Sedimentary Features and Their Implications of Microdigital Stromatolites from the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian Section in North China

The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section in Tianjin is a set of more than 3000-m-thick stromatolitic carbonate succession.In this succession,several lithofacies units,that is,the subtidal stromatolitic biostrome,the thrombolitic bioherm,tidal-flat micritic dolomite and lagoon dolomitic shale,make up many meter-scale cycles of the peritidal carbonate type that have been nominated as the Wumishan cycles.Importantly,many microdigital stromatolites make up the stromatolitic biostrome unit of the Wumishan cycles in the lower part of the Wumishan Formation. These microdigital stromatolites have been grouped as a stromatolitic assemblage by paleontologists, that is,＂Pseudogymnosolen mopanyuensis-Scuphus-Yangzhuang columnaris＂assemblage.These microdigital stromatolites had also been interpreted as the aragonite（tufa） sea-floor precipitates by sedimentologists,and has further been thought as the special products of the transitional period from the sea-floor aragonite precipitates of the Archean to the clastic and muddy carbonates of the Neoproterozoic.Although there are some restrictions for the stratigraphic meaning of the concept of the stromatolitic assemblage,detailed studies on classification by paleontologists provide an important clue to understand the sedimentological meaning of the microdigital stromatolites.Furthermore,an important and obvious horizon for the end of the microdigital stromatolites was recorded in the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section,which provides useful information to understand the stromatolite decline occurred at c.1250 Ma and the evolving carbonate world of the Precambrian.

Discovery of the Jiawengmen Stromatolite Assemblage in the Southern Belt of Eastern Kunlun, NW China and Its Significance

This paper reports a newly discovered Late Mesoproterozoic-Early Neoproterozoic stromatolite assemblage, named here the ＂Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage＂, represented by a Conophyton-Baicalia association in the Jiawenmen area in the southern belt of the Eastern Kunlun. This stromatolite assemblage is dominated by large-scale conical stromatolites and related elements, i.e., Conophyton garganicus var. inkeni, C. cf. ressoti Menchikov, Jacutophyton cf., Conicodomenia f., which commonly co-exist with elements of the group of Baicalia. This assemblage can be correlated with that of the middle Jixian-middle Qingbaikou System in North and Northwest China, but is different from that in South China. Correlation can also be made with that in the upper horizon of the Middle Riphean-lower horizon of the Upper Riphean in the South Ural Mountains and Siberia of Russia, in North Africa, and in the Alaskan Peninsula of North America. These facts suggest that the Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage probably colonized during 1300-850 Ma ago. Accordingly, the stromatolite-bearing carbonate rocks are then proposed to correspond to the middle Jixian System-middle Qingbaikou System or the upper Middle Riphean-lower Upper Riphean. Our stromatolite data further suggest that a Precambrian microblock, named the Xialawen microblock here, occurred in the southern belt of Eastern Kunlun, the western part of the Maqên microblock. Similar stromatolite assemblages in the Maqên microblock and those blocks that occurred in North China, Siberia and North Africa point to similar paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental conditions. These microblock and blocks were probably located at low latitudes and on the continental margins of the Rodinian supercontinent, where warm epicontinental seas were favorable to widespread colonization of stromatolites during the Late Mesoproterozoic-Eady Neoproterozoic. However, these stromatolite assemblages are quite different from those of the South China block, which is suggestive of different paleogeographic contexts, and probably also of a different tectonic affinity.

