Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition最新文献

{"title":"Sedimentary Characteristics and Evolution of the High-resolution Sequence Stratigraphic Framework of the Taiyuan Formation in the Hangjinqi Area, Northern Ordos Basin","authors":"Mingsheng ZHAO,&nbsp;Jingchun TIAN,&nbsp;Bingrui SU,&nbsp;Xiang ZHANG","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Ordos Basin is a large superimposed hydrocarbon-bearing basin in China, and further research on the sedimentary characteristics and sedimentary evolution of the sequence framework of target layers is of great theoretical and practical significance for guiding oil and gas exploration. The sedimentary facies and sedimentary evolution of the high-resolution sequence framework of the Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation in the Hangjinqi area have been systematically analyzed for the first time by drilling, logging and seismic data. The results show that four types of sequence interfaces can be identified in the Taiyuan Formation: regional unconformity surfaces, scour surfaces, lithologic–lithofacies transformation surfaces and flooding surfaces. According to the sedimentary response caused by the upward and downward movements of the base level at different levels, the Taiyuan Formation can be divided into 2 long-term cycles (LSC1–LSC2), 4 mid-term cycles (MSC1–MSC4) and 7 short-term cycles (SSC1–SSC7). The long- and mid-term cycles correspond to members T₁ and T₂ and layers T_1-1, T_1-2, T_2-1, and T_2-2, respectively. Long-term cycles are dominated by C₁; mid-term cycles are dominated by C₁ and C₂, followed by A₂; and short-term cycles are dominated by C₁, C₂, A₁ and A₂. Under the high-resolution sequence stratigraphic framework, the Hangjinqi area underwent a transformation of fan delta and tidal flat depositional systems during the Taiyuan Formation sedimentary period. In the MSC1–MSC2 stage, owing to a large-scale paleocontinent, the fan delta sedimentary body, which was limited in scale and scope, developed only in the southeastern corner and gradually transitioned basinward to tidal flat facies. In the MSC3–MSC4 stage, as the paleocontinent continuously decreased and the sedimentary range expanded, fan-delta plain sedimentation began in the study area. Several braided distributary channels with poor connectivity developed on the fan-delta plain, and between them were floodplains and peat swamps.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"54-68"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147268985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Homret Ghannam Post-collisional Granites in the Eastern Desert of Egypt: Petrogenesis, Geodynamic Evolution, and Rare-metal Significance","authors":"Elwan I. WAHEED,&nbsp;Abdel-Karim M. ABDEL-AAL,&nbsp;Azer K. MOKHLES,&nbsp;Zamzam A. SARA,&nbsp;Shaimaa A. EL-SHAFEI","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Homret Ghannam alkali feldspar granite (HGAFG) in the central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt represents a distinctive example of late Neoproterozoic magmatism in the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS). This study integrates field observations, petrography, mineral chemistry (EMPA), and whole-rock geochemistry to investigate its petrogenesis, geodynamic evolution, and rare-metal potential. HGAFG comprises two cogenetic varieties, alkali feldspar granite and riebeckite-bearing granite, hosting rare-metal minerals such as zircon, fluorite, columbite and apatite. HGAFG exhibits diagnostic A-type geochemical characteristics, including high SiO₂ contents (73.81–77.86 wt%), metaluminous to mildly peralkaline composition (ASI: 0.92–1.03), enrichment in HFSE (Zr ≈ 791.80 ppm, Nb ≈ 68.12 ppm, Y ≈ 90.81 ppm) and ΣREE (103.40–475.57 ppm), and pronounced negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu^* = 0.07–0.20). Zircon saturation thermometry yields high crystallization temperatures (<i>T</i>_Zr ≈ 908.87°C) and low emplacement pressures (1.46 kbar) under reducing conditions (ƒO₂ ≈ –11.5). The mineralogical and geochemical results reveal that HGAFG originated from a hybrid, fluorine-rich magma generated by anatexis of lower crust, followed by extensive fractional crystallization, during late post-collisional extension associated with lithospheric delamination. The reduced nature and fluorine enrichment of HGAFG magma promoted the mineralization of Nb–Ta–REE phases, highlighting its significance as a fertile, high-temperature product of the terminal magmatic stage in ANS evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"99-120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discovery and Petrogenetic Significance of Strontianite-rich Carbonatite in the Muluozhai REE Deposit, Western Sichuan, China","authors":"Shuping YIN,&nbsp;Yuling XIE,&nbsp;Xiaoyu LI,&nbsp;Long CHENG,&nbsp;Zhimin ZHU,&nbsp;Zuowen DAI","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Strontianite-rich carbonatite, containing over 30 vol% carbonate minerals predominantly composed of strontianite (SrCO₃), is identified in the Zhengjialiangzi ore segment of the Muluozhai rare earth element (REE) deposit, western Sichuan Province, China. It exhibits a unique mineral assemblage dominated by strontianite, fluorite, bastnäsite, barite, calcite and dolomite, distinguishing it from conventional calcio-, magnesio-, ferro-, or natro-carbonatites. The rock shows extreme enrichment in REEs (ΣREE = 47335–64367 ppm), with strong LREE/HREE fractionation [(La/Yb)_N = 1151–2119] and notably high concentrations of high-value critical REEs (e.g., Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy), 5–10 times greater than those in local calcite-dominated carbonatites. Trace element patterns indicate significant enrichment in REEs, Sr, and Ba, along with depletion in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf). In-situ Sr isotopes of strontianite [(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i = 0.706190–0.707305] indicate an enriched mantle source (EMI–EMII). Sr enrichment is attributed to initial mantle source enrichment and extensive fractional crystallization, possibly accompanied by minor wall-rock assimilation. We propose that the strontianite-rich carbonatite formed from a highly evolved, Sr- and REEs-rich carbonatitic magma that intruded into shallow structural breccias, followed by rapid cooling. Its formation is associated with a continuous melt-fluid evolutionary process that is characteristic of carbonatitic systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"156-168"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanisms of the Creep-seismic Slip Transition along the Guanxian–Anxian Fault Zone, Longmen Shan: Evidence from the WFSD-3 Core","authors":"Ya LAI,&nbsp;Haibing LI,&nbsp;Jialiang SI,&nbsp;Chunrui LI,&nbsp;Huan WANG,&nbsp;Lei ZHANG,&nbsp;Zhiming SUN,&nbsp;Jinjiang ZHANG","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Guanxian–Anxian fault zone in the Longmen Shan, Sichuan, China, exhibits long-term creep-slip but ruptured during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, challenging the view that creeping faults rarely generate strong earthquakes. To investigate the transition from creep-slip to stick-slip, we analyzed fault rocks from the WFSD-3, using microstructural observations, XRD, μXRF, Raman spectroscopy, and quartz grain size statistics. Fault rocks show intense foliation, pressure-solution structures, and abundant clay minerals, reflecting long-term aseismic creep. At the interface between black and gray fault gouges at ∼1249.98 m, microstructures indicate stick-slip behavior, including truncated grains, angular fragments, and finer grain sizes. Here, clay content drops sharply while strong minerals (quartz, feldspar, calcite, dolomite) increase. Elemental mapping shows Al and K enriched in black gouge, whereas Ca and Si in gray gouge; Raman spectroscopy indicates possible graphitization; the finest quartz grains occur in black gouge. These features mark co-seismic principal slip zone of the Wenchuan earthquake. We propose that fluid-driven transformation of strong minerals into clays facilitates creep-slip, whereas localized precipitation of strong minerals strengthens the fault, causing stress accumulation and controlling the creep-slip to stick-slip transition. This mechanism has implications for reassessing seismic hazards of creeping faults.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"231-250"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking Low-temperature Alteration to Mineralization in Epithermal Deposits: SWIR Spectral Analysis and 3-D Modeling of the Ulan Uzhur Ag Polymetallic Deposit, China","authors":"Wanyukang XIONG,&nbsp;Miao YU,&nbsp;Yanhong ZOU,&nbsp;Jeffrey M. DICK,&nbsp;Lei GONG,&nbsp;Ke HUANG,&nbsp;Hui WANG,&nbsp;Jingwen MAO,&nbsp;Chengyou FENG","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Epithermal deposits are characterized by complex low-temperature hydrothermal alterations, but the links between mineralization and superimposed alteration are obscure and require further elucidation. This study employs short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral scalars for alteration mineral mapping and three-dimensional modeling of the Ulan Uzhur Ag polymetallic deposit, a newly discovered epithermal deposit in the Qimantagh. Alteration zoning transitions from illite-muscovite-carbonate-pyrite in the core (Zone I), through muscovite ± illite-kaolinite-chlorite-carbonate (Zone II), to muscovite-chlorite-biotite (Zone III) at the periphery. The Zone I with mineralization features long-wavelength white mica (wAlOH &gt; 2207 nm) with a high Illite Crystallinity (IC) (mean &gt; 2.0), suggesting a relatively high-temperature environment conducive to mineralization. Petrographic analyses with fluid inclusion and IC curve characteristics suggests that fluid boiling may be a pivotal mechanism for mineral precipitation. Furthermore, surface mapping and deep three-dimensional modeling of spectral characteristics reveal a correlation between long-wavelength white mica, high IC and mineralization zones. These findings indicate that SWIR spectroscopy reveal the evolution of fluids and provide valuable guidance for future exploration efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"169-187"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mineralization Characteristics of the Li-rich Muscovite Granite in the Mufushan Batholith, Central China: Insights into the Rare Metal Mineralization Models of Batholithic Complex","authors":"Hao ZHANG,&nbsp;Peng LI,&nbsp;Jiankang LI,&nbsp;Lulu YUAN,&nbsp;Pengfei JIANG,&nbsp;Ze LIU,&nbsp;Jin YIN,&nbsp;Zhuo CHEN","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Elucidating the mineralization mechanisms of individual granitic stages and tracing magmatic evolution processes are critical for establishing mineralization models of large-scale batholiths. The Mufushan granitoid batholith, renowned for multistage magmatism and large-scale rare metal mineralization, mainly comprises biotite, two-mica, and muscovite monzogranite. Existing research has predominantly focused on biotite and two-mica granite, whereas muscovite granite, as the most highly differentiated lithologic unit, remains understudied regarding its mineralization mechanisms and evolution characteristics. Focusing on two newly discovered Li-rich granites, namely tourmaline muscovite granite (TMG) from Shiniuchong and garnet muscovite granite (GMG) from Huanglongxiang, this study clarifies their intrusion ages, Li occurrence states and enrichment mechanisms, while establishing the magmatic evolutionary pathway. The results show that the U-Pb ages of columbite-tantalum and zircon are 130.2 ± 1.0 Ma (TMG) and 138.2 ± 1.0 Ma (GMG), respectively, confirming Early Cretaceous Li-rich magmatism. The Li concentrations in muscovite from the Li-rich muscovite granites are high (mean 3328 ppm), compared to those in Mufushan ordinary muscovite granites (&lt;1500 ppm), but the dominant Li-bearing minerals are still classified as muscovite or phengite. Li enrichment of mica in this Li-rich granite system is controlled by the magmatic differentiation-dominated vector Si₂LiAl_-3, differing from that in cogenetic pegmatite systems, indicating distinct Li enrichment pathways between two mineralization processes and thereby endowing this system with the potential to evolve into granite-type Li deposits. Mica geochemistry and Rayleigh fractionation modeling indicate the Li-rich muscovite granites, along with biotite and two-mica granite in the Mufushan area, represent products of different stages of co-magmatic evolution. Crystal fractionation is the key mechanism controlling Li enrichment, requiring effective separation of at least 75% of the melt to drive preliminary Li enrichment in the highly differentiated granite. These findings significantly advance understanding of mineralization processes in large-scale batholiths, providing valuable insights for regional Li exploration.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"137-155"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1755-6724.70008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147275056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Late Permian Mixed Carbonate-Siliciclastic Sedimentary Succession on the Northwestern Margin of the Indian Plate, Pakistan: Insights into Facies Evolution and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Chhidru Formation","authors":"Jabir HUSSAIN,&nbsp;Ali Khan MUMTAZ,&nbsp;Mamoon Siyar SYED,&nbsp;Zarkogiannis D. STERGIOS,&nbsp;Mehrangiz NADERI,&nbsp;Syed Osja MEHDI,&nbsp;Muhammad BILAL","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates the facies development and sedimentology of the Late Permian Chhidru Formation, a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic unit exposed in the Western Salt Range, Potwar Basin, Pakistan. The formation is subdivided into four lithological units reflecting lateral variability, with thicknesses and lithologies ranging from fossiliferous sandy limestone to interbedded limestone and sandstone. These successions record a depositional shift from a carbonate platform to mixed carbonate-clastic, and ultimately, clastic-dominated environments. Lithostratigraphy suggests deposition on the underlying Wargal Limestone carbonates during a Late Permian sea-level fall on the northwest Indian margin of Gondwana. Similar Permian successions with identical lithological characteristics are documented in the Persian Gulf (Dalan Formation), Arabian Platform (Khuff Formation), and Iran (Nesen and Hambust formations). Petrographic analysis reveals deposition in the distal middle to proximal inner shelf settings of a carbonate-siliciclastic mixed, unrimmed platform. Based on identified foraminiferal assemblages, the Chhidru Formation's age is estimated to range from the late Wuchiapingian to Changhsingian stages of the Lopingian epoch.