# Imperial Formation

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Formation
> Source revision: 1325511988
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name           = Imperial Formation
| image          =
| caption        =
| type           = Two separate [geologic formation](/source/geologic_formation)s
| age            =<br />1.) Canada: [Devonian](/source/Devonian) of [Paleozoic Era](/source/Paleozoic_Era).<br />2.) California: [Pliocene](/source/Pliocene) of [Cenozoic Era](/source/Cenozoic_Era). 
| prilithology   =
| otherlithology =
| namedfor       =
| namedby        =
| region         = 1.) [Northwest Territories](/source/Northwest_Territories),<br />Canada<br />2.) [Colorado Desert](/source/Colorado_Desert),<br />[Imperial County, California](/source/Imperial_County%2C_California),<br />United States
| country        = 
| coordinates    =
| unitof         =
| subunits       =
| underlies      =[Palm Spring Formation](/source/Palm_Spring_Formation) (California)
| overlies       = [Ocotillo Formation](/source/Ocotillo_Formation) (California)
| thickness      =
| extent         =
| area           =
| map            =
| map_caption    =
}}

The '''Imperial Formation''' is the name of two distinct and unrelated [geologic formation](/source/Formation_(geology))s in [North America](/source/North_America), of different [geologic Era](/source/Era_(geology))s.

==Separate formations==
===Canadian Paleozoic Era formation===
The older Imperial Formation occurs in the [Northwest Territories](/source/Northwest_Territories) of Canada. It preserves [fossils](/source/fossils) dating back to the [Devonian](/source/Devonian) [period](/source/Period_(geology)) of the [Paleozoic Era](/source/Paleozoic_Era).<ref>{{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database))|url= https://www.fossilworks.org|access-date= 17 December 2021|archive-date= 25 March 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220325060448/http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=home|url-status= live}}; Paleozoic Era Canada.</ref>

===Californian Cenozoic Era formation===
The younger Imperial Formation occurs in the [Colorado Desert](/source/Colorado_Desert), in [Imperial County](/source/Imperial_County%2C_California) of [Southern California](/source/Southern_California). It dates to the [Zanclean](/source/Zanclean)−[Lower Pliocene stage](/source/Lower_Pliocene) of the [Pliocene Epoch](/source/Pliocene), during the [Neogene Period](/source/Neogene) of the [Cenozoic Era](/source/Cenozoic_Era).

It underlies the [Palm Spring Formation](/source/Palm_Spring_Formation), and overlies the [Ocotillo Formation](/source/Ocotillo_Formation).<ref>[https://sdsu-dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.10/3  San Diego State University.edu: "Environments of deposition, Pliocene Imperial Formation, Southeast Coyote Mountains, Imperial County, California"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004143456/https://sdsu-dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.10/3 |date=4 October 2015 }}; Bell, Patricia J.; 1980.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Paleontology}}
* [List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California](/source/List_of_fossiliferous_stratigraphic_units_in_California)
* [List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Northwest Territories](/source/List_of_fossiliferous_stratigraphic_units_in_Northwest_Territories)
* {{C|Pliocene California}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Neogene Footer}}
{{Paleozoic Footer}}

Category:Devonian Northwest Territories
Category:Pliocene California
Category:Zanclean
Category:Colorado Desert
Category:Geology of Imperial County, California
Category:Pliocene Series of North America
Category:Geologic formations of California
Category:Geologic formations of the Northwest Territories
Category:Paleozoic southern paleotemperate deposits
Category:Devonian northern paleotropical deposits
Category:Devonian southern paleotropical deposits
Category:Carboniferous southern paleotemperate deposits

{{California-geologic-formation-stub}}
{{NorthwestTerritories-geologic-formation-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Imperial Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Formation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Formation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.