The Late Triassic Sequence-Stratigraphic Framework of the Upper Yangtze Region,South China

In the transitional period between the Middle and the Late Triassic, the Indochina orogeny caused two tectonic events in South China：（1） the formation and uplift of the Qinling-Dabie orogenic belt along the northern margin of the South China Plate, due to its collision with the North China Plate; and 2） the development of a 1300-km-wide intra-continental orogen in the southeastern part of the South China Plate, which led to a northwestward movement of the foreland thrust-fold zone. These tectonic events resulted in the ending of the Yangtze Platform, and were a stable paleogeographic factor from the Eidacaran to the end of the Middle Triassic. This platform was characterized by the widespread development of shallow-water carbonates. After the end of the Yangtze Platform, the upper Yangtze foreland basin（or Sichuan foreland basin） was formed during the Late Triassic and became a accumulation site of fluvial deposits that are composed of related strata of the Xujiahe Formation. In western Sichuan Province, the Xujiahe Formation overlies the Maantang Formation shallow-water carbonate rocks of the Xiaotangzi Formation siliciclastic rocks（from shelf shales to littoral facies）. The sequence-stratigraphic framework of the Upper Triassic in the upper Yangtze foreland basin indicates a particular alluvial architecture, characterized by sequences composed of（1） successions of low-energy fluvial deposits of high-accommodation phases, including coal seams, and（2） high-energy fluvial deposits of low-accommodation phases, including amalgamated river-channel sandstones. The spatial distribution of these fluvial deposits belonging to the Xujiahe Formation and its relative strata is characterized by gradual thinning-out, overlapping, and pinching-out toward both the east and south. This sedimentary record therefore expresses a particular sequence-stratigraphic succession of fluvial deposits within the filling succession of the foreland basin. The sequence-stratigraphic framework for the Upper Triassic in the Upper Yangtze region provides a record of the end of the Yangtze Platform and the formation of the upper Yangtze foreland basin.

Lithofacies palaeogeography of the Late Permian Wujiaping Age in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region,China

The lithofacies palaeogeography of the Late Permian Wujiaping Age in Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied based on petrography and the ＂single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping＂ method. The Upper Permian Wujiaping Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks and clastic rocks, with lesser amounts of siliceous rocks, pyroclastic rocks, volcanic rocks and coal. The rocks can be divided into three types, including clastic rock, clastic rock-limestone and limestone-siliceous rock, and four fundamental ecological types and four fossil assemblages are recognized in the Wujiaping Stage. Based on a petrological and palaeoecological study, six single factors were selected, namely, thickness （m）, content （%） of marine rocks, content （%） of shallow water carbonate rocks, content （%） of biograins with limemud, content （%） of thinbedded siliceous rocks and content （%） of deep water sedimentary rocks. Six single factors maps of the Wujiaping Stage and one lithofacies palaeogeography map of the Wujiaping Age were composed. Palaeogeographic units from west to east include an eroded area, an alluvial plain, a clastic rock platform, a carbonate rock platform where biocrowds developed, a slope and a basin. In addition, a clastic rock platform exists in the southeast of the study area. Hydro- carbon source rock and reservoir conditions were preliminarily analyzed based on lithofacies palaeogeography. Sedimentary environments have obvious controls over the development of the resource rocks. With regard to the abundance of organic matter, the hydrocarbon potential of the coastal swamp environment is the best, followed by the basin environment and the carbonate rock platform. The gas reservoir types of the Wujiaping Stage can be classified as conventional and unconventional gas reservoirs, like coal bed gas and shale gas; all of them have well exploration prospects.

Lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region,China

Based on the petrological study,according to single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping method,the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage of the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied.The Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks;in addition,clastic and siliceous rocks occur with rare coals and pyroclastic rocks.Lithofacies can be divided into five types,including clastic rock assemblage,clastic rock-limestone assemblage,limestone assemblage,limestone-siliceous rock assemblage,and siliceous rock-clastic rock assemblage.Four fundamental ecological types and five fossil assemblages were recognized in the Changxing Stage.On the basis of the petrological and palaeoecological study,eight single factors were chosen including thickness,content of marine rocks,content of shallow water carbonate rocks,content of bioclasts with limemud matrix,content of bioclasts with sparry cement,distribution of reefs,content of thin bedded siliceous rocks and content of deep water sedimentary rocks.And eight single factor maps and one lithofacies paleogeographic map of the Changxing Stage were compiled.Paleoenvironments from west to east include an erosional area,fluvial plain,clastic platform,carbonate platform and reefs that developed there,slope and basin,low energy organic banks,and high energy organic banks.Sedimentary environments have an obvious control on the development of the source rocks,and the excellent source rocks are developed in the Dalong Formation.Changxing Stage reservoirs should be dominated by the reef and platform surrounding the GuangyuanLiangping Basin rim area,and is the most favorable exploration area of the reef petroleum reservoirs of the Changxing Formation.

