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Ben Khe Formation
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Ben Khe Fm base reconstruction

Ben Khe Fm


Period: 
Cambrian, Ordovician

Age Interval: 
Cm-O1 bk, (10)


Province: 
West Bac Bo

Type Locality and Naming

Ban Chanh - Ban Khua Section, along the Song Da River, 1 km southeast of Ben Khe Village, Moc Chau District, Son La Province (N = 20°58', E = 104°55'); the formation name was taken from Ben Khe Village, where it is well exposed and was first studied by Dovjikov A.E. et al. (1965).

Synonym: Hệ tầng Bến Khế (part.): Dovjikov A.E et al. 1965 (£j - 0); Điệp Bến Khế: Nguyễn Xuân Bao et al. 1969 (e 2 - O 1); Bùi Phú Mỹ et al. 1971 (Cm 3 - O); Nguyễn Văn Hoành et al. 1974 (Cm2 - O1); Nguyễn Đình Hợp et al 1989 (Cm 2 – O1); Vũ Khúc, Bùi Phú Mỹ et al. 1990 (Cm - O1); Nguyễn Công Lượng et al, 1992 (Cm2 - O1). Điệp Bển Khế (part): Trần Văn Trị et al. 1970, 1975, 1977 (Cm2 - O1). Điệp Bến Kế: Phan Cự Tiến et al. 1977 (Cm2 - O1); Nguyền Xuân Bao et al. 1978 (Cm2 – O1); Nguyễn Vĩnh et al. 1978 (E2 - O1); Bùi Hữu Lạc et al. 1983 (Cm2 - O1); Trần Đăng Tuyết et al. 1989 (Cm2 - O1). Hệ tầng Bến Khế: Phạm Kim Ngân et al. 1986,1995 (£2 -O1), 1998 (£? - O); Nguyễn Văn Hoành et al. 2001 (£ - O)


Lithology and Thickness

Sandstone, Claystone, Limestone: Stratotype (1100 m thick): (1). Quartz conglomerate, gravel and thickly bedded coarse sandstone, thickness 140 m. (2). Banded calcareous shale, and mudstone interbeds, 150 m thick. (3). Light grey limestone, thickness 150 m. (4). Fine-grained quartzite, mudstone and shale, claystone in the top, thickness 700 m.


Lithology Pattern: 
Sandstone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Unconformably rests on the Da Dinh Fm (Ediacaran) and Sin Quyen Fm (Neoproterozoic).

Upper contact

Unconformity between the Ben Khe Fm and the overlying Sinh Vinh Fm.

Regional extent

The formation is exposed in two different bands, the first in the downstream basin of the Song Da River, from Suoi Khoang Stream through Ben Khe Village (Son La Province) to Hoa Binh, and then northward to Thanh Son (Phu Tho Province). The second distributed in the upstream basin of the Song Da River, extending from the Pa Ham area through the Sin Ho Plateau to Pa Tan (Lai Chau Province).


GeoJSON

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Fossils

Trematosphaeridium sp., Orygmaiosphaeridium sp.


Age 

Assigned as late Cambrian-early Ordovician.

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Cambrian Stage 3

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.0

    Beginning date (Ma): 
521.00

    Ending stage: 
Floian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
1.0

    Ending date (Ma):  
471.26

Depositional setting


Depositional pattern:  

Additional Information


Compiler:  

Tran Van Tri and Vu Khuc (Editors; Geology and Earth Resources of Viet Nam, General Dept. of Geology and Minerals of Viet Nam; completed in Dec., 2011), with additional details from Tong-Dzuy Thanh and Vu Khuc (Editors; Stratigraphic Units of Viet Nam, 2nd edition; 2011; English edited by A. Boucot).