Stromatolite characteristics of Mesoproterozoic Shennongjia Group in the northern margin of Yangtze Block, China

Mesoproterozoic Shennongjia Group in Shennongjia Area can be divided into three subgroups in ascender order. Of which the lower subgroup includes Yingwodong, Dayanping, Macaoyuan, Luanshigou, Dawokeng and Kuangshishan formations;the middle subgroup is formed by Yemahe, Wenshuihe and Shicaohe formations;the upper subgroup consists of Songziyuan and Wagangxi formations. Stromatolites developed very well in the carbonate rocks of each subgroup in Shennongjia Group. Based on descriptions of stromatolites macrotypes and their characteristics, this paper studied the formation environments, discussed the relationship among types, sizes, abundance of stromatolites and sedimentary environment, and established the formation and development pattern of stromatolites. As a result, this research also reveals the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate during the period of the Shennongjia Group deposited, which is beneficial to the study of paleoenvironment, paleogeography and paleoclimate, stratigraphic succession and regional correlation of the northern edge of Yangtze block. Stromatolites of Shennongjia Group are mainly conical, columnar, domal, wavy, stratiform and stromatolite reefs. The columnar and conical stromatolites are well developed. Conical stromatolites are mainly monomers, with a variety of pyramidal types, ranging in diameter from a few millimeters to several meters and formed in the high energy subtidal zone and tidal lagoon environment. Most of the columnar stromatolites are medium to small sizes implied a wide and gentle slope environment at that time. Stratiform (including wavy) stromatolites are larger scales and extends far away and distributed most widely in almost every horizon in the carbonate rocks. Stratiform stromatolites can be formed in low energy environments such as subtidal and intertidal zones and supratidal belts. Wavy stromatolites often developed in the hydrodynamic energy condition from weak energy intertidal zone gradually strengthened to the below of the high energy supratidal. Although stromatolite reefs can be a single or multiform combination, they developed mainly consisted of laminar or small walled columnar and large domal stromatolites. Shicaohe Formation also partially developed large domical stromatolites, the depositional environment is from the upper intertidal to supratidal zone. Stromatolite in Shennongjia Group usually appears as a combination of “Stratiform (wavy)-dome-columnar-coniform ” or “stratiform-dome-coniform-columnar-dome-stratiform ” vertieally, which represents the seawater depth from shallower to deeper or from shallow to deep and then to shallow again. These phenomenons generally reflected a stable sea level and companied with a high frequency oscillation. Comprehensive researches on the stratigraphy, sedimentary facies, sedimentary environment and the stromatolite types and their characteristics in the Shennongjia Group indicated that the Shennongjia Area is located on a gentle slope of carbonate platform in the passive continental edge, generally, i.e., one of warm and humid climate shallow water zone or/and a cold-drought climate, and had been experienced with eustatic cycles during the Shennongjia Group deposited.

Hot-Water Deposition of Pyritic Stromatolite and Its Relation to Biomineralization

Pyritic stromatolite, a rich pyrite ore, is scattered as reef masses in sedex deposits of the Proterozoic Yanshan rift trough. The pyritic stromatolite consists of a core and alternating concentric rims of light colloidal pyrite and dark organic materials. The concentric rims are cemented together by trichomes highly similar to the trichomic microorganisms inhabiting substantively around the black chimneys on the current sea beds while the core is composed chiefly of groups of thermophilous sulphur bacteria. Biomarkers for the molecules of pyritic stromatolite include pristane, phytane, regular isoprenoids paraffin, methyl-heptadecyl, and so on. This study reveals the existence of methane-yielding bacteria in the pyritic stromatolite and reflects the evolution of thermophilous thallophyta.

Stromatolites are the Potential Collectors of Oil and Gas

Stromatolite buildups are spread throughout the Earth and are known in sediments of different age. First stromatolite buildups were investigated in Shark-Bay in Western Australia.Their age is valued as 3.5 billion years,the same age of first living organisms on the Earth.Stromatolites are

Study on the Main Controlling Factors of the Early Ordovician Stromatolites Development in Liujiachang Area of Songzi City