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"33-53"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genesis Mechanism of Heat Source in Mianhuakeng Uranium Deposit, South China: Insights from Radiogenic Heat Production of Granite Bodies","authors":"Siqi WANG,&nbsp;Baojian ZHANG,&nbsp;Guosen LÜ,&nbsp;Feng LIU,&nbsp;Xi ZHU","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Mianhuakeng uranium deposit, characterized by uranium-rich granite, serves as a key site for research into crustal radioactive heating. Based on 45 rock samples, this study reviews that the host granite in the Mianhuakeng uranium deposit has a high radioactive heat production rate (avg. 5.50 μW/m³) and a low Th/U ratio (avg. 2.62). Uranium-rich granite and its alteration zone within the upper crust (0–5 km depth) contribute about 45% of the total radioactive heat production, wich is crucial for controlling geothermal resource distribution. For uranium-thermal at tectonic plate margins, a symbiotic geological model was proposed: Firstly, subduction of the Pacific Plate caused upwelling of the asthenosphere, generating a high heat-flow background. Secondly, heat transfer is enhanced by major faults such as the Youdong and Mianhuakeng faults. Subsequently, uranium was mobilized, transported, and enriched within the granite through deep siliceous hydrothermal activity and associated alteration. Ultimately, the uranium enrichment in granite leads to increased radioactive heat production, resulting in local thermal anomalies. This model provides a theoretical support for exploring and developing uranium-thermal symbiotic resources in South China.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"286-296"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146680480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Fossil Cyprinids from the Miocene of the Lunpola Basin, Northern Tibet, and their Implications","authors":"Tao YANG,&nbsp;Yanyu LI,&nbsp;Shuang YANG,&nbsp;Feixiang WU","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Series Barbini (subfamily Cyprininae <i>sensu lato</i>) is the most species-rich group within the family Cyprinidae, primarily confined to warm regions of southern Eurasia and Africa. The distribution patterns and evolutionary history of Chinese cyprinins have been effectively shaped by the Cenozoic uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the evolution of the Asian monsoon. Here, we describe two new fossil fishes from the early and middle Miocene of the Lunpola Basin in central Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China, preserving the ethmoid and the rear of the occipital regions of the neurocranium, infraorbitals, hyopalatine arch, abdominal vertebrae, and some dorsal-fin pterygiophores and unbranched fin rays. Through detailed morphological comparisons, these fossils show definite affinities to Cyprinidae according to the morphology of the neurocranium, vertebral column, and dorsal fin rays; and one of which is classified into the Series Barbini, while the other can only be assigned to the Cyprinidae family level. These findings reveal that the hinterland of the plateau of the early Neogene should have hosted cyprinin fishes of greater diversity than today. This also indicates a warm-temperate paleoclimate suitable for their survival during that period, consistent with the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatical conditions reconstructed from the contemporaneous mammalian fossil and palynological evidences.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis and Modelling of Salt-related Deformation in the Western Sichuan Foreland Basin, China","authors":"Dengfeng QIU,&nbsp;Zongquan HU,&nbsp;John J. WALSH,&nbsp;Jinrui GUO,&nbsp;Zhongming ZHANG","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.70015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Western Sichuan Foreland Basin (WSFB) in South China, a prolific hydrocarbon province, exhibits complex structural deformation influenced by Triassic salt tectonics. This paper integrates seismic data and well data to elucidate the role of Middle–Lower Triassic evaporite layers in shaping basin structures, focusing on Xinchang Tectonic Zone (XTZ). Salt layers facilitated decoupled deformation between supra- and sub-salt sequences, forming salt pillows and fault-related folds. Three distinct structural trends were identified in XTZ. Key findings reveal that salt thickness variations correlate with deformation styles: thicker salt promoted detachment folding, while thinner salt led to hard-linked fault systems. Sub-salt E–NE trending reverse faults formed horsetail terminations associated with the Pengzhou faults (PzF), deviating from the primary Longmenshan thrust belt (LmsTB) orientation. Structural evolution occurred in three stages: (1) Indosinian salt deposition and foreland basin initiation; (2) Yanshanian eastward propagation of thrust systems with salt-driven detachment folding; (3) Himalayan reactivation overprinting earlier structures with sub-NS trending folds. This work establishes a direct link between salt layers and structural traps, demonstrating how salt acted as a critical detachment layer during multi-stage compression. Results provide insights into the gas exploration of the Late Triassic Xujiahe Formation, emphasizing the importance of salt-influenced deformation in foreland basin systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7095,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geologica Sinica ‐ English Edition","volume":"100 1","pages":"265-285"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}