The sedimentary record of the Sanshui Basin:Implication to the Late Cretaceous tectonic evolution in the northern margin of South China Sea

Whether the South China continental margin had shifted from active subduction to passive extension in the Late Cretaceous remains controversial.Located in the northernmost of the South China Sea continental margin,Sanshui Basin developed continuous stratigraphy from Lower Cretaceous to Eocene and provides precious outcrops to study the regional tectonic evolution during the Cretaceous.Therefore,we conducted field observations,petrology,clay mineralogy,geochemistry,and detrital zircon chronology analyses of sedimentary rocks from the Upper Cretaceous Sanshui Formation in Sanshui Basin.Results suggest that the Sanshui Basin is characterized as an intermoutane basin with multiple provenances,strong hydrodynamic environment,and proximal accumulation in the Late Cretaceous.An angular unconformity at the boundary between the Lower and Upper Cretaceous was observed in the basin.The sedimentary facies of the northern basin changed from lacustrine sedimentary environment in the Early Cretaceous to alluvial facies in the Late Cretaceous.The zircon U-Pb ages of granitic gravelly sandstone from Sanshui Formation prominently range from 100 Ma to 300 Ma,which is close to the deposition age of Sanshui Formation.The major and trace elements of the Late Cretaceous sedimentary samples show characteristics of active continental margin,and are different from the Paleogene rifting sequences.Hence,we propose that the northern South China Sea margin underwent an intense tectonic uplift at the turn of the Early and Late Cretaceous(around 100 Ma).Afterward,the northern South China Sea margin entered a wide extension stage in the Late Cretaceous(~100 to~80 Ma).This extensional phase is related to the back-arc extension in the active continental margin environment,which is different from the later passive rifting in the Cenozoic.The transition from active subduction to passive extension in the northern South China Sea may occur between the late Late Cretaceous and the Paleogene.

Peat formation and accumulation mechanism in northern marginal basin of South China Sea

In the present study,the coal-rock organic facies of Oligocene Yacheng Formation of the marginal basin in the South China Sea were classified and divided.In addition,through the correlations of the large-scale coal-bearing basins between the epicontinental sea and the South China Sea,it was concluded that the coal forming activities in the South China Sea presented particularity and complexity.Furthermore,the coal forming mechanisms also presented distinctiveness.The marginal basins in the South China Sea consist of several large and complex rift or depression basins,which are distributed at different tectonic positions in the South China Sea.Therefore,the marginal basins in the South China Sea are not simple traditional units with onshore continental slopes extending toward the deep sea.The marginal basins are known to consist of multi-level structures and distinctive types of basins which differ from the continental regions to the sea.During the Oligocene,the existing luxuriant plants and beneficial conditions assisted in the development of peat.Therefore,the Oligocene was the significant period for the formation and aggregation of the peat.However,the peat did not form in unified sedimentary dynamic fields,but instead displayed multi-level geographical units,multiple provenance areas,instability,and nonevent characteristics.As a result,the marginal basins in the South China Sea are characterized by non-uniform peat aggregation stages.In another words,the majority of the peat had entered the marine system in a dispersive manner and acted as part of the marine deposits,rather than during one or several suitable coal-forming stages.These peat deposits then became the main material source for hydrocarbon generation in all of the marginal basins of the South China Sea.The study will be of much significance for the hydrocarbon exploration in the marginal basins of the South China Sea.

Geothermal investigation of the thickness of gas hydrate stability zone in the north continental margin of the South China Sea

