High-precision geochronology of the Early Cretaceous Yingcheng Formation and its stratigraphic implications for Songliao Basin,China

The Songliao Basin in Northeast Asia is the largest and longest-lived rift basin and preserves a nearcontinuous continental succession of the most of the Cretaceous period,providing great material to investigate the adaption of the terrestrial systems to the Cretaceous greenhouse climate and tectonic events.However,the paucity of precise and accurate radioisotopic ages from the Early Cretaceous strata of the Songliao Basin has greatly held back the temporal and causal correlation of the continental records to the global Early Cretaceous records.Three tuff layers intercalated in the Yingcheng Formation have been intercepted by the SK-2 borehole,which offer excellent materials for radioisotopic dating and calibration of the chronostratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous sequence of Songliao Basin.Moreover,the Yingcheng Formation recorded the largest and the last of the two major volcanic events in Songliao Basin,which also represents a turning point in the basin evolution history of Songliao from syn-rift stage to post-rift stage.Here we report high-precision U–Pb zircon geochronology by the CA-ID-TIMS technique on three tuff samples from the Yingcheng Formation of the SK-2 borehole in the Songliao Basin to construct a greatly improved,absolute age framework for the Yingcheng Formation and provide crucial age constraints for the Songliao Lower Cretaceous Strata.The new CA-ID-TIMS geochronology constrained the Yingcheng Formation at 102.571+0.320/-2.346 Ma to ca.113 Ma,correlating to the Albian Stage.Combined with the previous published Songliao geochronology,the Quantou Formation is constrained to between 96.442+0.475/-0.086 Ma and 91.923+0.475/-0.086 Ma;the Denglouku Formation is constrained to between 102.571+0.320/-2.346 Ma and 96.442+0.475/-0.086 Ma;the age of the Shahezi Formation is estimated at ca.113 Ma to ca.118 Ma,which could extend to ca.125 Ma in some locations in Songliao Basin.The major unconformity between the Yingcheng Formation and the Denglouku Formation,which represents the transition of the basin from syn-rift to post-rift is thus confined to between 102.571+0.320/-2.346 Ma and 96.442+0.475/-0.086 Ma.This is roughly contemporaneous with the change in the direction of the paleo-Pacific plate motion from west-southwest to north or northwest in mid-Cretaceous,suggesting their possible connections.

Return to the Moon:New perspectives on lunar exploration

Lunar exploration is deemed crucial for uncovering the origins of the Earth-Moon system and is the first step for advancing humanity’s exploration of deep space.Over the past decade,the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program(CLEP),also known as the Chang’e(CE)Project,has achieved remarkable milestones.It has successfully developed and demonstrated the engineering capability required to reach and return from the lunar surface.Notably,the CE Project has made historic firsts with the landing and on-site exploration of the far side of the Moon,along with the collection of the youngest volcanic samples from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane.These achievements have significantly enhanced our understanding of lunar evolution.Building on this success,China has proposed an ambitious crewed lunar exploration strategy,aiming to return to the Moon for scientific exploration and utilization.This plan encompasses two primary phases:the first crewed lunar landing and exploration,followed by a thousand-kilometer scale scientific expedition to construct a geological cross-section across the lunar surface.Recognizing the limitations of current lunar exploration efforts and China’s engineering and technical capabilities,this paper explores the benefits of crewed lunar exploration while leveraging synergies with robotic exploration.The study refines fundamental lunar scientific questions that could lead to significant breakthroughs,considering the respective engineering and technological requirements.This research lays a crucial foundation for defining the objectives of future lunar exploration,emphasizing the importance of crewed missions and offering insights into potential advancements in lunar science.

SIMS U-Pb zircon age of a tuff layer in the Meishucun section, Yunnan, southwest China: Constraint on the age of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary

Determination of the age of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary is critical in understanding early evolution of life on Earth. SIMS U-Pb zircon analyses of the Bed 5 tuff layer of the Meishucun section were carried out closely following the guidance of cath

Nature and evolution of the lithospheric mantle revealed by water contents and He-Ar isotopes of peridotite xenoliths from Changbaishan and Longgang basalts in Northeast China

