The micromammal fossils collected from the Shangzhuang Formation of the Linxia Basin,Gansu,are described here.The assemblage consists of 16 species of 13 genera belonging to 7 families,including one new species and on...The micromammal fossils collected from the Shangzhuang Formation of the Linxia Basin,Gansu,are described here.The assemblage consists of 16 species of 13 genera belonging to 7 families,including one new species and one taxon previously unknown from China.Among them 5 genera are Oligocene holdovers and 11 genera/species are known to make their first appearances in Early Miocene,indicating an Early Miocene age for the Gucheng Fauna.The absence of Oligocene survivors such as Tataromys,Yindirtemys,Eucricetodon and Tachyoryctoides,which usually occur in the Xiejian age of Early Miocene,and the presence of newcomers Protalactaga,Megacricetodon and Gobicricetodon,that made their first appearance only in the Shanwangian age of late Early Miocene,suggest that the Gucheng Fauna is of a later age of Early Miocene.The new species,Sinolagomys guchengensis,showing more derived morphology than in S.ulunguensis,seems to support an assessment of the fauna in Shanwangian age.Thus,the Gucheng Fauna may belong to late Early Miocene Shanwangian,partially equivalent to MN 3/4 of the European land mammal zonation.Ecological analysis of the fauna indicates that the palaeoecological condition of the Gucheng area might still be a predominantly arid shrub-steppe in late Early Miocene.展开更多
The Govanda Formation was deposited during the Miocene in the intermontane areas between the Zagros suture and imbricate zones.The Govanda Formation was studied in the Sherwan Mazin area within Mergasor district,Erbil...The Govanda Formation was deposited during the Miocene in the intermontane areas between the Zagros suture and imbricate zones.The Govanda Formation was studied in the Sherwan Mazin area within Mergasor district,Erbil Governorate to identify the lithostratigraphy and microfacies analysis in order to determine the depositional environment of the formation.The formation in the studied section is 116 m thick and mainly consists of reddish-brown,hard,thickbedded,chert-bearing conglomerate,pinkish shale and yellowish-grey,thick-bedded,detrital,fossiliferous limestone.The formation is unconformably underlain by the Upper Cretaceous Tanjero Formation and conformably overlain by the Merga Red Beds series.Four different lithostratigraphic units were identified,based on field observation and petrographic analysis,including a basal conglomerate unit(A),a shale unit(B),a well-bedded limestone unit(C)and a thick and massively-bedded limestone unit(D).The presence of a thick conglomerate bed at the base of the formation indicates a large unconformity that lasted nearly 40 million years.Based on detailed microfacies analysis of carbonate rocks,five main microfacies and 15 submicrofacies are recognized.The main microfacies types include mudstone,wackestone,packstone,grainstone and boundstone microfacies.Based on the microfacies types the depositional environment are defined as open lagoon,reef,fore-reef and back-reef environments of normal to saline,nutrient rich water.展开更多
The temporal and spatial evolution of the Ailao Shan-Red River(ASRR)fault zone,which serves as an important accommodation zone for the extrusion and escape of the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau,is crucial for analyzing ...The temporal and spatial evolution of the Ailao Shan-Red River(ASRR)fault zone,which serves as an important accommodation zone for the extrusion and escape of the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau,is crucial for analyzing the uplift and growth of the plateau.Based on the petrology and apatite fission track analysis,the tectonic history and active pattern of the ASRR fault zone since the middle Miocene are determined in this study.The ASRR fault zone exhibits 12-8Ma and 8-4 Ma rapid cooling phases since the middle Miocene.The 12-8 Ma and 8-4 Ma cooling may imply that the dextral movement of the ASRR fault zone presents a migration trend from northwest to southeast,accompanied by the weakening of the activity intensity,which is directly related to deformation processes,including extrusion boundary migration and active tectonic movements of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau,since the middle-late Miocene.展开更多
The topography of the Harlik Mountain has a strong impact on the formation of current arid climate in the Turpan-Hami Basin.However,it is still controversial if Harlik Mountain experienced significant exhumation durin...The topography of the Harlik Mountain has a strong impact on the formation of current arid climate in the Turpan-Hami Basin.However,it is still controversial if Harlik Mountain experienced significant exhumation during the Middle to Late Cenozoic according to the previous thermochronology studies.The features of the Oligocene to Miocene sediments in the foreland basin could provide productive information for resolving the debates.The peak ages of detrital apatite fission track analysis of the Oligocene–Miocene sandstone in the Turpan-Hami Basin are well comparable with the cooling age records of the Harlik Mountain rocks,indicating that the Oligocene–Miocene Taoshuyuanzi Formation in the basin was mostly derived from the Harlik Mountain.The stratigraphic sequence exhibits coarsening upward,reflecting that the source area was in a tectonically active period during the deposition process.Heavy mineral assemblages also suggest that the unstable minerals in the sediment increased significantly at the end of the deposition.Moreover,the proportion of apatite increased up-section,while the garnet content decreased significantly,indicating that the Carboniferous metamorphic rocks have been gradually eroded out and more intrusive rocks have been exposed to the surface.These observations suggest that the Harlik Mountain experienced exhumation during the Oligocene to Miocene,and the denudation depth afterward was probably less than 2.5 km according to the previously apatite(U-Th)/He data.The Oligocene–Miocene exhumation probably acted as one of the triggers for the heavy drought of the Turpan-Hami Basin during the Middle–Late Neogene.展开更多
