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| Geochemistry of cherts from the northern Jiangxi region, South China: Implication for paleoenvironment |
| Guo-Liang Xiea,b,*, Gao-Jie Zhoua, Yu-Yong Suna, Yan-Ran Hua, Wei-Duo Haoc |
a School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tongling University, Tongling 244000, Anhui Province, China;
b State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploration, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan Province, China;
c Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi Province, China |
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Abstract The extensive bedded cherts deposited during the Ediacaran-Cambrian (E-C) transition period play a crucial role in understanding the geological evolution of this period, yet the origin of these cherts remains disputed. Here, we present new geochemical data for cherts of the Piyuancun (PYC) Formation deposited during the Late Ediacaran and the Hetang (HT) Formation deposited during the Early Cambrian in northern Jiangxi region, Lower Yangtze region, South China. The PYC cherts contain a small amount of monaxons sponge spicules and radiolarian fragments, while the HT cherts lack siliceous organism evidence. Major and trace element analysis, coupled with discriminant diagrams, indicate a possible shift in redox conditions of seawater during the E-C transition in the northern Jiangxi region. The shift suggests a change from weakly-moderately restricted euxinic conditions to strongly restricted euxinic conditions. Furthermore, the location of both cherts are distant from the source area of siliceous organisms. Fossil evidence, as well as the values of Fe/Ti and Fe/(Mn+Ti), Eu anomalies, Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) normalized REE+Y patterns, and various discriminant diagrams, support the conclusion that the PYC and HT cherts originated primarily from direct seawater precipitation, with the PYC cherts exhibiting weak hydrothermal evidence. Upwelling contributes to the formation of HT cherts and organic matter (OM) accumulation. Ocean acidification, triggered by OM degradation and biodegradation processes during the E-C transition period, leads to the extensive silica precipitation and preservation. These results enhance our understanding of the geological processes during the E-C transition.
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Received: 26 July 2023
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Corresponding Authors:
* School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tongling University, Tongling 244000, Anhui Province, China. E-mail address: glxie1989@tlu.edu.cn (G.-L. Xie).
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2024, Vol. 13 
