This study analyzes Brazilian stromatolites in Lagoa Salgada,serving as analogs for pre-salt rocks in the Santos and Campos basins.Despite their excellent petrophysical properties,such as high porosity and permeabilit...This study analyzes Brazilian stromatolites in Lagoa Salgada,serving as analogs for pre-salt rocks in the Santos and Campos basins.Despite their excellent petrophysical properties,such as high porosity and permeability,these reservoirs present challenges in fluid flow modeling and simulation.The research investigates various factors influencing the development of carbonate reservoirs,including diagenetic processes employing several techniques,such as microcomputed tomography(micro-CT)and digital rock physics(DRP),to study petrophysical and geological characteristics.Additionally,through numerical simulations,the properties of fluid flow in different microfacies of stromatolites are estimated,with particular emphasis on understanding and highlighting changes in the direction of fluid flow in the three characterized microfacies.These findings offer crucial insights into optimizing oil and gas exploration and production techniques in carbonate reservoirs,providing a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of fluid transport in porous media,especially in terms of directional changes within stromatolites.展开更多
The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section in Tianjin is a set of more than 3000-m-thick stromatolitic carbonate succession.In this succession,several lithofacies units,that is,the subtidal stromatol...The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section in Tianjin is a set of more than 3000-m-thick stromatolitic carbonate succession.In this succession,several lithofacies units,that is,the subtidal stromatolitic biostrome,the thrombolitic bioherm,tidal-flat micritic dolomite and lagoon dolomitic shale,make up many meter-scale cycles of the peritidal carbonate type that have been nominated as the Wumishan cycles.Importantly,many microdigital stromatolites make up the stromatolitic biostrome unit of the Wumishan cycles in the lower part of the Wumishan Formation.These microdigital stromatolites have been grouped as a stromatolitic assemblage by paleontologists,that is,"Pseudogymnosolen mopanyuensis-Scuphus-Yangzhuang columnaris"assemblage.These microdigital stromatolites had also been interpreted as the aragonite(tufa)sea-floor precipitates by sedimentologists,and has further been thought as the special products of the transitional period from the sea-floor aragonite precipitates of the Archean to the clastic and muddy carbonates of the Neoproterozoic.Although there are some restrictions for the stratigraphic meaning of the concept of the stromatolitic assemblage,detailed studies on classification by paleontologists provide an important clue to understand the sedimentological meaning of the microdigital stromatolites.Furthermore,an important and obvious horizon for the end of the microdigital stromatolites was recorded in the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section,which provides useful information to understand the stromatolite decline occurred at c.1250 Ma and the evolving carbonate world of the Precambrian.展开更多
Stromatolite buildups are spread throughout the Earth and are known in sediments of different age. First stromatolite buildups were investigated in Shark-Bay in Western Australia.Their age is valued as 3.5 billion yea...Stromatolite buildups are spread throughout the Earth and are known in sediments of different age. First stromatolite buildups were investigated in Shark-Bay in Western Australia.Their age is valued as 3.5 billion years,the same age of first living organisms on the Earth.Stromatolites are展开更多
Within any scientific disciplines, a large amount of data are buried within various literature depositories and archives, making it difficult to manually extract useful information from the datum swamps. The machine-l...Within any scientific disciplines, a large amount of data are buried within various literature depositories and archives, making it difficult to manually extract useful information from the datum swamps. The machine-learning extraction of data therefore is necessary for the big-data-based studies. Here, we develop a new text-mining technique to reconstruct the global database of the Precambrian to Recent stromatolites, providing better understanding of secular changes of stromatolites though geological time. The step-by-step data extraction process is described as below. First, the PDF documents of stromatolite-containing literatures were collected, and converted into text formation. Second, a glossary and tag-labeling system using NLP(Natural Language Processing) software was employed to search for all possible candidate pairs from each sentence within the papers collected here. Third, each candidate pair and features were represented as a factor graph model using a series of heuristic procedures to score the weights of each pair feature. Occurrence data of stromatolites versus stratigraphical units(abbreviated as Strata), facies types, locations, and age worldwide were extracted from literatures, respectively, and their extraction accuracies are 92%/464, 87%/778, 92%/846, and 93%/405 from 3 750 scientific abstracts, respectively, and are 90%/1 734, 86%/2 869, 90%/2 055 and 91%/857 from 11 932 papers, respectively. A total of 10 072 unique datum items were identified. The newly obtained stromatolite dataset demonstrates that their stratigraphical occurrences reached a pronounced peak during the Proterozoic(2 500 – 541 Ma), followed by a distinct fall during the Early Phanerozoic, and overall fluctuations through the Phanerozoic(541–0 Ma). Globally, seven stromatolite hotspots were identified from the new dataset, including western United States, eastern United States, western Europe, India, South Africa, northern China, and southern China. The proportional occurrences of inland aquatic stromatolites remain rather low(~20%) in comparison to marine stromatolites from the Precambrian to Jurassic, and then display a significant increase(30%–70%) from the Cretaceous to the present.展开更多
The Early Ordovician stromatolites in the study area are mainly exposed at the bottom and middle and lower parts of the Second Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the top of the Fourth Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the mi...The Early Ordovician stromatolites in the study area are mainly exposed at the bottom and middle and lower parts of the Second Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the top of the Fourth Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the middle of the Second Member of Fenxiang Formation and the bottom of the First Member of Honghuayuan Formation.In order to find out the controlling factors of Lower Ordovician stromatolites development in the study area,the analysis data of carbon,oxygen isotope samples,macro element samples as well as their variation characteristics are studied and then combined them with previous research results,which is eventually beneficial for reaching the conclusion:sea level change is one of the main factors controlling the formation of stromatolites.There are five sea level change cycles in the Early Ordovician period.The analysis of sea level change and accommodation space variation characteristics show that when the growth rate of the accommodation space is approximately equal to that of carbonate,the circulation of seawater is well,and the amount of light and oxygen is sufficient,so that the cyanobacteria organism can be multiplied in large quantities.The growth and development provide favorable conditions,and favorable conditions are provided for the growth and development of stromatolites;The peak changes in CaO content and CaO/MgO ratio indicate that the formation period of stromatolites is arid climate environment with high water temperature and large evaporation.Prokaryote reproduction is suitable for the environments with high seawater cleanliness.When the amount of land-based debris injected into the sea increases,the turbidity of water will lead to a large number of deaths of algae microorganisms that form stromatolites,and the stromatolitic microbial mats cannot be preserved.In addition,the growth and predation of macro-organisms play a restrictive role in the development of stromatolite-forming micro-organisms blue-green algae.According to the actual situa-tion of the development of the laminated rocks in the study area,what is the dominant function in the formation and decline of stromatolites between the evolution of metazoans and changing environments is discussed in the study.展开更多
The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation consists mainly of dolomites that represent diagenetically transformed limestones deposited in a shallow peritidal environment.Although the environment was tectonically stable,th...The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation consists mainly of dolomites that represent diagenetically transformed limestones deposited in a shallow peritidal environment.Although the environment was tectonically stable,the study area in the Changping District(north of the Beijing area) was affected by synsedimentary earthquakes.Later,the dolomites in the study area were intruded by a granite.This resulted in contact metamorphism of the dolomites,changing them in a halo around the intrusion into marble.This marble,which is exposed near Taoyukou Village,shows some levels with well-developed stromatolites.The stromatolites contain structures that point at deformation when the stromatolites had not yet been lithified,and thus represent soft-sediment deformation structures.The stromatolites apparently built up during a time-span when repeated deformational processes affected the still unlithified sediment,from the sedimentary surface down to maximally a few decimeters.The deformed stromatolites thus represent seismites,which feature is exceptionally rarely recognizable in marble.展开更多
