Quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography

Quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography is an important discipline of palaeogeography.It is developed on the foundation of traditional lithofacies palaeogeography and palaeogeography,the core of which is the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeographic map.Quantity means that in the palaeogeographic map,the division and identification of each palaeogeographic unit are supported by quantitative data and quantitative fundamental maps.Our lithofacies palaeogeographic maps are quantitative or mainly quantitative.A great number of quantitative lithofacies palaeogeographic maps have been published,and articles and monographs of quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography have been published successively,thus the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography was formed and established.It is an important development in lithofacies palaeogeography.In composing quantitative lithofacies palaeogeographic maps,the key measure is the single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping method—methodology of quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography.In this paper,the authors utilize two case studies,one from the Early Ordovician of South China and the other from the Early Ordovician of Ordos,North China,to explain how to use this methodology to compose the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeographic maps,and to discuss the palaeogeographic units in these maps.Finally,three characteristics,i.e.,quantification,multiple orders and multiple types,of quantitative lithofacies palaeogeographic maps are conclusively discussed.