The exploration of unconventional and/or new energy resources has become the focus of energy research worldwide,given the shortage of fossil fuels.As a potential energy resource,gas hydrate exists only in the environment of high pressure and low temperature,mainly distributing in the sediments of the seafloor in the continental margins and the permafrost zones in land.The accurate determination of the thickness of gas hydrate stability zone is essential yet challenging in the assessment of the exploitation potential.The majority of previous studies obtain this thickness by detecting the bottom simulating reflectors（BSRs） layer on the seismic profiles.The phase equilibrium between gas hydrate stable state with its temperature and pressure provides an opportunity to derive the thickness with the geothermal method.Based on the latest geothermal dataset,we calculated the thickness of the gas hydrate stability zone（GHSZ） in the north continental margin of the South China Sea.Our results indicate that the thicknesses of gas hydrate stability zone vary greatly in different areas of the northern margin of the South China Sea.The thickness mainly concentrates on 200–300 m and distributes in the southwestern and eastern areas with belt-like shape.We further confirmed a certain relationship between the GHSZ thickness and factors such as heat flow and water depth.The thickness of gas hydrate stability zone is found to be large where the heat flow is relatively low.The GHSZ thickness increases with the increase of the water depth,but it tends to stay steady when the water depth deeper than 3 000 m.The findings would improve the assessment of gas hydrate resource potential in the South China Sea.

Petroleum geology controlled by extensive detachment thinning of continental margin crust: A case study of Baiyun sag in the deep-water area of northern South China Sea

The relationships between crustal stretching and thinning,basin structure and petroleum geology in Baiyun deep-water area were analyzed using large area 3D seismic,gravity,magnetic,ocean bottom seismic(OBS),deep-water exploration wells and integrated ocean drilling program(IODP).During the early syn-rifting period,deep-water area was a half-graben controlled by high angle faults influenced by the brittle extension of upper crust.In the mid syn-rifting period,this area was a broad-deep fault depression controlled by detachment faults undergone brittle-ductile deformation and differentiated extension in the crust.In the late syn-rifting period,this area experienced fault-sag transition due to saucer-shaped rheology change dominated by crustal ductile deformation.A broad-deep fault depression controlled by the large detachment faults penetrating through the crust is an important feature of deep-water basin.The study suggests that the broad-deep Baiyun sag provides great accommodation space for the development of massive deltaic-lacustrine deposition system and hydrocarbon source rocks.The differentiated lithospheric thinning also resulted in the different thermal subsidence during post-rifting period,and then controlled the development of continental shelf break and deep-water reservoir sedimentary environment.The high heat flow background caused by the strong thinning of lithosphere and the rise of mantle source resulted in particularities in the reservoir diagenesis,hydrocarbon generation process and accumulation of deep-water area in northern South China Sea.

Characteristics and origin of continental marginal fault depressions under the background of preexisting subduction continental margin,northern South China Sea,China

Based on the new seismic and drilling data and the recent related research results,this paper systematically analyzes the diversity and complexity of evolution process of crustal lithosphere structure and basin structure in the Pearl River Mouth Basin on the northern margin of the South China Sea.Three types of detachment faults of different structural levels exist:crust-mantle detachment,inter-crust detachment and upper crust detachment.It is considered that different types of extensional detachment control different subbasin structures.Many fault depressions controlled by upper crust detachment faults have been found in the Zhu I Depression located in the proximal zone.These detachment faults are usually reformed by magma emplacement or controlled by preexisting faults.Baiyun-Liwan Sag located in the hyperextension area shows different characteristics of internal structure.The Baiyun main sag with relative weak magmatism transformation is a wide-deep fault depression,which is controlled by crust-mantle detachment system.Extensive magmatism occurred in the eastern and southwest fault steps of the Baiyun Sag after Middle Eocene,and the crust ductile extensional deformation resulted in wide-shallow fault depression controlled by the upper crust detachment fault.Based on the classical lithosphere extensional breaking and basin tectonic evolution in the Atlantic margin,it is believed that the magmatic activities and pre-existing structures in the Mesozoic subduction continental margin background are important controlling factors for the diversified continental margin faulted structures in the northern South China Sea.

Middle and Late Tertiary Palaeogeography and Palaeoenvironment on the Northern Continental Margin of the South China Sea

Based essentially on research results of calcareous nannofossils, combined with some other microfossil da-ta and several secondary depositional breaks, this paper discusses the criteria of division and comparison of themiddle and late Tertiary marine sediments, palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental evolution andpalaeoclimates on the northern continental margin of the South China Sea, comprising the Tainan basin, PearlRiver Mouth basin. Southeast Hainan basin and Beibu Gulf basin. Study shows that the upper Oligocene toPliocene strata in the whole area consist essentially of marine sediments except in the Beibu Gulf basin. Theyinclude littoral. neritic and deltaic sediments as well as carbonate rock-bioherm limestone. The sea advancedfrom southeast to northwest. During the transgression there appeared three culminations coinciding to thestages of deposition of nannofossil zones NN4-5, NN11 and 13-15.

