Santos Formation

Santos Formation
Santos Formation
Stratigraphic range: Cenomanian-Maastrichtian; ~
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Frade Group
Underlies	Iguape Formation
Overlies	Florianópolis Formation
Thickness	up to 2,700 m (8,900 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Conglomerate
Other	Sandstone, shale
Location
Coordinates	26°6′S 43°43′W
Region	Santos Basin, South Atlantic
Country	Brazil
Type section
Named for	Santos
	; Location of the Santos Basin

The Santos Formation (Portuguese: Formacão Santos) is a geological formation of the Santos Basin offshore of the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina. The predominantly conglomeratic sandstone formation with interbedded shales dates to the Late Cretaceous period; Cenomanian-Maastrichtian epochs and has a maximum thickness of 2,700 metres (8,900 ft).

Etymology

The formation is as the Santos Basin named after the city of Santos, São Paulo.

The Santos Formation is 1,275 to 2,700 metres (4,183 to 8,858 ft) thick,[1] and consists of reddish lithic conglomerates and sandstones, interbedded with grey shales and reddish clays. These facies are interbedded and change laterally into the Itajai-Açu and Juréia Formations. The depositional environment is thought to be transitional continental to marginal marine, ranging from alluvial to braided rivers and deltas. Biostratigraphic data indicate a Late Cretaceous age (Cenomanian-Maastrichtian).[2]

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