Tulare Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: Neogene & Quaternary | |
Type | Formation |
Underlies | (is topmost formation) |
Overlies | San Joaquin Formation |
Thickness | up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) |
Location | |
Region | San Joaquin Valley, California |
Country | United States |
The Tulare Formation (/tʊˈlɛəri/ ⓘ) is a Pliocene to Holocene epoch geologic formation in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley of central California.[1][2]
It overlies the San Joaquin Formation, and can be up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) thick.[1][2]
Its sediments consist mainly of unconsolidated deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel.[1]
Many freshwater fossils are preserved in the formation, dating back to the Neogene and Quaternary Periods of the Cenozoic Era.[3] They include the largest fossil assemblage of clams and snails known on the Pacific Coast.[1]