The Ukhaakhudag coal deposit is located c. 560 km SSE of the city of Ulaanbaatar in the northeastern sector the South Gobi Basin. The coal-bearing strata is part of the middle Permian Tavantolgoi ...Formation. This study aims to determine the coal petrographic composition and depositional environments of five coal seams in the lower part of the deposit based on petrographic and chemical analyses of 106 composite samples. Vitrinite ranges from 12 to 64 vol.%, and inertinite varies between 9 and 68 vol.%. Liptinite ranges from 1 to 7 vol.%. Microlithotype analyses indicate that coals are primarily vitrinertite, few coals are classified as trimaceralic microlithotypes duroclarite and clarodurite. The inorganic fraction in the studied coals is mainly composed of clay, small amounts of silica, carbonate, and pyrite minerals. The vitrinite random reflectance values of the samples vary between 0.93-1.16 %. Volatile matter content varies from 26.10 to 41.48 wt.% (dry ash free basis). Ash, moisture, and sulfur contents vary between 11.20-44.76 wt.%, 1.63-6.03 wt.% and 0.49-1.67 wt.%, (air dried basis) respectively. Based on random vitrinite reflectance values and volatile matter content, the studied coals are classified as coking (Ch4), fat (Ch5), 1/3 coking (Ch6), gas fat (Ch7) based on the Mongolian system and medium to high volatile bituminous coal when using the ASTM system. The Gelification Index and Tissue Preservation Index of the studied samples suggest most seams accumulated in wet forest swamps with a high tree density. The Middle Permian peats from this location accumulated in mostly alternate oxic and anoxic mire conditions. The climate was drier during the peat accumulation of Seam 0, but it became warmer, and humidity increased starting from Seam 3 accumulation.
Caddisfly larvae construct underwater protective cases using surrounding materials, thus providing information on environmental conditions in both modern and ancient systems. Microbial bioherms ...associated with caddisfly cases are found in the Berriassian-Hauterivian (~140-130 Ma) Shinekhudag Formation of Mongolia, and yield new insights into aspects of lacustrine paleoecosystems and paleoenvironments. This formation contains the earliest record of plant-armored caddisfly cases and a rare occurrence of microbial-caddisfly association from the Mesozoic. The bioherms are investigated within the context of stratigraphic correlations, depositional environment interpretations, and basin-evolution models of the sedimentary fill. The bioherms form 0.5-2.0 m diameter mound-shaped bodies and are concentrated within a single, oil shale-bound stratigraphic interval. Each bioherm is composed of up to 40% caddisfly cases along with stromatolites of millimeter-scale, micritic laminations. Petrographic analyses reveal these bioherms are composed of non-systematic associations of columnar and oncoidal microbialites, constructed around colonies of caddisfly cases. The cases are straight to curved, slightly tapered, and tube-shaped, with a progressively increasing length and width trend (7-21 mm by 1.5-2.5 mm). Despite these variations, the case architectures reveal similar construction materials; the particles used for cases are dominated by plant fragments, ostracod valves, carbonate rocks, and rare mica and feldspar grains. Allochems within the bioherms include ooids, ostracods, plant fragments, rare gastropods, feldspar grains bound in micritic matrices, and are consolidated by carbonate dominated cements. The combination of microbial-caddisfly association, plant fragment case particles, and ooids/oncoids are indicative of a shallow, littoral lake setting. Stratigraphic juxtaposition of nearshore bioherms and the bounding distal oil-shale facies suggests that the bioherms developed in an underfilled lake basin, resulting from an abrupt and short-lived lake desiccation event. Lake chemistry is believed to have been relatively alkaline, saline to hypersaline, and rich in Ca, Mg, and HCO3 ions. Through analyzing bioherm characteristics, caddisfly case architecture, carbonate microfacies, and stratigraphic variability, we infer larger-scale processes that controlled basin development during their formation.
