Discovery of animal eggs and embryos from the Ediacaran (Terminal Proterozoic) Chambaghat Formation,Krol Group,Himachal Lesser Himalaya

The globular to suboval microfossils with distinctively ornamented outer coverings interpreted as animal eggs and embryos have been discovered from the black phosphatic chert lentils of the Ediacaran (Terminal Proterozoic) Chambaghat Formation (Krol sandstone), Krol Group, Himachal Lesser Himalaya, India. Similar animal eggs and embryos have earlier been recorded only from the phosphorites of the uppermost Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation (Ca. 570±20 Ma) exposed at Weng’an, South China. Present record of eggs and embryos is comparable with extant eggs and embryos of cnidarians and bilaterians like molluscs, annelids and arthropods. The eggs and embryos from the Terminal Proterozoic rocks of India are the only one recorded from the equivalent stratigraphic horizon outside China. This discovery of eggs and embryos adds to the understanding the evolutionary trends in the Proterozoic metazoan life.     

Sedimentologic attributes of the Proterozoic siliciclastic packages of the Garhwal–Kumaun Lesser Himalaya,India: Implication for their relationship and palaeobasinal conditions

The present work addresses the long-standing issues on the characterization aspect of the Proterozoic siliciclastic successions exposed in the central part of the Lesser Himalaya, restricted between the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and the Main Central Thrust (MCT). Geologic, sedimentologic, and petrographic study divides the Lesser Himalaya in two zones- northern Palaeo- Mesoproterozoic Inner Lesser Himalayan (ILH) and southern Neoproterozoic Outer Lesser Himalayan (OLH) zones. The major lithofacies recognized from the zones are - (i) coarse grained siliciclastic (CGS), (ii) interbedded medium and fine-grained siliciclastic (IMFS), (iii) argillite (ARG), and (iv) siliciclastic–argillite rhythmites (SAR). Amongst all these facies, the nearshore IMFS facies shows consistent presence in both OLH and ILH zones. From the facies distribution pattern, a northwest–southeasterly trending palaeo- shoreline has been envisaged. The CGS facies in the ILH hints towards an alluvial fan setting during 1.8 Ga rifting phase associated with penecontemporaneous basic magmatism. Compositionally, the siliciclastics of both the zones (ILH and OLH) are arenite and wacke types with minimal variation in their detrital proportions, derived from the early Proterozoic (between 2.4-1.6Ga) Aravalli-Delhi Supergroup provenance. Nearly matching types and content of detrital modes and the lithofacies pattern of the ILH and OLH siliciclastics probably conclude the derivation from the rising (nearby) Aravalli-Delhi orogen and deposition in a foreland like situation.     

Depositional environment of the Krol Group of the Nainital area and its impact on the stromatolites

Depositional environment of the Krol group varied temporally from subtidal in the Manora to intertidal in the Sleepy Hollow times. The conditions that succeeded were peritidal in the Ayarpatta and supratidal in the Narainnagar times. These conditions were the main controlling factors in the growth and development of the algal stromatolites. The Manora formation, due to subtidal conditions, and the Sleepy Hollow formation, due to detrital influx, are almost devoid of stromatolites. The carbonates of the Ayarpatta formation representing a peritidal complex possess columnar and oncolitic stromatolites, while the sediments of the Narainnagar formation characterized by supratidal features contain blistered, domal and crinkled-laminar forms. The types and sizes of stromatolites therefore are governed by the depositional conditions prevailing in the sedimentary basin.     

