The ∼170 kyr astronomical cycle in the Early Permian Lucaogou Formation of the Junggar Basin

Abstract

According to Milankovitch’s theory, periodic climate change in Earth’s history is controlled by the periodic changes in the Earth’s orbit and axis of rotation. Milankovitch cycle include eccentricity, obliquity, and precession cycles. In addition to them, there are also some amplitude modulation (AM) cycles that affect the climate system through a series of “nonlinear” feedback processes, such as the 173 kyr obliquity AM cycle. Previous studies have demonstrated that the ∼170 kyr cycle modulate the paleoclimate and carbon cycle at mid-high latitude regions in the Meso-Cenozoic. However, due to the limitation of astronomical solutions and the lack of high-resolution geological records, the ∼170 kyr cycle has been less reported in the Paleozoic Era. In this study, cyclostratigraphic analysis of natural gamma ray (GR) logging data from four wells (Ji30, Ji31, Ji32, and Ji174) and total organic carbon (TOC) data from well Ji174 penetrating the Early Permian Lucaogou Formation in Jimusar Sag, Junggar Basin suggests preservation of eccentricity, obliquity, and precession cycles, and the ∼170 kyr AM cycle. Through the astronomical tuning of GR logging data obtained from four wells to eccentricity target cycles, we established the floating astronomical time scale (ATS). The results indicate an average sedimentation rate ranging from 7.4 to 9.5 cm/kyr and a duration from 2.8 to 3.2 million years (Myr) for the Lucaogou Formation. The differences in sedimentation rate and duration among these four wells may result from different well locations. Moreover, the ∼170 kyr cycle signal has been identified in the detrended GR logging and TOC data series, and its obliquity AM series. This signal might be attributed to the obliquity AM cycles originated from the interaction between s3 and s6 (s3 and s6 represent the precession of nodes of Earth and Saturn), which was recorded in the GR logging and TOC data time series due to nonlinear responses within the depositional system.