The middle Eocene Dongying sag in the Bohai Bay Basin of China has an estimated shale oil resource of approximately 1.1 billion t (8.06 billion bbl); flows of shale oil have been produced in the succession from tens of wells, where the daily production of a single well generally varies between 10 and 100 t (73.3–733 bbl). Therein, the mudrock successions composed of meter-scale mudstone–limestone couplets are the most important shale oil-producing layers. The controls on the deposition of the meter-scale mudstone–limestone couplets, however, remain enigmatic, constraining the analysis of lithofacies and, therefore, sweet spot distributions. Here, we analyze three continuously cored organic-rich successions of mudstone–limestone couplets (371 m [1217 ft] in total) in the middle Eocene Dongying sag, accompanied by decimeter- to meter-scale sampling and testing of mineralogy, organic geochemistry, and paleontology of the rocks. Our integrated cyclostratigraphic analysis shows that the observed mudstone–limestone couplets occur at periods that coincide with Milankovitch periodicities; 21-k.y. precession cycles are the main driver of the meter-scale mudstone–limestone couplets, with additional imprints of 41-k.y. obliquity cycles. Specifically, precession minima are associated with high summer insolation and consequently high summer monsoonal precipitation, which increased river discharge and terrigenous input to the basin, resulting in the deposition of siliciclastic-rich mudstones. In the study, low summer insolation during precession maxima led to decreased summer monsoonal precipitation, lower river discharge and terrigenous input, and increased lake water salinity, resulting in the deposition of authigenic lime mudstones. The shale reservoir quality kept pace with the orbital climate changes; compared with lime mudstones deposited during precession maxima, mudstones deposited during precession minima had higher total organic carbon, porosity, and oil content, but lower brittleness.

The ~ 3-km-thick Ostrava Formation in the foreland Upper Silesian Basin, which is located along the Czech-Polish border, provides the thickest and most complete record of mixed shallow-marine to continental sediments of Serpukhovian (Carboniferous) age in the former equatorial Pangea. The coal-bearing strata of the formation show a prominent rhythmic architecture with ~ 200 faunal bands, of which approximately 80 contain marine fauna. Three new and three existing U-Pb zircon ages of intercalated volcanic tuffs measured using chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-IDTIMS) allow for the calibration of rhythmic patterns of several orders. The genetic sequences show an average duration of 100 kyr, in line with orbital forcing by short eccentricity. This allows the astronomical tuning of these cycles in the Ostrava Formation to a time axis with a resolution of ~ 100 kyr, providing temporal constraints on lithostratigraphic units, floral and ammonoid biozones, and West European substages. The Pendleian/Arnsbergian boundary defined at the base of the E2a ammonoid zone is now constrained to 325.9 Ma and the base of the Lyginopteris stangeri Zone at the base of the Ostrava Formation to ~ 329.2 Ma. The boundary of this zone with the subsequent L. larischii Zone corresponds to the base of the Jaklovec Member at ~ 325.8 Ma. The correlation of the major marine bands with equivalent bands in the Pennine Basin (England) and the Midland Valley of Scotland based on ammonoid faunas is suggested.

Loess-paleosol sequences are the most extensive terrestrial paleoclimate records in Europe and Asia documenting atmospheric circulation patterns, vegetation, and sedimentary dynamics in response to glacial-interglacial cyclicity. Between the two sides of the Eurasian continent, differences may exist in response and response times to glacial changes and finding these is essential to understand the climate systems of the northern hemisphere. Therefore, assessment of common patterns and regional differences in loess-paleosol sequences (LPS) is vital, but remains, however, uncertain. Another key to interpret these records is to constrain the mechanisms responsible for the formation and preservation of paleosols and loess layers in these paleoclimate archives. This study therefore compares LPS magnetic susceptibility records as proxies for paleosol formation intensity for selected sites from the central Chinese Loess Plateau and the Carpathian Basin in Europe over the last 440 kyr. Inconsistencies and crucial issues concerning the timing, correlation and paleoclimate potential of selected Eurasian LPS are outlined. Our comparison of Eurasian LPS shows generally similar patterns of paleosol formation, while highlighting several crucial differences. Especially for paleosols developed around ~ 200 and ~ 300 ka, the reported timing of soil formation differs by up to 30 ka. In addition, a drying and cooling trend over the last ~ 300 ka has been documented in Europe, with no such evidence in the Asian records. The comparison shows that there is still uncertainty in defining the chronostratigraphic framework for these records on glacial-interglacial time scales in the order of 5–30 kyr for the last ~ 440 ka. We argue that the baseline of the magnetic susceptibility proxy in loess from the Carpathian Basin is the most striking difference between European LPS and the Chinese Loess Plateau. In our opinion, many of the current timing/age differences may be overcome once a comparable stratigraphic interpretation is achieved.

Loess-paleosol sequences are the most extensive terrestrial paleoclimate records in Europe and Asia documenting atmospheric circulation patterns, vegetation, and sedimentary dynamics in response to glacial-interglacial cyclicity. Between the two sides of the Eurasian continent, differences may exist in response and response times to glacial changes and finding these is essential to understand the climate systems of the northern hemisphere. Therefore, assessment of common patterns and regional differences in loess-paleosol sequences (LPS) is vital, but remains, however, uncertain. Another key to interpret these records is to constrain the mechanisms responsible for the formation and preservation of paleosols and loess layers in these paleoclimate archives. This study therefore compares LPS magnetic susceptibility records as proxies for paleosol formation intensity for selected sites from the central Chinese Loess Plateau and the Carpathian Basin in Europe over the last 440 kyr. Inconsistencies and crucial issues concerning the timing, correlation and paleoclimate potential of selected Eurasian LPS are outlined. Our comparison of Eurasian LPS shows generally similar patterns of paleosol formation, while highlighting several crucial differences. Especially for paleosols developed around ~ 200 and ~ 300 ka, the reported timing of soil formation differs by up to 30 ka. In addition, a drying and cooling trend over the last ~ 300 ka has been documented in Europe, with no such evidence in the Asian records. The comparison shows that there is still uncertainty in defining the chronostratigraphic framework for these records on glacial-interglacial time scales in the order of 5–30 kyr for the last ~ 440 ka. We argue that the baseline of the magnetic susceptibility proxy in loess from the Carpathian Basin is the most striking difference between European LPS and the Chinese Loess Plateau. In our opinion, many of the current timing/age differences may be overcome once a comparable stratigraphic interpretation is achieved.