| Coquimbo Formation | |
| Type: | Geological formation |
| Period: | Pliocene |
| Age: | Miocene–Mid Pleistocene ~ |
| Prilithology: | Conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, shale and coquina |
| Namedfor: | Coquimbo |
| Region: | Coquimbo Region |
| Coordinates: | -30.3392°N -71.5342°W |
| Paleocoordinates: | -30.1°N -70.3°W |
| Underlies: | Alluvium |
| Overlies: | Liman Formation |
| Thickness: | 63m (207feet) |
| Extent: | Tongoy Bay |
Coquimbo Formation (es|Formación Coquimbo) is a Miocene to Middle Pleistocene sedimentary formation located in Coquimbo Region in Norte Chico, Chile. The lowermost unit belongs to the lower Miocene, with the third-deepest unit dated at 11.9 ± 1.0 Ma. The uppermost unit of the formation is estimated at 1.2 Ma. In the area of Tongoy, the Coquimbo Formation was deposited in an ancient bay that was formed in a graben or half-graben, with a normal fault dipping east. Sea level changes during the Holocene have caused erosion to cut several marine terraces into the formation.[1]
The following fossils have been found in the formation:
| SALMA | Group | Fossils | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mammals | ||||
| Birds | ||||
| Fish | Carcharodon carcharias | |||
| Cosmopolitodus hastalis | ||||