It is demonstrated here for the first time how Palaeoproterozoic stromatolites survived seismic disturbance of their substrate. The stromatolites under study could have been cyanobacteria or any other photo-autotrophi...It is demonstrated here for the first time how Palaeoproterozoic stromatolites survived seismic disturbance of their substrate. The stromatolites under study could have been cyanobacteria or any other photo-autotrophic microbes, which formed mats that covered a substrate of very fine-grained sandstones and mudstones of the Chaibasa Fm. in eastern India. The sediments represent a shelf environment. The local abundance of the stromatotites suggests that the tow-energy environment formed a suitable habitat. The common phases of tectonic quiescence were, however, occasionally interrupted by seismic shocks. These were sufficiently strong to deform the mat layers, the tower parts of which might already have been （semi-） consolidated. The mats became partly folded, partly faulted, and already consolidated parts of the stromatotite layers broke off. This can be deduced from the angular shapes of part of the broken-off fragments. It appears, however, that part of these fragments were stilt sufficiently soft to become rounded and deformed by rotting over the seafloor, probably under the influence of tidal currents. When come to rest, these fragments served as a new substrate for new generations of the microorganisms. These micro-organisms thus survived by continued growth on the reworked fragments and built up new stromatolites that may show an ‘angular disconformity＇ with the stromatotites of their substrate. It thus is shown that stromatotites have an adequate response to a sudden disturbance of their habitat, and that they survive earthquakes by colonization of broken-off fragments. We call the ‘healed＇ fragments ‘tombotiths＇ （tumbled stones）.展开更多
Lacustrine stromatolites were widespread in the Miocene Wudaoliang Group(stromatolites of the Wudaoliang Group), northern Tibetan Plateau;but only at one location nearby the Wudaoliang Town, they occurred intensively ...Lacustrine stromatolites were widespread in the Miocene Wudaoliang Group(stromatolites of the Wudaoliang Group), northern Tibetan Plateau;but only at one location nearby the Wudaoliang Town, they occurred intensively in thick, laterally traceable beds(Wudaoliang stromatolites). Although deposited in lacustrine environment, the lack of fossils in these rocks hampers determining whether the stromatolites formed in freshwater or saline conditions.To address this problem, and in an attempt to identify criteria to distinguish differences of freshwater and saline conditions, we studied the laminae microfabrics, stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, rare earth element patterns and biomarkers of the stromatolites. These stromatolites can be divided into fenestral stromatolites and agglutinated stromatolites. The fabric of fenestral stromatolites is formed by microcrystalline carbonate enclosing spar-cemented, angular crystal traces. Essentially, this fabric is interpreted as pseudomorph after former formed evaporite crystals. Faecal pel ets identical to that of the present-day brine shrimp Artemia, lack of other eukaryotic fossils,and stable isotopic signals point to a shal ow, evaporation-dominated hypersaline lake setting. Covariation of carbon and oxygen isotopes indicates hydrological y closed conditions of the Miocene lake on northern Tibetan Plateau.However, if compared to other lacustrine carbonates of the Wudaoliang Group, the high δ13 C values of the investigated Wudaoliang stromatolites reveal an additional photosynthetic effect during the deposition of the stromatolites.Furthermore, although no direct evidence is available from field observations and microfabrics, a positive europium anomaly of Wudaoliang stromatolites indicates that a palaeo-hydrothermal inflow system had existed in the outcrop area.These new results favour a hypersaline lake setting subject to hot spring inflow for the Wudaoliang stromatolites, in contrast to earlier interpretations suggesting a freshwater lake setting(e.g. Yi et al., Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology28: 106-113, 2008;Zeng et al., Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology 31: 111–119, 2011). This approach may be appropriate for other lacustrine, unfossiliferous microbialites in settings where the environmental conditions are difficult to determine.展开更多
Our contribution about a newly recognized sedimentological feature, which we called tombolith,has raised some comments on the etymology of the term, the assumed lack of field data, the usage of a term that has a speci...Our contribution about a newly recognized sedimentological feature, which we called tombolith,has raised some comments on the etymology of the term, the assumed lack of field data, the usage of a term that has a special meaning in stratigraphy, the origin of the seismic shocks that played a role, so-called basic tenets, the origin of soft-sediment deformation structures, and the role of liquefaction. We argue that most comments result from an insufficiently thorough reading of our text, whereas some other remarks concern aspects that we did not deal with. Finally, several remarks are based on outdated literature and from insufficient knowledge of the regional geology.展开更多
Textural and stable isotopic features of two middle Pleistocene fluvial stromatolite profiles are compared to a recent stromatolite,both formed in the River Piedra system(NE Spain),to test the reliability of climatic,...Textural and stable isotopic features of two middle Pleistocene fluvial stromatolite profiles are compared to a recent stromatolite,both formed in the River Piedra system(NE Spain),to test the reliability of climatic,hydrologic and depositional information derived from ancient records.The Pleistocene stromatolites formed in a multi-domed,highly-inclined cascade-barrage.The recent stromatolite also formed in a highly-inclined cascade of the River Piedra,the sedimentary conditions of which were periodically examined between the years 2000 and 2012.The Pleistocene stromatolites are formed of an alternation of 1) thin large-crystal laminae(type A),with elongated crystals up to 1 mm long,and 2) thick small-crystal laminae(type B),consisting of cyanobacterial fan-and bushshaped bodies.The textural and isotopic comparison with the recent stromatolite shows that each A–B couplet corresponds to one year.The type-A laminae are comparable to the macrocrystalline laminae that occur in the cool-period deposits of the recent stromatolite,and the type-B laminae are comparable to the warm-period deposits of the recent stromatolite.Water temperatures(Tw),calculated from δ^(18)O_(calcite) and present measures of δ^(18)O_(water),were similar in the Pleistocene and recent specimens,and close to the measured river Tw.Thus,the Pleistocene stromatolites formed not far from isotopic equilibrium,as did the recent stromatolite.The Pleistocene δ^(18) O_(calcite) biannual oscillation is wider in amplitude than in the recent stromatolite,which suggests larger differences in Tw through the year in the Pleistocene than at present.The Pleistocene δ^(13)C_(calcite) does not show any pattern;and the values are slightly higher than the recent ones.The co-evolution of δ^(18)O and δ^(13)C is parallel in the Pleistocene stromatolites,matching the recent stromatolite behavior.These results and their comparison with other ancient examples prove that textural and isotopic features in ancient stromatolites are useful tools to infer past depositional,climatic and hydrological conditions.Moreover,interpretations from recent fluvial stromatolites can be extrapolated to past environments to help decipher patterns of past processes,in cases where both recent and ancient stromatolites can be compared within one environmental setting.Such comparisons may be used to help interpretations of ancient stromatolites where the modern ones are not available to study.展开更多
The origin process of manganese ores remains unsolved worldwide.Exploring the origins of stromatolites that contain manganese may be a key to deciphering the sedimentary environments and metallogenic processes of thes...The origin process of manganese ores remains unsolved worldwide.Exploring the origins of stromatolites that contain manganese may be a key to deciphering the sedimentary environments and metallogenic processes of these deposits.However,only a few manganese stromatolites have been discovered and described until now.Microbialites are well developed in the manganese deposits,located near the top of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in Chengkou area of Chongqing,northern Yangtze Craton,but has not been explicitly studied;and whether they are true stromatolites or Epiphyton microbialites remains controversial.Based on field and core observations and thin section microscopy,the characteristics of five types of manganese stromatolites and their growth modes are described in detail in this study.The results show that these stromatolites grew in a biostrome in shoal and lagoon environments and were syngenetic with oncolites and oolites on a carbonate ramp behind the shoal.Manganese stromatolites can be categorized into three forms:(1)stratiform;(2)columnar,which includes branched and columnar types;and(3)stratiform-columnar,which is a transitional type.Based on a criterion that the diameter is less than or greater than 1 mm,columnar stromatolites are further divided into micro-columnar(<1 mm)and columnar(>1 mm)columns,which display synchronous growth and are similar to Pseudogymnosolenaceae.Their shapes are mainly controlled by water depths and hydrodynamic strengths.The greater the water depth,the more columnar the columns tend to be.Excessively strong hydrodynamic conditions decrease the growth rate of stromatolites,and they even stopped growth due to wave damage.Furthermore,pillared laminar textures(not Epiphyton),which consist of dendritic,micro-branched and microcolumnar stromatolites,are a common feature of the larger stratiform,stratiform-columnar and columnar stromatolites.The alternations of laminae with different internal textures record subtle fluctuations in water depths and hydrodynamic strengths,which indicate that stromatolite growth is controlled by tidal cycles at the lamina level.Therefore,it is possible that the vertical evolution of the stromatolites could reveal the changing characteristics of both local and regional sedimentary environments,i.e.,stromatolite shape changes from columnar to stratiform can represent the onset of shallower environments with weak hydrodynamic conditions.In addition,as important reef builders in shallow carbonate ramps,microstromatolites accelerate the development from ramp to platform.Indicators of microbial control on stromatolite shapes and manganese sedimentation processes include the fabric of stromatolite laminae,organic rhodochrosite with a micritic texture that is usually clotted,spherical,tubular,fibrous or dendritic,which suggests that the laminae resulted from microbially induced in situ precipitation.