Late Cretaceous tempestite in northern Songliao Basin, China

A Late Cretaceous tempestite in the northern Songliao Basin, China, was studied based on thin-section and granularity analyses of borehole samples. The results indicated that the local tempestite can be categorized into several clastic constituent types, which include bottom erosion structures, graded beds, hummocky cross stratification (HCS), parallel beds, wave marks, and bioturbation structures. Based on these sedimentary characteristics and vertical sequence combinations, four tempestite sedimentary models were developed: (I) an autochthonous tempestite facies, (II) an allochthonous tempestite facies (the proximal subfacies), (III) a second allochthonous tempestite facies (the distal subfacies), and (IV) a turbidite facies.

► The Late Cretaceous tempestite in northern Songliao Basin was studied.
► The results indicated it can be categorized into several assembly types.
► Four tempestite sedimentary models were developed.
► The discovery can open a new frontier for the search of various reservoirs.