Joumal of South American Earth Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 2. pp. 123-139. 1992 0895-9811/92 $5.00+.

00
0 1992 Per&mat Press Ltd
Printed in Great Britain
& Earth Sciences & Resowces Institute

Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena

Basin in the PayandWhaparral segment (western
Girardot Sub-Basin), Colombia
C. A. BARRIO*~
and D. Q. COFFIELD*~
Shell CAPSA, Exploration & Produccibn, Av. Roque Saenz Pefia 788, Buenos Aires, (1383) Argentina;
2Arco International Oil and Gas Company, P.O. Box 260888, Plano, TX 75026-0888, USA
(Received October 1990; Revision Accepted January 1992)

Abstract-The Cretaceous section on the western margin of the Girardot Sub-Basin, Upper Magdalena
Valley, is composed of the Lower Sandstone (Hauterivian-Barremian?), Tetuan Limestone (pre-Aptian?),
and Bambuca Shale (pre-Aptian?), and the following formations: Caballos (Aptian-Albian), Villeta
(Albian-Campanian), Monserrate (Campanian-Maastrichtian), and Guaduas (Maastrichtian-Paleocene).
The Lower Sandstone is composed of quartz arenites with abundant calcareous cement; the Tetuan
Limestone is a succession of fossiliferous limestones and calcareous shales; and the Bambuca Shale is
composed of black shales that grade upward to micritic limestones and calcarenites. The Caballos
Formation comprises three members: a lower member of quartz arenites, a middle member of black shales
and limestones, and an upper member of crossbedded, coarsening-upward quarts arenites. The Villeta
Formation is a sequence of shales intercalated with micritic limestones and calcarenites. Two levels of
chert (Upper and Lower Chert) are differentiated within the Villeta Formation throughout the study area,
with a sandstone unit (El Cobre Sandstone) to the north. The Monserrate Formation is composed of quartz
arenites, with abundant crossbedding, and locally of limestone breccias and coarse-grained fossiliferous
packstones. The Guaduas Formation is a monotonous succession of red shales and lithic sandstones. Our
data suggest three major transgressive-regressive cycles in the Girardot Sub-Basin. The first cycle
(Hauterivian?-lower Aptian) is represented by the Lower Sandstone-TetuBn-Bambuca-lower Caballos
succession, the second cycle (Aptian-Albian) by the middle-upper Caballos members, and the third cycle
(Albian-Paleocene) by the lower Villeta-Monserrate-Guaduas succession. Previous studies proposed a
eustatic control during deposition of the Upper Cretaceous in the Upper Magdalena Valley. The lowermost
transgressive-regressive cycle was not previously differentiated in the study area, and this implies a
transition between the thick Bogota depocenter to the north and the thinner Magdalena basin fill to the
south,

Resumen-see p. 139

INTRODUCTION Four months in the field were used to map

THIS STUDY DESCRIBES the Cretaceous stratigraphy
in the eastern foothills of the Central Cordillera of
Colombia between the towns of Payande and
Chaparral. The segment is located in the western
margin of the Girardot Sub-Basin of the Upper
Magdalena Valley (Fig. 1). The Girardot Sub-Basin
is separated by the Cambao thrust from the Middle
Magdalena Valley to the north (Corrigan, 1979) and
by the Natagaima high from the Neiva Sub-Basin to
the south (Beltran and Gallo, 1979) (Fig. 1).
The Cretaceous section contains the main hydro-
carbon source and reservoir rocks of the Upper Mag-
dalena Basin. Understanding the facies distribution
and timing of deposition is fundamental to petro-
leum exploration in the region and, in a broader
context, is essential to understanding the geologic
evolution of the Northern Andes.
selected areas at 1:25,000 scale and to measure
stratigraphic sections, including extensive sample
collection. Even though the area has been actively
explored for hydrocarbons and several fields are
located here, the stratigraphy of the Cretaceous
sequence is still poorly understood. Several informal
units are used by the different oil companies that
have worked in the area, thus making correlations
difficult, and there has been no comprehensive study
of these strata. The main purpose of this paper is to
describe and clarify the stratigraphy of a segment of
the Upper Magdalena Valley extending along the
areas of San Luis-El Valle de San Juan to the north,
Ortega at the center, and Chaparral to the south
(Fig. 1).
REGIONAL GEOLOGY

The Colombian Andes are made up of four sub-

*Work done while at the Earth Sciences and Resources
parallel cordilleras that are separated by NNE/SSW-
Institute, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. trending intramontane basins or depressions. From
Address all correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Claudio west to east, these are the Serrania de Baudb, the
A. Barrio: telephone[541(1) 334-0333; telefax [543 (1) 334- Western Cordillera, the Central Cordillera, and the
3498; telex 21045117500. Eastern Cordillera (Fig. 1).

