The Kortrijk Formation ( nl, Formatie van Kortrijk; french: Formation de Courtrai; abbreviation: Ko; named after the
West Flemish city of
Kortrijk) is a
geologic formation in the
Belgian subsurface
In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of bedro ...
. This formation
crops out in northern
Hainaut, southern West and
East Flanders and in
Walloon Brabant. The formation consists of
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
clay from the
Ypresian age
Age or AGE may refer to:
Time and its effects
* Age, the amount of time someone or something has been alive or has existed
** East Asian age reckoning, an Asian system of marking age starting at 1
* Ageing or aging, the process of becoming older ...
(early
Eocene, about 54 million years old).
[Steurbaut, 2006, p.76][Kortrijk Formation]
- National Commission on the Stratigraphy of Belgium
Description
The Kortrijk Formation consists predominantly of clay, sometimes
sandy or
silty. The formation generally becomes sandier to the east, in Brabant and the
Campine
The Campine ( French ) or De Kempen (Dutch ) is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encom ...
area. In some places
fossils or
bioturbation
Bioturbation is defined as the reworking of soils and sediments by animals or plants. It includes burrowing, ingestion, and defecation of sediment grains. Bioturbating activities have a profound effect on the environment and are thought to be a pr ...
occur. In the westernmost part of Belgium it can be thick, but it gradually wedges out to the east.
[
]
Subdivision
The Kortrijk Formation is subdivided into at least four members: the Mont Héribou, Orchies or Saint-Maur, Moen or Roubaix and the Aalbeke Member. The Kortrijk Formation forms the lowest part of the Ieper Group and is stratigraphically overlain by the younger Tielt Formation
The Tielt Formation ( nl, Formatie van Tielt; french: Formation de Tielt; abbreviation: Tt; named after the town of Tielt in West Flanders) is a geologic formation in the subsurface of Belgium. The formation crops out in the north of Hainaut, in ...
(late Ypresian marine sand), part of the same group. The Kortrijk Formation lies on top of late Paleocene formations like the Tienen Formation The Tienen Formation ( nl, Formatie van Tienen; french: Formation de Tienen; abbreviation: Ti) is a geologic formation in the subsurface of northern Belgium. The formation crops out in the province of Hainaut and the Hesbaye region in the provinc ...
or Hannut Formation
The Hannut Formation (french: Formation de Hannut; nl, Formatie van Hannut; abbreviation: Hn) is a geologic formation in the subsurface of northern Belgium. The formation consists of marine clay and silt, alternating with more sandy layers. On to ...
, both part of the Landen Group The Landen Group is a lithostratigraphic unit (a "group" of rock strata) in the Belgian subsurface. The group consists of two formations of Thanetian (late Paleocene
The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that ...
.[
]
See also
* List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Belgium
* Ypresian formations
** Fur Formation of Denmark
** London Clay Formation
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 56–49 million years ago) age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for its fossil content. The fossils from th ...
of England
** Silveirinha Formation of Portugal
* Wasatchian formations
** Nanjemoy Formation
The Nanjemoy Formation is a geologic formation pertaining to both the Wilcox Group and the Pamunkey Group of the eastern United States, stretching across the states of Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia. The formation crops out east of ...
of the eastern United States
** Wasatch Formation of the western United States
* Itaboraian formations
** Itaboraí Formation of Brazil
** Laguna del Hunco Formation
The Laguna del Hunco Formation or Laguna del Hunco Tuff ( es, Formación Laguna del Hunco, Tufolitas Laguna del Hunco) is a localized Early Eocene (Itaboraian in the SALMA classification) fossiliferous geological formation of the Cañadón Asfalto ...
of Argentina
References
Bibliography
*
*
* {{cite LSA , last=Laga , first=P. , last2=Louwye , first2=S. , last3=Geets , first3=S. , year=2001 , title=Paleogene and Neogene lithostratigraphic units (Belgium) , url=https://popups.uliege.be/1374-8505/index.php?id=1954 , journal= Geologica Belgica , volume=4 , pages=135–152 , accessdate=2020-09-07
Geologic formations of Belgium
Eocene Series of Europe
Paleogene Belgium
Ypresian Stage
Shale formations
Shallow marine deposits
Formations
Formations
Formations
Formations