The genesis of glaucony in the lower Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, southern Shaanxi: implication to seawater redox condition

LIU Yuchen; XU Dongtao; WANG Xinqiang; LIU Jingao

doi:10.12097/j.issn.1671-2552.2023.2-3.014

2023 Vol. 42, No. 2-3

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LIU Yuchen, XU Dongtao, WANG Xinqiang, LIU Jingao. 2023. The genesis of glaucony in the lower Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, southern Shaanxi: implication to seawater redox condition. Geological Bulletin of China, 42(2-3): 363-375. doi: 10.12097/j.issn.1671-2552.2023.2-3.014

Citation:

LIU Yuchen, XU Dongtao, WANG Xinqiang, LIU Jingao. 2023. The genesis of glaucony in the lower Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, southern Shaanxi: implication to seawater redox condition. Geological Bulletin of China, 42(2-3): 363-375. doi: 10.12097/j.issn.1671-2552.2023.2-3.014

The genesis of glaucony in the lower Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, southern Shaanxi: implication to seawater redox condition

1.
School of Science, China University of Geosciences(Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
2.
School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences(Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
3.
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences(Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
4.
Institute of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences(Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
5.
State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences(Beijing), Beijing 100083, China

More Information

Corresponding author: WANG Xinqiang, wxqiang307@126.com

Received Date: 02 May 2021

Revised Date: 13 December 2021

Publish Date: 15 March 2023

Abstract

Abstract

Glaucony is an important authigenic mineral in marine environment and has been widely used in palaeoenvironmental research.In this study, we report the occurrence of the glaucony in the lower Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in southern Shaanxi Province for the first time.Integrated studies including petrography, in-situ microanalysis and X-ray diffraction(XRD)are carried out to constrain the diagenesis of the glaucony and the oceanic redox condition in the early Ediacaran of this area.Microscopic observations using polarizing microscope and scanning electron microscope(SEM)show that the glaucony mainly fills the pores of quartz, feldspar and other clastic minerals in the form of colloidal precipitates, suggesting authigenic precipitation during the early diagenesis.Since both Fe(Ⅱ)and Fe(Ⅲ)are simultaneously required for glauconitization, glaucony prefers to precipitate around the Fe redoxcline(suboxic conditions).Accordingly, the occurrence of glaucony in the lower Doushantuo Formation of study section implies suboxic pore water environments.The results of energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)show that the glaucony is characterized by high K₂O and Al₂O₃ but low Fe₂O₃ contents which are typical of Precambrian glaucony.The dissolution of detrital minerals along with ion exchange between the seawater and pore-water supplied the elements required for glaucony formation.Compared with contemporaneous glaucony-bearing strata in Weng'an area, Guizhou, the limited vertical distribution of glaucony in the study area indicates that the marine redox condition and paleogeography may have played a joint role in regulating the formation and spread of glaucony.
- palaeoceanography /
- Lianghekou /
- Doushantuo Formation /
- clay /
- redox

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References

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