Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

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Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/petrol

Geochemical characteristics and the constraints on paleoenvironment,

provenance, and tectonic setting of Precambrian Xifangshan Formation in
the northwestern Tarim Basin, NW China
Jian Li a, b, Jingchun Tian a, c, *, Xiang Zhang a, c, **, Qingshao Liang a, c, Minghong Peng a, b
a
State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610059, China
b
College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610059, China
c
Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610059, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Combining geochemistry and petrology to clarify paleoenvironment, provenance and tectonic setting is the most
Sandstone geochemistry reliable approach. Few studies have been conducted on the Xifangshan Formation, a set of turbidite deposits from
Paleoenvironment the Precambrian in the northwestern Tarim Basin, NW China. The tectonic setting during this period is not clear.
Provenance
This study reports the petrological characteristics and geochemical data of the Xifangshan sandstones, aiming to
Tectonic setting
Xifangshan formation
constrain the paleoclimate, paleoredox conditions, paleoweathering, provenance, and finally establish the tec­
tonic development pattern of this period. Xifangshan Formation is mainly composed of litharenite and feld­
spathic litharenite. Most of the trace elements (Rb, Sr, Pb, U, Y, Sc, V, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn) are depleted relative to
the upper continental crust. And, the rare earth elements show a slight negative Eu anomaly. The sandstones
were first-cycle, displaying immaturity of composition and structure. The major element composition and low
chemical index of alteration indicate that the sandstones have experienced weak weathering during trans­
portation. Multiple geochemical indicators show that the Xifangshan Formation was deposited in an oxic-suboxic
marine environment with moderate salinity and semiarid climate. Based on the geochemical and petrographic
characteristics of the rock fragments, the source of the Xifangshan Formation has a felsic provenance, and the
parent rock is predominantly acidic magmatic rocks, with a small amount of intermediate magmatic rocks.
Influenced by the subduction of the ancient oceanic plate, the blueschist-bearing Aksu Group and the continental
margin magmatic arc were formed. This magmatic arc provided the source for the Xifangshan Formation
sandstones.

1. Introduction 2017). The assemblage and breakup of the supercontinent significantly

impacted the global tectonic structure, mantle dynamics, and surface
Clastic and chemical composition of sandstones are controlled by environment (Meert, 2014; Meert and Santosh, 2017). The plate tec­
provenance (Verma and Armstrong-Altrin, 2013). These components tonics and tectonic evolution during this period have been popular
retain the information of the parent rock and tectonic environment research topics (Xu et al., 2013b; Ge et al., 2014; Lu et al., 2017; Chen
(Armstrong-Altrin, 2015; Xie et al., 2018). In recent decades, et al., 2020). The late Neoproterozoic volcanic records (including
geochemical methods using major, trace, and rare earth elements (REE) bimodal volcanic rocks, basic dykes, and basalts) and rapidly accumu­
in sandstones have been used to establish the sedimentary environment, lating thick clastic deposits in the Tarim Basin are the products of the
characteristics of the provenance, and tectonic setting (Verma and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent (Ge et al., 2012; He et al., 2014;
Armstrong-Altrin, 2013; Armstrong-Altrin, 2015; Babu, 2017; Xie et al., Chen et al., 2020). The supercontinent also experienced plate margin
2018; Du et al., 2019; Liang et al., 2020; Lin et al., 2020). accretion during the breakup that lasted up to 760–750 Ma (Li et al.,
During the Neoproterozoic, the supercontinent of Rodinia broke up 2008; Zhang et al., 2013). The tectonic setting of the Tarim Block during
(Hoffman, 1991; Powell et al., 1993; Li et al., 2008; Merdith et al., this period has been intensively debated (Zhu et al., 2011a; Xu et al.,

* Corresponding author. No.1, Dongsan Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China.
** Corresponding author. No.1, Dongsan Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (J. Tian), [email protected] (X. Zhang).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109553
Received 5 March 2021; Received in revised form 7 September 2021; Accepted 21 September 2021
Available online 23 September 2021
0920-4105/© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

2013a; Yong et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2013; He et al., 2014; Lu et al., characteristics of the Qiaoenbrak Group of the Precambrian Nanhua
2017, 2019; Chen et al., 2020). System have been studied, and suggest that the tectonic setting of this
As an early product of the Earth’s sedimentary strata, the Neo­ period may be related to the magmatic arc (Ding et al., 2015). Lu et al.
proterozoic is the oldest sedimentary system without metamorphism (Li (2017) proposed two possible tectonic settings, forearc and back-arc, but
et al., 2008; He et al., 2014). The high pressure–low temperature which could not be definitively determined because there is no evidence
blueschist of the Aksu Group is evidence of a subduction environment of provenance. The absence of outcropping magmatic rocks in the NW
(Liou et al., 1996; Zheng et al., 2008; Ge et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2014). Tarim Block from the Early Neoproterozoic is one of the main reasons
The Qiaoenbrak Group is the oldest sedimentary rock in the NW Tarim that the debate over the tectonic setting exists. With the advancement of
Basin, including the Xifangshan, Dongqiaoenbrak, Muyangtan, and ultra-deep oil and gas exploration, it is particularly important to un­
Dongwu formations (Gao et al., 1993). The Xifangshan Formation is a derstand Precambrian geology (Zhu et al., 2018, 2021).
sandstone unit at the base of the Qiaoenbrak Group. However, there is Previous studies primarily focused on the diamictite unit overlying
no direct evidence on whether the deposition of the Xifangshan For­ the Xifangshan Formation (Wen et al., 2013; Ding et al., 2015, 2016; Wu
mation is related to this subduction event. The geochemical et al., 2018a, 2018b). The Qiaoenbrak Group developed a parallel

Fig. 1. (a) The tectonic units of China. NCB: North China Block. SCB: South China Block. (b) Topographic rendering of the Tarim Basin. (c) Geologic map of the NW
Tarim Basin (modified from Turner, 2010; Lu et al., 2017, 2019). (d) Details of the Xifangshan Formation, including stratigraphy, lithology, and sample locations.

