The Lajeado Group in the Ribeira Belt, southeastern Brazil, corresponds to an open-sea carbonate platform, comprised of seven overlapping siliciclastic and carbonatic formations, intruded in its upper portion by the A...The Lajeado Group in the Ribeira Belt, southeastern Brazil, corresponds to an open-sea carbonate platform, comprised of seven overlapping siliciclastic and carbonatic formations, intruded in its upper portion by the Apiai Gabbro. These rocks have a Neoproterozoic tectonometamorphic overprint related to arc magmatism and the Brasiliano collisional orogeny. Geochronological constraints are given by new U- Pb SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS data for Lajeado Group detrital zircons and for magmatic zircons from the Apial Gabbro. The youngest detrital zircons in the Lajeado Group are 1400-1200 Ma, and constrain its maximum age of deposition to be 〈1200 Ma, whereas the 877 ~ 8 Ma age for magmatic zircons in the Apiai Gabbro give the minimum age. Detritus source areas are mainly Paleoproterozoic （2200-1800 Ma） with some Archean and Mesoproterozoic contribution （1500-1200 Ma）, with distal or tectonic stable cratonic character. The Lajeado Group should be a Stenian-Tonian carbonate platform passive margin of a continent at this time, namely the Columbia/Nuna or the Rodinia. The Apial Gabbro displays similar age to other intrusive basic rocks in the Lajeado and Itaiacoca groups and represents tholeiitic MORB-like magmatism that we relate to the initial break-up of a Mesoproterozoic continent and the formation of the Brasiliano oceans.展开更多
The South Atlantic passive margin along the south-eastern Brazilian highlands exhibits a complex landscape,including a northern inselberg area and a southern elevated plateau,separated by the Doce River valley.This la...The South Atlantic passive margin along the south-eastern Brazilian highlands exhibits a complex landscape,including a northern inselberg area and a southern elevated plateau,separated by the Doce River valley.This landscape is set on the Proterozoic to early Paleozoic rocks of the region that once was the hot core of the Aracuai orogen,in Ediacaran to Ordovician times.Due to the break-up of Gondwana and consequently the opening of the South Atlantic during the Early Cretaceous,those rocks of the Araquai orogen became the basement of a portion of the South Atlantic passive margin and related southeastern Brazilian highlands.Our goal is to provide a new set of constraints on the thermo-tectonic history of this portion of the south-eastern Brazilian margin and related surface processes,and to provide a hypothesis on the geodynamic context since break-up.To this end,we combine the apatite fission track(AFT)and apatite(U-Th)/He(AHe)methods as input for inverse thermal history modelling.All our AFT and AHe central ages are Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene.The AFT ages vary between 62 Ma and90 Ma,with mean track lengths between 12.2μm and 13.6μm.AHe ages are found to be equivalent to AFT ages within uncertainty,albeit with the former exhibiting a lesser degree of confidence.We relate this Late Cretaceous-Paleocene basement cooling to uplift with accelerated denudation at this time.Spatial variation of the denudation time can be linked to differential reactivation of the Precambrian structural network and differential erosion due to a complex interplay with the drainage system.We argue that posterior large-scale sedimentation in the offshore basins may be a result of flexural isostasy combined with an expansion of the drainage network.We put forward the combined compression of the Mid-Atlantic ridge and the Peruvian phase of the Andean orogeny,potentially augmented through the thermal weakening of the lower crust by the Trindade thermal anomaly,as a probable cause for the uplift.展开更多
Based on a set of high-resolution 3D seismic data from the northern continental margin of the South China Sea,the lithospheric structure,thinning mechanisms and related syn-rift tectonic deformation response processes...Based on a set of high-resolution 3D seismic data from the northern continental margin of the South China Sea,the lithospheric structure,thinning mechanisms and related syn-rift tectonic deformation response processes in the crustal necking zone in the deepwater area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin were systematically analyzed,and the petroleum geological significance was discussed.The necking zone investigated in the study is located in the Baiyun Sag and Kaiping Sag in the deepwater area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin.These areas show extreme crustal thinned geometries of central thinning and flank thickening,characterized by multi-level and multi-dipping detachment fault systems.The necking zone exhibits pronounced lateral heterogeneity in structural architectures,which can be classified into four types of thinned crustal architectures,i.e.the wedge-shaped extremely thinned crustal architecture in the Baiyun Main Sub-sag,dumbbell-shaped moderately thinned crustal architecture in the Baiyun West Sub-sag,box-shaped weakly thinned crustal architecture in eastern Baiyun Sag,and metamorphic core complex weakly thinned crustal architecture in the Kaiping Sag.This shows great variations in the degree and style of crustal thinning,types of detachment faults,distribution of syn-rift sedimentary sequences,and intensity of magmatism.The thinning of the necking zone is controlled by the heterogeneous rheological stratification of lithosphere,intensity of mantle-derived magmatism,and deformation modes of detachment faults.The syn-rift tectonic deformation of the necking zone evolved through three phases,i.e.uniform stretching during the early Wenchang Formation deposition period,necking during the late Wenchang Formation deposition period,and hyperextension during the Enping Formation deposition period.The crustal thinning extent and architectural differentiation in these phases were primarily controlled by three distinct mechanisms,i.e.the pure shear deformation activation of pre-existing thrust faults,the simple shear deformation of crust-mantle and inter-crust detachment faults,and differential coupling of lower crustal flow and ductile domes with main detachment faults.The hydrocarbon accumulation and enrichment in the necking zone exhibit marked spatial heterogeneity.Four distinct crustal thinned architecture-hydrocarbon accumulation models were identified in this study.The hydrocarbon accumulations in the shallow part exhibit significant correlations with their deep crustal thinned architectures.The unique lithospheric structure and deformation process predominantly control the favorable hydrocarbon accumulation zones with excellent source-fault-ridge-sand configurations,which is critical to reservoir-forming.The most promising exploration targets are mainly identified on the uplift zones and their seaward-dipping flanks associated with the middle and lower crustal domes.This research provides additional insights into lithospheric thinning-breakup process at intermediate continental margins of marine sedimentary basins,being significant for guiding the deepwater petroleum exploration in the Pearl River Mouth Basin.展开更多
To study the deep dynamic mechanism leading to the difference in rifting pattern and basin structure from shelf to oceanic basin in passive continental margin, we constructed long geological sections across the shelf,...To study the deep dynamic mechanism leading to the difference in rifting pattern and basin structure from shelf to oceanic basin in passive continental margin, we constructed long geological sections across the shelf, slope and oceanic basin using new seismic data. Integrated gravity-magnetic inversion and interpretation of these sections were made with the advanced dissection method. Results show that the basement composition changes from intermediate-acid intrusive rocks in the shelf to intermediate-basic rocks in the slope. The Moho surface shoals gradually from 31 km in the shelf to 22.5 km in the uplift and then 19 km in the slope and finally to 13 km in the oceanic basin. The crust thickness also decreases gradually from 30 km in the northern fault belt to 9 km in the oceanic basin. The crustal stretching factor increases from the shelf toward the oceanic basin, with the strongest extension under the sags and the oceanic basin. The intensity of mantle upwelling controlled the style of basin structures from shelf to oceanic basin. In the Zhu 1 depression on the shelf, the crust is nearly normal, the brittle and cold upper crust mainly controlled the fault development; so the combinative grabens with single symmetric graben are characteristic. In the slope, the crust thinned with a large stretching factor, affected by the mantle upwelling. The ductile deformation controlled the faults, so there developed an asymmetric complex graben in the Baiyun （白云） sag.展开更多
It is well known that outer rise bending-assisted oceanic plate hydration is an important mechanism for transporting substantial amounts of water into the mantle.A key question is:Are there other equally or more impor...It is well known that outer rise bending-assisted oceanic plate hydration is an important mechanism for transporting substantial amounts of water into the mantle.A key question is:Are there other equally or more important water transport mechanisms?Here we propose,for the first time,that subducting passive continental margins,particularly those with crustal(ultra)mafic intrusions,play a critical role in recycling water back into the mantle.Evidence for this mechanism is the exceptionally high outer rise seismicity observed in a subducting passive continental margin(i.e.,the northeastern South China Sea continental margin)near the northern Manila trench,characterized by a high-velocity lower crust that has been attributed to(ultra)mafic intrusions.Our interpretation of this correlation between high outer rise seismicity and lower crust(ultra)mafic intrusions is that(ultra)mafic intrusions alter the crustal rheology and increase brittle deformation in the lower crust in this region,thereby promoting lithospheric fracturing and plate hydration,which is evidenced by increased outer rise seismicity.展开更多
