The writer have studied ichnofossils found in the Miocene sediments, developed along the river of Ara-kawa, Akabira-gawa, and Maita-gawa running through the northeastern part of the Chichibu basin, Saitama Prefecture, Central Japan, and discussed their paleoenvironment as follows.
1) The lowermost Shirasu formation occurred a lot of trace fossils such as
Macoronicunus isp. and
Psilonichnus cf.
tubiformis produced in foreshore to shoreface area.
2) From the sandstone at the top of former formation,
Schaubcylindichnus freyi with hummocky cross-lamination shows the more or less deeper environment than former.
3) From the Tomita formation overlying the former ones had
Planolites beverleyensis showing shoreface to offshore area.
4) The base of the Nenokami formation overlying the former on are composed of conglomerate with a lot of boulders of calcareous nodule, which has rich
Gastrochaenolites isp., and
Psilonichnus aff.
upsilon had burrowed into firmground on its bottom. Considering from the sedimentary facies and trace fossils such as
Gastrochaenolites isp. and
Psilonichnus aff.
upsilon between the upper part of the Tomita formation and the base of the Nenokami formation, it was discussed that historic course of their sedimentation.
5) The exitence of
Phycosiphon incertum and
Schaubcylindrichnus freyi inside the Nenokami formation might show the offshore environment by the rapid transgression.
6) The Ogano-machi formation has none of trace fossil.
7) The occurrence of trace fossils of
Rosselia socialis and
Schaubcylindrichnus freyi from the Maita-gawa River Sandstone Conglomerate Member of the Chichibu-machi Formation shows the shoreface to offshore environment, and the existence of
Dactyloidites ottoi in the east margin of the sedimentary basin might show the production small-scale fan delta at that time.
8) In the Kuroya Mudstone Sandstone Member,
Planolites beverleyensis,
Skolithos linearis and etc. show shoreface to offshore environment, and ?cf.
Bathichnus paramoudrae is presumed tobe the dysoxic environment partially.
9) It is considered that the occurrence of several ichnospecies of opportunistic from the Nenokami and the Chihibu-machi formations show the rapid sedimentation.
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