123
124 i. A BARRIO cmd D.Q. COFFIELD

Fig. 1. Location map of the study area, showing the three parts of the study area: El Valle de San Juan-San Luis to the north,
Ortega at the center, and Chaparral to the south. Key: 1, Quebrada El Cobre; 2, Filipinas-Quebrada Puerqueras; 3, La Favorita-La
Manga; 4, Chicuambe anticline; 5, Rio Ortega; 6, Quebrada Chipalo; and 7, Quebrada El Neme; Q.C., Quebrada Calambe;
Q.E.L., Quebrada El Loro.

The Upper Magdalena valley is located between
the Central Cordillera to the west and the Eastern
Cordillera to the east (Fig. 1). The initial uplift of
the Central Cordillera took place during the mid-
Cretaceous Peruvian orogeny (Biirgl, 1961a; Camp-
bell and Biirgl, 1965; Julivert, 1968; Irving, 1975).
However, the present configuration of the Central
Cordillera is the result of a late Eocene-Oligocene
deformational episode. The Eastern Cordillera is
younger, with localized uplift beginning in the
Paleocene (Fabre, 1983; BogotB, 19881, followed by a
major uplift during the main Andean orogeny in the
late Miocene-Pliocene (Campbell and Biirgl, 1965;
Van der Hammen et al ., 1973).
During the Late Cretaceous, the paleogeography
in the Magdalena Valley was characterized by a par-
tially emergent volcanic arc to the west (the proto-
Central Cordillera) and by the cratonic platform of
the Guyana Shield to the east. Volcanic activity in
the Central Cordillera is recorded by sediments as
old as Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Barremian)
(Moreno, 1989; Rubiano, 1989), as well as sediments
of the Pre-Aptian Yavi Formation (Agudelo and
Peiialoza, 1990).
Cretaceous sedimentation is dominated by mar-
ine deposits related to the maximum flooding of
northern South America (Macellari, 1988). Con-
tinental sedimentation dominates Tertiary deposi-
 Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena Basin, Colombia 125

isn. 1st Ortega La. 4 BambucaSh. fl/

Ls.
,..).._.
..T
..).;_.
.:..._.
.._.
: M. Caballos Sh. %
T&&n La.
2nd. Ortega Ls. A--

Hauterivian
\\\\\..\.\.\\\.\\\
,,/#,,,,,,I,,,,,,
TrJurassic ::,:,;+M&ma
,. /,,, fm,.:/;,:,:/;
. . . : . . . . . . . . : . . \. \....../\

a Volcanic Rocks &L Planar cross-bedding Ls. Limestone

m Sandstones &9 Trough cross-bedding Sh. Shale
- Unconformity Ss. Sandstone
Fig. 2. Stratigraphy of the study area, from left to right: El Valle-San Luis area based on HOCOL reports; Ortega area, after Allen
(1989); and our proposed terminology.

tion in the study area, with the elastics derived STRATIGRAPHY

mainly from the uplifted Central Cordillera. These
rocks are grouped in the Chicoral (Eocene), Potre-
rillos (Eocene-Oligocene), Doima (Oligocene-Mio-
cene), and Honda (Miocene-Pliocene) Formations.
The area under consideration was folded and
thrusted during the Paleocene pre-Andean orogeny,
and again in the Miocene main Andean orogeny
(Butler and Schamel, 1988; Coffield and Barrio,
1989). The result is a complex pattern of WNW- and
ESE-verging thrusts with folds in the footwall and
hanging wall of the fault planes.
Complete sections of the Cretaceous rocks are
rare, owing to structural complexity and physio-
graphy (relief and vegetation), and so composite
stratigraphic columns are presented for the different
areas.
The stratigraphy of the area has been defined by
several oil companies (Fig. 2). Informal names were
applied, some of the which have already been used in
other areas for different portions of the Cretaceous
sequence (e.g., La Luna Formation) or for Triassic-
Jurassic rocks (e.g., La Luisa; Cediel et al., 1980).
Additionally, some of the names have been applied
to different sections within the Cretaceous section
(e.g., Tetutin Limestones, Bambuca Shale).
Lower Sandatone
The Lower Sandstone is an informal, temporary
name for the basal Cretaceous section in the north-
ern part of the study area. These sandstones have
previously been called the Caballos Formation (Fig.
126 (::.A. BARRIO and D.Q. COFFIELD

21, but they most likely represent an older, separate

unit and so this name is not appropriate.
The Lower Sandstone rests with angular uncon-
formity on Triassic-Jurassic sedimentary rocks (Fig.
3) or is non-conformable over igneous basement. The
unit crops out only in the northern part of the study
area, south of Payande (Fig. 4,Section 1: Quebrada
El Cobre). It is composed of light gray, medium to
fine-grained quartzose sandstones. Crossbedding is
abundant in lenticular or tabular beds; planar and
trough crossbedding were also observed. Calcareous
cement is abundant and accounts for very low
porosity. Coal lenses and plant debris are abundant
at the bottom of the unit. Burrows are preserved in
thin beds of siltstone and claystone. Intercalated
with the sandstones are light orange, fine-grained Fig. .; Angular unconformity between the Irlasslc-d I~IYISSI(.
limestones, red claystones, and very fine-grained Payande Limestones and the Lower Sandstone 111?h~ Quebr&
sandstones with abundant iron. Thin coquina beds, El Cohre section. See person for scale
with bivalves and gastropods in tabular beds
interbedded with quartzose sandstones, are typical
in the transition to the overlying units. A green fossiliferous limestones interbedded with shales.
glauconite-rich bed is commonly found associated The unit has been called the Ortega Limestone there
with the coquina beds at the top of the section. and has been included within the Caballos Forma-
The thickness of the Lower Sandstone is quite tion (Texas Petroleum Co., 1962; Allen, 1989; see
constant in the northern study area, ranging from Fig. 2). For this study, we have adopted the name
145 meters in the Quebrada El Cobre section to 130 Tetuhn Limestone for the unit that crops out in the
meters along the Quebrada Cachipa (2.5 km south of El Valle-San Luis area (Quebrada El Cobre section);
&da. El Cobre). it was not differentiated in the Chaparral area.
The depositional environment of the unit seems The Tetutin Limestone was deposited on a shelf
to have varied between beach and nearshore. The affected by continuous storms. Individual beds re-
lower portion of the section, characterized by an present tempestites in which a basal lag of broken
abundance of plant debris and coal beds, marks the fossils is succeeded by a calcarenite with apparent
continental influence among the beach deposits; up- hummocky crossbedding, capped in some exposures
section, the presence of marine fauna and the abun- by a calcareous shale (Kreisa and Bambach, 1982).
dance of glauconite are indicative of a shallow No age data are available for these sediments.
marine setting. B&g1 (1961b) suggested that they are older than
No age data are available for these sediments early Albian, from observations in the Chicuambe
but, based on Bi.irgl (1961b), the Lower Sandstone anticline in the Ortega area.
unit must be older than Albian.

Tetuhn Limestone

The name Tetutin Limestone is used informally

by oil companies in the study area to refer to the
basal calcareous section of the Cretaceous sedimen-
tary sequence. The unit is very well exposed in the
El Valle-San Luis area (see Fig. 4, Section 1:
Quebrada El Cobre) and less so in the Ortega-TetuBn
area.
The Tetuan Limestone is composed of gray to
black, bioruditic limestones in medium to thick beds.
Each bed is usually composed of a basal lag of broken
fossils and a fine-grained limestone with hummocky
crossbedding (?I and asymmetrical ripples. A finely
laminated shale is found at the top of some beds (Fig,
5). The thickness of the Tetuti Limestone in the El
Valle-San Luis area ranges from 120 to 200 meters.
There are a few, incomplete outcrops in the Ortega-
Tetuan area. The Tetu&n Limestone was recognized Fig. 5. TetuAn Limestone tempest&e, composed of a basal coarse-
in the subsurface by Texas Petroleum Co. (1962) in grained fossil lag and ripple-bedded calcarenites (Quebrada El
the Ortega field, where it comprises 48 meters of Cobre section); rock hammer is 33 cm long.
 Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena Basin, Colombia 127

NW
3
9
La avorita - SE
MonserrateFm.