展开更多
Samples of the Cambrian microbial dolomites were collected from Penglaiba section,a well-exposed stratigraphic section in the northwestern area of the Tarim Basin.This study provides an analogue for mediated dolomites...Samples of the Cambrian microbial dolomites were collected from Penglaiba section,a well-exposed stratigraphic section in the northwestern area of the Tarim Basin.This study provides an analogue for mediated dolomites that can precipitate in microbial mats and biofilms.The Cambrian stromatolitic dolomites were studied using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy.The results are as follows:(1)dolomites with 50 nm to 100 nm spherical nanostructures are aggregated into minerals of larger sphericities;(2)nanospherical dolomites of 50 nm to 170 nm diameter are densely arranged as dumbbell-shaped or chained aggregates;(3)silicified filaments,as well as dumbbell-shaped and chain arrangements,are preserved as important microstructures.On the basis of sedimentological,compositional,geochemical,and petrographic data,the microstructures were interpreted as nanoglobules that function as bacteria in the nucleation and filament mineralization stages.The microstructures function as such because they are wrapped in extracellular polymeric substance(EPS)or mucus and mineralized fossils.Silicification accounts for the exceptional preservation of microbial mat structures,including biofilms,as well as filamentous and coccoid microbes.In addition,EPS process is capable of binding different elements,with preference for Si,Mg,and Ca.Such suitable composition favors microbe mineralization and dolomite nucleation on organic substrates.These microscopic structures suggest bacterial mineralization and provide visual evidence for the origin of microbial dolomites.展开更多
Columnar stromatolites have been discovered in two beds of the upper part of the Nihewan Formation, a series of lacustrine deposits. The structure of the stromatolites is characterized by alternation of light, intergr...Columnar stromatolites have been discovered in two beds of the upper part of the Nihewan Formation, a series of lacustrine deposits. The structure of the stromatolites is characterized by alternation of light, intergranular pore-rich laminae and dark, organic substance-rich laminae. Abundant filamentous algal remains have been discovered in stromatolite laminae, some of them are similar to the species present on the shore of the Caribbean Sea that are living in warmer climate than in the Nihewan area now. With the ESR and U-series age methods, it has been determined that the ages of the lower and upper stromatolite beds are about 130,000 and 93,000 a B. P. , respectively. Compared with many other geologic events taking place during the period in Northern China, we conclude that the two stromatolite beds were formed during the two warmer stages of the Last Interglacial.展开更多
This discussion of a paper by Van Loon et al.（2016）, published in the Journal of Palaeogeography（2016, 5（4）, 381e390）, is aimed at illustrating that there are fundamental deficiencies, which include（1）incomple...This discussion of a paper by Van Loon et al.（2016）, published in the Journal of Palaeogeography（2016, 5（4）, 381e390）, is aimed at illustrating that there are fundamental deficiencies, which include（1）incomplete etymological reasoning for proposing a new genetic term ＂tomboliths＂ for stromatolitic bioclasts in the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation, eastern India,（2） omission of empirical data in documenting depositional facies using sedimentological logs,（3） misapplication of the stratigraphic concept of ＂angular unconformity＂,（4） failure to consider the multifarious origins of earthquakes, and（5） a dated view on the basic tenets of process sedimentology and triggering mechanisms of liquefaction that are the basis for forming soft-sediment deformation structures（SSDS）. As a consequence, their conclusions are unconvincing.展开更多
Some of the earliest bio-sedimentary records of life on Earth are represented by microbial carbonates,which are also critical geochemical archives of ancient seawater chemistry and the environmental circumstances in w...Some of the earliest bio-sedimentary records of life on Earth are represented by microbial carbonates,which are also critical geochemical archives of ancient seawater chemistry and the environmental circumstances in which they precipitated.Reconstructing paleo-microbial environments on Earth and potentially other planets requires precise determination of the depositional ages of these materials.The(abiogenic)carbonate geochemistry communities can now use developments in in-situ laser ablation U-Pb dating using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS).Due to the effects of impurity mixing and diagenesis,microbial carbonates have received little geochronological study despite their broad relevance for understanding ancient seawater’s environmental conditions and geochemical compositions.This study demonstrates using time-of-flight mass spectrometry(TOF-MS)to perform quick,quantitative elemental mapping before U-Pb spot dating to improve experiment success rates and data reliability and offers four practical application examples.展开更多
This study is the first systematic assessment of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in Songzi,Hubei Province,China.This paper divides the microbial carbonates into two types according to growth patterns,namely ...This study is the first systematic assessment of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in Songzi,Hubei Province,China.This paper divides the microbial carbonates into two types according to growth patterns,namely nongranular and granular.The nongranular types include stromatolites,thrombolites,dendrolites,leiolites and laminites;the granular types are mainly oncolites and may include a small amount of microbiogenic oolite.According to their geometric features,the stromatolites can be divided into four types:stratiform,wavy,columnar and domal.Additionally,dipyramidal columnar stromatolites are identified for the first time and represent a new type of columnar stromatolite.The thrombolites are divided into three types:speckled,reticulated and banded.The grazing gastropod Ecculiomphalus and traces of bioturbation are observed in the speckled and reticulated thrombolites.This paper considers these two kinds of thrombolites to represent bioturbated thrombolites.These findings not only fill gaps in the field of domestic Ordovician bioturbated thrombolites but also provide new information for the study of thrombolites.Based on the analysis of the sedimentary characteristics of microbialites,the depositional environments of the various types of microbialites are described,and the distribution patterns of their depositional environments are summarized.The relationship between the development of microbialites and the evolution and radiation of metazoans during the Early to Middle Ordovician is discussed.Consistent with the correspondence between the stepwise and rapid radiation of metazoans and the abrupt reduction in the number of microbialites between the late Early Ordovician and the early Middle Ordovician,fossils of benthonic grazing gastropods(Ecculiomphalus)were found in the stromatolites and thrombolite of the study area.It is believed that the gradual reduction in microbialites was related to the rapid increase in the abundance of metazoans.Grazers not only grazed on the microorganisms that formed stromatolites,resulting in a continuous reduction in the number of stromatolites,but also disrupted the growth state of the stromatolites,resulting in the formation of unique bioturbated thrombolites in the study area.Hydrocarbon potential analysis shows that the microbialites in the Nanjinguan Formation represent better source rocks than those in the other formations.展开更多
