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 stromatol...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.展开更多
The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation in the Jixian section of Tianjin is a succession of 3300-m-thick carbonate strata formed in a period of about 100 Ma (1310±20 Ma-1207±10 Ma). In this succession of stra...The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation in the Jixian section of Tianjin is a succession of 3300-m-thick carbonate strata formed in a period of about 100 Ma (1310±20 Ma-1207±10 Ma). In this succession of strata, the carbonate metre-scale cyclic sequences belonging to peritidal type with an approximately symmetrical lithofacies-succession are best developed. The wide development of 1:4 stacking patterns shows that these metre-scale cyclic sequences are genetically related to the short-eccentricity cycles, which are called the Wumishan cyclothems that could truly represent sedimentary cycles. Generally, massive and thick-bedded calcareous dolomites and dolomitic limestones of stromatolite biostromes and thrombolite bioherms constitute the central part of the Wumishan cyclothems. The lower and upper parts consist of tidal flat dolostones, sandy-muddy dolostone and the top part is composed of lagoonal facies dolomitic shales with a paleosol cap. Therefore, an approximately symmetrical lithofacies-succession is formed. Many features such as the clear deepening and shoaling vectors of cyclothems, and all kinds of marks of fresh-water diagenesis indicate that the Wumishan cyclothems are the product of autocyclic sedimentation governed by allocyclic high-frequency sea-level changes. The results of a Markov chain analysis reaffirm the existence of the lithofacies-succession model of the Wumishan cyclothems. The boundaries of the Wumishan cyclothems are marked by the instantaneous exposed punctuated surface, which leads to the discrepancy between the cyclothems and the parasequences of the sequence stratigraphy terminology system. It is difficult to form a judgment that the time span of the Milankovitch cycles in the Precambrian is certainly equal to that of the Phanerozoic, but the regularly vertical stacking patterns of the seventh-order rhythms, sixth-order cyclothems and fifth-order parasequence sets still indicate their consistency with the duration of the Milankovitch cycles in the Phanerozoic.展开更多
基金part of the project"Study on Cycles and Events and Their Relative Sedimentological Problems for the Mesoproterozoic Jixian System in the Yanshan Region"(Grant No.40472065)financially supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China+1 种基金is part of the project"Study on Lithofacies and Paleogeography from Meso- to Neoproterozoic in North China"financially supported by the China Petrochemical Corporation(Grant No.C0800-07-ZS- 164).
文摘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.
文摘The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation in the Jixian section of Tianjin is a succession of 3300-m-thick carbonate strata formed in a period of about 100 Ma (1310±20 Ma-1207±10 Ma). In this succession of strata, the carbonate metre-scale cyclic sequences belonging to peritidal type with an approximately symmetrical lithofacies-succession are best developed. The wide development of 1:4 stacking patterns shows that these metre-scale cyclic sequences are genetically related to the short-eccentricity cycles, which are called the Wumishan cyclothems that could truly represent sedimentary cycles. Generally, massive and thick-bedded calcareous dolomites and dolomitic limestones of stromatolite biostromes and thrombolite bioherms constitute the central part of the Wumishan cyclothems. The lower and upper parts consist of tidal flat dolostones, sandy-muddy dolostone and the top part is composed of lagoonal facies dolomitic shales with a paleosol cap. Therefore, an approximately symmetrical lithofacies-succession is formed. Many features such as the clear deepening and shoaling vectors of cyclothems, and all kinds of marks of fresh-water diagenesis indicate that the Wumishan cyclothems are the product of autocyclic sedimentation governed by allocyclic high-frequency sea-level changes. The results of a Markov chain analysis reaffirm the existence of the lithofacies-succession model of the Wumishan cyclothems. The boundaries of the Wumishan cyclothems are marked by the instantaneous exposed punctuated surface, which leads to the discrepancy between the cyclothems and the parasequences of the sequence stratigraphy terminology system. It is difficult to form a judgment that the time span of the Milankovitch cycles in the Precambrian is certainly equal to that of the Phanerozoic, but the regularly vertical stacking patterns of the seventh-order rhythms, sixth-order cyclothems and fifth-order parasequence sets still indicate their consistency with the duration of the Milankovitch cycles in the Phanerozoic.
