Ritoque Formation

The Ritoque Formation (Spanish: Formación Ritoque, Kiri, Kirt) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation consists of grey siltstones, limestones and fine sandstones intercalated. The formation dates to the Early Cretaceous period; Early Hauterivian epoch and varies in thickness between 70 and 110 metres (230 and 360 ft).

Ritoque Formation Stratigraphic range: Early Hauterivian ~132–128 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Paja Formation
Overlies	Rosablanca Fm., Arcabuco Fm.
Thickness	70–110 m (230–360 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Siltstone
Other	Limestone
Location
Coordinates	4°27′07″N 74°03′20″W
Region	Altiplano Cundiboyacense Eastern Ranges, Andes
Country	Colombia
Type section
Named for	Vereda Ritoque, Villa de Leyva
Named by	Etayo
Location	Villa de Leyva
Year defined	1968
Coordinates	4°27′07″N 74°03′20″W
Region	Boyacá, Santander
Country	Colombia

Definition

The formation was first defined and named by Etayo in 1968 after the vereda Ritoque of Villa de Leyva.[1]

Description

Lithologies

The Ritoque Formation is characterised by a sequence of grey siltstones, limestones and sandstones with a thickness between 70 and 110 metres (230 and 360 ft).[1]

Stratigraphy and depositional environment

The Ritoque Formation overlies the Rosablanca and Arcabuco Formations and is overlain by the Paja Formation. The age has been estimated to be Early Hauterivian. Stratigraphically, the formation is time equivalent with the Macanal Formation.[2]

Outcrops

Type locality of the Ritoque Formation on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense

The Ritoque Formation is found, apart from its type locality near Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, found in the vicinity.

Regional correlations

Cretaceous stratigraphy of the central Colombian Eastern Ranges

Age	Paleomap	VMM	Guaduas-Vélez		W Emerald Belt		Villeta anticlinal		Chiquinquirá- Arcabuco	Tunja- Duitama	Altiplano Cundiboyacense		El Cocuy
Maastrichtian		Umir	Córdoba		Seca		eroded		Guaduas				Colón-Mito Juan
					Umir				Guadalupe
Campanian					Córdoba
					Oliní
Santonian		La Luna	Cimarrona - La Tabla										La Luna
Coniacian			Oliní				Villeta	Conejo		Chipaque
			Güagüaquí	Loma Gorda	undefined			La Frontera
Turonian				Hondita	La Frontera	Otanche
Cenomanian		Simití	hiatus		La Corona			Simijaca					Capacho
					Pacho Fm.			Hiló - Pacho	Churuvita	Une			Aguardiente
Albian					Hiló				Chiquinquirá	Tibasosa	Une
		Tablazo			Tablazo			Capotes - La Palma - Simití	Simití				Tibú-Mercedes
Aptian					Capotes			Socotá - El Peñón	Paja		Fómeque
		Paja			Paja	El Peñón		Trincheras					Río Negro
							La Naveta
Barremian
Hauterivian						Muzo					Cáqueza	Las Juntas
		Rosablanca							Ritoque
Valanginian					Ritoque	Furatena	Útica - Murca		Rosablanca	hiatus		Macanal
					Rosablanca
Berriasian		Cumbre			Cumbre				Los Medios			Guavio
		Tambor			Arcabuco				Cumbre
Sources

See also

Geology of the Eastern Hills

Geology of the Ocetá Páramo

Geology of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense

References

1. Galvis & Valencia, 2009, p.10
2. Galvis & Valencia, 2009, p.17

Bibliography

• Galvis Arenas, Beatriz Elena, and José Leonardo Valencia Escobar. 2009. Contribución en la determinación de los posibles paleoambientes de las rocas Cretáceas Tempranas sobre la vía Tunja-Villa de Leyva (entre Alto del Arrayán - Peaje Sáchica) y sectores aledaños, departamento de Boyacá (BSc. thesis), 1–127. Universidad de Caldas. Accessed 2019-03-10.
• Gómez Cruz, Arley de Jesús; Hermann D. Bermúdez, and Francisco J. Vega. 2015. A new species of Diaulax Bell, 1863 (Brachyura: Dialucidae) in the Early Cretaceous of the Rosablanca Formation, Colombia. Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana 67. 103-112. Accessed 2017-04-04.
• Villamil, Tomas. 2012. Chronology Relative Sea Level History and a New Sequence Stratigraphic Model for Basinal Cretaceous Facies of Colombia, 161–216. Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM).

Maps

• Pulido González, Orlando. 2009. Plancha 151 - Charalá - 1:100,000, 1. INGEOMINAS. Accessed 2017-06-06.
• Ulloa, Carlos E, and Erasmo Rodríguez. 2009. Plancha 170 - Vélez - 1:100,000, 1. INGEOMINAS. Accessed 2017-06-06.
• Renzoni, Giancarlo, and Humberto Rosas. 2009. Plancha 171 - Duitama - 1:100,000, 1. INGEOMINAS. Accessed 2017-06-06.
• Fuquen M., Jaime A, and José F. Osorno M. 2009. Plancha 190 - Chiquinquirá - 1:100,000, 1. INGEOMINAS. Accessed 2017-06-06.
• Renzoni, Giancarlo; Humberto Rosas, and Fernando Etayo Serna. 1998. Plancha 191 - Tunja - 1:100,000, 1. INGEOMINAS. Accessed 2017-06-06.

External links

• Gómez, J.; N.E. Montes; Á. Nivia, and H. Diederix. 2015. Plancha 5-09 del Atlas Geológico de Colombia 2015 – escala 1:500,000, 1. Servicio Geológico Colombiano. Accessed 2017-03-16.