豊田ホタルの里ミュージアム研究報告書 第 11 号 : 25-35 頁 , 2019 年 3 月
Bull. Firefly Museum of Toyota Town. (11): 25-35, Mar. 2019

The Nishinakayama Formation (Toyora Group) exposed along the Era River revisited:
Preliminary report on recent outcrop condition and lithology
Kentaro IZUMI1), David B. KEMP2), Benjamin T. BREEDEN III3)
1)

Faculty & Graduate School of Education, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba

263-8522, Japan
2)

State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China

University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
3)

Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-

0102, U.S.A.

Abstract: The Lower Jurassic (upper Pliensbachian to lower Toarcian) Nishinakayama
Formation of the Toyora Group, which crops out in the Toyora area of Shimonoseki City,
Yamaguchi Prefecture is geologically significant owing to the occurrence of various fossils andthe presence of a thick record of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE). In particular,
the Sakuraguchi-dani section in Toyota Town, Shimonoseki City has been heavily investigatedbecause the rocks are exposed nearly continuously. However, sections other than Sakuraguchidani have been less well-studied. Thus, to better understand the Toarcian palaeoenvironments
recorded in the Nishinakayama Formation, exploration of other sections is required. In thisstudy, we present the preliminary results of recent geological fieldwork at outcrops exposed
along the Era River (Era River section). The total thickness of the Era River section is thicker
than that of the Sakuraguchi-dani section, although the exposure is relatively less continuous.
The lithology of the Era River strata predominantly comprises black silty mudstones, which canbe divided into three lithofacies (laminated, bioturbated, thin-bedded). In addition, some minor
sandstone and tuff beds are present. Based on our results, it is highly likely that the stratigraphic
interval of the Era River section encompasses a thick record of the palaeoclimatologicallyimportant T-OAE. As such, further geological investigation of the section, including the use ofcore drilling to fill exposure gaps, is warranted.
Key words: Toyora Group, Nishinakayama Formation, Era River, Toarcian, oceanic anoxic
event
INTRODUCTION
The Lower to Middle Jurassic (Sinemurian to Bathonian) siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the Toyora Group crop out
in the Toyora area of Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, southwestern Japan (Fig. 1). The group unconformably
rests upon pre-Jurassic metamorphic rocks, and it is lithostratigraphically divided into three formations that together
comprise a major sedimentary cycle: the Higashinagano Formation, representing a transgressive phase; the Nishinakayama
Formation, representing an inundative phase; and the Utano Formation, representing a regressive phase (Hirano, 1971). The
Nishinakayama Formation (upper Pliensbachian to lower Toarcian) has been well studied due to its fossiliferous nature, mostly

25

Kentaro IZUMI, David B. KEMP, Benjamin T. BREEDEN III

A

136

132 E

140

144

B
N

40 N

Japan
Toyora region0

Era River section
Tokyo

500 km36

Sakuraguchi-dani section

32

Nishinakayama

Kwanmon Group (Lower Cretaceous)
Utano Fm.
(Toarcian-Bathonian)
Nishinakayama Fm.
(Pliensbachian-Toarcian)Toyora G.
34 08'N

Higashinagano Fm.
(Sinemurian-Pliensbachian)Basement (Pre-Jurassic)
Fault (inferred)

