Stepwise astronomical tuning of obliquity-driven evaporite cycles in an Eocene salt lake (Jianghan Basin, Hubei Province, China): Implications for middle Eocene East Asian monsoon-like climate evolution

Abstract

The rhythmic evaporation cycle is an ideal recorder of astronomical cycle signals, but studies on cyclostratigraphy have yet to be directly conducted on halite-rich strata. The Qianjiang Depression of the Jianghan Basin is a representative Eocene East Asian halite-rich basin, and the salt rhythmites that developed therein are important recorders of climate evolution in East Asia. This study selected five wells for basin-scale cyclostratigraphy analysis, taking the Lower Qian 4 member of the Qianjiang Formation as the research object. This study found that the basinal salt lake facies were dominated by obliquity cycles, whereas the shallow-water deposits mainly recorded short eccentricity cycles. The study also found that s3−s6 obliquity cycles could be detected throughout the salt lake sedimentary record. Therefore, a stepwise astronomical tuning scheme was adopted. First, the target intervals in different sedimentary areas were preliminarily tuned to s3−s6 obliquity cycles, and stratigraphic correlation was performed. Then, the tuned data were further adjusted using obliquity cycles to reveal the impact of obliquity on the development of salt rhythmites and establish a floating astronomical time scale (ATS). Sedimentary noise models and pollen analysis further demonstrated that obliquity amplitude modulation cycles drove periodic changes in hydrology and climate. Based on the spatiotemporal distribution of salt rhythmite−rich strata in Paleogene East Asia, this study proposes that the development of rhythmic evaporites can reveal the existence of a monsoon-like climate. Astronomical influence was an important driving force for developing the middle Eocene East Asian monsoon.