The Early Ordovician stromatolites in the study area are mainly exposed at the bottom and middle and lower parts of the Second Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the top of the Fourth Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the middle of the Second Member of Fenxiang Formation and the bottom of the First Member of Honghuayuan Formation.In order to find out the controlling factors of Lower Ordovician stromatolites development in the study area,the analysis data of carbon,oxygen isotope samples,macro element samples as well as their variation characteristics are studied and then combined them with previous research results,which is eventually beneficial for reaching the conclusion:sea level change is one of the main factors controlling the formation of stromatolites.There are five sea level change cycles in the Early Ordovician period.The analysis of sea level change and accommodation space variation characteristics show that when the growth rate of the accommodation space is approximately equal to that of carbonate,the circulation of seawater is well,and the amount of light and oxygen is sufficient,so that the cyanobacteria organism can be multiplied in large quantities.The growth and development provide favorable conditions,and favorable conditions are provided for the growth and development of stromatolites;The peak changes in CaO content and CaO/MgO ratio indicate that the formation period of stromatolites is arid climate environment with high water temperature and large evaporation.Prokaryote reproduction is suitable for the environments with high seawater cleanliness.When the amount of land-based debris injected into the sea increases,the turbidity of water will lead to a large number of deaths of algae microorganisms that form stromatolites,and the stromatolitic microbial mats cannot be preserved.In addition,the growth and predation of macro-organisms play a restrictive role in the development of stromatolite-forming micro-organisms blue-green algae.According to the actual situa-tion of the development of the laminated rocks in the study area,what is the dominant function in the formation and decline of stromatolites between the evolution of metazoans and changing environments is discussed in the study.

Significance of fossilized microbes from the Cambrian stromatolites in the Tarim Basin, Northwest China

Samples of the Cambrian microbial dolomites were collected from Penglaiba section,a well-exposed stratigraphic section in the northwestern area of the Tarim Basin.This study provides an analogue for mediated dolomites that can precipitate in microbial mats and biofilms.The Cambrian stromatolitic dolomites were studied using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy.The results are as follows:(1)dolomites with 50 nm to 100 nm spherical nanostructures are aggregated into minerals of larger sphericities;(2)nanospherical dolomites of 50 nm to 170 nm diameter are densely arranged as dumbbell-shaped or chained aggregates;(3)silicified filaments,as well as dumbbell-shaped and chain arrangements,are preserved as important microstructures.On the basis of sedimentological,compositional,geochemical,and petrographic data,the microstructures were interpreted as nanoglobules that function as bacteria in the nucleation and filament mineralization stages.The microstructures function as such because they are wrapped in extracellular polymeric substance(EPS)or mucus and mineralized fossils.Silicification accounts for the exceptional preservation of microbial mat structures,including biofilms,as well as filamentous and coccoid microbes.In addition,EPS process is capable of binding different elements,with preference for Si,Mg,and Ca.Such suitable composition favors microbe mineralization and dolomite nucleation on organic substrates.These microscopic structures suggest bacterial mineralization and provide visual evidence for the origin of microbial dolomites.

Deformed stromatolites in marbles of the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation as evidence for synsedimentary seismic activity

The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation consists mainly of dolomites that represent diagenetically transformed limestones deposited in a shallow peritidal environment.Although the environment was tectonically stable,the study area in the Changping District(north of the Beijing area) was affected by synsedimentary earthquakes.Later,the dolomites in the study area were intruded by a granite.This resulted in contact metamorphism of the dolomites,changing them in a halo around the intrusion into marble.This marble,which is exposed near Taoyukou Village,shows some levels with well-developed stromatolites.The stromatolites contain structures that point at deformation when the stromatolites had not yet been lithified,and thus represent soft-sediment deformation structures.The stromatolites apparently built up during a time-span when repeated deformational processes affected the still unlithified sediment,from the sedimentary surface down to maximally a few decimeters.The deformed stromatolites thus represent seismites,which feature is exceptionally rarely recognizable in marble.

