Characteristics and Geological Significance of High-Frequency Cycles in Salinized Lake Basins: The Paleogene Kumugeliemu Group in the Xinhe Area, Northern Tarim Basin

Salinized lake basins have distinctive sedimentary response characteristics, similar to marine shallow-water carbonate platforms. High-frequency cycles can also be used reveal more sedimentological information, such as relative lake-level fluctuations, lithofacies sequence combinations, and paleogeographic evolution. In this article, a comprehensive study on the stratigraphic shelf delineation high-frequency of Paleozoic Kumugeliemu Group in Xinhe area, northern Tarim Basin, was performed using drilling cores, logging curves, seismic analyses. As result study, following data were obtained: three sets marker beds area could divided into bottom sandstone component (E1-2 km1), lower gypsum mudstone km2), salt rock km3), an upper km4) by petrology vertical overlay combination isochronous tracking correlation, which constituted two third-order (ESQ1, ESQ2). They further seven fourth-order (Esq1–Esq7). Due droughty saline lacustrine depositional system background, internal fabric changed frequently showed periodic pattern. Stratified salt, mud (sand) rock, cycle interface. A single mainly characterized upward shallower rapid transgression followed slow regression, composed massive sandstone–lamellar mudstone–lime dolomite–gypsum mudstone–gypsum (gypsum salt), sandstone–massive rock–gypsum other structure types. The complete superposed compared inter-well thickness difference, indicating that had paleogeomorphology pattern “West-Low–East-High”. decreased gradually from top vertically, five stages determined, i.e., freshwater, brackish, brackish water, lake, semi-saltwater, reflecting evolutionary process increasing salinity, basin filling, gradual salinization shrinkage.