SANDSTONE DEPOSITIONAL-ENVIRONMENTS OF THE UPPER PERMIAN CHAMPENAY FORMATION, CHAMPENAY BASIN, NORTHEASTERN FRANCE

The Upper Permian Champenay Formation was deposited in a series of con tinental basins in northeastern France. Within the lower part of this formation, there is a sandstone of controversial origin. In the Champe nay Basin, this sandstone of the Champenay Formation is exposed in thr ee quarries between the towns of Champenay and Belval. In these quarri es the sandstone is composed of deposits from deltaic, lacustrine, bea ch, alluvial, and eolian environments. Interpretation of these deposit s suggests that the Champenay Basin was occupied by a lake, and that d eltaic sediments prograded into this lake from the southeast. Relative changes in lake level resulted in the development of bounding surface s among the deltaic sediments. Debris flows, ephemeral sheet flows, be ach deposits, and eolian dunes were also present along the southern ma rgin of this lake. The eolian dunes were crescentic in shape and migra ted to the northwest. Sediment entered the southern margin of the Cham penay Basin and was then redistributed and reworked by deltaic, lacust rine, beach, and eolian processes.