The response of stromatolites to seismic shocks： Tomboliths from the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation, E India

It is demonstrated here for the first time how Palaeoproterozoic stromatolites survived seismic disturbance of their substrate. The stromatolites under study could have been cyanobacteria or any other photo-autotrophic microbes, which formed mats that covered a substrate of very fine-grained sandstones and mudstones of the Chaibasa Fm. in eastern India. The sediments represent a shelf environment. The local abundance of the stromatotites suggests that the tow-energy environment formed a suitable habitat. The common phases of tectonic quiescence were, however, occasionally interrupted by seismic shocks. These were sufficiently strong to deform the mat layers, the tower parts of which might already have been （semi-） consolidated. The mats became partly folded, partly faulted, and already consolidated parts of the stromatotite layers broke off. This can be deduced from the angular shapes of part of the broken-off fragments. It appears, however, that part of these fragments were stilt sufficiently soft to become rounded and deformed by rotting over the seafloor, probably under the influence of tidal currents. When come to rest, these fragments served as a new substrate for new generations of the microorganisms. These micro-organisms thus survived by continued growth on the reworked fragments and built up new stromatolites that may show an ‘angular disconformity＇ with the stromatotites of their substrate. It thus is shown that stromatotites have an adequate response to a sudden disturbance of their habitat, and that they survive earthquakes by colonization of broken-off fragments. We call the ‘healed＇ fragments ‘tombotiths＇ （tumbled stones）.

Stromatolites Discovered in Nihewan Formation and Their Paleoenvironment

Columnar stromatolites have been discovered in two beds of the upper part of the Nihewan Formation, a series of lacustrine deposits. The structure of the stromatolites is characterized by alternation of light, intergranular pore-rich laminae and dark, organic substance-rich laminae. Abundant filamentous algal remains have been discovered in stromatolite laminae, some of them are similar to the species present on the shore of the Caribbean Sea that are living in warmer climate than in the Nihewan area now. With the ESR and U-series age methods, it has been determined that the ages of the lower and upper stromatolite beds are about 130,000 and 93,000 a B. P. , respectively. Compared with many other geologic events taking place during the period in Northern China, we conclude that the two stromatolite beds were formed during the two warmer stages of the Last Interglacial.

Palaeoenvironmental setting of lacustrine stromatolites in the Miocene Wudaoliang Group, northern Tibetan Plateau

Lacustrine stromatolites were widespread in the Miocene Wudaoliang Group(stromatolites of the Wudaoliang Group), northern Tibetan Plateau;but only at one location nearby the Wudaoliang Town, they occurred intensively in thick, laterally traceable beds(Wudaoliang stromatolites). Although deposited in lacustrine environment, the lack of fossils in these rocks hampers determining whether the stromatolites formed in freshwater or saline conditions.To address this problem, and in an attempt to identify criteria to distinguish differences of freshwater and saline conditions, we studied the laminae microfabrics, stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, rare earth element patterns and biomarkers of the stromatolites. These stromatolites can be divided into fenestral stromatolites and agglutinated stromatolites. The fabric of fenestral stromatolites is formed by microcrystalline carbonate enclosing spar-cemented, angular crystal traces. Essentially, this fabric is interpreted as pseudomorph after former formed evaporite crystals. Faecal pel ets identical to that of the present-day brine shrimp Artemia, lack of other eukaryotic fossils,and stable isotopic signals point to a shal ow, evaporation-dominated hypersaline lake setting. Covariation of carbon and oxygen isotopes indicates hydrological y closed conditions of the Miocene lake on northern Tibetan Plateau.However, if compared to other lacustrine carbonates of the Wudaoliang Group, the high δ13 C values of the investigated Wudaoliang stromatolites reveal an additional photosynthetic effect during the deposition of the stromatolites.Furthermore, although no direct evidence is available from field observations and microfabrics, a positive europium anomaly of Wudaoliang stromatolites indicates that a palaeo-hydrothermal inflow system had existed in the outcrop area.These new results favour a hypersaline lake setting subject to hot spring inflow for the Wudaoliang stromatolites, in contrast to earlier interpretations suggesting a freshwater lake setting(e.g. Yi et al., Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology28: 106-113, 2008;Zeng et al., Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology 31: 111–119, 2011). This approach may be appropriate for other lacustrine, unfossiliferous microbialites in settings where the environmental conditions are difficult to determine.

