黔西北桐梓水坝塘下奥陶统桐梓组碳酸盐岩微相

黔西北桐梓水坝塘剖面下奥陶统特马豆克阶桐梓组沉积时位于上扬子区陆表海极浅水区,抑或部分时段存在盐度异常的云坪,与下伏寒武系第四统娄山关群和上覆下奥陶统红花园组均呈整合接触。桐梓组岩性多为灰色、深灰色灰岩,后生动物大化石和陆源碎屑岩含量显然偏低。常见内碎屑滩相堆积,偶见含砾屑滩,砾屑边缘弱磨圆,属非强水流的近源搬运颗粒类型;少许鲕粒灰岩层。微生物岩颗粒丰富并作为碳酸盐岩的主要供物来源,部分微生物群落形成的细纹层粘结岩属小型叠层石礁相单元,表明在贵阳乌当和桐梓红花园剖面的叠层石可北延超过100km到达水坝塘地区,构建了狭长的叠层石礁相带。黔西北桐梓组部分碳酸盐岩层中出现单一而广适性的钙质微生物造礁群落,与特马豆克阶全球生物礁演化发展阶段相吻合,在奥陶纪生物大辐射的初期,生物礁具有地理分布局限、低生物多样性以及钙质微生物占主导地位的特征。     

黔北桐梓志留系石牛栏段近岸相灰岩

黔北石牛栏组上部的石牛栏段灰岩时代为志留纪兰多维列世埃隆晚期,是上扬子区浅海底栖壳相后生动物繁盛阶段的产物。桐梓代家沟剖面处于黔中古陆以北的近岸带,石牛栏段灰岩序列呈现海退过程,微相特征表明这里频繁出现各类近岸浅海带清澈环境中常见的生屑滩沉积。石牛栏段下部出现风暴浪基面附近腕足类Zygospiraella和Pentamerus密集的介壳滩,大多数的滩相灰岩以细颗粒生屑堆积为主,夹含薄层腹足类生屑滩和鲕粒滩,仅见少量珊瑚薄层,可以排除此地为后生动物礁的栖居区;石牛栏段上部见数期叠层石生长,形态呈穹窿状或平缓席状,每期厚度不超过1m,伴生的暗色泥质夹层中产出的腕足类Lingullela-Eospirifer群落指示澙湖相;潮间带特有的薄层灰岩交错层理以及石牛栏段顶部的喀斯特面进一步昭示区域性逐渐发生的桐梓上升事件结束了近岸沉积。     

黔东北石阡香树园剖面志留系香树园组生屑滩微相

奥陶纪末赫南特冰期和生物大灭绝事件结束后,扬子陆表海区志留纪兰多维列世早期的海进序列伴随着生物逐渐复苏的过程。在黔中古陆北缘石阡一带鲁丹晚期至晚埃隆早期的香树园组属近岸浅水带灰岩—碎屑岩沉积区。石阡县城北香树园剖面的香树园组以灰岩为主,夹含少量粉砂质、泥质陆源碎屑岩,频繁出现含丰富壳相后生动物化石碎片形成的薄层滩相单元。与大颗粒壳相化石为主形成的各类生物层状礁类似,生屑滩多为动荡流水改造的后生动物碎片近源沉积。滩相具有较高的生物多样性和化石丰度,是奥陶纪末生物礁复苏前浅海暖水区广泛分布的生态单元。此地香树园组缺少粗砂级以上的陆源碎屑颗粒,也无岩屑颗粒,指示沉积物具有较高的成熟度。推测黔中古陆靠近石阡的部位已经夷平,黔东北浅海区在香树园组灰岩沉积期具有偏低的海水浑浊度和碎屑岩沉积速率,生屑滩相灰岩单元是在正常盐度和高清洁度的环境下堆积的,附近有粉砂-泥级颗粒注入,但无大型河流输入丰富的淡水和陆源粗碎屑。     

新疆塔里木西北地区寒武纪初的碳酸盐岩微相和环境指标

新疆塔里木板块西北缘阿克苏—乌什地区寒武纪最早期玉尔吐斯组海相地层不整合超覆于埃迪卡拉纪奇格布拉克组之上,是区域海进的标志。蓬莱坝和肖尔布拉克剖面的玉尔吐斯组下部为暗色含磷硅质岩夹薄层白云质灰岩,中部为黑色碳质泥岩、页岩、粉砂岩夹白云岩,上部为瘤状白云岩夹泥岩,这一序列显示玉尔吐斯组海进沉积的早期就迅速出现了还原环境下沉积的黑色岩系,而玉尔吐斯组上部的碳酸盐岩与之上肖尔布拉克组含三叶虫碳酸盐岩具有很高的相似度,属极浅海带频繁出现的蒸发云坪环境。这个相变序列显示玉尔吐斯组早期还原条件下的黑色岩系以及之后蒸发条件下的碳酸盐岩沉积均发生在浅海区乃至极浅水区,玉尔吐斯组—肖尔布拉克组序列中的水深变化幅度有限。     

