Palynology of the Bazyab Formation at the Bazyab stratigraphic section, Central Iran

The Bazyab Formation is one of the Cretaceous rock units in the Khor and Byabanak area. In this study we investigated palynological content of the Bazyab Formation at the Bazyab stratigraphic section where it is up to 1067 meters thick and consists of marlstones, shales, sandstones, limestones and sandy limestones, claystone, shale and interlayers of limestone. The formation at this section is confined conformably between Shah-Kuh Formation at the base and Debarsu Formation at the top. A total of 40 rock samples have been collected from the formation and investigated for their palynological contents. The obtained palynological data resulted in detection of twenty-nine genera and54 species of marine dinocysts alongside with 20 genera and 29 species of terrestrial palynomorphs (spores and pollens). An age of Aptian –Albian is constrained for the formation in this section on the evidence of recorded palynomorphs. Based on high frequencyof inner neritic dinocysts, planktonic foraminifers and mudstone and wackestone facies of the carbonate beds, an inner shelf sedimentary environment was suggested as the depositional environment of the Bazyab Formation.