Draft:Geological monument Type location Maastrichtian


Zicht op de ruïne van kasteel Lichtenberg met op de voorgrond het gebouwencomplex van de ENCI en erachter de bergwand van het geologisch monument
De kalkwand vlak bij de locatie van het onderzoek in 1964
De kalkwand waar in 1964 onderzoek werd gedaan

The Geological Monument Type Location Maastrichtian is a geological monument in the South Limburg region of the Netherlands, located in the municipality of Maastricht. The monument is situated south of Maastricht and Sint Pieter, near the Meuse River, beneath the farmstead and Castle Ruin Lichtenberg. This castle ruin is perched atop a bare rock wall, largely remaining due to the excavation activities of the ENCI (Eerste Nederlandse Cement Industrie) in the ENCI quarry, which is part of the Sint-Pietersberg hill, itself a part of the Plateau of Caestert.

History

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In 1798, Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond described the "Histoire naturelle de la montagne de Saint-Pierre de Maestricht," detailing the natural history and fossils of the Sint-Pietersberg. This work became a standard reference and was translated into Dutch in 1802.[1][2]

In 1849, geologist André Hubert Dumont designated the limestone wall beneath the Lichtenberg farmstead as the type location for the Maastrichtian, the last age of the Late Cretaceous period. This designation has given the limestone wall international significance, attracting geologists from around the world to study it.[1][2]

In 1964, a scaffold was erected against the limestone wall to enable the sampling of the entire limestone profile.[2]

Geology

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At the exposure beneath the Lichtenberg farmstead, the Gulpen Formation and the Maastricht Formation are visible. From top to bottom, the following layers are exposed at the type location:[2][1]

At the information board at the base of the limestone wall beneath Lichtenberg farmstead, the Gronsveld Member through the Lanaye Member are particularly well-exposed.[2]

See also

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  • List of geological monuments in South Limburg
  • Lithostratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous and Danian in South Limburg

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Krijt van Zuid-Limburg," series "Geology of the Netherlands," W.M. Felder, P.W. Bosch, Netherlands Institute for Applied Geosciences TNO, 2000, ISBN 90-6743-710-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Geological monuments in South Limburg" (CD-ROM), P.W. Bosch, W.M. Felder, Netherlands Institute for Applied Geosciences TNO, 1999.

Bioclast Stratigraphy or Ecozonation for the Cretaceous (Santonian - Campanian - Maastrichtian) of South Limburg and Eastern Belgium (PDF), Sjeuf Felder, 2001

50°49′18.78″N 5°41′39.8″E / 50.8218833°N 5.694389°E / 50.8218833; 5.694389