泥质对志留系礁滩生长的抑制作用:黔北桐梓韩家店组的例证

黔北桐梓的戴家沟剖面和狮溪剖面志留系兰多维列统特列奇阶下部的韩家店组出露完好,该组泥岩、粉砂岩中夹有厚度1—3m、直径4—7m的小型点礁。礁核相多具典型的障积格架岩特征,但生长时限短暂,群落分异度低,仅见床板珊瑚、单体四射珊瑚、苔藓虫和海百合茎,礁间为珊瑚、苔藓虫和海百合茎碎片堆积的滩相,伴生丰富的遗迹化石。在陆源碎屑快速沉积的背景下,浑浊海水频繁的富营养化过程限制了礁体纵横向生长和朝高分异度群落发展的可能性。     

黔北志留系石牛栏组松坎段上部近岸——远岸的相分异

华南板块上扬子区滇黔桂古陆以北的陆表海缓坡带,因海水深度变化导致志留纪兰多维列世埃隆晚期石牛栏组的岩相—生物相差异,这种差异始于松坎段上部沉积期。本文选择2个剖面,分别代表近岸和远岸带的古地理位置,作松坎段上部灰岩岩相学和沉积环境指标分析。余庆大庄村剖面位于近岸带,可频繁出现薄层泥粒状灰岩和颗粒灰岩,属浅水高能带常见的壳相生屑滩堆积;而桐梓水坝塘剖面位于远岸带,偏深水低能环境中的瘤状灰岩和含泥灰岩透镜体多含灰泥和粉砂屑。这些证据从细节上揭示松坎段上部沉积时,靠近黔中古陆近岸带存在壳相动物大量繁衍的生态位,还伴随有钙质微生物形成的叠层石和核形石,但空间展布上可能是狭窄的,大部分陆表海区的海水深度处于最大风浪暴浪基面以下。     

四川古蔺下奥陶统桐梓组笔石的发现

1978年7月,笔者与龚联瓒等同志在四川古蔺大坪测制奥陶纪地层剖面时,于下奥陶统桐梓组近顶部采得反称笔石科的笔石。计有Adelograptus sichuanensis sp. nov., Adelograptus minor sp. nov., Kiaerograptus? gulinensis sp. nov., Kiaerograptus? sp.等。这些笔石与三叶虫Tungizuella szechuanensis Sheng, T. kweichowensis sheng及腕足类Tritoechia cf. quebecensis Ulrich and Cooper, Lingulella sp.等产于同一层位。因此,该地桐梓组顶部可称为Adelograptus-Tungtzuella带,并与鄂西分乡组Acanthograptus sinensis带相当。     

新疆塔里木中央隆起区中2井上奥陶统良里塔格组礁滩沉积相和测井参数

塔里木中央隆起区中2井位于塔中南坡台缘带,上奥陶统凯迪阶良里塔格组频繁出现浅水粒屑滩沉积,以及由蓝藻、钙藻兼以少量珊瑚、苔藓虫等造礁生物以不等含量分别构成生物障积或粘结型礁灰岩,棘皮类、腕足类和三叶虫等壳相生物碎屑丰富。可分出数层典型的生物礁、滩组合序列,总体显示为原地生长和近源搬运的生物礁滩复合体建造。环境的动能条件略有变化,但皆属浪基面之上的沉积深度。礁、滩储层形成模式主要受于沉积相带、成岩改造的控制,储层以生屑灰岩、藻粘结灰岩、障积灰岩及砂屑灰岩为主,储集空间类型包括次生溶蚀孔隙、晶洞与裂缝,同时伴随少量的白云岩化作用,且孔隙以深埋藏溶蚀成因为主,次生胶结作用也十分强烈,礁相储层潜力好于滩相。     