a

y
Ko

Tabe Basin

er

v

Ri

131 03' E

01km

Figure 1. (A) Map of Japan highlighting the location of the Toyora area. (B) Geological map of the
Toyora area (Modified after Nakada & Matsuoka, 2011), with the Sakuraguchi-dani and Era River
sections highlighted.
characterized by a rich ammonoid assemblage (e.g., Matsumoto & Ono, 1947; Hirano, 1971, 1973a, b; Tanabe, 1991; Nakada& Matsuoka, 2011; Takeda & Tanabe, 2015). The fossil assemblage from the Nishinakayama Formation is not limited toammonoids but also comprises plants (Kimura et al., 1986; Yamada & Ohno, 2005), insects (Fujiyama, 1974), bivalves (e.g.,
Hayami, 1960, 1988; Tanabe et al., 1982; Tanabe, 1991), belemnoids (Tanabe et al., 1982; Tanabe, 1991), crinoids (Tanabe etal., 1982; Tanabe, 1991; Hunter et al., 2011), teleost fish (e.g., Tanabe, 1991; Nakada & Matsuoka, 2012), reptiles (Hasegawa
et al., 1998; Manabe & Hasegawa, 1998), and invertebrate trace fossils (e.g., Izumi et al., 2012; Izumi, 2014).
In recent years, a series of geochemical studies presented evidence for a ~-3.5‰ excursion in the stable carbon isotope
composition of organic matter (δ13Corg) recorded in the Nishinakayama Formation (Izumi et al., 2012, 2018a; Kemp & Izumi,2014). This negative δ13C excursion is a globally recognizable diagnostic feature of the early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event(T-OAE; ~182 Ma, e.g., Hesselbo et al., 2000, 2007; Them et al., 2017). The T-OAE represents one of the most significant
palaeoenvironmental perturbations of the Phanerozoic (e.g., Takashima et al., 2006), resulting in marked disruption toboth the climate system and the biosphere. Notably, coeval with the negative δ13C excursion in a number of localities is
associated evidence for abrupt seawater warming, ocean acidification, enhanced hydrological cycling, an increase in global
continental weathering rates, and ocean deoxygenation (e.g., Bailey et al., 2003; McElwain et al., 2005; Pearce et al., 2008;
Dera et al., 2009; Trecalli et al., 2012; Brazier et al., 2015; Krencker et al., 2015; Fujisaki et al., 2016; Percival et al., 2016;
Them et al., 2017). Although some recent studies have presented evidence for the negative δ13C excursion and associatedpalaeoenvironmental perturbations from Toarcian strata deposited at marginal/pelagic settings of the Panthalassic Ocean (e.g.,
Al-Suwaidi et al., 2010; Mazzini et al., 2010; Caruthers et al., 2011; Fujisaki et al., 2016; Them et al., 2017), most studies of
the T-OAE have been concentrated on strata in European countries deposited in the Tethys and Boreal oceans.

26

The Nishinakayama Formation (Toyora Group) exposed along the Era River revisited

Because the sedimentary basin of the Toyora Group was located on the northwestern margin of the Panthalassic Ocean(Izumi et al., 2019), the Nishinakayama Formation provides important data for better understanding of the nature of the
T-OAE. Evidence for enhanced hydrological cycling and deoxygenation has recently been published from the Nishinakayama
Formation (Kemp & Izumi, 2014; Izumi et al., 2018a, b). Those data, coupled with the fact that the T-OAE interval within
the Nishinakayama Formation is one of the stratigraphically thickest recorded (cf. Izumi et al., 2018a), means that theformation has the potential to become a key reference site of the T-OAE in the Panthalassic Ocean. Nevertheless, previous
palaeoenvironmental studies of the Nishinakayama Formation have been based only on the investigation of a single
stratigraphic succession called the Sakuraguchi-dani section, which crops out in ephemeral streambeds in Toyota Town (Fig. 1;
Izumi et al., 2012, 2018a, b; Kemp & Izumi, 2014). Furthermore, in this section, there are several exposure gaps that preventa full reconstruction of continuous and high-resolution palaeoenvironmental records through the T-OAE. Thus, to better
understand the nature of the T-OAE at the northwestern margin of Panthalassa, detailed geological investigation of sections
other than the Sakuraguchi-dani is required.
From this point of view, rocks of the Nishinakayama Formation that crop out along the Era River (Era River section; Fig. 1)
are suitable for investigation. This is because the section is relatively well exposed and is fossiliferous (e.g., Tanabe et al., 1982;
Tanabe, 1991). Herein, we present a preliminary report of geological fieldwork at the Era River section. The general lithology
and recent outcrop condition are especially highlighted.
GEOLOGICAL SETTING
In the Toyora area, the Nishinakayama Formation comprises the upper Pliensbachian to Toarcian stages based on
biostratigraphic studies (e.g., Hirano et al., 1973b; Nakada & Matsuoka, 2011; Fig. 1). The lithology of the formation is
predominately shallow-marine mudstone, silty mudstone, and fine-grained sandstone (e.g., Tanabe et al., 1982; Nakada &Matsuoka, 2011). Following Tanabe et al. (1982), the formation can be subdivided into three members: Na (silty mudstone,~90 m thick), Nb (predominantly dark silty mudstone with intercalated fine-grained sandstone and laminated, organic-richmudstone, ~160 m thick), and Nc (alternating sandstone and mudstone, ~20-60 m thick). The Sakuraguchi-dani section is a
key succession with well-exposed outcrops of the Nb member. As such, the section has been thoroughly investigated frombiostratigraphical, geochemical, and sedimentological points of view (e.g., Hirano, 1973b; Tanabe et al., 1982; Nakada &Matsuoka, 2011; Kemp & Izumi, 2014; Izumi et al., 2018a).
The biostratigraphic framework of the Nishinakayama Formation was established by Hirano (1973b), who divided theformation into three ammonite zones: the Fontanelliceras fontanellense Zone, Protogrammoceras nipponicum Zone, andDactylioceras helianthoides Zone. Those ammonite zones have been correlated between many sections in the Toyora area andwidely utilized by other researchers (e.g., Tanabe et al., 1982; Fig. 2). More recently, Nakada and Matsuoka (2011) investigatedthe Sakuraguchi-dani section and established a new biostratigraphic framework consisting of the Canavaria japonica Zone,
Paltarpites paltus Zone, Dactylioceras helianthoides Zone, and Harpoceras inouyei Zone (Nakada & Matsuoka, 2011; Fig. 2).
However, that new biostratigrapic framework has not yet been established at any sections other than Sakuraguchi-dani.
High-resolution δ13Corg data from throughout the Sakuraguchi-dani section has revealed a ~3.5 ‰ negative excursion
spanning ~35 m, which can unambiguously be interpreted as diagnostic of the T-OAE interval (Kemp & Izumi, 2014; Izumi
et al., 2018a, b). The whole excursion ranges from the middle part of the P. paltus Zone to the lower part of the H. inouyei
Zone following the biostratigraphic framework established by Nakada and Matsuoka (2011), or the uppermost part of the F.
fontanellense Zone through to the top of the P. nipponicum Zone following the biostratigraphic framework of Hirano (1973)(Fig. 2). Within the δ13Corg excursion interval, pronounced changes of various geochemical and sedimentological proxy data