Most ore-forming characteristics of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan hydrothermal exhalation belt, which consists of the Dongshengmiao, Huogeqi, Tanyaokou and Jiashengpan large-superlarge Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide deposits, a...Most ore-forming characteristics of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan hydrothermal exhalation belt, which consists of the Dongshengmiao, Huogeqi, Tanyaokou and Jiashengpan large-superlarge Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide deposits, are most similar to those of Mesoproterozoic SEDEX-type provinces of the world. The characteristics include: (1) All deposits of this type in the belt occur in third-order fault-basins in the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan aulacogen along the northern margin of the North China Platform; (2) these deposits with all their orebodies hosted in the Mesoproterozoic impure dolomite-marble and carbonaceous phyllite (or schists) have an apparent stratabound nature; ores display laminated and banded structures, showing clear depositional features; (3) there is some evidence of syn-sedimentary faulting, which to a certain extent accounts for the temporal and spatial distribution and the size of the orebodies in all deposits and the formation of intrabed conglomerates and breccias; (4) they show lateral and vertical zonation of sulfides; (5) The Cu/(Pb+Zn+Cu) ratio of the large and thick Pb+Zn+Cu orebodies gradually decreases from bottom to top; and (6) barite is interbedded with pyrites and sometimes with sphalerite. However, some characteristics such as the Co/Ni radio of the pyrites, the volcanism, for example, of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan metallogenic belt, are different from those of the typical SEDEX deposits of the world. The meta-basic volcanic rock in Huogeqi, the sodic bimodal volcanic rocks in the Dongshengmiao and potassic bimodal-volcanic rocks with blastoporphyritic and blasto-glomeroporphyritic texture as well as blasto-amygdaloidal structure in the Tanyaokou deposits have been discovered in the only ore-bearing second formation of the Langshan Group in the past 10 years. The metallogeny of some deposits hosted in the Langshan Group is closely related to syn-sedimentary volcanism based on the following facts: most of the lead isotopes in sphalerite, galena, pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite plot on both sides of the line for the mantle or between the lines for the mantle and lower crust in the lead isotope composition diagram; cobalt content of some pyrites samples is much higher than the nickel content (Co/Ni=11.91-12.19). Some volcanic blocks and debris have been picked out from some pyritic and pyrrhotitic ores. All Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide orebodies in these deposits occur in the strata overlying metamorphic volcanic rocks in the only ore-bearing second formation. In the Jiashengpan deposit that lacks syn-sedimentary volcanic rocks in the host succession only Pb and Zn ores occur without Cu ore, but in the Dongshengmiao, Tanyaokou and Huogeqi deposits with syn-sedimentary volcanic rocks in the host succession Cu ores occur. This indicates a relatively higher ore-forming temperature. The process of syn-sedimentary volcanic eruption directly supplied some ore-forming elements, and resulted in secular geothermal anomaly favorable for the circulation of a submarine convective hydrothermal system, which accounts for the precipitation of deep mineralizing fluids exhaling into anoxidic basins along the syn-sedimentary fault system in the Langshan-Zha'ertai rift. The Dongshengmiao, Tanyaokou, and Huogeqi deposits hosted in the Langshan Group appear to be a transitional type of mineral deposit between SEDEX and VMS-types but with a bias towards SEDEX, while the Jiashengpan deposit hosted in the Zha'ertai Group is of a characteristic SEDEX type. This evidence, together with other new discoveries of Mesoproterozoic volcanic rocks and the features of lithogeny and metallogeny of the Bayun Obo deposit in the neighborhood emphasize the diversity, complexity and uniqueness of the Mesoproterozoic Langshan-Zha'ertai-Bayun Obo ore belt.展开更多
Affected by thermal perturbation due to mantle uprising, the rheological structure of the lithosphere could be modified, which could lead to different rifting patterns from shelf to slope in a passive continental marg...Affected by thermal perturbation due to mantle uprising, the rheological structure of the lithosphere could be modified, which could lead to different rifting patterns from shelf to slope in a passive continental margin. From the observed deformation style on the northern South China Sea and analogue modeling experiments, we find that the rift zone located on the shelf is characterized by half grabens or simple grabens controlled mainly by long faults with large vertical offset, supposed to be formed with normal lithosphere extension. On the slope, where the lithosphere is very hot due to mantle upweUing and heating, composite grabens composed of symmetric grabens developed. The boundary and inner faults are all short with small vertical offset. Between the zones with very hot and normal lithosphere, composite half grabens composed of half grabens or asymmetric grabens formed, whose boundary faults are long with large vertical offset, while the inner faults are relatively short. Along with the thickness decrease of the brittle upper crust due to high temperature, the deformation becomes more sensitive to the shape of a pre-existing weakness zone and shows orientation variation along strike. When there was a bend in the pre-existing weakness zone, and the basal plate was pulled by a clockwise rotating stress, the strongest deformation always occurs along the middle segment and at the transition area from the middle to the eastern segments, which contributes to a hotter lithosphere in the middle segment, where the Baiyun （白云） sag formed.展开更多
The comparative study on natural gas hydrate accumulation models between active and passive continental margins as well as their controlling factors is of great significance to the guidance of natural gas hydrate expl...The comparative study on natural gas hydrate accumulation models between active and passive continental margins as well as their controlling factors is of great significance to the guidance of natural gas hydrate exploration.Based on the data and research results of international typical active continental margin hydrate accumulation areas such as the Cascadia margin of the Northeast Pacific,the Nankai trough,etc.and passive continental margin areas like the Blake Ridge,the models of the gas hydrate accumulation system are summarized and numerically simulated,and a preliminary comparison of active and passive continental margin reservoir accumulation models was also carried out.The following results were obtained.(1)The active continental margin provides a driving force and channel for vertical gas migration,which induces deep free gas and in-situ biogas to migrate along the fault.The migration channels are mainly faults,fractures and slumps produced by subductioneaccretion.(2)Coarse-grained turbidity sediments such as silt and sandy silt have good porosity and permeability.Moreover,the sediment thickness on the accretionary wedge is large,which provides a good storage space for hydrate accumulation.(3)Numerical simulations of the Blake Ridge,and Niger Delta hydrate accumulation show that the passive continental margin lacks the lateral stress caused by the subduction zone compared with the active continental margin.However,due to the plastic materials in the thick sedimentary layer,high-pressure fluids and volcanic activities outside the continental margin,vertical accretion and tensile stress are generated and the accumulation rate of diffusion-type hydrates mainly depends on the methane supply rate.(4)Organic matter content,gas production rate,geothermal gradient and sedimentation rate at the passive continental margin have different effects on the spatial distribution of hydrate content.Mud volcanoes or diapir structures provide an ideal place for the formation and occurrence of hydrates.展开更多
On the basis of apatite fission track （AFT） analyses, this article aims to provide a quantitative overview of Cenozoic morphotectonic evolution and sediment supply to the northern margin of the South China Sea （SCS...On the basis of apatite fission track （AFT） analyses, this article aims to provide a quantitative overview of Cenozoic morphotectonic evolution and sediment supply to the northern margin of the South China Sea （SCS）. Seventeen granite samples were collected from the coast to the inland of the South China block. Plots of AFT age against sample location with respect to the coastline show a general trend of youngling age away from the coast, which implies more prolonged erosion and sediment contribution at the inland of the South China Sea during post break-up evolution. Two-stage fast erosion process, Early Tertiary and Middle Miocene, is deduced from simulated cooling histories. The first fast cooling and denudation during Early Tertiary are recorded by the samples along the coast （between 70 and 60 Ma） and the inland （between 50 and 30 Ma）, respectively. This suggests initial local erosion and deposition in the northern margin of the SCS during Early Tertiary. Fast erosion along the coast ceased since ca. 50 Ma, while it had lasted until ca. 30 Ma inland, indicating that the erosion was transferred from the local coastal zone initially toward the continental interior with unified subsidence of the northern margin, which resulted in the formation of a south-dipping topography of the continental margin. The thermal stasis in the South China block since ca. 30 Ma must define the time at which the northern margin became dynamically disconnected from the active rifting and stretching that was taking place to the south. The lower erosion rate is inconsistent with higher sedimentary rate in the Pearl River Mouth basin during Late Oligocene （ca. 25 Ma）. This indicates that the increased sedimentation in the basin is not due to the erosion of the granite belt of the South China block, but perhaps points to the westward propagation of the paleo-Pearl River drainage related to the uplift of the eastern margin of Tibet plateau and southward jumping of spreading axis of the South China Sea. The second erosion acceleration rate of the Middle Miocene （ca. 14 Ma） cooling could have been linked to the long-distance effect of uplift of the Tibet plateau or due to the enhanced East Asian monsoon.展开更多