2
J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

unconformity located on the top of the Xifangshan Formation. In fact, 19 sandstone samples were selected for geochemical analysis. These
there have been few studies on the Xifangshan Formation, especially its samples were collected from the Xifangshan Formation in the Nanhua
paleoenvironment and tectonic setting. This study reports the System section near the Yuermeinak Village. All the samples were taken
geochemical characteristics of the Xifangshan Formation sandstones, from fresh rocks without cracks in the inner layer of the outcrop to
analyzing the associated paleoweathering conditions, paleoenvironment ensure purity. For the comparability of the experiments and data, all the
characteristics, provenance, and finally establishing the early Neo­ geochemical samples were selected from fine-grained sandstone. The
proterozoic tectonic development pattern of the NW Tarim Basin. In sampling locations of the geochemical analysis are indicated in Fig. 1d.
addition to geochemistry, this study provides direct evidence from rock Conventional thin sections were polished to determine the petro­
fragments for the first time to clarify provenance and tectonic setting of logical characteristics of the Xifangshan Formation sandstones. The
the Xifangshan Formation. The study of the tectonic setting of the detrital components of the sandstone provide information on prove­
Xifangshan Formation is of significance to clarify the Neoproterozoic nance. The identification of component characteristics, especially the
tectonic evolution of the NW Tarim Basin. types of rock fragments, can effectively identify the source rocks. The
thin sections were prepared as identified in the State Key Laboratory of
2. Geological setting Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of
Technology. Microscopic images were acquired using an optical mi­
The Tarim Basin, with an area of 5.3 × 105 km2, is located in croscope (Nikon LV100POL).
northwestern China (Fig. 1a). The surface is covered by the Taklimakan Rock powder was prepared using an agate mortar for geochemical
Desert. The basin is bounded by the Tianshan orogenic belt, the Altyn analysis. After each sample was prepared, the mortar was thoroughly
orogenic belt, and the West Kunlun orogenic belt. The Tarim Block is one cleaned using ultrapure water. Subsequently, the samples were ground
of the oldest blocks in China (Jia et al., 2004). The study area is in the after drying. All the samples were triturated to 200 mesh (75 μm) before
Kalpin Uplift of the NW Tarim Basin (Fig. 1b), with extensively devel­ analysis. The geochemical analyses were conducted in the Analytical
oped Neoproterozoic–Ordovician strata. The outcrop is near the Yuer­ Chemistry & Testing Services (ALS) Minerals Laboratory.
meinak Village (Fig. 1c). The starting and ending coordinates of the For the major oxides, the samples were melted with Li2B4O7 (the
section (Fig. 1c) are 79◦ 28′ 54.8′′ E, 40◦ 55′ 26.8′′ N, and 79◦ 27′ 47.1′′ E, oxidant was NH4NO3, the flux and release agent were LiF and LiBr,
40◦ 55′ 25.7′′ N, respectively. respectively) and heated to 1150–1250 ◦ C to form a glass. The mea­
The Tarim Basin developed on metamorphosed Archean and Prote­ surements were performed on an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The
rozoic basement (Gao et al., 1993; Jia et al., 2004). The North Tarim, correction of Zr, Cu, Sr, and Ni was performed using the internal stan­
Central Tarim, and South Tarim terranes were assembled as a unified dard of Compton scattering rays. The other analytical elements were all
Tarim Block at 1.0–0.8 Ga (Xu et al., 2013b). During the Late Neo­ corrected by the theoretical α coefficient for the absorption enhance­
proterozoic the Tarim Basin was in an extensional tectonic setting (Xu ment effect between elements. The abundances were calculated ac­
et al., 2009, 2013aXu et al., 2009, 2013a; Zhang et al., 2009a; Zhao cording to the fluorescence intensity (α coefficient and correction
et al., 2014; Wu et al., 2017). In the Early Paleozoic, the NW Tarim Basin method shown in GB/T14506.28–2010).
was a passive continental margin (Zhang et al., 2001; Qu et al., 2003). The analytical methods for the trace elements and REEs are as fol­
The NW Tarim Block and the South Tianshan Ocean were assembled lows. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO3) were added to the
during the Late Paleozoic (Chang et al., 2012). In the Mesozoic, the NW sample in a closed vessel and then heated in an oven for 24 h at 185 ◦ C ±
Tarim Basin became a foreland uplift area due to the collision of the 5 ◦ C. After cooling, the sample was heated on an electric heating plate
Qiangtang Block (Zhang et al., 2001). The Kalpin Uplift formed an and evaporated to nearly dry. Then, nitric acid was added to steam the
imbricated thrust belt at 24–21Ma during the Cenozoic (Yin et al., 1998; sample, and this step was repeated. Nitric acid was added and sealed
Zhang et al., 2009b). again, placed in an oven, and heated for 3 h at 130 ◦ C. The solution was
The Neoproterozoic stratum in the NW Tarim Basin comprises the analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-
Aksu Group, Qiaoenbrak Group, Yuermeinak, Sugetbrak, and Qigebrak MS). The methods of calculation and interference correction are shown
formations. The Qiaoenbrak Group and Yurmeinak Formation belong to in the National Standard GB/T14506.30–2010.
the Nanhua System. The Sinian System includes the Sugetbrak and
Qigebrak formations. The Aksu Group primarily consists of blueschists, 4. Results
greenschists, pelitic, and psammitic schists. The Qiaoenbrak Group is a
set of clastic sedimentary rocks containing an unconformity and four 4.1. Petrological characteristics
lithologic units. The four lithologic units correspond to Xifangshan,
Dongqiaoenbrak, Muyangtan, and Dongwu formations (Gao et al., The outcrop (Fig. 2a) shows that the Xifangshan Formation sand­
1993). The Xifangshan Formation (1266–1715 m, Gao et al., 2013) is stones are mainly grayish-green, with some being light red. The sand­
composed of grayish-green fine-to medium-grained sandstone, siltstone, stones are medium-fine grained and contain a few siltstones. The
silty mudstone, and mudstone and intercalated with unstable sandy mudstone and silty mudstone are green-gray. The sandstone and
conglomerate (Fig. 1d). It is in a parallel unconformity or overlying mudstone constitute a rock sequence with obvious rhythmic layers
unconformity in contact with the Dongqiaoenbrak Formation (Gao et al., (Fig. 2b and c). The single layer thickness of the sandstone is 20–60 cm,
2013), which is a deposit of tillite and conglomerate with good pse­ the transverse distribution of the sand body is relatively stable, and the
phicity. The Muyangtan Formation is composed of sandstones and silty mudstone is a thin layer. A Bouma sequence can be seen in the sand­
mudstone, and the Dongwu Formation consists of tillite and red stone, with B, C, and D members developed (Fig. 2d). Parallel bedding is
conglomerate. The Yuermeinak Formation is tillite and red shale. The developed in Member B, mainly composed of medium sandstone.
Sugetbrak and Qigebrak formations are clastic rocks and dolomites, Member C consists of fine-grained sandstones and siltstones with a wavy
respectively. Among the Neoproterozoic strata, the Xifangshan Forma­ and ripple stratification. In addition, muddy laminae appear between
tion is the oldest sedimentary rock in the NW Tarim Basin. the sand bedding. Member D is silty mudstone deposits with intermittent
horizontal laminae. The outcrop indicates that the Xifangshan Forma­
3. Samples and methods tion is a set of flysch formations, belonging to marine turbidite deposits.
The sandstones include litharenite and feldspathic litharenite (Fig. 2e, f,
To obtain information on the weathering, paleoenvironment, prov­ g), with high content of rock fragments, subangular grains, poor sorting,
enance, and tectonic setting, the Xifangshan Formation sandstones were strong compaction, and close contact between the particles.
characterized by microscopic and geochemical analyses. In this study,

