The late cretaceous transgression in the SWAnglo-Paris Basin: Stratigraphy of the Craie de Villedieu Formation

The litho- and biostratigraphy of the Craie de Villedieu Formation (Coniacian-Santonian)of western France are described in detail. The formation is subdivided into three members each containing a number of lithologically distinct named hardgrounds and marker beds. These constitute an onlapping sequence that thins from > 15 m in the NE around Cangey and Villedieu-le-Château, to < 2 m in the SW around St Michel-sur-Loire, a distance of 70 km. Thickness variation is related to the interaction of differential subsidence with eustatic transgression. Comparison with the Chalk Rock Formation of southern England indicates that transgressive and regressive hardground suites may be differentiated on bed geometry and hardground surface characteristics. The Craie de Villedieu rests everywhere on a regional hardground that coincides with the Turonian/Coniacian boundary in expanded successions, but probably marks a significant hiatus. South-west of Tours, onlap results in Santonian strata resting disconformably on strata of Turonian age. The basal Craie de Villedieu contains a succession of three Coniacian ammonite faunas characterized by Peroniceras and Forresteria (Harleites) (oldest), Gauthiericeras margae (Schlüter), and Protexanites (youngest). Volviceramus ex gr. involutus (J. de C. Sowerby) occurs with the two uppermost ammonite assemblages. A Santonian ammonite fauna dominated by Placenticeras polyopsis (Dujardin) occurs with Texanites gallicus Collignon and common Cladoceramus in the middle of the formation. Cordiceramus ex gr. cordiformis (J. de C. Sowerby) is recorded with Santonian ammonites in the upper part of the formation. A correlation with the Micraster zones of chalk facies is suggested, based on the inoceramid stratigraphy. The record of T. gallicus in association with Cladoceramus affords the first direct evidence for the position of the base of the Santonian in the Anglo-Paris Basin.