Constraints on the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in deep-water realm in South China: Evidence from zircon CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb ages from the topmost Liuchapo Formation

The placement of the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in deep-water realm in South China and the high-precision temporal framework for the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition in this region have not yet been completely solved. Recently, we have found two K-bentonite beds in the top of the Liuchapo Formation at the Pingyin section, Guizhou Province. It provides an opportunity for constructing the temporal framework of the transitional strata on the Yangtze Platform in South China and for determining the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in this area. In this study, we conducted high-precision CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb dating on zircons from the two K-bentonites. The ages of the two K-bentonites were precisely constrained at 536.40±0.47/1.1/1.2 Ma(2σ, n=7, MSWD=0.92) and 541.48±0.46/1.1/1.2 Ma(2σ, n=8, MSWD=1.3). Combining the geochronological results with organic carbon isotope data of chert in the topmost Liuchapo Formation from the section, we suggest that the EdiacaranCambrian boundary should be consistent with a significant negative organic carbon isotope excursion between the two Kbentonites. The scheme of the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in this study is of great significance for global correlation, and further for unravelling the information of the terminal Ediacaran-early Cambrian ocean.

Revisiting Rhenium-Osmium Isotopic Investigations of Petroleum Systems: From Geochemical Behaviours to Geological Interpretations

Recent decades have witnessed an increasing number of studies investigating petroleum systems with the application of rhenium-osmium(Re-Os) isotopic geochemistry. Here, we review the use of the 187 Re-187 Os geochronometer with respect to the geochemical behaviour of rhenium and osmium in hydrocarbon-related geological processes. The Re-Os budget in hydrocarbon source rock predominantly originates from natural water columns during its deposition. Open seawater tends to have a homogeneous Os isotopic composition because its residence time in seawater is longer than the time taken for ocean mixing. On the contrary, restricted water bodies(e.g., lakes) may have heterogeneous Os isotopic compositions due to the greater amount of terrigenous input. Hydrogenous Re and Os atoms are sequestered from the water body into sedimentary organic matter and transferred into crude oil through thermal maturation of organic matter. Thermal maturation likely does not significantly alter the Re-Os isotopic systematics of the source rock as a Re-Os isochron age of 442±21 Ma(2σ) is yielded in this study for over matured source rocks within the Silurian Longmaxi Formation from the Sichuan Basin. Re-Os atoms are mainly hosted by the highly polar/aggregating/aromatic asphaltenes in hydrocarbons, possibly chelating with organic complexes or occurring as metalloporphyrins. Resin and aromatic hydrocarbons also contribute to the Re-Os budget, but are 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of asphaltenes, whereas saturates do not contain appreciable Re-Os contents. The distribution of Re-Os atoms in hydrocarbons is heterogeneous because the duplicate analysis of pure single bitumen samples yields similar ^(187)Os/^(188)Os ratios whereas variable ^(187)Re/^(188)Os ratios. The Re-Os system in crude oils can be reset during transport away from the source rocks, with Os-rich organic fractions more readily expelled than Re-rich fractions. Contact with metal-rich fluids(e.g., hydrothermal fluid) or compositional changes related to asphaltene contents(e.g., deasphalting, biodegradation, thermal cracking and thermochemical sulphate reduction) are also likely to alter the Re-Os systematics in hydrocarbons. These geochemical features enable the ^(187)Re-^(187)Os isotopic system to have robust applicability for petroleum system investigations, which may use the Re-Os radiometric tool for:(1) stratigraphic correlation of source rocks,(2) dating geological events altering the asphaltene content in hydrocarbon such as hydrocarbon generation, thermochemical sulphate reduction, etc., and,(3) fingerprinting hydrocarbons. Regardless of the robustness of the ^(187)Re-^(187)Os geochronometer for petroleum system investigations, there are several pending questions such as partitioning between solid organic species or between organic matter and sulphide, chelating sites in hydrocarbons and Os isotopic equilibration between hydrocarbon subfractions. To improve the understanding of the Re-Os behaviour in petroleum systems, we underscore multi-proxies-based geochemistry(e.g., inorganic-organic geochemistry) and experimental studies(e.g., hydrous pyrolysis).