A volcanic tuff near the Carboniferous–Permian boundary, Taiyuan Formation, North China: Radioisotopic dating and global correlation

• Published in: Review of palaeobotany and palynology Vol. 294; p. 104244
• Main Authors: Schmitz, Mark D., Pfefferkorn, Hermann W., Shen, Shu-Zhong, Wang, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2021
• Subjects: Asselian age; Biostratigraphy; Carboniferous period; Carboniferous–Permian boundary; China; coal; flora; fossils; paleobotany; Plant fossils; Radioisotopic dating; Taiyuan Formation; tuff; volcanic ash; China; Radioisotopic dating; Plant fossils; Taiyuan Formation; Carboniferous–Permian boundary; Biostratigraphy
• ISSN: 0034-6667; 1879-0615
• DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2020.104244

A 66 cm thick volcanic ash fall tuff occurring within a thick coal deposit and containing a paleobotanical fossil lagerstätte in the Wuda coal district of North China has been dated as 298.34 ± 0.09 Ma. The fossil flora in the tuff indicates a latest Carboniferous to earliest Permian age and is thus in agreement with the radioisotopic age of earliest Permian, Asselian, age. This bed supplies a well-defined position of the Carboniferous–Permian boundary near the northern edge of the North China Block. The tuff occurs in the top of the Taiyuan Formation and several meters below the base of the Shansi (=Shanxi) Formation. These beds were traditionally considered late Carboniferous to early Permian in age. Our results demonstrate that the Taiyuan Formation is time transgressive and its age has to be revised for the northern part of the North China Block. •The tuff yielding the Permian “vegetational Pompeii” is dated as 298.34 ± 0.09 Ma.•The Taiyuan Formation in North China is time transgressive.•The Permo-Carboniferous boundary in North China can be well constrained now.