The nature and evolution of the lithospheric mantle underlying Northeast(NE)China were investigated by assessing the mineral chemistry,water contents,and noble gas(He-Ar)isotopes of peridotite xenoliths captured by Cenozoic basalts from the Changbaishan and Longgang regions.The xenoliths,which have863–1141℃ equilibration temperatures,primarily comprise spinel lherzolites and rare spinel harzburgites.The Mg#(Fo)values of olivine in the peridotite xenoliths vary from 86.9 to 91.3.The clinopyroxenes have high Ti/Eu and low(La/Yb)N,and their chondrite-normalized rare earth elements(REEs)exhibit light REE-depletion to-enrichment patterns,indicating that the mantle underneath the investigated region was predominantly subjected to partial melting(1%–10%)and was metasomatized by silicate melts.The measured3He/4He ratios of the Changbaishan xenoliths have a narrow range from 5.8 Ra to 8.4 Ra with an average of 7.4 Ra.The3He/4He isotopic ratios of the Longgang xenoliths varied from 4.7 Ra to8.1 Ra with an average of 5.9 Ra;slightly lower than the Changbaishan xenoliths.The whole-rock H2Ocontents of the studied peridotite ranged from 9 to 132 ppm.The high H2O contents in excess of50 ppm(up to 132 ppm)might represent newly accreted and cooled asthenospheric materials,while those with H2O contents lower than 50 ppm(as little as 9 ppm)may represent thinned,relic,ancient lithospheric mantle.These geochemical evidences,in combination with published data,indicated that the lithospheric mantle beneath the Changbaishan and Longgang in NE China is dominated by the younger and more fertile lithospheric mantle with a minor ancient and refractory keel.In addition,the lithospheric mantle of this area was metasomatized by melts related to the recent subduction event(e.g.,Pacific oceanic plate).Therefore,the westward-dipping Pacific oceanic plate subduction had an important contribution to the transformation of the lithospheric mantle beneath NE China.

He and Ar isotope geochemistry of pyroxene megacrysts and mantle xenoliths in Cenozoic basalt from the Changle–Linqu area in western Shandong

We performed a combined study of He–Ar isotopes and element geochemistry for pyroxene megacrysts and mantle xenoliths from Cenozoic basalt in the Changle–Linqu area in western Shandong.The results are used to trace the evolution of subcontinental lithospheric mantle after destruction of the North China Craton.The3He/4He ratios of pyroxene megacrysts,websterite,and dunites are 7.0–7.7 Ra,7.4 Ra,and 7.0–7.7 Ra,respectively.They are related to the origin of host basalts,and are slightly lower than that of mid-ocean ridge basalts(MORB).Their40Ar/36Ar ratios are much lower than that of MORB and close to that of air.The lherzolites and wehrlites represent the fragments of the newly accreted lithospheric mantle,and their REE and trace elements indicate that they experienced melt metasomatism and partial melting.The3He/4He ratios of their olivine are slightly lower than that of MORB,but3He/4He ratios of their clinopyroxene are low(2.3–7.1 Ra)and display an inverse correlation with(La/Yb)N.The40Ar/36Ar ratios of these clinopyroxene are much lower than that of MORB and close to the air ratio.Combining existing studies of petrology,Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes,O isotopes,trace elements,and Mg isotopes,we infer that the juvenile lithospheric mantle in the Changle–Linqu area was metasomatized by oceanic crust-derived melts,which transfer the supracrustal Ar isotope signatures to the mantle sources.The low4He abundance and low3He/4He ratios of clinopyroxene in the lherzolites and wehrlites are ascribed to metasomatism by crustal melts from the subducted Pacific plate.

New SIMS U-Pb geochronology for the Shahezi Formation from CCSD-SK-IIe borehole in the Songliao Basin,NE China

The Songliao Basin,northeastern China(Fig.1a),is one of the largest non-marine petroliferous basins in the world and contains a nearly complete Cretaceous terrestrial sedimentary sequences.This succession provides vital information that can improve our knowledge of a series of important geodynamical,geological,and paleoenvironmental events[1,2].The lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation,which is the main source rock strata in the basin,formed during the rifting stage of the basin and consists of gray to black lacustrine and floodplain mudstones and siltstones interbedded with gray sandstones and conglomerates.The unit overlies the Huoshiling Formation and is overlain by the Yingcheng Formation(Fig.1b).

Neogene–quaternary magnetostratigraphy of the biogenic reef sequence of core NK–1 in Nansha Qundao,South China Sea

The tropical reef ecosystems are created by living organisms,such as corals and algae,and provide important habitats for millions of people and a variety of marine life,which have been severely threatened by climate changes over the past decades[1].These biogenic reefs account for a quarter of global CaCO_(3)production and thus are critical to global carbon cycling[2,3].

基于嫦娥五号月球样品的月壤残余内摩擦角预测

随着人类探月工程的快速发展,月球基地建设以及月表资源开发利用有望更快实现,合理预测月壤工程力学性质对于未来深层次探月工程意义重大,我国嫦娥五号返回月球样品为研究月壤工程力学特性提供了直接的实测材料。然而,月球样品极其珍贵,难以满足传统土工试验测试.为了应对这一科学挑战,本研究从无损分析月球样品颗粒属性入手,使用高精度X-射线μCT扫描、三维白光干涉、原子力显微镜等无损测试手段,分析了不同类型月壤颗粒的三维多尺度形态、弹性力学和摩擦属性等指标.在此基础上,基于颗粒材料宏微观物理力学理论和数值模型尝试预测了嫦娥五号采样处月壤残余内摩擦角。本研究为基于月球样品信息跨尺度分析月壤工程力学性质提供了可行思路。