“The response of stromatolites to seismic shocks: Tomboliths from the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation,E India”: Reply

Our contribution about a newly recognized sedimentological feature, which we called tombolith,has raised some comments on the etymology of the term, the assumed lack of field data, the usage of a term that has a special meaning in stratigraphy, the origin of the seismic shocks that played a role, so-called basic tenets, the origin of soft-sediment deformation structures, and the role of liquefaction. We argue that most comments result from an insufficiently thorough reading of our text, whereas some other remarks concern aspects that we did not deal with. Finally, several remarks are based on outdated literature and from insufficient knowledge of the regional geology.

A radical reinterpretation of the growth and form of the stromatolite Conophyton lituus(Maslov)from evidence of syngenetic biofilm mineralisation

Conophyton(Maslov)is a cylindroidal stromatolite form-genus characterized by nested conical laminae.Well-preserved Conophyton,up to 4 m tall and with basal diameters of up to 50 cm,are exposed in the Proterozoic Atar Formation of Mauritania,where many occur together,in growth position,as fields of individual columns spaced between 5 and 70 cm apart.The uniformity of these forms and their regular distribution suggest that they grew in quiet-water environments below wave base.Evidence for their penecontemporaneous organomineralization is indicated by nearby toppled examples of undeformed Conophyton forms alongside eroded lithified Conophyton fragments in carbonate breccias.Two characteristics of Conophyton have been used to classify the structures-the form of the lamination and the nature of its axial structure.A mathematical/physical model provides an explanation for the growth pattern of Conophyton.It predicts that coniform structures with thickened axial zones form when upward organic growth of a biofilm moderately exceeds the rate of its mineralization.The varying characteristics of these features between different forms of Conophyton are thought to reflect biomineralization of the decaying biofilm rather than differences in the composition of microbial communities.A modern example of a syngenetic mineralization process capable of producing similar structures has been observed in the contemporary sediments of Lake Preston,Western Australia,where benthic microbial mats are being transformed into coniform lithified crusts.The initial biomineralization of the coniform mat forms magnesium silicate that first coats and permineralizes web-like microbial extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)and then coalesces into a uniform mass that provides mechanical strength to the cones.At a later stage,massive carbonate crystal growth occurs that over-prints much of this texture,leaving only small,remnant areas of the magnesium silicate phase.Many fossil Conophyton are composed of dolomite,and the remains of the microbial communities responsible for their construction are rarely found,except in areas of chert within the Conophyton.It is suggested that Proterozoic Conophyton were constructed in a tranquil environment through the accretion of microbial mats that were syngenetically permineralized by a magnesium silicate such as a smectite.Later,much of the unstable smectite would be susceptible to diagenetic replacement by either dolomite,or chert in which remnants of microbes that had been coated or permineralized could,potentially,be preserved.

Coupling textural and stable-isotope variations in fluvial stromatolites:Comparison of Pleistocene and recent records in NE Spain