3
J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

Fig. 2. (a) Field photomacrograph of Xifangshan Formation. (b) Rhythmic layers of sandstone and mudstone. (c) Interbedding of sandstone and mudstone. (d)
Members B, C and D of the Bouma sequence. (e) Litharenite with plane-polarized light. (f) Litharenite with poor sorting, cross-polarized light. (g) Feldspathic
litharenite with cross-polarized light.

4.2. Distribution of major elements the PAAS. The content of Hf (between 3.10 μg/g and 6.20 μg/g, the
mean is 4.56 μg/g) is also less than that of the UCC and PAAS. The Zr
Table 1 lists the proportions of the major oxides, and Fig. 3a dem­ content is slightly lower than that of the UCC. The other elements (Rb,
onstrates the range of the major elements normalized against the upper Sr, Pb, U, Y, Sc, V, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn) are relatively depleted in the UCC,
continental crust (UCC). The SiO2 content of the Xifangshan Formation and are also significantly lower than the PAAS.
sandstone is more than 60% in all but one sample (the mean value is
68%) and is similar to the UCC and Post Archean Australian Shale 4.4. Characteristics of rare earth elements
(PAAS). The Al2O3 content ranges from 7.88% to 14.21%, with an
average of 11.97%, less than that of the UCC and PAAS, indicating the The REE concentrations are presented in Table 3. The uniform
low content of clay minerals in the Xifangshan Formation sandstones. chondrite normalized pattern (Fig. 3c) shows that these sandstones may
The content of TFe2O3 (between 1.91% and 4.74%, the average pro­ share the same provenance (Fu et al., 2011), and the pattern exhibits a
portion is 4.25%) is also lower than that of the UCC and PAAS. The slightly negative Eu anomaly. The total amount of rare earth elements
average content of Na2O (3.71%) is higher than that of the UCC. The (ΣREE) ranges from 56.52 to 144.08 μg/g, with an average content of
abundances of MgO, CaO, K2O, and TiO2 are all slightly lower than that 116.75 μg/g, which is significantly lower than that of the UCC and
of the UCC. There is only one sample with a high CaO content, which is PAAS. Additionally, the patterns exhibit pronounced fractionations be­
related to the calcite cementation of the sample observed under the thin tween the light rare earth elements (LREE, ranges from 50.95 to 128.61
section, while the other samples exhibit weak carbonate cementation. μg/g, average of 104.91 μg/g) and heavy rare earth elements (HREE,
The contents of MnO and P2O5 are the lowest of the major oxides, ranges from 5.32 to 15.57 μg/g, average of 11.84 μg/g). The LREE/H­
ranging from 0.02% to 0.44% (the average proportion: 0.09%) and REE (between 7.88 and 9.97) is also slightly lower than that of the UCC
0.02%–0.23% (the average proportion: 0.11%), respectively, which are and PAAS.
similar to the UCC.
5. Discussion
4.3. Characteristics of trace elements
5.1. Sedimentary recycling
Table 2 shows the contents of the trace elements. The trace elements
and PAAS are normalized by the UCC (Fig. 3b). Compared with the The poor sorting, poor roundness, and high content of rock fragments
upper crust, the Ba in the sandstone is enriched (the mean is 649.05 μg/ and feldspar of the Xifangshan Formation indicate immaturity of the
g), similar to the PAAS. The abundance of Th is similar to that of the sandstones. The index of compositional variability (ICV) is used to
UCC, with an average content of 9.23 μg/g, which is lower than that of evaluate sediment recycling and maturity (Awasthi, 2017; Oghenekome

4
J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

et al., 2018; Sahariah and Bhattacharyya, 2019; Lin et al., 2020). The

Average
ICV index is calculated as follows (the oxides are calculated by

− 1.20
68.00
11.97

99.58

52.14
52.54
4.25
1.45
3.01
3.71
1.82
0.09
0.54
0.11
4.62

1.28

1.45
percentages):

ICV = (TFe2O3 + K2O + Na2O + CaO + TiO2) / Al2O3 (Cox et al., 1995)

− 1.88
70.05
13.69

99.80

52.05
52.66
4.39
1.24
1.30
4.54
2.79
0.06
0.59
0.10
1.05

1.08

0.76
1-S1

A low ICV value corresponds to a high clay mineral content (Cox

et al., 1995; Oghenekome et al., 2018). For the first-cycle products in the
tectonically active area, the ICV value is higher than 1 (Van de Kamp and

− 2.01
72.17
12.59

99.90

50.32
50.42
4.27
1.17
1.41
4.31
2.83
0.06
0.62
0.12
0.35

1.16

0.42
3-S1

Leake, 1985). The rocks rich in alteration minerals (illite, kaolinite, and
muscovite) experienced intense weathering and multiple sedimentary
cycles, with ICV values lower than 0.84, and were usually deposited in

− 2.23
65.16
14.21

99.60

52.86
53.61
4.51
1.12
1.35
4.65
2.57
0.05
0.57
0.09
5.32

1.04

0.87
5-S1

tectonically tranquil regions (Cox et al., 1995; Chen et al., 2014). The
ICV of the Xifangshan Formation is between 0.87 and 3.70, with an
average of 1.28, which is significantly greater than that of the PAAS

− 1.06
67.96
13.78

99.73

50.22
50.29
4.44
1.66
2.05
4.40
2.73
0.07
0.55
0.11
1.98

1.15

0.98
6-S1

(0.80). These values indicate that the Xifangshan Formation is first-cycle

and compositionally immature.
Th and Sc are chemically stable during deposition, and no fraction­
− 0.95
67.24
13.74

99.43

51.86
52.42
4.28
1.61
1.98
3.92
2.83
0.08
0.58
0.15
3.02

1.11

0.74
9-S1

ation occurs (Mclennan and Taylor, 1991). The Th/Sc ratio indicates the
compositional variation of igneous rocks, and Zr/Sc can indicate the
recycled sediments (Taylor and McLennan, 1985). The diagram of Th/Sc
− 1.48
66.94
12.32

99.62

46.92
46.02
10-S1

versus Zr/Sc can reflect the sedimentary cycle effectively (McLennan

4.52
1.52
2.41
4.21
2.74
0.06
0.61
0.14
4.15

1.30

0.46

et al., 1993; Asiedu et al., 2000; Hou et al., 2018). The Zr/Sc ratio
gradually increases with the enrichment of zircon during the process of
− 3.82
− 1.05
83.96

99.92

51.62
52.83
11-S3

transportation and sedimentation (Asiedu et al., 2000; Hou et al., 2018).

