Supply of terrigenous organic matter from tidal flat to the marine environment: An example of neritic source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation, Xihu Depression, East China Sea Shelf Basin

The terrigenously-dominated marine shales which were deposited in the lower Eocene Pinghu Formation were thought to be a potential source rock in the Xihu Depression of the East China Sea Shelf Basin. However, the exceptionally high total organic carbon content (TOC, >6% on average) of the tidal sand ridge samples was not compatible with their sedimentary environment, indicating coal-bearing sedimentary debris may have been transferred from the coast to the ocean. In this study, new sights into the origins and supply of organic materials in the coastal environment were proposed in the neritic organic matter of the Eocene Pinghu Formation. A discriminant model was developed using plynofacies analysis data to pinpoint the source of organic materials in marine source rocks. The discrimination results suggested that marine mudstones were associated with tidal flat mudstones rather than deltaic ones. The biomarker characteristics of mudstones deposited in various environments support this assertion, indicating that the supply of plant materials in tidal flats is the primary organic matter source for the marine environment. The organic matter abundance was elevated in tidal flats due to their superior preservation conditions. Additionally, the lithological assemblage of tidal flats suggests that tidal currents can scour marshes and then transport dispersed terrigenous organic materials to neritic areas. These findings indicate that coal-bearing sedimentary debris was likely transferred from the coast to the ocean, and tidal currents are thought to be the dominant mechanism driving organic matter from the tidal to the marine environment.