Textural and stable isotopic features of two middle Pleistocene fluvial stromatolite profiles are compared to a recent stromatolite,both formed in the River Piedra system(NE Spain),to test the reliability of climatic,hydrologic and depositional information derived from ancient records.The Pleistocene stromatolites formed in a multi-domed,highly-inclined cascade-barrage.The recent stromatolite also formed in a highly-inclined cascade of the River Piedra,the sedimentary conditions of which were periodically examined between the years 2000 and 2012.The Pleistocene stromatolites are formed of an alternation of 1) thin large-crystal laminae(type A),with elongated crystals up to 1 mm long,and 2) thick small-crystal laminae(type B),consisting of cyanobacterial fan-and bushshaped bodies.The textural and isotopic comparison with the recent stromatolite shows that each A–B couplet corresponds to one year.The type-A laminae are comparable to the macrocrystalline laminae that occur in the cool-period deposits of the recent stromatolite,and the type-B laminae are comparable to the warm-period deposits of the recent stromatolite.Water temperatures(Tw),calculated from δ^(18)O_(calcite) and present measures of δ^(18)O_(water),were similar in the Pleistocene and recent specimens,and close to the measured river Tw.Thus,the Pleistocene stromatolites formed not far from isotopic equilibrium,as did the recent stromatolite.The Pleistocene δ^(18) O_(calcite) biannual oscillation is wider in amplitude than in the recent stromatolite,which suggests larger differences in Tw through the year in the Pleistocene than at present.The Pleistocene δ^(13)C_(calcite) does not show any pattern;and the values are slightly higher than the recent ones.The co-evolution of δ^(18)O and δ^(13)C is parallel in the Pleistocene stromatolites,matching the recent stromatolite behavior.These results and their comparison with other ancient examples prove that textural and isotopic features in ancient stromatolites are useful tools to infer past depositional,climatic and hydrological conditions.Moreover,interpretations from recent fluvial stromatolites can be extrapolated to past environments to help decipher patterns of past processes,in cases where both recent and ancient stromatolites can be compared within one environmental setting.Such comparisons may be used to help interpretations of ancient stromatolites where the modern ones are not available to study.

A New Machine-Learning Extracting Approach to Construct a Knowledge Base: A Case Study on Global Stromatolites over Geological Time

Within any scientific disciplines, a large amount of data are buried within various literature depositories and archives, making it difficult to manually extract useful information from the datum swamps. The machine-learning extraction of data therefore is necessary for the big-data-based studies. Here, we develop a new text-mining technique to reconstruct the global database of the Precambrian to Recent stromatolites, providing better understanding of secular changes of stromatolites though geological time. The step-by-step data extraction process is described as below. First, the PDF documents of stromatolite-containing literatures were collected, and converted into text formation. Second, a glossary and tag-labeling system using NLP(Natural Language Processing) software was employed to search for all possible candidate pairs from each sentence within the papers collected here. Third, each candidate pair and features were represented as a factor graph model using a series of heuristic procedures to score the weights of each pair feature. Occurrence data of stromatolites versus stratigraphical units(abbreviated as Strata), facies types, locations, and age worldwide were extracted from literatures, respectively, and their extraction accuracies are 92%/464, 87%/778, 92%/846, and 93%/405 from 3 750 scientific abstracts, respectively, and are 90%/1 734, 86%/2 869, 90%/2 055 and 91%/857 from 11 932 papers, respectively. A total of 10 072 unique datum items were identified. The newly obtained stromatolite dataset demonstrates that their stratigraphical occurrences reached a pronounced peak during the Proterozoic(2 500 – 541 Ma), followed by a distinct fall during the Early Phanerozoic, and overall fluctuations through the Phanerozoic(541–0 Ma). Globally, seven stromatolite hotspots were identified from the new dataset, including western United States, eastern United States, western Europe, India, South Africa, northern China, and southern China. The proportional occurrences of inland aquatic stromatolites remain rather low(~20%) in comparison to marine stromatolites from the Precambrian to Jurassic, and then display a significant increase(30%–70%) from the Cretaceous to the present.

Manganese carbonate stromatolites of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in Chengkou,northern Yangtze Craton,China

