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Shahai Formation
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Shahai Fm base reconstruction

Shahai Fm

Period: 
Cretaceous

Age Interval: 
Early Cretaceous, (26) K1sh


Province: 
Liaoning

Type Locality and Naming

W. Liaoning. W. Muroi erected the Shahai shale beds in 1940. The section for the designation is near the Shahai Village of Fuxin City of western Liaoning. The unit was renamed as the Shahai Formation by the Beijing College of Geology in 1960. The reference section is from Mashenmiao-Songbahu of the Yixian County, Liaoning.

Synonym: Jiufotang Fm is partly equivalent.


Lithology and Thickness

The Shahai Formation is a group of fluvial-lacustrine deposits. Lower part of the formation consists of purple red andesitic conglomerates and sandstones, intercalated with shales. Upper part is composed of grayish yellow mudstone, siltstone, sandstone and oil shale. It is 500-1700 m in thickness.


Lithology Pattern: 
Coarse-grained sandstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

It is in conformably contact with the underlying Jiufotang Fm.

Upper contact

It is in conformably contact with the overlying Fuxin Fm.

Regional extent

The Shahai Formation is widespread in the Yixian, Fuxin, Faku and Heishan areas of western Liaoning.


GeoJSON

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Fossils

It yields large amount of fossils like ostracods, conchostracans, plants, spore and pollens. The formation contains bivalves Mengyinaia tugriensis, Nipponaia sinensis; ostracods Limnocypris qinghemenensis, Ziziphocypris costata; gastropods Probaicalia vitimensis, Bellamya fengtienensis; fish Lycoptera muroii and plant Solenites sp.


Age 

Direct radioisotopic ages have not been determined for the Shahai Formation, which have been defined primarily via biostratigraphic correlation. Comparisons of plant and spinicaudatan assemblages from the Fuxin Basin with those from the Songliao and Yanji Basins indicate that the Shahai Fm dates to the late Aptian age.

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Aptian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.7

    Beginning date (Ma): 
115.66

    Ending stage: 
Aptian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
113.20

Depositional setting

It deposited in a lacustrine and alluvium environment.


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Wan Xiaoqiao