The East Coast of Canada presents multiple passive continental margin basins(PCMBs)characterized by significant architectural differences and limited oil and gas discoveries,establishing these basins as the global fro...The East Coast of Canada presents multiple passive continental margin basins(PCMBs)characterized by significant architectural differences and limited oil and gas discoveries,establishing these basins as the global frontier for hydrocarbon exploration.Limited understanding of the characteristics of basin ar-chitectures and their control of hydrocarbon accumulation hinders exploration breakthroughs in these basins.Using magnetic anomaly,seismic,and drilling data,this study conducts integrated geological and geophysical interpretations of the PCMBs.Accordingly,this study reveals that the PCMBs have undergone three evolutionary stages,namely rifting(comprising three episodes),depression,and continental margin,with the synthem of each stage being referred to as rift layer,depression layer,and continental margin layer,respectively.Under the control of transform faults and basement nature,four distinct types of PCMBs have formed:transtensional,transform,gentle-rampy,and volcanic rifted types from south to north.The basins with varying architectures govern the sedimentary filling,the combination of petro-leum system elements,and differential hydrocarbon accumulation across three major types of synthems.Furthermore,this study highlights substantial hydrocarbon exploration potentials in the turbidite sandstones within the slope and basin-floor areas of the transtensional and transform types of PCMBs,as well as in the deltaic sandstones within the rift and depression layers of the gentle-rampy type of PCMBs.展开更多
Knowing Moho discontinuity undulation is fundamental to understanding mechanisms of lithosphereasthenosphere interaction, extensional tectonism and crustal deformation in volcanic passive margins such as the study are...Knowing Moho discontinuity undulation is fundamental to understanding mechanisms of lithosphereasthenosphere interaction, extensional tectonism and crustal deformation in volcanic passive margins such as the study area, which is located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula bounded by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In this work, a 3D Moho depth model of the study area is constructed for the first time by inverting gravity data from the Earth Gravitational Model(EGM2008) using the ParkerOldenburg algorithm. This model indicates the shallow zone is situated at depths of 20 km to 24 km beneath coastal plains, whereas the deep zone is located below the plateau at depths of 30 km to 35 km and its deepest part coincides mainly with the Dhamar-Rada ’a Quaternary volcanic field. The results also indicate two channels of hot magmatic materials joining both the Sana’a-Amran Quaternary volcanic field and the Late Miocene Jabal An Nar volcanic area with the Dhamar-Rada’a volcanic field. This conclusion is supported by the widespread geothermal activity(of mantle origin) distributed along these channels,isotopic data, and the upper mantle low velocity zones indicated by earlier studies.展开更多
It is important to determine the properties of the tectonics in Cambrian period for the sake of prospecting deep hydrocarbon in the near future in the southern Ordos Kratogen of North China. Authors chose the marginal...It is important to determine the properties of the tectonics in Cambrian period for the sake of prospecting deep hydrocarbon in the near future in the southern Ordos Kratogen of North China. Authors chose the marginal areas of the southern Ordos basin as the object of research, avoided the effects of both the Qinling Orogenic Belts （QOB） and Weihe River Graben （WRG） whose geological structures are too complicated. By surveying typical Cambrian outcrops and profdes in the basin edges and based on the cores of 57 wells which penetrated the Cambrian in the basin, combined with the seismic profiles, the field gammaray measuement results and the carbon isotope analysis, Authors conclude that the southern margin of the Ordos Kratogen during Cambrian was a passive continental margin which resulted from sea-floor spreading of the Ancient Qinling Ocean. Epicontinental sea carbonate sediments formed in the south Ordos continental margin during Cambrian, and were predominant as tidal flat and o61itic shoal. Both transgression-regression process and the change in palaeostructure have the obvious cyclicity. Using the junction between the late Nangao age of Qiandong epoch and the early Duyun age of Qiandong epoch as a boundary, each had a full transgression cycle at the upper and lower stages. The early cycle is characterized by high energy clastic littoral facies while the late cycle is characterized by carbonate ramp on which clear water and muddy water developed alternately changing to carbonate platform last. During the early stages, An aulacogen was formed in the middle section of the southern margin. The southern Ordos margin was uplifted and denudated by the Huaiyuan Movement which occurred from the late Furongian age to the middle Flolan age and the history of the passive continental margin ended and entering into a new tectonic cycle. The unconformity surface caused by the Huaiyuan Movement, along with its neighborhood areas where dissolved pores and cavities are developed, may be another important district for good hydrocarbon reservoirs （excluding the unconformity surface on the top of the Ordovician in the Ordos basin）.展开更多
With many types of salt structures developed in the Lower Cretaceous Aptian Formation,the passive continental marginal basins in the middle segment of the south Atlantic are hot areas of deep-water petroleum explorati...With many types of salt structures developed in the Lower Cretaceous Aptian Formation,the passive continental marginal basins in the middle segment of the south Atlantic are hot areas of deep-water petroleum exploration.Based on analysis of differential deformations of salt structures,the influences of the inclination of subsalt slope,subsalt topographic reliefs and basement uplifting on the formation of salt structures were analyzed by physical modeling in this work.The experimental results show that the subsalt slopes in the middle West Africa basins are steeper,so the salt rock is likely to rapidly flow towards the ocean to form larger and fewer salt diapirs.In the Santos and Campos basins,the basement uplifts outside the basins are far from the provenances,which is conducive to the intrusion and accumulation of salt rock on the top of the basement uplifts.In contrast,in the middle West Africa,the basement uplifts are close to the basin margin,the residual salt layers above them are thin,and small triangular salt structures develop on both sides of the uplifts.Moreover,the uplifting of the African plate is also conducive to the full development of salt diapirs in the middle West Africa and results in large-scale thrust faults and folds in the front compressional zone.展开更多
We analyze the gross crustal structure of the Atlantic Ocean passive continental margins from north to the south,comparing eleven sections of the conjugate margins.As a general result,the western margins show a sharpe...We analyze the gross crustal structure of the Atlantic Ocean passive continental margins from north to the south,comparing eleven sections of the conjugate margins.As a general result,the western margins show a sharper continental-ocean transition with respect to the eastern margins that rather show a wider stretched and thinner margin.The Moho is in average about 5.7±1dipping toward the interior of the continent on the western side,whereas it is about 2.7±1in the eastern margins.Moreover,the stretched continental crust is on average 244 km wide on the western side,whereas it is up to about 439 km on the eastern side of the Atlantic.This systematic asymmetry reflects the early stages of the diachronous Mesozoic to Cenozoic continental rifting,which is inferred as the result of a polarized westward motion of both western and eastern plates,being Greenland,Northern and Southern Americas plates moving westward faster with respect to Scandinavia,Europe and Africa,relative to the underlying mantle.展开更多
The paleogeographic reconstruction of fragmented and dispersed continents often poses a challenge due to the lack of information regarding the nature of that extend beneath passive margin basins.To define the width of...The paleogeographic reconstruction of fragmented and dispersed continents often poses a challenge due to the lack of information regarding the nature of that extend beneath passive margin basins.To define the width of the continental crust beneath passive margin basins and its implications for paleogeographic reconstruction of conjugate continental margins,this study investigates the architecture of the stretched continental crust of the southern South Atlantic conjugate margin.The investigated region encompasses South Africa,Namibia,southern Brazil,and Uruguay,which were formed during the Mesozoic rifting of SW Gondwana.Employing a multi-tool approach combining seismic interpretation,gravity,magnetometry,and U-Pb isotopic data,the research aims to quantify the extension of stretched continental crust and its implications for plate reconstructions.The study reveals that the restored stretched crust spans at least 150 km,emphasizing the significance of considering connections between both margins for realistic paleogeographic reconstructions.Furthermore,the distinct U-Pb zircon age distribution patterns between SW Africa and SE South America reinforce the lack of direct connections despite their Gondwanan origin.The missing link estimated in this study is around 150 km,comparable in size to major mountain ranges such as the Andean or Urals.This work sheds light on critical aspects of Earth’s dynamic crustal evolution and emphasizes the need for comprehensive reconstructions considering stretched and eroded crust in the South Atlantic conjugate margin.展开更多