The origin process of manganese ores remains unsolved worldwide.Exploring the origins of stromatolites that contain manganese may be a key to deciphering the sedimentary environments and metallogenic processes of these deposits.However,only a few manganese stromatolites have been discovered and described until now.Microbialites are well developed in the manganese deposits,located near the top of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in Chengkou area of Chongqing,northern Yangtze Craton,but has not been explicitly studied;and whether they are true stromatolites or Epiphyton microbialites remains controversial.Based on field and core observations and thin section microscopy,the characteristics of five types of manganese stromatolites and their growth modes are described in detail in this study.The results show that these stromatolites grew in a biostrome in shoal and lagoon environments and were syngenetic with oncolites and oolites on a carbonate ramp behind the shoal.Manganese stromatolites can be categorized into three forms:(1)stratiform;(2)columnar,which includes branched and columnar types;and(3)stratiform-columnar,which is a transitional type.Based on a criterion that the diameter is less than or greater than 1 mm,columnar stromatolites are further divided into micro-columnar(<1 mm)and columnar(>1 mm)columns,which display synchronous growth and are similar to Pseudogymnosolenaceae.Their shapes are mainly controlled by water depths and hydrodynamic strengths.The greater the water depth,the more columnar the columns tend to be.Excessively strong hydrodynamic conditions decrease the growth rate of stromatolites,and they even stopped growth due to wave damage.Furthermore,pillared laminar textures(not Epiphyton),which consist of dendritic,micro-branched and microcolumnar stromatolites,are a common feature of the larger stratiform,stratiform-columnar and columnar stromatolites.The alternations of laminae with different internal textures record subtle fluctuations in water depths and hydrodynamic strengths,which indicate that stromatolite growth is controlled by tidal cycles at the lamina level.Therefore,it is possible that the vertical evolution of the stromatolites could reveal the changing characteristics of both local and regional sedimentary environments,i.e.,stromatolite shape changes from columnar to stratiform can represent the onset of shallower environments with weak hydrodynamic conditions.In addition,as important reef builders in shallow carbonate ramps,microstromatolites accelerate the development from ramp to platform.Indicators of microbial control on stromatolite shapes and manganese sedimentation processes include the fabric of stromatolite laminae,organic rhodochrosite with a micritic texture that is usually clotted,spherical,tubular,fibrous or dendritic,which suggests that the laminae resulted from microbially induced in situ precipitation.

The response of stromatolites to seismic shocks: Tomboliths from the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation,E India: Discussion and liquefaction basics

This discussion of a paper by Van Loon et al.（2016）, published in the Journal of Palaeogeography（2016, 5（4）, 381e390）, is aimed at illustrating that there are fundamental deficiencies, which include（1）incomplete etymological reasoning for proposing a new genetic term ＂tomboliths＂ for stromatolitic bioclasts in the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation, eastern India,（2） omission of empirical data in documenting depositional facies using sedimentological logs,（3） misapplication of the stratigraphic concept of ＂angular unconformity＂,（4） failure to consider the multifarious origins of earthquakes, and（5） a dated view on the basic tenets of process sedimentology and triggering mechanisms of liquefaction that are the basis for forming soft-sediment deformation structures（SSDS）. As a consequence, their conclusions are unconvincing.

Paleogene and Early Neogene Lacustrine Reefs in the Western Qaidam Basin, China

Typical reefs in the Paleogene and early Neogene strata of the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal their internal structures and sedimentation environments and consist mainly of algal reef, stromatolite reef and thrombolite reef with distinct reef structures, fore-reef, back-reef and reef-plateau. The fore-reef is characterized by a combination of pinnacle reef, thrombolite and algal reef. The back reef is composed of stromatolite reef and algal reef. The pinnacle reefs (micro-atoll), most of which are several tens of centimeters in diameter (whereas some exceptionally big ones are over 200 cm in diameter), and several tens of centimeter to 2 m in height, are situated on the far front-edge of the reef; the pinnacle reef is also often of recumbent form with a gravel-filled circular hole in the center. The algal reef is in the form of dome and irregular beds, and filled with algal detritus, ostracodes, spirorbis fossils, ooid and terrigenous debris, and worm traces; cavities and scour marks are often developed. The algal reef is gray commonly when fresh and weathers to a brown color. The lacustrine thrombolite in the Qaidam Basin is light gray or deep gray when fresh, white-gray or brown when weathered, dense and homogeneous with abundant pores filled by oil and bitumen. Observed under the microscope, the thrombolite consists mainly of brown or brown-black clots with a little algal debris, ooid, pellet, ostracodes, spirorbis fossils and terrigenous debris, in some cases, terrigenous debris, even gravel, is abundant. Many features of the thrombolite suggest that it is formed in a high-energy envkonment. The stromatolite reefs developed on the lacustrine algal reef in the Qaidam Basin are very complex whether in shape or in internal structure. The simplest ones form laminated layers and the most complex ones have intensely branching structures. The size is also variable.

