Diagenetic evolution and reservoir quality of the Oligocene sandstones in the Baiyun Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea

The Oligocene Zhuhai sandstones are significant reservoirs for hydrocarbons in the Baiyun Sag, South China Sea.For effective appraisal, exploration and exploitation of such a deep-water hydrocarbon sandstone, samples of five wells from depths of 850 m to 3 000 m were studied. A series of comprehensive petrographic and geochemical analyses were performed to unravel the diagenetic features and their impact on the reservoir quality.Petrographically, the sandstones are dominated by feldspathic litharenites and lithic arenites with fine to medium grain sizes and moderate to good sorting. The reservoir quality varies greatly with a range of porosity from 0.2% to 36.1% and permeability from 0.016 ×10~(–3) μm~2 to 4 301 ×10~(–3) μm~2, which is attributed to complex diagenetic evolution related to sedimentary facies;these include compaction, cementation of calcite, dolomite, siderite and framboidal pyrite in eogenetic stage;further compaction, feldspar dissolution, precipitation of ferrocalcite and ankerite, quartz cements, formation of kaolinite and its illitization, precipitation of albite and nodular pyrite, as well as hydrocarbon charge in mesogenetic stage. The dissolution of feldspar and illitization of kaolinite provide internal sources for the precipitation of quartz cement, while carbonate cements are derived from external sources related to interbedded mudstones and deep fluid. Compaction is the predominant factor in reducing the total porosity, followed by carbonate cementation that leads to strong heterogeneity. Feldspar dissolution and concomitant quartz and clay cementation barely changes the porosity but significantly reduces the permeability.The high-quality reservoirs can be concluded as medium-grained sandstones lying in the central parts of thick underwater distributary channel sandbodies(>2 m) with a high content of detrital quartz but low cement.

Megafossils of Betulaceae from the Oligocene of Qaidam Basin and their paleoenvironmental and phytogeographic implications

Understanding the paleoenvironment and phytogeographical history of the Tibetan Plateau,China relies on discovering new plant fossils.The Qaidam Basin has long been regarded as an ideal‘field laboratory’to investigate the paleoclimate and paleobiological evolution of the northern Tibetan Plateau.However,fossil angiosperms from the Qaidam Basin are rare,and our knowledge of its paleovegetation is poor.Here,we report fossil leaves and fruits of Betulaceae found from the Oligocene Shangganchaigou Formation of northwestern Qaidam Basin(Huatugou area).Comparative morphological analysis led us to assign the fruits to the Betula subgenus Betula and the leaves to Carpinus grandis.These findings,together with other reported fossil plants from the same locality,reveal a close floristic linkage between the Qaidam Basin and Europe during the Oligocene.The northern pathway of this floristic exchange may have crossed through the Qaidam Basin during the late Paleogene.This floristic linkage may have been facilitated by the continuous narrowing of the Turgai Strait and stronger westerlies,which transported moisture and provided favorable climatic conditions.Indeed,fossil plants collected from the Qaidam Basin suggest that during the Oligocene this region had warm and humid deciduous broad-leaf forest,which differs from the region’s modern vegetation and indicates that the Qaidam Basin may have been a suitable region for these plants to flourish and spread during the Oligocene.

Genetic mechanism and main controlling factors of high-quality clastic rock reservoirs in deep and ultradeep layers:A case study of Oligocene Linhe Formation in Linhe Depression,Hetao Basin,NW China

Based on new data from cores,drilling and logging,combined with extensive rock and mineral testing analysis,a systematic analysis is conducted on the characteristics,diagenesis types,genesis and controlling factors of deep to ultra-deep abnormally high porosity clastic rock reservoirs in the Oligocene Linhe Formation in the Hetao Basin.The reservoir space of the deep to ultra-deep clastic rock reservoirs in the Linhe Formation is mainly primary pores,and the coupling of three favorable diagenetic elements,namely the rock fabric with strong compaction resistance,weak thermal compaction diagenetic dynamic field,and diagenetic environment with weak fluid compaction-weak cementation,is conducive to the preservation of primary pores.The Linhe Formation clastic rocks have a superior preexisting material composition,with an average total content of 90%for quartz,feldspar,and rigid rock fragments,and strong resistance to compaction.The geothermal gradient in Linhe Depression in the range of(2.0–2.6)°C/100 m is low,and together with the burial history of long-term shallow burial and late rapid deep burial,it forms a weak thermal compaction diagenetic dynamic field environment.The diagenetic environment of the saline lake basin is characterized by weak fluid compaction.At the same time,the paleosalinity has zoning characteristics,and weak cementation in low salinity areas is conducive to the preservation of primary pores.The hydrodynamic conditions of sedimentation,salinity differentiation of ancient water in saline lake basins,and sand body thickness jointly control the distribution of high-quality reservoirs in the Linhe Formation.

