Diagenesis and sedimentary environment of the lower Xiaganchaigou formation deposited during the Eocene/Oligocene transition in the Lenghu tectonic belt, Qaidam Basin, China

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences 2020-05, Vol.79 (10), Article 220
• Main Authors: Yang, Yongheng, Sun, Guoqiang, Wang, Yetong, Wu, Jie, Jiang, Yun, Wang, Meng, Li, Jiasi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Anoxia; Biogeosciences; Carbon; Carbon 13; Carbon dioxide; Carbonates; Cement; Cements; Chromium; Clay; Concrete; Copper; Decarboxylation; Diagenesis; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science and Engineering; Eocene; Experiments; Fresh water; Freshwater; Geochemistry; Geology; Global climate; High pressure; High temperature; High temperature environments; Hydrology/Water Resources; Inland water environment; Isotopes; Laboratories; Lanthanum; Leaching; Lithic; Major elements; Minerals; Nickel; Oligocene; Organic matter; Original Article; Pore water; Rare earth elements; Sandstone; Scanning electron microscopy; Scientific imaging; Tectonics; Temperature; Terrestrial Pollution; Titanium dioxide; Trace elements; Water salinity; Yttrium; Zinc
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-020-08969-6

This paper presents detrital modes, clay and carbonate cements and major and trace element contents of the sandstones from the lower Xiaganchaigou formation deposited during the Eocene/Oligocene transition in the Lenghu tectonic belt on the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, NW Qinghai–Tibetan plateau. Our results show that the sandstones are mainly lithic feldspathic, with clay content varying from 4.1 to 42.5 vol. % (average 13.7 vol. %). These sandstones have low contents of Na 2 O, MgO, Al 2 O 3 , K 2 O, CaO and TiO 2 , with the average contents of 2.14 wt%, 0.78 wt%, 7.96 wt%, 2.11 wt%, 6.14 wt% and 0.15 wt%, respectively. The total content of major elements is