Primary dolostone formation related to mantle-originated exhalative hydrothermal activities,Permian Yuejingou section,Santanghu area, Xinjiang,NW China

The Permian Lucaogou Formation is an important hydrocarbon source rock in the Junggar, Turpan, and Santanghu basins in Xinjiang, NW China. For the first time, dolostones associated with mantle-originated exhalative hydrothermal fluid flows are discovered in Yuejingou section in the Santanghu Basin area. They include dolomicrite, doloarenite, and a small amount of dolorudite, and are finely (0.05-0.15 cm thick) interlaminated with lime micrite and dolomicritic analcime laminites. Alkali feldspar and analcime grains are common in doloarenite and are interpreted as having been derived from analcime phonolites and peralkaline magmatic rocks. These magmatic fragments were brought up from subsurface by hydrothermal fluid flow and had experienced exhalative brecciation, transport, and deposition on the lake floor. The matrix consists dominantly of dolomite and ankerite smaller than 0.01 mm. The dolostones can be subdivided into four types on the basis of mineral composition and content. The detrital analcime and alkaline feldspar grains and tuff lithics are interpreted as intraclasts, which were deposited in an under-filled starved lake basin. The δ18OPDB values of dolostones are -5‰ to -21.1‰, and -11.9‰ on average; the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of dolostones are 0.70457 to 0.706194, and 0.705005 on average. These values, in combination with evidence of multi-episodes of peralkaline extrusion, suggest a mantle origin of the hydrothermal fluids, which may have promoted primary dolomite formation. The fluid from the upper mantle caused serpentinization of ultramafic rocks that intruded into the lower crust to obtain Mg2+ and Fe2+, and injected the ions into the lake water as the Mg and Fe sources for dolomite and ankerite. Hydro- thermal fluids associated with peralkaline magmatic rocks also provided Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, and CO32-. Explosive breccias formed and dolostones were convoluted near the vent of hydrothermal fluid exhalation, whereas laminated dolostones formed farther away from the vent. The dolostones are primary dolomite deposition in an intracontinental rift basin and associated with mantle-originated hydrothermal fluids. They provide an insight into the origin of dolomite formation in the geologic history and clues to understand the sedimentary environments and tectonic conditions in northern Xinjiang during the late Paleozoic.

Characteristics of helium isotopes in natural gas and its tectonic implication in Bohai Bay Basin

Analysis on helium isotopes in natural gas in Bohai Bay Basin showed their mantle-origin indicated by high 3He/4He ratio. The span of 3He/4He ratio increased from west to east. This pattern im- plied a close relationship to the local tectonic setting. Bohai Bay Basin experienced intensive neo-tectonic activities in the Cenozoic. Widespread faulted-depressions and strong volcanic eruptions manifested its extensional tectonics. Abiogenic natural gas could be released from magmas and migrate upward through deep faults during the extension. Tectonic conditions in the area would favor upward invasion and reser- vation of mantle-originated helium. Furthermore, with decrease of convergence rate between the Pacific and the Eurasia Plate, the subduction slab of the Pacific Plate rolled back and became steeper, resulting in mantle flow and other tectonic activities migrating from west to east in nature, and caused the variation in isotopic helium ratios.

Seismic multi-arch structures in East China

In previous papers (Wencai, 2002, 2003), the author has analyzed the deep seismic reflection profiles along some of the Mesozoic plutons in East China, and has pointed out that the crustal structures around these intrusions usually correlate with a special seismic fabric called the seismic multi-arch structure. This paper will continue to show main characteristics of the seismic multi-arch structures and discuss their relationship with mantle-origin magmatism and the lithospheric thinning process. Calibration of seismic reflectors in Chinese continental drilling sites shows that small-scale arch-like reflectors can be generated by fractured eclogites or other plutons, they do not belong to the multi-arch structure specially discussed in the paper. The multi-arch structure is char-acterized by several arch-like reflectors distributed in both the upper and lower crust with granitoid plutons or stocks exposed on the surface, which do not have obvious negative Europium anomalies. Based on the distribution pattern of arch reflectors, the multi-arch magmatic structures can be divided into three main types, namely the simple vertical combination type, the spread arch magmatic struc-ture and the arch-bouquet structure. All of them correlate to mantle-origin magmatism, but occur in different places. The spread arch magmatic structures occur within a Mesozoic/Cenozoic rift zone with very thin and hot lithosphere. The vertical combination type of the multi-arch structures occurred near the rift zones where lithosphere was thin and hot. The arch-bouquet magmatic structures occur far from the rift zones where the lithosphere is not hot. The continental rifting acted as the late episode of the lithospheric thinning process seeing that the rift zones usually coincide with the thinnest parts of the lithosphere in East China. In different locations within the lithospheric thinning areas, mantle-origin magmatic activities have different characteristics, which might generate different types of crustal structures revealed by the different types of the multi-arch magmatic structures. Therefore, high-quality deep seismic reflection profiles can be used indirectly to identify the pattern and scale of Mesozoic/Cenozoic lithospheric thinning processes and characteristics of the corresponding man-tle-origin magmatic activities.