Sedimentary systems of the Oligocene Huagang Formation in the central anticline zone of the Xihu Depression,East China Sea Shelf Basin

The Xihu Depression is the largest hydrocarbon-bearing depression of the East China Sea Shelf Basin(also referred to as the ECSSB).However,the depositional systems and reservoir distribution of the Oligocene Huagang Formation in the Xihu Depression are still controversial.Under the guidance of sedimentology and stratigraphy,this study documented a marine-terrestrial transitional environment in the restricted bay setting of the Oligocene Huagang Formation through core description,well logging,and seismic data analysis.This study also revealed that the Oligocene Huagang Formation is dominated by tidal delta,estuary,and gravity flow deposits in the central anticline zone of the Xihu Depression.The new understanding of the sedimentary systems and the discovery of the transgressive gap in the eastern Diaoyu Islands uplift explain the origin of fine-grained sediments and the EW-trending sand bodies in the central depression and the sand bodies parallel to shoreline in the west slope belt,which cannot be explained by previous study results,such as southern transgression or fluvial deltas and even lacustrine deposition.Moreover,the tidal channels,tidal sand flats,and gravity flow sand bodies formed by the transgressive tides are high-quality reservoirs.The study will provide a basis for well placement and serve as guidance for the selection of favorable hydrocarbon exploration areas in the Xihu Depression.

Discovery and petroleum geological significance of delta in the third member of Oligocene Lingshui Formation in southern Baodao Sag,Qiongdongnan Basin,South China Sea

Based on the 3D seismic data and the analysis and test data of lithology,electricity,thin sections and chronology obtained from drilling of the Qiongdongnan Basin,the characteristics and the quantitative analysis of the source-sink system are studied of the third member of the Upper Oligocene Lingshui Formation(Ling 3 Member)in the southern fault step zone of the Baodao Sag.First,the YL10 denudation area of the Ling 3 Member mainly developed two fluvial systems in the east and west,resulting in the formation of two dominant sand transport channels and two delta lobes in southern Baodao Sag,which are generally large in the west and small in the east.The evolution of the delta has experienced four stages:initiation,prosperity,intermittence and rejuvenation.Second,the source-sink coupled quantitative calculation is performed depending on the parameters of the delta sand bodies,including development phases,distribution area,flattening thickness,area of different parent rocks,and sand-forming coefficient,showing that the study area has the material basis for the formation of large-scale reservoir.Third,the drilling reveals that the delta of the Ling 3 Member is dominated by fine sandstone,with total sandstone thickness of 109-138 m,maximum single-layer sandstone thickness of 15.5-30.0 m,and sand-to-strata ratio of 43.7%-73.0%,but the physical properties are different among the fault steps.Fourth,the large delta development model of the small source area in the step fault zone with multi-stage uplift is established.It suggests that the episodic uplift provides sufficient sediments,the fluvial system and watershed area control the scale of the sand body,the multi-step active fault steps dominate the sand body transport channel,and local fault troughs decide the lateral propulsion direction of the sand body.The delta of the Ling 3 Member is coupled with fault blocks to form diverse traps,which are critical exploration targets in southern Baodao Sag.

Petrogenesis of the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene Yao'an Shoshonitic Complex,Southeastern Tibet:Partial Melting of an Ancient Continental Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Yangtze Block

Cenozoic potassic-ultrapotassic igneous rocks are widespread in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.Their petrogenesis and magmatic processes remain subject to debate in spite of numerous publications.Almost all of the Cenozoic extrusive and intrusive rocks in the Yao’an area,western Yunnan Province,SW China,are geochemically shoshonitic,collectively termed here the Yao’an Shoshonitic Complex(YSC).The YSC is located in the(south)easternmost part of the ENE-WSW-trending,~550 km-long and~250 km-wide Cenozoic magmatic zone;the latter separates the orthogonal and oblique collision belts of the India-Eurasia collision orogen.Previously published geochronological and thermochronological data revealed that the rocks of the YSC were emplaced over a short timespan of 34-32 Ma.This and our new data suggest that the primary magma of the YSC likely was formed by partial melting of ancient continental lithospheric mantle beneath the Yangtze Block.This part of the continental lithospheric mantle had likely not been modified by any oceanic subduction.Fractionation crystallization of an Mg-and Ca-bearing mineral and TiFe oxides during the magmatic evolution probably account for the variable lithologies of the YSC.

Petrogenesis of Oligocene volcanic rocks of the Lake Tana area,Ethiopian large Igneous Province

The Lake Tana area is located within a complex volcano-tectonic basin on the northwestern Ethiopian plateau.The basin is underlain by a thick succession of Oligocene transitional basalts and sub-alkaline rhyolites overlain in places,particularly south of the lake,by Quaternary alkaline to mildly transitional basalts,and dotted with Oligo-Miocene trachyte domes and plugs.This paper presents the results of integrated field,petrographic,and major and trace element geochemical studies of the Lake Tana area volcanic rocks,with particular emphasis on the Oligocene basalts and rhyolites.The studies reveal a clear petrogenetic link between the Oligocene basalts and rhyolites.The Oligocene basalts are:(1)plagioclase,olivine,and/or pyroxene phyric;(2)show an overall decreasing trend in MgO,Fe_(2)O_(3),and CaO with silica;(3)have relatively low Mg#,Ni and Cr contents and high Nb/La and Nb/Yb ratios;and(4)show LREE enriched and generally flat HREE patterns.All these imply the origin of the Oligocene basalts by shallow-level fractional crystallization of an enriched magma sourced at the asthenospheric mantle.The Oligocene rhyolites:(1)are enriched in incompatible while depleted in compatible trace elements,P and Ti;(2)show a strong negative Eu anomaly;(3)contain appreciable amounts of plagioclase,apatite,and Fe-Ti oxides;and(4)show clear geochemical similarity with well-constrained rhyolites from the Large Igneous Province(LIP)of the northwestern Ethiopian plateau.Low-pressure fractional crystallization of mantle-derived basaltic magma in crustal magma chambers explains the origin of these rhyolites.Our study further shows that the Oligocene basalts and rhyolites are co-genetic and the felsic rocks of the Lake Tana area are related differentiates of the flood basalt volcanism in the northwestern Ethiopian plateau.

Late Oligocene fossil acorns and nuts of Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis from the Nanning Basin,Guangxi,South China

Quercus is the largest genus within the Fagaceae and has a rich fossil record.Most of the fossil material is attributed to the subgenus Quercus based on leaves,pollen or rarely acorns and nuts.Fossil records of Q.section Cyclobalanopsis characterized by ring-cupped acorns are relatively few and especially those described based on nuts are scant.In this study,we described four new species of Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis based on mummified acorns and nuts:Q.paleodisciformis X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.,Q.paleohui X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.,Q.nanningensis X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.and Q.yongningensis X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.These species closely resemble the extant species Q.disciformis,Q.hui,Q.kerrii,and Q.dinghuensis.The occurrence of Q.section Cyclobalanopsis in the Oligocene stratum of Guangxi,South China,suggests that the section has diversified within its extant distribution center since the Oligocene.By combining records from other areas,we propose that the section first appeared in the middle Eocene of East Asia(Sino-Japan),has diversified in situ with a few elements scattering into West Asia and southern Europe since the Oligocene and Pliocene,respectively,and finally became restricted in East Asia since the Pleistocene.This indicates that the section originated and diversified in East Asia,before spreading into West Asia no later than the Oligocene and into southern Europe by the Pliocene.Subsequently it disappeared from South Europe and West Asia due to the appearance of the(summer dry)Mediterranean climate and widespread cooling during the Pleistocene.

Quercus yangyiensis sp. nov. from the Late Pliocene of Baoshan, Yunnan and Its Paleoclimatic Significance

A new Quercus （Fagaceae） morphospecies is described based on well-preserved fossil leaves.The fossils were collected from Yangyi Formation of the Upper Pliocene at the Yangyi coalmine,Baoshan,western Yunnan,China.Details of the microstructure of mesophyll tissue are preserved because lithification of the fossils was not complete.The fossil laminas possess typical characteristics of Quercus sect.Heterobalanus：quite thick and coriaceous cuticle; secondary veins bifurcating near the margin in the middle and top of the leaf; and upper epidermis with adaxial hypodermis.Based on a detailed morphological and anatomical comparison with all living and fossil species of Quercus sect.Heterobalanus,the fossil leaves prove to be different in their sparse and garland-shaped multicellular trichomes on the lower epidermis,and so it is described as a new species Quercus yangyiensis He,Li et Sun sp.nov.The much sparser trichomes of our fossils compare well with those of living Quercus sect.Heterobalanus and indicate a more humid climate during the deposition of the Yangyi Formation in the Late Pliocene.

Terrestrial Mio-Pliocene Boundary in the Linxia Basin,Gansu,China

The Lower Pliocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu Province is one of only a few representative sections for the Early Pliocene sedimentary records in northern China, and even in East Asia. Recently,abundant mammalian fossils were found from the base of red clays of the Lower Pliocene Hewangjia Formation at Duikang in Guanghe County within this basin. Previously, the Pliocene mammals were sparsely found in China, and most were collected from fluvial and lacustrine deposits in the eastern Loess Plateau. Mammals from the widely distributed Pliocene Hipparion Red Clay are less in number.The known fossils from Duikang include 20 species and belong to the Shilidun Fauna. Their faunal components are similar to the Early Pliocene Gaozhuang Fauna from Ynshe, Shanxi. On the other hand, some taxa from Duikang have not been found in the Gaozhuang Fauna, are slightly more primitive in evolutionary level, and appeared mainly in the Late Miocene. As a result, the age of the Duikang fossils may be slightly earlier than that of the Gaozhuang Fauna and closer to the lower boundary of the Piiocene. The Duikang fossiliferons bed is 0.8 m above the top of the Late Miocene Linshu Formation, and the first occurrence of the three-toed horse Hipparion pater can be regarded as a biostratigraphical marker of the Miocene/Pliocene boundary. In conclusion, Duikang is an ideal candidate locality to establish as the stratotype of the lower boundary of the Chinese terrestrial Pliocene.

Paleoclimate Changes during the Early Oligocene in the Hoh Xil Region, Northern Tibetan Plateau

Sedimentological, cyclic-stratigraphic, paleomagnetic, and clay-mineralogical studies on the early Oligocene Yaxicuo Group in the Hoh Xil Basin, the largest Cenozoic sedimentary basin in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, provide abundant information of paleoclimate changes. A 350-m thick section in the middle-lower Yaxicuo Group was analyzed to reveal the climatic history that occurred in the Hoh Xil region during the early Oligocene interval 31.30-30.35 Ma, dated with the paleomagnetic chronostratigraphy. The results indicate that arid and cold climate dominated the Hoh Xil region during the early Oligocene in general, being related to the global cooling and drying events that occurred in the earliest Oligocene. Within this period, relatively warm and wet climate accompanied by strong tectonic activity occurred in the 31.05-30.75 Ma interval; while arid and cold climate and relatively inactive tectonics occurred in the 31.30-31.05 and 30.75-30.35 Ma intervals. Furthermore, spectral analyses of high-temporal resolution paleoclimatic records show orbital periods including eccentricity, obliquity, and precession. It is concluded that paleoclimate changes during the early Oligocene in the Hoh Xil region were forced by both tectonic activity and orbital periods.

The main controlling factors and developmental models of Oligocene source rocks in the Qiongdongnan Basin,northern South China Sea

Coals developed in the Oligocene Yacheng and Lingshui formations in the Qiongdongnan Basin have high organic matter abundance, and the dark mudstones in the two formations have reached a good source rock standard but with strong heterogeneity. Through the analysis of trace elements, organic macerals and biomarkers, it is indicated that plankton has made little contribution to Oligocene source rocks compared with the terrestrial higher plants. The organic matter preservation depends on hydrodynamics and the redox environment, and the former is the major factor in the study area. During the sedimentary period of the Yacheng Formation, tidal flats were developed in the central uplift zone, where the hydrodynamic conditions were weak and the input of terrestrial organic matter was abundant. So the Yacheng Salient of the central uplift zone is the most favorable area for the development of source rocks, followed by the central depression zone. During the sedimentary period of the Lingshui Formation, the organic matter input was sufficient in the central depression zone due to multiple sources of sediments. The semi-enclosed environment was favorable for organic matter accumulation, so high quality source rocks could be easily formed in this area, followed by the Yacheng salient of central uplift zone. Source rocks were less developed in the northern depression zone owing to poor preservation conditions,

Buxus Leaves from the Oligocene of Guangxi, China and Their Biogeographical Significance

The present paper reports two new species of Buxus from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi, South China, on the basis of several compressed fossil leaves.Buxus ningmingensis sp.nov.is characterized by an elliptic to ovate shape; pinnate venation with marginal secondary, long hairs on the adaxial side of the midvein base; and amphistomatic, anomocytic stomata with a prominent outer ring.All of these characteristics suggest a closest affinity to the living Buxus microphylla subsp.sinica.Another new species identified as Buxus preaustro-yunnanensis sp.nov.is characterized by the diagnostic formation of its admedially branched tertiaries, the trunks of which are often strongly thickened by sclereides.This species is most similar to the extant Buxus austroyunnanensis.The co-occurrence of Buxus ningmingensis sp.nov.and Buxus preaustro-yunnanensis sp.nov.suggests that these two Buxus lived during the Oligocene under a warm, tropical to subtropical climate, similar to the current climate of Ningming.Our findings provide the earliest fossil evidence of Buxus leaves with detailed illustrations of leaf architectural and cuticular features.The occurrence of these two species indicates that Buxus began to diversify in Guangxi no later than the Oligocene.

Paleophytochemical Constituents from the Pliocene Fossil Wood of Pinus Armandii from Longling,Yunnan

Specimens of fossil wood preserved lignified in Pliocene brown coal and identified as Pinus armandii Francher come from an opencast coalmine at Longling in western Yunnan Province, China. Phytochemical investigation of the fossil wood isolated using liquid column chromatography seven compounds （1-7） including a new fluorene derivative named 11,11-dimethyl-11H-benzo[b]fluorene. A further 28 volatiles were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. Spectroscopic investigation methods, including MS and 1D and 2D-NMR techniques elucidated the structure of the seven compounds. Two types of natural products, isopimara and stilbene commonly occuring in extant and Pliocene fossil P. armandii indicate phytochemical fidelity during burial under certain circumstances in sediments. Discovery of stilbenes that can inhibit the activities of wood-destroying fungi in the Pliocene P. armandii prompts the assumption that the chemical preservation of this Pliocene fossil wood of P. armandii in brown coal might contribute to the presence of inner natural inhibitors against wood-destroying fungi.

Late Pliocene diversity and distribution of Drynaria(Polypodiaceae) in western Yunnan explained by forest vegetation and humid climates

The palaeodiversity of flowering plants in Yunnan has been extensively interpreted from both a molecular and fossil perspective. However, for cryptogamic plants such as ferns, the palaeodiversity remains poorly known. In this study, we describe a new ferny fossil taxon, Drynaria lanpingensis sp. nov. Huang,Su et Zhou(Polypodiaceae), from the late Pliocene of northwestern Yunnan based on fragmentary frond and pinna with in situ spores. The frond is pinnatifid and the pinnae are entirely margined. The sori are arranged in one row on each side of the primary vein. The spores have a semicircular to bean-shaped equatorial view and a tuberculate surface. Taken together with previously described fossils, there are now representatives of three known fossil taxa of Drynaria from the late Pliocene of western Yunnan.These finds suggest that Drynaria diversity was considerable in the region at that time. As Drynaria is a shade-tolerant plant, growing preferably in wet conditions in the understory of forests, its extensive existence may indicate forest vegetation and humid climates in western Yunnan during the late Pliocene.This is in line with results from floristic investigations and palaeoclimatic reconstructions based on fossil floras.

Latitudinal trends in genus richness of vascular plants in the Eocene and Oligocene of North America

The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vascular plants for the Eocene(56-33.9 million years ago) and Oligocene(33.9-23 million years ago) epochs of North America north of IVlexico using 201 fossil floras.We calculated the direction and shape of the gradient using quadratic regression to detect linear and curvilinear trends.We performed regressions for the Eocene and Oligocene as well as for informal time intervals within the Eocene:early,middle,and middle + late.We found that quadratic models better explain the data than linear models for both epochs as well as for the early Eocene.A roughly linear trend in the middle and middle + late intervals may reflect limited sampling of high latitude floras for those times.The curvilinear relationship was weak for the Eocene and the model showed a peak in richness at 45.5°N.The curvilinear relationship was much stronger for the Oligocene and the peak occurred at 48.5°N.In the Eocene,the mid-latitude peak in richness may be explained by mean annual temperature,which was probably higher at some mid-latitudes than at lower ones.For the Oligocene,the peak in richness at midlatitudes may be explained by evolutionary diversification within the temperate zone or by increased aridity at low latitudes.We also assessed the latitudinal richness gradient of genera within modern floras in North America north of Mexico and we found a weak,curvilinear trend with a peak in richness at 31.5°N.Our results suggest that the latitudinal genus richness gradient of vascular plants in North America continued to develop into its modern structure following the Oligocene.

Structure,Timing,and Mechanism of the Pliocene and Late Miocene Uplift Process of the Ailao Shan-Diancang Shan,SE Tibet,China

The uplift of the Ailao Shan-Diancang Shan （ASDS） along the Ailao Shan-Red River （ASRR） shear zone is an important geological event in the southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau tectonic domain in the Late Cenozoic, and it preserves important information on the structures, exhumationai history and tectonic evolution of the ASRR shear zone. The uplift structural mode and uplift timing of the ASDS is currently an important scientific topic for understanding the ASDS formation and late stage movements and evolution of the ASRR shear zone. The formation of the ASDS has been widely considered to be the consequence of the strike-slip movements of the ASRR shear zone. However, the shaping of geomorphic units is generally direct results of the latest tectonic activities. In this study, we investigated the timing and uplift structural mechanism of the ASDS and provided the following lines of supportive evidence. Firstly, the primary tectonic foliation of the ASDS shows significant characteristic variations, with steeply dipping tectonic foliation developed on the east side of the ASDS and the relatively horizontal foliation on the west side. Secondly, from northeast to southwest direction, the deformation and metamorphism gradually weakened and this zone can be further divided into three different metamorphic degree belts. Thirdly, the contact relationship between the ASDS and the Chuxiong basin-Erhai lake is a normal fault contact which can be found on the east side of the ASDS. 40^Ar/^39 Argeochronology suggests that the Diancang Shan had experienced a fast cooling event during 3-4 Ma. The apatite fission track testing method gives the age of 6.6-10.7 Ma in the Diancang Shan and 4.6-8.4 Ma in the Ailao Shan, respectively. Therefore the uplift of the ASDS can be explained by tilted block mode in which the east side was uplifted much higher than the west side, and it is not main reason of the shearing movements of the ASRR shear zone. The most recent uplift stages of the ASDS happened in the Pliocene （3-4 Ma） and Late Miocene （6-10 Ma）.

