Carboniferous and Permian Stratigraphy of the Atetsu Limestone in West Japan

This paper treats of the stratigraphy, geologic structure, correlation of the fusulinid faunas of the Carboniferous and Permian Atetsu Limestone, and the stratigraphy of the non-calcareous sedimentary rocks cropping out to the south of this limestone plateau in Okayama Prefecture of West Japan. The Atetsu Limestone is divided into three groups and they are subdivisible into six formations. This limestone plateau is structually divided into two blocks, the northern and the southern, by a reversed fault dipping towards the north. The stratigraphical description of the non-calcareous rocks are given in the third chapter. The fusulinid zones established in the Atetsu Limestone are Endothyra-Pseudoendothyra zone, Millerella bigemmicula-Eostaffella kanmerai zone, Profusulinella toriyamai zone, Fusulinella imamurai zone, Pseudoschwagerina zone, Parafusulina zone, Neoschwagerina douvillei zone, Yabeina shiraiwensis zone and Lepidolina imamurai zone in ascending order, and among them the Pseudoschwagerina zone and the Parafusulina zone are subdivisible into two subzones, respectively. The international correlations of these fusulinid zones are given in the sixth chapter.