# Rupel Formation > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rupel_Formation > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rupel_Formation.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupel_Formation > Source revision: 1298093295 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Geologic formation in the Netherlands}} The '''Rupel Formation''' (abbreviation: RU) is a [geologic formation](/source/formation_(stratigraphy)) in the [subsurface](/source/Subsurface_(geology)) of the [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands) that consists of [Oligocene](/source/Oligocene) [marine](/source/marine_(ocean)) [sand](/source/sand)s and [clay](/source/clay)s. The Rupel Formation is part of the [Middle North Sea Group](/source/Middle_North_Sea_Group) and [correlates](/source/correlation) exactly with the [Belgian](/source/Belgium) [Rupel Group](/source/Rupel_Group). ==Name== The Rupel Formation was first described by [André Hubert Dumont](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Hubert_Dumont) in 1849. The formation is taken from Belgian lithostratigraphy, although it is considered a group in Belgium. The [age](/source/age_(geology)) in which the formation formed is the [Rupelian](/source/Rupelian) (34 to 28 million years ago), a subdivision of the Oligocene epoch. The age and the formation are both named after the Belgian river [Rupel](/source/Rupel). ==Facies and lithologies== The Rupel Formation can be 250 meters thick at maximum. During the Rupelian age the Netherlands (and Belgium) were covered by a shallow sea, which became deeper towards the northwest. In the northwest, the [sedimentary facies](/source/sedimentary_facies) can be more than 500 m deep marine, while in southeastern parts of the Netherlands the formation has a near coastal facies. The formation is subdivided in four [members](/source/member_(stratigraphy)): the [Bilzen Member](/source/Bilzen_Member) (yellow-white [glauconiferous](/source/glauconite) fine sand, containing fossils), the [Boom Member](/source/Boom_Member) (a thick clay deposit, containing [loam](/source/loam) layers and [septaria](/source/septarium)), the [Eigenbilzen Member](/source/Eigenbilzen_Member) (strongly layered sands) and the [Ratum Member](/source/Ratum_Member) (sand, clay and loam, appears only in the east of the Netherlands). ==Stratigraphy== In the southwest of the Netherlands the Rupel Formation lies stratigraphically on top of the late [Eocene](/source/Eocene) to early Oligocene [Tongeren Formation](/source/Tongeren_Formation). Further east the Rupel Formation is found on top of the Eocene sands of the [Dongen Formation](/source/Dongen_Formation). In the east, on the [Middel-Netherlands High](/source/Middel-Netherlands_High), the base of the formation can also be a [nonconformity](/source/Unconformity) with [Mesozoic](/source/Mesozoic) deposits. In some places the younger [Veldhoven Formation](/source/Veldhoven_Formation) lies on top of the Rupel Formation. In other places the top of the Rupel Formation is a [hiatus](/source/Lithostratigraphy), on which [Neogene](/source/Neogene) formations (such as the [Breda Formation](/source/Breda_Formation) or [Naaldwijk Formation](/source/Naaldwijk_Formation)) can be found. ==References== *{{aut|Adrichem Boogaert, H.A. van & Kouwe, W.F.P.}} (''eds.''); 1993: ''Stratigraphic nomenclature of the Netherlands, revision and update by RGD and NOGEPA'', Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst 50, pp. 1–39 *{{aut|[Dumont, A.](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Hubert_Dumont)}}; 1849: ''Rapport sur la Carte géologique du Royaume'', Bulletin de l'Académie royale de Belgique 16 (2ième partie), p. 370 ({{in lang|fr}}) *{{aut|Kuyl, O.S.}}; 1975: ''Lithostratigrafie van de Mio-Oligocene afzettingen in Zuid-Limburg'', in: {{aut|Zagwijn, W.H. & Staalduinen, C.J. van}} (''eds.''): ''Toelichting bij geologische overzichtskaarten van Nederland'', Rijks Geologische Dienst, Haarlem, pp. 56–63. ({{in lang|nl}}) == External links == * {{aut|Lang F.D. de & Ebbing, J.H.J.}}; 2003: [http://dinoloket.nitg.tno.nl/nomenclatorShallow/nl/marien/rupel/index.html Formatie van Rupel], [TNO](/source/Netherlands_Organisation_for_Applied_Scientific_Research) website ({{in lang|nl}}) Category:Geologic formations of the Netherlands Category:Oligocene Series of Europe Category:Paleogene Netherlands --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rupel Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupel_Formation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupel_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.