The Süntel Formation, previously known as the Kimmeridge Formation (
German
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* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
: ''"Mittlerer Kimmeridge"''; Middle Kimmeridge),
[Lallensack et al., 2015, p.4] is a
geological formation
A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...
in Germany. It is
Late Jurassic in age, spanning the early to late
Kimmeridgian stage. It predominantly consists of limestone deposited in shallow marine
carbonate ramp conditions.
Description

The formation is part of the
Lower Saxony Basin that borders the
Süntel
The is a massif in the German Central Uplands that is up to . It forms part of the Weser Uplands in Lower Saxony southwest of Hanover and north of Hamelin.
Geographical location
The Süntel is the eastern extension of the Wesergebirge and run ...
massif of the
Lower Saxon Hills The Lower Saxon Hills (german: Niedersächsisches Bergland) are one of the 73 natural regions in Germany defined by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). Geographically it covers roughly the same area as the Weser Uplands (german: Weserb ...
, part of the larger
Harz Mountains
The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...
. The formation is described as alternations of
glauconitic
Glauconite is an iron potassium phyllosilicate ( mica group) mineral of characteristic green color which is very friable and has very low weathering resistance.
It crystallizes with a monoclinic geometry. Its name is derived from the Greek () m ...
marl
Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
Marl makes up the lower part o ...
,
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
.
[Bai et al., 2017]
Paleontological significance
The formation is known for its fossils, with the
Langenberg Quarry
Langenberg can refer to:
People
*Arend Langenberg (1949-2012), Dutch voice actor and radio presenter
*Donald N. Langenberg (1932-2019), American physicist
*James Van Langenberg, 5th Solicitor General of Ceylon
*Silke Langenberg (born 1974) is a Ge ...
having provided fossils of numerous vertebrates.
Dinosaurs
Turtles
Squamates
Pterosaurs
Crocodyliformes
Mammaliaforms
Ichnofossils
See also
*
List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Germany
See also
* Lists of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Europe
These lists of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Europe enumerate the rock layers which preserve the fossilized remains of ancient life in Europe by the modern countries wher ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
* {{cite journal , last=Diedrich , first=C , year=2011 , title=Upper Jurassic tidal flat megatracksites of Germany - coastal dinosaur migration highways between European islands, and a review of the dinosaur footprints , journal=
Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments , volume=91 , pages=129–155
Geologic formations of Germany
Jurassic System of Europe
Jurassic Germany
Kimmeridgian Stage
Limestone formations
Marl formations
Sandstone formations
Shallow marine deposits
Ichnofossiliferous formations
Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of Europe
Paleontology in Germany