Description of Cretaceous Sedimentary Sequence of the Yaojia Formation Recovered by CCSD-SK-Is Borehole in Songliao Basin: Lithostratigraphy, Sedimentary Facies and Cyclic Stratigraphy

Abstract

The Yaojia Formation recovered by CCSD-SK-Is borehole (China Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling-SongkeI-the south borehole) is 157.67 m long and 99.96% of cores recovery. The age of the formation corresponds with a range from the Santonian to the early Campanian. The sequences and processes of lithology-lithofacies and cyclic stratigraphy are revealed by a detailed core description. Eleven rock types and three kinds of sedimentary subfacies, including shallow lake, deep lake, and delta front, are recognized from the drilling core. There are eleven sedimentary microfacies including dolostone, argillaceous limestone, shallow lake turbidite, deep lake turbidite, subaqueous mouth bar, distal bar, sheet sandstone, subaqueous distributary bay, slump deposits, shallow lake mudstone, and deep lake mudstone. The Yaojia Formation represents one hundred and fifty-one meter-scale cycles (sixth-order cycle), forty-five fifth-order cycles, nine fourth-order cycles, and three third-order cycles. Meticulous depiction (centimeter level) of the whole Formation provides an approach to study its sedimentary process with high precision. The red beds with a thickness of 43% in the Yaojia Formation, being one of fewer continental red beds depicted meticulously in the world, will become a standard of potential formulation section for the studies of Cretaceous global oxygen-enriched events.