Kattendijk Formation Explained

The Kattendijk Formation (also known as the Kattendijk Sands) is a five million years old marine geological formation north of Antwerp, Belgium. including the north-western parts of the Campine region. The area was named by De Heuter and Laga in 1976.^[1] The sands range from medium fine to coarse and contain a large proportion of shell grit.^{[2] [3]}

Geology

The clay of the Rupelian era developed to a depth of approximately 70m (230feet) beneath a deposit of Neogene sand.^[1] The formation has a Miocene Era aquifer, while the clay level dates to the Pliocene.^[4]

Palaeontology

A Pliocene species of auk (Alca stewarti) was found in 2000.^[5] A small oceanic dolphin, Pliodelphis, is also known from the formation.^[6]

External links

• Web site: Cooreman . Philippe . 1999 . The Antwerp Area in Belgium: wonderful fossil sites for Pliocene shells and vertebrates . 4 November 2012.

Notes and References

1. Book: Schittekat, J. . Engineering geology of the Boom clay in the Antwerp area . Screw Piles — Installation and Design in Stiff Clay . Holeyman . Alain E. . Taylor & Francis . 2001 . https://books.google.com/books?id=o_HpfZ2MFAgC&pg=PA11 . 9789058091925.
2. Book: van der Sijp . Jaap Willem Charles Marie . New aspects of mineral and water resources in The Netherlands . M. Nijhoff . The Hague . 1973 . 2367071 .
3. Deckers. J.. Louwye. S.. 2020. The architecture of the Kattendijk Formation and the implications on the early Pliocene depositional evolution of the southern margin of the North Sea Basin. Geologica Belgica. 23. 3–4. 323−331. 10.20341/gb.2020.017. free. 1854/LU-8693840. free.
4. Book: Coetsiers . M. . Walraevens . K. . The Neogene Aquifer, Flanders, Belgium . Edmunds . W. Mike . Shand . Paul . Natural groundwater quality . https://books.google.com/books?id=FXmhyFYZmHIC&q=Kattendijk+Sands&pg=PA268 . John Wiley & Sons . 2009 . 9781444300352.
5. Martin . J.W.R. . Walker . C.A. . Bonser . R. . Dyke . Gareth J. . A new species of large auk from the Pliocene of Belgium . Oryctos . 2000 . 3 . 53–60 . 4 November 2012.
6. Belluzzo. A.. Lambert. O.. 2021. A new delphinid from the lower Pliocene of the North Sea and the early radiations of true dolphins. Fossil Record. 24. 1. 72−92. 10.5194/fr-24-77-2021. free.