7.88
1.91
0.18
0.40
2.09
3.02
0.03
0.21
0.02
0.22

0.99

Thus, the Zr/Sc ratio can determine the enrichment degree of zircon.
The Zr/Sc ratio of the Xifangshan Formation sandstones is positively
− 0.85
72.21

99.44

54.83
55.49
28-S1

correlated with Th/Sc, parallel to Trend 1 (Fig. 4). This revealed that
9.54
4.65
1.39
2.02
2.07
0.97
0.03
0.19
0.05
6.32

1.18

2.45

there was no enrichment of Zr, and the abundance of Zr was lower than
that of the upper crust, indicating the immaturity of the sandstones.
− 0.46
71.46
10.37

99.63

61.72
63.49
33-S1

Therefore, the Xifangshan Formation sandstones may be first-cycle and

4.58
1.54
1.17
1.96
1.02
0.04
0.22
0.06
7.21

1.01

2.63

have originated from the volcanic source area with active tectonics.
− 0.81
72.25

99.70

51.03
51.42
41-S1

9.29
4.74
1.54
1.84
1.95
2.31
0.02
0.23
0.04
5.49

1.36

0.63

5.2. Weathering degree

The degree of rock weathering is affected by the parent rock, pale­

39.61

22.10

18.30
99.38

47.92
47.74
48-S1

8.69
4.68
1.56

2.65
0.67
0.44
0.45
0.23

3.70

0.40
2.44

oclimate, and tectonic environment (Wang et al., 2012; Hou et al.,

2018). During the weathering process, the minerals are transformed into
clay minerals (Fedo et al., 1995), and the content of unstable element
− 0.86
64.51
13.45

99.42

51.60
51.86
55-S1

4.02
1.51
2.54
3.98
1.67
0.11
0.73
0.15
6.75

1.07

1.33

oxides (CaO, Na2O, and K2O) gradually decrease, while the abundance
of stable oxides (such as Al2O3) increase (Johnsson, 1993; Bidjeck
Bondje et al., 2019). The low K2O/Al2O3 values (average 0.16) of the
− 0.85
66.14
13.83

99.12

60.32
61.78
58-S1

3.89
1.42
0.69
4.08
1.31
0.15
0.67
0.12
6.82

0.87

2.53

Xifangshan Formation sandstones suggest weak source weathering. The

residual abundance of these elements in the sediment can reflect the
degree of weathering, and the chemical index of alteration (CIA) can be
− 1.47
67.21
12.31

99.68

52.11
52.36
60-S1

4.31
1.35
1.87
4.23
1.17
0.09
0.64
0.13
6.37

1.10

2.03

considered to evaluate the weathering conditions (Nesbitt and Young,

1982; Effoudou-Priso et al., 2014). The CIA is calculated as follows (the
oxides are calculated by molar percentages):
− 0.70
69.84
12.95

99.29

53.71
54.17
62-S1

4.02
1.85
1.74
4.25
1.24
0.09
0.72
0.14
2.45

1.07

2.11

CIA = Al2O3 / (Al2O3 + CaO* + Na2O + K2O) × 100 (Nesbitt and Young,
Major oxide contents (%) of the Xifangshan Formation.

1982)
− 0.81
62.62
11.62

99.40

44.24
43.60
67-S2

3.93
1.40
7.31
4.05
1.22
0.13
0.69
0.14
6.29

1.60

1.38

CaO* is derived from silicate minerals. The correction method is

shown in McLennan et al. (1993).
Greater CIA values mean that the parent rock had experienced
− 0.90
70.26
12.57

99.26

52.93
53.28
77-S1

4.56
1.87
1.71
4.29
1.18
0.08
0.65
0.11
1.98

1.13

2.32

stronger chemical weathering (Armstrong-Altrin et al., 2004). The CIA

of the Xifangshan Formation ranged from 44.24 to 61.72, with an
average of 52.14. Only two samples were higher than 60. The degree of
− 1.17
72.15
11.85

99.87

50.82
50.93
88-S1

4.57
1.79
1.65
4.51
1.21
0.07
0.59
0.11
1.37

1.21

2.30

weathering of the sandstone is only slightly higher than that of the un­
weathered upper crust (CIA value is 48).
The Al2O3 – (CaO* + Na2O) – K2O ternary diagram (A–CN–K) can
− 0.95
70.24
12.81

99.82

53.53
53.95
90-S1

4.52
1.86
1.70
4.30
1.17
0.08
0.66
0.13
2.35

1.11

2.32

reflect the trend of weathering and diagenetic alteration information.

The process of plagioclase–potassium feldspar weathering to form clay
minerals should be parallel to A–CN, but the trend line deviates (Fig. 5a).
Sample No.

LOI 1000

This shows that the illitization of kaolinite and potassium metasomatism

TFe2O3
Table 1

Al2O3

Na2O

Total
MnO

of plagioclase have an impact on the weathering index of the sandstones.

P2O5
MgO

TiO2
SiO2

CaO

DF1
DF2
K2O

CIA
ICV

PIA

The plagioclase index of alteration (PIA) can eliminate the influence of

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J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

Fig. 3. (a) The major oxides abundance diagrams. (b) The trace elements abundance diagrams. (c) Chondrite normalized REE distribution pattern of the sandstones
in the Xifangshan Formation. The data for the PAAS, chondrite, and UCC are from Taylor and McLennan (1985), Sun and McDonough (1989), and Rudnick and Gao
(2003), respectively.

