The Carboniferous timescale: an introduction

The Carboniferous chronostratigraphic scale consists of two subsystems, six series and seven stages. Precise numerical age control within the Carboniferous is uneven, and a global magnetic polarity timescale for the Carboniferous is far from established. Isotope stratigraphy based on Sr, C and O isotopes is in an early stage but has already identified a few Sr and C isotope events of use to global correlation. Cyclostratigraphy has created a workable astrochronology for part of Pennsylvanian time that needs better calibration. Chronostratigraphic definitions of most of the seven Carboniferous stages remain unfinished. Future research on the Carboniferous timescale should focus on GSSP selection for the remaining, undefined stage bases, definition and characterization of substages, and further development and integration of the Carboniferous chronostratigraphic scale with radioisotopic, magnetostratigraphic, chemostratigraphic and cyclostratigraphic tools for calibration and correlation and the cross correlation of nonmarine and marine chronologies.

Mineralogical, chemical and stable C and O isotope characteristics of surficial carbonate structures from the Mediterranean offshore Israel indicate microbial and thermogenic methane origin

The Eastern Mediterranean continental slope offshore Israel became a focus of exploration for, and production of, natural gas in recent years. The 2010–2011 Nautilus ROV expedition performed detailed video recordings and sampling in two areas offshore Israel: the Palmachim disturbance, southwest of Tel Aviv, and an area offshore Acre, north of Haifa. An analytical programme regarding the carbonate structures was carried out, examining the overall mineralogy, stable C and O isotopes, and Ca, Mg, and Mn concentrations. This provided information on their composition and as a result, an indication of the carbon sources and temperature of formation. The major authigenic minerals identified comprised magnesian calcite, dolomite, aragonite, and kutnohorite. The detrital minerals included quartz, clays, feldspars, and rare augite and enstatite, likely transported from the Nile estuary. The carbon isotope composition of aliquots taken from nineteen samples from these areas have an overall δ13C range from −62.0 to −0.1‰PDB, indicating a range of microbial/biogenic and thermogenic methane contributions. The range of δ18O from 2.7 to 7.0‰PDB reflects the range of temperatures of formation. The δ18O characteristics differ among areas. In general, high values; δ18O >5‰PDB are recorded from area N2 of the Palmachim disturbance, indicating low temperature of formation. Low values of δ18O (<5‰PDB) were measured from areas W2 and W3 of the Palmachim disturbance, together with samples from area N2 of the Palmachim disturbance, and samples from areas A1 and A2 offshore Acre indicate high temperature origin. Samples from an inactive chimney from area N2 range from pure dolomite to pure magnesian calcite. This trend is linked to δ13C increase from −39.9 to −0.1‰(PDB), and δ18O decrease from 6.2 to 4.7‰(PDB). These values indicate a decrease in the methane-derived carbon contribution and an increase in temperature. Kutnohorite, Ca(Mn2+, Mg, Fe 2+)(CO3)2 is a major component in samples from Acre, and less so in the Palmachim disturbance. An exploratory investigation of the relationship between Mn/Ca, δ18O and δ13C revealed that samples having Mn/Ca < 0.1(wt./wt.) have δ13C<−50‰PDB indicating a microbial methane source, while samples with Mn/Ca > 0.1 have δ13C between −35 and −22‰PDB suggesting a thermogenic origin. These results suggest that the mineralogical, isotopic δ13, δ18O, and chemical (Mn/Ca indicative of kutnohorite) characteristics of surficial carbonate structures can indicate and distinguish between deep and shallow methane sources in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Carbon and Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Saline Lacustrine Dolomite Cements and Its Palaeoenvironmental Significance: A Case Study of Paleogene Shahejie Formation, Bohai Sea

The dolomite reservoirs in the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Bozhong area of the Bohai Bay Basin contain a large amount of dolomite cement. Petrologic and mineralogic studies have shown that the dolomite cements can be divided into three types according to their occurrence: coating dolomite (CD), pore-lining dolomite (LD), and pore-filling dolomite (FD). The laser microsampling technique was used to analyze the C and O isotopes in the carbonate minerals. This method is an effective way to produce CO2 gas from a particular carbonate structure in a thin section, and it has a spatial resolution of 20–50 µm and an optimal precision of approximately ±0.22σ for δ13C and δ18O in carbonate standard materials. The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions and the oxygen isotopic geothermometer results showed that the dolomitization fluid is mainly low temperature fluid, the lake basin environment is relatively closed, and the salinity index Z value is greater than 120, which indicates the invasion of seawater. CD and early-stage LD crystals were mainly very fine crystals with faint cathodoluminescence, which indicates the early formation of diagenesis. The high temperatures of late-stage LD and FD measured by oxygen isotope thermometers indicates that they formed at a deeper depth. The dolomite cements in the study area may have formed in two stages: seepage-reflux dolomitization during the penecontemporaneous period and burial dolomitization.