MoClay
Encyclopedia
The Moclay strata are formally designated as the Fur Formation
.
It is a diatomitic sediment
of Lower Eocene
Epoch, c. 56-54,5 Ma) age which crops out in the Limfjord
region of Denmark
from Silstrup via Mors and Fur (island)
to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs and quarries in the area. The Diatomite Cliffs (Moler) is on the Danish list of tentative candidates for World Heritage and may become a world Heritage site. The Heritage Agency of Denmark
Image:Fur geological layers.jpg|Image showing the distinct geological layers.
Image:Fur layers 2.jpg|An inland location.
Image:skorpionflue.jpg|Unidentified Scorpionfly (Mecoptera
) from the Fur Formation
Image:Fur cliffs.jpg|These cliffs of Fur have been a rich source of fossils.
It is known for its abundant fossil
fish, insects, reptiles, birds and plants. The Fur Formation
was deposited just above the Palaeocene-Eocene
boundary, about 54-55 million years ago, and its tropical or sub-tropical flora indicate that the climate after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
was moderately warm (approximately 4-8 degrees warmer than today).
The Fur Formation
is divided into two members:
The lower Knudeklint Member was named for a location on the island of Fur
. The upper Silstrup Member was named for a location on Thy
.
Glacial tectonics have moved and folded all exposed mo-clay in a complicated pattern which permits very precise mapping of movements of glaciers in a late part of last ice age, and has due to the ashlayers created an extraordinary pedagogical case for studding tectonics.
Fur Formation
Essentially the Fur Formation is defined as a clayey diatomite with a lage number of volcanic ash layers.The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs...
.
It is a diatomitic sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
of Lower Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
Epoch, c. 56-54,5 Ma) age which crops out in the Limfjord
Limfjord
The Limfjord is a shallow sound in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula. It extends from Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat. It is approximately 180 kilometres long and of an irregular shape with several bays, narrowings,...
region of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
from Silstrup via Mors and Fur (island)
Fur (island)
Fur is a small Danish island in the Limfjord at the northern tip of the Salling peninsula. Fur has under 900 inhabitants. The island covers an area of 22 km². It is located at ....
to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs and quarries in the area. The Diatomite Cliffs (Moler) is on the Danish list of tentative candidates for World Heritage and may become a world Heritage site. The Heritage Agency of Denmark
Image:Fur geological layers.jpg|Image showing the distinct geological layers.
Image:Fur layers 2.jpg|An inland location.
Image:skorpionflue.jpg|Unidentified Scorpionfly (Mecoptera
Mecoptera
Mecoptera are an order of insects with about 550 species in nine families worldwide. Mecoptera are sometimes called scorpionflies after their largest family, Panorpidae, in which the males have enlarged genitals that look similar to the stinger of a scorpion...
) from the Fur Formation
Fur Formation
Essentially the Fur Formation is defined as a clayey diatomite with a lage number of volcanic ash layers.The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs...
Image:Fur cliffs.jpg|These cliffs of Fur have been a rich source of fossils.
It is known for its abundant fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
fish, insects, reptiles, birds and plants. The Fur Formation
Fur Formation
Essentially the Fur Formation is defined as a clayey diatomite with a lage number of volcanic ash layers.The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs...
was deposited just above the Palaeocene-Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
boundary, about 54-55 million years ago, and its tropical or sub-tropical flora indicate that the climate after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
The most extreme change in Earth surface conditions during the Cenozoic Era began at the temporal boundary between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs . This event, the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum , was associated with rapid global...
was moderately warm (approximately 4-8 degrees warmer than today).
The Fur Formation
Fur Formation
Essentially the Fur Formation is defined as a clayey diatomite with a lage number of volcanic ash layers.The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs...
is divided into two members:
The lower Knudeklint Member was named for a location on the island of Fur
Fur (island)
Fur is a small Danish island in the Limfjord at the northern tip of the Salling peninsula. Fur has under 900 inhabitants. The island covers an area of 22 km². It is located at ....
. The upper Silstrup Member was named for a location on Thy
Thy (district)
Thy is a traditional district in northwestern Jutland, Denmark. It is situated north of the Limfjord, facing the North Sea and Skagerrak, and has a population of around 50,000. The main towns of Thy are Thisted, Hanstholm and Hurup....
.
Glacial tectonics have moved and folded all exposed mo-clay in a complicated pattern which permits very precise mapping of movements of glaciers in a late part of last ice age, and has due to the ashlayers created an extraordinary pedagogical case for studding tectonics.