The Yanan Formation, alternatively spelled the Yan'an Formation (Chinese: 延安组), is a geological formation in China, it is also alternatively considered a group. The age of the formation is uncertain, with estimates ranging from Toarcian to Bajocian. It is divided up into 5 members, with the designation of Y1 through Y5. Y2, Y3 and Y4 are predominantly dark shales, while Y1 and Y5 are composed of sandstones, coal beds[1] and interbedded mudstones. The depositional environment at the time was when the Ordos Basin formed a large inland lake, surrounded by floodplains. The dark shales have been explored for the potential of producing shale gas.[2] The coal has also been explored for the production of coalbed methane.[3] The formation is also notable for its fossil content, with dinosaur footprints having been found in the formation.[4] The dinosaur Lingwulong was formerly thought to have been found in this formation,[5] but the strata was later attributed to the overlying Zhiluo Formation.[6]
A dicraeosauridsauropod. The attribution to the Yanan Formation was later found to be erroneous, and the species actually comes from the overlying Zhiluo Formation.[6]
^Wang, Dong-dong; Shao, Long-yi; LI, Zhi-xue; LI, Ming-pei; Lv, Dawei; Liu, Haiyan (September 2016). "Hydrocarbon generation characteristics, reserving performance and preservation conditions of continental coal measure shale gas: A case study of Mid-Jurassic shale gas in the Yan'an Formation, Ordos Basin". Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 145: 609–628. Bibcode:2016JPSE..145..609W. doi:10.1016/j.petrol.2016.06.031. ISSN0920-4105.
^Xu, H.; Tang, D.Z.; Liu, D.M.; Tang, S.H.; Yang, F.; Chen, X.Z.; He, W.; Deng, C.M. (June 2012). "Study on coalbed methane accumulation characteristics and favorable areas in the Binchang area, southwestern Ordos Basin, China". International Journal of Coal Geology. 95: 1–11. Bibcode:2012IJCG...95....1X. doi:10.1016/j.coal.2012.02.001. ISSN0166-5162.
^Xing, Lida; Lockley, Martin G.; Tang, Yonggang; Klein, Hendrik; Zhang, Jianping; Persons, W. Scott; Dai, Hui; Ye, Yong (2015-01-02). "Theropod and Ornithischian Footprints from the Middle Jurassic Yanan Formation of Zizhou County, Shaanxi, China". Ichnos. 22 (1): 1–11. Bibcode:2015Ichno..22....1X. doi:10.1080/10420940.2014.985670. ISSN1042-0940. S2CID129509962.
^ abNel, A.; Xu, M.; Wang, Y.; Song, X.; Gao, J.; Ji, G.; Huang, D. (2024). "New Chinese Jurassic damsel-dragonflies of the families Paragonophlebiidae, Selenothemistidae and Isophlebiidae (Odonata, Epiproctophora) from the Jurassic Ordos Basin of NW China". Geobios. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2024.08.014.