The occurrence of red desert soil profiles developed on Nubian Sandstone in the Libyan Sahara is discussed. From an examination of profile morphology in the field and the position of the soils at 970 m on an old land surface, it would be possible to regard them as desert paleosols formed under a previous humid climatic phase during the Quaternary. However, an investigation of the mineralogy of the soils and the underlying parent rocks strongly suggests that the properties of the soils are largely dependent on the parent material. Both have identical patterns of kaolinite content, haematite as the main ferric oxide, and similar proportions of quartz silt and coarse quartz sand. Therefore, the use of kaolinite and ferric oxides in interpreting past soil-forming climates in arid regions needs to be carried out with caution, for in the present case such an interpretation would be unreliable. 相似文献
Large bodies of fluidized sandstone occur in the Jurassic Entrada, Carmel, Page and Navajo Formations at several locations in south‐central Utah. They are most abundant in the Entrada Sandstone, where they commonly occur in clusters, have a cylindrical form and have a sharp contact with their cross‐bedded host rock. These clastic pipes are as wide as 75 m and have exposed heights of as much as 100 m. Some of the Entrada pipes extend well into the underlying Carmel redbeds. Other clastic pipes in the Entrada Sandstone are less deformed and display various degrees of brittle‐to‐hydroplastic deformation and liquefaction. Clastic pipes in the Page and Navajo Sandstones are less common, but are similar in size and form to those in the Entrada and Carmel, and probably have a similar origin. Some massive sandstone bodies are irregular in form and have tongue‐like projections into the host rock, implying forcible injection of fluidized sand. Several pipe–host contacts in the Entrada Sandstone display small‐scale ring faults. Where relative displacement can be clearly demonstrated, pipe sandstones are invariably down‐faulted, locally as much as 5 m. At two sites, Carmel host rock is upwarped around the Entrada pipes. Stratified and cross‐bedded breccia blocks occur in many Entrada pipes, and preliminary petrographic analysis indicates that at least some of these breccia blocks are derived from the host rock. Homogeneous pipe sandstones are also petrographically similar to their Entrada host rock, suggesting that some pipes originate through fluidization of the fine‐grained Entrada. Fluidization of the Entrada must have occurred in a water‐saturated environment during early diagenesis but before complete lithification, most probably under considerable porewater pressure. Although there are no known modern analogues to these huge masses of structureless sandstone, they may have a small‐scale modern counterpart in earthquake‐induced sandblows. These features were most probably caused by large‐magnitude seismic events during the Middle Jurassic, although other possibilities cannot be ruled out at this point. 相似文献
The generic concept of the artificial meteorite experiment STONE is to fix rock samples bearing microorganisms on the heat shield of a recoverable space capsule and to study their modifications during atmospheric re-entry. The STONE-5 experiment was performed mainly to answer astrobiological questions. The rock samples mounted on the heat shield were used (i) as a carrier for microorganisms and (ii) as internal control to verify whether physical conditions during atmospheric re-entry were comparable to those experienced by “real” meteorites. Samples of dolerite (an igneous rock), sandstone (a sedimentary rock), and gneiss impactite from Haughton Crater carrying endolithic cyanobacteria were fixed to the heat shield of the unmanned recoverable capsule FOTON-M2. Holes drilled on the back side of each rock sample were loaded with bacterial and fungal spores and with dried vegetative cryptoendoliths. The front of the gneissic sample was also soaked with cryptoendoliths.
The mineralogical differences between pre- and post-flight samples are detailed. Despite intense ablation resulting in deeply eroded samples, all rocks in part survived atmospheric re-entry. Temperatures attained during re-entry were high enough to melt dolerite, silica, and the gneiss impactite sample. The formation of fusion crusts in STONE-5 was a real novelty and strengthens the link with real meteorites. The exposed part of the dolerite is covered by a fusion crust consisting of silicate glass formed from the rock sample with an admixture of holder material (silica). Compositionally, the fusion crust varies from silica-rich areas (undissolved silica fibres of the holder material) to areas whose composition is “basaltic”. Likewise, the fusion crust on the exposed gneiss surface was formed from gneiss with an admixture of holder material. The corresponding composition of the fusion crust varies from silica-rich areas to areas with “gneiss” composition (main component potassium-rich feldspar). The sandstone sample was retrieved intact and did not develop a fusion crust. Thermal decomposition of the calcite matrix followed by disintegration and liberation of the silicate grains prevented the formation of a melt.
Furthermore, the non-exposed surface of all samples experienced strong thermal alterations. Hot gases released during ablation pervaded the empty space between sample and sample holder leading to intense local heating. The intense heating below the protective sample holder led to surface melting of the dolerite rock and to the formation of calcium-silicate rims on quartz grains in the sandstone sample. 相似文献
Trajectory analysis is the hotspot and research frontier of sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy. Compared with conventional analytical methods, trajectory analysis is aiming at identifying sedimentary systems and predicting sandstone reservoirs more directly. The definition of trajectory analysis has been made by Helland-Hansen as “The study of the lateral and vertical migration of geomorphological features and associated sedimentary environments, with emphasis on the paths and directions of migration”. Based on current research progress, the basic concepts and methods of trajectory analysis, types of basinward-migrating trajectories (ascending, flat and descending), quantitative parameters and the application in predicting deep-water sandstone reservoirs were introduced. Trajectory analysis mainly centers on two scales: Shoreline trajectories and shelf-edge trajectories. The formation of basin-floor fans has close relation with shelf-edge trajectories, and multiple case studies have confirmed that large-scale basin floor fan usually form under flat or descending shelf-edge trajectories. As research advances, trajectory analysis theory, which developed in continental margins, is believed to have been influenced by multiple factors. Thus, the accurate prediction of sandstone reservoirs requires the comprehensive consideration of the influence of sediment supply, accommodation spaces, past climate and so on. In addition, the problems and extensions of trajectory analysis were also introduced, including ①the along-strike lateral differential evolution; ② trajectory analysis theory in hydrological-closed sedimentary basins; ③the application of trajectory analysis in carbonate settings. As a developing theory, the terminology of trajectory analysis still needs standardization, and the coupling between shelf-edge trajectories and the development and distribution of deep-water sandstones also needs further understanding. The next research focus could be placed on interpreting the evolution of three-dimensional sedimentary systems, and the extension of shelf-edge trajectory theory to hydrologically-closed basin and carbonate sedimentary environments. The research methods of trajectory analysis should also follow the newest trends to allow researchers to better study the evolution of shelf-edge trajectories, for instance, integrating high-resolution seismic data and logging data, core samples, outcrops and high-resolution dating techniques to describe ancient sedimentary environment and geomorphology, combining satellite imaging, ground penetrating radar to portray the modern morphology of continental margins, and utilizing remote sensing to construct more precise three-dimensional models for outcrops. 相似文献