Stromatolites: a guideline for development of a carbonate ramp,Basantpur Formation,Neoproterozoic Simla Group in Lesser Himalaya,India

Outcrop-based facies analysis of the Proterozoic Basantpur Formation, Simla Group in the Lesser Himalaya was combined with the stromatolites morphometry and sea-level fluctuation to delineate the stages of carbonate ramp development. On this basis, a vertical profile depositional model (Basantpur type) has been developed. Facies associations and variation in the patterns of microbial growth along with the sea-level fluctuations have contributed to the identification of the development of a tide-influenced carbonate ramp. Different stromatolitic structures (mega-, macro- and microstructures) are documented in the dolomudstones and dolosiltstones along with fenestral structures and their depositional facies together with evidences of marine transgression which leads to development of carbonate ramp where inner-mid-outer-ramp subenvironments are recognised. The “Basantpur”-type model is therefore unique in that it deals with lateral facies variation due to shift in shore line along with fluctuations in accommodation space on a carbonate ramp owing to fluctuations of sea level. This model will probably find its applicability in similar carbonate ramps.     

天津蓟县中元古界雾迷山组微指状叠层石及其对1250 Ma±叠层石衰减事件的响应

天津蓟县中元古界雾迷山组是一套厚度超过3000,m的叠层石碳酸盐岩沉积序列,在该序列中潮下相叠层石生物层、凝块石生物丘与潮坪相泥晶白云岩、潟湖相白云质泥页岩一起构成若干个环潮坪型米级旋回——"雾迷山旋回层"。在雾迷山组下部发育微指状叠层石,并被古生物学家定义为"Pseudogymnosolen mo-panyuensis-Scuphus-Yangzhuang columnaris"组合,即假裸枝叠层石科叠层石,沉积学家将其解释为元古代文石(灰华)海底沉淀物所构成的叠层石,代表从太古代海底结壳状文石沉淀物组成的叠层石到新元古代碎屑结构相的泥晶碳酸盐岩叠层石过渡时期的特殊产物。因此,雾迷山组巨厚的叠层石碳酸盐岩沉积序列,记录了元古代文石(灰华)海底沉淀物所构成的特殊的叠层石大规模消亡的层位,为研究前寒武纪以叠层石为代表的微生物碳酸盐岩所经历的漫长而复杂的地质历史演变提供了宝贵的材料。     

Facies architecture of an isolated carbonate platform: tracing the cycles of the Latemàr (Middle Triassic, northern Italy)

The 720-m-thick succession of the Middle Triassic Latemàr Massif (Dolomites, Italy) was used to reconstruct the lagoonal facies architecture of a small atoll-like carbonate platform. Facies analysis of the lagoonal sediments yields a bathymetric interpretation of the lateral facies variations, which reflect a syndepositional palaeorelief. Based on tracing of lagoonal flooding surfaces, the metre-scale shallowing-upward cycles are interpreted to be of allocyclic origin. Short-term sea-level changes led to subaerial exposure of wide parts of the marginal zone, resulting in the development of a tepee belt of varying width. Occasional emergence of the entire lagoon produced lagoon-wide decimetre-thick red exposure horizons. The supratidal tepee belt in the backreef area represented the zone of maximum elevation, which circumscribed the sub- to peritidal lagoonal interior during most of the platform's development. This tepee rim, the subtidal reef and a sub- to peritidal transition zone in between stabilized the platform margin. The asymmetric width of facies belts within individual metre-scale cycles was caused by redistribution processes that reflect palaeowinds and storm paths from the present-day south and west. The overall succession shows stratigraphic changes on a scale of tens of metres from a basal subtidal unit, overlain by three tepee-rich intervals, separated by tepee-poor units composed of subtidal to peritidal facies. This stacking pattern reflects two third-order sequences during the late Anisian to early middle Ladinian.     

苏皖辽地区新元古代微亮晶构造碳酸盐岩的沉积岩相与环境约束

国内外元古代碳酸盐岩中常见席状、透镜状、脉状和块状等形态的微亮晶碳酸盐岩。微亮晶体宏观、微观边界清晰,内部充填均一等粒结构的方解石微亮晶。宿主岩相以含泥质或粉砂质的细砂屑、粉泥屑灰岩为主,经常与风暴岩共生。微亮晶构造碳酸盐岩发育在缓坡型台地,沉积层序中常见潮汐流、风暴流侵蚀-充填和浪成交错层理与递变层理。微亮晶构造碳酸盐岩发育严格受沉积环境和岩相约束,形成于 (内缓坡深部-中缓坡浅部 )潮下带和环潮坪,风暴浪基面是其发育的最大深度。垂向序列由高频潮下带和环潮坪微层序加积而成,单个微层序顶部通常为环潮坪为纹层状含铁质有机质泥屑碳酸盐岩披盖层,是一个向上沉积动力减弱、沉积物变细和水体变浅的沉积旋回。     

湘西北上震旦统碳酸盐层序地层

碳酸盐层序地层应考虑碳酸盐＂加工厂＂、气候条件、构造背景、沉降速率、与陆地连接情况和底质类型等多种因素。碳酸盐层序地层模式在大多数情况下有别于Ｖａｉｌ的碎屑岩层序地层模式，并且气候条件是一个值得多加考虑的因素。通过不同相区碳酸盐层序地层的划分，笔者建立了研究区上震旦统碳酸盐层序地层模式，即陵山沱期为缓坡背景碳酸盐层序地层模式，灯影期为碳酸盐台地（初始）背景层序地层模式。在高水位体系域中识别出早期高水位体系域和晚期高水位体系域。已识别出浅潮下和环潮坪两种不同类型的副层序旋回。通过层序地层分析，笔者认为陡山沱底部的白云岩属于低水位楔。     

Cross-platform architecture of a sequence boundary in mixed siliciclastic-carbonate lithofacies, Middle Cambrian, southern Great Basin, USA

Stratigraphic analysis of mixed siliciclastic-carbonate lithofacies within the Middle Cambrian Bonanza King Formation of the southern Great Basin reveals three distinct facies associations that record a range of depositional environments from semi-arid tidal flats to deeper subtidal, restricted lagoons. Stratigraphic trends, cross-platform facies variations and correlation of individual surfaces across 250 km of the study area suggest that these mixed lithofacies were deposited in three temporally distinct phases. (1) Extensive progradation of mixed peritidal environments culminated in a prolonged episode of subaerial exposure marked by an areally extensive intraclast breccia (0·5–1·2 m thick) that we interpret to be a major Type 1 sequence-bounding disconformity. (2) Abrupt flooding of the exposed platform resulted in the deposition of mixed deeper subtidal lithofacies, including a condensed interval of fissile, fossiliferous shale. (3) Progressive shallowing and aggradational accumulation was accompanied by a decrease in siliciclastics and a shift to pure carbonate deposition. Deep-water siliciclastics and megabreccias record deposition along the base-of-slope off the Middle Cambrian shelf-edge, and are interpreted to represent lowstand deposits emplaced during the prolonged episode of subaerial exposure of the shallow shelf. The presence of fine siliciclastics in both peritidal facies and sharply overlying deeper subtidal facies of the study interval within the Bonanza King suggests a variable, but relatively continuous, influx of terrigenous material throughout an extended period of accommodation change, apparently asynchronous with respect to the predictive model of reciprocal sedimentation. We suggest that the primary siliciclastic source changed with relative sea-level position. During lowered sea level, aeolian processes acting upon the unvegetated Cambrian craton transported fine siliciclastics onto peritidal and shallow-subtidal environments. During higher sea level, coastal siliciclastic reservoirs supplied sediment that was transported for long distances by geostrophic currents flowing along the submerged platform. As opposed to many Cambro-Ordovician grand cycles that are commonly interpreted to consist of a transgressive shaly half-cycle grading upward into a regressive carbonate half-cycle, the sequence boundary within this Middle Cambrian succession occurs within siliciclastic-rich, mixed lithofacies rather than in adjoining purer carbonates, implying that some ‘grand cycles’ should not be considered synonymous with ‘sequences’. Interbasinal correlations of the Type 1 sequence boundary within the mixed unit are speculative, primarily because of the inherent imprecision of available trilobite biostratigraphy. However, there is evidence that an extended episode of subaerial exposure may have been continent-wide during the Ehmaniella trilobite biochron.     

Neoproterozoic Molar-tooth Structure and Constraint of Depositional Facies and Environment in the North China Platform in Jiangsu, Anhui and Liaoning, Eastern China

Molar tooth structure （MTS） represented by complex ptygmatical shapes is widely distributed in the Proterozoic of the world. MTS filled by fine, equant sparry calcite （or dolomite） displays an abrupt contact with hosting rocks, which are mainly composed of carbonaceous micrites and fine-grained carbonates with local silts and stormdominated deposits with graded, cross or wave beddings, numerous erosional surfaces and truncated and fills or guttered bases. Occurrence of MTS suggests a result of the constraint of sedimentary facies, and the storm-base in ramp settings is the maximum depth for the formation of MTS. Vertical succession of MTS-bearing carbonates shows a deposition stacked by high-frequency shallow subtidal and peritidal cycles. An individual cyclic MTS-bearing sequence is characterized by thinning, shallowing and dynamic decreasing-upward, and peritidal caps of purple red iron and organic carbonaceous sediments with more complicated shapes of MTS are common on the top of individual MTS-bearing sequences.     

Long-distance correlation between tectonic-controlled, isolated carbonate platforms by cyclostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy in the Devonian of South China

During the early Middle Devonian in South China, an extensive carbonate platform was broken up through extension to create a complex pattern of platforms, and interplatform basins. In Givetian and Frasnian carbonate successions, five depositional facies, including peritidal, restricted shallow subtidal, semi‐restricted subtidal, intermediate subtidal and deep subtidal facies, and 18 lithofacies units are recognized from measured sections on three isolated platforms. These deposits are arranged into metre‐scale, upward‐shallowing peritidal and subtidal cycles. Nine third‐order sequences are identified from changes in cycle stacking patterns, vertical facies changes and the stratigraphic distribution of subaerial exposure indicators. These sequences mostly consist of a lower transgressive part and an upper regressive part. Transgressive packages are dominated by thicker‐than‐average subtidal cycles, and regressive packages by thinner‐than‐average peritidal cycles. Sequence boundaries are transitional zones composed of stacked, high‐frequency, thinner‐than‐average cycles with upward‐increasing intensity of subaerial exposure, rather than individual, laterally traceable surfaces. These sequences can be further grouped into catch‐up and keep‐up sequence sets from the long‐term (second‐order) changes in accommodation and vertical facies changes. Catch‐up sequences are characterized by relatively thick cycle packages with a high percentage of intermediate to shallow subtidal facies, and even deep subtidal facies locally within some individual sequences, recording long‐term accommodation gain. Keep‐up sequences are characterized by relatively thin cycle packages with a high percentage of peritidal facies within sequences, recording long‐term accommodation loss. Correlation of long‐term accommodation changes expressed by Fischer plots reveals that during the late Givetian to early Frasnian increased accommodation loss on platforms coincided with increased accommodation gain in interplatform basins. This suggests that movement on faults resulted in the relative uplift of platforms and subsidence of interplatform basins. In the early Frasnian, extensive siliceous deposits in most interplatform basins and megabreccias at basin margins correspond to exposure disconformities on platforms.     

天津蓟县中元古界雾迷山组微指状叠层石及其对1250 Ma±叠层石衰减事件的响应

天津蓟县中元古界雾迷山组是一套厚度超过3 000 m的叠层石碳酸盐岩沉积序列,在该序列中潮下相叠层石生物层、凝块石生物丘与潮坪相泥晶白云岩、泻湖相白云质泥页岩一起构成若干个环潮坪型米级旋回--“雾迷山旋回层”。在雾迷山组下部发育微指状叠层石,并被古生物学家定义为“Pseudogymnosolen mopanyuensis-Scuphus-Yangzhuang columnaris”组合,即假裸枝叠层石科叠层石,沉积学家将其解释为元古代文石（灰华）海底沉淀物所构成的叠层石,代表从太古代海底结壳状文石沉淀物叠层石到新元古代碎屑结构相、富泥碳酸盐叠层石过渡时期的特殊产物。因此,雾迷山组巨厚的叠层石碳酸盐岩沉积序列,记录了元古代文石灰华海底沉淀物所构成的特殊的叠层石大规模消亡的层位,为研究前寒武纪以叠层石为代表的微生物碳酸盐岩所经历的漫长而复杂的地质历史演变提供了宝贵的材料。     

Porosity distribution in cyclic dolomites of the Lower Qiulitag Group (Upper Cambrian) in northwestern Tarim Basin,China

Increasing interests in hydrocarbon resources at depths have drawn greater attentions to the deeply-buried carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin in China. In this study, the cyclic dolomite rocks of Upper Cambrian Lower Qiulitag Group from four outcrop sections in northwestern Tarim Basin were selected to investigate and evaluate the petrophysical properties in relation to depositional facies and cyclicity. The Lower Qiulitag Group includes ten lithofacies, which were deposited in intermediate to shallow subtidal, restricted shallow subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal environments on a carbonate ramp system. These lithofacies are vertically stacked into repeated shallowing-upward, meter-scale cycles which are further grouped into six third-order depositional sequences (Sq1 to Sq6). There are variable types of pore spaces in the Lower Qiulitag Group dolomite rocks, including interparticle, intraparticle, and fenestral pores of primary origin, inter crystal, and vuggy pores of late diagenetic modification. The porosity in the dolomites is generally facies-selective as that the microbially-originated thrombolites and stromatolites generally yield a relatively high porosity. In contrast, the high-energy ooidal grainstones generally have very low porosity. In this case, the microbialite-based peritidal cycles and peritidal cycle-dominated highstand (or regressive) successions have relatively high volumes of pore spaces, although highly fluctuating (or vertical inhomogeneous). Accordingly, the grainstone-based subtidal cycles and subtidal cycle-dominated transgressive successions generally yield extremely low porosity. This scenario indicates that porosity development and preservation in the thick dolomite successions are primarily controlled by depositional facies which were influenced by sea-level fluctuations of different orders and later diagenetic overprinting.     

Facies Associations and Discontinuous Surfaces in the Syringothyris Limestone Formation of Tethyan Margin of Gondwana,Kashmir

The early Carboniferous sedimentation of the Tethyan Margin of Gondwana in the Kashmir Himalaya represents alternating siliciclastic - carbonate succession consisting of distinct stratigraphic sequences which are bounded by discontinuities. The discontinuities in the sedimentation are related to environmental changes in the form of subaerial exposure, subaqueous erosion, subaqueous omission or changes in texture and facies. These distinct surface zones or time significant boundaries can be correlated across the depositional platform. Low stand, high stand and transgressive sedimentation units in the lower and middle parts of early Carboniferous Syringothyris Limestone Formation in Banihal area have been recognised. This is explained by superposition of high frequency and low amplitude sea level fluctuations on a large-scale trend under greenhouse conditions during the early Carboniferous period. The facies associations present in the early Carboniferous succession of the Himalaya broadly represent intertidal (peritidal), shallow subtidal, deeper subtidal, off-shore-slope and deeper environments. Discontinuities that are interpreted as progradational, retrogradational and aggradational phases of sedimentation bound these facies associations. This formation represents continental margin depositional setting which is authenticated by deposition of siliciclastic sediments. This marginal depositional setting is greatly affected by numerous dynamic processes including tectonic and other active sea as well as continental processes. The records of all those processes in this formation reflect the eustatic changes in sea level. These periodic eustatic changes have generated the various discontinuities, stratigraphic sequences or systems tracts. Overall it appears that interplay of many processes such as sediment supply, thermal and tectonic activity, eustatic and climatic changes in the Kashmir Tethyan depositional basin generated these distinct depositional sequences during the early Carboniferous period.     

Lower Carboniferous peritidal carbonates and associated evaporites adjacent to the Leinster Massif,southeast Irish Midlands

Analysis of a 275 m‐thick section in the Milford Borehole, GSI‐91‐25, from County Carlow, Ireland, has revealed an unusual sequence of shallow subtidal, peritidal and sabkha facies in rocks of mid?‐late Chadian to late Holkerian (Viséan, Lower Carboniferous) age. Sedimentation occurred on an inner ramp setting, adjacent to the Leinster Massif. The lower part of the sequence (late Chadian age) above the basal subtidal bioclastic unit is dominated by oolite sand facies associations. These include a lower regressive dolomitized, oolitic peloidal mobile shoal, and an upper, probably transgressive, backshoal oolite sand. A 68 m‐thick, well‐developed peritidal sequence is present between the oolitic intervals. These rocks consist of alternating stromatolitic fenestral mudstone, dolomite and organic shale, with evaporite pseudomorphs and subaerial exposure horizons containing pedogenic features. In the succeeding Arundian–Holkerian strata, transgressive–regressive carbonate units are recognized. These comprise high‐energy, backshoal subtidal cycles of argillaceous skeletal packstones, bioclastic grainstones with minor oolites and algal wackestones to grainstones and infrequent algal stromatolite horizons. The study recognizes for the first time the peritidal and sabkha deposits in Chadian rocks adjacent to the Leinster Massif in the eastern Irish Midlands. These strata appear to be coeval with similar evaporite‐bearing rocks in County Wexford that are developed on the southern margin of this landmass, and similar depositional facies exist further to the east in the South Wales Platform, south of St. George's Land, and in Belgium, south of the Brabant Massif. The presence of evaporites in the peritidal facies suggests that dense brines may have formed adjacent to the Leinster Massif. These fluids may have been involved in regional dolomitization of Chadian and possibly underlying Courceyan strata. They may also have been a source of high salinity fluids associated with nearby base‐metal sulphide deposits. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Depositional processes of the Zhushadong and Mantou formations (Early to Middle Cambrian), Shandong Province,China: roles of archipelago and mixed carbonate–siliciclastic sedimentation on cycle genesis during initial flooding of the North China Platform

To understand the depositional processes and environmental changes during the initial flooding of the North China Platform, this study focuses on the Lower to Middle Cambrian Zhushadong and Mantou formations in Shandong Province, China. The succession in the Jinan and Laiwu areas comprises mixed carbonate and siliciclastic deposits composed of limestone, dolostone, stromatolite, thrombolite, purple and grey mudstone, and sandstone. A detailed sedimentary facies analysis of seven well‐exposed sections suggests that five facies associations are the result of an intercalation of carbonate and siliciclastic depositional environments, including local alluvial fans, shallowing‐upward carbonate–siliciclastic peritidal cycles, oolite dominant shoals, shoreface and lagoonal environments. These facies associations successively show a transition from an initially inundated tide‐dominated carbonate platform to a wave‐dominated shallow marine environment. In particular, the peritidal sediments were deposited during a large number of depositional cycles. These sediments consist of lime mudstone, dolomite, stromatolite and purple and grey mudstones. These shallowing‐upward cycles generally resulted from carbonate production in response to an increase of accommodation during rising sea‐level. The carbonate production was, however, interrupted by frequent siliciclastic input from the adjacent emergent archipelago. The depositional cycles thus formed under the influence of both autogenetic changes, including sediment supply from the archipelago, and allogenic control of relative sea‐level rise in the carbonate factory. A low‐relief archipelago with an active tidal regime allowed the development of tide‐dominated siliciclastic and carbonate environments on the vast platform. Siliciclastic input to these tidal environments terminated when most of the archipelago became submerged due to a rapid rise in sea‐level. This study provides insights on how a vast Cambrian carbonate platform maintained synchronous sedimentation under a tidal regime, forming distinct cycles of mixed carbonates and siliciclastics as the system kept up with rising relative sea‐level during the early stage of basin development in the North China Platform.     

From Cycles to Sequences:Sequence Stratigraphy and Relative Sea Level Change for the Late Cambrian of the North China Platform

In the Late Cambrian, the North China Platform was a typical carbonate ramp platform. The Upper Cambrian of the northern part of the North China Platform is famous for the development of bioherm limestones and storm calcirudites and can be divided from bottom to top into the Gushan, Changshan and Fengshan formations. In this set of strata, the deep-ramp mudstone and marls and the shallow-ramp packstones and grainstones constitute many carbonate meter-scale cycles of subtidal type. More tidal-flat dolomites axe developed in the Upper Cambrian of the southern margin of the North China platform, in which limestone and dolomite beds also constitute many carbonate meter-scale cycles of the peritidal type. These cycles are marked by a variety of litho-facies successions. There are regularly vertical stacking patterns of meter-scale cycles in long-term third-order sequences, which is the key to discerning such sequences. Third-order sequence is marked by a particular sedimentary-facies succession that is the result of the environment-changing process of deepening and shoaling, which is genetically related to third-order sea level changes. Furthermore, four third-order sequences can be grouped in the Upper Cambrian of the North China Platform. The main features of these four third-order sequences in the northern part of the platform can be summarized as follows: firstly, sequence-boundaries are characterized by drowning unconformities; secondly, the sedimentary-facies succession is generally constituted by one from deep-ramp facies to shallow-ramp facies; thirdly, a succession of “CS (?) HST” (i.e., “condensed section and highstand system”) forms these four third-order sequences. The chief features for the third-order sequences in the southern part of the North China Platform comprises: more dolomites are developed in the HSTs of third-order sequences and also developed more carbonate meter-scale cycles of peritidal types; the sedimentary-facies succession of the third-order sequences is marked by “shallow ramp-tidal flat”; the sequence boundaries are characterized by exposure punctuated surfaces. According to the changes for the third-order sequences from the north to the south, a regular sequence-stratigraphic framework can be established. From cycles to sequences, the study of sequence stratigraphy from litho-facies successions to sedimentary-facies successions exposes that as follows: meter-scale cycles that are used as the basic working unit actually are litho-facies successions formed by the mechanism of a punctuated aggradational cycle, and third-order sequences that are constituted by regularly vertical stacking patterns of meter-scale cycles are marked by sedimentary-facies successions. On the basis of the changing curve of water depth at each section, the curve of the relative third-order sea level changes in the late Cambrian of the North China Platform can be integrated qualitatively from changing curve of water depth. The correlation of Late Cambrian long-term sea level changes between North China and North America demonstrates that there are not only similarities but also differences, reflecting control of long-term sea level changes both by global eustacy and by regional factors.     

Anatomy of a cyclically packaged Mesoproterozoic carbonate ramp in northern Canada

