湖北兴山中寒武统覃家庙群微生物岩及其古环境意义

通过野外考察及对岩石光面的观察,发现湖北兴山古洞口剖面中寒武统覃家庙群微生物岩的类型主要为波状-半球状叠层石,少量为凝块石。显微镜下观察发现叠层石及凝块石中保存有蓝绿菌类丝状微生物Girvanella,依据Girvanella丝状体在微生物岩中的赋存状态,认为覃家庙群的微生物岩是由底栖微生物群落的钙化和粘结、捕获等共同作用形成的。此外,古洞口剖面中寒武统微生物岩的宏观形态和巨型构造及其伴生的碳酸岩沉积相,指示其形成环境位于深潮下带和浅潮下带。通过对比研究,发现扬子地块表现出的中寒武世微生物岩再繁盛现象具有全球性,推测后生动物的匮乏或衰退是其主要控制因子,反映了生物礁结构由元古代的叠层石礁演变为显生宙的后生生物礁的重要转折。     

川北米仓山地区灯影组微生物碳酸盐岩发育特征

四川盆地北部上震旦统灯影组是天然气的重点勘探层位。应用沉积学理论,参考微生物岩研究最新进展,以川北米仓山地区杨坝灯影组剖面为研究对象,通过剖面实测、薄片鉴定,发现灯影组白云岩中发育大量球状蓝细菌、丝状蓝细菌。前者形成了房室型、树枝型、链球型蓝细菌集合体;后者形态可分为管型、叠层型、凝块型。岩石学特征研究揭示蓝细菌参与到碳酸盐岩的沉积和成岩作用中,形成了叠层石、凝块石、团块、核形石,并对砂屑进行了局部钻孔改造。这些微生物形成了黏结型生物礁、骨架型生物礁,广泛发育在潮间-潮下带中。在此基础上,建立了微生物碳酸盐岩沉积模式。     

安徽东至早奥陶世红花园组生物礁:奥陶纪生物大辐射前的微生物礁

通过对安徽东至建新剖面红花园组的生物礁、微生物岩进行研究,发现蓝绿菌类Girvanella在生物礁中大量分布,是生物礁的主要造礁成分.其他造礁生物包括瓶筐虫、石海绵、腹足类、腕足类、棘皮类等.Girvanella以散乱分布、包壳、组成内碎屑以及与海绵伴生等4种方式在本区生物礁中存在,并且在生物礁成礁过程中以生物本体矿化作用及粘结、捕获颗粒的作用形成生物礁格架;瓶筐虫及石海绵为生物礁中的居住者,因此,生物礁性质为瓶筐虫/石海绵-微生物礁,微生物起到了主要的造礁作用.此外红花园组典型含生物礁沉积序列是由底部的生屑灰岩基底、中部的海绵层(少量微生物岩)及顶部的微生物岩组成的.通过与其他地区同时代生物礁的对比发现,东至建新剖面红花园组中瓶筐虫/石海绵-微生物礁的发育及微生物的繁盛是全球性的,是由于底栖生物扰动对潮下带微生物发育影响尚未彰显造成的.     

安徽东至早奥陶世红花园组生物礁:奥陶纪生物大辐射前的微生物礁

通过对安徽东至建新剖面红花园组的生物礁、微生物岩进行研究,发现蓝绿菌类Girvanella在生物礁中大量分布,是生物礁的主要造礁成分。其他造礁生物包括瓶筐虫、石海绵、腹足类、腕足类、棘皮类等。Girvanella以散乱分布、包壳、组成内碎屑以及与海绵伴生等4种方式在本区生物礁中存在,并且在生物礁成礁过程中以生物本体矿化作用及粘结、捕获颗粒的作用形成生物礁格架;瓶筐虫及石海绵为生物礁中的居住者,因此,生物礁性质为瓶筐虫/石海绵-微生物礁,微生物起到了主要的造礁作用。此外红花园组典型含生物礁沉积序列是由底部的生屑灰岩基底、中部的海绵层(少量微生物岩)及顶部的微生物岩组成的。通过与其他地区同时代生物礁的对比发现,东至建新剖面红花园组中瓶筐虫/石海绵-微生物礁的发育及微生物的繁盛是全球性的,是由于底栖生物扰动对潮下带微生物发育影响尚未彰显造成的。     

贵州罗甸大文二叠三叠系界线剖面海平面变化及其全球对比

对华南地区贵州罗甸大文剖面早三叠世早期的凝块石进行了系统的沉积学描述,区分出斑状、层状、枝状和网状4种中型构造。凝块石所具有的沉积构造特征和岩石学统计数据表明其形成于潮下带沉积环境,其中,斑状和层状中型构造的凝块石形成于能量较低的深潮下带,而枝状和网状中型构造的凝块石形成于能量较高的浅潮下带。18个向上变浅的沉积旋回显示Hindeodus parvus带内部海平面逐渐降低;Isarcicellastaeschei带和I.isarcica带早期,海平面降到最低,之后海平面开始升高。通过与其他地区二叠–三叠系界线剖面的海平面变化情况对比发现,全球普遍存在二叠–三叠纪之交的海平面下降,而大文剖面早三叠世早期的H.parvus带、I.staeschei带和I.isarcica带的海平面变化情况在古特提斯洋范围内可以广泛对比,可能主要受到全球海平面变化的影响。     

辽西葫芦岛三道沟剖面张夏组鲕粒滩中高能核形石沉积特征及成因机制分析

通过电子显微镜对辽西葫芦岛市三道沟剖面顶部鲕粒滩中发育的高能泥晶核形石进行观察,在低倍正交偏光显微镜下核形石皮层大多为明暗交替的纹层,少数不发育纹层,核心多为生物骨架化石碎片;高倍镜下,核形石皮层和核形石间凝块(clots)分别表现为密集的顺层排列,由不规则网状的归为葛万菌组合(Girvanella Group)的丝状钙化蓝细菌鞘化石构成,表明核形石形成于高能氧化水体中球状光合作用微生物席或微生物膜内的复杂的钙化作用和早期石化过程。     

四川盆地西部震旦系灯影组沉积储层特征

四川盆地西部地区上震旦统灯影组埋藏较深,目前研究程度和勘探程度较低。本文选取川西地区的典型露头剖面和钻井剖面,对灯影组的沉积储层特征进行研究。川西地区灯影组发育台地边缘微生物丘滩体建造和台内微生物浅滩建造。台地边缘微生物礁滩体建造主要发育在川西地区北段和中段,灯二段以凝块石、泡沫绵层石和似葡萄石为主,灯四段发育纹层石、叠层石和泡沫绵层石。台内浅滩建造主要发育在川西地区南段,主要为纹层-叠层石、泡沫绵层石、凝块石和残余砂屑白云岩等。储层主要发育在灯二段上部和灯四段上部,厚度为80~310m。灯二段储集空间以凝块间溶孔、微生物格架孔、葡萄-花边状孔洞和岩溶孔洞为主;灯四段以窗格孔、晶间溶孔和岩溶孔洞为主,储层沥青发育。川西地区灯影组具有规模性储层,紧邻下寒武统优质烃源岩,勘探潜力较大。     

桑托斯盆地白垩系湖相碳酸盐岩微生物礁滩的成因

巴西桑托斯盆地为典型的南大西洋被动大陆边缘含盐盆地,裂谷期白垩系Barra Velha组发育湖相碳酸盐岩微生物礁滩,是盐下含油气系统主要储层,叠层石微生物灰岩是组成微生物礁滩的主要岩石成分。本文通过地震剖面的振幅反射结构、钻井岩性剖面、岩心观察、岩心薄片分析,研究微生物礁滩主要特征。叠层石颗粒组成岩石格架,粒间孔发育,是优质储层,主要分布在东部隆起带上。鲕粒灰岩颗粒为叠层石,颗粒形态多样、大小不一,为叠层石微生物礁破碎后就近堆积、经波浪改造后的产物。桑托斯盆地湖相碳酸盐岩微生物礁滩的形成主要受控于古环境、水体深度变化及藻类改造作用。     

滇东地区早寒武世磷块岩的藻类化石

滇东早寒武世磷块岩薄片中发现大量藻类化石。本文所讨论的磷质藻类化石主要有:球状藻类、丝状藻类、疑源类、叠层石类、核形石类和花纹石类(凝块石类)等27个属种(或型),它们构成各种颗粒磷块岩、叠层石磷块岩、藻丘磷块岩,是磷块岩富矿的主要组分,P_2O_5可达30—37％。这些多门类的藻类化石,为生物成磷作用和成矿环境提供了主要依据,也为震旦—寒武系界线划分提供了新的资料。     

燕山西段前寒武系雾迷山组叠层石的环境意义

叠层石广泛见于燕山西段前寒武系雾迷山组,文中将其分为六种类型:核形石、凝块石、层状叠层石、波状叠层石、锥状叠层石和柱状叠层石。叠层石形态的变化由前向后代表由低能向高能的环境转变,其中以层状叠层石在雾迷山组最为丰富。研究表明,在当时无捕食动物与钻孔动物存在的情况下,大多数叠层石发育于潮下带环境。层状和波状叠层石主要出现在潮下高能带的下部,少量见于受保护的潮间环境。潮下层状和波状叠层石以其色深、纹层密集、缺乏干裂收缩缝和窗格状组构区别于潮间带。锥柱状叠层石出现于潮间带和潮下高能带的上部;潮间带的锥柱状叠层石可能因暴露干裂而继承性地有壁,但潮下带的却可能没有。核形石和凝块石占据着泻湖和水下凹地(生物丘之间的低洼地或废弃潮汐沟道)等低能环境。燕山西段的叠层石罕见于潮上带和波基面之下的潮下低能带。     

Modern freshwater microbialite analogues for ancient dendritic reef structures

Microbialites are organosedimentary structures that can be constructed by a variety of metabolically distinct taxa. Consequently, microbialite structures abound in the fossil record, although the exact nature of the biogeochemical processes that produced them is often unknown. One such class of ancient calcareous structures, Epiphyton and Girvanella, appear in great abundance during the Early Cambrian. Together with Archeocyathids, stromatolites and thrombolites, they formed major Cambrian reef belts. To a large extent, Middle to Late Cambrian reefs are similar to Precambrian reefs, with the exception that the latter, including terminal Proterozoic reefs, do not contain Epiphyton or Girvanella. Here we report the discovery in Pavilion Lake, British Columbia, Canada, of a distinctive assemblage of freshwater calcite microbialites, some of which display microstructures similar to the fabrics displayed by Epiphyton and Girvanella. The morphologies of the modern microbialites vary with depth, and dendritic microstructures of the deep water (> 30 m) mounds indicate that they may be modern analogues for the ancient calcareous structures. These microbialites thus provide an opportunity to study the biogeochemical interactions that produce fabrics similar to those of some enigmatic Early Cambrian reef structures.     

湖南新化至涟源下石炭统葛万藻(Girvanella)及其沉积环境的讨论

本文报道了在湖南新化至涟源早石炭世大塘阶,这一重要舍煤地层中所发现的葛万藻属Girvanella的两个种。它们是杜切葛万藻G.ducii和中华葛万藻G.sinensis。这些化石的发现说明该区域葛万藻化石产出的层位,其沉积环境可能是海水较浅、清静、水动力小的低能环境;其沉积位置可能是在相当于陆棚上部的地方。本文还就葛万藻属的分类标准问题进行了讨论。     

Biodiversity and biogeography of phages in modern stromatolites and thrombolites

Viruses, and more particularly phages (viruses that infect bacteria), represent one of the most abundant living entities in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The biogeography of phages has only recently been investigated and so far reveals a cosmopolitan distribution of phage genetic material (or genotypes). Here we address this cosmopolitan distribution through the analysis of phage communities in modern microbialites, the living representatives of one of the most ancient life forms on Earth. On the basis of a comparative metagenomic analysis of viral communities associated with marine (Highborne Cay, Bahamas) and freshwater (Pozas Azules II and Rio Mesquites, Mexico) microbialites, we show that some phage genotypes are geographically restricted. The high percentage of unknown sequences recovered from the three metagenomes (>97%), the low percentage similarities with sequences from other environmental viral (n = 42) and microbial (n = 36) metagenomes, and the absence of viral genotypes shared among microbialites indicate that viruses are genetically unique in these environments. Identifiable sequences in the Highborne Cay metagenome were dominated by single-stranded DNA microphages that were not detected in any other samples examined, including sea water, fresh water, sediment, terrestrial, extreme, metazoan-associated and marine microbial mats. Finally, a marine signature was present in the phage community of the Pozas Azules II microbialites, even though this environment has not been in contact with the ocean for tens of millions of years. Taken together, these results prove that viruses in modern microbialites display biogeographical variability and suggest that they may be derived from an ancient community.     

Calcimicrobialite after end-Permian mass extinction in South China and its palaeoenvironmental significance

Calcimicrobialites, which could be correlated to the layer 27 in Meishan section according to the Hindeodus parvus, occur abruptly on the end-Permian mass extinction boundary in South China. Microbialites mainly distribute on the top of reef facies or shallow carbonate platforms, thinning into deep facies. All the microbialites discovered are composed of micrite and coarse crystal digitate carbonate or patch carbonate. Microfossils usually dominate in the microbialites, and small gastropods, bivalves and ostracodes can also be found. This fossil assemblage represents a simple but particular remanent biota after the end-Permian mass extinction on the top of reefs or shallow carbonate platforms.Abrupt occurrence of microbialites above the mass extinction boundary is the ecological response to the end-Permian global event in reef or shallow carbonate facies. Many studies have been done on the Permian-Triassic boundary and event in deep water facies sections or middle to lower shelf facies sections. However, the calcimicrobialites in South China are mainly located above reef facies or shallow carbonate platform facies. It will surely be helpful for people to know more about the different responses in different depths of ancient marine environment during the transition between Permian and Triassic by the study of petrology,palaeontology and palaeoecology of the calcimicrobialites.     

Microbialite resurgence after the Late Ordovician extinction

Microbialites, including biogenic stromatolites, thrombolites and dendrolites, were formed by various microbial mats that trapped and bound sediments or formed the locus of mineral precipitation. Microbialites were common and diverse during the Proterozoic, but declined in abundance and morphological diversity when multicellular life diversified during the Cambrian Radiation. A second decline occurred during the Ordovician Radiation of marine animals, and from then until the present microbialites have been confined largely to high-stress environments where multicellular organisms are rare. The microbialite declines in the Phanerozoic are attributed to disruption of the mats by animals. A resurgence of stromatolite abundance and size during reduced animal diversity after the Permian extinction has been documented anecdotally. Here we show, with statistical support, that a microbialite resurgence also occurred after the Late Ordovician extinction event in western North America. The resurgences were associated with loss of mat-inhibiting animals, providing insights into shallow-water community structures after extinction events.     

川东北寒武纪盐盆成盐环境及其找钾意义

 四川盆地东北部寒武系蒸发盐发育,该区钻孔见有高矿化度卤水,建南地区中寒武统覃家庙组沉积厚层石膏及石盐(建深1 井),钻遇石盐累计厚度达120 m,各盐层之间仅夹有薄层石膏,石盐单层最厚达80 m(可能存在挤压增厚),结束了对于本区未达到石盐沉积的认识.对建深1 井岩盐沉积段岩屑样品(石盐岩屑尚难识别其是原生石盐还是次生石盐)的溴氯系数进行分析得出,其溴氯系数值相对较低,一般为0.05~0.22.将水溶与酸溶的钾离子百分含量进行对比,酸溶的钾离子含量明显高于水溶钾离子含量,约为水溶的1.3~2.0 倍,可能与石盐岩屑中存在较难溶于水的含钾矿物有关.川东北现有多口井钻遇寒武系高矿化度含(富)钾、溴、锂卤水,其含量最高可分别达4.6 g/L、886 mg/L 和148 mg/L,可进行综合利用.研究认为该区卤水的较高,Li⁺含量既不是完全由海水浓缩而成的沉积卤水,更不是溶滤盐类的结果,推测与该地区的水-岩作用、火山活动与深部来源的热水有关.综合分析本区的成钾条件和亚洲寒武系成盐成钾的广泛性,认为应关注及加强研究该区成盐找钾.     

Two episodes of microbial change coupled with Permo/Triassic faunal mass extinction

Microbial expansion following faunal mass extinctions in Earth history can be studied by petrographic examination of microbialites (microbial crusts) or well-preserved organic-walled microbes. However, where preservation is poor, quantification of microbial communities can be problematic. We have circumvented this problem by adopting a lipid biomarker-based approach to evaluate microbial community changes across the Permo/Triassic (P/Tr) boundary at Meishan in South China. We present here a biomarker stratigraphic record showing episodic microbial changes coupled with a high-resolution record of invertebrate mass extinction. Variation in the microbial community structure is characterized by the 2-methylhopane (2-MHP) index (a ratio of the abundance of cyanobacterial biomarkers to more general bacterial biomarkers). Two episodes of faunal mass extinction were each preceded by minima in the 2-MHP index, followed by strong maxima, likely reflecting microbial responses to the catastrophic events that caused the extinction and initiated ecosystem changes. Hence, both cyanobacterial biomarker and invertebrate fossil records provide evidence for two episodes of biotic crisis across the P/Tr boundary.