In response to the problems of unclear distribution of deep-water pre-salt carbonate reservoirs and formation conditions of large oil fields in the Santos passive continental margin basin,based on comprehensive utiliz...In response to the problems of unclear distribution of deep-water pre-salt carbonate reservoirs and formation conditions of large oil fields in the Santos passive continental margin basin,based on comprehensive utilization of geological,seismic,and core data,and reconstruction of Early Cretaceous prototype basin and lithofacies paleogeography,it is proposed for the first time that the construction of pre-salt carbonate build-ups was controlled by two types of isolated platforms:inter-depression fault-uplift and intra-depression fault-high.The inter-depression fault-uplift isolated platforms are distributed on the present-day pre-salt uplifted zones between depressions,and are built on half-and fault-horst blocks that were inherited and developed in the early intra-continental and inter-continental rift stages.The late intra-continental rift coquinas of the ITP Formation and the early inter-continental rift microbial limestones of the BVE Formation are continuously constructed;intra-depression fault-high isolated platforms are distributed in the current pre-salt depression zones,built on the uplifted zones formed by volcanic rock build-ups in the early prototype stage of intra-continental rifts,and only the BVE microbial limestones are developed.Both types of limestones formed into mound-shoal bodies,that have the characteristics of large reservoir thickness and good physical properties.Based on the dissection of large pre-salt oil fields discovered in the Santos Basin,it has been found that both types of platforms could form large-scale combined structural-stratigraphic traps,surrounded by high-quality lacustrine and lagoon source rocks at the periphery,and efficiently sealed by thick high-quality evaporite rocks above,forming the optimal combination of source,reservoir and cap in the form of“lower generation,middle storage,and upper cap”,with a high degree of oil and gas enrichment.It has been found that the large oil fields are all bottom water massive oil fields with a unified pressure system,and they are all filled to the spill-point.The future exploration is recommended to focus on the inter-depression fault-uplift isolated platforms in the western uplift zone and the southern section of eastern uplift zones,as well as intra-depression fault-high isolated platforms in the central depression zone.The result not only provides an important basis for the advanced selection of potential play fairways,bidding of new blocks,and deployment of awarded exploration blocks in the Santos Basin,but also provides a reference for the global selection of deep-water exploration blocks in passive continental margin basins.展开更多
The sandstones of the Late miocene–Pliocene Dibdibba Formation in the Najaf–Karbala Plateau and Basra were examined to determine their source rocks and origin. The rare earth elements(REE) and trace elements(Sc, Co,...The sandstones of the Late miocene–Pliocene Dibdibba Formation in the Najaf–Karbala Plateau and Basra were examined to determine their source rocks and origin. The rare earth elements(REE) and trace elements(Sc, Co, V, and Th) concentrations in these sandstones revealed that they likely derived from a single source. The steep light rare earth elements(LREE) and flat, heavy rare earth element(HREE) patterns, negative Eu anomaly, and high ΣREE contents in sandstones suggest its derivation from a suggests that a passive continental margin environment and originated from felsic source rocks. The average concentration of ΣREE is 93.5 ppm, which is lower than that of the average crustal compositions like Upper Continental Crust and Post Archean Australian Shale. The higher proportion of LREE compared to HREE implies that these sandstones were recycled and derived from a distal source. The Th/Co, Th/Sc, La/Sc, La/Co, Eu/Eu*and(La/Lu)cn elemental ratios indicated that these Late Miocene–Pliocene sandstones were derived from felsic rocks located in the marginal region of the Arabian Shield.展开更多
The recent discovery of large oil and gas fields in the deep-water of the Senegal Basin has drawn global attention.Despite this,several exploration wells in this area fail,which can be primarily contributed to a lack ...The recent discovery of large oil and gas fields in the deep-water of the Senegal Basin has drawn global attention.Despite this,several exploration wells in this area fail,which can be primarily contributed to a lack of understanding of the basin's structures and hydrocarbon accumulation conditions.This study examines these characteristics utilizing gravity,seismic and drilling data,and finally makes a comparison with the Cote d’Ivoire Basin,a typical transform margin basin in the South Atlantic.The results suggest that the Senegal Basin,influenced by multiple transform faults and a weak Paleozoic basement,experienced three evolutionary stages:rifting,transitional,and drifting.Each stage contributed to the development of distinct depositional sequences-syn-rift sequences,sag sequences,and continental margin sequences,respectively.The Triassic-Early Jurassic rifting stage predominantly formed continental deposits,like fluvial,lacustrine,and deltaic deposits,in the syn-rift sequences.The Middle-Late Jurassic transitional stage,influenced by transform faults,witnessed the formation of marginal ridges or submarine uplift zones.These zones,in conjunction with landward high terrains,formed a restricted environment promoting the development of source rocks in the sag sequences.During the drifting stage,three types of reservoirs,namely platform carbonate rocks,deltas,and slope-floor fans were formed.Notably,large-scale hydrocarbon reservoirs have been found in the deltas and the slope-floor fans both in the Senegal Basin and the Cote d’Ivoire Basin.The Upper Jurassic-Aptian platforms exhibit thick carbonate rocks and organic reefs on their edges,suggesting substantial potential for hydrocarbon exploration in the Senegal Basin.展开更多
The Gabon Coastal Basin is a typical saliferous basin located in the middle portion of the West African passive continental margin. Complex salt tectonics make sedimentary sequences and structural frameworks difficult...The Gabon Coastal Basin is a typical saliferous basin located in the middle portion of the West African passive continental margin. Complex salt tectonics make sedimentary sequences and structural frameworks difficult to interpret and can lead to difficulties in construction of balanced cross-sections and reconstruction of basin evolutionary processes. Sedimentary facies and salt structur- al patterns displaying zonation are based on seismic reflection profiles and drilling data. Two near-vertical fault systems, NW-SE and NE-SW, caused basin to be subdivided E-W zoning and N-S partitioning. Scarp slopes and extension faults formed in the Hinge belt III zone where salt diapir piercement occurred and numbers of salt pillars, salt stocks and salt rollers developed under transten- sion of coupled near-orthogonal fault systems. The zone east of Hinge belt III is characterized by small-scale salt domes and salt pillows. To the west are large-scale salt walls and salt bulge anticlines caused by diapirism promoted by tension and torsion that also resulted in formation of numerous salt pillars, salt stocks and salt rollers. Our modeling of salt tectonic structures indicates that they were produced by plastic rheological deformation of salt under regional stress fields that varied during three distinct phases of extension, compression and re-activation. Hinge belt III was active from Coniacian to Early Eocene, which was a critical period of formation of salt structures when many extension-related salt structures formed and salt diapirism controlled the distribution of turbidite fans. Rootless extrusion-related salt stocks developed throughout the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene as a result of lo- cal ephemeral low-intensity tectonic inversion. Post Oligocene salt diapirism was weak and salt tecton- ics had a weak influence on sedimentation. Balanced cross-sections of two saliferous horizons crossing different tectonic units from east to west reveal that the basin tectonic evolution and sediment filling processes can be divided into three stages containing seven episodes of rifting, transition and drifting.展开更多
The Songpan-Aba area, similar to those basins on the Yangtze block, following the rifting and separation of the Yangtze block, gradually developed into a passive marginal basin on a passive continent margin in Early P...The Songpan-Aba area, similar to those basins on the Yangtze block, following the rifting and separation of the Yangtze block, gradually developed into a passive marginal basin on a passive continent margin in Early Paleozoic, and later, with the Qinling-Qilian oceanic crust subduction and ocean closure, the Caledonides were formed and the foreland basin was superimposed upon. Being influenced by the Paleo-Tethyan extension, intra-continental rifting-margin basins were formed in Late Paleozoic. Following the formation of peripheral orogenic belt, the Upper Triassic again superimposed the foreland basin. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic overprinted the faulted basin, forming the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau domes. Hydrocarbon source rock in the Early Paleozoic passive basin, the Upper Paleozoic platform carbonates and the Triassic mudstones comprise the main source-reservoircap combination. Each layer of this area is at the advanced stage of diagenetic evolution, being entered the middle and late diagenetic stages, and anadiagenetic stage. Besides the highly matured Triassic and Permian in Zoige and Hongyuan, almost all the area is at the early stage of over maturatation, generating much methane. This area has the potential for oil and gas.展开更多
基金the Fundacao de AmparoàPesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo e FAPESP,grants 01/13457-1 and 06/01327-0,for financial supportthe GeoQuEST Research Centre of the University of Wollongong for support
文摘The Lajeado Group in the Ribeira Belt, southeastern Brazil, corresponds to an open-sea carbonate platform, comprised of seven overlapping siliciclastic and carbonatic formations, intruded in its upper portion by the Apiai Gabbro. These rocks have a Neoproterozoic tectonometamorphic overprint related to arc magmatism and the Brasiliano collisional orogeny. Geochronological constraints are given by new U- Pb SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS data for Lajeado Group detrital zircons and for magmatic zircons from the Apial Gabbro. The youngest detrital zircons in the Lajeado Group are 1400-1200 Ma, and constrain its maximum age of deposition to be 〈1200 Ma, whereas the 877 ~ 8 Ma age for magmatic zircons in the Apiai Gabbro give the minimum age. Detritus source areas are mainly Paleoproterozoic （2200-1800 Ma） with some Archean and Mesoproterozoic contribution （1500-1200 Ma）, with distal or tectonic stable cratonic character. The Lajeado Group should be a Stenian-Tonian carbonate platform passive margin of a continent at this time, namely the Columbia/Nuna or the Rodinia. The Apial Gabbro displays similar age to other intrusive basic rocks in the Lajeado and Itaiacoca groups and represents tholeiitic MORB-like magmatism that we relate to the initial break-up of a Mesoproterozoic continent and the formation of the Brasiliano oceans.
