CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY DESERTS IN SOUTHWESTERN CHINA AND DESERT SEDIMENTOLOGY

The special issue deals with the Cretaceous-Tertiary deserts in southwestern China and relevant sedimentological problems about deserts. The study area is located between 101°10＇- 107°00＇E and 28°00＇-30°40′ N. The ancient desert study is so little in China that there has not been a systematic report about it up to now. Based on the study in many ways on Cretaceous-Tertiary deserts in southwestern China, plentiful data have been obtained. Though it is still a bit rough, the study is a good beginning of the ancient desert study in China. The main ideas and conclusions are summarized as follows.

CRETACEOUS AND TERTIARY BOUNDARY IN THE TINGRI REGION OF SOUTHERN TIBET

Marine uppermost Cretaceous to lowermost Tertiary sequence occurs in the Gamba and Tingri regions of southern Tibet. In previous work, the sequences in both regions were divided into the Zongshan, Jidula and Zhepure Formations (Wan, 1985; Hao and Wan, 1985; Xu, Wan, et al. 1990). The K/T boundary in Gamba was studied by Wan Xiaoqiao (1988). This paper deals with the boundary in the Tingri region. Willems (1993) discussed the Cretaceous to Tertiary sequence in the Tingri region. In his work, the Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary passage beds involved the Zongshan, Zhepure Shanpo, Jidula and Zhepure Shan Formations. The lithologies in the Tingri and Gamba regions are generally comparable, and we describe the boundary sequence in the Tingri region as follows:1\ Zongshan Formation (Campanian—Middle Maastrichtian) Hao and Wan (1985) first described this formation in Tingri. It consists of limestones equivalent to the strata in Gamba. The nomination of the Zongshan formation has been used in both regions. The Formation in Gamba ranges from Campanian to Late Maastrichtian age. In Tingri, however, the upper beds were referred to the Zhepure Shanpo Formation because they are clastic sediments (Willems, 1993). Planktonic foraminifera are abundant, such as Globotruncana spp. and Omphalocyclus sp.

A new gnetalean macrofossil from the Lower Cretaceous of the Laiyang Basin, eastern China

Gnetophytes are a key group of plant for understanding seed plant phylogeny,partly because of their unique and elusive morphology,such as xylem with vessels,phloem with chaperones,reticular veins,and double fertilization(Endress,1996).In particular,the ovule bears a membranous integument,the upper part of which extends beyond the seed envelope to form a micropylar tube.Therefore,gnetophytes occupy a unique evolutionary position in the phylogeny of seed plants and apparently represent a transition between angiosperms and other gymnosperms(Ran et al.,2018).Modern gnetophytes consist of only three families:Ephedraceae,Gnetaceae,and Welwitschiaceae,and each family contains only one genus.Ephedraceae(Ephedra L.)are the earliest diverging group of Gnetales,with a total of 70 extant species,and usually occur in cold and arid places in Asia,Europe,northern Africa,western North America and South America(Price,1996;Yang et al.,2017b).

Early-diverging Titanosauriform(Dinosauria,Sauropoda)Teeth from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Southeastern Inner Mongolia,Northeast China

Three eusauropod teeth(SDUST-V1064,PMOL-AD00176,PMOL-ADt0005)are reported from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Ningcheng,southeastern Inner Mongolia,China.Two of them(SDUST-V1064,PMOL-AD00176)are assigned to early-diverging titanosauriforms in having slightly mesiodistal expansion at the base of the tooth crown,a slenderness index value>2.0 and<4.0,and D-shaped cross section.Furthermore,SDUST-V1064 and PMOL-AD00176 are referred as an Euhelopus-like titanosauriform on the basis of having a sub-circular boss on the lingual surface and an asymmetrical crown-root margin which slants apically,respectively.CT scan data of SDUST-V1064 reveals new dental information of early-diverging titanosauriforms,for example,the enamel on the labial side thicker than that on the lingual side,an enamel/dentine ratio of 0.26 and a boss present on the lingual side of the dentine of the crown.