El Cobre

Fig. 4. Composite stratigraphic section of the Cretaceoue in the El Valle-San Luis area (see Fig. 1 for section locations).

BmbucaShule is about 150 meters thick (Fig. 4, Section 1). South of

The name Bambuca Shale is used in oil company
reports of previous work in the area. The unit is
composed of black, finely laminated shale inter-
bedded with gray tabular micritic limestones toward
the top (Fig. 6). Thin beds of coquinas, carbonate
concretions, and ammonite debris are commonly pre-
sent. Plant fragments and iron concretions appear
toward the top. In the Quebrada El Cobre, this unit
Quebrada El Cobre, the top of the unit is exposed
along the trail from Filipinas to Quebrada Puer-
queras (Fig. 4, Section 2). In this section, the
micritic limestones are the most prominent litho-
logy, forming tabular beds with large concretions.
Shales with black and light green coloration are
intercalated with the limestones. Fish debris, am-
mo&es, and microfossils are observed in this
section. Stromatolitic fabrics are also common (Fig.
128 C, A, BARRIO and D. Q. COFFIELU

7,. Toward the top, green calcarenites with ripples

and green sandy shales are dominant.
The equivalent of the Bambuca Shale in the
Ortega-Tetuan area has a thickness of 100 meters
(based on Texas Petroleum Co, 1962) and is char-
acterized by black laminated shales interbedded
with thin sandstone stringers, and limestones to-
ward the top. It is important to note here that the
Bambuca Shale of the El Valle-San Luis area is not
equivalent to the unit described in the Ortega area
by the oil companies (Allen, 1989). However, as this
name is widely used in the area and the unit is well
exposed in the Quebrada El Cobre, we utilize the
name in the sense of the unit exposed in the Que-
brada El Cobre.
The Bambuca Shale represents an offshore facies
deposited under partial anoxic conditions, as shown
by association of abundant preserved organic mater-
ial together with a lack of traction structures (Ar-
thur et al., 1987). Up-section, the presence of cal-
carenites with ripples and stromatolites indicates a
Fig. 6. Outcrop view of the top of the Bambuca Shale in the
shallower marine environment. Quebrada El Cobre section. The organic-rich black shales are
The age of the Bambuca Shale is uncertain but intercalated with tabular beds of mmritic limestones. Approxi-
seems older than early Albian from paleontologic mate thickness is 25 meter?
information provided by Burg1 (1961b). Julivert
(1968) mentioned the presence of more than 300
meters of section below the Albian in the Ortega
area, which has no age constraints.

CabaUos Formation

The name Caballos Formation was first applied

by Olsson (1956, cited in Sneider, 1988) to basal
sandstones of the Putumayo Basin. The name was
later used by Burg1 (1961b) in the Cerro Caballos
southwest of Ortega, and was adopted by Texas
Petroleum Company for the stratigraphy of the
Upper Magdalena Basin (Corrigan, 1979).
In the northern portion of the study area, the
Caballos Formation (referred to as Areniscas Del
Luisa in HOCOL company reports) is exposed in the
Fig. 7. Stromatolitic fabric in the Bambuca Shale along the
Quebrada El Cobre section (Fig. 4), in the Quebrada Filipinas-Quebrada Puerqueras section, Scale is 10 cm long.
Gallego, and in the Chicuambe anticline in the
Ortega area (Fig. 8, Section 4). Three informal mem-
bers can be differentiated in the Quebrada El Cobre
section. A lower member, 50 meters thick, is com-
posed of white, fine- to medium-grained quartzose
sandstones with massive or ripple-laminated cross-
bedding (Fig. 9); bed thicknesses range from 0.2 to
1.5 meters. The beds are intercalated with red,
finely laminated shales and gray, thin-bedded co-
quinas. Distinguishing characteristics of the lower
member are iron staining, iron cementing, and iron
concretions. This unit contains bivalves and plant
remains.
The middle member is composed of 35 meters of
black, finely laminated shales and gray micritic
limestones with abundant plant debris. The upper
member forms a coarsening-upward sandstone sec-
tion informally known as the Del Luisa Sandstone Fig. 9. Lenticular bedding at the bottom of the lower Caballos
(HOCOL company reports). This consists of white to Formation in the Quebrada El Cobre section. Scale is 10 cm long.
 Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena Basin, Colombia 129

