical characteristics and determine its genesis and geological significance. Based on previous results, a new genesis of mixed sedimentary rocks is proposed. The Cenozoic lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks in SW Qaidam Basin belong to mixed sedimentary rocks, which can be divided into three types, including carbonate and terrigenous clastic-bearing mudstone, carbonate-bearing to terrigenous clastic mixed sedimentary rocks, and carbonate-terrigenous clastic mixed sedimentary rocks. The geneses of mixing are quite different from that of mixed marine rocks. According to the sedimentary characteristics of the salinized lakes, three new geneses of mixed deposits are proposed: syn-sedimentary mixing, varve interbedded mixing, and biogenic mixing. The reservoir spaces of the Cenozoic lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks in SW Qaidam Basin include residual intergranular pores, intercrystalline pores, microfractures, and minor dissolved pores. The reservoirs have super-low porosity and ultra-low permeability, with a porosity of 1.82%–21.04%, averaging 7.71%, and permeability of (0.0028–254.86) × 10?3 μm2, averaging 2.82 × 10?3 μm2. The test results of total organic carbon (TOC) content show that the highest content of organic carbon reached 1.41%, and those of vitrinite reflectance show that Ro ranges from 0.525%–0.824%, with an average of 0.806%. The organic geochemical characteristics show that the fine-grained mixed sedimentary rocks of SW Qaidam Basin have the potential for self-generation and self-storage. As an unconventional reservoir, it has potential industrial value. This is the first study of fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the Qaidam Basin, which offers certain theoretical and practical values.

Abstract:The El Minia governorate lies within the Nile Valley, surrounded by calcareous plateaus to the east and west. The present study focuses on the hydrogeochemistry of the Eocene limestone aquifer at some wadis in the east El Minia governorate, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Hydrogeologically, two main aquifers are encountered in the study area, namely the Maghagha marly limestone and the Samalut chalky limestone aquifers. The Maghagha aquifer is composed of alternating layers of marly limestone and shale with thicknesses ranging from 3.49 m to 177.05 m and a groundwater depth ranging from 8.5 m to 59.27 m which reflects low groundwater potentiality. The groundwater salinity representing this aquifer ranges from 603.5 mg/L to 978.5 mg/L, reflecting fresh water type. Samalut aquifer is made up of chalky, cavernous and fractured limestone with thickness ranging from 30 m to 205 m and groundwater depth ranging from 9 m to 86.77 m, which indicates good groundwater potential. The groundwater salinity of the concerned aquifer ranges from 349.7 mg/L to 2043.9 mg/L, reflecting fresh to possibly brackish water types. Groundwater in the study area is of meteoric water origin; recent recharge is mainly controlled through the presence of fractures and their densities. The majority of groundwater samples in the study area are suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Abstract:The lithological and geochemical composition and conditions of formation of the coal-bearing deposits of the Kizel Coal Basin in the Perm region of the Urals (central Russia) are described using the two most representative sections, Gubakha–Stary Most and Krestovaya Mountain, based on a detailed “layer-by-layer” technique. Brief characteristics of the Lower Carboniferous paleosols from fossil paleosol (FPS-) profiles of the studied region are given. Special attention is paid to the parent vegetation of the coal-forming processes, based on an analysis of both plant macrofossils and palynoflora. The peat accumulation in conditions of permanent incoming of clastic material from the Paleo-Urals to the Kizel Basin was probably effective only in more or less stable environments, when the accumulated organic matter produced by plant mortmass was not dissolved by clastic particles. Thus, the conditions of coal-forming are reconstructed as a forest swamp, where the main dominants are represented by lycopodiopsids of the order Lepidodendrales, predominantly Lepidodendron veltheimii. These plants in particular were the source of the initial organic matter for the peat (and later coal) of the Kizel Coal Basin.

Abstract:

Abstract: