Structure and evolution of Middle Permian palaeo- seamounts in Bayan Har and its adjacent area

Middle Permian palaeo-seamounts in the area of Bayan Har are generally com-posed of volcanic basement and carbonate cap. Basaltic lava, volcanic breecia and polymictic breccia can be identified as the main kinds of rock in the basement of palaeo-seamounts. Mas-sive bioclastic limestone and reef framestone formed the carbonate cap of the palaeo-sea- mounts. The contact relationship between carbonate cap and volcanic basement is a kind of conformity or depositional unconformity. Study of the structure and petrology of palaeo-sea- mounts suggests that the evolution history of the palaeo-seamounts in this area can be divided into five stages at least. They are the origin of the first volcanic basement, the formation of the first carbonate cap, the breaking of the first carbonate cap by renewed volcanism, the deposition of red calcareous mudstone and the rebuilding of the second carbonate cap at last. In one of the palaeo-seamounts, volcanic activation took place even after the reconstruction of the second carbonate cap. Lots of fusulinid fossils, such as Neoschwagerina craticulifera Schwager, Schwagerina sp. and Verbeekina sp., were found both in the carbonate cap and volcanic base-ment, showing that the palaeo-seamounts were originated and developed within the Maokou stage of Middle Permian.

Middle Permian palaeobiogeography study in East Kunlun,A'nyêmaqên and Bayan Har

Three regions can easily be identified in the study area according to the Middle Permian palaeobiogeographic distribution of biota, they are the southern slope of East Kunlun, A’nyêmaqên and Bayan Har. Biotic constitution and ecology in the southern slope of East Kunlun and Bayan Har are very similar. Both the diversity and abundance of organisms in these two areas are very high and reefs are widely developed. However, biotic diversity and abundance in A’nyêmaqên which is between the above two areas are obviously low. Differentiation of palaeo- biogeographic distribution in these areas should be due to the baring of A’nyêmaqên ocean in the time of Middle Permian. Middle Permian radiolarian chert and thick abyssal red ooze are widely spread in A’nyêmaqên, implying that the A’nyêmaqên ocean had a great scale in size. Vast scale of deep ocean basin became an impassable gulf for some of the benthos, and as a result, only part of the organisms could have the chance to get to the isolated islands situated in ocean basin. Small living space and hard conditions in the islands further limited the abundance and diversity of biota. Tectonic background reflected by the geochemical study of basalt in the three areas is coupling well enough with the palaeobiogeographic division.