The characteristic differences of tropical cyclones forming over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea

The best track dataset of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific （WNP） and the South China Sea （SCS） from 1977 to 2005 during the satellite era, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the extended reconstructed sea surface temperature dataset are employed in this study. The main climatological characteristics of tropical cyclone formation over the WNP and the SCS are compared. It is found that there is obviously different for the locations of tropical cyclone origins, achieving the lowest central pressure and termination points between over the WNP and over the SCS. The annual number of tropical cyclones forming over the SCS is obviously less than over the WNP, and there is a significant negative correlation with the correlation coefficient being - 0.36 at the 5% significance level between over the WNP and over the SCS. The mean speed of tropical cyclone moving is 6.5 m/s over the WNP and 4.6 m/s over the SCS. The mean lowest central pressure of tropical cyclones is obviously weaker over the SCS than over the WNP. The tropical cyclone days per year, mean total distance and total displacement of tropical cyclone traveled over the WNP are all obviously longer than those over the SCS. Tropical cyclone may intensify to Saffir - Simpson hurricane scale 5 over the WNP, but no tropical cyclone can intensify to Saffir - Simpson hurricane scale 3 over the SCS. The changing ranges of the radii （R15,R16） of the 15.4 m/s winds them and the 25.7 m/s winds over the WNP are obviously wider than those over the SCS, and the median values of the radii over the WNP are also larger than those over the SCS. For the same intensity of tropical cyclones, both radii have larger medians over the WNP than over the SCS. The correlations of annual mean tropical cyclone size parameters between over the WNP and over the SCS are not significant. At the same time, the asymmetric radii of tropical cyclones over the WNP are different from those over the SCS.

Crustal S-wave velocity structure across the northeastern South China Sea continental margin: implications for lithology and mantle exhumation

The northeastern margin of the South China Sea (SCS), developed from continental rifting and breakup, is usually thought of as a non-volcanic margin. However, post-spreading volcanism is massive and lower crustal high-velocity anomalies are widespread, which complicate the nature of the margin here. To better understand crustal seismic velocities, lithology, and geophysical properties, we present an S-wave velocity (VS) model and a VP/VS model for the northeastern margin by using an existing P-wave velocity (VP) model as the starting model for 2-D kinematic S-wave forward ray tracing. The Mesozoic sedimentary sequence has lower VP/VS ratios than the Cenozoic sequence;in between is a main interface of P-S conversion. Two isolated high-velocity zones (HVZ) are found in the lower crust of the continental slope, showing S-wave velocities of 4.0–4.2 km/s and VP/VS ratios of 1.73–1.78. These values indicate a mafic composition, most likely of amphibolite facies. Also, a VP/VS versus VP plot indicates a magnesium-rich gabbro facies from post-spreading mantle melting at temperatures higher than normal. A third high-velocity zone (VP : 7.0–7.8 km/s;VP/VS: 1.85–1.96), 70-km wide and 4-km thick in the continent-ocean transition zone, is most likely to be a consequence of serpentinization of upwelled upper mantle. Seismic velocity structures and also gravity anomalies indicate that mantle upwelling/ serpentinization could be the most severe in the northeasternmost continent-ocean boundary of the SCS. Empirical relationships between seismic velocity and degree of serpentinization suggest that serpentinite content decreases with depth, from 43% in the lower crust to 37% into the mantle.

Mesozoic Deformation and Its Geological Significance in the Southern Margin of the South China Sea

The pre-Eocene history of the region around the present South China Sea is not well known. New multi-channel seismic profiles provide valuable insights into the probable Mesozoic history of this region. Detailed structural and stratigraphic interpretations of the multi-channel seismic profiles, calibrated with relevant drilling and dredging data, show major Mesozoic structural features. A structural restoration was done to remove the Cenozoic tectonic influence and calculate the Mesozoic tectonic compression ratios. The results indicate that two groups of compressive stress with diametrically opposite orientations, S(S)E– N(N)W and N(N)W–S(S)E, were active during the Mesozoic. The compression ratio values gradually decrease from north to south and from west to east in each stress orientation. The phenomena may be related to the opening of the proto-South China Sea(then located in south of the Nansha block) and the rate at which the Nansha block drifted northward in the late Jurassic to late Cretaceous. The Nansha block drifted northward until it collided and sutured with the southern China margin. The opening of the present South China Sea may be related to this suture zone, which was a tectonic zone of weakness.

Mass movements in small canyons in the northeast of Baiyun deepwater area, north of the South China Sea

The process of mass movements and their consequent turbidity currents in large submarine canyons has been widely reported, however, little attention was paid to that in small canyons. In this paper, we document mass movements in small submarine canyons in the northeast of Baiyun deepwater area, north of the South China Sea （SCS）, and their strong effects on the evolution of the canyons based on geophysical data. Submarine canyons in the study area arrange closely below the shelf break zone which was at the depth of -500 m. Within submarine canyons, seabed surface was covered with amounts of failure scars resulted from past small-sized landslides. A complex process of mass transportation in the canyons is indicated by three directions of mass movements. Recent mass movement deposits in the canyons exhibit translucent reflections or parallel reflections which represent the brittle deformation and the plastic deformation, respectively. The area of most landslides in the canyons is less than 3 km2. The trigger mechanisms for mass movements in the study area are gravitational overloading, slope angle and weak properties of soil. Geophysical data indicate that the genesis of submarine canyons is the erosion of mass movements and consequent turbidity currents. The significant effects of mass movements on canyon are incision and sediment transportation at the erosion phases and fillings supply at the fill phases. This research will be helpful for the geological risk assessments and understanding the sediment transportation in the northern margin of the SCS.

Characteristics and distribution patterns of reef complexes on the carbonate platform margin in deep water areas:the western South China Sea

As a potential oil and gas reservoir, reef complexes have been a research focus from petroleum geologists for a long time. There are favorable conditions for the development of reef complexes in the South China Sea; however, their internal structures, evolution and distribution are still poorly understood. Based on 2D and 3D seismic data, the internal structures and evolution patterns of the reef complexes on the carbonate platform margin in the deep water areas over the western South China Sea were studied in detail. The result shows that two types of reef complexes, i.e., fault controlling platform margin reef complexes and ramp reef complexes have been developed in the study area. The reef complexes have independent or continuous mound or lenticular seismic reflections, with three internal structures （i.e., aggrading, prograding and retrograding structures）. There are different growth rates during the evolution of the reef complexes, resulting in the formation of catch-up reefs, keep-up reefs and quick step reefs. The study also reveals that different platform margin reef complexes have different internal structures and distributions, because of the different platform types. These results may be applied to the exploration and prediction of carbonate platform margin reef complexes in other areas that are similar to the study area.

Effects of South China Sea/western North Pacific summer monsoon on tropospheric biennial oscillation （TBO）

Several theories have been developed to explain tropical biennial oscillation （TBO）, as an air-sea interactive system to impact Asian and global weather and climate, and some models have been established to produce a TBO. A simple 5-box model, with almost all the key processes associated with TBO, can produce a TBO by including airsea interactions in the monsoon regions. Despite that, the South China Sea/western North Pacific summer monsoon （SCS/WNPSM）, a very important monsoon subsystem, is neglected. In this paper, based on the dynamical framework of 5-box model, the term of SCS/WNPSM has been added and a 6-box model has been developed. Comparing the difference of TBO sensibilities with several key parameters, air-sea coupling coefficient α, SST-thermocline feedback coefficient γand wind-evaporation feedback coefficient λ, between the modified model and original model, TBO is more sensible to the parameters in the new model. The results imply that the eastern Pacific and local wind-evaporation play more important roles in the TBO when including SCS /WNPSM.