6
 J. Li et al.

Table 2
Trace element contents (μg/g) of the Xifangshan Formation.
Sample No. 90-S1 88-S1 77-S1 67-S2 62-S1 60-S1 58-S1 55-S1 48-S1 41-S1 33-S1 28-S1 11-S3 10-S1 9-S1 6-S1 5-S1 3-S1 1-S1 PAAS UCC Average

Rb 34.10 22.59 33.56 40.40 34.21 41.12 39.65 38.87 21.90 72.54 76.32 69.87 73.40 60.89 78.59 70.70 74.32 85.23 78.30 160.0 84.0 55.08
Sr 236.00 232.00 238.00 224.00 221.00 220.00 218.00 231.00 236.00 118.00 99.50 126.00 92.40 214.00 207.00 208.00 187.00 196.00 192.50 200.0 320.0 194.55
Ba 681.00 674.00 675.00 486.00 693.00 504.00 493.00 592.00 212.00 674.00 762.00 795.00 845.00 710.00 768.00 738.00 684.00 691.00 655.00 650.0 628.0 649.05
Pb 8.50 8.95 7.80 12.50 10.21 12.70 12.50 11.30 4.80 7.90 7.30 8.20 7.60 8.10 8.20 7.90 9.80 10.70 10.40 20.0 17.0 9.23
Th 8.05 9.07 7.64 8.61 8.33 8.34 8.72 9.21 4.77 6.87 8.21 7.49 7.28 10.87 12.04 12.10 12.37 12.79 12.65 14.60 10.50 9.23
U 1.50 1.52 1.47 1.42 1.58 1.45 1.42 1.39 1.20 1.07 1.21 1.07 1.05 1.98 3.01 2.70 2.41 1.87 1.94 3.10 2.70 1.65
Zr 200.00 204.00 207.00 164.00 197.00 169.00 159.00 185.00 130.00 92.00 119.00 102.00 168.00 187.00 174.00 178.00 213.00 217.00 215.00 210 193 172.63
Hf 5.10 4.90 4.70 4.00 5.20 3.90 4.20 4.30 3.10 4.20 4.20 4.50 4.10 3.80 4.10 4.40 5.70 6.20 6.10 5.0 5.3 4.56
Y 16.80 16.70 17.30 20.30 17.20 21.20 20.30 19.70 15.70 9.20 7.90 6.90 7.60 17.80 19.30 18.30 22.40 20.50 21.90 27.0 21.0 16.68
Sc 9.60 9.80 9.50 11.70 8.70 11.20 12.10 10.80 8.80 3.20 5.10 3.70 1.50 7.90 8.40 8.50 8.10 8.70 9.00 16.0 14.0 8.23
V 86.00 79.00 84.00 99.00 82.00 92.00 98.00 89.00 73.00 42.00 53.00 49.00 15.00 25.00 19.00 84.00 82.00 75.00 77.00 150 97 68.58
Cr 45.00 42.00 44.00 46.00 48.00 39.00 35.00 37.00 38.00 25.00 24.00 27.00 23.00 41.00 35.00 39.00 38.00 39.00 37.00 110 92 36.95
Cu 21.20 20.25 20.75 16.50 21.02 16.24 16.48 15.87 14.00 5.20 4.60 4.90 4.70 18.54 17.86 18.40 18.25 18.83 18.70 50.0 28.0 15.38
Co 10.20 9.80 9.90 9.90 10.10 9.60 9.40 9.80 9.50 3.50 3.20 2.70 1.70 6.90 7.20 7.10 7.70 7.90 8.00 23.0 17.3 7.58
Ni 16.70 15.90 16.40 17.30 16.20 16.70 18.20 17.20 16.50 5.50 4.90 3.20 3.60 15.20 14.20 14.40 11.20 14.10 12.20 55.0 47.0 13.14
Zn 53.00 61.00 49.00 47.00 51.00 44.00 48.00 52.00 46.00 15.00 31.00 26.00 8.00 41.00 45.00 42.00 51.00 42.00 47.00 85 67 42.05

7
Table 3
REE element concentrations (μg/g) of the Xifangshan Formation.
Sample No. PAAS UCC 90-S1 88-S1 62-S1 67-S2 77-S1 58-S1 55-S1 60-S1 48-S1 41-S1 28-S1 33-S1 11-S3 10-S1 9-S1 6-S1 5-S1 3-S1 1-S1

La 38.2 31.0 26.10 24.50 29.70 30.00 25.40 27.50 29.60 32.10 18.70 17.40 18.70 15.60 12.60 29.50 30.20 30.50 30.50 28.60 30.80
Ce 79.6 63.0 53.50 52.40 54.10 58.10 53.80 57.20 56.70 59.40 37.50 30.90 25.20 27.80 24.80 60.20 59.80 59.00 60.30 57.40 60.00
Pr 8.83 7.10 5.86 5.97 5.82 6.23 5.74 6.25 5.94 5.87 3.97 3.24 3.04 2.98 2.56 5.88 6.32 6.01 6.27 6.11 6.25
Nd 33.9 27.0 22.00 21.00 22.00 24.00 23.00 23.00 22.00 25.00 15.10 10.20 8.70 9.80 8.90 21.20 23.40 21.30 22.80 21.90 22.80
Sm 5.55 4.70 4.22 4.32 4.33 4.82 4.15 5.11 4.57 5.02 3.12 2.21 1.54 1.89 1.67 4.21 3.74 3.99 4.26 4.35 4.34
Eu 1.08 1.00 0.98 1.01 1.03 1.21 0.95 1.02 1.21 1.22 0.78 0.39 0.45 0.47 0.42 0.97 0.95 0.96 0.88 1.03 0.97
Gd 4.66 4.00 3.76 3.88 3.75 4.62 3.54 4.35 4.21 4.76 2.91 1.58 1.62 1.37 1.47 4.21 4.02 3.52 3.25 3.78 3.80
Tb 0.77 0.70 0.59 0.61 0.53 0.69 0.47 0.61 0.65 0.72 0.46 0.33 0.27 0.21 0.25 0.57 0.49 0.54 0.67 0.62 0.65
Dy 4.68 3.90 3.40 3.52 3.46 4.05 3.14 4.14 3.87 4.25 2.74 1.58 1.57 1.35 1.48 3.38 3.18 3.25 4.21 3.89 3.95
Ho 0.99 0.83 0.66 0.57 0.69 0.79 0.72 0.74 0.76 0.82 0.56 0.42 0.37 0.31 0.32 0.75 0.67 0.68 0.91 0.79 0.86
Er 2.85 2.30 1.80 1.85 1.77 2.11 1.69 1.97 2.15 2.32 1.53 1.02 0.89 0.98 0.90 2.12 1.74 1.85 2.56 2.39 2.45
Tm 0.41 0.30 0.28 0.29 0.27 0.30 0.25 0.28 0.24 0.32 0.22 0.15 0.16 0.19 0.13 0.32 0.31 0.28 0.42 0.35 0.38
Yb 2.82 1.96 1.83 1.89 1.91 2.00 1.85 2.01 1.87 1.95 1.41 1.21 0.89 0.79 0.88 2.02 1.79 1.87 2.24 2.23 2.65
Lu 0.43 0.31 0.30 0.29 0.25 0.32 0.31 0.27 0.31 0.33 0.22 0.17 0.15 0.12 0.14 0.31 0.28 0.30 0.38 0.47 0.42
ΣREE 184.77 148.10 125.28 122.10 129.61 139.24 125.01 134.45 134.08 144.08 89.22 70.80 63.55 63.86 56.52 135.64 136.89 134.05 139.65 133.91 140.32
LREE 167.16 133.80 112.66 109.20 116.98 124.36 113.04 120.08 120.02 128.61 79.17 64.34 57.63 58.54 50.95 121.96 124.41 121.76 125.01 119.39 125.16
HREE 17.61 14.30 12.62 12.90 12.63 14.88 11.97 14.37 14.06 15.47 10.05 6.46 5.92 5.32 5.57 13.68 12.48 12.29 14.64 14.52 15.16
LREE/HREE 9.49 9.36 8.93 8.47 9.26 8.36 9.44 8.36 8.54 8.31 7.88 9.96 9.73 11.00 9.15 8.92 9.97 9.91 8.54 8.22 8.26
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553
J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

