Arcabuco Formation

Arcabuco Formation
Stratigraphic range: Tithonian-Berriasian
~145–142 Ma
Arcabuco Formation at the Sáchica rock shelter
TypeGeological formation
UnderliesRosablanca Fm., Cumbre Fm.
OverliesGirón Formation
Thickness500–800 m (1,600–2,600 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherShale
Location
Coordinates5°38′11″N 73°30′41″W / 5.63639°N 73.51139°W / 5.63639; -73.51139
RegionAltiplano Cundiboyacense
Eastern Ranges, Andes
Country Colombia
Type section
Named forArcabuco
Named byScheibe
LocationArcabuco (original)
Villa de Leyva (redefined)
Year defined1938, 1985
Coordinates5°38′11″N 73°30′41″W / 5.63639°N 73.51139°W / 5.63639; -73.51139
RegionBoyacá
Country Colombia

Paleogeography of Northern South America
150 Ma, by Ron Blakey

The Arcabuco Formation (Spanish: Formación Arcabuco, Jar, JKa) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation consists of thick beds of light-coloured quartzitic sandstones and conglomerates with occasional shales and dates to the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods; Tithonian to Berriasian epochs. Dinosaur footprints have been found in the Arcabuco Formation near the Iguaque anticlinal outside Chíquiza, Boyacá.