Abstract: Storm is an important factor controlling modern and ancient littoral and shallow marine deposition. The abnormal storm events bring about the final features of the littoral and shallow marine sediments. In the present paper, the authors have proposed the criteria for recognition of tempestites which, of course, can not be applied to all kinds of the tempestltes here and there, especially to those that have been subjected to reworking by other geological agents. In terms of the analysis of the Carboniferous and Permian sedimentary facies in southern North China area, the shallow marine characteristic thin-bedded coal seams have been identified in the Taiyuan Formation in the study area. The nature, occurrence, development background, organic fossils from the coal seams and their association with storm limestones show that these coal seams may result from the abnormal events, i.e. storm processes. Morever, the geochemical and regional data have also revealed that the distinctive allochthonous coal seams may serve as both the criteria for identification of ancient storm processes and the well-developed source beds.