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Neoproterozoic sedimentary facies and glacial periods in the southwest of Tarim Block

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Abstract

Based on the analysis of sedimentary facies and chemical index of alteration (CIA) in Nanhua and Ediacaran Systems in the southwest of Tarim Block, some features of glacial records in Neoproterozoic become more clear. Six sedimentary facies have been divided in the study area, including alluvial fan facies, lacustrine facies, glacial facies, littoral facies, neritic facies, and lagoonal facies, showing that this area underwent a process from continent to marine, with mainly littoral and neritic sedimentation. Two cold events have been recognized by analysis of CIA values in the study area, called Bolong and Yutang glaciation, respectively. They present as thick-layer tillite deposition in the Bolong Formation and thin-layer tillite deposition in the Yutang Formation, respectively. The Bolong glacial period in the study area can be correlated to the Yulmeinak glacial period in Aksu area, Tereeken glacial period in Qurugtagh area, and the Nantuo glacial period in South China, which is equivalent to the universally acknowledged Marinoan glacial period. The Yutang glacial period can be correlated to the Hankalchough glacial period in Qurugtagh, which is equivalent to Gaskers glaciation in Newfoundland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    QinLong Tong, Wei Wei & Bei Xu

  2. National Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Information and Image Analysis Technology, Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, Beijing, 100029, China

    QinLong Tong

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  1. QinLong Tong
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  2. Wei Wei
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  3. Bei Xu
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Correspondence to Bei Xu.

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Tong, Q., Wei, W. & Xu, B. Neoproterozoic sedimentary facies and glacial periods in the southwest of Tarim Block. Sci. China Earth Sci. 56, 901–912 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-013-4595-4

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