Facies analysis, depositional environments and palaecological conditions of the Lower Carboniferous carbonate ramp in the Sanandaj- Sirjan zone, Iran

The carbonate successions (Tournaisian-Visean) exposed in the Tang-e-Darchaleh and Banarizeh sections from Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ), Iran, have been used to generate a facies model. From the analysis of facies and their associations, four depositional zones are recognized on the Tournaisian-Visean ramp: basinal environments, outer ramp (FA1 and FA2; deep subtidal associations), mid ramp (FA3, FA4 and FA6; shallow subtidal to lower intetidal associations), and inner ramp (FA5; shoal). The gradual transitions between facies and facies associations, as well as the depositional profile of the shelf transect indicate a low gradient ramp. The observed sedimentary features in the facies associations portray a transgressive, proximal-to-distal, wave-dominated combined flow marine ramp sequence, as recorded in stratigraphic changes in character of storm bed sequences and the spatial arrangement of types of storm bed along the depth related environmental gradients. This study suggests that during the Lower Carboniferous, a broad shelfal platform covered the southern margin of the Palaeotethys, which was characterized by dominantly shallow carbonate ramp.