Flat-footed Females and Missing Males:A New Genus and Species of Pleciofungivoridae(Diptera:Bibionomorpha)Represents the First Record of the Family from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber

A new genus and species,Cretopleciofungivora simpsoni gen.et sp.nov.,from the extinct family Pleciofungivoridae(Diptera:Bibionomorpha),is discovered in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.Previously,this family was known only from imprints in sedimentary rocks of the Jurassic and the Lower Cretaceous.Discovery of a representative of Pleciofungivoridae in Kachin amber confirms the presence of the family in the Upper Cretaceous.The new species has a unique structure of fore tarsus,with lobed and extended tarsal segments Ⅱ to Ⅳ,a feature hitherto known only in a few species of extant Sciaroidea.Although not particularly rare,the new species is currently known only from female specimens.Possible reasons for this phenomenon,very unusual in Sciaroidea,are briefly discussed,including parthenogenesis as a potentially plausible hypothesis.

Arlenea delicata gen.et sp.nov.,a new ephedroid plant from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation,Araripe Basin,Northeast Brazil

Ephedroid macrofossils have been widely documented in Cretaceous deposits,including numerous from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of NE China.However,few ephedroid macrofossils have been reported from South America.Herein,we describe a new plant of the family Ephedraceae,Arlenea delicata gen.et sp.nov.,from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin,Northeast Brazil,based on the vegetative and reproductive structures.It has the typical morphological characteristics of ephedroid plants,including fertile reproductive branches,opposite phyllotaxy,terminal female cones,a sympodial branching system,longitudinally striated internodes,and swollen nodes.Our new finding is unusual in having inner chlamydosperms subtended by two pairs of bracts,reproductive units connected to branches through swollen receptacles and a smooth seed surface.This new ephedroid taxon from the Crato Formation increases our understanding of plant diversity of this group during the Early Cretaceous.Furthermore,the general morphology(fleshy bracts and enlarged receptacles)of this new fossil discovery indicates that seeds of this plant may have been dispersed by animals such as pterosaurs(mainly the Tapejaridae)and birds(Enantiornithes and Ornituromorpha).If true,this would explain the cosmopolitan distribution of Ephedraceae in the Lower Cretaceous.

Early Cretaceous Metasomatized Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Central Jiangnan Orogen in South China:Geochemical and Sr-Nd Isotope Evidence from the Tuanshanbei Dolerite

It is well established that Cretaceous magmatism in the South China Block(SCB)is related to the Paleo-Pacific subduction.However,the starting time and the associated deep crust-mantle processes are still debatable.Mafic dike swarms carry important information on the deep earth(including mantle)geodynamics and geochemical evolution.In the Jiangnan Orogen(South China).there is no information on whether the Mesozoic magmatic activities in this region are also directly related to the Pacific subduction or not.In this study,we present detailed zircon U-Pb geochronological,wholerock element and Sr-Nd isotope data for Early Cretaceous Tuanshanbei dolerite dikes,and provide new constraints on the condition of the lithospheric mantle and mantle dynamics of the SCB during that time.LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating suggests that this dolerite erupted in the Early Cretaceous(~145 Ma).All samples have alkaline geochemical affinities with K_(2)O+Na_(2)O=3.11-4.04 wt%,K_(2)O/Na_(2)O=0.50-0.72,and Mg^(#)=62.24-65.13.They are enriched in LILE but depleted in HFSE with higher initial^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratio(0.706896-0.714743)and lower ε_(Nd)(t)(-2.61 to-1.67).They have high Nb/U,Nb/La,La/Sm and Rb/Sr,and low La/Nb,La/Ta,Ce/Pb,Ba/Rb,Tb/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios.Such geochemical signatures suggest that the fractional crystallization is obvious but crustal contamination play a negligible role during magmatic evolution.Tuanshanbei dolerite were most likely derived from low-degree(2%-5%)partial melting of a phlogopite-bearing mantle material consisted of~85% spinel peridotite and~15% garnet peridotite previously metasomatized by asthenospherederived fluids/melts with minor subduction-derived fluids/melts.Slab-rollback generally lead to the upwelling of the hot asthenosphere.The upwelling of asthenosphere consuming the lithospheric mantle by thermo-mechanical-chemical erosion.The lithospheric mantle may have partially melted due to the heating by the upwelling asthenosphere and lithospheric extension.It is inferred that the Tuanshanbei dolerite might be associated with the initial slab rollback and corresponding lithospheric extension occurred potentially at ca.145 Ma.

Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of the Wadi Natash volcanic field(WNVF),Egypt:Alkaline magmatism in a Late Cretaceous continental rift system

The Wadi Natash volcanic field(WNVF)in the south of the Eastern Desert of Egypt is a typical example of well-preserved intraplate alkaline magmatism during the Late Cretaceous,i.e.,prior to the Oligo-Miocene Red Sea rift.We compiled stratigraphic sections at two sectors;namely East Gabal Nuqra and West Khashm Natash(WKN)where the volcanic flows are intercalated with the Turonian Abu Agag sandstone with occasional paleosols when volcanic activity is intermittent.Peridotite mantle xenoliths are encountered in the first sector whereas flows in the second sector are interrupted by trachyte plugs and ring dykes.On a geochemical basis,the maifc melt originating from the lithospheric mantle beneath the WNVF practiced~5%partial melting of phlogopite-bearing garnet peridotite.Basalts dominate in the two sectors and highly evolved(silicic)rocks are confined to the WKN sector.Rejuvenation of ancient Precambrian fractures following the NW-SE and ENE-WSW trends facilitated the ascend of Late Cretaceous mantle-derived alkaline magma.Structurally,the WNVF developed at the eastern shoulder of the so-called"Kom Ombo-Nuqra-Kharit rift system"that represents a well-defined NW-trending intracontinental rift basin in the southern Eastern Desert.In such a structural setup,the Natash volcanic are confined to half-grabens at the East Gabal Nuqra sector whereas the West Khashm Natash sector is subjected to extensional stresses that propagated eastwards.The WNVF is a typical example of fluvial clastics(Turonian)intercalation with rift-related alkaline volcanic rocks in northeast Africa.

Formation of large-and medium-sized Cretaceous volcanic reservoirs in the offshore Bohai Bay Basin,East China

Based on the geological and geophysical data of Mesozoic oil-gas exploration in the sea area of Bohai Bay Basin and the discovered high-yield volcanic oil and gas wells since 2019,this paper methodically summarizes the formation conditions of large-and medium-sized Cretaceous volcanic oil and gas reservoirs in the Bohai Sea.Research shows that the Mesozoic large intermediate-felsic lava and intermediate-felsic composite volcanic edifices in the Bohai Sea are the material basis for the formation of large-scale volcanic reservoirs.The upper subfacies of effusive facies and cryptoexplosive breccia subfacies of volcanic conduit facies of volcanic vent-proximal facies belts are favorable for large-scale volcanic reservoir formation.Two types of efficient reservoirs,characterized by high porosity and medium to low permeability,as well as medium porosity and medium to low permeability,are the core of the formation of large-and medium-sized volcanic reservoirs.The reservoir with high porosity and medium to low permeability is formed by intermediate-felsic vesicular lava or the cryptoexplosive breccia superimposed by intensive dissolution.The reservoir with medium porosity and medium to low permeability is formed by intense tectonism superimposed by fluid dissolution.Weathering and tectonic transformation are main formation mechanisms for large and medium-sized volcanic reservoirs in the study area.The low-source“source-reservoir draping type”is the optimum source-reservoir configuration relationship for large-and medium-sized volcanic reservoirs.There exists favorable volcanic facies,efficient reservoirs and source-reservoir draping configuration relationship on the periphery of Bozhong Sag,and the large intermediate-felsic lava and intermediate-felsic composite volcanic edifices close to strike-slip faults and their branch faults are the main directions of future exploration.

