Depositional environments of the Katsuta Group, eastern Tsuyama Basin, Southwest Japan

The Miocene Katauta Group of the Syohoku-cho area is subdivides into 6 members ; The Uetsuki Conglomerate Member, Nara Sandy Mudstone Member, Tai Gravelly Sandstone Member, Takatori Conglomerate Member, Ayabe Mudstone Member and Maruyama Mutstone Member from bottom to top. The unconformity between Miocene deposits and basement rocks in this area was traced to obtain geometry of the Miocene basin. Contour maps of the bases of the Miocene Yoshino Formation and Takakura Formation indicate paleo-topography. The obtained topography demonstrates a valley, which flowed to north-west, and a few islands and bays. It indicates that these Miocene successuions were deposited in the topography which resemble to the present Seto Inland.