27

St
a
Zo ge
n
Zo e (n la
Fo e ( tesrm pre t)
H at vi
ei io ou
gh n s)t(m)

Kentaro IZUMI, David B. KEMP, Benjamin T. BREEDEN III

δ 13 C org ( ‰ VPDB)–29 –28 –27 –26 –25 –24 –23 –22

183.6 Ma(+ 1.7 / - 1.1 Ma)

U. P L I.
C. japonica
F. fontanellense?

45
Fossil wood

40

(Izumi et al., 2018a)

Bulk mudstone

35(Izumi et al., 2018a)

Bulk mudstone

30

20
15
10
5
0
-5

?Fault

-10
-15
-20
-25

Dark mudstone

Silty mudstone

Sandstone

T-OAE

Recovery(Izumi et al., 2018b)

25

Main phaseP. paltus

L O W E R
T O A R C I A N
D. helian.
H. inouyei
P. nipponicum
D. helianthoides
Nishinakayama Formation

50

Figure 2. Litho-, bio-, and carbon-isotope
stratigraphy of the Sakuraguchi-danisection. Log and carbon-isotope data areafter Izumi et al. (2018a, b). Previous andlatest biostratigraphic frameworks areafter Hirano (1973b) and Nakada &Matsuoka (2011), respectively. The
Pliensbachian/Toarcian stage boundary is
183.6 + 1.7 / - 1.1 Ma (Pálfy et al., 2000).
U. PLI. represents Upper Pliensbachian.

have been recognized, which indicates that marked palaeoenvironmental perturbations linked to the T-OAE occurred during
the interval (e.g., Kemp & Izumi, 2014; Izumi et al., 2018a, b). Importantly, however, neither the δ13Corg negative excursion
nor any other geochemical and sedimentological changes have been documented from any sections of the Nishinakayama
Formation other than Sakuraguchi-dani.
The rocks of the Nishinakayama Formation exposed along the Era River (Era River section) can be biostratigraphicallycorrelated to the Sakuraguchi-dani section (Tanabe et al., 1982; Tanabe, 1991). Although the exposure of rocks at the Era River
section is relatively poorer than at Sakuraguchi-dani, the stratigraphic thickness of the P. nipponicum Zone is thicker at the Era
River section than at the Sakuraguchi-dani (Tanabe et al., 1982; Tanabe, 1991). Thus, it is possible that further geochemical
investigations of the Era River section would yield a more expanded record of the T-OAE.
MATERIAL AND METHODSThis study presents the preliminary results of recent geological fieldwork mainly at the Era River section. Fieldwork was
carried out several times by the authors from 2016 to 2018. During this fieldwork, outcrops of the Nishinakayama Formation
exposed along the Era River and the Koya River near the mouth of the Era River (Fig. 3) were investigated, and new
sedimentary logs were produced.
In addition, 136 rock samples were collected, and thin-sections were made for some of these samples in order to observe
sedimentary features under optical microscope.

28

The Nishinakayama Formation (Toyora Group) exposed along the Era River revisited

40

E6
40

E5
29

E4

23

E3
35
24

E1’

K1

Figure 3. Route map of the Era River section highlighting the detailed locality of each studied outcrop.
The background topographic maps are from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan(http://maps.gsi.go.jp/).
RESULTSAs a result of our fieldwork, it was revealed that a single outcrop along the Koya River (K1), and five outcrops along the Era
River (E1’-E5), are easily accessible (Fig. 3). Rocks are also present, though less easily accessible for sampling/investigation,
along the streambed (under water) in various places, particularly between outcrops E3 and E6. In general, rocks are fresh andunweathered. These strata generally strike between ~N20° and 65°E and dip to the northwest, although dips and strikes vary
markedly throughout the section (Fig. 3). The whole measured stratigraphic thickness through the studied outcrops is ~160 m,
although there are several large exposure gaps (Fig. 4).
The lithology of the Era River section is mainly black silty mudstone, with minor sandstone and tuff beds also present (Figs.
4, 5). Three primary mudstone lithofacies can be identified within the succession (Fig. 5): 1) laminated (ranging from welllaminated to weakly laminated), 2) bioturbated, and 3) thin-bedded. Bioturbated silty mudstones often contain the ichnofossil
Phycosiphon. Silt beds with basal scour and thin muddy layers with homogeneous internal structure, which can be interpreted
as compacted fluid-mud deposit layers (cf. Izumi et al., 2018a), are often recognized in thin-bedded mudstones (Fig. 5). These
are similar to the mudstone lithofacies recognizable from the Sakuraguchi-dani section (Izumi et al., 2018a). However, any
stratigraphic variation in these lithofacies is still unclear owing to the limited exposure (Fig. 4).
Mineral veins are commonly recognized within the silty mudstones. Fossil plants are common in the silty mudstone
throughout the Era River section, and a few poorly preserved and ammonoids (at least Cleviceras chrysanthemum andHarpoceras inouyei) were also discovered.
DISCUSSION
The overall stratigraphic thickness of the Era River section (~160 m; Fig. 4) is greater than that of the Sakuraguchi-dani section(~80 m; Fig. 2), although the continuity of the outcrop is less than the Sakuraguchi-dani section. Based on the previous studies

29

Kentaro IZUMI, David B. KEMP, Benjamin T. BREEDEN III

(m)
70

E6

60

E5

Figure 4. Stratigraphic column of the
Era River section, including theoutcrop exposed along the Koya
River (K1).

50

E4

40
30
20
10

E3

0
-10
-20
-30
-40

E1’

-50
-60
-70
-80

K1

-90
silty mudstonesandstone
tuff

Legends
outcrop investigatedrock under river water
covered(Tanabe et al., 1982; Tanabe, 1991), the Era River section outcrops (E1’ to E6) correspond to the P. nipponicum Zone to D.
helianthoides Zone in Hirano (1973b)’s biostratigraphic framework. In more detail, the outcrops E1’ and E3 correspond to P.
nipponicum Zone, and outcrops E4 to E6 correspond to the D. helianthoides Zone (cf. Tanabe et al., 1982; Tanabe, 1991).
Following Tanabe et al. (1982) and Tanabe (1991), the stratigraphic position of the K1 outcrop presumably corresponds to
the F. fontanellense Zone in the traditional biostratigraphic framework of Hirano (1973b). However, previous studies did notinvestigate the outcrop along the Koya River (K1 outcrop in this study). In addition, no outcrops were recognized between
K1 and E1’ owing to the presence of vegetation and concrete (Fig. 4). Because this interval is presumed to be geochemically

30

The Nishinakayama Formation (Toyora Group) exposed along the Era River revisitedimportant (especially from the viewpoint of the recognition of the T-OAE δ13Corg negative excursion), further geologicalinvestigation (i.e., taking drill cores) is required.
In addition, to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment of the Era River section and correlate it with the Sakuraguchi-danisection (Izumi et al., 2018a), stratigraphic variations in the three recognized mudstone lithofacies also need to be investigated.
Furthermore, at least two tuff layers were identified in the outcrop E4, and these tuffs could be important for futuregeochronological studies that would further constrain the age of the Era River stratigraphy.

Figure 5. Selected photographs and thin section photomicrographs showing the lithofacies of the silty
mudstone facies from the studied outcrops. (A) Field photograph of the K1 outcrop. (B) Field photographof the E1’ outcrop. (C) Field photograph of the E3 outcrop. (D) Magnified field view of the outcrop E5,
highlighting the presence of a sandstone bed. (E) Thin-section photomicrograph of the laminated silty
mudstone (Sample ID: 2018-E1’ -8.6; -36.38 m in the stratigraphic column of Fig. 4). (F) Thin-section
photomicrograph of the thin-bedded mudstone (Sample ID: 2018-E6-m0.8; 71.98 m in the stratigraphic
column of Fig. 4). Note the presence of a silt bed and a homogeneous muddy bed that is interpreted as acompacted fluid-mud deposit layer.

31

Kentaro IZUMI, David B. KEMP, Benjamin T. BREEDEN III

CONCLUSIONSThis study represents a preliminary account of recent (2016 to 2018) geological fieldwork in the Nishinakayama Formation(Toyora Group) exposed along the Era River (Era River section). Although the exposure of rocks along the Era River section
is poorer than that of the Sakuraguchi-dani section, the total stratigraphic thickness of the Era River section is greater. The
lithology of the Era River section mainly comprises black silty mudstones, with some minor sandstone and tuff beds alsopresent. The silty mudstones can be further divided into three lithofacies: 1) laminated (ranging from well laminated to poorly
laminated), 2) bioturbated, and 3) thin-bedded. Because the stratigraphic interval of the Era River section presumably includes
the δ13Corg negative excursion characterizing the globally important T-OAE, further geological investigation (i.e. taking drill
cores) of the section is warranted.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
K. I. was financially supported by JSPS grant (15J08821), Fujiwara Natural History Foundation, and Asahi Group
Foundation. D.B.K. acknowledges support for fieldwork from the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation and the Great Britain
Sasakawa Foundation, as well as a UK NERC Fellowship. B.T.B. received support for fieldwork funding from the American
Philosophical Society (Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research), the Geological Society of America(Graduate Student Research Grant), and the University of Utah Department of Geology & Geophysics (The David S. and Inga
M. Chapman Fund). This study contributes to IGCP 655. We would like to thank M. Inui, Y. Aoki, N. Kumagai, R. Sakaguchi,
S. Suzuki, T. Ohta, and K. Kawano for assistance in the field and/or helpful discussion. In addition, we thank R. Sakaguchi and
S. Suzuki for thin section preperations.
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The Nishinakayama Formation (Toyora Group) exposed along the Era River revisited

江良川沿いに分布する豊浦層群西中山層への再訪：近年の露頭状況及び岩相について
泉 賢太郎 1), David B. KEMP2), Benjamin T. BREEDEN III3)
1)〒 263-8522 千葉県千葉市稲毛区弥生町 1-33 千葉大学教育学部

2)〒 430074 中華人民共和国武漢市 388 Lumo Road 中国地質大学地球科学学院 生物地質・環境

地質国家重点実験室
3)〒 84112-0102 米国ユタ州ソルトレイクシテイ 115 S 1460 E ユタ大学地質学・地球物理学科

要約：山口県下関市の豊浦地域に分布する下部ジュラ系豊浦層群西中山層（上部ブリンスバッキアン階～下部トアルシアン階）は，豊富な化石が産出すること，
およびトアルシアン期の海洋無酸素事変を特徴付ける炭素同位体比の負異常が検出されていることから，地質学的に重要な地層である．特に，桜口谷の露頭（桜口谷セクション）は連続性が良いことから，これまで重点的に研究されてきた．
しかし，桜口谷以外のセクションは，相対的に研究が進んでいない．したがって，
西中山層に記録されたトアルシアン期の古環境情報をより良く理解するためには，桜口谷以外のセクションを調査研究することが必要である．本論では，江良
川沿いの露頭（江良川セクション）において著者らが近年行ってきた地質調査の予察的な結果を報告する．江良川セクションは桜口谷セクションに比べて，露頭の連続性は悪いが全体層厚は厚いことが分かった．江良川セクションは主に黒色のシルト質泥岩から構成され，シルト質泥岩には三種類の岩相が認識された．また，江良川セクションでは何枚かの砂岩層や凝灰岩層も存在する．江良川セクシ
ョンは，トアルシアン期の海洋無酸素事変を特徴付ける炭素同位体比の負異常の層準を含んでいる可能性が高く，したがって今後はドリルコアの掘削等，さらなる地質調査が望まれる．
キーワード：豊浦層群，西中山層，江良川，トアルシアン期，海洋無酸素事変

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