Aachen Formation

Last updated
Aachen Formation
Stratigraphic range: Santonian-Campanian
~86.3–83.6  Ma
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S
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Aachener Kreide Hergenrath Aachen Member.jpg
The Aachen Formation in Hergenrath
Type Geological formation
Underlies Vaals Formation
Overlies Limburg Group
Lithology
Primary Sandstone
Location
Coordinates 50°48′N5°54′E / 50.8°N 5.9°E / 50.8; 5.9
Approximate paleocoordinates 40°48′N7°18′E / 40.8°N 7.3°E / 40.8; 7.3
Region Dutch Limburg, Belgian Limburg, North Rhine-Westphalia
CountryBelgium, Germany, Netherlands
Type section
Named for Aachen
RegionNorth Rhine-Westphalia
CountryGermany
Netherlands relief location map.svg
Lightgreen pog.svg
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]

Contents

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

Flora

Conifers
Pollen

See also

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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 Dijkstra, 1949

Bibliography