Luxembourg Sandstone Explained

Luxembourg Sandstone
Type:	Formation
Age:	Hettangian-Sinemurian ~
Period:	Sinemurian
Prilithology:	Sandstone, limestone
Namedfor:	Luxembourg
Region:	Mersch
Coordinates:	49.7°N 6°W
Paleocoordinates:	38.1°N 8.4°W
Subunits:	Grès de Bonnert
Thickness:	100m (300feet) in central Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Sandstone (French: Grès de Luxembourg) is a geologic formation in Luxembourg. It exists along the eastern margin of the Paris Basin. Sandstone units continuous with the Luxembourg Sandstone also occur in France. It is Early Jurassic in age. It predominantly outcrops in a belt extending through south-central Luxembourg. It up to 100 metres thick and predominantly consists of carbonaceous poorly cemented sandstone and sandy limestone^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Fossil content

Among others, the following fossils were reported from the formation:^[5]

Reptiles

• Ichthyosaurus communis^[6]
• Temnodontosaurus sp.^[7]
• Neotheropoda indet.^[7]
• Plesiosauria indet.^[7]
• cf. Theropoda indet.^[7]

Fish

• Halonodon luxembourgensis^[8]
• Hybodontidae indet.^[7]

Gastropods^[9]

• Pleurotomaria cognata
• P. hennocquii
• P. hettangiensis
• P. wanderbachi
• Ptychomphalus caepa
• P. wehenkeli
• Scurriopsis (Hennocquia) hettangiensis
• Scurriopsis (Scurriopsis) schmidti
• Trochotoma clypeus

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Luxembourg

References

Bibliography

• D. Delsate and M. D. Ezcurra. 2014. The first Early Jurassic (late Hettangian) theropod dinosaur remains from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Geologica Belgica 17(2):175-181
• S. Monari, M. Valentini, and M. A. Conti. 2011. Earliest Jurassic patellogastropod, vetigastropod, and neritimorph gastropods from Luxembourg with considerations on the Triassic–Jurassic faunal turnover. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 56:349-384
• P. Godefroit. 1995. Un crâne d'Ichthyosaurus communis (Reptilia, Ichthyosauria) du Sinémurien supérieur de Lorraine belge. Bulletin de Société belge de Géologie 104(1-2):77-89
• G. Bloos. 1994. Frühe Arietitidae (Ammonoidea) aus dem Hettangium (Angulata-Zone, Unt. Lias) von Württemberg (SW-Deutschland). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie) 219:1-67
• C. J. Duffin and D. Delsate. 1993. A new myriacanthid holocephalan (Chondrichthyes) from the Early Jurassic of Luxembourg. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1993(11):669-680

Further reading

• H. Meier and K. Meiers. 1988. Die Gastropodenfauna der "Angulata-Zone" des Steinbruchs "Reckingerwald" bei Brouch. Travaux Scientifiques du Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle de Luxembourg 13:1-88

Notes and References

1. BRIL. Koen VAN DEN. SWENNEN. Rudy. Sedimentological control on carbonate cementation in the Luxembourg Sandstone Formation. Geologica Belgica. 2009. 12. 1–2. fr. 1374-8505.
2. VAN DEN BRIL. KOEN. GREGOIRE. COLETTE. SWENNEN. RUDY. LAMBOT. SEBASTIEN. Ground-penetrating radar as a tool to detect rock heterogeneities (channels, cemented layers and fractures) in the Luxembourg Sandstone Formation (Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg). Sedimentology. August 2007. 54. 4. 949–967. 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2007.00868.x. 2007Sedim..54..949V . 140135606 .
3. Hendriks. Martin R.. Effects of lithology and land use on storm run-off in east luxembourg. Hydrological Processes. April 1993. 7. 2. 213–226. 10.1002/hyp.3360070211. 1993HyPr....7..213H .
4. Guerin-Franiatte. S.. Hary. A.. Muller. A.. La formation des gres du Luxembourg au Lias inferieur; reconstitution dynamique du paleoenvironnement. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. 1 July 1991. 162. 4. 763–773. 10.2113/gssgfbull.162.4.763. fr.
5. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=displayStrata&geological_group=&formation=Luxembourg%20Sandstone&group_formation_member=Luxembourg%20Sandstone Luxembourg Sandstone
6. Godefroit, 1995
7. Delsate & Ezcurra, 2014
8. Duffin & Delsate, 1993
9. Monari et al., 2011