Various early Paleozoic （Cambrian Series 3-Middle Ordovician） reefs are found in the Taebaek Group, eastern Korea, located in the eastern margin of the Sino-Korean Block. They occur in every carbonate-dominant litho...Various early Paleozoic （Cambrian Series 3-Middle Ordovician） reefs are found in the Taebaek Group, eastern Korea, located in the eastern margin of the Sino-Korean Block. They occur in every carbonate-dominant lithostratigraphic unit of the group, but their morphology and composition differ markedly. The Daegi Formation （middle Cambrian： Cambrian Series 3） contains siliceous sponge-Epiphyton reefs formed in a shallow subtidal environment, which is one of the earliest metazoan-bearing microbial reefs after the archaeocyath extinction. The Hwajeol Formation （upper Cambrian： Furongian） encloses sporadic dendrolites consisting of Angulocellularia, which developed in a relatively deep subtidal environment, representing a rare deeper water example. The onset of the Ordovician radiation resulted in the formation of microbialite-Archaeoscyphia-calathiid patch reefs in shallow subtidal deposits of the Lower Ordovician Dumugol Formation. Subsequent late Early Ordovician relative sea-level fall established extensive peritidal environments, forming microbial mats and stromatolites of the Lower-Middle Ordovician Makgol Formation. Ensuing Ordovician radiation resulted in one of the earliest metazoan skeletal reefs of the Middle Ordovician Duwibong Formation, constructed by stromatoporoid Cystostroma and bryozoan Nicholsonella, and developed around shallow shoals. These reefs reflect ongoing evolution and sea-level change during the early Paleozoic, and exemplify a rare glimpse of peri-Gondwanan records of reef evolution, which warrant detailed investigations and comparison with their counterparts in other regions.展开更多
Oldest rocks are sparsely distributed within the Dharwar Craton and little is known about their involvement in the sedimentary sequences which are present in the Archean greenstone successions and the Proterozoic Cudd...Oldest rocks are sparsely distributed within the Dharwar Craton and little is known about their involvement in the sedimentary sequences which are present in the Archean greenstone successions and the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin.Stromatolitic carbonates are well preserved in the Neoarchean greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah Basin of Peninsular India displaying varied morphological and geochemical characteristics.In this study,we report results from U-Pb geochronology and trace element composition of the detrital zircons from stromatolitic carbonates present within the Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah basin to understand the provenance and time of accretion and deposition.The UPb ages of the detrital zircons from the Bhimasamudra and Marikanve stromatolites of the Chitradurga greenstone belt of Dharwar Craton display ages of 3426±26 Ma to 2650±38 Ma whereas the Sandur stromatolites gave an age of 3508±29 Ma to 2926±36 Ma suggesting Paleo-to Neoarchean provenance.The U-Pb detrital zircons of the Tadpatri stromatolites gave an age of 2761±31 Ma to1672±38 Ma suggesting Neoarchean to Mesoproterozoic provenance.The Rare Earth Element(REE)patterns of the studied detrital zircons from Archean Dharwar Craton and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin display depletion in light rare earth elements(LREE)and enrichment in heavy rare earth elements(HREE)with pronounced positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies,typical of magmatic zircons.The trace element composition and their relationship collectively indicate a mixed granitoid and mafic source for both the Dharwar and Cuddapah stromatolites.The 3508±29 Ma age of the detrital zircons support the existence of 3.5 Ga crust in the Western Dharwar Craton.The overall detrital zircon ages(3.5-2.7 Ga)obtained from the stromatolitic carbonates of Archean greenstone belts and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin(2.7-1.6 Ga)collectively reflect on^800-900 Ma duration for the Precambrian stromatolite deposition in the Dharwar Craton.展开更多
Typical reefs in the Paleogene and early Neogene strata of the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal their internal structures and sedimentation environments and consist mainly of algal reef, stromatolite reef ...Typical reefs in the Paleogene and early Neogene strata of the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal their internal structures and sedimentation environments and consist mainly of algal reef, stromatolite reef and thrombolite reef with distinct reef structures, fore-reef, back-reef and reef-plateau. The fore-reef is characterized by a combination of pinnacle reef, thrombolite and algal reef. The back reef is composed of stromatolite reef and algal reef. The pinnacle reefs (micro-atoll), most of which are several tens of centimeters in diameter (whereas some exceptionally big ones are over 200 cm in diameter), and several tens of centimeter to 2 m in height, are situated on the far front-edge of the reef; the pinnacle reef is also often of recumbent form with a gravel-filled circular hole in the center. The algal reef is in the form of dome and irregular beds, and filled with algal detritus, ostracodes, spirorbis fossils, ooid and terrigenous debris, and worm traces; cavities and scour marks are often developed. The algal reef is gray commonly when fresh and weathers to a brown color. The lacustrine thrombolite in the Qaidam Basin is light gray or deep gray when fresh, white-gray or brown when weathered, dense and homogeneous with abundant pores filled by oil and bitumen. Observed under the microscope, the thrombolite consists mainly of brown or brown-black clots with a little algal debris, ooid, pellet, ostracodes, spirorbis fossils and terrigenous debris, in some cases, terrigenous debris, even gravel, is abundant. Many features of the thrombolite suggest that it is formed in a high-energy envkonment. The stromatolite reefs developed on the lacustrine algal reef in the Qaidam Basin are very complex whether in shape or in internal structure. The simplest ones form laminated layers and the most complex ones have intensely branching structures. The size is also variable.展开更多
This paper reports a newly discovered Late Mesoproterozoic-Early Neoproterozoic stromatolite assemblage, named here the ＂Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage＂, represented by a Conophyton-Baicalia association in the J...This paper reports a newly discovered Late Mesoproterozoic-Early Neoproterozoic stromatolite assemblage, named here the ＂Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage＂, represented by a Conophyton-Baicalia association in the Jiawenmen area in the southern belt of the Eastern Kunlun. This stromatolite assemblage is dominated by large-scale conical stromatolites and related elements, i.e., Conophyton garganicus var. inkeni, C. cf. ressoti Menchikov, Jacutophyton cf., Conicodomenia f., which commonly co-exist with elements of the group of Baicalia. This assemblage can be correlated with that of the middle Jixian-middle Qingbaikou System in North and Northwest China, but is different from that in South China. Correlation can also be made with that in the upper horizon of the Middle Riphean-lower horizon of the Upper Riphean in the South Ural Mountains and Siberia of Russia, in North Africa, and in the Alaskan Peninsula of North America. These facts suggest that the Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage probably colonized during 1300-850 Ma ago. Accordingly, the stromatolite-bearing carbonate rocks are then proposed to correspond to the middle Jixian System-middle Qingbaikou System or the upper Middle Riphean-lower Upper Riphean. Our stromatolite data further suggest that a Precambrian microblock, named the Xialawen microblock here, occurred in the southern belt of Eastern Kunlun, the western part of the Maqên microblock. Similar stromatolite assemblages in the Maqên microblock and those blocks that occurred in North China, Siberia and North Africa point to similar paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental conditions. These microblock and blocks were probably located at low latitudes and on the continental margins of the Rodinian supercontinent, where warm epicontinental seas were favorable to widespread colonization of stromatolites during the Late Mesoproterozoic-Eady Neoproterozoic. However, these stromatolite assemblages are quite different from those of the South China block, which is suggestive of different paleogeographic contexts, and probably also of a different tectonic affinity.展开更多
基金the Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior of the Ministry of Education(CAPES/MEC/BRAZIL)-Finance Code 001,Equinor Energy of Brazil Company(Project No.4600025270)the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum,Gas,and Biofuels(ANP),and Petrobras(Project No.46000579151)+1 种基金INCT/Petroleum Geophysics for financial supportthe National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for their Research Grants of Productivity in Technological Development and Innovation-DT II (313522/2019-7 and 313746/ 2019-2)
文摘This study analyzes Brazilian stromatolites in Lagoa Salgada,serving as analogs for pre-salt rocks in the Santos and Campos basins.Despite their excellent petrophysical properties,such as high porosity and permeability,these reservoirs present challenges in fluid flow modeling and simulation.The research investigates various factors influencing the development of carbonate reservoirs,including diagenetic processes employing several techniques,such as microcomputed tomography(micro-CT)and digital rock physics(DRP),to study petrophysical and geological characteristics.Additionally,through numerical simulations,the properties of fluid flow in different microfacies of stromatolites are estimated,with particular emphasis on understanding and highlighting changes in the direction of fluid flow in the three characterized microfacies.These findings offer crucial insights into optimizing oil and gas exploration and production techniques in carbonate reservoirs,providing a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of fluid transport in porous media,especially in terms of directional changes within stromatolites.
