Abstract
Cambrian System at the Shatan Section in northern Henan, North China, consists of sedimentary successions of tidal flat and shallow-water carbonate platform facies. Data of carbon isotope (δ13Ccarb) from this section reveals five positive δ13Ccarb (Pst-l–Pst-5) and five negative δ13Ccarb excursions (Nst-l–Nst-5). In the positive excursions, δ13Ccarb rises to 0.88‰, 1.05‰, 2.04‰, 1.00‰ and 2.97‰, respectively, while in the negative excursions δ13Ccarb drops to −8.00‰, −3.50‰, −1.00‰, −0.33‰ and around −2.00‰, respectively. On the basis of chronostratigraphy of Cambrian, the most remarkable carbon isotope excursions can be correlated regionally and globally. In addition, one second-order and ten third-order sequences have been recognized at this section. Correlating third-order sequences and chemostratigraphy indicates that carbonates from the basal part of the transgression system tract (TST) and the upper part of the high-water system (LHST) generally have lighter δ13Ccarb values, whereas massive carbonates with microbialite from the lower part of the high-water system tract (EHST) usually have heavier δ13Ccarb values. The association of δ13Ccarb values with sea-level fluctuations suggests that the positive carbon isotope excursions or high δ13Ccarb values may have been caused by an increase in the marine primary productivity in response to maximum seawater flooding during the transgression.
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Acknowledgments
This article was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41672028 and 41672002) and the 2020 Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Henan. Senior Geologists Guodian Bai, Fengjun Du, and Geological Engineer Xi Wang from the Henan Institute of Geological Survey and Geological Engineers Genshe Ju, Bingjun Jiao from the Henan Institute of Geological Research assisted with the geological field work. Carbon and oxygen isotope tests were performed in cooperation with the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). We would like to express our gratitude to all experts for their contributions to this research. We are also very grateful to the reviewers and the editors for their valuable comments on this article. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-021-1463-6.
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Zuo, J., Zhu, X., Chen, Y. et al. Carbon Isotope from Shallow Marine System in North China: Implications for Stratigraphical Correlation and Sea-Level Changes in Cambrian. J. Earth Sci. 34, 1777–1792 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-021-1463-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-021-1463-6