The destiny of the North Pacific Intermediate Water in the South China Sea

The previous studies show that the spreading path of the subtropical salinity minimum of the North Pacific Intermediate Water （NPIW） is southwestward pointing to the Luzon Strait. Based on the P -vector method and generalized digital environmental model （GDEM） data, the volume transport of NPIW through Luzon Strait and the upward transport on the NPIW lower and upper boundaries are calculated to examine the destiny of NPIW in the South China Sea （SCS）. On the annual mean, the estimation of NPIW transport into the SCS through the Luzon Strait is 1.72 Sv （1Sv=10 6 m 3 /s）. The upward transport over the SCS is 0.31 Sv on the NPIW upper boundary and 1.31 Sv on the NPIW lower boundary. There is no strait or passage deeper than the surface for the NPIW to extend, except for the Luzon Strait. For the volume balance in the SCS NPIW, the volume transport of 2.72 Sv has to flow out of the SCS NPIW layer through the Luzon Strait.

LA-ICP-MS Zircon U-Pb Age of Longtou Syenite body in South Songxian County, Southern Margin of the North China Craton

Objective Indosinian magmatic rocks mainly locate in west Qinling Orogen, which are, however, extremely rare in east Qingling Orogen （Lu Xinxiang, 2000; Zhang Guowei et al., 2001; Guo Xianqing et al., 2017）. The Zhifang Huangzhuang （ZH） area in south Songxian County is located in the southern margin of the North China Craton （Fig. l a）, which is an important lndosinian alkaline magmatic occurrence including 32 syenite bodies and syenitic dykes in east Qinling Orogen. There are five syenite bodes in the ZH area, i.e., the Lang＇aogou, Mogou, Longtou, Jiaogou and Wusanggou from west to east （Fig. l b）.

Liquid-plastic Limit of Surface Sediments in North Slope of South China Sea

1 Introduction China has a vast area of continental shelf and is very rich in marine resources,but because of the complex geological environment and frequent geological disasters,the utilization of marine resources and the construction of marine engineering are limited(Zhu et al.,2016).As the

Surface Sediment Density and Moisture Content in North slope of South China Sea

Marine engineering geology is mainly based on the actual project to study the seabed.This provides a variety of engineering geological parameters for the development of marine engineering(Zhu et al.,2016).This is an early

Tertiary Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy in the North Part of the South China Sea

The marine Tertiary sequence in the north part of the South China Sea may be divided into 18 LateOligocene to Pliocene calcareous nannofossil zones and one unnamed Eocene assemblage based on an analysisof calcareous nannofossils from 40 offshore boreholes. The unnamed Eocene assemblage has been found onlyon the northeast margin of the Zhujiangkou basin. The 18 cakareous nannofossil zones of the Late Oligoceneto Pliocene were deposited in succession, but their development degrees are different. Among the 18 calcareousnannofossil zones, those corresponding to Martini's (1971) NN4- NN5 zones, NN11 zone and NN13-NN15zones are well developed, relatively persistent laterally and also widely distributed. They are the importantmarkers for the stratigraphical subdivision and correlation of the Upper Tertiary between the various basins inthe north part of the South China Sea. Based on the calcareous nannofossils and the sedimentsry features coup-led with the foraminifer zonation in certain basins, the present paper discusses the sedimentary characteristicsof the marine Tertiary and as well as the distribution and development of the sedimentary hiatus in the region.The calcareous nannofossil markers for the Upper / Lower Tertiary and the Quaternary / Tertiary boundaries,and the characteristics and geological significance of the reworked calcareous nannofossils are also discussed inthe paper.

