Sedimentary facies, ichnofossils and storm deposits in the Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation, Jiaozuo city, Henan Province, central China

Abstract

Five sedimentary facies – neritic carbonate platform, lagoon, tidal flat, swamp and barrier island facies – are recorded in the Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation along with abundant ichnofossils. Common ichnofossils in this formation include Zoophycos villae, Zoophycos brianteus, Nereites cf. missouriensis, Chondrites isp., Gordia marina, Taenidium isp., Thalassinoides isp., Palaeophycus isp., Planolites isp. and a kind of bifurcation trail. From observations of the morphology of Zoophycos spreiten in approximately vertical sections, at least three kinds of spreite laminae are distinguished: ligular, crescentic and rectangular forms. Four types of storm deposits (coded as A, B, C, D) are recognised in the carbonates of the Taiyuan Formation and can be explained forming in shallow marine environments, which are distributed in order from near storm wave base to near fair weather wave base respectively.