基金part of the project"Study on Cycles and Events and Their Relative Sedimentological Problems for the Mesoproterozoic Jixian System in the Yanshan Region"(Grant No.40472065)financially supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China+1 种基金is part of the project"Study on Lithofacies and Paleogeography from Meso-to Neoproterozoic in North China"financially supported by the China Petrochemical Corporation(Grant No.C0800-07-ZS-164).
文摘The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section in Tianjin is a set of more than 3000-m-thick stromatolitic carbonate succession.In this succession,several lithofacies units,that is,the subtidal stromatolitic biostrome,the thrombolitic bioherm,tidal-flat micritic dolomite and lagoon dolomitic shale,make up many meter-scale cycles of the peritidal carbonate type that have been nominated as the Wumishan cycles.Importantly,many microdigital stromatolites make up the stromatolitic biostrome unit of the Wumishan cycles in the lower part of the Wumishan Formation.These microdigital stromatolites have been grouped as a stromatolitic assemblage by paleontologists,that is,"Pseudogymnosolen mopanyuensis-Scuphus-Yangzhuang columnaris"assemblage.These microdigital stromatolites had also been interpreted as the aragonite(tufa)sea-floor precipitates by sedimentologists,and has further been thought as the special products of the transitional period from the sea-floor aragonite precipitates of the Archean to the clastic and muddy carbonates of the Neoproterozoic.Although there are some restrictions for the stratigraphic meaning of the concept of the stromatolitic assemblage,detailed studies on classification by paleontologists provide an important clue to understand the sedimentological meaning of the microdigital stromatolites.Furthermore,an important and obvious horizon for the end of the microdigital stromatolites was recorded in the Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation at the Jixian section,which provides useful information to understand the stromatolite decline occurred at c.1250 Ma and the evolving carbonate world of the Precambrian.
文摘Stromatolite buildups are spread throughout the Earth and are known in sediments of different age. First stromatolite buildups were investigated in Shark-Bay in Western Australia.Their age is valued as 3.5 billion years,the same age of first living organisms on the Earth.Stromatolites are
基金supported by three grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.41821001,41902315,41930322)。
文摘Within any scientific disciplines, a large amount of data are buried within various literature depositories and archives, making it difficult to manually extract useful information from the datum swamps. The machine-learning extraction of data therefore is necessary for the big-data-based studies. Here, we develop a new text-mining technique to reconstruct the global database of the Precambrian to Recent stromatolites, providing better understanding of secular changes of stromatolites though geological time. The step-by-step data extraction process is described as below. First, the PDF documents of stromatolite-containing literatures were collected, and converted into text formation. Second, a glossary and tag-labeling system using NLP(Natural Language Processing) software was employed to search for all possible candidate pairs from each sentence within the papers collected here. Third, each candidate pair and features were represented as a factor graph model using a series of heuristic procedures to score the weights of each pair feature. Occurrence data of stromatolites versus stratigraphical units(abbreviated as Strata), facies types, locations, and age worldwide were extracted from literatures, respectively, and their extraction accuracies are 92%/464, 87%/778, 92%/846, and 93%/405 from 3 750 scientific abstracts, respectively, and are 90%/1 734, 86%/2 869, 90%/2 055 and 91%/857 from 11 932 papers, respectively. A total of 10 072 unique datum items were identified. The newly obtained stromatolite dataset demonstrates that their stratigraphical occurrences reached a pronounced peak during the Proterozoic(2 500 – 541 Ma), followed by a distinct fall during the Early Phanerozoic, and overall fluctuations through the Phanerozoic(541–0 Ma). Globally, seven stromatolite hotspots were identified from the new dataset, including western United States, eastern United States, western Europe, India, South Africa, northern China, and southern China. The proportional occurrences of inland aquatic stromatolites remain rather low(~20%) in comparison to marine stromatolites from the Precambrian to Jurassic, and then display a significant increase(30%–70%) from the Cretaceous to the present.
文摘The Early Ordovician stromatolites in the study area are mainly exposed at the bottom and middle and lower parts of the Second Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the top of the Fourth Member of Nanjinguan Formation,the middle of the Second Member of Fenxiang Formation and the bottom of the First Member of Honghuayuan Formation.In order to find out the controlling factors of Lower Ordovician stromatolites development in the study area,the analysis data of carbon,oxygen isotope samples,macro element samples as well as their variation characteristics are studied and then combined them with previous research results,which is eventually beneficial for reaching the conclusion:sea level change is one of the main factors controlling the formation of stromatolites.There are five sea level change cycles in the Early Ordovician period.The analysis of sea level change and accommodation space variation characteristics show that when the growth rate of the accommodation space is approximately equal to that of carbonate,the circulation of seawater is well,and the amount of light and oxygen is sufficient,so that the cyanobacteria organism can be multiplied in large quantities.The growth and development provide favorable conditions,and favorable conditions are provided for the growth and development of stromatolites;The peak changes in CaO content and CaO/MgO ratio indicate that the formation period of stromatolites is arid climate environment with high water temperature and large evaporation.Prokaryote reproduction is suitable for the environments with high seawater cleanliness.When the amount of land-based debris injected into the sea increases,the turbidity of water will lead to a large number of deaths of algae microorganisms that form stromatolites,and the stromatolitic microbial mats cannot be preserved.In addition,the growth and predation of macro-organisms play a restrictive role in the development of stromatolite-forming micro-organisms blue-green algae.According to the actual situa-tion of the development of the laminated rocks in the study area,what is the dominant function in the formation and decline of stromatolites between the evolution of metazoans and changing environments is discussed in the study.
文摘The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation consists mainly of dolomites that represent diagenetically transformed limestones deposited in a shallow peritidal environment.Although the environment was tectonically stable,the study area in the Changping District(north of the Beijing area) was affected by synsedimentary earthquakes.Later,the dolomites in the study area were intruded by a granite.This resulted in contact metamorphism of the dolomites,changing them in a halo around the intrusion into marble.This marble,which is exposed near Taoyukou Village,shows some levels with well-developed stromatolites.The stromatolites contain structures that point at deformation when the stromatolites had not yet been lithified,and thus represent soft-sediment deformation structures.The stromatolites apparently built up during a time-span when repeated deformational processes affected the still unlithified sediment,from the sedimentary surface down to maximally a few decimeters.The deformed stromatolites thus represent seismites,which feature is exceptionally rarely recognizable in marble.
