College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology(College of Modern Shale Gas Industry), Chengdu 610059, China
LÜ Zhengxiang,born in 1965,is a professor. He is mainly engaged in teaching and scientific research on reservoir geology. E-mail: lvzhengxiang13@cdut.edu.cn.
LIAO Zheyuan,born in 1999,is a Ph.D. candidate. He is mainly engaged in reservoir geology. E-mail: 352929250@qq.com.
The depositional environment in the Member 2 of Xujiahe Formation on eastern slope of Western Sichuan Depression has long been controversial. Using newly identified storm deposits as key evidence,this study aims to clarify the depositional environment of the in the Member 2 of Xujiahe Formation and the development characteristics of storm deposits in this area. Based on core observation,thin-section identification,grain-size analysis,and geochemical testing,the following conclusions are obtained: (1)Sedimentary structures such as bidirectional cross-bedding,wave-generated cross-bedding,and tidal bundles are widely developed in the in the Member 2 of Xujiahe Formation on the eastern slope of the western Sichuan Depression. Grain-size and geochemical data indicate that the study area was a high-energy environment characterized by periodic energy fluctuations,and that the water body was brackish to freshwater in nature. These features suggest a marine shoreline depositional environment,which can be further subdivided into four sedimentary subfacies: foreshore,upper shoreface,middle shoreface,and lower shoreface.(2)Typical storm-related sedimentary structures,including mud-clast layers,gutter casts,and hummocky cross-stratification,are developed in the foreshore to middle shoreface subfacies. At least nine episodes of storm deposition are vertically identified,and the sequences are dominated by incomplete A-B-C types,reflecting high-energy,high-frequency,and proximal storm depositional characteristics.(3)Against a regressive background,the storm-deposit development belt gradually migrated from shoreface to foreshore. The thickness of storm layers was relatively greater in the southwestern part during the early stage,but became thicker in the eastern part during the late stage,indicating a northeastward migration of the depositional center. The results demonstrate that the Xu 2 Member on the eastern slope of the western Sichuan Depression represents a storm-influenced marine shoreline depositional environment. Together with the paleogeographic framework of “deep in the west and shallow in the east,”these findings reveal a hydrocarbon accumulation element assemblage characterized by “provenance supply from the western depression,sand enrichment on the eastern slope,and sealing in the east,”thereby providing a geological basis for the selection of favorable exploration targets for tight sandstone in the area.
