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Zhoutian Formation
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Zhoutian Fm base reconstruction

Zhoutian Fm

Period: 
Cretaceous

Age Interval: 
Late Cretaceous, K2zt, (39b)


Province: 
Jiangxi

Type Locality and Naming

South and eastern Jiangxi (Ganzhou Basin). The Zhoutian Formation was named by the No 909 Geological Team of Jiangxi in 1974. The type locality is in Zhoutian of the Huichang County. The key section is the Zaijiaoxia section in Zhoutian of Huichang (115º46', 25º20').


Lithology and Thickness

The Zhoutian Formation is a group of fine-grained sediments. It is dominated by multi-colored siltstone, mudstone, with interbeds of thin-bedded sandstone and gypsum. It is 1846 m in thickness.


Lithology Pattern: 
Siltstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

The Zhoutian Formation is conformably overlying the Maodian Fm.

Upper contact

The Zhoutian Formation is traditionally shown as unconformably underlying the Hekou Fm; although Li et al. (2019) conclude the Hekou Fm is in a different basin.

Regional extent


GeoJSON

{"type":"Feature","geometry":{"type":"MultiPolygon","coordinates":[[[[115.9,25.3],[115.91,25.18],[115.77,25.1],[115.63,25.13],[115.42,25.27],[115.17,25.44],[115.06,25.61],[114.99,25.79],[114.98,25.96],[115.06,26.03],[115.22,26],[115.36,25.9],[115.5,25.81],[115.76,25.48],[115.82,25.38],[115.89,25.33],[115.9,25.3]]]]}}

Fossils

The formation yield conchostracans Tenuestheria tenuis, T. cf. hejiaensis, Nemestheria sp., Plectestheria sp., Sinoestheria aff. product, Ellipsograpta subquadrata, E. ovate, E. elongate Neodiestheria sp.; plant Frenelopsis parcermosa sp., Pagiophyllum sp., Cupressinocladus sp., Elatocladus sp., Pityophyllum sp., Strobilites sp.; ostracods Mongolocypris viriosa, M. longiquadrata, Darwinula contracta, Ziziphocypris simakovi, Rhinocypris jurassica, Cyprois guexiensis, Eucypris sp.; gastropods Galba sp., Hydrobia sp.; plant Pseudofrenelopsis cf. parceramosa, P. cf. papillosa; charophyte Songliaochara jiadianensis, Peckisphaera verticillata, P. tujiaensis, Sphaerochara raricostata, Mesochara voluta, M. biacuta, Amblyochara sp.


Age 

Shown as late Albian by Xi et al (2019; Cretaceous integrated stratigraphy and timescale of China); but "In southern Jiangxi Province, the Ganzhou Group contains bimodal basaltic andesite-rhyolite association of the Maodian Formation (K12md) exposed in the Huichang and Xinjiang basins, and their ages are 93–105 Ma" [= late Albian – Cenomanian] [quote from Xing, G.F., et al., 2021, "Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic cycle … East China". Jour. Earth Sci.)]; therefore shown as Turonian here pending more information.

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Cenomanian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.8

    Beginning date (Ma): 
95.22

    Ending stage: 
Turonian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
89.39

Depositional setting


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Wan Xiaoqiao