Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology

The Bayanhot Basin is a superimposed basin that experienced multiple-staged tectonic movements; it is in the eastern Alxa Block, adjacent to the North China Craton (NCC) and the North Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB). There are well-developed Paleozoic–Cenozoic strata in this basin, and these provide a c...

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Main Authors: Junfeng Zhao, Yijun Zhou, Ke Wang, Xuan Li, Zhanrong Ma, Zhengzhong Ruan, Dong Wang, Rui Xue
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-05-01
Series:Geoscience Frontiers
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987120302206
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author Junfeng Zhao
Yijun Zhou
Ke Wang
Xuan Li
Zhanrong Ma
Zhengzhong Ruan
Dong Wang
Rui Xue
author_facet Junfeng Zhao
Yijun Zhou
Ke Wang
Xuan Li
Zhanrong Ma
Zhengzhong Ruan
Dong Wang
Rui Xue
author_sort Junfeng Zhao
collection DOAJ
description The Bayanhot Basin is a superimposed basin that experienced multiple-staged tectonic movements; it is in the eastern Alxa Block, adjacent to the North China Craton (NCC) and the North Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB). There are well-developed Paleozoic–Cenozoic strata in this basin, and these provide a crucial window to a greater understanding of the amalgamation process and source-to-sink relationships between the Alxa Block and surrounding tectonic units. However, due to intensive post-depositional modification, and lack of subsurface data, several fundamental issues—including the distribution and evolution of the depositional systems, provenance supplies and source-to-sink relationships during the Carboniferous– Permian remain unclear and thus hinder hydrocarbon exploration and limit the geological understanding of this basin. Employing integrated outcrop surveys, new drilling data, and detrital zircon dating, this study examines the paleogeographic distribution and evolution, and provenance characteristics of the Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin. Our results show that the Bayanhot Basin experienced a long-term depositional evolution process from transgression to retrogression during the Carboniferous–late Permian. The transgression extent could reach the central basin in the early Carboniferous. The maximum regional transgression occurred in the early Permian and might connect the Qilian and North China seas with each other. Subsequently, a gradual regression followed until the end of the Permian. The northwestern NCC appeared as a paleo-uplift area and served as a sediments provenance area for the Alxa Block at that time. The NCC, Bayanwula Mountain, and NQOB jointly served as major provenances during the Carboniferous–Permian. There was no ocean separation, nor was there an orogenic belt between the Alxa Block and the NCC that provided sediments for both sides during the Carboniferous–Permian. The accretion of the Alxa and North China blocks should have been completed before the Carboniferous period.
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spelling doaj.art-05efc1d8ea204d94bb692bcb95459e9e2023-09-03T03:36:26ZengElsevierGeoscience Frontiers1674-98712021-05-01123101088Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronologyJunfeng Zhao0Yijun Zhou1Ke Wang2Xuan Li3Zhanrong Ma4Zhengzhong Ruan5Dong Wang6Rui Xue7State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China; Corresponding author.Changqing Branch of Geophysical Research Institute, BGP, CNPC, Xi'an 710021, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, ChinaExploration and Development Research Institute, Changqing Oilfield Company of PetroChina, Xi'an 710021, ChinaChangqing Branch of Geophysical Research Institute, BGP, CNPC, Xi'an 710021, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, ChinaTwelfth Oil Production Plant, Changqing Oil Field Company of PetroChina, Heshui 745400, ChinaThe Bayanhot Basin is a superimposed basin that experienced multiple-staged tectonic movements; it is in the eastern Alxa Block, adjacent to the North China Craton (NCC) and the North Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB). There are well-developed Paleozoic–Cenozoic strata in this basin, and these provide a crucial window to a greater understanding of the amalgamation process and source-to-sink relationships between the Alxa Block and surrounding tectonic units. However, due to intensive post-depositional modification, and lack of subsurface data, several fundamental issues—including the distribution and evolution of the depositional systems, provenance supplies and source-to-sink relationships during the Carboniferous– Permian remain unclear and thus hinder hydrocarbon exploration and limit the geological understanding of this basin. Employing integrated outcrop surveys, new drilling data, and detrital zircon dating, this study examines the paleogeographic distribution and evolution, and provenance characteristics of the Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin. Our results show that the Bayanhot Basin experienced a long-term depositional evolution process from transgression to retrogression during the Carboniferous–late Permian. The transgression extent could reach the central basin in the early Carboniferous. The maximum regional transgression occurred in the early Permian and might connect the Qilian and North China seas with each other. Subsequently, a gradual regression followed until the end of the Permian. The northwestern NCC appeared as a paleo-uplift area and served as a sediments provenance area for the Alxa Block at that time. The NCC, Bayanwula Mountain, and NQOB jointly served as major provenances during the Carboniferous–Permian. There was no ocean separation, nor was there an orogenic belt between the Alxa Block and the NCC that provided sediments for both sides during the Carboniferous–Permian. The accretion of the Alxa and North China blocks should have been completed before the Carboniferous period.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987120302206Carboniferous–PermianDetrital zircon geochronologyPaleogeographyBayanhot BasinAlxa BlockNorth China Craton
spellingShingle Junfeng Zhao
Yijun Zhou
Ke Wang
Xuan Li
Zhanrong Ma
Zhengzhong Ruan
Dong Wang
Rui Xue
Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
Geoscience Frontiers
Carboniferous–Permian
Detrital zircon geochronology
Paleogeography
Bayanhot Basin
Alxa Block
North China Craton
title Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
title_full Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
title_fullStr Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
title_full_unstemmed Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
title_short Provenance and paleogeography of Carboniferous–Permian strata in the Bayanhot Basin: Constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
title_sort provenance and paleogeography of carboniferous permian strata in the bayanhot basin constraints from sedimentary records and detrital zircon geochronology
topic Carboniferous–Permian
Detrital zircon geochronology
Paleogeography
Bayanhot Basin
Alxa Block
North China Craton
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987120302206
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