The Baruunnaran coal deposit is located in the northeastern part of the South Gobi Basin, southern Mongolia, and hosted in the middle Permian Tavantolgoi Formation. In this paper we present indices ...of coal facies determined from 34 coal samples obtained from three seams in the lower and upper part of the formation (III, IXG and X), by studying their organic petrography and the geochemistry of the coal ash. The results of coal petrography revealed that seams III, IXG and X are composed of 46.9-80.9 vol.% vitrinite, 11.6-47.5 vol.% inertinite and 1.2-18.2 vol.% liptinite. In samples from seams III and X the average content of mineral matter is low at 11 and 13.4 vol.%, respectively, and 6.3 vol.% in seam IXG, and consists of clay, silica, pyrite, carbonate, and other minerals. The inorganic content mostly occurs as fillings of cell cavities, cracks, and fissures of vitrinite and inertinite macerals. The vitrinite random reflectance values range from 0.81-1.07%. The Gelification Index and Tissue Preservation Index suggest the peats accumulated in wet forest swamp environments with high tree density. The majority of the seams accumulated in mildly oxic to anoxic conditions with good tissue preservation. The peat mire water ranged from weakly to strongly acidic. Further, it was determined by Al2O3/TiO2 ratios that the clastic sediments were probably sourced from volcanic basement characterized by intermediate felsic composition.
Caddisfly larvae construct underwater protective cases using surrounding materials, providing information on environmental conditions in both modern and ancient systems. Microbial bioherms associated ...with caddisfly cases are found in the Berriassian-Hauterivian (~140-130 Ma) Shinekhudag Formation of Mongolia and provide new insights into aspects of lacustrine paleoecosystems and paleoenvironments. This formation contains the earliest record of plant-armored caddisfly cases and a rare occurrence of microbial-caddisfly association from the Mesozoic. The bioherms are investigated within the context of stratigraphic correlations, depositional environment interpretations, and basin-evolution models of the sedimentary fill. The bioherms form 0.5-2.0 m diameter mound-shaped bodies and are concentrated within a single, oil shale-bound stratigraphic interval. Each bioherm is composed of up to 40% caddisfly cases along with millimeter-scale, laminated stromatolites. Petrographic analyses reveal these bioherms are composed of non-systematic associations of columnar and oncoidal microbialites, constructed around colonies of caddisfly cases. The cases are straight to curved, slightly tapered, tube-shaped, with a progressively increasing length and width trend (7-21 mm by 1.5-2.5 mm). Despite these variations, the case architectures reveal similar construction materials; the armor is dominated by plant fragments, ostracod valves, carbonate rock fragments, and rare mica and feldspar grains. The bioherms contain various allochems including ooids, ostracods, plant fragments, rare gastropods, feldspar grains bound in micritic matrices, and carbonate dominated cements. The combination of microbial-caddisfly association, plant fragment case armors, and ooids/oncoids indicates a shallow, littoral lake setting. Stratigraphic juxtaposition of nearshore bioherms and the bounding distal oil-shale facies suggests that the bioherms developed in an underfilled lake basin, resulting from rapid lake desiccation. Lake chemistry is believed to have been relatively alkaline, saline to hypersaline, and rich in Ca, Mg, and HCO3 ions. Through analyzing bioherm characteristics, caddisfly case architecture, carbonate microfacies, and stratigraphic variability, we infer larger-scale processes that controlled basin development during their formation.
The Mongolian Altai is an intracontinental oblique contractional orogen related to the far-field effects of the Indo-Asian collision. Global Positioning System (GPS) data suggest that ∼10–15 per cent ...of total Indo-Asia convergence is accommodated across this orogen. The Höh Serh–Tsagaan Salaa fault system is one of several NNW–SSE-trending oblique contractional faults acting to partition strain and accommodate shortening and dextral shear in the Mongolian Altai. This fault zone displaces late Pleistocene alluvium along the southwest piedmont of the Höh Serh range in western Mongolia. Along the central third of the fault zone, strain is partitioned onto two separate strands, one that accommodates nearly pure dextral shear and one that accommodates thrust motion. We determined late Pleistocene rates of deformation along each of the Höh Serh–Tsagaan Salaa fault strands based on differential GPS surveys and cosmogenic nuclide 10Be geochronology. Combining the measured offsets and 10Be dates yields a minimum right-lateral slip rate of 0.9 +0.2/−0.1 mm a−1; the minimum shortening rate is 0.3 ± 0.1 mm a−1, with uplift of at least 0.1 ± 0.1 mm a−1. Resolving the shortening and dextral components of deformation yields a slip vector of 0.8 +0.2/−0.1 mm a−1 toward 336°. This long-term deformation vector is consistent with the short-term strain field determined by GPS in the region and indicates that ∼20 per cent of Indo-Asian deformation in the Mongolian Altai (∼2 per cent of the total Indo-Asia strain accumulation) occurs along the Höh Serh–Tsagaan Salaa fault zone. Although rate data for other active faults in the Mongolian Altai are sparse, our results suggest that strain may be accommodated almost exclusively on discrete structures in this intraplate tectonic setting.