塔里木塔中油田上奥陶统良里塔格组滩相

塔里木板块塔中井区上奥陶统凯迪阶良里塔格组的沉积序列由碳酸盐岩台地区礁滩复合体灰岩构成,显示晚奥陶世由高生物多样性形成的暖水浅海域生态组合。根据滩相灰岩的颗粒组成,可次分为生屑为主、生屑-内碎屑混合、内碎屑为主的三大类型,其中灰泥充填和亮晶方解石胶结均有。部分滩相是礁相单元的近源沉积,而内碎屑和生屑经各种营力改造后多以不同比例混合独立形成滩相。滩中的颗粒粒径一般多小于厘米级,仅部分核形石、珊瑚等颗粒可达到砾级,这些滩多堆积于最大风暴浪基面之上的深度。     

塔中16井区晚奥陶世良里塔格组的沉积相

塔里木板块中央隆起区的塔中低隆带上奥陶统凯迪阶良里塔格组礁相群落是晚奥陶世生物礁演化阶段的例证。该组分为5个岩性段。塔中16井区位于塔中Ⅰ号断裂坡折带向台地内部延伸的缓坡区,海水深度和水流能量显著控制碳酸盐岩的岩相分布。良里塔格组所赋存的典型动物格架礁集中于台地边缘的高能区,而塔中16井区不属于大型动物格架礁建造的富集区域,其早期多以低能带沉积为主,特别是塔中16井和塔中166井灰泥坪常见;晚期常见高能滩相和灰泥丘以及近礁沉积,可划归为台缘坡折带大型格架礁建造向台内的延伸区,这里的水深和能量变化更频繁。偏西北的井在良二段沉积之后抬升较早,东南的塔中161井则保存部分良一段沉积。     

黔东北石阡志留系雷家屯组的生物-岩相分异

黔东北石阡志留系兰多维列统埃隆阶上部的雷家屯组属灰岩和碎屑岩混合相,其分布限于滇黔桂古陆以北离岸几十千米范围内的浅海区。出露于枫香铺子沟、雷家屯、白沙龙口—筷子山、白沙均田和本庄岩门的5个剖面存在生物-沉积相的差异性。铺沟村粉砂岩—泥岩含量高于灰岩,达到4∶1,壳相化石丰度最低且无生物礁滩灰岩沉积;其它4个剖面的碎屑岩—灰岩比例约1∶1,雷家屯壳相化石最丰富,上部出现米级厚度的珊瑚-层孔虫点礁;筷子山剖面的雷家屯组下部开始出现雏形礁,之上的礁核灰岩现已被剥蚀掉,但从礁基的菲利普构造和礁翼塌积岩推测,点礁的正向隆起规模是很明显的;均田剖面仅出露雷家屯组上部约7m的地层,多为粉砂岩和生屑灰岩薄层;岩门剖面多为薄层细颗粒生屑滩相灰岩,近顶部出现钙质微生物形成的叠层石。偏西剖面的雷家屯组顶部展现侵蚀面、泥裂等现象,是桐梓上升期海底暴露的证据,唯有最靠东的铺沟村雷家屯组顶部未见暴露标志,与之上马脚冲组呈整合接触。     

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the basal Cretaceous vertebrate bearing beds in the Northern part of the Aquitaine Basin (SW France): sedimentological and geochemical evidence

The Purbeckian facies of the northern margin of the Aquitaine Basin is exposed in the Cherves-de-Cognac section (SW France), considered as basal Cretaceous in age. Two lithological units have been identified. The basal unit (U1) is composed of an alternation of gypsum and finely bedded black dolomitic marlstone, occasionally stromatolitic in nature. It represents mostly hypersaline, dolomitic tidal flat, lagoonal, and sabkha-type environments. The upper unit (U2) consists of variably fossiliferous limestone-marl alternations that contain a diverse fauna and flora. In the upper part of this unit, a 4-m-thick level has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna. The preservational quality of the vertebrate fossils varies within the section. On the basis of faunal, floral, sedimentological and mineralogical information the vertebrate remains accumulated in brackish water environments in which the influence of freshwater has progressively increased towards the top of the section. The close association of environments representing varying degrees of marine and continental influence suggest an estuarine setting.     

