Geochemical Characteristics of the Middle Jurassic Coal-Bearing Mudstones in the Dameigou Area (Qaidam Basin, NW China): Implications for Paleoclimate, Paleoenvironment, and Organic Matter Accumulation.

The Qaidam Basin is a prominent oil and gas exploration and production base of NW China's Jurassic coal-bearing strata. Coal-bearing mudstones are important source rocks for unconventional reservoirs and can record valuable paleoenvironment and paleoclimate information. Here, geochemical analysis including total organic carbon (TOC), total sulfur, organic carbon isotopic composition, rock pyrolysis, X-ray diffraction, and major and trace elements were carried out on mudstone samples from the Middle Jurassic coal-bearing strata of the Dameigou section in the Qaidam Basin to reveal the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions during the deposition of the strata and their controls on organic matter accumulation. Results show that the Middle Jurassic Dameigou and Shimengou formations include three significant stages based on their average TOC values of (3.32%, Stage I; 0.87%, Stage II; and 4.42%, Stage III) from the bottom to the top. The organic matter in mudstones in Stages I and II are mainly derived from terrestrial higher plants, while the organic matter has mixed sources of higher plant debris and lower aquatic organisms in Stage III. Paleoclimate parameters indicate that the mudstones in Stage I were deposited under humid and warm conditions, while the climate in Stage II changed to semiarid and warm conditions before turning dry and hot in Stage III. The varying paleoenvironmental characteristics under different paleoclimatic conditions have also been reconstructed. Our results suggest that the accumulation of organic matter in Stages I and II was primarily controlled by redox conditions, while paleoproductivity is the major controlling factor for organic matter accumulation in Stage III.

Coalbed Methane Enrichment Characteristics and Exploration Target Selection in the Zhuozishan Coalfield of the Western Ordos Basin, China.

The Zhuozishan coalfield at the western margin of the Ordos Basin is one of the main coal-mining areas in China, and recent explorations have revealed the great potential for coalbed methane (CBM) resources in its Carboniferous and Permian strata. In this paper, the controlling factors of CBM enrichment of the major coals are studied in this coalfield and the CBM resources are estimated based on the analysis of the coal petrology and compilation of literature data on the gas content. The result of the coal petrology analysis of 10 samples shows that the vitrinite content of No. 16 coal (71.9-77.3%) is higher than that of No. 9 coal (59.1-65.1%), and the inertinite content of No. 16 coal (18.9-23.5%) is lower than that of No. 9 coal (30.1-34.9%). The R o,max value of No. 16 coal (1.18-1.35%) is higher than that of No. 9 coal (1.04-1.13%), and both coals are of medium rank. Due to greater thickness, deeper burial depth, and better coal petrology characteristics, the No. 16 coal seam of the Taiyuan Formation is selected as the major coal seam for CBM resource estimation, which has a thickness of 1-6 m and a present-day burial depth of 200-1100 m. The gas content of this coal seam varies mostly between 4 and 10 m3/t. Positive correlation between the coal seam thickness as well as present-day burial depth and the gas content suggests that the thick and deeply buried coal seams are favorable for CBM preservation. The ash yield shows an insignificant negative correlation with the gas content, indicating that ash yield is not an important factor for CBM enrichment. The syncline hinges located below the thrust zones show higher gas content due to greater burial depths. In contrast, the anticline hinges at shallower depths tend to have lower gas contents. Based on the combined information about sedimentary environments, structural patterns, and hydrogeology, two CBM accumulation models are put forward in the study area that include syncline-hydraulic plugging below thrust nappe and fault-confined aquifer plugging. The volumetric method is used to estimate the CBM resources, and results indicate that the CBM resource in the whole coalfield is 428.78 × 108 m3, and the total resource abundance is 0.74 × 108 m3/km2. Two favorable areas for the CBM exploration are optimized based on the resource amount and resource abundance. One of the favorable areas is the Kabuqi area in the northern part of the coalfield, and another is the Baiyunwusu area in the central part of the coalfield. These two areas will be the CBM priority exploration areas at the western margin of the Ordos Basin.

Volcanically driven lacustrine ecosystem changes during the Carnian Pluvial Episode (Late Triassic).

