Color origin and its sedimentary and paleoenvironmental significance of the Permian-Triassic strata in the Ordos Basin, China

Abstract

The Permian-Triassic strata in the Ordos Basin deposit a colorful set of strata. Although there have been many studies on oil and gas resources here, little attention has been paid to the genesis mechanism of its color. To analyze the color origin of the Permian-Triassic claystones and to clarify the dialectical relationship between rock color and sedimentary environment, petrological and geochemical methods such as polarization microscope, scan electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer are used. The results indicate that the minerals with different colors, composition, and content serve as colorants in sedimentary rocks, with the predominant dyeing component in dark claystones being the organic matter, whereas red beds primarily acquire their color from hematite and other ferric minerals. In addition, different rock colors correspond to distinct chemical composition variations. The black-gray rocks of the Yanchang and Shihezi Formations have high total organic carbon content, Fe2+/Fe3+, V/Cr, and low CaO/(MgO × Al2O3) and Sr/Cu, whereas the red-brown rocks of the Liujiagou and Heshanggou Formations exhibit the opposite. Therefore, different colors of the rocks stem from their different mineral and chemical compositions, which in turn influenced by the changes in the paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and tectonic movements. Comprehensive analysis of color, mineral, and chemical composition reveals the evolution process of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in the Ordos Basin from the late Permian to Triassic, beginning with a warm humid climate characterized by a weak oxidation environment in the Shihezi and Shiqianfeng Formations, transitioning to a hot arid climate in the Liujiagou and Heshanggou Formations, and returning to a warm humid climate with a weak oxidation environment in the Zhifang and Yanchang Formations. This evolution history aligns with the global tectonic and climate evolution. Overall, systematic analysis of sedimentary rock color can provide an important basis for the study of the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment.