Sequence stratigraphy of the petroliferous Dariyan Formation (Aptian) in Qeshm Island and offshore (southern Iran)

After sea level rises during the Early Cretaceous, upper parts of the Khami Group sediments （Fahliyan, Gadvan, and Dariyan Formations） deposited over Jurassic sediments. The Lower Cretaceous （Aptian） Dariyan Formation （equivalent to the Shu＇aiba Formation and Hawar Member of the Arabian Plate） carbonates, which have hydrocarbon reservoir potential, form the uppermost portion of the Khami Group that unconformably overlays the Gadvan Formation and was unconformably covered by the Kazhdumi Formation and Burgan sandstones. Detailed paleontological, sedimentological, and well log analysis were performed on seven wells from Qeshm Island and offshore in order to analyze the sequence stratigraphy of this interval and correlate with other studies of the Dariyan Formation in this region. According to this study, the Dariyan Formation contains 14 carbonate lithofacies, which deposited on a ramp system that deepened in both directions （NE-wells 5, 6 and SWIwells 1, 2）. Sequence stratigraphy led to recognition of 5 Aptian third-order sequences toward the Bab Basin （SW-well 1） and 4 Aptian third-order sequences toward Qeshm Island （NE-wells 5 and 6） so these areas show higher gamma on the gamma ray logs and probably have higher source rock potential. Other wells （wells 2-4 and 7） mainly deposited in shallower ramp systems and contain 3 Aptian third-order sequences. On the other hand, rudstone and boundstone lithofacies of studied wells have higher reservoir potential and were deposited during Apt 3 and Apt 4 sequences of the Arabian Plate. The Dariyan Formation in Qeshm Island （well 6） and adjacent well （well 5） was deposited in an intrashelf basin that should be classified as a new intrashelf basin in future Aptian paleogeographic maps. We interpret that salt-related differential subsidence, crustal warping, and reactivation of basement faults of the Arabian Plate boundary were responsible for the creation of the intrashelf basin in the Qeshm area.

Orbital Cycles Analysis and Its Genesis Significance for the Sequence Hierarchy:A Case Study of Carboniferous Karashayi Formation,Central Tarim Basin

The Carboniferous Karashayi （卡拉沙依） Formation of Tarim basin formed in the epicontinental sea shelf environment where the evolution of basins is pediocratic. As an important reservoir-forming combination, the Carboniferous Karashayi Formation consist of clastic rocks, carbonate rocks and gypsum rocks, which show clear sedimentary cyclicity. According to paleontology research and stratigraphic correlation, Karashayi Formation corresponds to Visean and Serpukhovian in international stratigraphic chart with a time limit about ±27 Ma. The sequence stratigraphic study for the Karashayi Formation is rough because of the difficulty to identify the unconformity surfaces. The current study mostly divides it into three or four 3rd sequences. However, this partition cannot meet the geological crossing correlation. At the theory aspect of sequence stratigraphy, the genesis of the 3rd sequence is also a disputed problem. Cyclostratigraphy study of the Natural Gamma-Ray Log, Spontaneous Potential Log and other logging curves has been taken out by spectrum analysis and wavelet analysis, etc.. For Well Shun6 and Well Zhongl in Tazhong （塔中） and neighbouring area, combined core observation and base level analysis, the Karashayi Formation was divided into 9 or 11 sequence stratigraphic units. Continuous constraints of each sequence is about ±2.40 Ma, corresponding to astronomical cycle formed by three parameters of Earth orbit. Accompanied by the historical division of 3rd sequences, the formation mechanism of 3rd sequences was possibly forced by the 2.4 Ma astro-nomical eccentricity cycles.

The reliability of age measurements for Young Stellar Objects from Hertzsprung-Russell or color-magnitude diagrams

The possibility to estimate ages and masses of Young Stellar Objects （YSOs） from their location in the Hertzsprnng-Russell diagram （HRD） or a color- magnitude diagram provides a very important tool for the investigation of fundamen- tal questions related to the processes of star formation and early stellar evolution. Age estimates are essential for studies of the temporal evolution of circumstellar material around YSOs and the conditions for planet formation. The characterization of the age distribution of the YSOs in a star forming region allows researchers to reconstruct the star formation history and provides important information on the fundamental ques- tion of whether star formation is a slow or a fast process. However, the reliability of these age measurements and the ability to detect possible age spreads in the stellar population of star forming regions are fundamentally limited by several factors. The variability of YSOs, unresolved binary components, and uncertainties in the calibra- tions of the stellar parameters cause uncertainties in the derived luminosities that are usually much larger than the typical photometry errors. Furthermore, the pre-main se- quence evolution track of a YSO depends to some degree on the initial conditions and the details of its individual accretion history. I discuss how these observational and model uncertainties affect the derived isochronal ages, and demonstrate how neglect- ing or underestimating these uncertainties can easily lead to severe misinterpretations, gross overestimates of the age spread, and ill-based conclusions about the star for- marion history. These effects are illustrated by means of Monte-Carlo simulations of observed star clusters with realistic observational uncertainties. The most important points are as follows. First, the observed scatter in the HRD must not be confused with a genuine age spread, but is always just an upper limit to the true age spread. Second, histograms of isochronal ages naturally show a decreasing number of stars for ages above the median, a pattern that can be misinterpreted as an accelerating star formation rate. Third, it is emphasized that many star forming regions consist of sev- eral sub-groups, which often have different ages. If these distinct stellar populations cannot be disentangled （e.g., due to projection effects） and the HRD of all stars in the region is used for an age analysis, it is very difficult （often impossible） to discern between the scenario of an extended period of star formation （i.e. a large age spread） and the alternative concept of a temporal sequence of several discrete star formation episodes. Considering these factors, most observations of star forming regions suggest that age spreads are usually smaller than the corresponding crossing times, supporting the scenario of fast and dynamic star formation.