Evolution of an isolated carbonate bank during Oligocene,Miocene and Pliocene times,Cayman Brac,British west Indies

Summary Modern carbonate sedimentation in the Caribbean Sea commonly occurs on banks that are surrounded and isolated by deep oceanic water. This depositional regime also occurred during the Tertiary, and many islands, such as Cayman Brac, have sequences that evolved in such settings. Cayman Brac is a small (about 39 km²) island, located on the Cayman Ridge, that has an exposed Oligocene to Pliocene succession which encompasses three unconformity-bounded formations. The upper Lower Oligocene Brac Formation is formed ofLepidocyclina limestones and sucrosis dolostones that locally contain numerous bivalves and gastropods. The overlying Lower to Middle Miocene Cayman Formation is formed of pervasively dolomitized mudstones to grainstones that contain an abundant, diverse biota of corals, gastropods, bivalves, foraminifera, and algae. Rhodolites are locally common. The Pliocene Pedro Castle Formation is formed of limestones, dolostones, and dolomitic limestones that contain a biota which is similar to that in the Cayman Formation. The unconformities between the formations represent substantial periods of time during which the previously deposited carbonates were lithified and eroded to produce karst terrains. All facies in the Brac, Cayman, and Pedro Castle formations on Cayman Brac developed on a bank that was no more than 20 km long and 3 km wide. There is no evidence of reef development other than isolated thickets ofStylophora and/orPorites and no systematic stratigraphic or geographic changes in the facies patterns of the formations. Comparison with modern Caribbean banks shows that the depositional regime was primarily controlled by water depth and energy levels. Limestones of the Brac Formation probably accumulated in low-energy conditions in water less than 10 m deep. The overlying Cayman Formation contains facies that formed in water 15 to 30 m deep with good cross-bank circulation. The Pedro Castle Formation formed in slightly shallower water (5–25 m) and lower energy conditions. The disconformities between the packages correlate with world wide eustatic drops in sea level.     

Platform configuration, microfacies and cyclicities of the upper Albian to Turonian of west-central Jordan

We present a comprehensive facies scheme for west-central Jordan platform deposits of upper Albian to Turonian age, discuss Cenomanian and Turonian carbonate cycles, and reconstruct the paleogeographic evolution of the platform. Comparisons with adjacent shelf areas (Israel, Sinai) emphasize local characteristics as well as the regional platform development. Platform deposits are subdivided into fifteen microfacies types that define eight environments of deposition of three facies belts. Main facies differences between Cenomanian and Turonian platforms are: rudist-bearing packstones that characterise the higher-energy shallow subtidal (transition zone) during the Cenomanian, and fossiliferous (commonly with diverse foraminifer assemblages) wackestones and packstones of an open shallow subtidal environment. On Turonian platforms high-energy environments are predominantly characterised by oolithic or bioclastic grainstones and packstones, whereas peritidal facies are indicated by dolomitic wackestones with thin, wavy (cryptmicrobial) lamination. Rhythmic facies changes define peritidal or subtidal shallowing-up carbonate cycles in several Cenomanian and Turonian platform intervals. Cyclicities are also analysed on the base of accommodation plots (Fischer Plots). High-frequency accommodation changes within lower Cenomanian cyclic bedded limestones of the central and southern area exhibit two major cyclic sets (set I and II) each containing regionally comparable peaks. Accommodation patterns within cyclic set II coincide with the sequence boundary zone of CeJo1. The lateral and vertical facies distributions on the inner shelf allow the reconstruction of paleogeographic conditions during five time intervals (Interval A to E). An increased subsidence is assumed for the central study area, locally (area of Wadi Al Karak) persisting from middle Cenomanian to middle Turonian times. In contrast, inversion and the development of a paleo-high have been postulated for an adjacent area (Wadi Mujib) during late Cenomanian to early Turonian times, while small-scale sub-basins with an occasionally dysoxic facies developed northwards and further south during this time interval. A connection between these structural elements in Jordan with basins and uplift areas in Egypt and Israel during equivalent time intervals is assumed. This emphasises the mostly concordant development of that Levant Platform segment.     

Middle paleozoic waulsortian-type mud mounds in Southern Fergana (Southern Tien-Shan,commonwealth of independent states): The shallow-water atoll model

