Kattendijk Formation

{{Short description|Geologic formation in Belgium}} 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.<ref name="Schittekat"> {{cite book | last = Schittekat | first = J. | chapter = Engineering geology of the Boom clay in the Antwerp area | title = Screw Piles — Installation and Design in Stiff Clay | editor-last = Holeyman | editor-first = Alain E. | publisher = Taylor & Francis | year = 2001 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=o_HpfZ2MFAgC&pg=PA11 | isbn = 9789058091925}}</ref> The sands range from medium fine to coarse and contain a large proportion of shell grit.<ref>{{Cite book | editor-last = van der Sijp | editor-first = Jaap Willem Charles Marie | title = New aspects of mineral and water resources in The Netherlands | publisher = M. Nijhoff | location = The Hague | year = 1973 | oclc = 2367071 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uqvkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Kattendijk+Sands%22}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Deckers|first1=J.|last2=Louwye|first2=S.|date=2020|title=The architecture of the Kattendijk Formation and the implications on the early Pliocene depositional evolution of the southern margin of the North Sea Basin|journal=Geologica Belgica|volume=23|number=3–4|pages=323−331|doi=10.20341/gb.2020.017|doi-access=free|hdl=1854/LU-8693840|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

==Geology== The clay of Rupelian age developed to a depth of approximately {{convert|70|m|abbr=on}} beneath a deposit of Neogene sand.<ref name="Schittekat"/> The formation has a Miocene epoch aquifer, while the clay level dates to the Pliocene.<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Coetsiers | first1 = M. | last2 = Walraevens | first2 =K. | chapter = The Neogene Aquifer, Flanders, Belgium | editor1-last = Edmunds | editor1-first = W. Mike | editor2-last = Shand | editor2-first = Paul | title = Natural groundwater quality | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=FXmhyFYZmHIC&q=Kattendijk+Sands&pg=PA268 | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | year = 2009 | isbn = 9781444300352}}</ref>

==Palaeontology== A Pliocene species of auk (''Alca stewarti'') was found in 2000.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Martin | first1 = J.W.R. | last2 = Walker | first2 = C.A. | last3 = Bonser | first3 = R. | last4 = Dyke | first4 = Gareth J. | title = A new species of large auk from the Pliocene of Belgium | journal = Oryctos | year = 2000 | volume = 3 | pages = 53–60 | url = http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/205319/ | access-date = 4 November 2012 | archive-date = 7 December 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131207225935/http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/205319/ | url-status = live }}</ref> A small oceanic dolphin, ''Pliodelphis'', is also known from the formation.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Belluzzo|first1=A.|last2=Lambert|first2=O.|date=2021|title=A new delphinid from the lower Pliocene of the North Sea and the early radiations of true dolphins|journal=Fossil Record|volume=24|issue=1|pages=72−92|doi=10.5194/fr-24-77-2021|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * {{Cite web | last = Cooreman | first = Philippe | year = 1999 | title = The Antwerp Area in Belgium: wonderful fossil sites for Pliocene shells and vertebrates | url = http://www.fossilnews.com/1999/philippe/belgium.html | access-date = 4 November 2012 | archive-date = 5 March 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130305211007/http://www.fossilnews.com/1999/philippe/belgium.html | url-status = live }}

Category:Geologic formations of Belgium