Partnach formation

Outcrop with dark gray Partnach marl west of the Partnach Gorge

Layers of Partnach limestone west above the Partnach Gorge

The Partnach Formation (also Partnach layers ) is a lithostratigraphic formation of the middle and upper Triassic in the Alpine region. The Partnach layers are a series of different sediments that are assigned to the chronostratigraphic levels Ladinian and Carnian .

Origin and properties

The rocks of the Partnach Formation are basin deposits of a shallow lake and mostly closely interlinked with the reef formations of the Wetterstein Formation . Characteristic for the Partnach layers are dark gray clastic sediments such as slate and clay marl . In between there are lighter, thin limestone layers ( Partnach limestone ). In contrast to the hard, wall-forming Wetterstein limestones, the marls of the Partnach strata are susceptible to weathering and erosion. Slopes in the area of ​​the Partnach formation are geomorphologically characterized by soft terrain. They are water-retaining and prone to slipping.

Occurrence

The type locality of the Partnach formation is the area around the Partnach Gorge near Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Wetterstein Mountains . Rocks of the Partnach Formation can also be found in other areas of the Northern Limestone Alps , such as the Allgäu Alps , the Karwendel and the Kaiser Mountains .

Web links

Commons : Partnach-Formation  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Stratigraphic table of Austria, PDF file

Individual evidence

1. ^ Google Books: The Geology of Central Europe: Mesozoic and Cenozoic ; edited by Tom McCan; pgs. 790-795.
2. ↑ Explanations of the Geological Map of Bavaria 1: 25000, sheets Zugspitze and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Hrgb. Bavarian State Office for the Environment.
3. ↑ Outcrops of the Partnach Formation S of the Partnach Gorge Geotope number: 180A020