基金project was supported by the Foundation Dr Schurmannfonds,grants no.34/2006 and 57/2009,67/2010 and 82/2012the DST and the Department of Geology,Calcutta University for financial support and infrastructural support
文摘It is demonstrated here for the first time how Palaeoproterozoic stromatolites survived seismic disturbance of their substrate. The stromatolites under study could have been cyanobacteria or any other photo-autotrophic microbes, which formed mats that covered a substrate of very fine-grained sandstones and mudstones of the Chaibasa Fm. in eastern India. The sediments represent a shelf environment. The local abundance of the stromatotites suggests that the tow-energy environment formed a suitable habitat. The common phases of tectonic quiescence were, however, occasionally interrupted by seismic shocks. These were sufficiently strong to deform the mat layers, the tower parts of which might already have been （semi-） consolidated. The mats became partly folded, partly faulted, and already consolidated parts of the stromatotite layers broke off. This can be deduced from the angular shapes of part of the broken-off fragments. It appears, however, that part of these fragments were stilt sufficiently soft to become rounded and deformed by rotting over the seafloor, probably under the influence of tidal currents. When come to rest, these fragments served as a new substrate for new generations of the microorganisms. These micro-organisms thus survived by continued growth on the reworked fragments and built up new stromatolites that may show an ‘angular disconformity＇ with the stromatotites of their substrate. It thus is shown that stromatotites have an adequate response to a sudden disturbance of their habitat, and that they survive earthquakes by colonization of broken-off fragments. We call the ‘healed＇ fragments ‘tombotiths＇ （tumbled stones）.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41772105 and 41402099)
文摘Lacustrine stromatolites were widespread in the Miocene Wudaoliang Group(stromatolites of the Wudaoliang Group), northern Tibetan Plateau;but only at one location nearby the Wudaoliang Town, they occurred intensively in thick, laterally traceable beds(Wudaoliang stromatolites). Although deposited in lacustrine environment, the lack of fossils in these rocks hampers determining whether the stromatolites formed in freshwater or saline conditions.To address this problem, and in an attempt to identify criteria to distinguish differences of freshwater and saline conditions, we studied the laminae microfabrics, stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, rare earth element patterns and biomarkers of the stromatolites. These stromatolites can be divided into fenestral stromatolites and agglutinated stromatolites. The fabric of fenestral stromatolites is formed by microcrystalline carbonate enclosing spar-cemented, angular crystal traces. Essentially, this fabric is interpreted as pseudomorph after former formed evaporite crystals. Faecal pel ets identical to that of the present-day brine shrimp Artemia, lack of other eukaryotic fossils,and stable isotopic signals point to a shal ow, evaporation-dominated hypersaline lake setting. Covariation of carbon and oxygen isotopes indicates hydrological y closed conditions of the Miocene lake on northern Tibetan Plateau.However, if compared to other lacustrine carbonates of the Wudaoliang Group, the high δ13 C values of the investigated Wudaoliang stromatolites reveal an additional photosynthetic effect during the deposition of the stromatolites.Furthermore, although no direct evidence is available from field observations and microfabrics, a positive europium anomaly of Wudaoliang stromatolites indicates that a palaeo-hydrothermal inflow system had existed in the outcrop area.These new results favour a hypersaline lake setting subject to hot spring inflow for the Wudaoliang stromatolites, in contrast to earlier interpretations suggesting a freshwater lake setting(e.g. Yi et al., Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology28: 106-113, 2008;Zeng et al., Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology 31: 111–119, 2011). This approach may be appropriate for other lacustrine, unfossiliferous microbialites in settings where the environmental conditions are difficult to determine.
文摘Our contribution about a newly recognized sedimentological feature, which we called tombolith,has raised some comments on the etymology of the term, the assumed lack of field data, the usage of a term that has a special meaning in stratigraphy, the origin of the seismic shocks that played a role, so-called basic tenets, the origin of soft-sediment deformation structures, and the role of liquefaction. We argue that most comments result from an insufficiently thorough reading of our text, whereas some other remarks concern aspects that we did not deal with. Finally, several remarks are based on outdated literature and from insufficient knowledge of the regional geology.
基金funded by projects CGL2009–09216/CLI and CGL2013–42867 of the Spanish Government and European Regional Fundsfits the objectives of the research groups Geotransfer,Procesos Geoambientales y Cambio Global and Modelización Geoquímica(Aragón Government and University of Zaragoza,and European Regional Funds)part of the activities of the Geotransfer scientific group(Aragón Government,Operating Program FEDER Aragón 2014–2020)
文摘Textural and stable isotopic features of two middle Pleistocene fluvial stromatolite profiles are compared to a recent stromatolite,both formed in the River Piedra system(NE Spain),to test the reliability of climatic,hydrologic and depositional information derived from ancient records.The Pleistocene stromatolites formed in a multi-domed,highly-inclined cascade-barrage.The recent stromatolite also formed in a highly-inclined cascade of the River Piedra,the sedimentary conditions of which were periodically examined between the years 2000 and 2012.The Pleistocene stromatolites are formed of an alternation of 1) thin large-crystal laminae(type A),with elongated crystals up to 1 mm long,and 2) thick small-crystal laminae(type B),consisting of cyanobacterial fan-and bushshaped bodies.The textural and isotopic comparison with the recent stromatolite shows that each A–B couplet corresponds to one year.The type-A laminae are comparable to the macrocrystalline laminae that occur in the cool-period deposits of the recent stromatolite,and the type-B laminae are comparable to the warm-period deposits of the recent stromatolite.Water temperatures(Tw),calculated from δ^(18)O_(calcite) and present measures of δ^(18)O_(water),were similar in the Pleistocene and recent specimens,and close to the measured river Tw.Thus,the Pleistocene stromatolites formed not far from isotopic equilibrium,as did the recent stromatolite.The Pleistocene δ^(18) O_(calcite) biannual oscillation is wider in amplitude than in the recent stromatolite,which suggests larger differences in Tw through the year in the Pleistocene than at present.The Pleistocene δ^(13)C_(calcite) does not show any pattern;and the values are slightly higher than the recent ones.The co-evolution of δ^(18)O and δ^(13)C is parallel in the Pleistocene stromatolites,matching the recent stromatolite behavior.These results and their comparison with other ancient examples prove that textural and isotopic features in ancient stromatolites are useful tools to infer past depositional,climatic and hydrological conditions.Moreover,interpretations from recent fluvial stromatolites can be extrapolated to past environments to help decipher patterns of past processes,in cases where both recent and ancient stromatolites can be compared within one environmental setting.Such comparisons may be used to help interpretations of ancient stromatolites where the modern ones are not available to study.