VARIATION OF THE MONSOON TROUGH INTENSITY IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITIES

Using the daily average of the NCEP/DOE AMIP-II reanalysis data from 1979 to 2005 and the characteristics of monsoon troughs in the western North Pacific,we established an intensity index and a location index to describe the activity of the monsoon troughs in three different regions and their impacts on tropical cyclones generated therein(MTTCs).The behavior of the monsoon troughs was analyzed.The following conclusions are obtained:(1)The established monsoon trough intensity index has a positive correlation to the location index,indicating that stronger monsoon trough intensity corresponds to more northward location.(2)Monsoon trough intensity exhibits significant interannual variation,with obvious periods of 4–5 years prior to 1994 and 2–3 years afterwards.(3)The affecting factors on monsoon trough intensity are different with areas.The preceding SST anomaly results in anomalous atmospheric circulation, leading to the anomaly of monsoon trough intensity in different areas.(4)The frequency of cyclogenesis and location anomalies of the MTTC are closely related to the intensity and location of the monsoon trough. Most of the anomalously less MTTC years coincide with the years with a weak general monsoon trough and weak regional monsoon troughs.The anomalously more MTTC years are associated with both a strong general monsoon trough and a weak general monsoon trough combined with a strong one over the South China Sea,though with a larger probability for the latter.(5)The interseasonal variation of the intensity of monsoon troughs provides favorable conditions for TC generation and development.The monsoon trough is in the active periods of both quasi-biweekly 10 to 20 day and 30 to 60 day oscillations,which is favorable for MTTC occurrence.

The evolution of the coral reefs in the middle and north parts of the South China Sea and its relation with tectonic and eustatic movements

In this paper, the morphogenesis, stratigraphic sequences and dates of the coral reefs in the middle and north parts of the South China Sea are discussed, the position of the distributary regions of Cenozoic coral reefs in plate tectonics, the relationships of coral-reef evolutionary characteristics and dates with sea-basin spreading. Neogene sea-water transgression and Quaternary global climate-eustatic fluctuation are expounded and proved, and the latitudinal variation of the distribution of coral reefs in various geologic times are summed up.

Differences in the Tectonic Evolution of Basins in the CentralSouthern South China Sea and their Hydrocarbon Accumulation Conditions

To reveal the causes of differences in the hydrocarbon accumulation in continental marginal basins in the centralsouthern South China Sea,we used gravity-magnetic,seismic,drilling,and outcrop data to investigate the tectonic histories of the basins and explore how these tectonic events controlled the hydrocarbon accumulation conditions in these basins.During the subduction of the Cenozoic proto-South China Sea and the expansion of the new South China Sea,the continental margin basins in the central-southern South China Sea could be classified as one of three types of epicontinental basins:southern extensional-foreland basins,western extensional-strike slip basins,and central extensional-drift basins.Because these basins have different tectonic and sedimentary histories,they also differ in their accumulated hydrocarbon resources.During the Cenozoic,the basin groups in the southern South China Sea generally progressed through three stages:faulting and subsidence from the late Eocene to the early Miocene,inversion and uplift in the middle Miocene,and subsidence since the late Miocene.Hydrocarbon source rocks with marine-continental transitional facies dominated byⅡ-Ⅲkerogen largely developed in extremely thick Miocene sedimentary series with the filling characteristics being mainly deep-water deposits in the early stage and shallow water deposits in the late stage.With well-developed sandstone and carbonate reservoirs,this stratum has a strong hydrocarbon generation potential.During the Cenozoic,the basin groups in the western South China Sea also progressed through the three developmental stages discussed previously.Hydrocarbon source rocks with lacustrine facies,marine-continental transitional facies,and terrigenous marine facies dominated byⅡ2-Ⅲkerogen largely developed in the relatively thick stratum with the filling characteristics being mainly lacustrine deposits in the early stage and marine deposits in the late stage.As a reservoir comprised of self-generated and self-stored sandstone,this unit also has a high hydrocarbon generation potential.Throughout those same three developmental stages,the basin groups in the central South China Sea generated hydrocarbon source rocks with terrigenous marine facies dominated byⅢkerogen that have developed in a stratum with medium thicknesses with the filling characteristics being mainly sandstone in the early stage and carbonate in the late stage.This reservoir,which is dominated by lower-generation and upper-storage carbonate rocks,also has a high hydrocarbon generation potential.