Located northwest of the Jiangshan-Shaoxing Fault Zone,western and northwestern Zhejiang and northeastern Jiangxi provinces experienced major changes in bio-and litho-facies and paleogeography through the Ordovician-S...Located northwest of the Jiangshan-Shaoxing Fault Zone,western and northwestern Zhejiang and northeastern Jiangxi provinces experienced major changes in bio-and litho-facies and paleogeography through the Ordovician-Silurian transition (late Katian,Hirnantian,and early Rhuddanian),as manifested by stratigraphic,paleontologic and synecologic records.Three geographic units under consideration are South,Central,and North areas.The western margin of the South area was occupied by the Huaiyu Mountains,whereas the other two parts were covered by the Zhe-Gan Sea during late Katian (Late Ordovician) time.In the early stage of the Changwu Formation deposition (late Katian),the sea was deepening northeastward,but with shallower conditions in the southwest and deeper conditions in the northeast.During mid to late stages of Changwu Formation deposition (latest Katian),the sea became much shallower and the sea bottom was uplifted substantially,which occurred somewhat prior to the global trend.During the Hirnantian (latest Ordovician) and early Rhuddanian (earliest Silurian),the study region became a shallow bay under expansion of the Cathaysian Oldland.There occurred a major drop of sea level and great changes in benthic biota with the occurrence of many new immigrants through the Ordovician-Silurian transition,which are closely related to a unique regional orogeny.The Yangtze and Cathaysian blocks may have amalgamated within the South China Paleoplate during this interval to cause the continuous uplifting and northwestward expansion of the Cathaysian Oldland.展开更多
The Central Guizhou and Yichang Uplifts are present in central Guizhou to western Hubei. Biostrati-graphic evidences from more than 20 sections in 14 counties of this region provide the data about the duration of thes...The Central Guizhou and Yichang Uplifts are present in central Guizhou to western Hubei. Biostrati-graphic evidences from more than 20 sections in 14 counties of this region provide the data about the duration of these uplifts. Although this duration differs from locality to locality, it is mainly from Ashgillian to Rhuddanian. The uplifts result from a horizontally driven movement to the South China Paleoplate from an uncertain block in southeast. Global sea-level drop during the end of the Ordovician made the uplifts obvious, particularly the Central Guizhou Uplift.It might have emerged above sea level in the short interval between the Ordovician and Silurian.展开更多
Marine red beds occur frequently in China through geological time.Despite their complex environments,the red beds are found in three depositional settings:1) oceanic,deep water,as in the Upper Cretaceous of southern T...Marine red beds occur frequently in China through geological time.Despite their complex environments,the red beds are found in three depositional settings:1) oceanic,deep water,as in the Upper Cretaceous of southern Tibet;2) outer shelf,deeper water,as in the Lower-Middle Ordovician of South China;and 3) inner shelf,shallow water,as in the Silurian and Triassic in South China.The Silurian marine red beds are recurrent in the lower Telychian,upper Telychian,and upper Ludlow.This paper is to document the marine nature of the lower Telychian red beds (LRBs) in the Upper Yangtze Region and to discuss the spatial and temporal distribution of the LRBs and their depositional environments.The LRBs are best developed on the north side of the Cathaysian Oldland,which can be interpreted as the source area.It is inferred that they were deposited during a marine regression,characterized by the lack of upwelling,low nutrition and organic productivity with a decrease of biodiversity and a high rate of sedimentation.The iron-rich sediments may have been transported by rivers on the oldland into the Upper Yangtze Sea,as rates of deposition were rapid enough to counteract normal reducing effect around sediment-water interface.The LRBs are different from the off-shore,deeper water red beds of lower Telychian in Avalonia and Baltica and further from the oceanic,deep water red beds of Upper Cretaceous in southern Tibet chiefly in palaeogeographic settings,biotic assemblages and marine environments.展开更多
Shell beds in the uppermost Xiangshuyuan Formation and its coeval Upper Shihniulan Formation (Lower Silurian), northern Guizhou, SW China, are interpreted as tempestites occurring on the Upper Yangtze Platform. The sh...Shell beds in the uppermost Xiangshuyuan Formation and its coeval Upper Shihniulan Formation (Lower Silurian), northern Guizhou, SW China, are interpreted as tempestites occurring on the Upper Yangtze Platform. The shells are dominated by two endemic and transient virgianid (brachiopod) taxa, Paraconchidium shiqianensis and Virgianella glabera, which vary in relative abundance and deposited as fragments of valves with cemented micrite that differs from the surrounding sediment, demonstrat- ing that the shells were not originally preserved in growth positions. The thicknesses of individual shell layers vary from ten centimeters to more than four meters. Shells had been strongly stirred up by high-energy currents, mainly caused by ocean storm events and probably related to the profile of the geographic shape of the coastline. Fragmentation of shells, in particular, their thinning anterior parts of ventral and dorsal valves are more intensive. The benthic assemblages are from lower BA2 to upper BA3 in depth, assigned to near shoal belt in geographic background. Breakage and stacking density are of the indexes of proximal and distal transportations. Northern Guizhou was located within the lower latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere during the Silurian time, and obviously affected the depth of the virgianid inhabitation. Most of these shells were disturbed repeatedly by surges. It is inferred that on average, several ten thousand years of growth of shells were required for development of shell layers, followed by storm disruption.展开更多
Recent field studies on Upper Silurian stratigraphy and paleontology in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (for short Inner Mongalia) near Bater Obo (=Bateaobao) resulted in the discovery of a small continental isla...Recent field studies on Upper Silurian stratigraphy and paleontology in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (for short Inner Mongalia) near Bater Obo (=Bateaobao) resulted in the discovery of a small continental island with fossil invertebrates preserved as encrusters (stromatoporoids and corals) attached directly to a rocky shore surface and buried by silty clay mud. The Bater island (named herein) is 610 m ×200 m in size and composed of Ordovician igneous rock (diorite). Limestone strata dating from the Ludlow Epoch (about 420 Ma) surround the island and dip away from the igneous core in a radial pattern. The encrusting fossils occur on the sheltered (south and southeast) side of the island, whereas the north side was exposed to stronger wave activity based on a basal conglomerate unit composed of diorite boulders. This is the first record of an ancient island in China and the first report worldwide of stromatoporoids as members of a rocky-shore community. The island clearly shows distinct windward展开更多
基金supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.KZCX2-YW-Q05-01)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40825006)+1 种基金Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant Nos.2006CB806402,2006 FY120300-5)Department of Land and Resources of Zhejiang (Grant No.200711)
文摘Located northwest of the Jiangshan-Shaoxing Fault Zone,western and northwestern Zhejiang and northeastern Jiangxi provinces experienced major changes in bio-and litho-facies and paleogeography through the Ordovician-Silurian transition (late Katian,Hirnantian,and early Rhuddanian),as manifested by stratigraphic,paleontologic and synecologic records.Three geographic units under consideration are South,Central,and North areas.The western margin of the South area was occupied by the Huaiyu Mountains,whereas the other two parts were covered by the Zhe-Gan Sea during late Katian (Late Ordovician) time.In the early stage of the Changwu Formation deposition (late Katian),the sea was deepening northeastward,but with shallower conditions in the southwest and deeper conditions in the northeast.During mid to late stages of Changwu Formation deposition (latest Katian),the sea became much shallower and the sea bottom was uplifted substantially,which occurred somewhat prior to the global trend.During the Hirnantian (latest Ordovician) and early Rhuddanian (earliest Silurian),the study region became a shallow bay under expansion of the Cathaysian Oldland.There occurred a major drop of sea level and great changes in benthic biota with the occurrence of many new immigrants through the Ordovician-Silurian transition,which are closely related to a unique regional orogeny.The Yangtze and Cathaysian blocks may have amalgamated within the South China Paleoplate during this interval to cause the continuous uplifting and northwestward expansion of the Cathaysian Oldland.
基金This work was supported by the State Major Basic Research Project, MST, China (Grant No. G2000077700).
文摘The Central Guizhou and Yichang Uplifts are present in central Guizhou to western Hubei. Biostrati-graphic evidences from more than 20 sections in 14 counties of this region provide the data about the duration of these uplifts. Although this duration differs from locality to locality, it is mainly from Ashgillian to Rhuddanian. The uplifts result from a horizontally driven movement to the South China Paleoplate from an uncertain block in southeast. Global sea-level drop during the end of the Ordovician made the uplifts obvious, particularly the Central Guizhou Uplift.It might have emerged above sea level in the short interval between the Ordovician and Silurian.
基金supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-Q05-01)National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB821901)China Geological Survey (Grant No. 1212011120116)
文摘Marine red beds occur frequently in China through geological time.Despite their complex environments,the red beds are found in three depositional settings:1) oceanic,deep water,as in the Upper Cretaceous of southern Tibet;2) outer shelf,deeper water,as in the Lower-Middle Ordovician of South China;and 3) inner shelf,shallow water,as in the Silurian and Triassic in South China.The Silurian marine red beds are recurrent in the lower Telychian,upper Telychian,and upper Ludlow.This paper is to document the marine nature of the lower Telychian red beds (LRBs) in the Upper Yangtze Region and to discuss the spatial and temporal distribution of the LRBs and their depositional environments.The LRBs are best developed on the north side of the Cathaysian Oldland,which can be interpreted as the source area.It is inferred that they were deposited during a marine regression,characterized by the lack of upwelling,low nutrition and organic productivity with a decrease of biodiversity and a high rate of sedimentation.The iron-rich sediments may have been transported by rivers on the oldland into the Upper Yangtze Sea,as rates of deposition were rapid enough to counteract normal reducing effect around sediment-water interface.The LRBs are different from the off-shore,deeper water red beds of lower Telychian in Avalonia and Baltica and further from the oceanic,deep water red beds of Upper Cretaceous in southern Tibet chiefly in palaeogeographic settings,biotic assemblages and marine environments.
基金Supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZCX3-SW-149 and KZCX2-YW-122)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40572069 and 40532009)
文摘Shell beds in the uppermost Xiangshuyuan Formation and its coeval Upper Shihniulan Formation (Lower Silurian), northern Guizhou, SW China, are interpreted as tempestites occurring on the Upper Yangtze Platform. The shells are dominated by two endemic and transient virgianid (brachiopod) taxa, Paraconchidium shiqianensis and Virgianella glabera, which vary in relative abundance and deposited as fragments of valves with cemented micrite that differs from the surrounding sediment, demonstrat- ing that the shells were not originally preserved in growth positions. The thicknesses of individual shell layers vary from ten centimeters to more than four meters. Shells had been strongly stirred up by high-energy currents, mainly caused by ocean storm events and probably related to the profile of the geographic shape of the coastline. Fragmentation of shells, in particular, their thinning anterior parts of ventral and dorsal valves are more intensive. The benthic assemblages are from lower BA2 to upper BA3 in depth, assigned to near shoal belt in geographic background. Breakage and stacking density are of the indexes of proximal and distal transportations. Northern Guizhou was located within the lower latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere during the Silurian time, and obviously affected the depth of the virgianid inhabitation. Most of these shells were disturbed repeatedly by surges. It is inferred that on average, several ten thousand years of growth of shells were required for development of shell layers, followed by storm disruption.
基金This work wassupported by the National Geographic Society through its Committee for Research and Exploration (Grant No. 6326-98 to Markes E. Johnson at Williams College) and the Major State Basic Research Development Program of MST, China (Grant No.
文摘Recent field studies on Upper Silurian stratigraphy and paleontology in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (for short Inner Mongalia) near Bater Obo (=Bateaobao) resulted in the discovery of a small continental island with fossil invertebrates preserved as encrusters (stromatoporoids and corals) attached directly to a rocky shore surface and buried by silty clay mud. The Bater island (named herein) is 610 m ×200 m in size and composed of Ordovician igneous rock (diorite). Limestone strata dating from the Ludlow Epoch (about 420 Ma) surround the island and dip away from the igneous core in a radial pattern. The encrusting fossils occur on the sheltered (south and southeast) side of the island, whereas the north side was exposed to stronger wave activity based on a basal conglomerate unit composed of diorite boulders. This is the first record of an ancient island in China and the first report worldwide of stromatoporoids as members of a rocky-shore community. The island clearly shows distinct windward