Color Origin of Red Beds within the Danxia Basin, Southern China

Research reveals that the striking color variations in China's Danxia Basin—ranging from reddish-brown to reddish-purple—are not linked to paleoclimate records but instead stem from differences in sediment sources during diagenesis. The study, using advanced techniques like electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, identified fine hematite as the primary reddening agent, with goethite present only in reddish-brown layers. Vertical color shifts result from the alteration of iron-bearing detrital grains rather than environmental changes. This finding challenges the use of sedimentary facies color as a paleoclimate indicator and offers new insights into the formation of thick continental red beds globally.

He, W., Yang, Z., Hu, J., Zhang, K., & Li, H. (2023). Color Origin of Red Beds within the Danxia Basin, Southern China. Minerals, 13(8), 1054. https://doi.org/10.3390/min13081054