基金supported by the Special Research Fund of Ghent University (BOF 01N03915)
文摘The South Atlantic passive margin along the south-eastern Brazilian highlands exhibits a complex landscape,including a northern inselberg area and a southern elevated plateau,separated by the Doce River valley.This landscape is set on the Proterozoic to early Paleozoic rocks of the region that once was the hot core of the Aracuai orogen,in Ediacaran to Ordovician times.Due to the break-up of Gondwana and consequently the opening of the South Atlantic during the Early Cretaceous,those rocks of the Araquai orogen became the basement of a portion of the South Atlantic passive margin and related southeastern Brazilian highlands.Our goal is to provide a new set of constraints on the thermo-tectonic history of this portion of the south-eastern Brazilian margin and related surface processes,and to provide a hypothesis on the geodynamic context since break-up.To this end,we combine the apatite fission track(AFT)and apatite(U-Th)/He(AHe)methods as input for inverse thermal history modelling.All our AFT and AHe central ages are Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene.The AFT ages vary between 62 Ma and90 Ma,with mean track lengths between 12.2μm and 13.6μm.AHe ages are found to be equivalent to AFT ages within uncertainty,albeit with the former exhibiting a lesser degree of confidence.We relate this Late Cretaceous-Paleocene basement cooling to uplift with accelerated denudation at this time.Spatial variation of the denudation time can be linked to differential reactivation of the Precambrian structural network and differential erosion due to a complex interplay with the drainage system.We argue that posterior large-scale sedimentation in the offshore basins may be a result of flexural isostasy combined with an expansion of the drainage network.We put forward the combined compression of the Mid-Atlantic ridge and the Peruvian phase of the Andean orogeny,potentially augmented through the thermal weakening of the lower crust by the Trindade thermal anomaly,as a probable cause for the uplift.
基金Supported by the Prospective Basic Research Project of CNOOC China Limited(KJQZ-2023-2001)Major Science and Technology Project of CNOOC(KJGG2022-0103-03).
文摘Based on a set of high-resolution 3D seismic data from the northern continental margin of the South China Sea,the lithospheric structure,thinning mechanisms and related syn-rift tectonic deformation response processes in the crustal necking zone in the deepwater area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin were systematically analyzed,and the petroleum geological significance was discussed.The necking zone investigated in the study is located in the Baiyun Sag and Kaiping Sag in the deepwater area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin.These areas show extreme crustal thinned geometries of central thinning and flank thickening,characterized by multi-level and multi-dipping detachment fault systems.The necking zone exhibits pronounced lateral heterogeneity in structural architectures,which can be classified into four types of thinned crustal architectures,i.e.the wedge-shaped extremely thinned crustal architecture in the Baiyun Main Sub-sag,dumbbell-shaped moderately thinned crustal architecture in the Baiyun West Sub-sag,box-shaped weakly thinned crustal architecture in eastern Baiyun Sag,and metamorphic core complex weakly thinned crustal architecture in the Kaiping Sag.This shows great variations in the degree and style of crustal thinning,types of detachment faults,distribution of syn-rift sedimentary sequences,and intensity of magmatism.The thinning of the necking zone is controlled by the heterogeneous rheological stratification of lithosphere,intensity of mantle-derived magmatism,and deformation modes of detachment faults.The syn-rift tectonic deformation of the necking zone evolved through three phases,i.e.uniform stretching during the early Wenchang Formation deposition period,necking during the late Wenchang Formation deposition period,and hyperextension during the Enping Formation deposition period.The crustal thinning extent and architectural differentiation in these phases were primarily controlled by three distinct mechanisms,i.e.the pure shear deformation activation of pre-existing thrust faults,the simple shear deformation of crust-mantle and inter-crust detachment faults,and differential coupling of lower crustal flow and ductile domes with main detachment faults.The hydrocarbon accumulation and enrichment in the necking zone exhibit marked spatial heterogeneity.Four distinct crustal thinned architecture-hydrocarbon accumulation models were identified in this study.The hydrocarbon accumulations in the shallow part exhibit significant correlations with their deep crustal thinned architectures.The unique lithospheric structure and deformation process predominantly control the favorable hydrocarbon accumulation zones with excellent source-fault-ridge-sand configurations,which is critical to reservoir-forming.The most promising exploration targets are mainly identified on the uplift zones and their seaward-dipping flanks associated with the middle and lower crustal domes.This research provides additional insights into lithospheric thinning-breakup process at intermediate continental margins of marine sedimentary basins,being significant for guiding the deepwater petroleum exploration in the Pearl River Mouth Basin.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40238060)
文摘To study the deep dynamic mechanism leading to the difference in rifting pattern and basin structure from shelf to oceanic basin in passive continental margin, we constructed long geological sections across the shelf, slope and oceanic basin using new seismic data. Integrated gravity-magnetic inversion and interpretation of these sections were made with the advanced dissection method. Results show that the basement composition changes from intermediate-acid intrusive rocks in the shelf to intermediate-basic rocks in the slope. The Moho surface shoals gradually from 31 km in the shelf to 22.5 km in the uplift and then 19 km in the slope and finally to 13 km in the oceanic basin. The crust thickness also decreases gradually from 30 km in the northern fault belt to 9 km in the oceanic basin. The crustal stretching factor increases from the shelf toward the oceanic basin, with the strongest extension under the sags and the oceanic basin. The intensity of mantle upwelling controlled the style of basin structures from shelf to oceanic basin. In the Zhu 1 depression on the shelf, the crust is nearly normal, the brittle and cold upper crust mainly controlled the fault development; so the combinative grabens with single symmetric graben are characteristic. In the slope, the crust thinned with a large stretching factor, affected by the mantle upwelling. The ductile deformation controlled the faults, so there developed an asymmetric complex graben in the Baiyun （白云） sag.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42276049,91858205,42076068).
