Dune-scale cross stratified upper shoreface sandstone with sparse Skolithos and Ophiomorpha burrows. The sandstone is capped by a transgressive lag of decimeter thick.

Photo showing amalgated middle shoreface sandstone. The whole succession is with clear uneven bioturbation. Preserved sedimentary structures include planar stratification, HCS, and wave ripple lamination.

Thin interbedded middle-lower shoreface very fine sandstone, muddy very fine sandstone, and mudstone with strong uneven bioturbation. Structures only occur where there is light bioturbation. Cruziana ichnofacies dominates the succession, with sparse Skolithos burrows. Typical structures include 2D/3D wave ripple cross lamination, HCS, planar stratification, and swelly cross stratification.

Photo showing thin bedded very fine sandstone interbedding with unbioturbated and graded mudstone in a distal delta front succession. The succession overly dark colored highly bioturbated shelf mudstone. Three volcanic ash layers incased in the dark colored shelf mudstone (shown in the lower part of the photo). They are regionally continuous and serve as correlation markers and datum.

An active delta front succession bounded above and below by flooding surfaces. The photo generally is a strike view of the delta front. Bar complexes showing clear lens shape and bidirectional pinch out. Thickness of the succession is about 12 m.

Photo showing several channel belts with floodplain deposits in-between. The lower most channel belt is roughly 10 m. it cuts into the underlying distributary channels which show clear intertonguing with the delta front deposits.

Thick and continuous coal zones occur in the upper part of the Notom Delta. The one in the photo is about 1.5m. These coal zones serve as good correlation markers in the nonmarine part of the delta.

Photo showing there coal zones interbedding with splay and floodplain deposits. Coal zones are decimeter thick and laterally continuous. Splay deposits are very fine to fine ripple cross lamainated sandstone and floodplain deposits are widely rooted.

Tidal process becomes more important approaching the top of the Notom Delta. Photo showing a tidal channel cuts into a shoreface succession. The lower part of the channel is filled dominantly by dune-scale cross stratified sandstone with sparse vertical burrow (Skolithos and Ophiomorpha). Paleocurrent is generally perpendicular to the photo. Notice the left-side accretion of the channel. The muddy/heterolithic plug to the lower-left of the photo marks the final fill of the lower part of the channel. The upper part of the channel fill is more heterolithic, with ripple cross laminated/dune-scale cross stratified sandstone separated by thin bedded mudstones.

tidal flat deposits in the valley systems of the Notom Delta, the lower part of the section is dominated by ripple-cross laminated sandstone with mud seams, the upper part is with dune-scale cross stratified sandstone with clear bidirectional dipping foresets.

Inclined heterolithic strata (HIS) in a tidal point bar. Dipping of different units is generally less than 15°. Decimeter scale sandstone and centimeter to millimeter scale mudstone show clear alteration, probably representing Neap-Spring cycles.

Small estuary deposits occur in the back side of some shoreface deposits in the Notom Delta. Notice the highly heterolithic and tioturbated nature of these deposits. Trace fossils in the estuary facies usually has high intensity and low diversity. The photo showing a Thalassinoides colonized case. The lower part of the section is almost 100% burrowed, while the upper part with ripple cross lamination locally preserved.

Photo showing the dark colored, highly bioturbated shelf mudstone facies below the Notom fluvial-deltaic complex. Three bentonite layers, incased in the shelf mudstone and with thickness of 28cm, 6cm, and 9cm respectively at the photo location, are regionally important and serves as the datum for correlation. A condensed section of meter thick lies several meters above the volcanic layers with abundant organic material and rich in Ammonites.

A close-up of the overall characteristics in one of the most-distal delta front to prodelta facies in the Notom Delta. The occurrence of combined flow ripples indicates certain extent of wave influence. However, the general lack of bioturbation indicates that the environment is generally less productive for most of the trace makers. Notice the occurrence of loading structures in this interbedded mudstone and sandstone setting.

A general view of different facies and the stratigraphy in one site in the field area. Dark colored, highly bioturbated shelf mudstone occurs in the lower most part of the photo. Several parasequences with different wave, river, and tidal signatures stack vertically.

Fluvial Braded Bars

Tidal Bars

Tidal Channel Inlet (closeup)

Tidal Flat

Tidal IHS