Ragahama Formation comprises a siliciclastic continental deposits followed by marine carbonates, representing prograding alluvial fans from adjacent high hinterlands seaward into lagoons and fringing reef environments...Ragahama Formation comprises a siliciclastic continental deposits followed by marine carbonates, representing prograding alluvial fans from adjacent high hinterlands seaward into lagoons and fringing reef environments. The present work aimed to document the facies development and sedimentology of the Raghama carbonates exposed along the eastern coastal plain of the Red Sea, northwestern Saudi Arabia. Four stratigraphic sections were measured and sampled(D1–D4) and thin sections and major and trace element analyses were prepared and applied for petrographic and geochemical approaches. The carbonates were subdivided into three successive fore-reef, reef-core, and back-reef depositional facies. Sandy stromatolitic boundstone, microbial laminites, dolomitic ooidal grainstone, bioclastic coralline algal wackestone, sandy bioclastic wackestone, and coral boundstones were the reported microfacies types. Petrographic analysis reveals that the studied carbonates were affected by dissolution, dolomitization, and aggrading recrystallization, which affects both the original micrite matrix and grains or acts as fracture and veinlet filling leading to widespread vuggy and moldic porosity. No evidence of physical compaction, suggesting rapid lithification and recrystallization during early diagenesis and prior to substantial burial and intensive flushing by meteoric waters. Most of the original microstructure of corals were leached and destructed. This is indicated by the higher depletion in Sr and Ca levels and increase in Mg,Na, Fe, and Mn levels, especially in section D1, in comparison with the worldwide carbonates.展开更多
Deepwater oil and gas exploration is the key to sustainable breakthroughs in petroleum exploration worldwide.The Central Canyon gas field has confirmed the Lingshui Sag is a hydrocarbon-generating sag,and the deepwate...Deepwater oil and gas exploration is the key to sustainable breakthroughs in petroleum exploration worldwide.The Central Canyon gas field has confirmed the Lingshui Sag is a hydrocarbon-generating sag,and the deepwater reservoirs in the Lingshui Sag still have more fabulous oil and gas exploration potential.Based on drilling data and three-dimensional(3D)seismic data,this paper uses seismic facies analysis,seismic attribute analysis,and coherence slice analysis to identify the types of submarine fans(lobe-shaped and band-shaped submarine fans)that developed in the Lingshui Sag during the Middle Miocene,clarify the source-to-sink system of the submarine fans and discuss the genesis mechanism of the submarine fans.The results show that:(1)the deepwater source-to-sink system of the Lingshui Sag in the Middle Miocene mainly consisted of a“delta(sediment supply)-submarine canyon(sediment transport channel)-submarine fan(deepwater sediment sink)”association;(2)the main factor controlling the formation of the submarine fans developed in the Lingshui Sag was on the relative sea level decline;and(3)the bottom current reworked the lobe-shaped submarine fan that developed in the northern Lingshui Sag and formed the band-shaped submarine fan with a greater sand thickness.This paper aims to provide practical geological knowledge for subsequent petroleum exploration and development in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin through a detailed analysis of the Middle Miocene submarine fan sedimentary system developed in the Lingshui Sag.展开更多
During the Late Miocene,numerous medium to large-sized herbivores,that resemble the living Ovibos in skeletal morphology,dispersed throughout the Holarctic realm and comprised eleven genera:Lantiantragus,Shaanxispira,...During the Late Miocene,numerous medium to large-sized herbivores,that resemble the living Ovibos in skeletal morphology,dispersed throughout the Holarctic realm and comprised eleven genera:Lantiantragus,Shaanxispira,Tsaidamotherium,Criotherium,Mesembriacerus,Hezhengia,Urmiatherium,Parurmiatherium,Plesiaddax,Sinotragus,and Prosinotragus.These genera are primarily found in eastern Asia,in which nine genera are found in northern China,as well as in countries in eastern Europe and western Asia.They are distinguished by unique characteristics,including a perpendicular braincase,specialized horn cores,and a robust basioccipital.Previous studies have often classified these‘ovibovin’bovids as part of the conventional subfamily/tribe Ovibovinae/Ovibovini,along with extant Ovibos.Nevertheless,an increasing number of studies do not support the monophyly of the subfamily/tribe Ovibovinae/Ovibovini,nor is a close relationship likely between these Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids and extant Ovibos.Among the eleven genera of‘ovibovin’bovids,Plesiaddax,Hezhengia,and Urmiatherium are often considered to have a very close relationship and conventionally form the tribe Urmiatheriini.However,previous phylogenetic analyses do not support the monophyly of Urmiatheriini.This paper presents a summary of the transmutation of the terms Ovibovidae/Ovibovinae/Ovibovini/Ovibovina,the temporal and spatial distribution of the Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids in Eurasia,the principal characteristics of these taxa,and the previous phylogenetic analyses.展开更多
The Oligocene-Miocene trajectory exposed at the Lubuk Lawas and Lubuk Bernai Stratigraphic Tracks in Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi Subbasin, Indonesia, archives remnants of equatorial vegetation during extreme global warming...The Oligocene-Miocene trajectory exposed at the Lubuk Lawas and Lubuk Bernai Stratigraphic Tracks in Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi Subbasin, Indonesia, archives remnants of equatorial vegetation during extreme global warming and near the beginning of the East Java-Eurasia microcontinent collision, and was carried out using mapping surface analysis, petrological analysis, sedimentology, stratigraphy and palinology. The rock units were deposited during one sedimentation phase, that is the continental deposition phase, which consists of conglomerates, gravel sandstones and sandstones that fill the basin followed by transgressive deposits associated with the deepening of the basin environment. Three palynozones Meyeripollis naharkotensis (Oligocene), Florschuetzia trilobata (Early Miocene) and Florschuetzia meridionalis (Middle Miocene) were identified stratigraphically on the basis of these pollen. The rock layers are deposits from the Early Oligocene to Middle Miocene from bottom to top. The depositional environment changed over time, passing from a narrow, steep-sided tectonic basin, during the Early to Late Oligocene, followed by a lacustrine basin to a palustine with oceanic influence, as a result of distensive E-W movement between the Jambi Fault and the Sunda Fault in the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene. Occurrence of taxonomically highly diverse angiosperm pollen in all three palynozones attests to an extremely rich inland and nearshore tropical flora under a strong seasonal rainfall regime. The climate remained warm and became increasingly humid towards the end of the Miocene. The nature of the environment is related to the dynamics of the opening of the basin opening.展开更多
