LATEST PERMIAN AND EARLIEST TRIASSIC SEDIMENTARY PROVINCES AND THEIR FACIES TYPES IN SOUTH CHINA

During the latest Permian and earliest Triassic time, most parts of Tethys were entirely lacking in uppermost Permian (Changhsingian) and/or lowermost Triassic strata (Permian-Triassic transitional beds). However, these strata in South China arc not only well developed and widely distributed, but vary in lithofacies and biofaeies, usually forming a number of sedimentary regions and facies provinces. Accordingly, for the latest Permian strata two sedimentary regions and eight facies provinces have been recognized. In the earliest Triassic there were two sedimentary regions and four facies provinces in South China. It should be pointed out that the patterns of distribution for these regions and facies provinces were generally different during the latest Permian on the one hand and earliest Triassic on the other. This paper deals also with such problems as the changes of sedimentary environment climate and biotas in the period from the Paleozoic to the Mesozoic. It is evident that all of these lithofacies and biofacies in most parts of South China are characteristics of transitional nature from the Permian to the Triassic.