Astronomical Orbital Cycle-Driven Coevolution of Paleoclimate and Sea Level with Sedimentary Response: A Case Study from the Upper Member of the Miocene Zhujiang Formation in the Enping Depression, South China Sea

Astronomical Orbital Cycle-Driven Coevolution of Paleoclimate and Sea Level with Sedimentary Response: A Case Study from the Upper Member of the Miocene Zhujiang Formation in the Enping Depression, South China Sea

This study focuses on the upper section of the Zhujiang Formation in the Enping Sag of the Zhujiangkou Basin in the South China Sea, investigating the mechanisms by which astronomical orbital cycles drive paleoclimate, sea-level fluctuations, and sedimentary development. In this study, a cyclic stra...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shangfeng Zhang, Chenjun Zeng, Enze Xu, Yaning Wang, Rui Zhu, Rui Han, Gaoyang Gong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Zhujiangkou Basin
cyclostratigraphy
sequence stratigraphy
sedimentary response
sea level changes
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/5922
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Summary:This study focuses on the upper section of the Zhujiang Formation in the Enping Sag of the Zhujiangkou Basin in the South China Sea, investigating the mechanisms by which astronomical orbital cycles drive paleoclimate, sea-level fluctuations, and sedimentary development. In this study, a cyclic stratigraphic analysis was performed using natural gamma-ray logging data and geochemical proxies (Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA); Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> content) in combination with depositional noise modeling (DYNOT Dynamic Orbital Tuning Model and ρ1 noise factor). High-resolution time series analysis revealed three key findings: (1) a 15.98–19.09 Ma astronomical timescale was established through the identification of Milankovitch cycles including 405 kyr eccentricity, 100 kyr eccentricity, 40 kyr obliquity, and 20 kyr precession; (2) sea-level changes exhibited 405 kyr eccentricity-driven cyclicity, with high-eccentricity phases corresponding to warm-humid climates and transgressive mudstone deposition, and low-eccentricity phases reflecting arid conditions and regressive sandstone development; and (3) orbital-scale precession modulation regulated sediment source-to-sink processes through climate–sea level coupling. This work provides a quantitative framework for predicting astronomical cycle-controlled reservoirs, offering critical insights for deepwater hydrocarbon exploration in the Zhujiangkou Basin.
ISSN:2076-3417

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