The Global Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)of the base of Langhian Stage(base of the Middle Miocene Subseries)is defined at a level of 17.84 m in the“Lower La Vedova Beach”section in central Italy.This level marks...The Global Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)of the base of Langhian Stage(base of the Middle Miocene Subseries)is defined at a level of 17.84 m in the“Lower La Vedova Beach”section in central Italy.This level marks the mid-point of the darker marly interval above“Megabed IV”which has been astronomically calibrated to the most prominent~100-kyr eccentricity maximum,with an astronomical age of 15.981 Ma according to La2004 nominal solution,and of 15.978 Ma according to the La2011,in the 405-kyr maximum around 16.0 Ma.The GSSP level in the Lower La Vedova Beach section corresponds closely to the top of Chron C5Cn(at 15.795 m),which is considered the principal event for recognizing the boundary globally.This magnetic reversal with an astronomical age of 16.017 Ma(Turco et al.,2017)(15.97 Ma in Hilgen et al.,2012 ATNTS,2012;15.994 Ma in Raffi et al.,2020 in GTS2020)is preferred to the historical guiding criterion,the Praeorbulina datum,which has been complicated by taxonomic confusion and revision(Turco et al.,2011a),and hence is considered less suitable for recognizing the boundary.The Lower La Vedova Beach section is preferred to the St.Peter’s Pool section(in Malta)as it has an independent astronomical tuning and a better paleomagnetic signal.展开更多
Late Miocene woods were investigated from the Luhe Basin in Chuxiong Borough, central Yunnan, China. The calcified woods preserved in the Shigucun member of the Shihuiba Formation, are represented by fallen logs and s...Late Miocene woods were investigated from the Luhe Basin in Chuxiong Borough, central Yunnan, China. The calcified woods preserved in the Shigucun member of the Shihuiba Formation, are represented by fallen logs and stumps. Two species of fossil wood, Taxodioxylon cryptomeripsoides Schonfeld 1953 and T. cunninghamioides Watari 1948, are described. Their anatomical structure shows striking similarities to the woods of Cryptomeria and Cunninghamia respectively. That the two fossil woods are classed in the Taxodiaceae suggest a subtropical, humid, and warm environment in Lithe during Late Miocene. They compare favorably to other fossil specimens and species reported from localities ranging from Cretaceous to Pliocene. This is the first record of the presence of the species T. cryptomeripsoides and T. cunninghamioides in late Miocene of Yunnan.展开更多
Some Miocene ratite eggshell fragments from Gashunyinadege (about 17.5 Ma) and Baogedawula (7.11 ± 0.48 Ma), Inner Mongolia, China, are described. The outer surfaces of eggshell fragments from Gashunyinadege are ...Some Miocene ratite eggshell fragments from Gashunyinadege (about 17.5 Ma) and Baogedawula (7.11 ± 0.48 Ma), Inner Mongolia, China, are described. The outer surfaces of eggshell fragments from Gashunyinadege are smooth with a sting pore pattern, while their entire thickness is around 2.12 mm. In a cross-sectional view, the surface crystal layer is very thin and the ratio of cone layer to the those from Gashunyinadege, but seem much thinner and have a lower pore density. Both characteristics fit aepyornithid-type eggshells, implying that the distribution of aepyornithid-type eggshells can be extended to East Asia. The sediments at Gashunyinadege date to approximately 17.5 Ma, implying that the specimens from this locality are relatively early examples of aepyornithid-type eggshells. Aepyornithidtype eggshells seem to have appeared in Eurasia much earlier than struthionid-type eggshells. The faunal compositions in the two localities reflect gradual drying of the Mongolian plateau during the Miocene. A reduction in the number of pores 10 Ma ago, probably occurred in response to this drying process.展开更多
Numerous leaf compressions of Glyptostrobus europaeus (Brongn.) Ung. (Taxodiaceae) are found in Aquitanian (Lower Miocene) lignified clay localities Bolattam and Akzhar in the Southern Turgay, on the right bank of the...Numerous leaf compressions of Glyptostrobus europaeus (Brongn.) Ung. (Taxodiaceae) are found in Aquitanian (Lower Miocene) lignified clay localities Bolattam and Akzhar in the Southern Turgay, on the right bank of the Dulygaly-Zhilanshik river (Central Kazakhstan). The finely preserved lignified compression remains of leafy shoots make micro-morphological investigation feasible. Comparative studies of the epidermal features both living G. pensilis C. Koch and a new finding of G. europaeus from Early Miocene of Kazakhstan and illustrate their certain difference. The cuticular organization and epidermal features of fossil leaves, which have been compared with these of 'the nearest living relative', G. pensilis, were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM). The fossil leaves of G. europaeus from Kazakhstan are distinguished by stronger, than in living species, G. pensilis, developed 'micro-papillae' ('Kristallucken'), visible in SEM as ring-like structures left on the outer surface of cuticle in both nonstomatal and stomatal zones.展开更多
The Tunggurian Age was nominated in 1984, and the Second National Commission on Stratigraphy of China formally suggested establishing the corresponding chronostratigraphic unit, the Tunggurian Stage, based on the Tung...The Tunggurian Age was nominated in 1984, and the Second National Commission on Stratigraphy of China formally suggested establishing the corresponding chronostratigraphic unit, the Tunggurian Stage, based on the Tunggurian Age in 1999. The name of this stage comes from a lithostratigraphic unit, the Tunggur Formation, and the stratotype section is located at the Tunggur tableland, 15 km southeast of Saihan Gobi Township, Sonid Left Banner, Inner Mongolia. The Tunggurian Age is correlated to the Astaracian of the European land mammal ages, and they share the same definition of the lower boundary at the base of the paleomagnetic Chron C5Bn.1r with an age of 15.0 Ma. In the Tairum Nor section on the southeastern edge of the Tunggur tableland, this boundary is situated within the successive deposits of reddish-brown massive mudstone of the lower part of the Tunggur Formation, with a distance of 7.6 m from the base of the grayish-white sandstones in the middle part of the section. The Tunggurian is approximately correlated to the upper part of the marine Langhian and the marine Serravallian in the International Stratigraphical Chart. The Tunggurian Stage includes two Neogene mammal faunal units, i.e. NMU 6 （MN 6） and NMU 7 （MN 7/8）. The Tairnm Nor fauna from the Talrnm Nor section corresponds to NMU 6, and the Tunggur fauna （senso stricto） from the localities on the northwestern edge of the Tunggur tableland, such as Platybelodon Quarry, Wolf Camp and Moergen, corresponds to NMU 7. Among the Middle Miocene mammalian faunas in China, the Laogou fauna from the Linxia Basin, Gansu, the Quantougou fauna from the Lanzhou Basin, Gansu, the Halamagai fauna from the northern Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, and the Dingjiaergou fauna from Tongxin, Ningxia correspond to NMU 6.展开更多