Discovery of nano organo-clay complex pore-fractures in shale and its scientific significance:A case study of Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation shale,Songliao Basin,NE China

A new pore type,nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fracture was first discovered based on argon ion polishing-field emission scanning electron microscopy,energy dispersive spectroscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction by focused ion-scanning electron in combination with analysis of TOC,R_(o)values,X-ray diffraction etc.in the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation shale in the Songliao Basin,NE China.Such pore characteristics and evolution study show that:(1)Organo-clay complex pore-fractures are developed in the shale matrix and in the form of spongy and reticular aggregates.Different from circular or oval organic pores discovered in other shales,a single organo-clay complex pore is square,rectangular,rhombic or slaty,with the pore diameter generally less than 200 nm.(2)With thermal maturity increasing,the elements(C,Si,Al,O,Mg,Fe,etc.)in organo-clay complex change accordingly,showing that organic matter shrinkage due to hydrocarbon generation and clay mineral transformation both affect organo-clay complex pore-fracture formation.(3)At high thermal maturity,the Qingshankou Formation shale is dominated by nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fractures with the percentage reaching more than 70%of total pore space.The spatial connectivity of organo-clay complex pore-fractures is significantly better than that of organic pores.It is suggested that organo-complex pore-fractures are the main pore space of laminar shale at high thermal maturity and are the main oil and gas accumulation space in the core area of continental shale oil.The discovery of nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fractures changes the conventional view that inorganic pores are the main reservoir space and has scientific significance for the study of shale oil formation and accumulation laws.

Hydrocarbon accumulation history in Lower Cretaceous in northern slope of Bongor Basin in Chad,Central Africa

Based on the analysis of the fluid inclusion homogenization temperature and apatite fission track on the northern slope zone of the Bongor Basin in Chad,this paper studied the time and stages of hydrocarbon accumulation in the study area.The results show that:(1)The brine inclusions of the samples from the Kubla and Prosopis formations in the Lower Cretaceous coexisting with the hydrocarbon generally present two sets of peak ranges of homogenization temperature,with the peak ranges of low temperature and high temperature being 75–105℃ and 115–135℃,respectively;(2)The samples from the Kubla and Prosopis formations have experienced five tectonic evolution stages,i.e.,rapid subsidence in the Early Cretaceous,tectonic inversion in the Late Cretaceous,small subsidence in the Paleogene,uplift at the turn of the Paleogene and Neogene,and subsidence since the Miocene,in which the denudation thickness of the Late Cretaceous and after the turn of the Paleogene and Neogene are~1.8 km and~0.5 km,respectively.The cumulative denudation thickness of the two periods is about 2.3 km;(3)Using the brine inclusion homogenization temperature coexisting with the hydrocarbon as the capture temperature of the hydrocarbon,and combining with the apatite fission track thermal history modeling,the result shows that the Kubla and Prosopis formations in the Lower Cretaceous on the northern slope of the Bongor Basin have the same hydrocarbon accumulation time and stages,both of which have undergone two stages of hydrocarbon charging at 80–95 Ma and 65–80 Ma.The first stage of charging corresponds to the initial migration of hydrocarbon at the end of the Early Cretaceous rapid sedimentation,while the second stage of charging is in the stage of intense tectonic inversion in the Late Cretaceous.

