Cyclostratigraphic study of the Neoproterozoic Browne-Hussar formations in western Australia

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2022.9.9

Abstract

Abstract:

Current cyclostratigraphic researches mainly focus on the Phanerozoic strata whilst the Precambrian era—the longest span of geological time in Earth’s history—is less studied. The Officer Basin in western Australia possesses well-preserved mid-Neoproterozoic (~800 Ma) successions. The Lancer 1 well, located in the western Officer Basin, has recovered ~750 m of continuous sedimentary strata of the Neoproterozoic Browne-Hussar formations, mainly interbeded with sandstone and mudstone and occasional dolomite, showing great promise for the cyclostratigraphic analysis. In this study, the gamma-ray logging data of the Browne-Hussar formations are used as paleoclimate proxy. Spectral analysis shows that the wavelength ratios of the cycles in the 940-1 200 m mudstone interval of the Hussar Formation correspond to the hierarchies of the Milankovitch cycles, where sedimentary cycles, defined as 34 m, 8-10 m, 1.8-2.7 m or 1.2-1.4 m thick cycles, can be interpreted to correspond respectively to the Milankovitch long-eccentricity, short-eccentricity, obliquity and precession cycles. After calibrating to the 405-ka long-eccentricity cycle, a floating astronomical timescale is established for the mudstone interval of the Hussar Formation and the periods of the four Milankovitch cycles are estimated to be 405 ka, 127 ka, 27-34 ka and 15.2-18.1 ka, respectively. Based on the obliquity period of (27±0.7) ka, the Earth-Moon distance and the length of day (LOD) are calculated to be (362 935±1 495) km and (20.56±0.2) h, respectively. These results represent the first report on climate cycles in the Early-Neoproterozoic (~800 Ma) in response to orbital forcing, which provides a key reference to elucidating the evolution of the Earth-Moon system.

Key words: Neoproterozoic, Browne-Hussar formations, cyclostratigraphy, Milankovitch cycles

CLC Number:

P532
P539.2

YANG Kunkun, LI Haiyan, ZHAO Hanqing, CHU Runjian, LIU Guanghong, WU Huaichun, ZHANG Shihong. Cyclostratigraphic study of the Neoproterozoic Browne-Hussar formations in western Australia[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2023, 30(3): 441-451.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig.1 Geological setting of well Lancer 1

Fig.2 Cyclostratigraphic analysis results based on NGR record for the Browne-Hussar formations

Table 1 Description of equation parameters used in the cyclostratigraphic analysis

符号	值	定义
G	6.67408×10^-11m³/(kg·s²)	重力常数
E_D	0.003273787	地球动力轨率
A	8.008×10³⁷kg/m²	地球赤道惯性矩
C	8.034×10³⁷kg/m²	地球的极惯性矩
$I ⊂$	5.156690°	月球轨道在黄道面上的倾角
e	0.016708634	地球轨道偏心率
$e ⊂$	0.05554553	月球轨道的偏心率
ε	23.43928°	地球倾斜度
a	1.4959802×10¹¹m	地球轨道的半主轴
$a ⊂$	3.833978×10⁸m	月球轨道的半主轴
$m ☉$	1.98855×10³⁰kg	太阳质量
$m ⊂$	7.34767309×10²²kg	月球质量
$ω$		地质历史时期地球自转速率
$ω 0$	7.2921150×10^-5rad/s	现在地球自转速率
$α$		地质历史时期的地月距离
$α 0$	3.833978×10⁸m	现在的地月距离

Table 1 Description of equation parameters used in the cyclostratigraphic analysis

符号	值	定义
G	6.67408×10^-11m³/(kg·s²)	重力常数
E_D	0.003273787	地球动力轨率
A	8.008×10³⁷kg/m²	地球赤道惯性矩
C	8.034×10³⁷kg/m²	地球的极惯性矩
$I ⊂$	5.156690°	月球轨道在黄道面上的倾角
e	0.016708634	地球轨道偏心率
$e ⊂$	0.05554553	月球轨道的偏心率
ε	23.43928°	地球倾斜度
a	1.4959802×10¹¹m	地球轨道的半主轴
$a ⊂$	3.833978×10⁸m	月球轨道的半主轴
$m ☉$	1.98855×10³⁰kg	太阳质量
$m ⊂$	7.34767309×10²²kg	月球质量
$ω$		地质历史时期地球自转速率
$ω 0$	7.2921150×10^-5rad/s	现在地球自转速率
$α$		地质历史时期的地月距离
$α 0$	3.833978×10⁸m	现在的地月距离

Fig.3 MTM spectra for NGR record for core sections A-D, Browne-Hussar formations

Table 2 ~800 Ma Milankovitch cycles and corresponding deposition depths of mudstone interval B, Hussar Formation, well Lancer 1

名称	周期/ka	NGR序列周期/m
名称	Waltham^[58]	Hussar组泥岩段(B段)
长偏心率	405	34
短偏心率	125 95	8~10
斜率	28.9±5.1	1.8~2.7
岁差	18.9±2.2 18.1±2.0 15.8±1.6 15.9±1.6	1.2~1.4
比率	23∶7 ∶ 1.6 ∶1	24~28∶6.6~7.1∶1.5~1.9∶1

Fig.4 NGR record for the mudstone interval, Hussar Formation after Gaussian filtering

Fig.5 Cyclostratigraphy analysis results based on NGR record (after Gaussian filtering) for the mudstone interval of the Hussar Formation

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