Oberrhaet Formation Explained

Oberrhaet Formation
Type:Formation
Age:Rhaetian
Period:Late Triassic
Prilithology:limestone
Country:Austria
Underlies:Kendlbach Formation
Overlies:Kössen Formation

The Oberrhaet Formation, also known as the Oberrhaet Limestone, is a Late Triassic (Rhaetian-age) geological formation in Austria. It is a unit of massive dark grey bioclastic limestones, found within the Northern Calcareous Alps. The Oberrhaet Limestone was originally a series of reefs which developed on the northwest edge of the Eiberg Basin, a narrow marine waterway extending along the northwestern tip of the Neotethys Ocean. The center of the Eiberg Basin is nowadays preserved as the Eiberg Member of the Kössen Formation, which was deposited southeast of the Oberrhaet Limestone and interfingers with it in many areas. The Oberrhaet Limestone was very similar to the Dachstein Limestone, which represented carbonate platforms and reefs on the southeast edge of the Eiberg Basin. The most prominent components of the reefs were giant frond-like colonies of Retiophyllia, a scleractinian coral.[1] [2]

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Notes and References

  1. Krystyn. L.. Boehm. F.. Kürschner. W. M.. Delecat. S.. 2005. The Triassic–Jurassic boundary in the Northern Calcareous Alps. Program, Abstracts and Field Guide. 5th Field Workshop of IGCP 458 Project. A1-A39.
  2. Richoz. Sylvian. Krystyn. Leopold. von Hillebrandt. Axel. Martindale. Rowan. 2012. End-Triassic crisis events recorded in platform and basin of the Austrian Alps. The Triassic/Jurassic and Norian/Rhaetian GSSPs. Journal of Alpine Geology. 54. 323–377.