Wetterstein Formation

Wetterstein Formation
Stratigraphic range: Ladinian-Carnian ~237–224 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
The formation in the Wetterstein near Gatterl
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	See text
Underlies	See text
Overlies	See text
Thickness	up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Limestone, dolomite
Location
Coordinates	45°N 20°W / 45°N 20°W / 45; -20
Region	Alps, Central Europe
Country	Austria  Germany  Hungary  Slovakia
Extent	Northern Limestone Alps, Western Carpathians
Type section
Named for	Wetterstein Mountains
Named by	Von Gümbel
Year defined	1861
Coordinates	45°N 20°W / 45°N 20°W / 45; -20
Approximate paleocoordinates	4°N 4°W / 4°N 4°W / 4; -4

The Wetterstein Formation is a regional geologic formation of the Northern Limestone Alps and Western Carpathians extending from southern Bavaria, Germany in the west, through northern Austria to northern Hungary and western Slovakia in the east. The formation dates back to the Ladinian to Carnian stages of the Late Triassic. The formation is named after the Wetterstein Mountains in southern Germany and northwestern Austria. The center of its distribution, however, is in the Karwendel Mountains. It occurs in the Northern and Southern Limestone Alps and in the Western Carpathians.

The formation is composed of mostly reefal limestones and dolomites, the latter the result of widespread diagenesis. In many areas there is a frequent alternation of limestone and dolomite facies. Local variants to indicate the Wetterstein Formation include German: Wettersteinkalk (Wetterstein Limestone), Wettersteindolomit ("Wetterstein Dolomite") and combinations thereof. The Wetterstein Formation reaches a maximum thickness of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) with major regional thickness variations. It belongs to the tectonostratigraphical unit Austroalpine nappes. The carbonate rock of the formation is from the Middle Triassic epoch of the Ladinian stage, comparable to the German stage in which Muschelkalk rock strata were formed.

The formation has provided numerous fossils of corals, sponges, bivalves, gastropods and other marine groups indicative of a shallow marine carbonate platform environment deposited at the northern end of the Tethys Ocean.