Astronomically-paced lake-level changes on halite deposition during the Paleogene in the Huanggang Basin, East China

The formation of halite in continental basins is intimately linked to lake-level changes. Current research has revealed the connection between lake-level variations and astronomical forcing on a million-year scale. Other studies have also highlighted the influence of orbitally-induced climate cycles on halite deposition. However, our understanding of the impact of astronomically-paced lake-level changes on halite formation remains constrained. The Paleogene Dawenkou Formation in the Huanggang Basin of East China provides a continuous salt-bearing sedimentary record to investigate the lake-level changes in halite deposition. Lake-level fluctuations reconstructed by sedimentary noise modeling for the Middle and Upper members of the Dawenkou Formation indicate that the lake-level variations in the Huanggang Basin were linked to astronomical forcing with periods of ∼2.4 Myr, ∼1.2 Myr and/or ∼100 kyr. Our results suggest that astronomical forcing, as a driver of lake-level variations, may have had an impact on halite deposition during the Paleogene. In the initial stage of halite formation within the Middle Member of the Dawenkou Formation, reduced heat and moisture transport during the ∼1.2 Myr obliquity minima resulted in low lake levels in mid-to-high latitudes. The prolonged droughts caused by the low amplitude of ∼2.4 Myr eccentricity created conditions more favorable for the development of thicker layers of halite. Subsequently, in the next halite-forming stage, a larger amplitude of ∼2.4 Myr eccentricity led to a more humid climate. Warm/dry winters and cool summers paced by the ∼100 kyr orbital eccentricity minima resulted in enhanced evaporation, relatively lower lake levels, and thinner halite deposition. Nevertheless, the possible transgressions may have contributed to complicated phase relationship between the lake-level change cycles and orbital cycles. This study offers an opportunity to delve deeper into the mechanism of halite deposition by objectively reconstructing lake levels using sedimentary noise modeling.