Lithofacies, microfacies and depositional environments of Upper Cretaceous Oceanic red beds (Chuangde Formation) in southern Tibet

The Gyangze basin, located in southern Tibet, is one of the representative areas for Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds (CORBs). We investigated and inter-correlated several new CORB outcrops in the western and southeastern part of the Gyangze area in addition to the previously described Chuangde section. The CORBs in the Gyangze basin mainly consist of shales, thin-bedded marls, re-sedimented limestones and clasts supported conglomerates-breccias. Planktonic foraminifers in the carbonate rocks within CORBs belong to the Globotruncana ventricosa and Globotruncanita calcarata zones, indicative of middle Campanian age. The facies assemblages in the different sections indicate that the depositional environments of CORBs range from outer base-of-slope apron to basin zones. Within carbonates, we observed microfacies types characteristic of basin, open deep shelf margin or toe-of-slope environments. Gravity transport resulted from the steepening of the sea floor in the Gyangze basin owing to subduction during the Campanian. Relatively oxic bottom water conditions prevailed below the toe-of-slope environment in the Gyangze basin during CORB deposition. However, the presence of gray clasts within a multicoloured matrix suggests less oxic conditions at shallower water depths within the basin. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.