Influences of burial process on diagenesis and high-quality reservoir development of deep-ultra-deep clastic rocks:A case study of Lower Cretaceous Qingshuihe Formation in southern margin of Junggar Basin,NW China

Taking the Lower Cretaceous Qingshuihe Formation in the southern margin of Junggar Basin as an example,the influences of the burial process in a foreland basin on the diagenesis and the development of high-quality reservoirs of deep and ultra-deep clastic rocks were investigated using thin section,scanning electron microscope,electron probe,stable isotopic composition and fluid inclusion data.The Qingshuihe Formation went through four burial stages of slow shallow burial,tectonic uplift,progressive deep burial and rapid deep burial successively.The stages of slow shallow burial and tectonic uplift not only can alleviate the mechanical compaction of grains,but also can maintain an open diagenetic system in the reservoirs for a long time,which promotes the dissolution of soluble components by meteoric freshwater and inhibits the precipitation of dissolution products in the reservoirs.The late rapid deep burial process contributed to the development of fluid overpressure,which effectively inhibits the destruction of primary pores by compaction and cementation.The fluid overpressure promotes the development of microfractures in the reservoir,which enhances the dissolution effect of organic acids.Based on the quantitative reconstruction of porosity evolution history,it is found that the long-term slow shallow burial and tectonic uplift processes make the greatest contribution to the development of deep-ultra-deep high-quality clastic rock reservoirs,followed by the late rapid deep burial process,and the progressive deep burial process has little contribution.

On the Age of the Dongtang Formation in the Hengyang Basin of Hunan and the Cretaceous and Tertiary Boundary

Since the coexistence of the Cretaceous and Palaeocene was ascertained in the Hengyang Basin of Hunan in the middle of the 1960's, the Cretaceous and Tertiary boundary has been discussed in several papers, but it still remains controversal. The points at issue are the connotation, stratigraphical position and lateral correlation of the Dongtang (or Chejiang) Formation.

Investigation of the Petrological and Geochemical Characteristics of Siderite in the Early Cretaceous Sandstone of Lacustrine Sedimentary Sequence in the Erlian Basin from Northeastern China

Siderite is a prevalent authigenic mineral in siliciclastic rocks, which usually occurred in eodiagensis period and could be used as an indicator of sedimentary environment. Some siderite precipitated in burial depth with geochemical information of basin fluid evolution. The crystal morphology, geochemical composition, and isotope values are influenced by physical and geochemical environment of precipitation. In this study, samples from the Early Cretaceous of Erlian basin in the northwestern China were collected, and mineralogy, bulk and in-situ geochemistry, C and O isotopes were analyzed to comprehensively investigate the sedimentary and diagenetic environment that the sediments experienced. Six lithofaices with three types of crystal habits were recognized in the siderite-rich sandstone, bundle crystal in spherical forms, blocky rhombs in intergranular pore and cleavage of muscovite, and micro bundle and mosaic crystals aggregates in nodular. The siderite growth proceeds through micro bundle and mosaic crystals to bundle siderite aggregates and then into blocky rhombs. The crystal evolution is also reflected by geochemical composition. The micro bundle and mosaic crystals are Casiderite. The spheritic shaped bundle aggregates are Ca-Mn-siderite. The blocky rhomb siderite shows gray part and bight part with Ca, Mg and Mn varies. Increase of Ca in block rhomb siderite suggests burial and mesodiagenesis, the high content of Mn may have linkage with eogenetic effects. The relatively positive and slightly negative δ13C value indicates meteoric water domination and influence of organic matter evolution in shallow buried time. The narrow ranges negative δ18O value suggest a small span of temperature of siderite formation.

Enrichment model and major controlling factors of below-source tight oil in Lower Cretaceous Fuyu reservoirs in northern Songliao Basin,NE China

