The Süntel Formation, previously known as the Kimmeridge Formation (

German German(s) may refer to: * 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

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having provided fossils of numerous vertebrates.

Dinosaurs

Turtles

Squamates

Pterosaurs

Crocodyliformes

Mammaliaforms

Ichnofossils

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