Near-infrared monitoring and modeling of V1647 Ori in its ongoing 2008–2012 outburst phase

We present results of the Mt Abu JHK photometric and HI Brackett γ line monitoring of the eruptive young stellar object V1647 Orionis （McNeil＇s Object） during its ongoing outburst phase in 2008-2012. We discuss JHK color patterns and extinction during the outburst and compare them with those from the previous out- burst phase in 2004-2005 and in the intervening quiescent period that lasted about 2 yr. Commencing from early 2012, the object has shown a slow fading out in all the bands. We report brightness variations in the nearby Herbig-Haro object HH22 that are possibly associated with those in V1647 Ori. We also present modeling of the spec- tral energy distributions of V 1647 Ori during both its recent outburst and its quiescent phase. The physical parameters of the protostar and its circumstellar environment ob- tained from the modeling indicate marked differences between the two phases.

A Study of the Energy Sources of Herbig-Haro Objects

We make a statistical study of the energy sources of high-velocity phenomena, Herbig-Haro (HH) objects. IRAS counterparts of HH objects are identified. Their colors, brightness, geometric relation to the RH objects and SED are analysed. The sources are found to be concentrated in a band-shaped region in the IRAS color-color diagram. We suggest an explanation of thick surrounding material for this distribution. We propose a new method for identifying the energy sources based on color arid brightness. This method is applied to more than 200 HR objects whose energy sources are still unknown. Finally, a group of very young stellar object candidates which have similar properties to the RH energy sources is picked out. Their large-scale distribution is discussed.

Evolutionary stages and disk properties of young stellar objects in the Perseus cloud

We investigated the evolutionary stages and disk properties of 211 young stellar objects（YSOs） across the Perseus cloud by modeling their broadband optical to mid-infrared（IR） spectral energy distribution（SED）. Our optical gri photometry data were obtained from the recently finished Purple Mountain Observatory Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anti-center（XSTPS-GAC）.About 81% of our sample fall into the Stage II phase which is characterized by having optically thick disks, while 14% into the Stage I phase characterized by having significant infalling envelopes, and the remaining 5% into the Stage Ⅲ phase characterized by having optically thin disks. The median stellar age and mass of the Perseus YSOs are 3.1 Myr and 0.3 M⊙ respectively. By exploring the relationships among the turnoff wave bands λturnoff（longward of which significant IR excesses above the stellar photosphere are observed）, the excess spectral index αexcess as determined for λ 〉 λturnoff, and the disk inner radius Rin（determined from SED modeling） for YSOs at different evolutionary stages, we found that the median and standard deviation of αexcess for YSOs with optically thick disks tend to increase withλturnoff, especially at λturnoff ≥5.8 μm, whereas the median fractional dust luminosities Ldust/L★ tend to decrease with increasing λturnoff. This points to an inside-out process of disk clearing for small dust grains. Moreover, a positive correlation between αexcess and Rin was found at α〉excess ～ 0 and R〉in～ 10 × the dust sublimation radius Rsub, irrespective of λturnoff, Ldust/L★ and disk flaring. This suggests that the outer disk flaring either does not evolve synchronously with the inside-out disk clearing of small dust grains or has little appreciable influence on the spectral slopes at λ〈～ 24 μm. About 23% of our YSO disks are classified as transitional disks, which haveλturnoff ≥ 5.8 μm and Ldust/L★ 〉 10-3. The transitional disks and full disks occupy distinctly different regions on the Ldust/L★ vs. αexcess diagram. Taking Ldust/L★ as an approximate discriminator of disks with（〉0.1） and without（〈0.1） considerable accretion activity, we found that 65% and 35% of the transitional disks may be consistent with being dominantly cleared by photoevaporation and dynamical interaction with giant planets respectively. None of our transitional disks have αexcess（〈0.0） or Ldust/L★（〉0.1） values that would otherwise be suggestive of disk clearing dominanted by grain growth.

Lithofacies architecture and palaeogeography of the Late Paleozoic glaciomarine Talchir Formation,Raniganj Basin,India

Talchir Formation （Permo-Carboniferous） of the Gondwana Supergroup records the Late Paleozoic glaciation in Peninsular India. Talchir sedimentary succession of the Raniganj Basin, Damodar Valley Coalfields, Peninsular India, bears ten facies types grouped under three facies associations, viz., the proglacial conglomerate-sandstone facies association （CS）, the foreshore-shoreface conglomerate-sandstone-mudstone facies association （CSM） and the prodelta-shelf sandstone-mudstone facies association （SM）. Overall facies architecture reflects initial ice-covered terrestrial subgiacial sedimentation, which was subsequently reworked and emplaced subaqueously in front of the ice-grounding line, and finally overlapped by storm-laid prodelta-shelf sediments. Repeated glacial advance-retreats with shifts in the position of the ice-grounding line during phases of climatic amelioration led to multiple deglaciation-related fining-up cycles. Decoupled ice sheet and floating icebergs contributed icerafted debris （IRD） to these sediments. Gradual retreat of the ice sheet, however, restricted the supply of IRD towards top of the succession. Overlap of wave-agitated shoreface-shelf sediments on the glaciogenic sediments indicates widespread marine transgression caused by glacier melting during ice-house to green-house climatic transition, and crustal downsagging related to giacioisostasy. Subsequently, complete disappearance of the ice sheet caused basinal exhumation along with crustal uplift due to isostatic rebound, leading to multiple horst-graben bounded basinal systems, which received post-Talchir coal-bearing Gondwana sediments.