Distribution and depositional model of microbial carbonates in the Ordovician middle assemblage,Ordos Basin,NW China

Based on outcrop profiles,drilling cores,cast thin sections etc.,the types,microfacies combinations and distribution pattern of microbial carbonates in the Ordovician middle assemblage of the mid-eastern Ordos Basin have been systematically analyzed.The middle assemblage of Ordovician in the mid-eastern Ordos Basin has microbial carbonates formed by the calci-fication of cyanobacteria,including microbial biostromes and microbial mounds made of stromatolites,thrombolites,and on-colites.The distribution of the carbonates shows obvious“stratum-control”and“regional”characteristics.The microbial bio-stromes 2–3 m thick each are controlled by sequence cycles and sedimentary facies changes,and were mainly formed in the tidal flat environment during the depositional stages of the Ma56 and Ma55 sub-members.The microbial biostrome in the Ma55 sub-member occurring near the carbonate-evaporite transition interface in the early stage of the transgression is distributed mainly in the Mizhi subsag in the eastern part of the basin;the microbial biostrome in the Ma56 sub-member turns up near the carbonate-evoporite transition zone in ring shape in the east of the central uplift.The ancient landform had noticeable control on the distribution of microbial mounds.The microbial mounds or mound-shoal complexes developing mainly during the de-positional stages of Ma57_Ma510 sub-members are about 15–25 m thick in single layer and distributed largely in the Wushenqi-Jingbian paleouplift.The development model of the microbial carbonate rocks shows that the carbonate-evaporite lithologic transition zone and the Wushenqi-Jingbian paleouplift are favorable exploration zones of microbial carbonates in the Ordovician middle assemblages.

Petrography and origin of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in the Songzi Area of Hubei Province,middle Yangtze region,China

This study is the first systematic assessment of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in Songzi,Hubei Province,China.This paper divides the microbial carbonates into two types according to growth patterns,namely nongranular and granular.The nongranular types include stromatolites,thrombolites,dendrolites,leiolites and laminites;the granular types are mainly oncolites and may include a small amount of microbiogenic oolite.According to their geometric features,the stromatolites can be divided into four types:stratiform,wavy,columnar and domal.Additionally,dipyramidal columnar stromatolites are identified for the first time and represent a new type of columnar stromatolite.The thrombolites are divided into three types:speckled,reticulated and banded.The grazing gastropod Ecculiomphalus and traces of bioturbation are observed in the speckled and reticulated thrombolites.This paper considers these two kinds of thrombolites to represent bioturbated thrombolites.These findings not only fill gaps in the field of domestic Ordovician bioturbated thrombolites but also provide new information for the study of thrombolites.Based on the analysis of the sedimentary characteristics of microbialites,the depositional environments of the various types of microbialites are described,and the distribution patterns of their depositional environments are summarized.The relationship between the development of microbialites and the evolution and radiation of metazoans during the Early to Middle Ordovician is discussed.Consistent with the correspondence between the stepwise and rapid radiation of metazoans and the abrupt reduction in the number of microbialites between the late Early Ordovician and the early Middle Ordovician,fossils of benthonic grazing gastropods(Ecculiomphalus)were found in the stromatolites and thrombolite of the study area.It is believed that the gradual reduction in microbialites was related to the rapid increase in the abundance of metazoans.Grazers not only grazed on the microorganisms that formed stromatolites,resulting in a continuous reduction in the number of stromatolites,but also disrupted the growth state of the stromatolites,resulting in the formation of unique bioturbated thrombolites in the study area.Hydrocarbon potential analysis shows that the microbialites in the Nanjinguan Formation represent better source rocks than those in the other formations.