The Mamfe Basin in the southern Benue trough extension between Cameroon and Nigeria:Gem origin and problem of lithostratigraphic nomenclature and marine transgression

The Mamfe Basin has been the subject of many studies,but some debates persist,especially concerning the stratigraphic nomenclature,corundum origin,and marine transgression.The aims of this work are(1)to propose a new lithostratigraphic nomenclature of the Mamfe Basin formation based on new field observations,(2)to determine the source rock distribution and the origin of gem deposits and(3)to correlate the Cameroon section of the Mamfe Basin with the Nigerian deposits.The main results show that the name Manyu River Group is more appropriate as the Manyu River crosses all the facies in the Mamfe sedimentary Basin belonging to the Manyu Division.According to the facies analysis,the age of deposition,the mineralogic and geochemical data such as the V vs.Al2O3andΣREE vs.Al_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2)MgO,Na_(2)O,P_(2)O_(5),and CaO diagrams,this Group is composed of at least five Formations,including four Cretaceous Formations,from bottom to top:the Etoko Formation(alluvial and fluvial channel to fluvio-lacustrine deposits),the Nfaitok Formation(lagoonal deposits),the Bachuo Ntai Formation(fluvial braided channels or fluvio-deltaic environment)and the Eyumojock/NsanaragatiFormation(fluvio-lacustrine deposits)and the new Cenozoic Formation named Bakebe Formation(fluvio-lacustrine deposits).The gem minerals such as corundum,rutile,or tourmaline in the Cretaceous deposits of the Mamfe Basin are mainly detrital as indicated by the presence of worn shapes and fragments of these minerals.The presence of sapphire in the AlboCenomanian deposits indicates a Precambrian age of the felsic source rock,likely the plutonic rocks such as granite or pegmatite as indicated by the abundance of tourmaline and high LREE/HREE ratios(14.81–34.29)and slightly negative and positive Eu anomalies(0.85–1.15).This marine incursion in the Mamfe Basin was probably from West Nigeria,according to the geographic location of the Mamfe Basin and the general palaeogeographic evolution of the Benue Trough.

Deposition of coal-bearing measures and coal accumulation under marine transgression 'events' in North China epicontinental sea basin

In recent years, studies show that coal formed during marine transigression process is also important in coal accumulation basin. Still, the characteristics of coal formation is more clearly demonstrated by the coal formation in TST in the sequence stratigraphic framework. Based on the study of the characteristics of coal formation in epicontinental coal accumulation basin, the viewpoint that coal was formed under marine transgression was put forward by the authors and the mechenism thereof was also analyized. Marine transgression resulted in the forming of swamp and then the peat swamp. And the transgression later on put the peat formed in advance in deep water environment to form coal in the end. The important stratigraphic horrizons, such as coal seams, marine facies layers, formed with marine transgression are of the property of isochronism.

Quaternary marine transgressions in eastern China

Based on the data from 117 holes (9151 samples) and the research on ecology and palaeoecology of Foraminifera combined with that on Ostracoda, diatoms, pollen and spores, eight marine transgressions have been recognized in the great plain regions through the Quaternary sequences and two marine transgressions have been found since the Late Pleistocene in the coastal plain (bedrock coast) areas. In the North China Plain, these are in ascending order:the Bohai transgression in the Early Pleistocene, the Haixing and Huanghua transgressions in the Middle Pleistocene, the Baiyangdian and Cangzhou transgressions in the Late Pleistocene, and the Tianjin transgression in the Holocene. In the Yangtze River Delta region the Rugao and Zhoupu transgressions occurred in the Early Pleistocene, the Shanghai, Jiading, and Wangdian transgressions in the Middle Pleistocene, the Jiangyin and Ge Hu transgressions in the Late Pleistocene, and the Zhenjiang transgression in the Holocene. In the coastal plain (bedrock coast) areas of North China, the Cangzhou transgression was recorded in the Late Pleistocene and the Tianjin transgression in the Holocene, whereas in South China the Fuzhou transgression took place in the Late Pleistocene and the Changle transgression in the Holocene. The transgressions correspond to warm periods and regressions to cold periods. The younger transgressions were not only of shorter duration, but also of larger magnitude. These findings point to the existence of four flood event strata since the Middle Pleistocene: two in the late Middle Pleistocene and another two in the Late Pleistocene.

Dynamic simulations of the late MIS 3 transgressions in the East China Sea and southern Yellow Sea,China

