The Aachen Formation (, ) is an Upper Cretaceous geologic formation in the southern Netherlands and northeastern Belgium and adjacent Germany.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 CunnolitesLeloux, 1999
Flora Nicolia Verrutriletes Conifers Cycadeospermum Pollen
ChrysothecaDijkstra, 1949 Geleenites Spherites Triletes
See also
List of stratigraphic units in the Netherlands List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in the Netherlands List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Belgium List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Germany
References
Bibliography