0
CHICUAMBE
ANTICLINE

0
RIOORTEGA

---
---
ki
EB
- -----
------ -_
---
---

---
-_
_ --

$,

I!!
~--
.-_
s ZwB _-l---_ B
b
____
---
-_ ---_
---

!W

Fig. 8. Composite stratigraphic section of the Cretaceous in the Ortega-Tetuan area (see Fig. 1 for section locations).
130 II. A. BARRIO and Il. ($, COFFIELD

gray, fine- to medium-grained, crossbedded and

ripple-laminated quartzose sandstone with a basal
grey, fine-grained, parallel-bedded limestone that is
interbedded with the underlying shales. The in-
crease in grain size upward is also matched by
increased sorting and an increase in the size of cross-
bedding, from small asymmetrical ripples at the
bottom to medium then large-scale crossbedding at
the top. These sediments are commonly bioturbated.
In the northern area, thicknesses range from 10 to
40 meters, but the trend of variation is unclear.
Another section of the Caballos sandstones was
observed in the Ortega area in the Chicuambe
anticline (Fig. 8, Section 4), where only 3 meters are
exposed. The interval is characterized by medium-
to fine-grained, very clean quartzose sandstones,
Fig. 10. Upper member of the Caballos !Ic~rrr~at~on !I) :.i:t"
thin to medium bedded, with medium- and small- Chicuambe anticline. Clean crossbedded quartzose sandstones
scale crossbedding and abundant burrows in some of overlain by burrowed sandstones. Scale is 10 cm lucg
the beds (Fig. 10). The sandstones are intercalated
with green laminated shales and beds of fine-grained
ironstone containing small bivalves. Subsurface predominantly lenticular, are mainly quartzose, but
data (Texaco Petroleum Co., 1962) show a lower sec- basement clasts were found at the bottom. The
tion, 61 meters thick, composed of fine- to medium- Chipalo section (Fig. 11) exhibits similar features,
grained sandstones, with calcareous cement and rich but limestones are absent from the middle portion.
in glauconite, interbedded with dolomitic limestones Penas and Vargas (1989) interpreted the lower
and dark gray shales: The middle portion, 32 meters member of the Caballos Formation as nearshore
thick, is composed of dark brown shales with lime- deposits (beach and dune subenvironments), the
stones The upper member, also 32 meters thick, is middle member as an offshore deposit, and the upper
composed of very fine-grained brown sandstones, member as representing upper shoreface deposits.
interbedded with brown shales and abundant iron- The lithofacies association to the north in the El
stone clays. The description of the upper member in Valle-San Luis area (Section 1: Quebrada El Cobrel
the subsurface resembles the sandstones seen in shows depositional environments similar to those in
outcrop. the Ortega-Tetuan area, where the lower member
Perias and Vargas (1989) conducted a detailed represents shallow marine deposits, as shown by the
study of the Caballos Formation in the Quebrada abundance of crossbedding, the association with
Calambe (19 km southwest of the town of Ortega), marine fossils, and plant debris. The middle mem-
where the lower member, 69.6 meters thick, is com- ber shows a progressive increase in water depth, but
posed of medium- to coarse-grained sandstones, in relative proximity to the coast as implied by the
locally conglomeratic with large-scale crossbedding abundance of plant debris and its association with
and iron crusts. The middle member there, 4.2 marine fossils. The coarsening-upward trend of the
meters thick, is composed of black and grey calcare- upper member sandstones is interpreted as indicat-
ous shales associated with limestone and contains ing a regressive barrier deposit (Reinson, 1984),
ammonite debris, whereas the upper member, 27.9 The depositional environment of the Caballos
meters thick, is characterized by very homogeneous Formation was studied by Sneider (1988) in the San
medium-grained sandstones (Perias and Vargas, Francisco field to the south in the Neiva Sub-Basin.
19891. He concluded that, in this locality, the Caballos For-
Good exposures of the Caballos Formation are mation is characterized by braided stream deposits
preserved in the Chaparral area in the Quebrada El at the bottom, open marine to restricted estuarine
Neme and Quebrada Chipalo (Fig. 11). In these deposits in the middle, and fluviodeltaic deposits at
outcrops, the Caballos Formation has abundant oil the top.
seeps and residual tar. The age of the Caballos Formation as described
In the Quebrada El Neme section (Fig. 11, in the Ortega area by Burg1 (1961b) is early Albian;
Section 71, the lower part of the Caballos Formation dates from Canard et al. (1964) confirm the Aptian-
consists of fine-grained conglomerates, medium- Albian age in the Neiva Sub-Basin.
g-rained sandstones, and thin beds of grey shale. The
sandstones have abundant ripples and crossbedding.
Beds are tabular and lenticular. Limestones are Villeta Formation
abundant in the middle of the section. Toward the
top there is a cyclic repetition of medium-grained The name Villeta Formation was first used by
crossbedded sandstones, followed by fine-grained Hettner (1892) in describing a thick sequence of
ripple-bedded sandstones capped by fine-grained, black shales exposed in the town of Villeta, in the
ferruginous red limestones. The sandstone beds, Cundinamarca area. This name was later adopted
 Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena Basin, Colombia 131

