Navidad Formation

[3] He became the first to describe it 1846 when he published his book Geological Observations on South America in 1846 and it was named by Darwin after the nearby town of Navidad.[...] The sandstone contains fragments of wood, either in the state of lignite or partially silicified, shark's teeth, and shells in great abundance...Early fossil descriptions from Navidad Formation were those of George Sowerby in Geological Observations on South America (1846) and by Rodolfo Amando Philippi (1887).[1] The coastal exposures extends from the vicinities of San Antonio in the north to Boca Pupuya in the south over a length of 16 km.Part of the sediments are believed to have originated from the basement of the Chilean Coast Range based on the affinities of garnet with the coastal lithologies.Analysis of amphiboles and pyroxenes have led to the conclusion that they and other sediments originate from volcanic and subvolcanic rocks from the Central Valley and the Andean Cordillera.[12] Fossils of the marine crab genera Cancer, Hepatus, Pilumnus, Pinnotheres, Trichopeltarion, Callianassa, Pinnixa and Proterocarcinus have been reported from Navidad Formation.[15] Charcoal found together with pumice is thought to indicate that wildfires ignited by volcanic eruptions were common on land where Mediterranean climate prevailed in the Miocene as well as today.[2][17] Based on a biostratrigraphic analysis Encinas et al. (2008b) suggested a Tortonian to Zanclean (Late Miocene–Early Pliocene) age for Navidad Formation.[9] In 2013 Gutiérrez et al. published an article in Andean Geology claiming an Early to Middle Miocene age for Navidad Formation.

Southward view towards the mouth of Rapel River. Navidad outcrops can be seen above the beach in the right of the image.

Stratigraphic rangeEarly-Mid MioceneGeological formationSandstonesiltstoneconglomerateCoquinaCoordinatesApproximate paleocoordinatesValparaíso RegionO'Higgins RegionNavidadDarwinSpanishNeogenesedimentaryformationCentral ChileCharles Darwingeologistspaleontologistssecond voyage of HMS BeagleGeological Observations on South AmericaConcepcionValparaisoshark's teethGeorge SowerbyRodolfo Amando PhilippiGustav SteinmannJuan BrüggenHumberto FuenzalidaJuan TaveraBurdigalianCoastal geographyChilean Coast Range33°00' SSan AntonioMorphologicallycoastal platformrocky outcropsmarine terracesRapel Riverfluvial terracesCretaceousPaleozoicgraniticbasementstratotypedetritalpyroxeneamphibolegarnetzirconheavy mineralsvolcanicsubvolcanic rocksCentral ValleysharkscrustaceansgastropodsostracodesforaminiferaleavespollenOdontaspis feroxCancerHepatusPilumnusPinnotheresCallianassaChilean National Museum of Natural HistoryOstracodGastropod shellsAcanthina katziOlivancillaria claneophilaFicus distansGlycymeris ibariformisGlycymeris colchaguensissporescuticlesGondwanaNeotropicalmorphospeciesangiospermspteridophytesgymnospermsbryophytesPodocarpaceaeCharcoalpumicewildfiresvolcanic eruptionstrace fossilsichnogeneraZoophycosChondritessubstantial debatebiostratrigraphicTortonianZancleanMiocenePlioceneOligoceneshark teethre–sedimentedAndean Geologyindex speciesPlanktonic foraminiferStrontiumoysterstratigraphical orderBradleya normaniripplesturbiditic systemsbathymetrySkolithos linearisThalassinoidesZoophycusichnofaciesCerro BallenaCoquimbo FormationLacui FormationRanquil FormationSanto Domingo FormationAmeghinianaRevista Geológica de ChileJournal of Crustacean BiologyComuna de NavidadJournal of South American Earth SciencesBibcodeRasbury, E. TroyRevista Chilena de Historia NaturalPalaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, PalaeoecologyGeology of ChileArequipa-AntofallaChaiteniaChileniaChiloéCuyaniaFitz RoyMadre de DiosMejilloniaPatagoniaCenozoicAbanico Fm.Angostura Fm.Ayacara Fm.Bahía Inglesa Fm.Caldera BedsCaleta Godoy Fm.Caleta Herradura Fm.Campanario Fm.Chaicayán Gp.Cheuquemó Fm.Cholchol Fm.Chucal Fm.Cola de Zorro Fm.Coquimbo Fm.Cura-Mallín Gp.Farellones Fm.La Cascada Fm.Lacui Fm.La Portada Fm.Malleco Fm.Mininco Fm.Oxaya Fm.Parga Fm.Puduhuapi Fm.Pupunahue BedsRanquil Fm.Río Frías Fm.San Pedro BedsSanto Domingo Fm.Temuco Fm.Traiguén Fm.Trapa-Trapa Fm.Tubul Fm.Vargas Fm.PaleogeneAzapa Fm.Caleta Chonos Fm.Lebu Gp.Loreto Fm.Lupica Fm.Purilactis Gp.MesozoicBaños del Flaco Fm.Cerro Colorado Fm.Chacarilla Fm.Coihaique Gp.Divisadero Gp.Dorotea Fm.Hornitos Fm.La Liga Fm.Punta del Cobre Fm.Quiriquina Fm.Viñita Fm.Way Gp.Zapata Fm.