| Garschella Formation | |
| Type: | Formation |
| Age: | early Aptian-early Cenomanian |
| Period: | Cenomanian |
| Prilithology: | Limestone |
| Otherlithology: | Sandstone |
| Namedfor: | Garschella Plateau |
| Namedby: | Föllmi & Ouwehand |
| Year Ts: | 1987 |
| Region: | Alps |
| Country: | Austria Germany France Switzerland |
| Underlies: | Seewen Formation |
| Overlies: | Schrattenkalk Formation |
| Thickness: | up to 120m (390feet) |
The Garschella Formation is an early Aptian to early Cenomanian geologic formation in the Alps of Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland.[1] It preserves fossils dated to the Cretaceous period.
The Garschella Formation consists of glauconite- and apatite-bearing sandstones, limestones, marls and phosphorite layers.The Garschella Formation varies in thickness and can be up to 120 m thick. The rocks of the Garschella Formation can be bedded, often they are overgrown with moss and weather angularly. The bedding is often heavily fissured, with the fissures being almost perpendicular to the stratification.
The change from the Schrattenkalk Formation to the Garschella Formation was caused by a transgressive phase in which the carbonate production was severely restricted by the changing ocean currents.[2]