The Gaoyuzhuang Formation of Mesoproterozoic at the Jixian section in Tianjin is a set of about 1 600 m-thick carbonate strata, which can be divided into four members: The first member is mainly constituted by stromatolitic dolomites; The second member is marked by a set of manganese dolomites; The third member is mainly composed of laminar limestones; The fourth member is a set of stromatolitic-lithoherm dolomites. According to lithofacies and lithofacies succession, several types of meter-scale cyclic sequences, i.e. the L-M type, the subtidal type and the peritidal type can be discerned in the Gaoyuzhuang Formation. There is a regularly vertical stacking pattern for meter-scale cyclic sequences in the third-order sequence. Therefore, the Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation can be divided into 13 third-order sequences (SQ₁ to SQ₁₃) and still be grouped into 4 second-order sequences. The third member of the Gaoyuzhuang Formation that is marked by laminar limestones can be grouped into 3 third-order sequences (SQ₉ to SQ₁₁); and the molar-tooth structure is developed in the middle part of the third sequence in the third member of Gaoyuzhuang Formation. Several features of this kind of molar-tooth structure, i.e. the particular configuration, containing abundant organic matter, easy silication etc., reflect some characters of carbonate sedimentation in Precambrian as follows: Firstly, stromatolites are chiefly formed in shallow tidal-flat environment and molar-tooth structures are mainly generated in more deep-water environment of carbonate ramp, therefore, similar to stramatolite the molar-tooth structure is also a kind of biosedimentation structure; Secondly, the shallow tidal-flat environment mainly developed stromatolites is propitious to dolomitization, but in the more deep water environment of carbonate ramp is chiefly formed limestones, both of which might reflect
that Precambrian dolomites are appear not primary dolomites. Actually, these features of Precambrian sedimentation also represent the problem of Precambran carbonate sedimentation. With much more detail study, much more truly solution for these problems will be obtain in the future.

Liaoxi Sag that locates in the west of Liaodongwan Bay of Bohai Sea Area is a half graben-like sag in the Palaeogene. The exploration degree of the mid-southern Liaoxi Sag is the lowest in Liadongwan Bay. The paper focuses on the analysis of structure-sequence stratigraphic framework, sedimentary system and palaeogeography of the Palaeogene in the area. The base topographic form of the sag in the cross section of the mid-southern Liaoxi Sag is irregularity in the Palaeogene. There is an inherited isolated-island in the sag. The distribution of island is chained-like shape, so it is called as chained-like island. The mid-southern Liaoxi Sag in the Palaeogene is divided into two sub-sags by the island, viz, Eastern Sub-sag and Western Sub-sag. The island controls the distribution of sedimentary system in the sag in the Palaeogene. The sedimentary systems on the two sides of the island are obviously different. The structure framework in the axial section is more complex than one in the cross section. According as the drilling wells data and the seismic data, 6 sequence boundaries and 5 sequences can be recognized in the Palaeogene in the mid-southern of Liaoxi Sag. The paper described in details the genesis and the seismic and response logging curves characteristics of the boundaries and the composing of system tract in each sequence. The palaeography characteristics of the different sequences were delineated in the structure-sequence framework in the paper. The sedimentary systems distribution in Palaeogene in the area is regularity. In the west of the sag, the major sedimentary systems are alluvial fans, braided river and delta plain, toward the eastern sag, the major systems are delta front and shallow lacustrine. The palaeogeography development in Palaeogene in the mid-southern Liaoxi Sag is controlled by these factors such as sequence boundaries transition, striking-slip structure, palaeo-geomorphology, and palaeo-climate, etc. The control of the above four factors on the deposition of the basin is not isolated but associated with each other. The major factor is different in different development stages. The periodic changes of the palaeo-climate controls the lacustrine expanding and constricting, the structure controls the efficacious accommodation, the base levels of deposition and erosion and lake level not only control the supply rate of clastic debris, but also control the depositional rate of the basin.