How to Trace out Impact-Triggered Effects Globally Scattered around Formation Boundaries: Case Uhry, North Germany (Eocene/Oligocene Boundary)

By focusing on impact-triggered phenomena having occurred synchronously with or shortly prior to formation boundaries, two glass sand pits (Upper Maastrichtian) located near Uhry, North Germany have been studied in regard to the K/T boundary throughout the last 40 years during progressive exploitation of glass sand. However, a clastic sequence of sand, mass flow and pelite deposited in a deep channel of about 10 - 12 m in depth, eroded into the glass sand, surprisingly shows an Upper Eocene/Lower Oligocene age, well defined by a Dinocyst assemblage (Chiripteridium c. galea, Enneado cysta arcuata, Areoligera tauloma = D 12na - D 14na) from a 0.5 meter thick pelite that marks the Rupelian transgression within an estuarian system running northwest/southeastward. The section exposes a high energy mass flow and formerly solid frozen angular glass sand blocks of up to a meter-size embedded in fluvial sand of the channel base. Furthermore, erratic clastics of up to 0.4 meter in diameter appear at the pelite base. The “unusual” Dinocyst assemblage is of autochthonous origin and comprises the fresh water alga Pediastrum Kawraiskyias indicator for cold climate, hitherto only known from Quaternary. Missing pollen indicate a vegetation-less hinterland. Thus, there cannot be any doubt that around the E/O b. at least one “rare event” has happened as verified by short tremendous flooding and significant temperature fall (“cosmic winter”). According to the attitude of the global impact scientific community, these phenomena belong to the spectrum of “indirect effects” of major impacts. Radiometric ages of relevant major impact events underline that both impact craters of Popigai, Russia (100 Kilometer in diameter, 35.7 Ma) and Chesabreake, USA (85 Kilometer in diameter, 35.5 Ma) happened shortly before the E/O b.(33.75 Ma). In addition, a tektite strewn field along the eastern coast of the USA and micro-tektites (Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Barbados) yield an age of ~34.4 Ma, close to the E/O b. Consequently, there does exist an extremely high probability that Uhry site hosts impact-triggered products at the E/O b. It should be stressed that the Upper Eocene Epoch comprises an amazingly high number of impact events during the time-span 34.2 - 37.0 Ma.

Larger Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy and Facies Analysis of the Oligocene–Miocene Asmari Formation in the Western Fars Sub-basin, Zagros Mountains, Iran

The Oligocene–Miocene carbonate record of the Zagros Mountains, known as the Asmari Formation, constitutes an important hydrocarbon reservoir in southern Iran. This marine carbonate succession, which developed under tropical conditions, is explored in terms of larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy, facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy in a new section at Papoon cropping out in the western Fars sub-basin, in the south-east of the Zagros belt. Facies analysis shows evidence of re-working and transport of skeletal components throughout the depositional system, interpreted here as a carbonate ramp. The foraminifera-based biozones identified include the Globigerina–Turborotalia cerroazulensis–Hantkenina Zone and Nummulites vascus–Nummulites fichteli Zone, both of Rupelian age, the Archaias asmaricus–Archaias hensoni–Miogypsinoides complanatus Zone of Chattian age and the ‘Indeterminate’ Zone of Aquitanian age. The vertical sedimentary evolution of the formation exhibits a progressive shallowing of the facies belts and thus the succession is interpreted as a high-rank low-order regressive systems tract. This long-lasting Rupelian–Aquitanian regressive event is in accordance with accepted global long-term eustatic curves. Accordingly, long-term eustatic trends would have been a factor controlling accommodation during the deposition of the Asmari Formation studied in the western Fars sub-basin.

The Major Two-stage Shortening Deformation of the Northern Tibet and Tian Shan Area Since the Latest Oligocene

It seems to be progressively recognized that the stress of the India-Asia convergent front can be transferred rapidly through the southern and central Tibetan lithosphere to the northern Tibet, hence leading to the crustal thickening deformation there during or immediately after the onset of the India-Asia collision（ca.55 Ma）.This study focuses on the late Cenozoic deformation and tectonic uplift of the northern Tibet and Tian Shan area.Detailed compilations of a variety of proxy data from sediments and bedrocks suggest that the northern Tibet and Tian Shan area underwent one stage of approximately synchronous widespread contractile deformation since 25–20 Ma, which seemed to decrease at circa 18 Ma as revealed by low-temperature thermochronological data.The latest Oligocene-early Miocene was also significant basin-forming episodes when many intermontane subbasins began to receive syntectonic sedimentation in the northeastern Tibet.Subsequently, the other phase of compressional deformation began to encroach more widely into the northern Tibet and Tian Shan area in episodic steps or continuously from 16–12 Ma to present.