Jo Nov 20, 2024

Middle Carboniferous System in the valley of Taizi River, eastern Liaodong Province, China, has been called “Benxi Formation” and recognized as being correlated with Hongjom Formation on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Myong Hak, a section head at the Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, has made a biostratigraphic comparison of Hongjom Formation in the Pyongyang area with Carboniferous System in the valley of Taizi River, eastern Liaodong Province. In addition, he has carried out palaeontological and stratigraphic studies of the upper part of Mantal Formation of this area to provide new insights into the stratigraphic problems.

The results are as follows.

The stratum now recognized as Hongjom Formation in the Pyongyang area is correlated with Tianshifu Formation and Benxi Formation that the former “Benxi Formation” in the valley of Taizi River, eastern Liaodong Province, is subdivided into.

The stratum containing plant fossils in the upper part of Mantal Formation is regarded as an independent one that extends more than 20 kilometers.

The fossil assemblage of this stratum differs from those of Mantal Formation and Hongjom Formation. Based on the lithological and paleontological characteristics of this stratum, it can be correlated with Muyuzi Formation (late Early Carboniferous) in the valley of Taizi River, eastern Liaodong Province.