Depositional environments and sequence stratigraphy of the Bahram Formation (middle–late Devonian) in north of Kerman, south-central Iran

• Bahram Formation is a shallow open marine environment during the Devonian in the central Iran.
• Tectonically the area is part of a foreland basin filled dominantly with a sequence of clastic and carbonate compositions.
• The upward-shallowing cycles have been recognized from the Bahram Formation.

This study is focused on sedimentary environments, facies distribution, and sequence stratigraphy. The facies and sequence stratigraphic analyses of the Bahram Formation (middle–late Devonian) in south-central Iran are based on two measured stratigraphic sections in the southern Tabas block. The Bahram Formation overlies red sandstones Padeha Formation in sections Hutk and Sardar and is overlain by Carboniferous carbonate deposits of Hutk Formation paraconformably, with a thickness of 354 and 386 m respectively. Mixed siliciclastic and carbonate sediments are present in this succession. The field observations and laboratory studies were used to identify 14 micro/petrofacies, which can be grouped into 5 depositional environments: shore, tidal flat, lagoon, shoal and shallow open marine. A mixed carbonate-detrital shallow shelf is suggested for the depositional environment of the Bahram Formation which deepens to the east (Sardar section) and thins in southern locations (Hutk section). Three 3rd-order cyclic siliciclastic and carbonate sequences in the Bahram Formation and one sequence shared with the overlying joint with Hutk Formation are identified, on the basis of shallowing upward patterns in the micro/pertofacies.

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