文摘It is well known that outer rise bending-assisted oceanic plate hydration is an important mechanism for transporting substantial amounts of water into the mantle.A key question is:Are there other equally or more important water transport mechanisms?Here we propose,for the first time,that subducting passive continental margins,particularly those with crustal(ultra)mafic intrusions,play a critical role in recycling water back into the mantle.Evidence for this mechanism is the exceptionally high outer rise seismicity observed in a subducting passive continental margin(i.e.,the northeastern South China Sea continental margin)near the northern Manila trench,characterized by a high-velocity lower crust that has been attributed to(ultra)mafic intrusions.Our interpretation of this correlation between high outer rise seismicity and lower crust(ultra)mafic intrusions is that(ultra)mafic intrusions alter the crustal rheology and increase brittle deformation in the lower crust in this region,thereby promoting lithospheric fracturing and plate hydration,which is evidenced by increased outer rise seismicity.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40172040) the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40234051) the support of the Major State Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.G1999043215).
文摘Most ore-forming characteristics of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan hydrothermal exhalation belt, which consists of the Dongshengmiao, Huogeqi, Tanyaokou and Jiashengpan large-superlarge Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide deposits, are most similar to those of Mesoproterozoic SEDEX-type provinces of the world. The characteristics include: (1) All deposits of this type in the belt occur in third-order fault-basins in the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan aulacogen along the northern margin of the North China Platform; (2) these deposits with all their orebodies hosted in the Mesoproterozoic impure dolomite-marble and carbonaceous phyllite (or schists) have an apparent stratabound nature; ores display laminated and banded structures, showing clear depositional features; (3) there is some evidence of syn-sedimentary faulting, which to a certain extent accounts for the temporal and spatial distribution and the size of the orebodies in all deposits and the formation of intrabed conglomerates and breccias; (4) they show lateral and vertical zonation of sulfides; (5) The Cu/(Pb+Zn+Cu) ratio of the large and thick Pb+Zn+Cu orebodies gradually decreases from bottom to top; and (6) barite is interbedded with pyrites and sometimes with sphalerite. However, some characteristics such as the Co/Ni radio of the pyrites, the volcanism, for example, of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan metallogenic belt, are different from those of the typical SEDEX deposits of the world. The meta-basic volcanic rock in Huogeqi, the sodic bimodal volcanic rocks in the Dongshengmiao and potassic bimodal-volcanic rocks with blastoporphyritic and blasto-glomeroporphyritic texture as well as blasto-amygdaloidal structure in the Tanyaokou deposits have been discovered in the only ore-bearing second formation of the Langshan Group in the past 10 years. The metallogeny of some deposits hosted in the Langshan Group is closely related to syn-sedimentary volcanism based on the following facts: most of the lead isotopes in sphalerite, galena, pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite plot on both sides of the line for the mantle or between the lines for the mantle and lower crust in the lead isotope composition diagram; cobalt content of some pyrites samples is much higher than the nickel content (Co/Ni=11.91-12.19). Some volcanic blocks and debris have been picked out from some pyritic and pyrrhotitic ores. All Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide orebodies in these deposits occur in the strata overlying metamorphic volcanic rocks in the only ore-bearing second formation. In the Jiashengpan deposit that lacks syn-sedimentary volcanic rocks in the host succession only Pb and Zn ores occur without Cu ore, but in the Dongshengmiao, Tanyaokou and Huogeqi deposits with syn-sedimentary volcanic rocks in the host succession Cu ores occur. This indicates a relatively higher ore-forming temperature. The process of syn-sedimentary volcanic eruption directly supplied some ore-forming elements, and resulted in secular geothermal anomaly favorable for the circulation of a submarine convective hydrothermal system, which accounts for the precipitation of deep mineralizing fluids exhaling into anoxidic basins along the syn-sedimentary fault system in the Langshan-Zha'ertai rift. The Dongshengmiao, Tanyaokou, and Huogeqi deposits hosted in the Langshan Group appear to be a transitional type of mineral deposit between SEDEX and VMS-types but with a bias towards SEDEX, while the Jiashengpan deposit hosted in the Zha'ertai Group is of a characteristic SEDEX type. This evidence, together with other new discoveries of Mesoproterozoic volcanic rocks and the features of lithogeny and metallogeny of the Bayun Obo deposit in the neighborhood emphasize the diversity, complexity and uniqueness of the Mesoproterozoic Langshan-Zha'ertai-Bayun Obo ore belt.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Pro-gram of China (Nos. 2009CB219401, 2007CB41170405)the CAS Key Innovation Program (No. KZCX3-SW-234-1)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 40876026, 40576027)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS (No. LYQY200704)the Open Fund of the Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, CAS
文摘Affected by thermal perturbation due to mantle uprising, the rheological structure of the lithosphere could be modified, which could lead to different rifting patterns from shelf to slope in a passive continental margin. From the observed deformation style on the northern South China Sea and analogue modeling experiments, we find that the rift zone located on the shelf is characterized by half grabens or simple grabens controlled mainly by long faults with large vertical offset, supposed to be formed with normal lithosphere extension. On the slope, where the lithosphere is very hot due to mantle upweUing and heating, composite grabens composed of symmetric grabens developed. The boundary and inner faults are all short with small vertical offset. Between the zones with very hot and normal lithosphere, composite half grabens composed of half grabens or asymmetric grabens formed, whose boundary faults are long with large vertical offset, while the inner faults are relatively short. Along with the thickness decrease of the brittle upper crust due to high temperature, the deformation becomes more sensitive to the shape of a pre-existing weakness zone and shows orientation variation along strike. When there was a bend in the pre-existing weakness zone, and the basal plate was pulled by a clockwise rotating stress, the strongest deformation always occurs along the middle segment and at the transition area from the middle to the eastern segments, which contributes to a hotter lithosphere in the middle segment, where the Baiyun （白云） sag formed.
基金Project supported by the National Key R&D Program Project“Hydrate Trial Production,Environmental Monitoring and Comprehensive Evaluation and Application Demonstration”(No.:2017YFC0307600)National Natural Science Foundation of China Project(No.91858208)National Marine Geology Special Project“Gas Hydrate Accumulation Mechanism Research”(No.GZH201100306).
文摘The comparative study on natural gas hydrate accumulation models between active and passive continental margins as well as their controlling factors is of great significance to the guidance of natural gas hydrate exploration.Based on the data and research results of international typical active continental margin hydrate accumulation areas such as the Cascadia margin of the Northeast Pacific,the Nankai trough,etc.and passive continental margin areas like the Blake Ridge,the models of the gas hydrate accumulation system are summarized and numerically simulated,and a preliminary comparison of active and passive continental margin reservoir accumulation models was also carried out.The following results were obtained.(1)The active continental margin provides a driving force and channel for vertical gas migration,which induces deep free gas and in-situ biogas to migrate along the fault.The migration channels are mainly faults,fractures and slumps produced by subductioneaccretion.(2)Coarse-grained turbidity sediments such as silt and sandy silt have good porosity and permeability.Moreover,the sediment thickness on the accretionary wedge is large,which provides a good storage space for hydrate accumulation.(3)Numerical simulations of the Blake Ridge,and Niger Delta hydrate accumulation show that the passive continental margin lacks the lateral stress caused by the subduction zone compared with the active continental margin.However,due to the plastic materials in the thick sedimentary layer,high-pressure fluids and volcanic activities outside the continental margin,vertical accretion and tensile stress are generated and the accumulation rate of diffusion-type hydrates mainly depends on the methane supply rate.(4)Organic matter content,gas production rate,geothermal gradient and sedimentation rate at the passive continental margin have different effects on the spatial distribution of hydrate content.Mud volcanoes or diapir structures provide an ideal place for the formation and occurrence of hydrates.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 40776024, 40811130248)the CAS Knowledge Innovation Program (No. KZCX1-YW-15-1)
文摘On the basis of apatite fission track （AFT） analyses, this article aims to provide a quantitative overview of Cenozoic morphotectonic evolution and sediment supply to the northern margin of the South China Sea （SCS）. Seventeen granite samples were collected from the coast to the inland of the South China block. Plots of AFT age against sample location with respect to the coastline show a general trend of youngling age away from the coast, which implies more prolonged erosion and sediment contribution at the inland of the South China Sea during post break-up evolution. Two-stage fast erosion process, Early Tertiary and Middle Miocene, is deduced from simulated cooling histories. The first fast cooling and denudation during Early Tertiary are recorded by the samples along the coast （between 70 and 60 Ma） and the inland （between 50 and 30 Ma）, respectively. This suggests initial local erosion and deposition in the northern margin of the SCS during Early Tertiary. Fast erosion along the coast ceased since ca. 50 Ma, while it had lasted until ca. 30 Ma inland, indicating that the erosion was transferred from the local coastal zone initially toward the continental interior with unified subsidence of the northern margin, which resulted in the formation of a south-dipping topography of the continental margin. The thermal stasis in the South China block since ca. 30 Ma must define the time at which the northern margin became dynamically disconnected from the active rifting and stretching that was taking place to the south. The lower erosion rate is inconsistent with higher sedimentary rate in the Pearl River Mouth basin during Late Oligocene （ca. 25 Ma）. This indicates that the increased sedimentation in the basin is not due to the erosion of the granite belt of the South China block, but perhaps points to the westward propagation of the paleo-Pearl River drainage related to the uplift of the eastern margin of Tibet plateau and southward jumping of spreading axis of the South China Sea. The second erosion acceleration rate of the Middle Miocene （ca. 14 Ma） cooling could have been linked to the long-distance effect of uplift of the Tibet plateau or due to the enhanced East Asian monsoon.