Based on the geochemical,seismic,logging and drilling data,the Fuyu reservoirs of the Lower Cretaceous Quantou Formation in northern Songliao Basin are systematically studied in terms of the geological characteristics,the tight oil enrichment model and its major controlling factors.First,the Quantou Formation is overlaid by high-quality source rocks of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation,with the development of nose structure around sag and the broad and continuous distribution of sand bodies.The reservoirs are tight on the whole.Second,the configuration of multiple elements,such as high-quality source rocks,reservoir rocks,fault,overpressure and structure,controls the tight oil enrichment in the Fuyu reservoirs.The source-reservoir combination controls the tight oil distribution pattern.The pressure difference between source and reservoir drives the charging of tight oil.The fault-sandbody transport system determines the migration and accumulation of oil and gas.The positive structure is the favorable place for tight oil enrichment,and the fault-horst zone is the key part of syncline area for tight oil exploration.Third,based on the source-reservoir relationship,transport mode,accumulation dynamics and other elements,three tight oil enrichment models are recognized in the Fuyu reservoirs:(1)vertical or lateral migration of hydrocarbon from source rocks to adjacent reservoir rocks,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon generated is migrated vertically or laterally to and accumulates in the adjacent reservoir rocks;(2)transport of hydrocarbon through faults between separated source and reservoirs,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon migrates downward through faults to the sandbodies that are separated from the source rocks;and(3)migration of hydrocarbon through faults and sandbodies between separated source and reservoirs,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon migrates downwards through faults to the reservoir rocks that are separated from the source rocks,and then migrates laterally through sandbodies.Fourth,the differences in oil source conditions,charging drive,fault distribution,sandbody and reservoir physical properties cause the differential enrichment of tight oil in the Fuyu reservoirs.Comprehensive analysis suggests that the Fuyu reservoir in the Qijia-Gulong Sag has good conditions for tight oil enrichment and has been less explored,and it is an important new zone for tight oil exploration in the future.

Fern Diversity in the Mid-Cretaceous Amber Forests Revealed by Exceptionally Preserved Sporangium Types

The amber deposits from the Albian-Cenomanian in Myanmar have emerged as a pivotal source for exceptionally abundant fossil insect fauna since their initial discovery. Recent studies have increasingly focused on elucidating the fern inventory and examining newly available fossils from Myanmar amber, suggesting a diverse fern flora that once thrived in Cretaceous forests. Through investigations of amber collections, with particular emphasis on sporangium structures—especially the annulus types preserved in amber inclusions—this study revealed additional novelties within the Cyatheales and Schizaeales in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber forests. The described specimens and newly discovered fossils provide compelling evidence that Polypodiales were not only diverse and abundant but also that other fern lineages, such as Cyatheales and Schizaeales, coexisted in these ancient forest ecosystems. This study reveals the high diversity of ferns in the mid-Cretaceous Myanmar area, while also implying the paleoecological and paleogeographical significance of the Mesozoic Burmese amber forests.

The Cretaceous System in China

This paper provides an outline of Cretaceous stratigraphy and paleogeography in China, which is based on rich data obtained from recent researches. Cretaceous deposits are widespread in China. Most strata are of nonmarine origin and marine sediments occur only in Tibet, western Tarim Basin of Xinjiang, Taiwan and limited localities of eastern Heilongjiang. AH deposits are rich in fossils and well-constrained biostratigraphically. The stratigraphic successions of different regions are illustrated, and general stratigraphic division and correlation have been introduced. The marine deposits are described in the Tibetan Tethys, Kashi-Hotan Region of Xinjiang, eastern Heilongjiang, western Yunnan and Taiwan; the nonmarine deposits are outlined from northeast China, southeast China, southern interior China, southwest China, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region, and northwestern China intermontane basins. The sedimentary facies and paleogeography are diversified. In Tibet the basin evolution is largely related to the subduction and collision of the Indian Plate against the Eurasian Continent, and shows a tectonic evolution in the Cretaceous. Foraminifera are a dominant biota in the Tibet Tethys. Nonmarine sediments include variegated and red beds, coal- or salt-bearing horizons, and volcanic rocks. These deposits contain diverse and abundant continental faunas and floras, as well as important coal and oil resources. The Cretaceous stratigraphy and paleogeography in China have presented a foundation for geological studies.