Carbonates in the upper member of the Mesoproterozoic Victor Bay Formation are dominated by lime mud and packaged in cycles of 20–50 m. These thicknesses exceed those of classic shallowing-upward cycles by almost a factor of 10. Stratigraphic and sedimentological evidence suggests high-amplitude, high-frequency glacio-eustatic cyclicity, and thus a cool global climate ca. 1.2 Ga.The Victor Bay ramp is one of several late Proterozoic carbonate platforms where the proportions of lime mud, carbonate grains, and microbialites are more typical of younger Phanerozoic successions which followed the global waning of stromatolites. Facies distribution in the study area is compatible with deposition on a low-energy, microtidal, distally steepened ramp. Outer-ramp facies are hemipelagic lime mudstone, shale, carbonaceous rhythmite, and debrites. Mid-ramp facies are molar-tooth limestone tempestite with microspar-intraclast lags. In a marine environment where stromatolitic and oolitic facies were otherwise rare, large stromatolitic reefs developed at the mid-ramp, coeval with inner-ramp facies of microspar grainstone, intertidal dolomitic microbial laminite, and supratidal evaporitic red shale.Deep-subtidal, outer-ramp cycles occur in the southwestern part of the study area. Black dolomitic shale at the base is overlain by ribbon, nodular, and carbonaceous carbonate facies, all of which exhibit signs of synsedimentary disruption. Cycles in the northeast are shallow-subtidal and peritidal in character. Shallow-subtidal cycles consist of basal deep-water facies, and an upper layer of subtidal molar-tooth limestone tempestite interbedded with microspar calcarenite facies. Peritidal cycles are identical to shallow-subtidal cycles except that they contain a cap of dolomitic tidal-flat microbial laminite, and rarely of red shale sabkha facies or of sandy polymictic conglomerate. A transect along the wall of a valley extending 8.5 km perpendicular to depositional strike reveals progradation of inner-ramp tidal flats over outer- and mid-ramp facies during shoaling. The maximum basinward progradation of peritidal facies coincides with a zone of slope failure that may have promoted the development of the stromatolitic reefs.The sea-level history of the Victor Bay Formation is represented by three hectometre-scale sequences. An initial flooding event resulted in deposition of the lower Victor Bay shale member. Upper-member carbonate cycles were then deposited during highstand. Mid-ramp slumping was followed by late-highstand reef development. The second sequence began with development of an inner-ramp lowstand unconformity and a thick mid-ramp lowstand wedge. A second transgression promoted a more modest phase of reef development at the mid-ramp and shallow-water deposition continued inboard. A third and final transgressive episode eventually led to flooding of the backstepping ramp.Overall consistent cycle thickness and absence of truncated cycles, as well as the high rate and amount of creation of accommodation space, suggest that the periodicity and amplitude of sea-level fluctuation were relatively uniform, and point to a eustatic rather than tectonic mechanism of relative sea-level change. High-amplitude, high-frequency eustatic sea-level change is characteristic of icehouse worlds in which short-term, large-scale sea-level fluctuations accompany rapidly changing ice volumes affected by Milankovitch orbital forcing. Packaging of cyclic Upper Victor Bay carbonates therefore supports the hypothesis of a late Mesoproterozoic glacial period, as proposed by previous workers.     

Microbenthic distribution of Proterozoic tidal flats: environmental and taphonomic considerations

Silicified carbonates of the late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic Society Cliffs Formation, Baffin Island, contain distinctive microfabrics and microbenthic assemblages whose paleo-environmental distribution within the formation parallels the distribution of these elements through Proterozoic time. In the Society Cliffs Formation, restricted carbonates--including microdigitate stromatolites, laminated tufa, and tufted microbial mats--consist predominantly of synsedimentary cements; these facies and the cyanobacterial fossils they contain are common in Paleoproterozoic successions but rare in Neoproterozoic and younger rocks. Less restricted tidal-flat facies in the formation are composed of laminated microbialites dominated by micritic carbonate lithified early, yet demonstrably after compaction; these strata contain cyanobacteria that are characteristic in Neoproterozoic rocks. Within the formation, the facies-dependent distribution of microbial populations reflects both the style and timing of carbonate deposition because of the strong substrate specificity of benthic cyanobacteria. A reasonable conclusion is that secular changes in microbenthic assemblages through Proterozoic time reflect a decrease in the overall representation of rapidly lithified carbonate substrates in younger peritidal environments, as well as concomitant changes in the taphonomic window of silicification through which early life is observed.     

鄂北南化地区寒武纪缓坡沉积及层序

出露于鄂北南化地区的寒武纪地层，总厚约１４００ｍ，主体为一套碳酸盐岩。对沉积岩相及相组合的分析表明，本区寒武系主要是形成于碳酸盐缓坡之上，并可以划分出四种主要的沉积相带:浅水陆棚、深水缓坡、浅水缓坡建隆和近岸浅水缓坡。本文还初步研究了区内寒武系露头的层序地层学特征，划分出两个亚层序，并探讨了亚层序内部岩相的不同叠置类型及其在时间上的演化与相应的海平面升降变化。通过与已有的旋回性海平面变化模式相对比，得出了本区寒武纪层序内部的次级旋回可能指示第三级海平面变化旋回的认识。