The organic-rich black shales of the Lower Cambrian Hetang Formation in southern Anhui Province exhibit considerable shale gas exploration potential; however, the primary mechanisms controlling organic matter enrichment in this shale unit within the Lower Yangtze segment remain unclear. In this study, the black shales of the Lower Cambrian Hetang Formation from the Zaojiaoshu (ZJS) Section in southern Anhui were selected as the study focus. By systematically analyzing the major/trace elements, rare earth elements (REEs), and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the samples, the paleo-marine environment during the depositional period was reconstructed, the main controlling factors of organic matter enrichment were examined. The results indicate that during deposition of the Hetang Formation in the Early Cambrian, the study area experienced relatively high paleoproductivity, a warm and humid climate. The middle and lower intervals were deposited under strongly restricted, dysoxic-anoxic water conditions with limited terrigenous clastic influx, whereby organic matter enrichment was predominantly governed by the preservation model. By contrast, silica-rich fluids sourced from hydrothermal activity diluted organic matter in the upper member, offsetting any productivity-boosting effects of hydrothermal inputs. This study elucidates the disparate formation mechanisms of Early Cambrian organic-rich shales in the Lower Yangtze region and provides a scientific reference for identifying sweet-spot intervals for regional shale gas prospecting.
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