Biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental model of the Late Oligocene deposits at the Tanbour section (SW Kerman, Central Iran)

Late Oligocene deposits at the Tanbour section in the Central Iran are shallow water carbonates that can be correlated with the upper parts of the “C member” of the Qom Formation. In the study area, biostratigraphy of the larger benthic foraminifera indicate the age of Chattian stage for these deposits. Based on analysis of the larger benthic foraminiferal assemblages and microfacies, these sediments were deposited in three major depositional environments including open marine, barrier reef and lagoonal settings. Therefore, for the studied section, a carbonate platform in the homoclinal ramp has been suggested. In the inner ramp, the most abundant microfacies are wackestone-packstone with imperforated foraminifera. The middle ramp is represented by packstone-grainstone to floatstone with a diverse assemblage of larger benthic foraminifera with perforate wall, red algae, coral, and echinoids.