基金supported by the International Innovation Resources Cooperation Project“The Precambrian last glaciation and the evolution of paleoenvironment and life on Earth”from Beijing Science and Technology Committee(Grant No.Z201100008320007)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42072135)+5 种基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2016YFC601001)the China Geological Survey Project(Grant Nos.DD20190002 and DD20190005)the second-level sub-project of“Prospecting prediction and technology application demonstration in integrated exploration area”from the China Geological Surveythe mineral investigation and prospecting prediction of integrated manganese exploration area in Chengkou,Chongqing(Grant No.121201004000150017-91)the mineral geological survey of Chengkou manganese ore concentration area in Chongqing(Grant No.DD20190166-18)the integrated exploration projects in Chengkou manganese mine integrated exploration area from the Chongqing Planning and Natural Resources Bureau。
文摘The origin process of manganese ores remains unsolved worldwide.Exploring the origins of stromatolites that contain manganese may be a key to deciphering the sedimentary environments and metallogenic processes of these deposits.However,only a few manganese stromatolites have been discovered and described until now.Microbialites are well developed in the manganese deposits,located near the top of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in Chengkou area of Chongqing,northern Yangtze Craton,but has not been explicitly studied;and whether they are true stromatolites or Epiphyton microbialites remains controversial.Based on field and core observations and thin section microscopy,the characteristics of five types of manganese stromatolites and their growth modes are described in detail in this study.The results show that these stromatolites grew in a biostrome in shoal and lagoon environments and were syngenetic with oncolites and oolites on a carbonate ramp behind the shoal.Manganese stromatolites can be categorized into three forms:(1)stratiform;(2)columnar,which includes branched and columnar types;and(3)stratiform-columnar,which is a transitional type.Based on a criterion that the diameter is less than or greater than 1 mm,columnar stromatolites are further divided into micro-columnar(<1 mm)and columnar(>1 mm)columns,which display synchronous growth and are similar to Pseudogymnosolenaceae.Their shapes are mainly controlled by water depths and hydrodynamic strengths.The greater the water depth,the more columnar the columns tend to be.Excessively strong hydrodynamic conditions decrease the growth rate of stromatolites,and they even stopped growth due to wave damage.Furthermore,pillared laminar textures(not Epiphyton),which consist of dendritic,micro-branched and microcolumnar stromatolites,are a common feature of the larger stratiform,stratiform-columnar and columnar stromatolites.The alternations of laminae with different internal textures record subtle fluctuations in water depths and hydrodynamic strengths,which indicate that stromatolite growth is controlled by tidal cycles at the lamina level.Therefore,it is possible that the vertical evolution of the stromatolites could reveal the changing characteristics of both local and regional sedimentary environments,i.e.,stromatolite shape changes from columnar to stratiform can represent the onset of shallower environments with weak hydrodynamic conditions.In addition,as important reef builders in shallow carbonate ramps,microstromatolites accelerate the development from ramp to platform.Indicators of microbial control on stromatolite shapes and manganese sedimentation processes include the fabric of stromatolite laminae,organic rhodochrosite with a micritic texture that is usually clotted,spherical,tubular,fibrous or dendritic,which suggests that the laminae resulted from microbially induced in situ precipitation.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41402102)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2652014001)+1 种基金the National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2011ZX05005–002–008HZ)National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB201100–03)
文摘Samples of the Cambrian microbial dolomites were collected from Penglaiba section,a well-exposed stratigraphic section in the northwestern area of the Tarim Basin.This study provides an analogue for mediated dolomites that can precipitate in microbial mats and biofilms.The Cambrian stromatolitic dolomites were studied using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy.The results are as follows:(1)dolomites with 50 nm to 100 nm spherical nanostructures are aggregated into minerals of larger sphericities;(2)nanospherical dolomites of 50 nm to 170 nm diameter are densely arranged as dumbbell-shaped or chained aggregates;(3)silicified filaments,as well as dumbbell-shaped and chain arrangements,are preserved as important microstructures.On the basis of sedimentological,compositional,geochemical,and petrographic data,the microstructures were interpreted as nanoglobules that function as bacteria in the nucleation and filament mineralization stages.The microstructures function as such because they are wrapped in extracellular polymeric substance(EPS)or mucus and mineralized fossils.Silicification accounts for the exceptional preservation of microbial mat structures,including biofilms,as well as filamentous and coccoid microbes.In addition,EPS process is capable of binding different elements,with preference for Si,Mg,and Ca.Such suitable composition favors microbe mineralization and dolomite nucleation on organic substrates.These microscopic structures suggest bacterial mineralization and provide visual evidence for the origin of microbial dolomites.
文摘Columnar stromatolites have been discovered in two beds of the upper part of the Nihewan Formation, a series of lacustrine deposits. The structure of the stromatolites is characterized by alternation of light, intergranular pore-rich laminae and dark, organic substance-rich laminae. Abundant filamentous algal remains have been discovered in stromatolite laminae, some of them are similar to the species present on the shore of the Caribbean Sea that are living in warmer climate than in the Nihewan area now. With the ESR and U-series age methods, it has been determined that the ages of the lower and upper stromatolite beds are about 130,000 and 93,000 a B. P. , respectively. Compared with many other geologic events taking place during the period in Northern China, we conclude that the two stromatolite beds were formed during the two warmer stages of the Last Interglacial.
文摘This discussion of a paper by Van Loon et al.（2016）, published in the Journal of Palaeogeography（2016, 5（4）, 381e390）, is aimed at illustrating that there are fundamental deficiencies, which include（1）incomplete etymological reasoning for proposing a new genetic term ＂tomboliths＂ for stromatolitic bioclasts in the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation, eastern India,（2） omission of empirical data in documenting depositional facies using sedimentological logs,（3） misapplication of the stratigraphic concept of ＂angular unconformity＂,（4） failure to consider the multifarious origins of earthquakes, and（5） a dated view on the basic tenets of process sedimentology and triggering mechanisms of liquefaction that are the basis for forming soft-sediment deformation structures（SSDS）. As a consequence, their conclusions are unconvincing.
基金We thank the National Science Foundation of China for funding S.V.Hohl with a Research Fund for International Excellent Young Scientists(RFIS-II),the stromatolite geochemical archive(funding no.42150610481)。
文摘Some of the earliest bio-sedimentary records of life on Earth are represented by microbial carbonates,which are also critical geochemical archives of ancient seawater chemistry and the environmental circumstances in which they precipitated.Reconstructing paleo-microbial environments on Earth and potentially other planets requires precise determination of the depositional ages of these materials.The(abiogenic)carbonate geochemistry communities can now use developments in in-situ laser ablation U-Pb dating using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS).Due to the effects of impurity mixing and diagenesis,microbial carbonates have received little geochronological study despite their broad relevance for understanding ancient seawater’s environmental conditions and geochemical compositions.This study demonstrates using time-of-flight mass spectrometry(TOF-MS)to perform quick,quantitative elemental mapping before U-Pb spot dating to improve experiment success rates and data reliability and offers four practical application examples.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Fund of China(Grant No.41572322)Hubei Innovation Group Fund(Grant No.2015CFA024)
文摘This study is the first systematic assessment of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in Songzi,Hubei Province,China.This paper divides the microbial carbonates into two types according to growth patterns,namely nongranular and granular.The nongranular types include stromatolites,thrombolites,dendrolites,leiolites and laminites;the granular types are mainly oncolites and may include a small amount of microbiogenic oolite.According to their geometric features,the stromatolites can be divided into four types:stratiform,wavy,columnar and domal.Additionally,dipyramidal columnar stromatolites are identified for the first time and represent a new type of columnar stromatolite.The thrombolites are divided into three types:speckled,reticulated and banded.The grazing gastropod Ecculiomphalus and traces of bioturbation are observed in the speckled and reticulated thrombolites.This paper considers these two kinds of thrombolites to represent bioturbated thrombolites.These findings not only fill gaps in the field of domestic Ordovician bioturbated thrombolites but also provide new information for the study of thrombolites.Based on the analysis of the sedimentary characteristics of microbialites,the depositional environments of the various types of microbialites are described,and the distribution patterns of their depositional environments are summarized.The relationship between the development of microbialites and the evolution and radiation of metazoans during the Early to Middle Ordovician is discussed.Consistent with the correspondence between the stepwise and rapid radiation of metazoans and the abrupt reduction in the number of microbialites between the late Early Ordovician and the early Middle Ordovician,fossils of benthonic grazing gastropods(Ecculiomphalus)were found in the stromatolites and thrombolite of the study area.It is believed that the gradual reduction in microbialites was related to the rapid increase in the abundance of metazoans.Grazers not only grazed on the microorganisms that formed stromatolites,resulting in a continuous reduction in the number of stromatolites,but also disrupted the growth state of the stromatolites,resulting in the formation of unique bioturbated thrombolites in the study area.Hydrocarbon potential analysis shows that the microbialites in the Nanjinguan Formation represent better source rocks than those in the other formations.
