Tidal deposits of carbonate facies and their microfacies types in the Qiziqiao Formation of Middle Devonian,South China

Tidal-flat and shoal deposits of carbonate fades in the Qiziqiao Formation are widely distributed over the vast areas of Guangxi, Guangdong and Hunan provinces, constituting an important stratigraphic unit where strata-bound and stratiform ore deposits (galena-sphalerite-pyrite) are found. These types of ore deposit seem to have close relations to the tidal deposits. Recognition of tidal deposits is based upon rock fabric, texture, structure, fossil assemblage, and particular sedimentary cycle. The typical sequence of tidal-flat deposits consists mainly of three units:Amphipora limestone, laminated limestone and dolostone (from the bottom to the top). This sequence represents a complete process of sedimentation from low-tideflat through intertidal to high-tideflat or supratidal. The sequence of shoal deposits of carbonate facies consists chiefly of grainstone and algal oösparite. Two major types of tidal deposit (open and restricted marine facies) can be distinguished, with eleven microfacies as follows: 1) calcarenite (grainstone) with sparite (MF-1); 2) algal oösparite (MF-2); 3) oncolite (alga-, or stromatoporoid-encrusted grains) (MF-3); 4) bioclastic grainstone (biosparite) or rudstone with sparite (MF-4);5) Amphipora limestone (MF-5); 6) dark fossil-poor micrite (MF-6); 7) pelsparite or peloidal grainstone with sparite (MF-7); 8) laminated pellet mudstone-wackstone (MF-8); 9) micrite with onkoids (MF-9); 10) rudstone or floatstone (MF-10; and 11) bedded dolomite-gypsum-dolomite (MF-11).