基金funded by the Major National Science and Technology Project(2016ZX05033)SINOPEC Science&Technology R&D Department's project(P21043-3)and basic research project(P22214-2 and P22214-1).
文摘The East Coast of Canada presents multiple passive continental margin basins(PCMBs)characterized by significant architectural differences and limited oil and gas discoveries,establishing these basins as the global frontier for hydrocarbon exploration.Limited understanding of the characteristics of basin ar-chitectures and their control of hydrocarbon accumulation hinders exploration breakthroughs in these basins.Using magnetic anomaly,seismic,and drilling data,this study conducts integrated geological and geophysical interpretations of the PCMBs.Accordingly,this study reveals that the PCMBs have undergone three evolutionary stages,namely rifting(comprising three episodes),depression,and continental margin,with the synthem of each stage being referred to as rift layer,depression layer,and continental margin layer,respectively.Under the control of transform faults and basement nature,four distinct types of PCMBs have formed:transtensional,transform,gentle-rampy,and volcanic rifted types from south to north.The basins with varying architectures govern the sedimentary filling,the combination of petro-leum system elements,and differential hydrocarbon accumulation across three major types of synthems.Furthermore,this study highlights substantial hydrocarbon exploration potentials in the turbidite sandstones within the slope and basin-floor areas of the transtensional and transform types of PCMBs,as well as in the deltaic sandstones within the rift and depression layers of the gentle-rampy type of PCMBs.
文摘Knowing Moho discontinuity undulation is fundamental to understanding mechanisms of lithosphereasthenosphere interaction, extensional tectonism and crustal deformation in volcanic passive margins such as the study area, which is located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula bounded by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In this work, a 3D Moho depth model of the study area is constructed for the first time by inverting gravity data from the Earth Gravitational Model(EGM2008) using the ParkerOldenburg algorithm. This model indicates the shallow zone is situated at depths of 20 km to 24 km beneath coastal plains, whereas the deep zone is located below the plateau at depths of 30 km to 35 km and its deepest part coincides mainly with the Dhamar-Rada ’a Quaternary volcanic field. The results also indicate two channels of hot magmatic materials joining both the Sana’a-Amran Quaternary volcanic field and the Late Miocene Jabal An Nar volcanic area with the Dhamar-Rada’a volcanic field. This conclusion is supported by the widespread geothermal activity(of mantle origin) distributed along these channels,isotopic data, and the upper mantle low velocity zones indicated by earlier studies.
基金supported by a grant from the special research project-Key Technologies of Exploration and Development in Marine Carbonatite for Major Oil-Gas Fields in China (Code: 2008E-0700)sponsored by the State funding and PetroChina
文摘It is important to determine the properties of the tectonics in Cambrian period for the sake of prospecting deep hydrocarbon in the near future in the southern Ordos Kratogen of North China. Authors chose the marginal areas of the southern Ordos basin as the object of research, avoided the effects of both the Qinling Orogenic Belts （QOB） and Weihe River Graben （WRG） whose geological structures are too complicated. By surveying typical Cambrian outcrops and profdes in the basin edges and based on the cores of 57 wells which penetrated the Cambrian in the basin, combined with the seismic profiles, the field gammaray measuement results and the carbon isotope analysis, Authors conclude that the southern margin of the Ordos Kratogen during Cambrian was a passive continental margin which resulted from sea-floor spreading of the Ancient Qinling Ocean. Epicontinental sea carbonate sediments formed in the south Ordos continental margin during Cambrian, and were predominant as tidal flat and o61itic shoal. Both transgression-regression process and the change in palaeostructure have the obvious cyclicity. Using the junction between the late Nangao age of Qiandong epoch and the early Duyun age of Qiandong epoch as a boundary, each had a full transgression cycle at the upper and lower stages. The early cycle is characterized by high energy clastic littoral facies while the late cycle is characterized by carbonate ramp on which clear water and muddy water developed alternately changing to carbonate platform last. During the early stages, An aulacogen was formed in the middle section of the southern margin. The southern Ordos margin was uplifted and denudated by the Huaiyuan Movement which occurred from the late Furongian age to the middle Flolan age and the history of the passive continental margin ended and entering into a new tectonic cycle. The unconformity surface caused by the Huaiyuan Movement, along with its neighborhood areas where dissolved pores and cavities are developed, may be another important district for good hydrocarbon reservoirs （excluding the unconformity surface on the top of the Ordovician in the Ordos basin）.
基金Supported by the China National Science and Technology Major Project(2016ZX05033,2016ZX05026-007)National Natural Science Foundation of China(42072149)。
文摘With many types of salt structures developed in the Lower Cretaceous Aptian Formation,the passive continental marginal basins in the middle segment of the south Atlantic are hot areas of deep-water petroleum exploration.Based on analysis of differential deformations of salt structures,the influences of the inclination of subsalt slope,subsalt topographic reliefs and basement uplifting on the formation of salt structures were analyzed by physical modeling in this work.The experimental results show that the subsalt slopes in the middle West Africa basins are steeper,so the salt rock is likely to rapidly flow towards the ocean to form larger and fewer salt diapirs.In the Santos and Campos basins,the basement uplifts outside the basins are far from the provenances,which is conducive to the intrusion and accumulation of salt rock on the top of the basement uplifts.In contrast,in the middle West Africa,the basement uplifts are close to the basin margin,the residual salt layers above them are thin,and small triangular salt structures develop on both sides of the uplifts.Moreover,the uplifting of the African plate is also conducive to the full development of salt diapirs in the middle West Africa and results in large-scale thrust faults and folds in the front compressional zone.
基金The Sapienza University supported this research.
文摘We analyze the gross crustal structure of the Atlantic Ocean passive continental margins from north to the south,comparing eleven sections of the conjugate margins.As a general result,the western margins show a sharper continental-ocean transition with respect to the eastern margins that rather show a wider stretched and thinner margin.The Moho is in average about 5.7±1dipping toward the interior of the continent on the western side,whereas it is about 2.7±1in the eastern margins.Moreover,the stretched continental crust is on average 244 km wide on the western side,whereas it is up to about 439 km on the eastern side of the Atlantic.This systematic asymmetry reflects the early stages of the diachronous Mesozoic to Cenozoic continental rifting,which is inferred as the result of a polarized westward motion of both western and eastern plates,being Greenland,Northern and Southern Americas plates moving westward faster with respect to Scandinavia,Europe and Africa,relative to the underlying mantle.
基金supported by the UNISINOS-PETROBRAS and UNISINOS-CNODC Cooperation Agreements.
文摘The paleogeographic reconstruction of fragmented and dispersed continents often poses a challenge due to the lack of information regarding the nature of that extend beneath passive margin basins.To define the width of the continental crust beneath passive margin basins and its implications for paleogeographic reconstruction of conjugate continental margins,this study investigates the architecture of the stretched continental crust of the southern South Atlantic conjugate margin.The investigated region encompasses South Africa,Namibia,southern Brazil,and Uruguay,which were formed during the Mesozoic rifting of SW Gondwana.Employing a multi-tool approach combining seismic interpretation,gravity,magnetometry,and U-Pb isotopic data,the research aims to quantify the extension of stretched continental crust and its implications for plate reconstructions.The study reveals that the restored stretched crust spans at least 150 km,emphasizing the significance of considering connections between both margins for realistic paleogeographic reconstructions.Furthermore,the distinct U-Pb zircon age distribution patterns between SW Africa and SE South America reinforce the lack of direct connections despite their Gondwanan origin.The missing link estimated in this study is around 150 km,comparable in size to major mountain ranges such as the Andean or Urals.This work sheds light on critical aspects of Earth’s dynamic crustal evolution and emphasizes the need for comprehensive reconstructions considering stretched and eroded crust in the South Atlantic conjugate margin.