Early Cretaceous overprinting of the Mesozoic Daqing Shan fold-and-thrust belt by the Hohhot metamorphic core complex,Inner Mongolia,China

The Early Cretaceous Hohhot metamorphic core complex （mcc） of the Daqing Shan （Mtns.） of central Inner Mongolia is among the best exposed and most spectacular of the spatially isolated mcc＇s that developed within the northern edge of the North China ＂craton＂. All of these mcc＇s were formed within the basement of a Late Paleozoic Andean-style arc and across older Mesozoic fold-and-thrust belts of variable age and tectonic vergence. The master Hohhot detachment fault roots southwards within the southem margin of the Daqing Shan for an along-strike distance of at least 120 km. Its geometry in the range to the north is complicated by interference patterns between （1） primary, large-scale NW-SE-trend- ing convex and concave fault corrugations and （2） secondary ENE-WSW-trending antiforms and syn- forms that folded the detachment in its late kinematic history. As in the Whipple Mtns. of California, the Hohhot master detachment is not of the Wernicke （1981） simple rooted type; instead, it was spawned from a mid-crustal shear zone, the top of which is preserved as a mylonitic front within Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks in its exhumed lower plate. 4~Ar-39Ar dating of siliceous volcanic rocks in basal sections of now isolated supradetachment basins suggest that crustal extension began at ca. 127 Ma, although lower-plate mylonitic rocks were not exposed to erosion until after ca. 119 Ma. Essentially synchronous cooling of bornblende, biotite, and muscovite in footwall mylonitic gneisses indicates very rapid exhumation and at ca. 122--120 Ma. Contrary to several recent reports, the master detachment clearly cuts across and dismembers older, north-directed thrust sheets of the Daqing Shah foreland fold-and-thrust belt. Folded and thrust-faulted basalts within its foredeep strata are as young as 132.6 ± 2.4 Ma, thus defining within 5--6 Ma the regional tectonic transition between crustal contraction and profound crustal extension.

Quantitative Analysis of Paleoatmospheric CO2 Level Based on Stomatal Characters of Fossil Ginkgo from Jurassic to Cretaceous in China

A better theoretical and practical understanding of the linkage between paleo-CO2 and climate during geological history is important to enhance the sustainable development of modern human society. Development in plant physiology since the 1980s has led to the realization that fossil plants can serve as a proxy for paleoatmosphere and paleobiosphere. As a relict gymnosperm with evolutionary stasis, Ginkgo is well suited for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. This paper analyzes fossil Ginkgo species from integrated strata in the north of China using anatomic data of plant physiology. Using stomatal parameters, a trend for the paleo-CO2 level during the Early-Middle Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous was obtained, which is consistent with the estimates by GEOCARB. The trend is also similar to that of Mean Global Surface Temperature in geological time. Compared with three other atmospheric CO2 concentration parameters, the trend of paleo-CO2 level based on the stomatal parameter of the fossil Ginkgo specimens from three contiguous strata is more exact.

Cretaceous Oceanic Redbeds: Implications for Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanography

The Cretaceous is among the most unusual eras in the geological past. Geoscience communities have been having great concerns with geological phenomena within this period, for example carbonate platforms and black shales in the Early and Middle Cretaceous respectively, during the last decades. But few people have paid any attention to the set of pelagic redbeds lying on the black shales, not to mention the applications to paleoclimatology and paleoceanography. It is shown by the sedimentary records of redbeds, that they were deposited around the CCD, with both a higher content of iron and much lower concentrations of organic carbon, which implies conditions with a relatively high content of oxygen. Such redbeds occurred in the global oceans, mainly in the Tethyan realm, with different durations of deposition and a climax from the late Santonian to early Campanian. Global cooling and dramatic changes in ocean currents might help to increase the oxygen flux between the atmosphere and ocean, after the large scale organic carbon burial during the Middle Cretaceous, and therefore lead to the oxygenation of deep ocean and so the occurrence of late Cretaceous oceanic redbeds.