Abstract: Black shale is widely developed in eastern Ordos Basin. Core samples of black shale from the Taiyuan For- mation and Shanxi Formation were systematically collected in the Liulin region and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to discern the characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs) in the study area. The results show that PAAS-normalized REE in shale are enriched of LREE with a deficit of HREE,and the REE pat- terns are mutual parallel,inclining to the right with slightly negative Ce anomalies and significantly negative Eu anoma- lies,which suggests a stable terrigenous input from upper crust. The δCe anomalies show weak correlations between δE,ΣREE and w(La) N / w(Sm) N ,and the values of w(U) / w(Th) were all less than 1,indicating reliable information provided by REE indexes for tracing the source and palaeoenvironment. The Ce anomalies incorporated with trace ele- mental redox indices (w(V) / w(Cr),w(Ni) / w(Co),w( V) / w( V+Ni),w( U) / w( Th) and δU) indicate that the coal-bearing shales were deposited under a week reduction to weak oxidizing environment,and the oxidation degree of Shanxi Period was higher than the Taiyuan Period. Also,the vertical variations of δCe,ΣREE and selected indicators (w(Ba),w( Sr) / w( Ba),w( Ba) / w( Ga)) coincide with sequence stratigraphic levels,which indicatively suggests that this region has experienced from a marine to continental depositional environment during the period from SQ2 to SQ3. The felsic provenance is offered by the old Yinshan in the north,which should be relevant to continental-margin environment tectonically.