the sedimentary environment, including paleoclimate and paleowater

conditions. Suttner and Dutta (1986) proposed a paleoclimate discrim­
ination diagram of SiO2 versus (Al2O3 + K2O + Na2O) based on the
geochemistry of major elements. The sandstones of the Xifangshan
Formation were clustered in the semiarid field (Fig. 6), with only two
samples in the semimoist field and one sample in the arid field. This
indicates that the Xifangshan Formation was deposited in a semiarid
paleoenvironment. Sediments in humid environments are enriched in
Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ni, and Co. Ca, Mg, K, Na, Sr, and Ba are relatively
enriched in arid conditions (Zhao et al., 2007). The C value (Zhao et al.,
2007) is defined to reflect the paleoclimatic conditions (C = (Fe + Mn +
Cr + Ni + V + Co)/(Ca + Mg + Sr + Ba + K + Na)). The C value (be­
tween 0.19 and 0.59, with an average of 0.41) of the Xifangshan For­
mation sandstone was characteristic of semiarid and semimoist
environments (Fig. 7a). There is no sample in the semihumid environ­
ment (Fig. 7a), indicating that the overall paleoenvironment was still
semiarid. In addition, the low Ga abundance (average 13.45 μg/g) and
higher Sr/Cu ratio (average 14.29) of the Xifangshan Formation sand­
stones also indicate a relatively semiarid climate during deposition (Roy
and Roser, 2013; Xie et al., 2018).
Fig. 4. Discrimination diagram of sedimentary cycle (Th/Sc versus Zr/Sc) in
The values of 100 MgO/Al2O3 and CaO/(Fe + CaO) can be used as
the Xifangshan Formation sandstones (after McLennan et al., 1993).
indicators of paleosalinity (Berry, 2012; Deocampo et al., 2017; Lin
et al., 2020; Stanistreet et al., 2020). The mean value of 100 MgO/Al2O3
potassium metasomatism and determine the degree of weathering of the is 12.20, with only two samples below 10, indicating that the sedi­
parent rock more accurately (Fedo et al., 1995). The PIA is calculated as mentary environment was marine. The paleosalinity of low salinity,
follows: moderate salinity and high salinity correspond to CaO/(Fe + Cao) ratio
PIA = [(Al2O3–K2O) / (Al2O3–K2O + CaO* + Na2O)] × 100 less than 0.2, 0.2–0.5 and greater than 0.5, respectively (Lin et al.,
2020). Low salinity marine means that the sedimentary environment is
The PIA of unweathered rocks is approximately 50, and that of clay affected by continental fresh water runoff (Madukwe, 2019; Sajid et al.,
minerals formed by weathering is near 100 (Zhao, 2010). The PIA of the 2020). High salinity marine sedimentary environment is the product of
Xifangshan Formation sandstones ranged from 43.60 to 63.49 (mean = an arid and evaporitic setting, with special minerals such as gypsum
52.54), which also suggests that the parent rock had undergone only crystals (Legler et al., 2011). Moderate salinity is a manifestation of a
weak chemical weathering. In addition, the A–CN–K (Fig. 5a) and normal marine environment (Legler et al., 2011; Sajid et al., 2020). The
(Al2O3–K2O) – CaO* – K2O ternary diagram ((A–K)–C–N, Fig. 5b) can values of CaO/(Fe + CaO) are all above 0.2 (from 0.20 to 0.73, with an
also reflect the types of parent rock which are acidic and intermediate average of 0.44), revealing that the sandstones were deposited in marine
rocks. Therefore, the parent rocks of the Xifangshan Formation sand­ environments with moderate salinity. This is consistent with the marine
stones have experienced weak weathering and may be near the prove­ turbidite environment identified through outcrop investigation.
nance region. In addition, some trace elements (Th, U, Ni, Co, V, Sc, and Cr) in the
fine-grained sandstone are sensitive to paleoredox conditions (McKirdy
5.3. Paleoenvironment et al., 2011). The ratios of U/Th, V/Cr, Ni/Co, and V/Sc are extensively
used to evaluate redox conditions (Hatch and Leventhal, 1992; Jones
The degree of weathering and maturity of sandstones are affected by

Fig. 5. (a) A–CN–K ternary diagram (after Nesbitt and Young, 1982). (b) (A–K)–C–N diagram (after Fedo et al., 1995). A, Al2O3; C, CaO*; N, Na2O; CN, CaO* + Na2O;
K, K2O; A–K, Al2O3–K2O; IWT, ideal weathering trend.

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J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

most of the samples were deposited in an oxic environment with a few

samples having been deposited under suboxic conditions (Fig. 7b). The
Ni/Co values (between 1.45 and 2.20, mean = 1.73) also revealed an
oxic environment (Fig. 7b).