SUMMARYThe Mongolian Altai is an intracontinental oblique contractional orogen related to the far-field effects of the Indo-Asian collision. Global Positioning System (GPS) data suggest that similar ...to 10-15 per cent of total Indo-Asia convergence is accommodated across this orogen. The Hoeh Serh-Tsagaan Salaa fault system is one of several NNW-SSE-trending oblique contractional faults acting to partition strain and accommodate shortening and dextral shear in the Mongolian Altai. This fault zone displaces late Pleistocene alluvium along the southwest piedmont of the Hoeh Serh range in western Mongolia. Along the central third of the fault zone, strain is partitioned onto two separate strands, one that accommodates nearly pure dextral shear and one that accommodates thrust motion. We determined late Pleistocene rates of deformation along each of the Hoeh Serh-Tsagaan Salaa fault strands based on differential GPS surveys and cosmogenic nuclide 10Be geochronology. Combining the measured offsets and 10Be dates yields a minimum right-lateral slip rate of 0.9 +0.2--0.1 mm a-1; the minimum shortening rate is 0.3 plus or minus 0.1 mm a-1, with uplift of at least 0.1 plus or minus 0.1 mm a-1. Resolving the shortening and dextral components of deformation yields a slip vector of 0.8 +0.2--0.1 mm a-1 toward 336 degree . This long-term deformation vector is consistent with the short-term strain field determined by GPS in the region and indicates that similar to 20 per cent of Indo-Asian deformation in the Mongolian Altai ( similar to 2 per cent of the total Indo-Asia strain accumulation) occurs along the Hoeh Serh-Tsagaan Salaa fault zone. Although rate data for other active faults in the Mongolian Altai are sparse, our results suggest that strain may be accommodated almost exclusively on discrete structures in this intraplate tectonic setting.
Caddisfly larvae construct underwater protective cases using surrounding materials, thus providing information on environmental conditions in both modern and ancient systems. Microbial bioherms ...associated with caddisfly cases are found in the Berriassian-Hauterivian (similar to 140-130 Ma) Shinekhudag Formation of Mongolia, and yield new insights into aspects of lacustrine paleoecosystems and paleoenvironments. This formation contains the earliest record of plant-armored caddisfly cases and a rare occurrence of microbial-caddisfly association from the Mesozoic. The bioherms are investigated within the context of stratigraphic correlations, depositional environment interpretations, and basin-evolution models of the sedimentary fill. The bioherms form 0.5-2.0 m diameter mound-shaped bodies and are concentrated within a single, oil shale-bound stratigraphic interval. Each bioherm is composed of up to 40% caddisfly cases along with stromatolites of millimeter-scale, micritic laminations. Petrographic analyses reveal these bioherms are composed of non-systematic associations of columnar and oncoidal microbialites, constructed around colonies of caddisfly cases. The cases are straight to curved, slightly tapered, and tube-shaped, with a progressively increasing length and width trend (7-21 mm by 1.5-2.5 mm). Despite these variations, the case architectures reveal similar construction materials; the particles used for cases are dominated by plant fragments, ostracod valves, carbonate rocks, and rare mica and feldspar grains. Allochems within the bioherms include ooids, ostracods, plant fragments, rare gastropods, feldspar grains bound in micritic matrices, and are consolidated by carbonate dominated cements. The combination of microbial-caddisfly association, plant fragment case particles, and ooids/oncoids are indicative of a shallow, littoral lake setting. Stratigraphic juxtaposition of nearshore bioherms and the bounding distal oil-shale facies suggests that the bioherms developed in an underfilled lake basin, resulting from an abrupt and short-lived lake desiccation event. Lake chemistry is believed to have been relatively alkaline, saline to hypersaline, and rich in Ca, Mg, and HCO3 ions. Through analyzing bioherm characteristics, caddisfly case architecture, carbonate microfacies, and stratigraphic variability, we infer larger-scale processes that controlled basin development during their formation.
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