The gravity flow deposit were mainly developed in the lowstand systems tract（LST） of the first member of Upper Miocene Huangliu Formation（Ehl1） in Dongfang area, Yinggehai Basin, has become a valuable target for g...The gravity flow deposit were mainly developed in the lowstand systems tract（LST） of the first member of Upper Miocene Huangliu Formation（Ehl1） in Dongfang area, Yinggehai Basin, has become a valuable target for gas exploration and production. The gravity flow sedimentary characteristics of lithofacies associations, sedimentary texture, seismic facies and logging facies were described in detail on the basis of integrated analysis of cores, logging and seismic data. The sedimentary microfacies types composed of neritic sandbar, continental shelf mud, main channel, bifurcated or cross-cutting distributary channel, overspill, and natural levee are revealed under the constraint of high resolution sequence stratigraphic framework in the Ehl1. The gravity flow deposit system in the LST is divided into three evolution stages corresponding to periods of three parasequence sets. The gravity flow deposit was induced in the early LST, expanded rapidly in the middle LST and decreased slightly in the late LST. But its developing scale decreased sharply in the transgression systems tract（TST） and finally vanished in the highstand systems tract（HST）. This spatial evolution rule is constrained by the integrated function of sediments supply of the Vietnam Blue River in the LST, the development of local gradient change in sea floor（micro-topography, i.e., flexure slope break）, and the fall in relative sea level. On the basics of the deep study of the coupling relationship among the three main control factors, the sedimentary model is established as an optimal component of ＂source-channel-sink＂ for shallow marine turbidite submarine fan.展开更多
A significant geologic event occurred on the Oligocene/Miocene boundary at 23.8 Ma in the northern South China Sea, which is named the Baiyun （白云） movement in this article. This event strongly affected not only th...A significant geologic event occurred on the Oligocene/Miocene boundary at 23.8 Ma in the northern South China Sea, which is named the Baiyun （白云） movement in this article. This event strongly affected not only the South China Sea, but also East Asia. After the Baiyun event, the ridge of seafloor spreading of the South China Sea jumped southward and rotated counterclockwise, and a strong subsidence occurred in the Baiyun sag of the Pearl River Mouth basin. The shelf break shifted suddenly from the south to the north of the Baiyun sag, and the deposition environment in this sag changed from continental shelf with neritic deposition to continental slope with deep-water deposition. Sediment geochemistry study indicated that the Baiyun event played a key role in the rapid change of sediment provenance for the Pearl River Mouth basin. Between 32 and 23.8 Ma, the source of sediments was mainly from the granites in South China, while after 23.8 Ma some sediments might have come from the eastern Himalaya, as the Pearl River drainage extended westward after the uplift of Tibet since that time. The Baiyun event led to a great change in the drainage framework of the paleo- Pearl River, sediment types and the depositional environments in the Pearl River Mouth basin, and relative sea level of the northern South China Sea, as well as sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation in the area.展开更多
Carbonate rocks are important reservoirs for global petroleum exploration.The largest oilfield in the South China Sea,Liuhua 11-1,is distributed in the massive carbonate reef area of the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Mouth Bas...Carbonate rocks are important reservoirs for global petroleum exploration.The largest oilfield in the South China Sea,Liuhua 11-1,is distributed in the massive carbonate reef area of the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Mouth Basin.Previous studies showed that one 802.17-m-long core from well Xichen-1 in the South China Sea mainly consisted of white and light gray-white organic reefs.Recently,a Miocene whole core(161.9 m long)of well Xiyong-2,near well Xichen-1,was found to contain six layers of yellowish brown,light yellowish gray,iron black,or light yellowish gray-white organic reefs.Scanning electron microscope images of these layers reveal a typical ferroan dolomite rich in Fe(up to 29%),with the high concentrations of Mn,Cu,W,Zn,Cr,Ni,and Co.Systematic X-ray powder diffraction analysis yields a 1.9–6.1 match in phase ratio with ankerite,5.4–26.9 with dolomite,and zero with calcite,which indicate that the samples can be classified as ferroan dolomite.The iron and heavy metals are inferred to be originated from multiple volcanic eruptions of Gaojianshi Island in the Dongdao Atoll during the middle-late Miocene.These elements were dissolved in seawater,likely as a sol,and carried to Yongxing Island in the Xuande Atoll by sea currents and tides enhanced by prevailing winds,and deposited as a part of the sedimentation process in the study area.The ferroan dolomite has Sr content of (125–285)×10^(-6),which is lower than the accepted Sr boundary value of dolomite.This finding suggests that dolomitization occurred during large-scale global glacial regression in the late Miocene.The isolated Xisha carbonate platform,exposed to air,underwent freshwater leaching and dolomitization induced by mixed water,and caused the extensive Fe-Mg exchange along the organic reef profile to form ankerite and ferroan dolomite.These results may help to understand paleoceanographic environmental changes in the South China Sea during the Miocene.展开更多
Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The ...Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The east-west dextral-slip Gangdise fault system merges eastward into the northeast-trending, southeast-dipping Nyainqentanglha thrust system that swings eastward farther north into the dextral-slip North Damxung shear zone and Jiali faults. These faults were took shape by the Early Miocene, and the large Nyainqentanglha granitic batholith formed along the thrust system in 18.3-11.0 Ma as the western block drove under the eastern one. The dextral-slip movement ended at -11 Ma and the batholith rose, as marked by gravitational shearing at 8.6-8.3 Ma, and a new fault system developed. Northwest-trending dextral-slip faults formed to the northwest of the raisen batholith, whereas the northeast-trending South Damxung thrust faults with some sinistral-slip formed to the southeast. The latter are replaced farther to the east by the west-northwest-trending Lhtinzhub thrust faults with dextral-slip. This relatively local uplift that left adjacent Eocene and Miocene deposits preserved was followed by a regional uplift and the initiation of a system of generally north-south grabens in the Late Miocene at -6.5 Ma. The regional uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau thus appears to have occurred between 8.3 Ma and 6.5 Ma. The Gulu, DamxungYangbajain and Angan graben systems that pass east of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are locally controlled by the earlier northeast-trending faults. These grabens dominate the subsequent tectonic movement and are still very active as northwest-trending dextral-slip faults northwest of the mountains. The Miocene is a time of great tectonic change that ushered in the modern tectonic regime.展开更多
文摘The micromammal fossils collected from the Shangzhuang Formation of the Linxia Basin,Gansu,are described here.The assemblage consists of 16 species of 13 genera belonging to 7 families,including one new species and one taxon previously unknown from China.Among them 5 genera are Oligocene holdovers and 11 genera/species are known to make their first appearances in Early Miocene,indicating an Early Miocene age for the Gucheng Fauna.The absence of Oligocene survivors such as Tataromys,Yindirtemys,Eucricetodon and Tachyoryctoides,which usually occur in the Xiejian age of Early Miocene,and the presence of newcomers Protalactaga,Megacricetodon and Gobicricetodon,that made their first appearance only in the Shanwangian age of late Early Miocene,suggest that the Gucheng Fauna is of a later age of Early Miocene.The new species,Sinolagomys guchengensis,showing more derived morphology than in S.ulunguensis,seems to support an assessment of the fauna in Shanwangian age.Thus,the Gucheng Fauna may belong to late Early Miocene Shanwangian,partially equivalent to MN 3/4 of the European land mammal zonation.Ecological analysis of the fauna indicates that the palaeoecological condition of the Gucheng area might still be a predominantly arid shrub-steppe in late Early Miocene.
文摘The Govanda Formation was deposited during the Miocene in the intermontane areas between the Zagros suture and imbricate zones.The Govanda Formation was studied in the Sherwan Mazin area within Mergasor district,Erbil Governorate to identify the lithostratigraphy and microfacies analysis in order to determine the depositional environment of the formation.The formation in the studied section is 116 m thick and mainly consists of reddish-brown,hard,thickbedded,chert-bearing conglomerate,pinkish shale and yellowish-grey,thick-bedded,detrital,fossiliferous limestone.The formation is unconformably underlain by the Upper Cretaceous Tanjero Formation and conformably overlain by the Merga Red Beds series.Four different lithostratigraphic units were identified,based on field observation and petrographic analysis,including a basal conglomerate unit(A),a shale unit(B),a well-bedded limestone unit(C)and a thick and massively-bedded limestone unit(D).The presence of a thick conglomerate bed at the base of the formation indicates a large unconformity that lasted nearly 40 million years.Based on detailed microfacies analysis of carbonate rocks,five main microfacies and 15 submicrofacies are recognized.The main microfacies types include mudstone,wackestone,packstone,grainstone and boundstone microfacies.Based on the microfacies types the depositional environment are defined as open lagoon,reef,fore-reef and back-reef environments of normal to saline,nutrient rich water.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41530963,42406077)the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China(Grant No.ZR2022QD087)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42376060,41176038)。
文摘The temporal and spatial evolution of the Ailao Shan-Red River(ASRR)fault zone,which serves as an important accommodation zone for the extrusion and escape of the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau,is crucial for analyzing the uplift and growth of the plateau.Based on the petrology and apatite fission track analysis,the tectonic history and active pattern of the ASRR fault zone since the middle Miocene are determined in this study.The ASRR fault zone exhibits 12-8Ma and 8-4 Ma rapid cooling phases since the middle Miocene.The 12-8 Ma and 8-4 Ma cooling may imply that the dextral movement of the ASRR fault zone presents a migration trend from northwest to southeast,accompanied by the weakening of the activity intensity,which is directly related to deformation processes,including extrusion boundary migration and active tectonic movements of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau,since the middle-late Miocene.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41972208,42172251).
文摘The topography of the Harlik Mountain has a strong impact on the formation of current arid climate in the Turpan-Hami Basin.However,it is still controversial if Harlik Mountain experienced significant exhumation during the Middle to Late Cenozoic according to the previous thermochronology studies.The features of the Oligocene to Miocene sediments in the foreland basin could provide productive information for resolving the debates.The peak ages of detrital apatite fission track analysis of the Oligocene–Miocene sandstone in the Turpan-Hami Basin are well comparable with the cooling age records of the Harlik Mountain rocks,indicating that the Oligocene–Miocene Taoshuyuanzi Formation in the basin was mostly derived from the Harlik Mountain.The stratigraphic sequence exhibits coarsening upward,reflecting that the source area was in a tectonically active period during the deposition process.Heavy mineral assemblages also suggest that the unstable minerals in the sediment increased significantly at the end of the deposition.Moreover,the proportion of apatite increased up-section,while the garnet content decreased significantly,indicating that the Carboniferous metamorphic rocks have been gradually eroded out and more intrusive rocks have been exposed to the surface.These observations suggest that the Harlik Mountain experienced exhumation during the Oligocene to Miocene,and the denudation depth afterward was probably less than 2.5 km according to the previously apatite(U-Th)/He data.The Oligocene–Miocene exhumation probably acted as one of the triggers for the heavy drought of the Turpan-Hami Basin during the Middle–Late Neogene.