Saline  lake  sediments  are characterized by  multi-stage  and  long peroid of salt  formation,  continuous  sedimentation  and  cyclicity  of  salinization-desalinization,  so  they  are  an  important  research  object  with  respect  to  the  reconstruction  of  palaeoclimate  and  the  study  of  global  change.  Take  for  example  the  salt  rhythms  of  the  Qianjiang  Formation  in  the  Qianjiang  Sag  of  the  Jianghan  Basin  (which  is  a  typical  Paleogene  saline  lacustrine  basin  in  eastern  China,  through  a  detailed  study  on  cores,  the  authors  have   determined for  the  first  time the Ⅳ-order  salt  rhythm  based  on  Ⅰ-,Ⅱ-and Ⅲ-order  salt  rhythms  which were determined  previously  and  got  to  know  that  the  sedimentary process followed the  primary  balanced  sequence  of desalinizing →salinizing  and  crystallization  of  salt  minerals  from  halite  rock → (mud-bearing) glauberite  rock → dolomite-bearing mudstone  (mud-bearing dolomite)→ mudstone → dolomite → glauberite rock → halite rock. The  authors  also  analyzed  the  grade Ⅳ-order  salt  rhythm  and  the  correspondence  its  sedimentary records and the  fluctuation  of  the  palaeosalinity  of  waters  and  the  short-scale  (0.05 – 1.0 ka  duration)  change  of  dry-moist  palaeoclimate.  According  to  the  wide  developmentof  the typical  warm-phase  salt  minerals  such  as  primary  glauberite  and  its  thin  bed  in  the Qianjiang  Formation,  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  dry  palaeoclimate  in  the  drainage  area  of  the  Jianghan  Basin  during  the  Late  Eocene  to  Early  Oligocene  was  of    warm-dry  type,  rather  than  of  cold-dry  type.

Based on rock cores, thin sections, and so on, combining many modern technologies, such as the EMI image logging technique ,etc., Authors identified that the Lower Urho Formation of the Upper Permian is the fluival-dominated fan delta facies in the Karamay Oilfield, Xinjiang. There are two subfacies: the fan delta plain and fan delta front subfacies, but have no the pro-fan delta, in which the former consists of the braided branch microfacies, unconcentrated flow microfacies, mud flow microfacies and sieve deposit microfacies; the latter includes subaqueous branch microfacies, subaqueous interdistributary microfacies, debris flow microfacies, subaqueous natural barrier microfacies and grain flow microfacies. Meantime, it indicates the resource directions are not coincident in the 5 stages of Urho by analysizing the maps of Image Logging, composition and grain size of rocksin the Urho Formation, which behaves that the direction varied from the South-West to the North-West from early to late(the fifth stage to the first stage). Corresponding with the resource direction, the sedimentary facies changed regularlly. This paper subtly anatomizes the permian sedimentary microfacies characteristics, distribution and evolution by detailly studying the sedimentary facies of the lower Urho formation in the Karamay oil field.

This paper is proposed here on the presupposition of the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios for global climate and sea-level rise of the 21st century，completed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change（IPCC） in 2001. The location，types and distribution of coral reefs in China，and their classification based on the maturity of coral reefs well be introduced in this paper. Also the influence of global sea-level rise on coral reefs of China has been estimated. In the 21st century，within coastal areas of China，the estimated highest sea-level rise will be in the South China Sea，attaining 32 ~ 98cm in their heights  and  0.32 ~ 0.98cm/a in their average rate of rise. According to the theoretic comparison of sea-level rising rate with the growth rate of coral reefs，coral reefs of China basically may growth  synchronously  with  the former，even if the sea-level rise with the estimated highest rate， it does not threat the exist of coral reefs. Based on the higher maturity of coral reefs of China and their lateral growth tendency，the future global sea-level rise is making a favorable condition for their growth. Based on the existence of higher sea-level and higher temperature of surface sea water since Holocene from 6000a BP，it is quite evident that the sea-level rise in the 21st century can not threat the existence and development of coral reefs of China. To respond the global sea-level rise extant reef islands of China may reach a balance of the sea-level rise and the rise of islands，and the latter may stand over the future risen sea-level. But the manual buildings on islands well be soak，flooded， and be dredged and destroyed， and it must get some corresponding defensive measures according to the range and rate of the global sea-level rise.

