Sandstone depositional environments of the Upper Permian Champenay Formation, Champenay Basin, northeastern France

Abstract

The Upper Permian Champenay Formation was deposited in a series of continental basins in northeastern France. Within the lower part of this formation, there is a sandstone of controversial origin. In the Champenay Basin, this sandstone of the Champenay Formation is exposed in three quarries between the towns of Champenay and Belval. In these quarries the sandstone is composed of deposits from deltaic, lacustrine, beach, alluvial, and eolian environments. Interpretation of these deposits suggests that the Champenay Basin was occupied by a lake, and that deltaic sediments prograded into this lake from the southeast. Relative changes in lake level resulted in the development of bounding surfaces among the deltaic sediments. Debris flows, ephemeral sheet flows, beach deposits, and eolian dunes were also present along the southern margin of this lake. The eolian dunes were crescentic in shape and migrated to the northwest. Sediment entered the southern margin of the Champenay Basin and was then redistributed and reworked by deltaic, lacustrine, beach, and eolian processes.