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On the basis of systematic study of sedimentary facies, microfacies and geochemistry of measured strata sections and wells, the ooid shoals of the Cambrian Miaolingian Zhangxia Formation in the southern Ordos Basin are composed of both high- and low-energy ooid shoals. The characteristics of the high-energy shoals are sparry cementation, with moderate to well sorting, large grain size, high ooid content and low micrite, weak micritization, and well-preserved internal textures of the ooids. Macroscopically, the high-energy ooid shoals display a thick-bedded aggradational stacking pattern in upward coarsening and thickening sequences. The low-energy ooid shoals are mainly made up of micritic cementation, with moderate to poor sorting, relatively small grain size, lower ooid content and higher micrite, strong micritization, and poorly-preserved internal textures of the ooids. Macroscopically, the low-energy ooid shoals show a thin-bedded, interbedded stacking pattern in upward fining and thinning sequences. The sedimentological evidence and carbon isotope data show that the differences of internal fabric and sedimentary evolution of both high- and low-energy ooid shoals are closely related to the sea-level change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sulfur isotopic composition and trace element content recorded in sedimentary pyrite have been widely used as a proxy to establish the geochemistry of pyrite-forming fluids. However, a continuous and complete evolution process of these fluids from the sedimentary period to diagenetic period remains not well constrained. The middle Jurassic strata (the Yan'an Formation containing coal seams and its overlying Zhiluo Formation hosting U deposits in the sandstone) in the northeastern Ordos Basin contain four kinds of microenvironments favorable for pyrite formation, namely coal, carbonaceous debris in barren gray sandstone, barren gray sandstone without carbonaceous debris and U mineralized gray sandstone from bottom to top, providing a good opportunity to decode pyrite formation in response to synsedimentary/diagenetic fluid evolution. In these microenvironments, pyrite named as PC, PD, PB and PM respectively, displays a variety of micro morphologies (framboidal, euhedral, infilling, irregular and cement) formed during sedimentary and diagenetic stages. PC has δ34S values ranging from −36.1 to +26.5 ‰ and low contents of total trace elements (from 6.7 to 58 ppm of Co + Ni + As + Se + Mo). PD and PB present δ34S signatures from −33.6 to +14.4 ‰ and from +9.7 to +22.2 ‰, respectively, with moderate trace element contents (from 21 to 111 ppm and from 23 to 80 ppm, respectively). PM resulting from the oxidation of PD and PB shows negative δ34S values (from −16.9 to −11.1 ‰ for framboidal pyrite and from −56.7 to −34.8 ‰ for euhedral pyrite + pyrite cement) and high trace element contents varying from 350 to 931 ppm. Detailed sulfur isotope and trace element microanalyses indicate that S involved in the formation of pyrite is derived from the fractionation process of organic sulfur in the coal, while Fe and trace elements originate from the surface-derived meteoric water. A paragenetic sequence from early PC, to PD and PB, and finally PM implies an evolution trend of δ34S values increasing first and then decreasing (bacterial sulfate reduction for framboids and Ostwald ripening for euhedral pyrite and pyrite cement of PM) and gradual enrichment of trace elements from synsedimentary to diagenetic fluids. The quantitative results can contribute to a better understanding of synsedimentary/diagenetic fluid evolution both locally and regionally for sedimentary strata in the low-temperature system. • Synsedimentary/diagenetic fluid evolution in middle Jurassic strata was quantitatively characterized. • Sedimentary pyrite displays a variety of morphologies, with a broad range of δ34S values and trace element contents. • Pyrite is the result of encounter of hydrocarbon fluids moving upward and meteoric water migrating downward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]