 A complete progressive and regressive cycle occurred in the early Early Carboniferous in the eastern part of the North Qilian Mountains. The relative sea level changes obviously controlled the evolution of brachiopods of the study area during this period. It seems that the stability of living environment is the foundation of that whether the process of community succession can take place for an enough long time. Among all those influencing ecological factors of community succession, the property and stability of substrate is the most important one, but the food supply, water salinity and hydrodynamics etc. also play important roles. In the vertical, the most important controlling factor of community replacement is water depth, and which is closely related to the sea-level changes in this area. In the horizontal, besides the water depth, the amount of terrigenous clastic materials, seawater circuit and its salinity also deeply influence the distribution of benthic communities. The benthic assemblage eco-positions of early Early Carboniferous brachiopod communities are between BA1 and BA2, and there is no BA3-BA5 deep-water communities in this area, this indicates that the sea water depth at this period in the study area is commonly less than 10m. Under the control of Paleogeography, the distributional area of BA2 benthic assemblage eco-positions are mainly localized around Jingtai County, and the water depth is obviously shallower westward.

The Eighth International Ichnofabric Workshop was held at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in February 17~23, 2005. More then forty ichnologists from twelve countries attended the workshop. Six topics were concerned, which included the ichnotaxonomy and morphology-function analysis of trace fossils; detailed study and re-explanation of complex trace fossils and ichnofabrics; modeling of trace fossils and investigation of modern biogenic traces; other overlooked phenomena and rarely known problems related to trace fossils being stressed; new advances being made in the study of continental trace fossils and ichnofabrics; 3-D modeling of ichnofabrics and its application in oil-gas exploration. The application of new technology greatly promotes the development of ichnology.

Xihulitu Basin is an Early Cretaceous downfaulted basin and the Damoguaihe Formation of lower cretaceous is its depositional cover. Influencing by syndepositional fault in southern margin, the alluvial fan and fan delta facies are developed mainly in the southern part of the basin while the braided stream and delta facies are developed in its northern part, only alluvial fans developed in its upper strata. However, the very thick lacustrine sediments are dominant in the central part of the basin. Studies of sedimentology show that the Damoguaihe Formation can be further subdivided into three members. The first member is developed in the beginning of downfaulted period during which  alluvial fan, stream and delta facies are mainly developed; and the second member,  which is the main component of the depositional cover, is formed in the extensively enlarged period of the lacustrine basin with very thick lacustrine mudstone, while the stream and delta facies are dominant at the end of this period. However, the third member features with the large-scale alluvial fan facies, which shows that the basin enters the shrinking stage of its evolution. The above characteristics of the Damoguaihe Formation reveal that the sedimentary facies plays an important role in controlling both the distribution and the type of mineralization of the epigenetic sandstone-type uranium deposits in the region. The stratigraphic structure of “coarse - fine - coarse” in granularity from bottom to top of the cover determines that the uranium mineralization mainly occur in the upper of depositional cover, that is, in the coarse detrital sediments in the upper of the second member and in the third member; main ore-bearing beds are in the alluvial fan, braided stream and delta facies of the second and third members, and the U-bearing host rocks are mainly the glutinite and sandstone of granule-supported massive and crossbedding litho-facies,  which is abundant in organic matter and good in infiltration. At the same time, due to lack of the mudstone layer, which usually acts as groundwater confining bed, the uranium mineralization in the region is typically a kind of phreatic oxidized mineralization with vertical zoning, while phreatic - interlayered oxidized mineralization  is only developed locally.

 On the basis of petrologic study of about 40 wells, this paper expounds the characteristics of the Paleogene and Neogene sandstone reservoir in southwestern Qaidam Basin： (1)The rock composition of sandstone reservoir varies regularly in space-time. The compositional maturity and textural maturity of sandstones located in both sides of southeastern and northwestern in the study area are obviously lower than that located in the middle area. The compositional maturity and textural maturity of sandstones decline gradually from Paleogene to Neogene. This is accordance with the fact that the regional tectonic activity in the study area was enhancing from early to later. The variation of sandstone reservoir petrology affects its reservoir quality clearly, and then it makes the sandstone reservoir quality in both sides of southeastern and northwestern in the study area getting worse. (2) Primary pore is mainly types of pore in sandstone reservoir. Fore-researchers have different views on the pore types of sandstone reservoir, it is mostly believed that the main types of pore is secondary pore, especially in lower Ganchaigou formation, mainly developed secondary pore. The sandstone reservoir of Paleogene and Neogene is mainly for primary pore, and next for cement dissolution pore and rock debris dissolution pore, and secondary pore only improve the sandstone’s reservoir quality limitedly. So research for development regularity of primary pore in sandstone reservoir is more important. (3) The chief factors resulting in reservoir quality change are mainly due to the difference of compaction, and then to the cementation .The compaction degree is affected by buried depth and rock property, and also related to the buried way undergoing by the reservoir. The cementation in sandstone reservoir is mainly carbonate and anhydrite and fewer analcite. The content of carbonate cements varies between 4.0% and  16.0% in different layers., locally the content of anhydrite cement may be up to 11.5% to 28.0%, and it becomes primary factors affecting the reservoir quality.

There are three sets of salt rocks from bottom to top in the Member 3 of Shahejie Formation of Paleogene in the central uplift belt and its vicinity in  northern of  Dongpu Depression. Each set of salt rocks consists of numerous salt rock rhymes that are composed of salt beds and mudstones. Thickness of the different and same rhythmic unit is very different in the various regions. Salt rocks have three major structures：primary tabular salt rock , secondary salt rock wall and post deforming salt rock. Because salt rocks are very dense with excellent sealing, the pressure and temperature of the underlying layers are so high that organic materials in the source rocks turns into oil and gas easily. Salt rocks in the high pressure and temperature are plastic and therefore are high-quality caprocks. Phase change of salt rock to sandstone and mudstone together with  structural movement formed lithologic reservoirs relative to salt rocks. There are four kinds of reservoir traps in relation to salt rock distribution：sandstone pinching reservoir, lithologic-fault reservoir,fault-lithologic reservoir and fault -anticline reservoir.This paper discussed the distribution of three sets of salt rocks and their relation to oil and gas accumulation in the Member 3 of Shahejie Formation of Paleogene in Puyang area, Henan Province. It is significant for searching and exploiting the subtle reservoirs futhermore in this region.  

The Qinshui Basin in southeastern Shanxi Province is an important base for coalbed methane exploration and production in China. The methane reservoirs in this area are the Carboniferous and Permian coals and their thickness are strongly controlled by the depositional environments and palaeogeography. In this paper, sedimentological researches were conducted on the outcrop and borehole sections of the Taiyuan and Shanxi Formations in the Qinshui Basin and the basin-wide lithofacies palaeogeography maps for these two formations have been reconstructed. The Taiyuan Fomation is composed of limestones, aluminous mudstones, siltstones, silty mudstones, sandstones, and mineable coal seams, with a total thickness varying from 44.9 m to 193.48 m. The coal seams have a thickness ranging between 0 and 16.89 m, averaging 7.19 m. During deposition of the Taiyuan Formation, the northern part of the study area was dominated by the lower deltaic depositional system, the central and southern parts were dominated by the lagoon environment, the southeastern corner was occupied by the carbonate platform setting. Coal is relatively thick in the northern part and the southeastern corner. The Shanxi Formation consists of sandstones, siltstones, mudstones and coals, with the limestones being locally developed. The thickness of the Shanxi Formation is from 18.6 m to 213.25 m, with the thickness of coal seams being from 0 to 10 m and averaging 4.2 m. During deposition of the Shanxi Formation, the northern part of the Qinshui Basin was mainly dominated by lower deltaic plain distributary channel environment, the central and southern parts were mainly the inter-distributary bay environment, and the southeastern part was occupied by the delta front mouth bar environment. The thick coals are distributed in the central and southern parts where the inter-distributary bay was dominated. It is evident that the distribution of thick coal zones of the Taiyuan Formation is consistent with the distribution of sand-rich belts, mainly located in the areas of northern lower deltaic plain and southeastern barrier bar environments, while the distribution of the thick coal zones of the Shanxi Formation coincides with the distribution of mudstone-rich belts, located in the areas of the central and southern inter-distributary bay environment.

