Carbon Isotope from Shallow Marine System in North China: Implications for Stratigraphical Correlation and Sea-Level Changes in Cambrian

Abstract

Cambrian System at the Shatan Section in northern Henan, North China, consists of sedimentary successions of tidal flat and shallow-water carbonate platform facies. Data of carbon isotope (δ¹³C_carb) from this section reveals five positive δ¹³C_carb (P_st-l–P_st-5) and five negative δ¹³C_carb excursions (N_st-l–N_st-5). In the positive excursions, δ¹³C_carb rises to 0.88‰, 1.05‰, 2.04‰, 1.00‰ and 2.97‰, respectively, while in the negative excursions δ¹³C_carb drops to −8.00‰, −3.50‰, −1.00‰, −0.33‰ and around −2.00‰, respectively. On the basis of chronostratigraphy of Cambrian, the most remarkable carbon isotope excursions can be correlated regionally and globally. In addition, one second-order and ten third-order sequences have been recognized at this section. Correlating third-order sequences and chemostratigraphy indicates that carbonates from the basal part of the transgression system tract (TST) and the upper part of the high-water system (LHST) generally have lighter δ¹³C_carb values, whereas massive carbonates with microbialite from the lower part of the high-water system tract (EHST) usually have heavier δ¹³C_carb values. The association of δ¹³C_carb values with sea-level fluctuations suggests that the positive carbon isotope excursions or high δ¹³C_carb values may have been caused by an increase in the marine primary productivity in response to maximum seawater flooding during the transgression.

Keywords

carbon isotope / sedimentary rocks / sea-level change / shallow-water Cambrian System / stratigraphy / North China

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