基金Supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project(2016ZX05029001)CNPC Science and Technology Project(2019D-4310)。
文摘In response to the problems of unclear distribution of deep-water pre-salt carbonate reservoirs and formation conditions of large oil fields in the Santos passive continental margin basin,based on comprehensive utilization of geological,seismic,and core data,and reconstruction of Early Cretaceous prototype basin and lithofacies paleogeography,it is proposed for the first time that the construction of pre-salt carbonate build-ups was controlled by two types of isolated platforms:inter-depression fault-uplift and intra-depression fault-high.The inter-depression fault-uplift isolated platforms are distributed on the present-day pre-salt uplifted zones between depressions,and are built on half-and fault-horst blocks that were inherited and developed in the early intra-continental and inter-continental rift stages.The late intra-continental rift coquinas of the ITP Formation and the early inter-continental rift microbial limestones of the BVE Formation are continuously constructed;intra-depression fault-high isolated platforms are distributed in the current pre-salt depression zones,built on the uplifted zones formed by volcanic rock build-ups in the early prototype stage of intra-continental rifts,and only the BVE microbial limestones are developed.Both types of limestones formed into mound-shoal bodies,that have the characteristics of large reservoir thickness and good physical properties.Based on the dissection of large pre-salt oil fields discovered in the Santos Basin,it has been found that both types of platforms could form large-scale combined structural-stratigraphic traps,surrounded by high-quality lacustrine and lagoon source rocks at the periphery,and efficiently sealed by thick high-quality evaporite rocks above,forming the optimal combination of source,reservoir and cap in the form of“lower generation,middle storage,and upper cap”,with a high degree of oil and gas enrichment.It has been found that the large oil fields are all bottom water massive oil fields with a unified pressure system,and they are all filled to the spill-point.The future exploration is recommended to focus on the inter-depression fault-uplift isolated platforms in the western uplift zone and the southern section of eastern uplift zones,as well as intra-depression fault-high isolated platforms in the central depression zone.The result not only provides an important basis for the advanced selection of potential play fairways,bidding of new blocks,and deployment of awarded exploration blocks in the Santos Basin,but also provides a reference for the global selection of deep-water exploration blocks in passive continental margin basins.
文摘The sandstones of the Late miocene–Pliocene Dibdibba Formation in the Najaf–Karbala Plateau and Basra were examined to determine their source rocks and origin. The rare earth elements(REE) and trace elements(Sc, Co, V, and Th) concentrations in these sandstones revealed that they likely derived from a single source. The steep light rare earth elements(LREE) and flat, heavy rare earth element(HREE) patterns, negative Eu anomaly, and high ΣREE contents in sandstones suggest its derivation from a suggests that a passive continental margin environment and originated from felsic source rocks. The average concentration of ΣREE is 93.5 ppm, which is lower than that of the average crustal compositions like Upper Continental Crust and Post Archean Australian Shale. The higher proportion of LREE compared to HREE implies that these sandstones were recycled and derived from a distal source. The Th/Co, Th/Sc, La/Sc, La/Co, Eu/Eu*and(La/Lu)cn elemental ratios indicated that these Late Miocene–Pliocene sandstones were derived from felsic rocks located in the marginal region of the Arabian Shield.
基金funded by the projects of the SINOPEC Science&Technology Department(P21043-3,P23181)the Basic Prospective Research Projects of SINOPEC,China(P22214-2,P22214-1).
文摘The recent discovery of large oil and gas fields in the deep-water of the Senegal Basin has drawn global attention.Despite this,several exploration wells in this area fail,which can be primarily contributed to a lack of understanding of the basin's structures and hydrocarbon accumulation conditions.This study examines these characteristics utilizing gravity,seismic and drilling data,and finally makes a comparison with the Cote d’Ivoire Basin,a typical transform margin basin in the South Atlantic.The results suggest that the Senegal Basin,influenced by multiple transform faults and a weak Paleozoic basement,experienced three evolutionary stages:rifting,transitional,and drifting.Each stage contributed to the development of distinct depositional sequences-syn-rift sequences,sag sequences,and continental margin sequences,respectively.The Triassic-Early Jurassic rifting stage predominantly formed continental deposits,like fluvial,lacustrine,and deltaic deposits,in the syn-rift sequences.The Middle-Late Jurassic transitional stage,influenced by transform faults,witnessed the formation of marginal ridges or submarine uplift zones.These zones,in conjunction with landward high terrains,formed a restricted environment promoting the development of source rocks in the sag sequences.During the drifting stage,three types of reservoirs,namely platform carbonate rocks,deltas,and slope-floor fans were formed.Notably,large-scale hydrocarbon reservoirs have been found in the deltas and the slope-floor fans both in the Senegal Basin and the Cote d’Ivoire Basin.The Upper Jurassic-Aptian platforms exhibit thick carbonate rocks and organic reefs on their edges,suggesting substantial potential for hydrocarbon exploration in the Senegal Basin.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Fundation of China(Nos.40839902 and 40739901)
文摘The Gabon Coastal Basin is a typical saliferous basin located in the middle portion of the West African passive continental margin. Complex salt tectonics make sedimentary sequences and structural frameworks difficult to interpret and can lead to difficulties in construction of balanced cross-sections and reconstruction of basin evolutionary processes. Sedimentary facies and salt structur- al patterns displaying zonation are based on seismic reflection profiles and drilling data. Two near-vertical fault systems, NW-SE and NE-SW, caused basin to be subdivided E-W zoning and N-S partitioning. Scarp slopes and extension faults formed in the Hinge belt III zone where salt diapir piercement occurred and numbers of salt pillars, salt stocks and salt rollers developed under transten- sion of coupled near-orthogonal fault systems. The zone east of Hinge belt III is characterized by small-scale salt domes and salt pillows. To the west are large-scale salt walls and salt bulge anticlines caused by diapirism promoted by tension and torsion that also resulted in formation of numerous salt pillars, salt stocks and salt rollers. Our modeling of salt tectonic structures indicates that they were produced by plastic rheological deformation of salt under regional stress fields that varied during three distinct phases of extension, compression and re-activation. Hinge belt III was active from Coniacian to Early Eocene, which was a critical period of formation of salt structures when many extension-related salt structures formed and salt diapirism controlled the distribution of turbidite fans. Rootless extrusion-related salt stocks developed throughout the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene as a result of lo- cal ephemeral low-intensity tectonic inversion. Post Oligocene salt diapirism was weak and salt tecton- ics had a weak influence on sedimentation. Balanced cross-sections of two saliferous horizons crossing different tectonic units from east to west reveal that the basin tectonic evolution and sediment filling processes can be divided into three stages containing seven episodes of rifting, transition and drifting.
文摘The Songpan-Aba area, similar to those basins on the Yangtze block, following the rifting and separation of the Yangtze block, gradually developed into a passive marginal basin on a passive continent margin in Early Paleozoic, and later, with the Qinling-Qilian oceanic crust subduction and ocean closure, the Caledonides were formed and the foreland basin was superimposed upon. Being influenced by the Paleo-Tethyan extension, intra-continental rifting-margin basins were formed in Late Paleozoic. Following the formation of peripheral orogenic belt, the Upper Triassic again superimposed the foreland basin. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic overprinted the faulted basin, forming the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau domes. Hydrocarbon source rock in the Early Paleozoic passive basin, the Upper Paleozoic platform carbonates and the Triassic mudstones comprise the main source-reservoircap combination. Each layer of this area is at the advanced stage of diagenetic evolution, being entered the middle and late diagenetic stages, and anadiagenetic stage. Besides the highly matured Triassic and Permian in Zoige and Hongyuan, almost all the area is at the early stage of over maturatation, generating much methane. This area has the potential for oil and gas.
