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Wang Saphung Formation

Wang Saphung Fm

Period:

Carboniferous

Age Interval:

early-Late Carboniferous (14)

Province:
Indochina Block: Loei Fold Belt

Type Locality and Naming

Pha Nok Khao Platform (Loei region): Its type section is at Huai Luang and Huai Bunnag (commonly transcribed as Huai Bun Nak) ca. 4 km east of Wang Saphung in Loei Province, Loei province. Extended by Ueno and Charoentitirat (2011) to also included the upper part of the former Nong Dok Bua Fm of Charoenpravat & Wongwanich (1976) and Charoenpravat et al. (1984). Lowest formation in the Loei Gr.

[Figure: Geological map of Carboniferous and Permian in Loei area, NE Thailand (Ueno and Charoentitirat 2011). Slightly modiﬁed from Vimuktanandana (1988) with additional data from Charoenpravat et al. (1984), Chonglakmani & Sattayarak (1984) and Chonglakmani et al. (1985a, 1985b). Note that, in this ﬁgure, Ban Sa Ngao and lower part of overlying Wang Saphung formations are illustrated expediently as a single stratigraphic unit, which corresponds to the Nong Dok Bua Fm of Charoenpravat et al. (1984).]

Synonym: หมวดหินวังสะพุง

Lithology and Thickness

The formation is composed of shale, sandy shale and sandstone with limestone intercalations and lenses. Limestone is mostly impure and thin, but may be up to tens of meters thick. Thickness: over 440 m.

[Figure: Carboniferous and Permian facies distribution and resultant stratigraphic subdivisions on the western margin of the Indochina Block. (Ueno and Charoentitirat 2011)]

Lithology Pattern:

Shallow-marine marl

Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Formerly had overlain a Nong Dok Bua Fm, which is not incorporated in the new definition. An emergence at around the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary separates the underlying Ban Sa Ngao Fm from the Wang Saphung Fm at the base of the Loei Gr.

Upper contact

Nam Mahoran Fm (conformable). The Wang Saphung Fm is essentially overlain by the Nam Mahoran Fm, but they are lateral equivalents at least during latest Pennsylvanian–Early Permian time (see Figures).

Regional extent

Loei-Phetchabun Ranges and northwest of the Khorat Plateau

[Figure: Distribution of Carboniferous and Permian in NE Thailand. Data mainly based on 1:1 million scale geological map of Thailand (DMR 1999) with minor modiﬁcations (Ueno and Charoentitirat 2011).]

GeoJSON

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Fossils

"Fossils have been reported from many localities. Foraminifers (mainly fusulines), corals and cephalopods are particularly abundant in limestone and associated barite deposits. Brachiopods, ammonoids and trilobites are known from shales. Of these fossils, fusulines provide a critical key for the age assessment of the Wang Saphung Formation. The fauna includes Eostaffella, Ozawainella, Eoschubertella, Pseudostaffella, Neostaffella, Profusulinella, Fusulinella, Beedeina, Pseudotriticites, Fusulina, Quasifusulinoides, Protriticites and possibly Montiparus. They indicate late Bashkirian to middle Kasimovian ages and are the principal grounds for assigning a Pennsylvanian age to the formation. An interesting fusuline fauna provided new insights … " [Ueno and Charoentitirat (2011)]

Age

late Bashkirian to middle Kasimovian

Age Span:

Beginning stage:

Bashkirian

Fraction up in beginning stage:

0.5

Beginning date (Ma):

318.92

Ending stage:

Gzhelian

Fraction up in the ending stage:

0.0

Ending date (Ma):

303.40

Depositional setting

Marginal marine. "The lower part of the Wang Saphung Fm, of late Bashkirian to middle Kasimovian age, represents a precursor stage of plat- form development with various-sized carbonate bodies (mounds or ?bioherms) within fine-grained siliciclastic deposits, which occurred before the widespread deposition of the Nam Mahoran platform carbonates. The upper part is interpreted as marginal platform siliciclastics." [Ueno and Charoentitirat (2011)]

[Figure: Late Paleozoic major facies subdivisions on the western margin of the Indochina Block by Ueno and Charoentitirat (2011). (Slightly modiﬁed from Wielchowsky & Young 1985).]

Depositional pattern:

Additional Information

Compiler:

Wen Du -modified from Ueno K. & Charoentitirat T., 2011, Chapter 5 Carboniferous and Permian in Ridd, M.F., Barber, A.J., and Grow, M.J., editors, The Geology of Thailand, Geol. Soc. of London. And Lexicon of Stratigraphic Names of Thailand of 2013