基金supported by a Korea University Grant to JHL and JHby Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries(KOPRI,PM14030) to JW+2 种基金by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF-2013R1A2A2A 01067612) to DJLby the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF-2015R1A2A2A01007063)a grant from Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning and Ministry of Knowledge and Economy(2011201030006B) to SJC
文摘Various early Paleozoic （Cambrian Series 3-Middle Ordovician） reefs are found in the Taebaek Group, eastern Korea, located in the eastern margin of the Sino-Korean Block. They occur in every carbonate-dominant lithostratigraphic unit of the group, but their morphology and composition differ markedly. The Daegi Formation （middle Cambrian： Cambrian Series 3） contains siliceous sponge-Epiphyton reefs formed in a shallow subtidal environment, which is one of the earliest metazoan-bearing microbial reefs after the archaeocyath extinction. The Hwajeol Formation （upper Cambrian： Furongian） encloses sporadic dendrolites consisting of Angulocellularia, which developed in a relatively deep subtidal environment, representing a rare deeper water example. The onset of the Ordovician radiation resulted in the formation of microbialite-Archaeoscyphia-calathiid patch reefs in shallow subtidal deposits of the Lower Ordovician Dumugol Formation. Subsequent late Early Ordovician relative sea-level fall established extensive peritidal environments, forming microbial mats and stromatolites of the Lower-Middle Ordovician Makgol Formation. Ensuing Ordovician radiation resulted in one of the earliest metazoan skeletal reefs of the Middle Ordovician Duwibong Formation, constructed by stromatoporoid Cystostroma and bryozoan Nicholsonella, and developed around shallow shoals. These reefs reflect ongoing evolution and sea-level change during the early Paleozoic, and exemplify a rare glimpse of peri-Gondwanan records of reef evolution, which warrant detailed investigations and comparison with their counterparts in other regions.
基金funds provided from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to National Geophysical Research Institute,Hyderabad through the projects of Ministry of Earth Sciences (No:MoES/PO(Geosci)/8/ 2014) and MLP 6406-28 (CM)
文摘Oldest rocks are sparsely distributed within the Dharwar Craton and little is known about their involvement in the sedimentary sequences which are present in the Archean greenstone successions and the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin.Stromatolitic carbonates are well preserved in the Neoarchean greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah Basin of Peninsular India displaying varied morphological and geochemical characteristics.In this study,we report results from U-Pb geochronology and trace element composition of the detrital zircons from stromatolitic carbonates present within the Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah basin to understand the provenance and time of accretion and deposition.The UPb ages of the detrital zircons from the Bhimasamudra and Marikanve stromatolites of the Chitradurga greenstone belt of Dharwar Craton display ages of 3426±26 Ma to 2650±38 Ma whereas the Sandur stromatolites gave an age of 3508±29 Ma to 2926±36 Ma suggesting Paleo-to Neoarchean provenance.The U-Pb detrital zircons of the Tadpatri stromatolites gave an age of 2761±31 Ma to1672±38 Ma suggesting Neoarchean to Mesoproterozoic provenance.The Rare Earth Element(REE)patterns of the studied detrital zircons from Archean Dharwar Craton and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin display depletion in light rare earth elements(LREE)and enrichment in heavy rare earth elements(HREE)with pronounced positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies,typical of magmatic zircons.The trace element composition and their relationship collectively indicate a mixed granitoid and mafic source for both the Dharwar and Cuddapah stromatolites.The 3508±29 Ma age of the detrital zircons support the existence of 3.5 Ga crust in the Western Dharwar Craton.The overall detrital zircon ages(3.5-2.7 Ga)obtained from the stromatolitic carbonates of Archean greenstone belts and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin(2.7-1.6 Ga)collectively reflect on^800-900 Ma duration for the Precambrian stromatolite deposition in the Dharwar Craton.
文摘Typical reefs in the Paleogene and early Neogene strata of the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal their internal structures and sedimentation environments and consist mainly of algal reef, stromatolite reef and thrombolite reef with distinct reef structures, fore-reef, back-reef and reef-plateau. The fore-reef is characterized by a combination of pinnacle reef, thrombolite and algal reef. The back reef is composed of stromatolite reef and algal reef. The pinnacle reefs (micro-atoll), most of which are several tens of centimeters in diameter (whereas some exceptionally big ones are over 200 cm in diameter), and several tens of centimeter to 2 m in height, are situated on the far front-edge of the reef; the pinnacle reef is also often of recumbent form with a gravel-filled circular hole in the center. The algal reef is in the form of dome and irregular beds, and filled with algal detritus, ostracodes, spirorbis fossils, ooid and terrigenous debris, and worm traces; cavities and scour marks are often developed. The algal reef is gray commonly when fresh and weathers to a brown color. The lacustrine thrombolite in the Qaidam Basin is light gray or deep gray when fresh, white-gray or brown when weathered, dense and homogeneous with abundant pores filled by oil and bitumen. Observed under the microscope, the thrombolite consists mainly of brown or brown-black clots with a little algal debris, ooid, pellet, ostracodes, spirorbis fossils and terrigenous debris, in some cases, terrigenous debris, even gravel, is abundant. Many features of the thrombolite suggest that it is formed in a high-energy envkonment. The stromatolite reefs developed on the lacustrine algal reef in the Qaidam Basin are very complex whether in shape or in internal structure. The simplest ones form laminated layers and the most complex ones have intensely branching structures. The size is also variable.
基金This work was supported by the KIP Key Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX3-SW-143)the KIP Key Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX2-SW-119)+3 种基金the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40334044)the Chinese National Key Basic Research Project(2002CB4 12600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.49872077)the Lu Jiaxi Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
文摘This paper reports a newly discovered Late Mesoproterozoic-Early Neoproterozoic stromatolite assemblage, named here the ＂Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage＂, represented by a Conophyton-Baicalia association in the Jiawenmen area in the southern belt of the Eastern Kunlun. This stromatolite assemblage is dominated by large-scale conical stromatolites and related elements, i.e., Conophyton garganicus var. inkeni, C. cf. ressoti Menchikov, Jacutophyton cf., Conicodomenia f., which commonly co-exist with elements of the group of Baicalia. This assemblage can be correlated with that of the middle Jixian-middle Qingbaikou System in North and Northwest China, but is different from that in South China. Correlation can also be made with that in the upper horizon of the Middle Riphean-lower horizon of the Upper Riphean in the South Ural Mountains and Siberia of Russia, in North Africa, and in the Alaskan Peninsula of North America. These facts suggest that the Jiawengmen stromatolite assemblage probably colonized during 1300-850 Ma ago. Accordingly, the stromatolite-bearing carbonate rocks are then proposed to correspond to the middle Jixian System-middle Qingbaikou System or the upper Middle Riphean-lower Upper Riphean. Our stromatolite data further suggest that a Precambrian microblock, named the Xialawen microblock here, occurred in the southern belt of Eastern Kunlun, the western part of the Maqên microblock. Similar stromatolite assemblages in the Maqên microblock and those blocks that occurred in North China, Siberia and North Africa point to similar paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental conditions. These microblock and blocks were probably located at low latitudes and on the continental margins of the Rodinian supercontinent, where warm epicontinental seas were favorable to widespread colonization of stromatolites during the Late Mesoproterozoic-Eady Neoproterozoic. However, these stromatolite assemblages are quite different from those of the South China block, which is suggestive of different paleogeographic contexts, and probably also of a different tectonic affinity.