基金supported and funded by the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSPD2023R781), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
文摘Ragahama Formation comprises a siliciclastic continental deposits followed by marine carbonates, representing prograding alluvial fans from adjacent high hinterlands seaward into lagoons and fringing reef environments. The present work aimed to document the facies development and sedimentology of the Raghama carbonates exposed along the eastern coastal plain of the Red Sea, northwestern Saudi Arabia. Four stratigraphic sections were measured and sampled(D1–D4) and thin sections and major and trace element analyses were prepared and applied for petrographic and geochemical approaches. The carbonates were subdivided into three successive fore-reef, reef-core, and back-reef depositional facies. Sandy stromatolitic boundstone, microbial laminites, dolomitic ooidal grainstone, bioclastic coralline algal wackestone, sandy bioclastic wackestone, and coral boundstones were the reported microfacies types. Petrographic analysis reveals that the studied carbonates were affected by dissolution, dolomitization, and aggrading recrystallization, which affects both the original micrite matrix and grains or acts as fracture and veinlet filling leading to widespread vuggy and moldic porosity. No evidence of physical compaction, suggesting rapid lithification and recrystallization during early diagenesis and prior to substantial burial and intensive flushing by meteoric waters. Most of the original microstructure of corals were leached and destructed. This is indicated by the higher depletion in Sr and Ca levels and increase in Mg,Na, Fe, and Mn levels, especially in section D1, in comparison with the worldwide carbonates.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.42372154。
文摘Deepwater oil and gas exploration is the key to sustainable breakthroughs in petroleum exploration worldwide.The Central Canyon gas field has confirmed the Lingshui Sag is a hydrocarbon-generating sag,and the deepwater reservoirs in the Lingshui Sag still have more fabulous oil and gas exploration potential.Based on drilling data and three-dimensional(3D)seismic data,this paper uses seismic facies analysis,seismic attribute analysis,and coherence slice analysis to identify the types of submarine fans(lobe-shaped and band-shaped submarine fans)that developed in the Lingshui Sag during the Middle Miocene,clarify the source-to-sink system of the submarine fans and discuss the genesis mechanism of the submarine fans.The results show that:(1)the deepwater source-to-sink system of the Lingshui Sag in the Middle Miocene mainly consisted of a“delta(sediment supply)-submarine canyon(sediment transport channel)-submarine fan(deepwater sediment sink)”association;(2)the main factor controlling the formation of the submarine fans developed in the Lingshui Sag was on the relative sea level decline;and(3)the bottom current reworked the lobe-shaped submarine fan that developed in the northern Lingshui Sag and formed the band-shaped submarine fan with a greater sand thickness.This paper aims to provide practical geological knowledge for subsequent petroleum exploration and development in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin through a detailed analysis of the Middle Miocene submarine fan sedimentary system developed in the Lingshui Sag.
文摘During the Late Miocene,numerous medium to large-sized herbivores,that resemble the living Ovibos in skeletal morphology,dispersed throughout the Holarctic realm and comprised eleven genera:Lantiantragus,Shaanxispira,Tsaidamotherium,Criotherium,Mesembriacerus,Hezhengia,Urmiatherium,Parurmiatherium,Plesiaddax,Sinotragus,and Prosinotragus.These genera are primarily found in eastern Asia,in which nine genera are found in northern China,as well as in countries in eastern Europe and western Asia.They are distinguished by unique characteristics,including a perpendicular braincase,specialized horn cores,and a robust basioccipital.Previous studies have often classified these‘ovibovin’bovids as part of the conventional subfamily/tribe Ovibovinae/Ovibovini,along with extant Ovibos.Nevertheless,an increasing number of studies do not support the monophyly of the subfamily/tribe Ovibovinae/Ovibovini,nor is a close relationship likely between these Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids and extant Ovibos.Among the eleven genera of‘ovibovin’bovids,Plesiaddax,Hezhengia,and Urmiatherium are often considered to have a very close relationship and conventionally form the tribe Urmiatheriini.However,previous phylogenetic analyses do not support the monophyly of Urmiatheriini.This paper presents a summary of the transmutation of the terms Ovibovidae/Ovibovinae/Ovibovini/Ovibovina,the temporal and spatial distribution of the Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids in Eurasia,the principal characteristics of these taxa,and the previous phylogenetic analyses.
文摘The Oligocene-Miocene trajectory exposed at the Lubuk Lawas and Lubuk Bernai Stratigraphic Tracks in Bukit Tigapuluh, Jambi Subbasin, Indonesia, archives remnants of equatorial vegetation during extreme global warming and near the beginning of the East Java-Eurasia microcontinent collision, and was carried out using mapping surface analysis, petrological analysis, sedimentology, stratigraphy and palinology. The rock units were deposited during one sedimentation phase, that is the continental deposition phase, which consists of conglomerates, gravel sandstones and sandstones that fill the basin followed by transgressive deposits associated with the deepening of the basin environment. Three palynozones Meyeripollis naharkotensis (Oligocene), Florschuetzia trilobata (Early Miocene) and Florschuetzia meridionalis (Middle Miocene) were identified stratigraphically on the basis of these pollen. The rock layers are deposits from the Early Oligocene to Middle Miocene from bottom to top. The depositional environment changed over time, passing from a narrow, steep-sided tectonic basin, during the Early to Late Oligocene, followed by a lacustrine basin to a palustine with oceanic influence, as a result of distensive E-W movement between the Jambi Fault and the Sunda Fault in the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene. Occurrence of taxonomically highly diverse angiosperm pollen in all three palynozones attests to an extremely rich inland and nearshore tropical flora under a strong seasonal rainfall regime. The climate remained warm and became increasingly humid towards the end of the Miocene. The nature of the environment is related to the dynamics of the opening of the basin opening.
