Cerrejón Formation
The Cerrejón Formation is a geologic formation in Colombia dating back to the Middle-Late Paleocene. It is found in the El Cerrejón sub-basin of the Cesar-Ranchería Basin of La Guajira and Cesar. The formation consists of bituminous coal fields that are an important economic resource. Coal from the Cerrejón Formation is mined extensively from the Cerrejón open-pit coal mine, one of the largest in the world. The formation also bears fossils that are the earliest record of Neotropical rainforests.
| Cerrejón Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Mid-Late Paleocene ~ | |
Section of the Cerrejón coal mine | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Cesar-Ranchería Basin |
| Sub-units | Lower, middle, upper |
| Underlies | Tabaco Formation |
| Overlies | Manantial Formation |
| Thickness | Up to 750 m (2,460 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Coal, mudstone, siltstone |
| Other | Sandstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 11°05′22″N 72°40′31″W |
| Region | La Guajira, Cesar |
| Country | Colombia |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Cerrejón |
| Named by | Hammen |
| Location | Cerrejón |
| Year defined | 1958 |
| Coordinates | 11°05′22″N 72°40′31″W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 8.5°N 59.2°W |
| Region | La Guajira |
| Country | Colombia |
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