Geochemical Characteristics and the Sedimentary Environment of Lower Cambrian Argillaceous Rocks on the Kongquehe Slope, Tarim Basin, China

Kai Shang, Jingchun Tian, Haitao Lv, Xiang Zhang, Jian Li and Yue Zhang
Additional contact information
Kai Shang: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Jingchun Tian: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Haitao Lv: Exploration and Development Research Institute, SINOPEC Northwest China Company, Urumchi 830011, China
Xiang Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Jian Li: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Yue Zhang: Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: The deposition of the Lower Cambrian argillaceous rocks on the Kongquehe slope provides a good opportunity to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Tarim Basin. To explore the paleoredox conditions, paleoclimate, and provenance of this deposit, 21 samples were collected from Well A, and the concentrations of major and trace elements were analyzed. The V/(V + Ni), V/Cr, Ni/Co, U/Th, Uau, and V/Sc ratios indicated that the sediments in the water body from the Lower Cambrian were in a reducing environment, and the degree of reduction weakened from the bottom to the top. The Sr/Cu, Mg/Ca, and Fe/Mn ratios in the sediments revealed that the Lower Cambrian was mainly characterized by a warm and humid paleoclimate, and there may be a paleoclimatic transition toward drought conditions as recorded by the sediments of Xidashan Formation. The chemical alteration index, compositional variation index, plagioclase alteration index values, and Th/U and K/Rb ratios of the Lower Cambrian mudstone all reflected that the parent rock in the study area was mainly subject to low- to medium-degree chemical weathering. Longitudinally, the Lower Cambrian gradually increased and then weakened from Xishanbulake Formation to Xidashan Formation. The ratios of trace elements and rare earth elements as well as Th–Sc–Zr/10, Th–Co–Zr/10, and ∑REE–La/Yb diagrams all showed that the mudstones of Xishanbulake and Xidashan Formations of the Lower Cambrian in the study area have a common parent rock type, mainly sedimentary rocks rich in felsic minerals. Additionally, the structural setting discrimination diagrams of SiO 2 –K 2 O/Na 2 O, Th–Sc–Zr/10, Th–Co–Zr/10, and La–Th–Sc showed that the structural setting of the Lower Cambrian mudstone deposition is mainly a continental island arc environment and has the characteristics of an active continental margin.

Keywords: geochemical characteristics; mudstone; Lower Cambrian; Tarim Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/15/5400/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/15/5400/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:15:p:5400-:d:872274

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().