06
QUEBRADA
CHIPALO
PAAAA
I AAAAA \
CMCORAL FM

FM

QUEBRADA
100 m
POTRERKLOS FM.

CABALLOS FM

SALDAiA FM.

Fig. 11. Cretaceous sections in the Chaparral area (see Fig. 1 for section locations).

for the Eastern Cordillera and in Upper Magdalena with finely laminated marlstones. Concretions with
stratigraphy for sediments with a more restricted ammonites and bivalves are also seen. Burrowing is
age span than those of the type locality (Corrigan, conspicuous at the base of the calcarenites (Fig. 12).
1979). In the Michu anticline, the sequence below the
The Villeta Formation is very well represented Lower Chert is characterized by fossiliferous pack-
in the study area and forms the bulk of most of the stones and black shales and a 30-meter-thick section
hills along the eastern margin of the Central Cor- of quartzose, massive, fine-grained green sandstones
dillera. Although several sections were measured in at the top.
the study area, a complete section was not found.
Correlation of distinctive markers within the forma-
tion has provided good control for the construction of
composite sections.
The Villeta Formation is characterized by a
thick sequence of dark shales, carbonates, and minor
sandstone beds with two very distinctive members:
the Lower and the Upper Chert. These two siliceous
units are quite continuous throughout the area and
thus useful for correlating sections (see Fig. 2).

Unit Below the Lower Chert. A 200-meter-

thick sequence of grey to brown, finely laminated
shales and laminated micritic limestones with
concretions and ammonites overlies the Caballos
Formation in the El Valle-San Luis area (see Fig. 4).
Above this lies the Lower Chert. An exposure on the
road to La Manga shows an abundance of fine- Fig. 12. Burrows in calcarenites on the unit below the Lower
grained, brown to yellow calcarenites intercalated Chert in the El Valle-San Luis area. Scale is 10 cm long.
132 C;. A. BARRIO and Il. Q. COFFIELD

Fig. 13 Outcrop view of the El Cobre Sandstone. showmg the Fig. 14. View of the contact of the El Cobre Sandstone. ::o:c ;bc,
coarse texture of the sandstones with medium-scale tabular coarse quartz grains in the underlying limestone and thf: sharp
crossbedding. Scale is 10 cm long. base of the sandstone bed. Scale is 10 cm long

Fig. 15. Outcrop view of the Upper Chert in the El Valle-San Fig. 16. Phosphorite bed in the Upper Chert. Scaie is 10 cm long.
Luis area. The lenticular shape of the beds was created by small
thrusts. Rock hammer is 33 cm long.

The basal portion of the Villeta Formation in the

Ortega area (Fig. 8, Section 4) is characterized by a
thick sequence (640 m) of laminated black shales
with intercalated sandstones. Plant debris is more
common in the lower portion of the section, and
coquinas are present toward the top. The top of the
section is very rich in organic matter and contains
calcareous micritic concretions characterized by the
presence of Inoceramus sp.
Toward the south in the Chaparral area (Fig.
ll), the basal portion of the Villeta Formation is
exposed in the Quebrada Chipalo, where the unit is
105 meters thick and composed of laminated black
shales, with thin stringers of sandstone and small
Fig. 17. Base of the Monserrate Formation in the El Valle-San
calcareous micritic concretions. Pyrite crystals are Luis area, which is composed of a coarse-grained fossiliferous
also found. packstone. Scale is 10 cm long.

