Guavio Formation

The Guavio Formation (Spanish: Calizas del Guavio, Kicg) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation consists of conglomerates, shales and limestones, dates to the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods; Tithonian to Berriasian epochs and has a maximum thickness of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

Guavio Formation
Stratigraphic range: Tithonian-Berriasian ~150–140 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Cáqueza Group
Sub-units	Caliza de Las Mercedes Mb. Lutitas de Las Mercedes Mb. Caliza de Malacara Mb. Lutitas de Miralindo Mb. Conglomerado de Miralindo
Underlies	Macanal Formation
Overlies	Batá Fm., Girón Fm
Thickness	up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Conglomerate
Other	Limestone, shale
Location
Coordinates	4°59′34.1″N 73°28′53.8″W
Region	Altiplano Cundiboyacense Eastern Ranges, Andes
Country	Colombia
Type section
Named for	Guavio River
Named by	Rodríguez & Ulloa
Location	Alto de Miralindo, Guateque
Year defined	1976
Coordinates	4°59′34.1″N 73°28′53.8″W
Region	Cundinamarca, Boyacá
Country	Colombia
Paleogeography of Northern South America 150 Ma, by Ron Blakey

Etymology

The formation was defined and named in 1976 by Rodríguez and Ulloa after the Guavio River, Cundinamarca.^[1]

Description

Lithologies

The Guavio Formation has a maximum thickness of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and is characterised by a sequence of conglomerates, shales and limestones.^[1]

Stratigraphy and depositional environment

The Guavio Formation, the lowermost unit of the Cáqueza Group, overlies the Batá Formation and is overlain by the Macanal Formation. The unit is subdivided into five members, from old to younger; Conglomerado de Miralindo, Lutitas de Miralindo, Caliza de Malacara, Lutitas de Las Mercedes and Caliza de Las Mercedes. The age has been estimated to be Tithonian to Berriasian, spanning the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. Stratigraphically, the formation is time equivalent with the Arcabuco Formation. The formation has been deposited in a shallow marine environment in an oxygen-poor basin.^[1]

Outcrops

Type locality of the Guavio Formation to the east of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense

The Guavio Formation is apart from its type locality at the Alto de Miralindo and Cuchilla de Manizales, found near Gachalá and Medina.^[1]

Regional correlations

Cretaceous stratigraphy of the central Colombian Eastern Ranges

Age	Paleomap	VMM	Guaduas-Vélez		W Emerald Belt		Villeta anticlinal		Chiquinquirá- Arcabuco	Tunja- Duitama	Altiplano Cundiboyacense		El Cocuy
Maastrichtian		Umir	Córdoba		Seca		eroded		Guaduas				Colón-Mito Juan
					Umir				Guadalupe
Campanian					Córdoba
					Oliní
Santonian		La Luna	Cimarrona - La Tabla										La Luna
Coniacian			Oliní				Villeta	Conejo		Chipaque
			Güagüaquí	Loma Gorda	undefined			La Frontera
Turonian				Hondita	La Frontera	Otanche
Cenomanian		Simití	hiatus		La Corona			Simijaca					Capacho
					Pacho Fm.			Hiló - Pacho	Churuvita	Une			Aguardiente
Albian					Hiló				Chiquinquirá	Tibasosa	Une
		Tablazo			Tablazo			Capotes - La Palma - Simití	Simití				Tibú-Mercedes
Aptian					Capotes			Socotá - El Peñón	Paja		Fómeque
		Paja			Paja	El Peñón		Trincheras					Río Negro
							La Naveta
Barremian
Hauterivian						Muzo					Cáqueza	Las Juntas
		Rosablanca							Ritoque
Valanginian					Ritoque	Furatena	Útica - Murca		Rosablanca	hiatus		Macanal
					Rosablanca
Berriasian		Cumbre			Cumbre				Los Medios			Guavio
		Tambor			Arcabuco				Cumbre
Sources

See also

• Colombia portal
• Geology portal

Geology of the Eastern Hills

Geology of the Ocetá Páramo

Geology of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense