A Study of Mesoproterozoic Iron Cosmic Micro-spherules from 1.8 Ga and 1.6 Ga Old Strata in the Ming Tombs District,Beijing

Numerous iron cosmic micro-spherules have been discovered from Mesoproterozoic strata including the Changzhougou Formation （1.8 Ga） and the Dahongyu Formation （1.6 Ga） of the Ming Tombs district, Beijing. There are 1 to 30 grains of cosmic spherules per 2 kg of a sandstone sample taken from the bottom of a coarse sandstone bed of the Changzhougou Formation and 56 grains per 3.69 kg of a rock sample from silicified carbonate rocks of the Dahongyu Formation. The surface textures of cosmic spherules analyzed by means of the secondary electron imagery are identical with those reported from references either domestic or abroad. So far the geo-ages of 1.8 Ga and 1.6 Ga of cosmic spherules from the Changzhougou and Dahongyu formations might be older than those reported in the world. Table 1 gives the electron probe analysis data of cosmic spherules for 30 spherule grains and 44 testing points as follows （%）： FeO, 80-95; Cr2O3; 0-9.56; NiO, 0-0.78; CoO, 0-0.46; indicating that the Cr2O3 content is higher and FeO content lower in the Changzhougou Formation than in the Dahongyu Formation. The helium isotopic data of cosmic spherules as well as their host rocks vary greatly between the Changzhougou and the Dahongyu formations as shown in Table 2. The data of cosmic spherules of the Changzhougou Formation vs the Dahongyu Formation are 57.5/1.23 in ^3He/^4He （10^-8）; and 55.54/809.60 in ^4He （10^-6cm^3STP/g）; those of coarse sandstone of the Changzhougou Formation vs silicified carbonate of the Dahongyu Formation are 3.39/2.59 in ^3He/^4He （10^-8） and 4.56/2.34 in ^3He （10^-6cm^3STP/g）. The ratio of analytic data of helium isotopes are different for cosmic spherules and their host rocks; for example, the ^3He/^4He （10^-8） values are 16.96 and 0.48, and the ^4He （10^-6 cm^3STP/g） are 12.18 and 345.98 for the Changzhougou and Dahongyu formations respectively. It was reported that the world＇s oldest micrometeorites had been found in the Meso-Proterozoic Satakunta Formation, Finland. However, the cosmic spherules from the Meso-Proterozoic Changzhougou and Dahongyu formations are 200 to 400 Ma older than those from the Satakunta Formation. Besides, one carbonaceous chondrite grain was discovered for the first time as the earliest remain formed in the solar nebula from the Dahongyu Formation.

In-Situ SHRIMP U-Pb Dating of Xenotime Outgrowth on Detrital Zircon Grains from the Changzhougou Formation of the Ming Tomb District, Beijing

SHRIMP U-Pb dating of diagenetic xenotime from sedimentary rocks has provided age constraints for sedimentary diagenesis （McNaughton et al., 1999; Fletcher et al., 2000; England et al., 2001; Rasmussen et al., 2004; Vallini et al., 2007）. Xenotime （YPO4） may grow during early diagenesis, typically being present as a trace constituent in siliciclastic sedimentary rocks （Rasmussen, 2005）, in the form of syntaxial outgrowths on detrital zircon grains. Diagenetic xenotime occurs in a wide variety of rock types, including conglomerate,

The Firstly Discovered Cosmic Spherules in Carbonaceous Siltstone from the Taizi Formation of the Mesoproterozoic Shennongjia Group,Central China

Objective Spherical micro-particles are often preserved in Precambrian sedimentary rocks. Finnish and Chinese scholars have previously discovered carbonaceous, siliceous or ferruginous spherules of out-space origin in the 1.6 Ga and 1.4 Ga sequence, respectively. The presence of spherules can record possible cosmic impact events. Also, cosmic spherules provide important information on the evolution of planets from outer space.

Discovery of Cosmic Spherules from the Mesoproterozoic Strata and its Significance——in Case of the Ming Tombs Area, Beijing

This study covers cosmic spherules derived from the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing. The cosmic spherules include iron oxide cosmic spherules, carbonaceous chondrites, and atomic iron "steely bead"-shaped cosmic spherules. The mineral assemblage of silicon carbide, forsterite, zircon, and glass spherules and fragments were picked from melt-silicified carbonate of the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation(ca. 1625 Ma). Cosmic spherule assemblages are solely discovered from sedimentary rocks in China. Platinum group elements(PGE) were determined for the first time in cosmic spherules and associated minerals. PGE comparative observation between meteorite and cosmic spherules is presented in this study. It is recognized that an extraterrestrial meteorite impact event might have occurred in the Dahongyu Stage. The main evidence is a large number of iron cosmic spherules in silicified oncolitic limestone, and associated cosmic silicon carbide, glass spherules, and fragments, as well as the presence of forsterite. The impact-volcanic crater is characteristic of a big black shale block dropped into the bended silicified limestone.

滦平盆地下白垩统西瓜园组震积软沉积变形

为完善对滦平盆地西瓜园组地震引发的软沉积变形构造的认识,综合利用野外观测与室内分析相结合、宏观沉积体系与微观软沉积变形构造等分析相结合的方法,对研究区震积成因的软沉积变形构造进行了研究.结果表明,在盆内主、次控盆断层夹角位置的两处剖面中,可见枕状构造、液化砂岩脉、液化砂岩侵位、液化角砾岩、液化卷曲变形、砂岩滴落体、火焰构造、球枕构造、枕状层、负荷构造和震积不整合的组合发育,且同一剖面具有垂向多次震积作用的连续发育特点,这些震积作用均被识别在扇三角洲前缘相带内.根据这些软沉积变形发育的位置、彼此组合伴生、连续发育和区域分布的特点,可识别出连续2次大地震的发生.