Summary Several Waulsortian-type mud mounds nearly 500 m thick and about 5 km long occur in the Middle Paleozoic carbonate section of the Aktur nappe in the mountains on the right bank of Isfara river. These buildups form a well developed barrier system that stretches along the South Ferganian carbonate platform margin and divides the carbonate complex into a fore-reef and a back-reef part. The time of the mounds' most active growth was from the Late Silurian (Ludlow) to the Middle Devonian (Eifel). Three main facies types can be recognized in the mud mounds: 1. micritic core facies, 2. sparitic flank facies and 3. loferitic capping facies. The central massive or crudely bedded part of the mounds consists of white or light grey clotted micrite. Macrofossils are rare. The sparitic flank facies in contrast consists of coarse and densely packed crinoidal wackestone-floatstones with some brachiopod shell debris. Solitary rugose corals, tabulate corals, stromato-poroids and fragments of mollusks are also abundant. The tops of the mounds are usually covered with loferitic pelmicrites or oolitic grainstone caps. Stromatactis-like structures are very rare and poorly developed in the South Ferganian mud mounds. However, almostin all such mounds horizons of calcitic breccias can be found. In order to explain all the features found in the Fergana mounds an ‘atoll-like’ model has been proposed which starts the evolution of the mud mounds with a small nucleus bioherm. The main stage of the evolution corresponds to an atoll-like structure developing on the surface of shallow water platforms. White clotted micrite of the mound core facies is interpreted as a accumulation of fine-grained sediment in an inner lagoon flanked by crinoidal bar deposits. The mound flank facies represents the atoll rim deposits from where the carbonate mud is derived. The capping loferitic facies is considered as tidal flat deposit that developed on top of the buildups during the last stage of its evolution. The knoll shape of the mounds is explained by the retreat of the atoll flanking crinoidal bars back into the inner lagoon during the rise in sea level. Stromatactis-like structures of small cavities filled with sparry calcite owe their existence to burrowing organisms. Calcitic breccias are interpreted as paleokarst collapse breccias. They indicate that the tops of the mud mound became subaerially exposed. Other evidence for a subaerial exposure can be seen in the occurrence of Variscian ‘black and white’ limestone gravel on the tops of some mud mounds. According toWard et al. (1970) these sediments were produced above the sea level at the edge of hypersaline lakes situated on islands.     

Taphonomy of the middle Cambrian (Drumian) Ravens Throat River Lagerstätte,Rockslide Formation,Mackenzie Mountains,Northwest Territories,Canada

The Middle Cambrian (series 3, Drumian, Bolaspidella Biozone) Ravens Throat River Lagerstätte in the Rockslide Formation of the Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada, contains a Burgess Shale‐type biota of similar age to the Wheeler and Marjum formations of Utah. The Rockslide Formation is a unit of deep‐water, mixed carbonate and siliciclastic facies deposited in a slope setting on the present‐day northwestern margin of Laurentia. At the fossil‐bearing locality, the unit is about 175 m thick and the lower part onlaps a fault scarp cutting lower Cambrian sandstones. It consists of a succession of shale, laminated to thin‐bedded lime mudstone, debris‐flow breccias, minor calcareous sandstone, greenish‐coloured calcareous mudstone and dolomitic siltstone, overlain by shallow‐water dolostones of the Broken Skull Formation, which indicates an overall progradational sequence. Two ~1‐m‐thick units of greenish calcareous mudstone in the upper part exhibit soft‐bodied preservation, yielding a biota dominated by bivalved arthropods and macrophytic algae, along with hyoliths and trilobites. It represents a low‐diversity in situ community. Most of the fossils occur in the lower unit, and only the more robust components are preserved. Branching burrows are present under the carapaces of some arthropods, and common millimetre‐sized disruptions of laminae are interpreted as bioturbation. The fossiliferous planar‐laminated calcareous mudstone consists of chlorite, illite, quartz silt, calcite and dolomite and is an anomalous facies in the succession. It was deposited via hemipelagic fallout of a mixture of platform‐derived and terrestrial mud. Geochemical analysis and trace‐element proxies indicate oxic bottom waters that only occasionally might have become dysoxic. Productivity in the water column was dominated by cyanobacteria. Fragments of microbial mats are common as carbonaceous seams. Complete decay of soft tissues was interrupted due to the specific sediment composition, providing support for the role of clay minerals, possibly chlorite, in the taphonomic process.     

Transitional reef-to-basin facies of Lower Frasnian limestones determined by microfacies analysis (Wietrznia,Holy Cross Mts,Poland)

Wietrznia section is situated between the shallow-water carbonate platform in the Kielce region and the Łysogóry basin. The transitional facies of the Wietrznia Frasnian includes two overlapping types of deposits: (1) thin-bedded dark-coloured limestone-marl alternations similar to the basin facies and (2) coarse-grained detrital limestones. Three lithotypes of limestones were identified: laminated or graded micritic, nodular, and detrital. The petrographic study makes it possible for the recognition of six major microfacies (MF 1 to MF 6). These lithotypes were formed by redeposition in a low- to high-energy environment. Their source material was the stromatoporoid-coral Dyminy reef in the central part of the Kielce region. Storms are considered to be the main agent, which causes in erosion and transport; micritic limestones and distal tempestites occur together, whereas detrital limestones are associated with proximal tempestites. Most probably, part of the detrital beds was formed as a result of grain-flow initiated under storm conditions.