Neoproterozoic Molar-tooth Structure and Constraint of Depositional Facies and Environment in the North China Platform in Jiangsu, Anhui and Liaoning, Eastern China

Molar tooth structure （MTS） represented by complex ptygmatical shapes is widely distributed in the Proterozoic of the world. MTS filled by fine, equant sparry calcite （or dolomite） displays an abrupt contact with hosting rocks, which are mainly composed of carbonaceous micrites and fine-grained carbonates with local silts and stormdominated deposits with graded, cross or wave beddings, numerous erosional surfaces and truncated and fills or guttered bases. Occurrence of MTS suggests a result of the constraint of sedimentary facies, and the storm-base in ramp settings is the maximum depth for the formation of MTS. Vertical succession of MTS-bearing carbonates shows a deposition stacked by high-frequency shallow subtidal and peritidal cycles. An individual cyclic MTS-bearing sequence is characterized by thinning, shallowing and dynamic decreasing-upward, and peritidal caps of purple red iron and organic carbonaceous sediments with more complicated shapes of MTS are common on the top of individual MTS-bearing sequences.

Process-facies Types and Sequences of Devonian Volcanic Sedimentary Successions in Northern Xinjiang and Their Relation to Plate Tectonics

The process-facies types of the Devonian volcanic sedimentary successions in northern Xinjiang include explosive facies, effusive facies, pyroclastic-calcareous-terrigenous tempestite facies, and coarse^-, medium^- and fine-grained pyroclastic turbidite facies, volcanic eruption tsunamite facies, syndepositional and soft-deformed seismite facies, sandy and silt-muddy contourite facies. This paper presents their characteristics and diagnostic indicators, and discusses the temporal and spatial structures of both the process-facies and the environment-facies of the Zhifang section, east Junggar, and the Mount Sarburti section, west Junggar, and their relation to plate tectonism. The author holds that the facies analysis dominated by process-facies is the facies analysis' nucleus in an orogenic belt and active continental margin.

Applicability of Carbazole Migration Indices in Continental Rift Basins:A Case Study of Western Lujiapu Depression in Kailu Basin,NE China

Kailu Basin in which the Western Lujiapu Depression is located is a typical continental rift basin.Biomarker parameters of the oils indicate that depositional facies and environments vary between the Bao 1 and Bao 14 fault blocks with a higher saline environment in the Bao 1 fault block, but such difference has no significant impact on carbazole abundance and distribution.Maturity and migration distance are the main controls on carbazole abundance and distribution in the Western Lujiapu Depression.The commonly used migration indices,such as ratios of nitrogen shield isomers to nitrogen exposed isomers（1-/4-methylcarbazole ratio,1,8-/2,4-dimethylcarbazole（DMC） ratio and half-shield/exposed-DMC ratio）,absolute concentrations of alkylated carbazoles and BC ratio（=benzo [a]carbazole/（benzo[a]carbazole＋benzo[c]carbazole）） increase at the low mature range and decrease at a higher mature range with increasing maturity.At relatively low maturity stage（Rc〈0.77%）, maturation has reversal effects with migration on the ratios of nitrogen shield isomers to nitrogen exposed isomers,which may cover migration influence and makes these parameters fail to indicate migration effects.Valid migration indicators at this maturity stage are concentrations of alkylated carbazoles and BC ratios,which can provide ideal tools for migration direction assessment even within short migration distance.Maturity effects should be taken into account when carbazole compounds are applied to indicate migration direction,and at different maturity stages,these commonly used parameters have different validity in tracing migration direction.Coupled with our previous study in the Eastern Lujiapu Depression,a conceptual model of the variation of nitrogen migration indices can be established for terrestrial rifted basins,that is,strong fractionation lateral migration model through sandy beds,weak fractionation vertical migration model along faults,and maturity impacts on migration assessment.

Origin and depositional characteristics of supported conglomerates

The origin and depositional characteristics of supported conglomerates in the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China, are examined. Based on the terminological comparison, modern sedimentary survey and core description, the initial connotation and similarities and differences in definition between supported conglomerates and other similar concepts are discussed, the modern sedimentary environment in which supported conglomerates develop is analyzed, and the sedimentological characteristics of supported conglomerates formed in different depositional environments revealed by the cores of Mahu conglomerate oil field in the Junggar Basin are described. The supported conglomerate is similar in texture to grain supported conglomerate and openwork conglomerate but has differences from them, so it is suggested to keep the term "supported conglomerate", but the formation mechanism of supported conglomerate needs to be re-examined. Through field survey of modern sediments in Baiyanghe alluvial fan, Huangyangquan alluvial fan, and Wulungu Lake in Xinjiang, it is found that supported gravels not only formed by flooding events but also by sieving, avalanching, fluvial sorting as well as wind and wave reworking in the depositional environments such as inter-mountain creek, colluvium fan, gravel channel on gobi and the fan surface, lake beach, delta front, subaerial debris flow and subwater grain-flow etc. Supported gravels could form supported conglomerate after being buried. Supported conglomerates of seven different origins have been recognized in the cores of the Triassic and Permian stratum of Mahu Depression, Junggar Basin, namely, supported conglomerates in gravel channel deposits, in wind reworked channel deposits, in gravel beach bar deposits, in wave reworked delta front deposits, in mouth bar deposits and in debris flow deposits respectively. The study shows the supported conglomerates may be formed by a single depositional event or by multi-events during the post-depositional sedimentary reworking and even in diagenesis stage. Through flume experiment, numerical simulation, empirical model and modern sediment survey, infiltration process of gravelly channel can be reconstructed and the primary pore structure of supported gravel can be estimated. Statistics on physical properties of various types of reservoirs in Triassic Baikouquan Formation of Mahu oilfield show that granule conglomerate and pebbly conglomerate have higher porosity and permeability, while the cobble and coarse pebble conglomerate have lower permeability, which indicates that the supported gravels are easy to be reworked by post depositional filtration and diagenesis, and thus decrease in porosity and permeability.