文摘The Global Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)of the base of Langhian Stage(base of the Middle Miocene Subseries)is defined at a level of 17.84 m in the“Lower La Vedova Beach”section in central Italy.This level marks the mid-point of the darker marly interval above“Megabed IV”which has been astronomically calibrated to the most prominent~100-kyr eccentricity maximum,with an astronomical age of 15.981 Ma according to La2004 nominal solution,and of 15.978 Ma according to the La2011,in the 405-kyr maximum around 16.0 Ma.The GSSP level in the Lower La Vedova Beach section corresponds closely to the top of Chron C5Cn(at 15.795 m),which is considered the principal event for recognizing the boundary globally.This magnetic reversal with an astronomical age of 16.017 Ma(Turco et al.,2017)(15.97 Ma in Hilgen et al.,2012 ATNTS,2012;15.994 Ma in Raffi et al.,2020 in GTS2020)is preferred to the historical guiding criterion,the Praeorbulina datum,which has been complicated by taxonomic confusion and revision(Turco et al.,2011a),and hence is considered less suitable for recognizing the boundary.The Lower La Vedova Beach section is preferred to the St.Peter’s Pool section(in Malta)as it has an independent astronomical tuning and a better paleomagnetic signal.
文摘Late Miocene woods were investigated from the Luhe Basin in Chuxiong Borough, central Yunnan, China. The calcified woods preserved in the Shigucun member of the Shihuiba Formation, are represented by fallen logs and stumps. Two species of fossil wood, Taxodioxylon cryptomeripsoides Schonfeld 1953 and T. cunninghamioides Watari 1948, are described. Their anatomical structure shows striking similarities to the woods of Cryptomeria and Cunninghamia respectively. That the two fossil woods are classed in the Taxodiaceae suggest a subtropical, humid, and warm environment in Lithe during Late Miocene. They compare favorably to other fossil specimens and species reported from localities ranging from Cretaceous to Pliocene. This is the first record of the presence of the species T. cryptomeripsoides and T. cunninghamioides in late Miocene of Yunnan.
基金supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX2-YW-120)the Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates,Chinese Academy of Sciences(2010LESV007)
文摘Some Miocene ratite eggshell fragments from Gashunyinadege (about 17.5 Ma) and Baogedawula (7.11 ± 0.48 Ma), Inner Mongolia, China, are described. The outer surfaces of eggshell fragments from Gashunyinadege are smooth with a sting pore pattern, while their entire thickness is around 2.12 mm. In a cross-sectional view, the surface crystal layer is very thin and the ratio of cone layer to the those from Gashunyinadege, but seem much thinner and have a lower pore density. Both characteristics fit aepyornithid-type eggshells, implying that the distribution of aepyornithid-type eggshells can be extended to East Asia. The sediments at Gashunyinadege date to approximately 17.5 Ma, implying that the specimens from this locality are relatively early examples of aepyornithid-type eggshells. Aepyornithidtype eggshells seem to have appeared in Eurasia much earlier than struthionid-type eggshells. The faunal compositions in the two localities reflect gradual drying of the Mongolian plateau during the Miocene. A reduction in the number of pores 10 Ma ago, probably occurred in response to this drying process.
文摘Numerous leaf compressions of Glyptostrobus europaeus (Brongn.) Ung. (Taxodiaceae) are found in Aquitanian (Lower Miocene) lignified clay localities Bolattam and Akzhar in the Southern Turgay, on the right bank of the Dulygaly-Zhilanshik river (Central Kazakhstan). The finely preserved lignified compression remains of leafy shoots make micro-morphological investigation feasible. Comparative studies of the epidermal features both living G. pensilis C. Koch and a new finding of G. europaeus from Early Miocene of Kazakhstan and illustrate their certain difference. The cuticular organization and epidermal features of fossil leaves, which have been compared with these of 'the nearest living relative', G. pensilis, were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM). The fossil leaves of G. europaeus from Kazakhstan are distinguished by stronger, than in living species, G. pensilis, developed 'micro-papillae' ('Kristallucken'), visible in SEM as ring-like structures left on the outer surface of cuticle in both nonstomatal and stomatal zones.
基金This work is supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences （KZCX2- YW-120）the National Commission on Stratigraphy of China+1 种基金the Ministry of Science and Technology of China （2006FY120300, 2006CB806400）the National Natural Science Foundation of China （40232023）.
文摘The Tunggurian Age was nominated in 1984, and the Second National Commission on Stratigraphy of China formally suggested establishing the corresponding chronostratigraphic unit, the Tunggurian Stage, based on the Tunggurian Age in 1999. The name of this stage comes from a lithostratigraphic unit, the Tunggur Formation, and the stratotype section is located at the Tunggur tableland, 15 km southeast of Saihan Gobi Township, Sonid Left Banner, Inner Mongolia. The Tunggurian Age is correlated to the Astaracian of the European land mammal ages, and they share the same definition of the lower boundary at the base of the paleomagnetic Chron C5Bn.1r with an age of 15.0 Ma. In the Tairum Nor section on the southeastern edge of the Tunggur tableland, this boundary is situated within the successive deposits of reddish-brown massive mudstone of the lower part of the Tunggur Formation, with a distance of 7.6 m from the base of the grayish-white sandstones in the middle part of the section. The Tunggurian is approximately correlated to the upper part of the marine Langhian and the marine Serravallian in the International Stratigraphical Chart. The Tunggurian Stage includes two Neogene mammal faunal units, i.e. NMU 6 （MN 6） and NMU 7 （MN 7/8）. The Tairnm Nor fauna from the Talrnm Nor section corresponds to NMU 6, and the Tunggur fauna （senso stricto） from the localities on the northwestern edge of the Tunggur tableland, such as Platybelodon Quarry, Wolf Camp and Moergen, corresponds to NMU 7. Among the Middle Miocene mammalian faunas in China, the Laogou fauna from the Linxia Basin, Gansu, the Quantougou fauna from the Lanzhou Basin, Gansu, the Halamagai fauna from the northern Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, and the Dingjiaergou fauna from Tongxin, Ningxia correspond to NMU 6.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Nos. 41272122, 41202074, 41172123 and 40702023)the National Twelfth Five-Year Major Projects of Oil and Gas (No. 2011ZX05025-002-02-02)+1 种基金the Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources (CUG)of Ministry of Education open issue (No. TPR-2013-08)the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) Teaching Labor atory open funded projects
