River Bend Formation
The River Bend Formation is a limestone geologic formation in North Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.
| River Bend Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Oligocene | |
| Type | Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | limestone |
| Location | |
| Region |  North Carolina |
| Country |  United States |
| Type section | |
| Named for | River Bend Estates along the Trent River |
Description
The River Bend formation is a limestone formation characterized by mollusc molds, barnacle hashes, bivalves, and sandy limestone layers.[1] Fossils indicate that the formation was deposited during the middle to late Oligocene.
History
Originally, the River Bend formation was part of a limestone unit called the Trent Marl. Further research split off the Miocene Belgrade Formation from the Trent Marl and considered the River Bend formation as part of the Castle Hayne Limestone.[1] The River Bend formation was then identified as an Oligocene limestone and broken out from the Castle Hayne Limestone. The Trent Marl nomenclature is no longer used.
References
- Ward, Lauck W.; Lawrence, David R.; Blackwelder, Blake W. (1979). "Stratigraphic revision of the middle Eocene, Oligocene, and lower Miocene; Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin. 1457-F: 3–10. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.