Abstract <p>The present study documents a continental (fluvial) to marine (tidal) transition from the Paleoproterozoic Rautgara Formation, Damtha Group, ILH. An unconfined sandy braided channel system, akin to the ‘sheetflood distal braided’ system, represents the Rautgara fluvial system with flashy discharge and occasional hyperconcentrated flow. The Rautgara coastline was tide dominated. Bidirectional heterolithic cross-strata, mud drapes on cross-strata foreset, double mud drapes and sandy rhythmites bear tell-tale signatures of tidal operation. The present study could document the presence of a tidal channel (point bar deposit) and tidal transverse bar (isolated and amalgamated) in a subtidal setting; transverse bars are noticed in both top-truncated and full-vortex forms. From dominant lithology and the presence of decimetre-scale cross-stratifications, the tidal system is identified as sandy and macrotidal. From the measurement of laminae thickness, the tidal setting is identified as diurnal in character. A relative rise in bathymetry and progressive deepening is inferred from documentation of the facies stacking pattern in the studied section; only the uppermost part records shallowing.</p> Highlights <p><UnorderedList Mark="Bullet"> <ItemContent> <p>Continental (fluvial) to marine (tidal) transition in Paleoproterozoic</p> </ItemContent> <ItemContent> <p>Flashy braided channel system with occasional hyper-concentrated flows</p> </ItemContent> <ItemContent> <p>Tide-dominated coastline with the operation of the diurnal tide</p> </ItemContent> <ItemContent> <p>Subtidal channel, bar and flat; bars in both truncated and full vortex form</p> </ItemContent> <ItemContent> <p>Facies succession registers a rising bathymetry trend except at the uppermost part</p> </ItemContent> </UnorderedList></p>