文摘The gravity flow deposit were mainly developed in the lowstand systems tract（LST） of the first member of Upper Miocene Huangliu Formation（Ehl1） in Dongfang area, Yinggehai Basin, has become a valuable target for gas exploration and production. The gravity flow sedimentary characteristics of lithofacies associations, sedimentary texture, seismic facies and logging facies were described in detail on the basis of integrated analysis of cores, logging and seismic data. The sedimentary microfacies types composed of neritic sandbar, continental shelf mud, main channel, bifurcated or cross-cutting distributary channel, overspill, and natural levee are revealed under the constraint of high resolution sequence stratigraphic framework in the Ehl1. The gravity flow deposit system in the LST is divided into three evolution stages corresponding to periods of three parasequence sets. The gravity flow deposit was induced in the early LST, expanded rapidly in the middle LST and decreased slightly in the late LST. But its developing scale decreased sharply in the transgression systems tract（TST） and finally vanished in the highstand systems tract（HST）. This spatial evolution rule is constrained by the integrated function of sediments supply of the Vietnam Blue River in the LST, the development of local gradient change in sea floor（micro-topography, i.e., flexure slope break）, and the fall in relative sea level. On the basics of the deep study of the coupling relationship among the three main control factors, the sedimentary model is established as an optimal component of ＂source-channel-sink＂ for shallow marine turbidite submarine fan.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40238060)
文摘A significant geologic event occurred on the Oligocene/Miocene boundary at 23.8 Ma in the northern South China Sea, which is named the Baiyun （白云） movement in this article. This event strongly affected not only the South China Sea, but also East Asia. After the Baiyun event, the ridge of seafloor spreading of the South China Sea jumped southward and rotated counterclockwise, and a strong subsidence occurred in the Baiyun sag of the Pearl River Mouth basin. The shelf break shifted suddenly from the south to the north of the Baiyun sag, and the deposition environment in this sag changed from continental shelf with neritic deposition to continental slope with deep-water deposition. Sediment geochemistry study indicated that the Baiyun event played a key role in the rapid change of sediment provenance for the Pearl River Mouth basin. Between 32 and 23.8 Ma, the source of sediments was mainly from the granites in South China, while after 23.8 Ma some sediments might have come from the eastern Himalaya, as the Pearl River drainage extended westward after the uplift of Tibet since that time. The Baiyun event led to a great change in the drainage framework of the paleo- Pearl River, sediment types and the depositional environments in the Pearl River Mouth basin, and relative sea level of the northern South China Sea, as well as sedimentation and hydrocarbon accumulation in the area.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(No.2012CB956004)the Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation Program of China(No.2017FY201407)+1 种基金the National Oil and Gas Major Projects of China(No.2011ZX05025-002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(No.41106064)
文摘Carbonate rocks are important reservoirs for global petroleum exploration.The largest oilfield in the South China Sea,Liuhua 11-1,is distributed in the massive carbonate reef area of the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Mouth Basin.Previous studies showed that one 802.17-m-long core from well Xichen-1 in the South China Sea mainly consisted of white and light gray-white organic reefs.Recently,a Miocene whole core(161.9 m long)of well Xiyong-2,near well Xichen-1,was found to contain six layers of yellowish brown,light yellowish gray,iron black,or light yellowish gray-white organic reefs.Scanning electron microscope images of these layers reveal a typical ferroan dolomite rich in Fe(up to 29%),with the high concentrations of Mn,Cu,W,Zn,Cr,Ni,and Co.Systematic X-ray powder diffraction analysis yields a 1.9–6.1 match in phase ratio with ankerite,5.4–26.9 with dolomite,and zero with calcite,which indicate that the samples can be classified as ferroan dolomite.The iron and heavy metals are inferred to be originated from multiple volcanic eruptions of Gaojianshi Island in the Dongdao Atoll during the middle-late Miocene.These elements were dissolved in seawater,likely as a sol,and carried to Yongxing Island in the Xuande Atoll by sea currents and tides enhanced by prevailing winds,and deposited as a part of the sedimentation process in the study area.The ferroan dolomite has Sr content of (125–285)×10^(-6),which is lower than the accepted Sr boundary value of dolomite.This finding suggests that dolomitization occurred during large-scale global glacial regression in the late Miocene.The isolated Xisha carbonate platform,exposed to air,underwent freshwater leaching and dolomitization induced by mixed water,and caused the extensive Fe-Mg exchange along the organic reef profile to form ankerite and ferroan dolomite.These results may help to understand paleoceanographic environmental changes in the South China Sea during the Miocene.
文摘Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The east-west dextral-slip Gangdise fault system merges eastward into the northeast-trending, southeast-dipping Nyainqentanglha thrust system that swings eastward farther north into the dextral-slip North Damxung shear zone and Jiali faults. These faults were took shape by the Early Miocene, and the large Nyainqentanglha granitic batholith formed along the thrust system in 18.3-11.0 Ma as the western block drove under the eastern one. The dextral-slip movement ended at -11 Ma and the batholith rose, as marked by gravitational shearing at 8.6-8.3 Ma, and a new fault system developed. Northwest-trending dextral-slip faults formed to the northwest of the raisen batholith, whereas the northeast-trending South Damxung thrust faults with some sinistral-slip formed to the southeast. The latter are replaced farther to the east by the west-northwest-trending Lhtinzhub thrust faults with dextral-slip. This relatively local uplift that left adjacent Eocene and Miocene deposits preserved was followed by a regional uplift and the initiation of a system of generally north-south grabens in the Late Miocene at -6.5 Ma. The regional uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau thus appears to have occurred between 8.3 Ma and 6.5 Ma. The Gulu, DamxungYangbajain and Angan graben systems that pass east of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are locally controlled by the earlier northeast-trending faults. These grabens dominate the subsequent tectonic movement and are still very active as northwest-trending dextral-slip faults northwest of the mountains. The Miocene is a time of great tectonic change that ushered in the modern tectonic regime.