Abundant evidences of higher sea levels from Jiangsu and Fujian coasts have proved a marine transgression event during 30–40 ka BP, suggesting that there was a stage with high sea level and a warm climate when ice sheets shrank in the Northern Hemisphere. The duration of 30–40 ka BP spanned a period in the late Marine Isotope Stage 3（MIS 3） and was in nature an interstadial epoch during the Last Glacial period of the Quaternary. Different from the glacial period with a cold climate, this marine transgression considered as a penultimate higher sea level during the Quaternary remains a puzzle that why the evidence is contrary to the Quaternary glacial theory. It is important to understand sea level rise for these areas sensitively responding to the global changes in the future. To recognize the key issues on sea level changes, the eustatic sea level（H_S） was defined as the glaciation-climateforced sea levels, and the relative sea level change（H_R） was defined as that a sea level record was preserved in sediment that experienced multiple secondary actions of land and sea effects. On the basis as defined above, we constructed multi-level models of climate-driven glacio-eustatic changes and land-sea systems. By integrating data sets from eight borehole cores and prescribing the boundary conditions, we simulated the changes of HS and HR in the East China Sea and southern Yellow Sea areas in the late MIS 3. The marine transgression strata from the borehole core data was identified at ca. 30 m below present sea level as a result of the collective influence of ice melting water, neotectonic subsidence, sediment compaction and terrestrial sediment filling since ca. 35 ka ago,whereas the simulated relative sea-levels turned out to be –26.3––29.9 m a.s.l. The small error involved in the simulation results of ±（2.5–4.5） m demonstrated the credibility of the results. Our results indicated that sea level change in the late MIS 3 was dominated by glacial effects, in which the eustatic sea-level was between –19.2––22.1m a.s.l. The study sheds light on the nature of sea-level changes along the east coast of China in the late MIS 3 and contributes to understanding the characteristics of marine transgression under the effects of multiple complex land-sea interactions.

Phase Evolution of Holocene Paleoenvironmental Changes in the Southern Yellow Sea: Benthic Foraminiferal Evidence from Core CO2

Assemblages of benthic foraminifera in a sediment core(C02)near the western margin of the southern Yellow Sea Mud were studied to decipher the phase evolution of Holocene paleoenvironmental changes associated with the Holocene marine transgression.It appears that during the early Holocene(11.2 10.1 kyr BP),the faunal was dominated by low salinity and shallow water species Cribrononion subincertum,Buccella frigida and Ammonia beccarii,reflecting a near coast depositional environment.A rapid increase of the relative abundance of Ammonia compressiuscula between 10.1 9.3 kyr BP indicates that the sea level rose rapidly during that time period.From 9.3 7.7 kyr BP,the benthic foraminiferal assemblage was dominated by high percentage of A.compressiscula,suggesting that the sea level was relatively stable.An obvious transition of benthic foraminifera,from the A.compressiuscula-dominated assemblage to an Ammonia ketienziensis-dominated assemblage,occurred between 7.7 6.2 kyr BP,possibly corresponding to a second sea level rapid rise period in the Yellow Sea during the Holocene.This transition may correspond to the gradually strengthened Yellow Sea warm current(YSWC)and finally is established the modern-type circulation in the Yellow Sea.It may also mark the formation of the Yellow Sea cold bottom water(YSCBW)during that period.Since then,the benthic foraminiferal assemblage based on core C02 was dominated by typical YSCBW species,A.ketienziensis,Astrononion italicum and Hanzawaia nipponica,at 6.2 4 kyr BP.A non-deposition period occurred since 4 kyr BP,which possibly related to the hydrology changes caused by the East Asia monsoon.The two obvious benthic foraminiferal transitions recorded in core C02 during the early and middle Holocene provide evidence that the Yellow Sea has undergone a two-phase rapid sea level rise during the Holocene marine transgression.

Recognition of Milankovitch Cycles in the Natural Gamma—Ray Logging of Upper Cretaceous Terrestrial Strata in the Songliao Basin

Spectrogram analysis of seven natural gamma-ray logging of Member 1 of the Qingshankou Formation （K2qn^1） and Member 1 and 2 of the Nenjiang Formation （K2n^1-2） of Late Cretaceous age in the Songliao Basin reveals sedimentary cyclicities controlled by Milankovitch climate periodicities. The recognition of Milankovitch cycles allows estimation of an average accumulation rate of ～7.55- 8.62 cm/ka for the K2qn^1 sections, and ～6.69-10.16 cm/ka for the K2n^1-2 sections. Two marine transgression events occurred during the deposition of K2qn^1 and K2n^1-2 and their ages are at ～0.74- 1.10 Ma and ～2.38-4.84 Ma, respectively. Identification of Milankoviteh cycles from fine-grained deep lake sedimentary rocks in the Songliao Basin may provide great potential for high-resolution stratigraphic subdivisions and correlations.

Quaternary Stratigraphic Division and Paleoenvironmental Evolution Observed from Core LZK1 on Hengsha Island, Shanghai

The Quaternary sediments in the Yangtze delta are loose and lack precise stratification marks in the lithology. Moreover, due to the limitations of dating methods, it is difficult for Quaternary cores to deliver accurate age constraints. Thus, it is a challenge to establish the Quaternary stratigraphic framework. Gravity core LZK1 was drilled on Hengsha Island, Shanghai, in the Yangtze delta, in 2012. The core was terminated at 403.83 m below the local land surface, the uppermost 291.2 m comprising a thick sequence of Quaternary sediments. This study investigated the stratigraphic subdivision and paleoenvironmental change of the Quaternary sediments. From bottom to top, the Quaternary stratigraphic sequence can be subdivided into the lower Pleistocene Anting Formation, Middle Pleistocene Jiading Formation, Upper Pleistocene Chuansha Formation and Nanhui Formation, Holocene Loutang Formation, Shanghai Formation, and Rudong Formation. According to this study, the Hengsha Island area was dominated by a freshwater lacustrine environment during the early Pleistocene, an alternation of shallow lake and shore lake environment during the Middle Pleistocene, a delta plain to lagoonal environment during the early Upper Pleistocene, a fluvial channel to floodplain environment from the LGM(Last Glacial Maximum) to the end of the Upper Pleistocene, and a delta environment during the Holocene.