Seawater normalized REE patterns of dolomites in Geshan and Panlongdong sections, China: Implications for tracing dolomitization and diagenetic fluids

Abstract

In conventional studies of tracing dolomitization and diagenetic fluids, REEs of dolomites were widely used as been normalized by PAAS, NASC or chondrite. However, most dolomites are formed in seawater or seawater-derived fluids. Thus, we conduct a new attempt to normalize the REEs of dolomite using seawater standard, based on case studies on 36 Triassic limestone–dolomite samples from the Geshan section of southeast China and 26 Permian–Triassic dolomite samples from the Panlongdong section of northeastern Sichuan Basin, southwest China.The Geshan seawater-normalized (SN) REE patterns are characterized by notable positive CeSN (average CeSN/Ce* = 6.823, SD = 0.192) and negative PrSN anomalies (average PrSN/Pr* = 0.310, SD = 0.010), and slightly negative GdSN anomalis (average GdSN/Gd* = 0.864, SD = 0.053), with no obvious EuSN anomaly (average EuSN/Eu* = 1.036, SD = 0.094). The signatures of REE patterns barely changed during the dolomitization process. For the REE compositions of the Panlongdong dolomite, it can be found that (1) the recrystallization process can result in varied total REE concentrations (between 7.16 ppm and 37.87 ppm), but do not alter the REE patterns, including consistent positive CeSN anomalies (average = 4.074, SD = 0.27) and LREE enrichment (average NdSN/YbSN = 3.164, SD = 0.787); (2) meteoric incursion can reverse Ce anomaly, from the strong positive Ce anomalies (CeSN/Ce* = 5.059) to slightly positive (CeSN/Ce* = 2.459) or even negative Ce anomalies; and (3) hydrothermal fluid altered REE pattern is complicated by fluctuated distribution curve, negative Ce anomaly and positive Eu anomaly (EuSN/Eu* = 1.862). These results suggest that the seawater normalized REE patterns of dolomite can serve as an index to study the source of the dolomitization fluids and distinguish complex diagenetic processes, providing a complement to previous works.