One of the new directions in the field of Cretaceous research is to elucidate the mechanism of the sedimentary transition from the Cretaceous black shales to oceanic red beds. A chemical sequential extraction method was applied to these two types of rocks from southern Tibet to investigate the burial records of reactive iron. Results indicate that carbonate-associated iron and pyrite are relatively enriched in the black shales, but depleted or absent in red beds. The main feature of the reactive iron in the red beds is relative enrichment of iron oxides （largely hematite）, which occurred during syn-depostion or early diagenesis. The ratio between iron oxides and the total iron indicates an oxygen-enriched environment for red bed deposition. A comparison between the reactive iron burial records and proxies of paleo-productivity suggests that paleo-productivity decreases when the ratio between iron oxides and the total iron increases in the red beds. This phenomenon could imply that the relationship between marine redox and productivity might be one of the reasons for the sedimentary transition from Cretaceous black shale to oceanic red bed deposition.
The well SK-I in the Songliao Basin is the first scientific borehole targeting the continental Cretaceous strata in China. Oval concretions, thin laminae and beds of dolostone are found intercalated within mudstone and organic-rich black shale in the Nenjiang Formation of Campanian age. Low ordered ferruginous dolomite is composed of euhedral--subhedral rhombs with cloudy nucleus and light rims formed during the diagenesis, which are typical features of replacement. The heavy carbon isotopes （δ13CPDB -- 1.16-16.0） are results of both the fermentation of organic matter by microbes and degassing of carbon dioxide during the period of diagenesis, and the presence of light oxygen isotopes （δ18OPDB- 18.53--5.1） is a characteristic feature of fresh water influence which means the carbonate may have been altered by ground water or rainwater in the late diagenesis. Marine water incursions into the nor- mally lacustrine basin have been proved by both the salinity of Z value and the occurrence of foraminifera in the same strata where dolomite occurs. Pyrite framboids observed by SEM are usually enclosed in the dolomite crystals or in the mudstones, supporting the sulfate reducing bacteria （SRB）. The formation of both dolomite and pyrite are associated with marine water incursions, which not only supply magnesium ion for dolomite, but also result in limited carbonate precipitation in the basin. The presence of pyrite framboids indicates the development of an anoxic environment associated with salinity stratification in the lake. The dolomite in the Nenjiang Formation is the results of marine water incursions, diagenetic replacement of calcareous carbonate and sulfate reducing bacteria （SRB）.
Xiang GaoPingkang WangDairong LiQiang PengChengshan WangHongwen Ma
