Major and trace elements as indicators for organic matter enrichment of marine carbonate rocks: A case study of Ordovician subsalt marine formations in the central-eastern Ordos Basin, North China

This research reveals the depositional environment can affect the organic matter enrichment. The major elements and trace elements are important indexes to reconstruct the depositional environment of Ordovician subsalt marine formations in the central-east Ordos Basin, combining organic parameters with inorganic parameters. Based on the microfacies, the study area is divided into gypsum-bearing dolomite flat, dolomite flat, gypsum-salt depression and limy dolomite flat. The higher Ti/Al ratios and the characteristics of trace elements show that there were detrital inputs in the sedimentation process. When the amounts of detrital inputs are large enough, they can obviously adsorb the elements and dilute the organic matter. Therefore, gypsum-bearing dolomite flat and dolomite flat have lower organic matter accumulation with higher detrital input. Lower P/Ti and Baexcess indicate the deficiency of paleoproductivity. Sr/Ba is higher than 0.6, indicating marine-continental transitional and marine environment. Even the paleosalinity is higher, previous researches have demonstrated the descending sea levels and strong hydrodynamic conditions are unfavorable for organic matter preservation. Lower paleoclimate index “C” and higher Sr/Cu illustrate arid and hot conditions. The value of V/(V + Ni) suggests that the limy dolomite flat is under the oxidizing conditions, and the three other environments are reductive to a certain extent. The Mo-U covariation shows that the water body is under strongly restricted conditions. These conditions are not conducive to biological growth and the accumulation of organic matter, causing low ancient productivity. The partial correlation analysis shows: the organic matter enrichment is affected by multiple factors; paleoproductivity, paleosalinity and paleoclimate have greater influence on the results of organic matter enrichment, and detrital input and oxidation conditions can decrease the paleoproductivity, indicating multiple factors are interrelated and interact with each other.