Sedimentation in the Tabbowa Beds of Ceylon

The Tabbowa Beds of Ceylon, Upper Jurassic in age, constitute a part of the Gondwana System, and consist mainly of arkose, siltstone and mudstone. In a recent study, five detailed sections with a total thickness of 360 feet were examined, and cyclic sedimentation, channelfill, and cross-bedding are described for the first time in these beds. On the basis of lithology and sedimentary features, the Tabbowa Beds are thought to have been deposited in a transitional environment in a semi-arid climate. The sediments were probably derived from the northwest (that is, the South Indian shield), the source area being one of tectonic instability.