Abstract
Pan-riftizational tectonic activity reached climax at Luodianian (Permian) in the East Tethyan Domain, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Because of eruptive volcanics and influence of terrigenous materials, a complex volcanic-sedimentary landform formed on the sea floor in southern Qinghai. Four sedimentary facies types were recognized based on detailed field mapping. Spatially, platform facies volcanic-limestone type was located at the center belt approximately trending NWW, surrounded by shallow water slope facies tuff/tuffite type at the two flanks and deep water slope facies breccia/calcirudite at the most outside. The depression facies sandstone-mudstone type, which comprised mainly mudstone, deposited between volcanic islands (platform facies volcanic-limestone type). Based on the field mapping and stratigraphic section data, seven rift-related sedimentary facies were recognized and a depositional model for volcanic island was proposed. It is revealed that some volcanic island chain formed quickly and intermittently in the Qamdo Block during violent eruption, and small carbonate reef, shoal, platform occurred above or on edge of volcanic island, and some slope sedimentary facies surrounded volcano island chain during dormant period of volcanic activities. Three types of fusulinid assemblages were distinguished in the carbonate rocks, which deposited in varied positions of a palaeo-volcanic island: (1) Misellina-Schwagerina assemblage occurred above or on edge of volcanic island, (2) Parafusulina assemblage was located at restricted depression facies among volcanic islands or carbonate platform, and (3) the reworked Pseudofusulina-Schwagerina assemblage occurred at slope facies near margin of volcanic island, which originally deposited in the shallow-water carbonate platform, then collapsed along the volcanic island margin with fusulinid-bearing grain-supported carbonate conglomerate or calcirudite, and finally re-deposited on the deeper slope. The sedimentary sequence resulting from calm shallow water was deposited at the interior of the Qamdo Block from the Devonian to early Early Permian. At the beginning of the peak period of activity of pan-riftzation (Luodianian), alternate volcanic island and shallow marine environment within continent crust came into being. Uniform and stable shallow-water carbonate platform was formed during the Xiangboan. This suggested that the activity of rift basin was evidently weakened. Subsequently the instability of the basin appreciably increased with the occurrence of basalt in late Kuhfengian. At last the whole Qamdo Block turned into the closure period of rift during the Late Permian.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ren J S, Wang Z X, Chen B W, et al. A Brief Introduction on Tectonic Map of China and Adjacent Areas (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1999. 1–50
Zhang Y F. Tethyan ocean of Hohxil and Baryan Har and their adjacent region. Qinghai Geol (in Chinese), 1991, (1): 1–17
Yin J X, Deng W M, Wen S X, et al. Pre-Jurassic structural evolution of the Transitional Continental Blocks in Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) plateau and its adjacent area. In: Pan Y S, Kong K X, eds., Lithosphere Structures, Evolution and Dynamics of Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau (in Chinese). Guangzhou: Guangdong Sciences and Technology Press, 1998. 217–332
Zhao Z Z, Li Y T, Ye H F, et al. The Tectonic Characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Basin Evolution (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 2001. 102–106
Wang C S, Yi H S, Li Y. The Geological Evolution and Prospective Oil and Gas Assessment of the Qiangtang Basin in Northern Tibetan Plateau (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 2001. 1–249
Wu H R, Boulter C A, Ke B J, et al. The Changning-Menglian suture zone: A segment of the major Cathaysian-Gondwana divide in Southeast Asia. Tectonophysics, 1995, 242: 267–280
Pan G T, Chen Z L, Li X Z, et al. Geological-Tectonic Evolution in the Eastern Tethys (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1997. 1–218
Zhang H Q, Sun X M, Chen X B. Oceanic island-seamount carbonate sedimentary feature and its paleogeographic significance. Geol Sci Technol Infor (in Chinese), 1997, 16(1): 29–33
Roberston A. Rift-related sedimentation and volcanism of the north-Indian margin inferred from a Permian-Triassic exotic block at Lamayuru, Indus suture zone (Labakh Himalaya) and regional comparisons. J Asian Earth Sci, 1998, 16: 159–172
He L Q, Chen K X. Genesis of limestone blocks in Gajinxueshan area of the Jinshajiang suture zone. Geol Miner Res S Chin (in Chinese), 1998, (1): 20–25
Feng Q L. Stratigraphy of volcanic rocks in the Changning-Menglian Belt in southwestern Yunnan, China. J Asian Earth Sci, 2002, 20: 657–664
Ueno K, Wang Y J, Wang X D. Fusulinoidean faunal succession of a paleo-Tethyan oceanic seamount in the Changning-Menglian Belt, West Yunnan, Southwest China: An overview. Isl Arc, 2003, 12: 145–161
Hou L W, Dai B C, Yu R L, et al. Yidun Collided Island-arc Orogenic Belt and Major Metallogenic Series in Western Sichuan (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1994. 6–16
Hu S H, Luo Z W, Zeng Y J, et al. Volcanic-sedimentary Process in Yidun Island Arc (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1992. 7–99
Mángano M G, Buatois L A. Shallow marine sedimentation in a volcanic arc-related setting: The Ordovician Suri Formation, Famatina Basin, northwest Argentina. Sediment Geol, 1996, 105: 63–90
Mángano M G, Buatois L A. Slope-arpon deposition in an Ordovician arc-related setting: the Vuelta de Las Tolas Member (Suri Formation), Famatina Basin, northwest Argentina. Sediment Geol, 1997, 109: 155–180
Wang Y B. Structure and evolution of Middle Permian palaeoseamounts in Bayan Har and its adjacent area. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2005, 48(11): 1848–1858
Wang Y B, Xu G R, Lin Q X, et al. Depositional model of Early Permian reef-island ocean in Eastern Kunlun. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2001, 44(9): 808–815
Wang Y B, Yang H. Middle Permian palaeobiogeography study in Eastern Kunlun, A’nyê maqên and Bayan Har. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2004, 47(12): 1120–1126
Petterson M G, Treloar P J. Volcanostratigraphy of arc volcanic sequences in the Kohistan arc, North Pakistan: Volcanism within island arc, back-arc-basin, and intra-continental tectonic settings. J Volcanol Geotherm Res, 2004, 130: 147–178
Duan Q F, Yang Z Q, Wang J X, et al. Geochemical characteristics of Permian high-Ti basalt in the eastern part of the northern Qiangtang basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Geol Bull Chin (in Chinese), 2006, 25(1–2): 156–162
Ma L Y, Niu Z J, Bai Y S, et al. Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic geochemistry of Permian volcanic rocks from southern qinghai and their geological significance. Earth Sci — J Chin Univ Geosci (in Chinese), 2007, 32(1): 22–28
Compilation Group of Stratigraphic Chart in Qinghai. Regional Stratigraphic Chart in Northwest China — Part of Qinghai Province (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1980. 222–242
Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Qinghai Province. Regional Geology of Qinghai Province (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1991. 1–121
Liu G C, Tian Q. New data of Permian strata in the central sector of the Tanggula Mountains, Qinghai. Region Geol Chin (in Chinese), 1993, (2): 113–120
Liu G C. Age assignment of Kaixinling Group and Wuli Group in the middle Tanggula Mountain. Qinghai Geol (in Chinese), 1993, 2(1): 1–9
Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Qinghai Province. Stratigraphy (Lithostratic) of Qinghai Province (in Chinese). Wuhan: China University of Geosciences Press, 1997. 220–239
Niu Z J, Duan Q F, Wang J X, et al. On the Gadikao Formation in Zhidoi and Zadoi areas, southern Qinghai. J Stratigr (in Chinese), 2006, 30(2): 44–50
Niu Z J, Duan Q F, Wang J X, et al. Discovery of the upper part of the Permian Yanghsinian Series and establishment of the Garizaren and Suojia formations in the Zhidoi-Zadoi area, southern Qinghai, China. Geol Bull Chin (in Chinese), 2006, 25(1–2): 176–182
Selley R C. Ancient Sedimentary Environment. London: Chapman and Hall, 1976. 1–237
Yao H Z. Integrative Stratigraphic Research of Regional Geological Surveying of Orogenic Belt: An Example from Triassic Study of Denglong-Rejia Area, west Sichuan (in Chinese). Wuhan: China University of Geosciences Press, 1994. 60–79
Zhou Z R. Earliest Permian Schwagerina cushmani fusulinid fauna from southeastern Hunan. Acta Palaeontol Sin (in Chinese), 1982, 21 (2): 225–251
Zhang L X. On Swine Limestone. J Stratigr (in Chinese), 1983, 7(3): 184–190
Wang L T, Dong W L, Ye N Z, et al. A discussion of the relationship between fusulinid ecology and hydrodynamic environment-by way of example of Later Chihsia Stage, Early Permian, Guizhou Province. Oil Gas Geol (in Chinese), 1982, 3(3): 231–239
Sheng J Z, Zhang L X, Wang J H. Fusulincean (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1988. 1–240
Robertson A. Rift-related sedimentation and volcanism of the north-Indian margin inferred from a Permian-Triassic exotic block at Lamayuru, Indus suture zone (Ladakh Himalaya) and regional comparisons. J Asian Earth Sci, 1998, 16(2–3): 159–172
Sha J G, Zhang L X, Luo H, et al. On the closure age of the Late Palaeozoic rift in Hohxil, Qinghai. Micropalaeontol Sin (in Chinese), 1992, 9(2): 177–182
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the Basic Geology Survey Plan of China Geological Survey (No. 200213000003)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Niu, Z., Xu, A., Wang, J. et al. Depositional model of Permian Luodianian volcanic island and its impact on the distribution of fusulinid assemblage in southern Qinghai, Northwest China. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 51, 594–607 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0025-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0025-4