Aachen Formation
Stratigraphic range: Santonian-Campanian
~
The Aachen Formation in Hergenrath
TypeGeological formation
UnderliesVaals Formation
OverliesLimburg Group
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
Location
Coordinates50°48′N 5°54′E / 50.8°N 5.9°E / 50.8; 5.9
Approximate paleocoordinates40°48′N 7°18′E / 40.8°N 7.3°E / 40.8; 7.3
RegionDutch Limburg, Belgian Limburg, North Rhine-Westphalia
CountryBelgium, Germany, Netherlands
Type section
Named forAachen
RegionNorth Rhine-Westphalia
CountryGermany
Aachen Formation is located in Netherlands
Aachen Formation
Aachen Formation (Netherlands)

The Aachen Formation (Dutch: Formatie van Aken, German: Aachen-Formation) is an Upper Cretaceous geologic formation in the southern Netherlands and northeastern Belgium and adjacent Germany.[1]

It is stratigraphically equivalent to the middle part of the Chalk Group of England, and named after the German city of Aachen.

Geography

The formation crops out in southern Belgian and Dutch Limburg and adjacent areas in Germany. The formation can also be found in the subsurface of West Flanders, where it forms an aquifer from which drinking water is won.

Geology

The Aachen Formation consists of glauconite bearing sand. It was deposited during the Santonian and Campanian ages (85.8 to 70.6 million years ago) of the Cretaceous Period.

The formation rests unconformably on top of Carboniferous rocks of the Limburg Group, which are more than three times as old. Overlying the Aachen Formation is the Vaals Formation, equivalent to the upper part of the Chalk Group of England.

Fossil content

Among others, the following fossils have been reported from the formation:[1]

Corals

  • Cunnolites cancellata[2]

Flora

Pollen
  • Chrysotheca dentata[4]
  • Chrysotheca quadriplicata[4]
  • Chrysotheca striata[4]
  • Chrysotheca tenuis[4]
  • Geleenites fascinus[4]
  • Spherites spinosus[4]
  • Triletes aachenensis[4]
  • Triletes carbunculus[4]
  • Triletes compositi-punctatus[4]
  • Triletes cristatus[4]
  • Triletes diktyotus[4]
  • Triletes dubius[4]
  • Triletes lobatus[4]
  • Triletes minimus[4]
  • Triletes nanus[4]
  • Triletes occultatus[5]
  • Triletes persimilis[4]
  • Triletes pupus[4]
  • Triletes tenellus[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Aachen Formation at Fossilworks.org
  2. ↑ Leloux, 1999
  3. ↑ Smets, G. (1888). "Aachenosaurus multidens". Bulletin de la Société belge de géologie, de paléontologie et d'hydrologie. Bruxelles: The society. 12 (2): 300 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Dijkstra, 1949
  5. ↑ Dijkstra, 1961

Bibliography

  • Leloux, J. 1999. Numerical distribution of Santonian to Danian corals (Scleractinia, Octocorallia) of southern Limburg, the Netherlands. Geologie en Mijnbouw 78. 191–195. .
  • Batten, D. J. 1988. Revision of S J Dijkstra's Late Cretaceous megaspore and other plant microfossils from Limburg, the Netherlands. In J. W. J. Van Amerom (ed.). Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst 41. 1–55. .
  • Dijkstra, S. J. 1961. On megaspores, Charophyta fruits and some other small fossils from the Cretaceous. The Palaeobotanist 8. 8–18. .
  • Dijkstra, S. J. 1949. Megaspores and some other fossils from the Aachenian (Senonian) in South Limburg, Netherlands. Mededelingen Van de Geologische Stichting, Niewe Serie 3. 19–32. .
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.