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Shizixu Formation

Shizixu Fm


Period: 
Carboniferous

Age Interval: 
C11 (50a), early Early Carboniferous


Province: 
Hunan, Guangxi

Type Locality and Naming

The type section is located at Shizixu, northeast of Xianghualing, Linwu County, Hunan. It was named by Li Yuyao and Zhu Sen in 1933.


Lithology and Thickness

Limestone. A suite of neritic carbonate rock formation. Can be divided into three members at Shizixu: Lower part is formed by thick-bedded limestone, ~85 m thick. Middle member by black shale intercalated with limestone, ~35 m thick. Upper part by black limestone containing chert nodules, ~140 m thick.

Within Guangxi, it is divided into two zones bounded by Dayao Mt. and the western Guizhou-Guangxi Railway. The north zone is similar to the standard section in terms of lithology, while in the south zone in central Guangxi the formation is widely distributed and dominated by dark-gray bedded limestone.


Lithology Pattern: 
Limestone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Conformable or disconformable contact with the underlying Devonian Rongxian Fm

Upper contact

Conformable contact with the overlying Huangjin Fm

Regional extent

Although the type section is in Hunan, this formation is mainly used in Guangxi. Cystophrentis is usually contained in the lower part, and Pseudouralinia in the upper part. The former is the zone fossil of Gelaohe Fm of Guizhou, while the latter is that of the Tangbagou Fm. But their coexistence is seen at Qibailong and Di’an of Du’an as well as Tianhe of Luocheng County.


GeoJSON

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Fossils

At type section, the Lower part yields Coral Cystophrentis sp.; the Middle part yields Brachiopods Chonetes sp., Eochoristites sp., Fusella sp., etc.; and the Upper part yields Corals Pseudouralinia sp., Syringopora sp., etc.

South zone in Central Guangxi usually contains corals Cystophrentis sp. at the bottom, and Pseudouralinia tangpakouensis and Syringopora in the upper part. Paragenesis of Cystophrentis kolaohoensis and P. tangpakouensis is seen at Qibailong of Du’an.


Age 

early Early Carboniferous

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Tournaisian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.0

    Beginning date (Ma): 
359.30

    Ending stage: 
Tournaisian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
346.73

Depositional setting

It is interpreted as neritic carbonates


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Wang Xiangdong