Astrochronology of the Early Turonian–Early Campanian terrestrial succession in the Songliao Basin, northeastern China and its implication for long-period behavior of the Solar System

• Published in: Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 2013-09, Vol.385, p.55-70
• Main Authors: Wu, Huaichun, Zhang, Shihong, Jiang, Ganqing, Hinnov, Linda, Yang, Tianshui, Li, Haiyan, Wan, Xiaoqiao, Wang, Chengshan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomical time scale (ATS); China; Cyclostratigraphy; Lacustrine paleoenvironments; Late Cretaceous; Long-period orbital forcing; Songliao Basin
• ISSN: 0031-0182; 1872-616X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.09.004

The first complete Early Turonian–Early Campanian lacustrine succession has been recovered from the SK-I south (SK-Is) borehole in the Songliao Basin (SLB), northeastern China. We conducted a detailed cyclostratigraphic study of natural gamma-ray (GR) log, thorium (Th) log, and magnetic susceptibility (MS) data from this core. Spectral analysis of the upper Quantou Formation (K2q3+4), Qingshankou Formation (K2qn), Yaojia Formation (K2y), and lower Nenjiang Formation (K2n1+2) reveals a hierarchy of meter- to decameter-scale cycling in the data. The wavelength ratios of the cycles in these stratigraphic units are ~20:5:2:1, corresponding with those of Milankovitch cycle periods of 405kyr (long eccentricity):100kyr (short eccentricity):37kyr (obliquity):20kyr (precession), indicating astronomical control on sedimentation. An astronomical time scale (ATS) was established by tuning interpreted 405kyr cycles to a 405kyr orbital eccentricity target curve, and to four SIMS U–Pb zircon radioisotope ages. This ‘absolute’ ATS provides precise numerical ages for stratigraphic boundaries, biozones, geological and geophysical events, and serves as a basis for correlation of strata and events between marine and terrestrial systems. The ages of the C33r/C34n geomagnetic polarity boundary in K2n2 and three short reversal events in K2y are estimated as 83.633Ma, 84.819–84.862Ma, 84.982–85.092Ma and 85.240–85.629Ma, respectively. Long-period amplitude modulations in the obliquity and eccentricity bands of the 405-kyr-tuned GR-Th series provide strong evidence that long-period orbital forcing influenced climate change and depositional processes in the SLB. The extracted amplitude modulations provide evidence that the orbits of Earth and Mars were not in secular resonance, and were undergoing chaotic interactions during this time, although the modulations do not match those of recent astronomical models. ► Astronomical calibration of Early Turonian–Early Campanian terrestrial succession ► Ages of C33r/C34n and durations of three short reversals were inferred. ► Long-period astronomical forcing of lacustrine sedimentary sequences. ► Solar System may have experienced chaotic behavior in Early Turonian–Early Campanian.