The Late Triassic Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE) saw a dramatic increase in global humidity and temperature that has been linked to the large-scale volcanism of the Wrangellia large igneous province. The climatic changes coincide with a major biological turnover on land that included the ascent of the dinosaurs and the origin of modern conifers. However, linking the disparate cause and effects of the CPE has yet to be achieved because of the lack of a detailed terrestrial record of these events. Here, we present a multidisciplinary record of volcanism and environmental change from an expanded Carnian lake succession of the Jiyuan Basin, North China. New U-Pb zircon dating, high-resolution chemostratigraphy, and palynological and sedimentological data reveal that terrestrial conditions in the region were in remarkable lockstep with the large-scale volcanism. Using the sedimentary mercury record as a proxy for eruptions reveals four discrete episodes during the CPE interval (ca. 234.0 to 232.4 Ma). Each eruptive phase correlated with large, negative C isotope excursions and major climatic changes to more humid conditions (marked by increased importance of hygrophytic plants), lake expansion, and eutrophication. Our results show that large igneous province eruptions can occur in multiple, discrete pulses, rather than showing a simple acme-and-decline history, and demonstrate their powerful ability to alter the global C cycle, cause climate change, and drive macroevolution, at least in the Triassic.

Effects of different tillage and straw return on soil organic carbon in a rice-wheat rotation system.

Soil management practices, such as tillage method or straw return, could alter soil organic carbon (C) contents. However, the effects of tillage method or straw return on soil organic C (SOC) have showed inconsistent results in different soil/climate/cropping systems. The Yangtze River Delta of China is the main production region of rice and wheat, and rice-wheat rotation is the most important cropping system in this region. However, few studies in this region have been conducted to assess the effects of different tillage methods combined with straw return on soil labile C fractions in the rice-wheat rotation system. In this study, a field experiment was used to evaluate the effects of different tillage methods, straw return and their interaction on soil total organic C (TOC) and labile organic C fractions at three soil depths (0-7, 7-14 and 14-21 cm) for a rice-wheat rotation in Yangzhong of the Yangtze River Delta of China. Soil TOC, easily oxidizable C (EOC), dissolved organic C (DOC) and microbial biomass C (MBC) contents were measured in this study. Soil TOC and labile organic C fractions contents were significantly affected by straw returns, and were higher under straw return treatments than non-straw return at three depths. At 0-7 cm depth, soil MBC was significantly higher under plowing tillage than rotary tillage, but EOC was just opposite. Rotary tillage had significantly higher soil TOC than plowing tillage at 7-14 cm depth. However, at 14-21 cm depth, TOC, DOC and MBC were significantly higher under plowing tillage than rotary tillage except for EOC. Consequently, under short-term condition, rice and wheat straw both return in rice-wheat rotation system could increase SOC content and improve soil quality in the Yangtze River Delta.

[Short-term effects of different tillage modes combined with straw-returning on the soil labile organic carbon components in a farmland with rice-wheat double cropping].

A two-year (2009-2011) field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different tillage modes, straw-returning, and their interactions on the soil total organic carbon (TOC) and labile organic carbon (LOC) components (easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC)) at the soil depths of 0-7, 7-14, and 14-21 cm in a farmland with rice-wheat double cropping. In all treatments of straw-returning, the TOC and LOC contents in each soil layer were significantly higher than those without straw-returning. Under plowing tillage, the MBC content in 0-7 cm soil layer was significantly higher than that under rotary tillage, but the EOC content was in adverse. Rotary tillage made the TOC content in 7 - 14 cm soil layer being significantly higher, as compared with plowing tillage. The TOC, WSOC, and MBC contents in 14-21 cm soil layer under plowing tillage were significantly higher than those under rotary tillage. Plowing tillage combined with rice and wheat straws-returning made the soil TOC content being higher than the other treatments.

[Effects of different fertilization modes on paddy field topsoil organic carbon content and carbon sequestration duration in South China].

Based on the organic carbon data of 222 topsoil samples taken from 38 paddy field experiment sites in South China, calculations were made on the relative annual change of topsoil organic carbon content (RAC) and carbon sequestration duration in the paddy fields in South China under five fertilization modes (inorganic nitrogen fertilization, N; inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, NP; inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization, NPK; organic fertilization, O; and inorganic plus organic fertilization, OF). The RAC under the fertilizations was 0-0.4 g x kg(-1) x a(-1), with an increment of 0.20 and 0.26 g x kg(-1) x a(-1) in double and triple cropping systems, respectively. The RAC was higher in treatments O and OF than in treatments N, NP, and NPK, being the highest (0.32 g x kg(-1) x a(-1)) in treatment OF. The topsoil organic carbon accumulation rate decreased with increasing time, and the carbon sequestration duration in treatments N, NP, NPK, O, and OF was about 22, 28, 38, 57, and 54 years, respectively. Inorganic plus organic fertilization was the most effective practice for soil carbon sequestration in the paddy fields in South China.