Yanjun Zhao

Late Eocene to early Oligocene quantitative paleotemperature record: Evidence from continental halite fluid inclusions

Climate changes within Cenozoic extreme climate events such as the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum and the First Oligocene Glacial provide good opportunities to estimate the global climate trends in our present and future life. However, quantitative paleotemperatures data for Cenozoic climatic reconstruction are still lacking, hindering a better understanding of the past and future climate conditions. In this contribution, quantitative paleotemperatures were determined by fluid inclusion homogenization temperature (Th) data from continental halite of the first member of the Shahejie Formation (SF1; probably late Eocene to early Oligocene) in Bohai Bay Basin, North China. The primary textures of the SF1 halite typified by cumulate and chevron halite suggest halite deposited in a shallow saline water and halite Th can serve as an temperature proxy. In total, one-hundred-twenty-one Th data from primary and single-phase aqueous fluid inclusions with different depths were acquired by the cooling nucleation method. The results show that all Th range from 17.7°C to 50.7°C,with the maximum homogenization temperatures (ThMAX) of 50.5°C at the depth of 3028.04 m and 50.7°C at 3188.61 m, respectively. Both the ThMAX presented here are significantly higher than the highest temperature recorded in this region since 1954and agree with global temperature models for the year 2100 predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Chlorine isotope analysis of Triassic salt rock and geological significance of ancient salt lake in Sichuan Basin, China

In the northeastern Tethys Ocean in the early–middle Triassic, the Sichuan Basin was one of three regions where marine strata developed. Several periods of transgressions and regressions during that time contributed to the development of marine evaporites. The presence of extremely thick evaporites is a basic geological condition for potash formation that is exhibited in the Sichuan Basin, which has been an important region for the exploration of marine potash. The evaporites in the Sichuan Basin are abundant in bromine and possess high bromo-chloro coefficients. Although chlorine isotope values vary significantly within regions, they are relatively low and are similar to the negative values found in the Hechuan and Changshou areas. Comparative studies have been conducted regarding chlorine isotope values in the Sichuan Basin and in other prominent potash-forming basins with results, indicating that sea water concentrations had reached the late stages in the early–middle Triassic and a potential presence of potassium and magnesium salts.

Paleoclimatic information recorded in fluid inclusions in halites from Lop Nur, Western China

The homogenization temperature (Th) of primary fluid inclusions in halite can be used for paleoclimate interpretations. Lop Nur, in Central Asia, is an extremely arid zone where large amounts of glauberite were deposited from the late Middle to Late Pleistocene. This deposition was accompanied by formation of large-scale potash-bearing brines. However, quantitative paleotemperature data are still lacking, hindering reconstruction of Quaternary climate conditions and their control over potash formation. We measured the Th of inclusions in halite from the salt field and the top of Upper Pleistocene strata in Lop Nur. The maximum homogenization temperature (ThMAX) of inclusions in halite from the salt field was 41.1 °C, consistent with the maximum ambient temperature (43.4 °C) in the same period. The ThMAX of inclusions in halite from the Upper Pleistocene strata ranged from 35.6 °C to 43 °C, where maximum air temperatures may have reached 37.9 °C to 45.3 °C. The results show that a hot and arid climate prevailed in Lop Nur at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Furthermore, changes of the brine chemical composition due to supply variations instead of climate change, may have caused glauberite deposition to cease at the end of the Late Pleistocene.

Characteristics and formation mode of salt-bearing series in typical rift valley basin, Eastern China

The Shulu Sag is a typical rift valley basin in Eastern China, where the formation mechanism of Cenozoic salt-bearing series has been poorly understood. In this paper, petrologic analysis, X-ray powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis and the analysis of halite ion concentrations of the first member of the Shahejie Formation from two drilling cores were conducted to interpret the formation mechanism of these salt-bearing series in Shulu Sag. The results indicated that the salt-bearing series is mainly composed of calcilutite or mudstone at top and bottom, and anhydrite-bearing halite and thin interbeds of salt-bearing calcilutite and dark grey shale in the middle part. These thin interbeds with porphyritic or petalshaped glauberite crystals or some thinner dark grey shale interbeds separated halites into several members with the average thickness of only 9~12 cm in the two drilling holes. This typical rhythmic pattern due to frequent alternation of concentration was evidenced by the variation of chemical composition and hydrogen isotopes of halite fluid inclusions. The presence of large number of primary fluid inclusions within chevron crystals and vertically oriented bottom-growth crystals showed that the halite were precipitated in shallow water (<60 cm). These features are direct evidence for this frequent alternation of dissolution and concentration of brines and terrigenous detrital-chemical shallow-water sedimentary model of these small rift-valley basins in Eastern China.

The Formation Model for Marine Potash Deposits within China's Small Continental Blocks

Chinese geologists have always been expecting to find out a large scale of potash deposits in marine basins,but only one small-middle scale industrial solid potash deposit had been found at Mengyejing in Langping-Simao basin