Carbon Isotopic Evolution Characteristics and the Geological Significance of the Permian Carbonate Stratotype Section in the Northern Upper-Yangtze Region, Southern China

The Permian global mass extinction events and the eruption of the Emeishan flood basalts in the Upper Yangtze region should display certain responses during the evolution of carbon isotope. In this paper, the Permian carbon isotopic evolution in the Upper Yangtze region is examined through systematic stratotype section sampling and determination of 13 C in the northern Upper-Yangtze regions and Southern China. Additionally, the carbon isotopic evolution response characteristics of the geological events in the region are evaluated, comparing the sea-level changes in the Upper Yangtze region and the global sea-level change curves. Results of this study indicated that the carbon isotopic curves of the Permian in the Upper Yangtze region are characterized by higher background carbonisotope baseline values, with three distinct negative excursions, which are located at the Middle–Late Permian boundary and the late period and end of the Late Permian. The three distinct negative excursions provide an insightful record of the global Permian mass extinction events and the eruption of the Emeishan flood basalts in the Upper Yangtze region. The first negative excursion at the Middle–Late Permian boundary reflected the eruption of the Emeishan flood basalts, a decrease in sea level, and biological extinction events of different genera in varying degrees. The second negative excursion in the Late Permian included a decrease in sea level and large-scale biological replacement events. The third negative excursion of the carbon isotope at the end of the Permian corresponded unusually to a rise rather than a decrease in sea level, and it revealed the largest biological mass extinction event in history.

Application of Strontium Isotopic Stratigraphy to Dating Marine Sedimentary Units:A Case Study from the Permian Stratotype Section in Southern China

The calibration of sedimentary rock absolute dates is one of the difficulties in sedimentological and stratigraphic research.Since strontium(Sr)resides in seawater much longer(≈10^(6) a)than the seawater intermixing time(≈10^(3) a),the Sr isotopic composition of global seawater is uniform at any time and results in a stable system throughout geological history,based on which a global Sr isotope composition dating database has been established for age-calibration of marine strata.The Permian stratigraphic sections in the northern part of the Upper Yangtze block,southern China,record continuous marine sediments with clear stratigraphic boundaries and is suitable for stratigraphic dating of Sr isotopes.Based on sampling and Sr isotopic compositions of Permian carbonate strata in the northern part of the Upper Yangtze,a Permian Sr isotope evolution curve was established.According to the basic principles of Sr isotope stratigraphy,the global Strontium isotope age database can be used to calibrate the Permian stratigraphic dates in the northern Upper Yangtze.The results show that the Sr isotope evolution curves for the marine carbonate rocks in the Permian stratigraphic section of the Upper Yangtze present a decreasing trend from the mid-Qixia stage(P_(2))to the mid-Wujiaping stage(P_(3)),and then rise from the middle Wujiaping stage to the end of Changxing stage(P_(3)).When the Permian Sr-isotope evolution curve is compared with the global Sr isotope evolution curve in the northern Upper Yangtze,the two are consistent in their long-term evolutionary trend,indicating that Permian global geological events are important controlling factors for the composition and evolution of Sr isotopes.The 87 Sr/86 Sr value decreased gradually in the background of large-scale regressions at the turn of middle to late Permian period,revealing that the Emeishan basalt eruption occurred near the Maokou/Wujiaping boundary(GLB).Srisotope stratigraphy dating was performed on the boundaries of the Qixia Formation/Maokou Formation,Maokou Formation/Wujiaping Formation(GLB),Wujiaping Formation/Changxing Formation(WCB)and the Permian/Triassic(PTB)using the Global Strontium Isotope Age Database.The results are 270.4 Ma,261.2 Ma,254.5 Ma and 249.7 Ma,respectively.Based on this,the eruption age of the Emeishan basalts is defined at about 261.2 Ma.,which is more coincident with that acquired from other previous dating methods on the eruption age of the Emeishan basalts,and therefore proves that the application of Sr isotopic stratigraphy to dating marine sedimentary units is an effective method.