Biostratigraphic and Chemostratigraphic Correlation for the Base of the Middle Ordovician between Yichang and Western Zhejiang Areas,South China

The base of the Middle Ordovician （i.e. Dapingian Stage） has been defined at the first appearance datum （FAD） of conodont Baltoniodus？ triangularis at Huanghuachang, Yichang, China,but the precise correlation of the boundary to regions of other facies remain to be resolved. Herein we review the biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy of the Huanghuachang Global Standard Stratotype-Section and Point （GSSP） section, and present our latest stratigraphic work on the nearby Chenjiahe s ection in Yichang, and the Hengtang Quarry section, Jiangshan, Zhejiang, which is regarded as representative of slope facies. The conodont and graptolite biostratigraphy as well as chemostratigraphy of the Chenjiahe section indicate that the base of the Middle Ordovician also falls within the graptolite Azygograptus suecicus Zone, and coincides with a high or maximum δ13C value within a minor positive carbon isotope excursion, suggesting that the base boundary can be readily recognized across the entire Yangtze Gorges area. The integrated graptolite and conodont biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy of the Hengtang section, Jiangshan, indicates that the basal boundary probably falls within the graptolite lsograptus caduceus imitatus Zone that overlies the Azygograptus suecicus Zone, and coincides with a remarkable drop of δ13C. This difference indicates that a multi-disciplinary approach is critical to identify the base boundary in those regions where the Baltoniodus ？ triangularis is absent.

Preliminary Estimation of Paleoproductivity via TOC and Habitat Types:Which Method Is More Reliable?—A Case Study on the Ordovician-Silurian Transitional Black Shales of the Upper Yangtze Platform, South China

New total organic carbon （TOC） data from the two Ordovician-Silurian transitional graptolite-bearing black shale intervals, the Wufeng （五峰） Formation and the Longmaxi （龙马溪） Formation in Central Guizhou （贵州） and West Hubei （湖北）, respectively, as well as previously reported TOC data from the same intervals in other places on the Yangtze platform of South China, have been used to produce an initial estimate of the primary paleoproductivity via a conventional inverse method （i.e., Rpp.inverse）. The values of the Rpp.inverse are estimated to be 32 （43-21） gC/（m^2·a）（Wufeng Formation） and 21 （27-16） gC/（m^2·a） （Longmaxi Formation）. Also, simultaneously, the habitat types （i.e., HT; cf., BA： benthic assemblage） and their temporal and spatial changes have been documented from the same succession, and an initial estimate of the primary paleoproductivity has been produced using a forward method （i.e., Rpp-forward） Beingbounded mainly by the peritidal to inner-shelf environment shelly-facies or mixed-facies successions with BA1 to BA3 faunas both at the top and the base, which indicates the habitat types from HT Ⅱ to HT Ⅲ2, the biohabitat type of the two graptolite-bearing black shale intervals can be limited to HT III to HT IV, corresponding to the inner shelf to the outer shelf, with depths from roughly 60 m to 200-300 m. Based on the current data from the South China Sea and the southern part of the East China Sea, values of Rpp-forward should be about 100 to 400 gC/（m^2·a）. The difference in the results via the two methods suggests that paleoproductivity estimates from the geological strata need to be made cautiously, with particular attention paid to the paleogeographic setting, oxic-anoxic conditions, as also the preservation factor of organic carbon.

细粒灰岩中机械压实作用与早期胶结作用:根据生物微体化石的保存情况来区分

在一些细粒灰岩中,由于常常缺乏压实标志或标志比较模糊,因此很难区分机械压实作用和早期胶结作用。本文提出一种新的补充标志来评价细粒碳酸盐岩中的压实作用:沉积物中薄壁生物微体化石的变形。经研究表明,它们是压实的可靠标志。可识别出两种常见的保存方式:在早期胶结的灰岩中,生物微体化石呈球形至微变形;而遭受机械压实的碳酸盐岩中的生物微体化石总是呈扁平状。