Displaced dolomites in radiolarian cherts of the Chichibu Belt on Shikoku Island, Southwest Japan

The northern tract of the Chichibu Belt on Shikoku Island, Southwest Japan, in places contains dolomites of Late Carboniferous age displaced into radiolarian cherts. The sections here examined are along the Niyodo gorge, central Shikoku. The sequence begins with thinly interbedded dolomitized radiolarian cherts and dolomites with a small amount of dolomitized radiolarian claystone and calcisiltite beds. These rocks, 5-10 m thick, are succeeded by a thick section of bedded and massive dolomites, commonly 40-50 m thick, which have thin intercalations of radiolarian claystone in the upper part. This dolomite sequence is depositionally overlain by a sequence, up to 50 m thick, comprising thinly interbedded radiolarian cherts and claystones, which, in turn, contain lenticular bodies of dolomite. Thin-section examination reveals that most of dolomites of the area have an arenitic or lithic texture, and should be termed doloarenite and dololithite. This means that dolomites are detrital. All lines of evidence suggest that the dolomites were not formed in the same depositional site in which the radiolarian cherts were being accumulated, but formed instead as allochthonous bodies which were displaced into a deep oceanic basin of chert deposition. The following sequence of events is postulated: (1) deposition of shallow-water calcareous sediments in a subtidal area; (2) dolomitization in a very shallow-water to supratidal environment; (3) displacement of dolomitized sediments, possibly mainly as debris flows into a deep-water, truely pelagic realm, in which siliceous radiolarian sediments were accumulating; (4) continued accumulation of siliceous sediments after the major influx of dolomitized sediments; and (5) minor influxes of dolomitized sediments during the continuous accumulation of siliceous sediments.