5.4. Provenance

The detrital components and elemental composition of the sand­

stones were controlled by the provenance (Verma and Armstrong-Altrin,
2013; Xie et al., 2018). The low contents of MgO and TiO2 in the
sandstones of the Xifangshan Formation indicate the depletion of Mg
and Ti and less mafic minerals (McCann, 1991; Tao et al., 2016; Zhang
et al., 2020), implying a felsic provenance. Al2O3/TiO2 is an effective
parameter for identifying parent rocks. When the provenance is a felsic
rock, the ratio of Al2O3/TiO2 is between 19 and 28 while Al2O3/TiO2
ratios less than 14, suggest a mafic origin (Girty et al., 1996). The mean
value of the Xifangshan Formation sandstones is 25.47, which belongs to
felsic rocks. Some trace elements (La, Zr, Th, Sc, Hf, Co) are
non-migrating and provide a good indication of provenance. In the di­
agram of La/Th versus Hf, the sandstones are clustered in the felsic
Fig. 6. The paleoclimate discrimination diagram of SiO2 versus (Al2O3 + K2O provenance, and a few samples are in a transitional provenance between
+ Na2O) (after Suttner and Dutta, 1986).
felsic and intermediate rocks (Fig. 8a). The diagram of Co/Th versus
La/Sc shows that the parent rocks are felsic rocks and granite (Fig. 8b).
and Manning, 1994; Rimmer, 2004; Liang et al., 2020). The U/Th ratio The TiO2 versus Zr diagram (Hayashi et al., 1997) can distinguish
ranged from 0.14 to 0.25 (mean = 0.18), indicating an oxic environment mafic, intermediate, and felsic rocks. The diagram suggests that the
(Fig. 7b). The values of V/Cr (from 0.54 to 2.80, mean = 1.84) and V/Sc sandstones of the Xifangshan Formation originated from felsic rocks
(between 2.26 and 13.24, mean = 8.74) are similar, demonstrating that (Fig. 8c). The diagram of TiO2 versus Ni (Floyd et al., 1989) indicates

Fig. 7. (a) C value of Xifangshan Formation sandstones (modifed from Zhao et al., 2007). (b) The indicators of paleoredox conditions for the Xifangshan Formation
sandstones. Redox thresholds of U/Th, V/Cr, and Ni/Co are after Jones and Manning (1994); redox thresholds of V/(V + Ni) are after Hatch and Leventhal (1992).

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J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

that most of the samples fall within the range of acidic rocks (Fig. 8d). 5.5. Tectonic setting
Overall, the provenance of the Xifangshan Formation is mainly felsic
acidic rocks, possibly mixed with a few intermediate rocks. For Various diagrams have been proposed to describe the tectonic setting
first-cycle sandstones, the Th/Sc and La/Sc of the felsic source are higher using geochemical characteristics, but the traditional diagrams have
than those of the mafic source (Wronkiewicz and Condie, 1987). The been questioned in recent years (Borges et al., 2008; Caracciolo et al.,
samples of the lower–middle part of the Xifangshan Formation have 2012; Verma and Armstrong-Altrin, 2013). The diagram of Bhatia
higher Th/Sc and La/Sc values, indicating that a few intermediate (1983) could not explain the difference between continental island arcs
components were mixed during the late depositional period. (CIA) and active continental margins (ACM), while the diagram of Roser
In addition, the direct evidence of the provenance is the rock frag­ and Korsch (1986) cannot distinguish the arc deposits from collision and
ments. Litharenites (Fig. 9a) and feldspathic litharenites (Fig. 9b and c) continental rift (Verma and Armstrong-Altrin, 2013). It is necessary to
retain the information of their parent rocks. The feldspar was well combine multiple diagrams to determine the tectonic setting. There is a
preserved without alteration and dissolution, revealing that the sedi­ new diagram (Verma and Armstrong-Altrin, 2013) to establish tectonic
mentary region is near the source area, which is consistent with the setting based on the discriminant function. This method is effective in
weak weathering and semiarid environment. All the rock fragments determining the tectonic background of clastic rocks (Wang et al., 2017;
were from volcanic rocks, predominantly acidic eruptive and intrusive Armstrong-Altrin et al., 2018; Mohammedyasin and Wudie, 2019). From
rocks. There are more acidic intrusive rocks with a granite structure the diagram, most of the samples of the Xifangshan Formation were from
(Fig. 9c, l) and graphic texture (Fig. 9d, f, k). Acidic eruptive rocks with a the arc setting (Fig. 10). Combined with the traditional diagram for
porphyritic structure are also relatively developed (Fig. 9d, e, f, g). The verification, the SiO2/Al2O3 versus K2O/Na2O and Al2O3/(Na2O + CaO)
phenocrysts are mostly quartz and feldspar, and the matrix is an versus (TFe2O3 + MgO) diagrams suggest that most of the samples are
amorphous substance. Cryptocrystalline rocks have also been developed also from an arc setting, with a few samples being representative of an
(Fig. 9a, i, j). Fig. 9h shows that the extrusive rock fragment developed a ACM (Fig. 11a and b). The Th–Co–Zr/10 and Th–Sc–Zr/10 ternary plots
porphyry structure, the phenocrysts were elongated feldspar, and the indicate that most of the sandstones are from a CIA environment
matrix was an amorphous substance, which may be from an interme­ (Fig. 11c and d). Based on the provenance and multiple tectonic back­
diate extrusive rock. Such debris is relatively rare. Combining the ground discriminant diagrams, we believe that the sandstones of the
provenance discrimination diagrams and the characteristics of the rock Xifangshan Formation were from the volcanic arc of the continental
fragments under the microscope, the provenance was a tectonically margin in a tectonically active area.
active area with volcanic rocks, mainly acidic rocks, and contains a few To establish the tectonic pattern during the depositional period of the
intermediate rocks. Xifangshan Formation, the Aksu Group should be considered. The

Fig. 8. Provenance discrimination diagrams of (a) La/Th versus Hf (after Floyd and Leveridge, 1987), (b) Co/Th versus La/Sc (after Gu et al., 2002), (c) TiO2 versus
Zr (after Hayashi et al., 1997), and (d) TiO2 versus Ni (after Floyd et al., 1989). LCC, lower continental crust; TTG, rock series of trondhjemite, tonalite and
granodiorite.