风暴沉积(Storm deposits)是由风暴浪、风暴流及其后续改造形成的事件沉积单元,常以丘状交错层理、渠模和风暴泥砾层等构造为识别标志,其垂向序列记录了古风暴强度、频率及沉积动力演化过程,是恢复古气候、古地理格局和沉积环境的重要载体(Kelling and Mullin,1975;Aigner,1979;Duke,1985)。目前针对海相和陆相风暴沉积研究已较为成熟,但海陆过渡相因受潮汐、波浪及物源混合等多重动力共同控制,其原始沉积构造易被破坏,导致对该环境中风暴沉积的识别尚未有统一认识(曾建理等,2024)。
晚三叠世时期四川盆地位于扬子板块西缘与古特提斯洋演化带交汇部位,沉积环境受构造活动、物源供给及海陆过渡动力过程共同控制,因此对须家河组沉积体系的认识长期存在分歧(Jiang et al., 2023)。传统观点多将须家河组解释为辫状河—湖泊三角洲沉积体系,并认为川西坳陷须家河组二段(须二段)主要发育辫状河三角洲前缘河口坝或滨浅湖滩坝(王兴龙,2021;Gou et al., 2024);但也有研究依据潮汐韵律层、双向交错层理及双黏土层等构造,提出该区可能属于潮控河口湾、潮控三角洲甚至海湾环境(罗启后,1983;赵霞飞和张闻林,2011;赵霞飞等,2013;Shi et al., 2022;朱思成等,2025)。可见,须二段沉积环境争议的关键在于其是否持续受海洋动力影响,而风暴沉积的发现可为这一问题提供重要的沉积学证据。
晚三叠世卡尼期至诺利期,四川盆地位于扬子板块的西北缘(Jin et al., 2019; Tian et al., 2025),受印支期构造挤压与龙门山造山带逆冲推覆影响,盆地西缘持续挠曲沉降,形成以川西坳陷为主的沉降中心(Burchfiel et al., 1995),沉积了巨厚的须家河组。川西坳陷位于四川盆地西部,内部可划分成6个次级构造单元(Huang et al., 2020),研究区选取川西坳陷东部斜坡(图1-a),构造相对稳定,沉积构造特征丰富。本研究采用区内常用的五段划分方案,将须家河组自下而上划分为须一段至须五段(图1-b),其中研究目的层位须二段以灰色中—厚层块状细—粗粒砂岩为主,夹黑色、深灰薄层泥岩及粉砂岩(Liu et al., 2019),根据基准面旋回变化可进一步细分为上亚段、中亚段、下亚段3个亚段。
为解析该区沉积环境能量及沉积物搬运机制,识别高能事件性搬运作用对沉积物的改造特征,选取26块典型薄片展开粒度参数研究,使用Axio Scope A1偏光显微镜结合Image-Pro Plus 9.0图像分析系统,通过显微图像采集代表性视域,基于等效圆直径法精准测量单颗粒粒径,计算平均粒径Mz、分选系数σ1、偏度Sk1及峰态KG,绘制累积频率曲线及C-M图(冯增昭,1993)。
选取川西坳陷东坡须二段8块具连晶方解石胶结物的薄片进行微量元素分析,样品颗粒均呈点—漂浮接触(图5-b),指示方解石形成于同生期或浅埋藏期。微量元素分析结果显示样品Mn/Sr均值0.9,说明样品中Sr受后期改造有限,可用于辅助判别沉积环境。水体中元素的含量与盐度具有密切关系,可根据元素含量和比值判别其古盐度信息(熊小辉和肖加飞,2011;Wei and Algeo,2020),研究区须二段砂岩样品的B含量均值76.8 μg/g,介于淡水与半咸水之间; Zr/Rb均值为4.07,反映高能环境下强水动力分选特征。氧化还原敏感元素比值法可用于判别沉积环境的氧化还原特征(McManus et al., 2006),Th/U均值为2.37,接近Th/U>3的强氧化阈值,指示沉积界面存在间歇性暴露或氧化—还原波动(王旭影和姜在兴,2021),Co/Ni均值为1.8,Fe/Mn均值为11.2,V/Cr均值为0.2,V/(V+Ni)均值为0.5,Cu/Zn均值为1.1,指示为氧化环境及受陆源环境输入影响(表1),微量元素分析结果指示为淡水—咸水混合环境、强水动力、具氧化—还原界面的沉积环境。
后太古宙澳大利亚页岩(Post-Archean Australian Shale)可反映上地壳稀土元素的平均丰度,故采用PAAS标准化方法分析研究区样品的稀土元素配分模式(Taylor and McLennan,1985)。结果表明,样品ΣREE为25.73~26.91 μg/g,均值26.19 μg/g,稀土元素总体含量较低,结合前述强水动力的分选作用,可能为高能环境下的石英稀释效应。PAAS标准化结果显示,Ce/Ce*为1.13~1.18,均值1.16,表现为弱正Ce异常; Eu/Eu*为0.72~1.13,均值0.93,无明显Eu异常。其标准化配分模式曲线整体呈低幅平坦型(图6),表明沉积物未受强烈海水蚀变或热液流体改造,为陆源碎屑经强水动力分选后快速埋藏的产物。综合微量元素和稀土元素分析(表2),该区为陆源主控下,水体低盐度,以氧化环境为主,局部见氧化—还原界面的高能沉积环境为主,与滨岸带高能环境、潮间带的周期暴露与淹没及海陆过渡带受淡水影响的环境相契合,指示该区为潮汐—波浪控制下的滨岸沉积环境。
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