Jinsha Site is located at Jinsha Cun in the western part of Chengdu City. This site is considered to be the center of ancient Shu Country during the period from the late period of Shang Dynasty to Xizhou Dynasty (about B.c.1100–770 yrs). Thirty-one palynological samples collected from two profiles (WT7908 & IT8305) in Jinsha Site were analyzed. The results show that samples from profile IT8305 contain abundant pollen and spores. The palynological assemblage shows that pteridophyte spores are abundant with the percentage of 60.3% and dominated by Athyraceae, Polypodiaceae and Pteris. The pollen of herbs is 24.8% in percentage, with the abundant pollen of Melastomataceae. The pollen of trees and shrubs has the percentage of 4.2%, with Pinus and Betula mostly. The pollen of aquatic plants reaches 0.7%, including Zygnemataceae, Commelinaceae and Typha. Based on the palynological data of Jinsha Site, the subtropical climate in Chengdu plain is divided into two stages, with the warm and wet condition in the first stage and more humid and hot in the second one. The climate of Jinsha Site 3000 yrs B.P. ago is also reconstructed by the coexistence approach quantitatively: the mean annual temperature is 17.7–19.8ºC, mean temperature of the warmest month 21.7–28.6ºC, mean temperature of the coldest month 11.5–11.9ºC, difference of temperatures between coldest and warmest months 12.1–14.9ºC, mean annual precipitation 993.3–1113.3mm, mean maximum monthly precipitation 224.6–268.1mm, and mean minimum monthly precipitation 6.9–14.1mm. The mean annual temperature in Chengdu region is suggested to be 1.7–2.8ºC higher than the present value, but the mean annual precipitation is in conformity with recent one.

Theory, ideas and pressure of the terrestrial stratotype establishment are discussed based on study of the stratotype candidate of terrestrial Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, Luanping, northern Hebei, compared with “Revised Guidelines” of the ICS and stipulates of the International Stratigraphic Guide. The terrestrial stratotype is necessary to be established alone. Terrestrial strata are especially developed in China and the studies are urgent to be deepened, but stratotypes established now by studies on marine strata can not be applied to terrestrial strata. Terrestrial strata can meet requirements of stratotype establishment, and have distinctively superiorities as contrast to marine strata. They include rich volcanic rocks and minerals by which reliable iso-chronic data can be got, possess successive sandstone and mudstone by which accurate magneto-stratigraphic columns can be set up and distinguish geological events, and also contain a large number of wide-spread fossils which can be used to correlate strata in a large scope. Key of the terrestrial stratotype establishment is to discover a sediment-successive section with rich fossils and complete exposure. Both “unit stratotype” and “boundary stratotype” can be carried out equally, but it is better firstly to set up “boundary stratotype” if a suitable section could be found. Biostratigraphic zonation and mark-fossil erection should be based on restoring evolutionary pedigrees or occurrence sequences, and the boundaries should be put at the horizon of the “first appearence”. Moreover, establishment of the terrestrial stratotype should be stressed on comprehensive studies including multi-courses, multi-methods and multi-classes of fossils.