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Gaogou Formation
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Gaogou Fm base reconstruction

Gaogou Fm

Period: 
Cretaceous

Age Interval: 
Late Cretaceous, K2g , (33c)


Province: 
Henan

Type Locality and Naming

Xichuan Basin. The Gaogou Formation was erected by Zhou Shiquan et al in 1975 in the report on the red beds of the Xichuan basin of Henan. The section designated is from Heidouya to Dongxisi of Taohe of the Xichuan County, Henan. This designation was quoted by the Henan Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.


Lithology and Thickness

The Gaogou Formation is represented by brown red, light gray and gray black sandstone, siltstone and calcareous siltstone. The formation is 112.52 m thick.


Lithology Pattern: 
Fine-grained sandstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Its base marked by brown red conglomerate with brown red siltstone is distinguished from the Cambrian limestone and dolomitic limestone, with an unconformity between the two. Elsewhere, it has an unconformity onto the Devonian Nanwan Fm; or on the Baiwan Fm (early Cret)

Upper contact

Its top is bounded by gray white sandstone at the base of the Majiacun Fm, and both show a conformable contact.

Regional extent

The formation occurs in the form of NW-oriented band in Taohe of the Xichuan County, Danshui of the Xixia County, Xiaguan of the Neixiang County and Liuquanpu of the Zhenping County. It varies considerably in lithology and is dominated by siltstone and conglomerate in Xixia and Xichuan and by sandstone eastward to Zhenping. Its base is built up by siltstone and mudstone with Dinosaurian eggs and sporopollen grains, with the thickness varying considerably. The formation is 1200 m thick and becomes thinner eastward and westward. It is assigned to Late Cretaceous.


GeoJSON

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Fossils

The formation yields Dinosaurian eggs such as Faveoloolithus sp., Placoolithus taoheensis, Yongnoolithus xiaguanensis; and has been assigned to Late Cretaceous. [For graphics, arbitrarily put in Turonian-Coniacian in this succession.]


Age 


Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Turonian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.0

    Beginning date (Ma): 
93.90

    Ending stage: 
Coniacian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
85.70

Depositional setting

It is the deposition with gypsum of shore facies.


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Wan Xiaoqiao