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J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

Fig. 9. Photomicrographs of rock fragments in Xifangshan Formation sandstones. (a) Litharenite, containing some feldspar, cryptocrystalline rock fragment (red
dotted line) and biotite (yellow dotted line). (b) Feldspathic litharenite, the feldspar is well preserved. (c) Feldspathic litharenite with granite rock fragment (yellow
dotted line). (d) Acidic effusive rock fragment (red dotted line), and intrusive rock with graphic texture (yellow dotted line). (e) Acidic effusive rock fragment (red
dotted line). (f) Acidic effusive rock fragment (red dotted line) and intrusive rock fragment (yellow dotted line). (g) Acidic effusive rock fragment (red dotted line).
(h) Effusive rock fragments (red dotted line) with porphyry structure. (i) Cryptocrystalline rock fragment (red dotted line). (j) Acidic effusive rock fragment (yellow
dotted line) and cryptocrystalline rock fragment (red dotted line). (k) Acidic intrusive rock fragment with graphic texture (yellow dotted line). (l) The granite rock
fragment (yellow dotted line), mainly composed of granular quartz and feldspar. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is
referred to the Web version of this article.)

outcrops of the Aksu Group and Xifangshan Formation in northwestern et al., 2007), 759 ± 7 Ma (Zhang et al., 2009a), 755 Ma (Wang et al.,
Tarim Basin are near each other, and the provenance of the metasedi­ 2010), 730 Ma (Zhu et al., 2011b), 784 ± 2 Ma (Zhang et al., 2012a),
mentary rocks is also felsic rocks (Zhu et al., 2011b; Ding et al., 2015; Lu 741–757 Ma (Yong et al., 2013), and 760 Ma (Zhang et al., 2014) were
et al., 2017). The blueschist-bearing Aksu Group is evidence of sub­ obtained. Numerous studies have shown that this subduction event
duction by an oceanic plate (Nakajima et al., 1990; Zheng et al., 2008; lasted until 760 Ma (Xu et al., 2013b; Yong et al., 2013; Zhang et al.,
Ge et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2014). The age of the Aksu Group has al­ 2014).
ways been an interesting research topic. Early studies were primarily In the Neoproterozoic, the ancient ocean subduction, southward
based on the Rb–Sr method, suggesting that this subduction event along the Tarim (Liou et al., 1996; Ge et al., 2012), may have led to
occurred during the Late Mesoproterozoic (962 ± 12 Ma, Gao et al., magmatic arc(s) accreted on the northwestern margin (Ge et al., 2014;
1993). Numerous studies on the Aksu Group have been conducted based Chen et al., 2020). Ding et al. (2015) proposed that the Qiaoenbrak
on the Rb–Sr and 40Ar/39Ar methods of blueschist and zircon U–Pb Group developed a magmatic arc during the sedimentary period, and the
methods of basic dikes and basalts, and the ages of 698 ± 26 Ma ages of the diamictites in the Qiaoenbrak Group were 769 ± 10 and 727
(Nakajima et al., 1990), 718 ± 22 Ma (Nakajima et al., 1990), 754 Ma ± 8 Ma. The Xifangshan Formation was at the base of the Qiaoenbrak
(Liou et al., 1996), 807 ± 12 Ma (Chen et al., 2004), 785 ± 31 Ma (Zhan Group and was deposited at 780–744 Ma (He et al., 2014; Lu et al.,

11
J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

2017). Previous studies have shown that the extensive magmatism of

830–730 Ma (Zhu et al., 2011b; Zhang et al., 2012b) was in the northern
margin of the Tarim Basin. There is no outcrop of early Neoproterozoic
volcanic rocks in the NW Tarim Basin, but a large number of volcanic
rock fragments indicate that there was magmatic rock during this period
that was weathered and eroded, and there may be residual magmatic
rock records in the deep crust. Therefore, the tectonic setting of the
continental margin magmatic arc of the Xifangshan Formation is reli­
able. The tectonic development pattern of the Xifangshan Formation
during the sedimentary period is shown in Fig. 12.

6. Conclusion

This study presents information on the sedimentary cycling, paleo­

weathering, paleoclimate, paleoredox conditions, provenance, and tec­
tonic setting based on the petrographic and geochemical characteristics
of the Xifangshan Formation.

(1) Petrological characteristics and geochemical indicators all

revealed that the Xifangshan Formation is a first-cycle sandstone.
Fig. 10. Discriminant-function multi-dimensional diagram for Xifangshan The sandstones have experienced weak weathering due to the low
Formation sandstones, DF1 and DF2 are discriminant functions of tectonic CIA and PIA. The paleoenvironment is oxic-suboxic marine with
setting, the computational formulas are from Verma and moderate salinity and a semiarid climate.
Armstrong-Altrin (2013).
(2) The sandstone originated from the region of volcanic rocks, with
the geochemical characteristics indicating a felsic provenance.

Fig. 11. (a) The diagram of SiO2/Al2O3 versus K2O/Na2O (Maynard et al., 1982). (b) Al2O3/(Na2O + CaO) versus (TFe2O3 + MgO) diagram (after Bhatia, 1983). (c)
Th–Co–Zr/10 ternary plot (after Bhatia and Crook, 1986). (d) Th–Sc–Zr/10 ternary plot (Bhatia and Crook, 1986).

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J. Li et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 208 (2022) 109553

Fig. 12. The tectonic development pattern of Xifangshan Formation in the northwestern Tarim Basin, NW China.

The source rocks are predominantly acidic intrusive and effusive Asiedu, D.K., Suzuki, S., Nogami, K., Shibata, T., 2000. Geochemistry of lower cretaceous
sediments, inner zone of southwest Japan: constraints on provenance and tectonic
rocks and contain a few intermediate rocks.
environment. Geochem. J. 34, 155–173. https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.34.155.
(3) The tectonic setting of the Xifangshan Formation is a continental Awasthi, N., 2017. Provenance and paleo–weathering of Tertiary accretionary
margin magmatic arc. During this period, the ancient ocean prism–forearc sedimentary deposits of the Andaman Archipelago, India. J. Asian
subducted along the NW Tarim Basin, forming the blueschist- Earth Sci. 150, 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.10.005.
Babu, K., 2017. Geochemical characteristics of sandstones from cretaceous
bearing of the Aksu Group and the arc. This magmatic arc garudamangalam area of Ariyalur, Tamilnadu, India: implications of provenance and
directly served as the provenance of the Xifangshan Formation. tectonic setting. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 126, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-017-
0821-3.
Berry, P., 2012. Lake Cycles and Sediments: Locality 80. Thesis. Georgia State University,
Credit author statement Olduvai, p. 63.
Bhatia, M.R., Crook, K.A.W., 1986. Trace element characteristics of graywackes and
tectonic setting discrimination of sedimentary basins. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 92,
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