Illumination and regolith temperature at China's next candidate lunar landing site Shackleton crater

This study focuses on the illumination and temperature at China’s next lunar candidate landing site Shackleton crater.We used the NASA’s SPICE system to evaluate the terrain obscuration effect on real-time illumination;the resulting illumination map resembles previous studies,validating the methodologies used in our study.In addition,we estimated an accumulated illumination map for the period of likely rover movement.The map indicates the illuminated inner wall of the Shackleton crater is close to 27%of the whole,meaning that the rover will likely receive solar radiation during its movement.Using the real-time illumination and the distributed 1-D thermal diffusion model,we continuously evaluated the regolith temperature for more than 20 years to stabilize the temperature,and selected the temperature of the end time as the initial value used in a thermal study set for July 20,2023 and May 8,2027.Our results indicate the temperature in the permanent shadow region remains nearly constant,thus validating the stability of our estimated initial temperature.Our results also indicate that the surface temperature is more sensitive to transient illumination,but the subsurface temperature is more likely to be associated with the accumulated illumination.This difference indirectly implies that the conductivity of the lunar regolith is inefficient.The locations receiving more solar radiation show a temperature larger than the threshold(~112 K)of ice stability.The permanently shadowed regions can be as cold as 25 K,and such extreme coldness is a hazard to the rover.There are suitable temperature locations which have a warm surface but cold subsurface to preserve water ice.To further ensure normal rover movement,we provided a map of suitable temperature sites and found that these locations exist not only in the Shackleton crater’s inner wall,but also outside the crater.We suggested four trade-off sampling sites with suitable temperatures and gradual slopes.

Impact history and origin of lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 15528

No samples from the Moon’s far side have been returned to Earth.Thus,lunar meteorite study can deepen the understanding of the Moon’s far side(if we can identify which lunar meteorites came from the Moon’s far side).The Northwest Africa(NWA)15528 meteorite is a lunar feldspathic regolith breccia meteorite and we speculated it might originate from the Feldspathic Highlands Terrane(FHT)on the far side of the Moon.Here,we report detailed petrography,major and trace elements,and noble gas(He,Ne,and Ar)isotopes for the clasts and matrix,respectively.The results show that the NWA 15528 lunar meteorite contains diverse clasts,including anorthosite,granulite,basalt,and impact melt clasts.The coarse,wellcrystallized,uniform chemical composition minerals may come from intrusive plutonic rocks.Among the anorthosite clasts,the norite/olivine clasts originate from the deep lunar crust,whereas the other anorthosite clasts are from lunar highlands.The Sm concentrations in NWA 15528 were similar to those in the fourth group of Apollo 16 melt samples,demonstrating that NWA 15528 has a typical plagioclase highland meteorite composition.Compared with the Apollo sample data and remote sensing results,the chemical composition of NWA 15528 indicated strong affinities with the FHT area and ferroan anorthosite(FAN)material from the far side of the Moon.The noble gas isotopic composition of NWA 15528 is consistent with a binary mixture of solar wind and cosmogenic components;during stepwise pyrolytic extractions,we observed that the abundance of cosmogenic components decreased,whereas that of solar wind components increased with increasing temperature.The average cosmic-ray exposure(CRE)age of the matrix and granulite is 42±6 Ma,with a shielding depth in the same range of 10-20 g cm^(−2).The gas retention age of NWA 15528 is 2.14 Ga,and the antiquity age of NWA 15528 is(0.69-0.74)±0.2 Ga(considering 50%40Arm is 40Artrap)which indicates the different clasts of NWA 15528 are assembled after 0.69-0.74 Ga.

月球探测进展与国际月球科研站

月球作为地球唯一的天然卫星,因其独一无二的位置资源、极具特点的环境资源、丰富的物质资源,是人类进行空间探测和开发利用太空的首选目标.地月系是太阳系探测的试验场,月球是迈向更远深空的中转站.月球科学研究对推动空间科学发展具有重要作用.月球资源开发利用对人类的可持续发展具有重要意义.近年来,我国月球探测取得了举世瞩目的成就,在完成"绕落回"三步走后,必将以更好地服务于月球科学探测和资源开发利用为目标,增进人类科学认知,拓展人类生存空间,服务人类社会可持续发展.本文梳理和评述了国内外月球探测发展现状与发展趋势,归纳了未来月球探测所涉及的主要任务、前沿科学问题和关键技术,提出我国月球探测发展建议.月球探测是建设航天强国的重要标志,当前我国正从航天大国迈向航天强国,在月球探测方面应该有大国思维,保持战略定力,继续发挥优势,牵头组织国际月球科研站大科学工程.