Aachen Formation

{{Short description|Upper Cretaceous geologic formation}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Aachen Formation

| period = Santonian

| age = Santonian-Campanian
~{{fossil range|86.3|83.6}}

| image = Aachener Kreide Hergenrath Aachen Member.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = The Aachen Formation in Hergenrath

| type = Geological formation

| prilithology = Sandstone

| otherlithology =

| unitof =

| subunits =

| underlies = Vaals Formation

| overlies = Limburg Group

| location =

| coordinates = {{coord|50.8|N|5.9|E|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|40.8|N|7.3|E|display=inline}}

| region = Dutch Limburg, Belgian Limburg, North Rhine-Westphalia

| country = Belgium, Germany, Netherlands

| extent =

| thickness =

| area =

| namedfor = Aachen

| namedby =

| year_ts =

| location_ts =

| coordinates_ts =

| paleocoordinates_ts =

| region_ts = North Rhine-Westphalia

| country_ts = Germany

| thickness_ts =

| map = {{Location map+ | Netherlands

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | Netherlands

| lat_deg = 50.8

| lon_deg = 5.9

| mark = Lightgreen pog.svg

| marksize = 10

}}

}}

| map_caption =

}}

The Aachen Formation ({{langx|nl|Formatie van Aken}}, {{langx|de|Aachen-Formation}}) is an Upper Cretaceous geologic formation in the southern Netherlands and northeastern Belgium and adjacent Germany.[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Aachen&group_formation_member=Aachen Aachen Formation] at Fossilworks.org

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:

= Corals =

= Flora =

  • Nicolia{{cite journal|last=Smets|first=G.|date=1888|title=Aachenosaurus multidens|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/173327#page/316/mode/1up|journal=Bulletin de la Société belge de géologie, de paléontologie et d'hydrologie|publisher=Bruxelles: The society|volume=12|issue=2|pages=300|via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}
  • Verrutriletes

;Conifers

;Pollen

{{div col|colwidth=29em}}

{{div col end}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

= Bibliography =

  • {{citation |last=Leloux |first=J |year=1999 |title=Numerical distribution of Santonian to Danian corals (Scleractinia, Octocorallia) of southern Limburg, the Netherlands |journal=Geologie en Mijnbouw |volume=78 |issue=2 |pages=191–195|doi=10.1023/A:1003743301625 }}
  • {{citation |last=Batten |first=D. J |year=1988 |title=Revision of S J Dijkstra's Late Cretaceous megaspore and other plant microfossils from Limburg, the Netherlands. In J. W. J. Van Amerom (ed.) |journal=Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst |volume=41 |pages=1–55}}
  • {{citation |last=Dijkstra |first=S. J |year=1961 |title=On megaspores, Charophyta fruits and some other small fossils from the Cretaceous |journal=The Palaeobotanist |volume=8 |pages=8–18}}
  • {{citation |last=Dijkstra |first=S. J |year=1949 |title=Megaspores and some other fossils from the Aachenian (Senonian) in South Limburg, Netherlands |journal=Mededelingen van de Geologische Stichting, Niewe Serie |volume=3 |pages=19–32}}

Category:Upper Cretaceous Series of Europe

Category:Cretaceous Germany

Category:Cretaceous Netherlands

Category:Mesozoic Belgium

Category:Campanian Stage

Category:Santonian Stage

Category:Sandstone formations

Category:Shallow marine deposits

Category:Paleontology in Belgium

Category:Paleontology in the Netherlands

Formations

Formations

Formations