Lower Ckert. The unit consists of thin-bedded,

finely laminated brown siliceous shales, with occa- Thickness ranges from 10 to 20 meters. The Lower
sional ammonites, fish debris, and the characteristic Chert had been dated as Coniacian in the Girardot
presence of Inoceramus sp. A few beds of black area (Burg1 and Dumit, 1954). Later discoveries of
lenticular and laminated chert are also present. ammonites in this unit suggested a Santonian age to
 Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena Basin, Colombia
Burg1 (1961b). Julivert (1968) inferred an age of
either Coniacian or Santonian for this unit.
Unit Between the Two Cherts. In the El Valle-
San Luis area (see Fig. 41, the unit between the
Lower and Upper Chert consists of 380 meters of
finely laminated, grey to brown micritic limestones
and gray to fine-grained, light green calcareous
sandstones with concretions, bivalves, and ammo-
nites. The section is capped by a 15 to 20-meter-
thick, fine- to medium-grained, pale yellow to grey
sandstone with crossbedding, poorly to well sorted,
informally known as the El Cobre Sandstone (Fig.
13). Where the base of the sandstone is observed, it
shows a contact with a limestone with scattered
coarse quartz grains that ends abruptly to give place
to the sandstone bed (Fig. 14).
In the Michu anticline, north of Rio Cucuana,
the section between the two cherts was observed in
the Quebrada El Loro, where it is composed of
medium- to fine-grained green sandstones with
abundant lenticular and flaser bedding deformed by
compaction. Calcareous concretions are common in
the sandstones.
In the Ortega area (see Fig. 81, the section
between the cherts consists of finely laminated black
and brown limestones with abundant microfauna.
The top is dominated by laminated yellowish marls
with thin coquina beds and thin beds of calcareous
sandstones. Organic-rich levels are found toward
the top of the column. This section ranges in thick-
ness from 90 to 120 meters. The section between the
two cherts is not exposed in the Chaparral area. The
age of the unit between the two cherts is Santonian
(Burg& 1961b).
Upper Chert. This unit is also very distinctive
across the study area, consisting of intercalated,
finely laminated, siliceous yellow shales and mas-
sive grey chert with wavy bedding and phosphorite
beds (Figs. 15 and 16). The thickness ranges from 20
to 30 meters in the northern area, increasing in the
Ortega area, where it ranges from 40 to 90 meters
(see Fig. 8). Abundant benthonic forams (S&ho-
generinoides sp.) recovered from the Upper Chert
(Lidita superior) in the Ortega area by Burg1
(1961b) date this unit as early Campanian.
Unit Above the Upper Chert. In the El Valle-
San Luis area (see Fig. 41, the Upper Chert is
overlain by is a sequence of loo-150 meters of inter-
calated, fine-grained grey limestones, calcareous
shales with ammonites, and fine-grained gray to
green calcareous sandstones.
The section in the Ortega-Tetuan area (see Fig.
8) consists of 80-120 meters of blak laminated shales
with thin beds of fine-grained black limestones
containing fish debris. Fine-grained, calcareous,
yellowish sandstones with symmetrical and slightly
asymmetrical ripples become more common toward
the top. Burg1 (1961b) assigned a Campanian age to
the top of the Villeta Formation.
133
Deposition& Environment of the ViUeta
Form&on. The Villeta Formation consists predom-
inately of calcareous and organic shales intercalated
with carbonates, with three major distinct intercala-
tions: the Lower and Upper Chert and the El Cobre
Sandstone.
The carbonates and calcareous shales that pre-
dominate in the Villeta Formation are characterized
by the lack of tractive sedimentary structures, de-
noting somewhat deep conditions of sedimentation.
These features, together with the fine grain size of
the deposit, suggest deposition in an offshore en-
vironment. However, the presence of some cross-
bedding structures and stromatolites suggests that
shallower water deposition also took place during
the Villeta sedimentation.
The chert levels intercalated in this carbonate-
shale succession are believed to have been associated
with upwelling currents, as suggested by the rich-
ness in siliceous material, thought to be derived from
siliceous organisms, and phosphorite beds derived at
least in part from fish debris (Macellari and DeVries,
1987).
The El Cobre Sandstone marks another brief
interruption in sedimentation and, based on the
texture of the rocks and its intercalation with deep
water sediments, suggests deposition as an offshore
sand that was shed to the basin depocenter from the
partially uplifted Cordillera Central. This unit
offers a good example of terrigenous influx to a car-
bonate platform (Fig. 14).
Monserrate Formation
The Monserrate Formation takes its name from
the section at Cerro Monserrate in Bogota, as defined
by Hubach (1957) and used in the Neiva Sub-Basin
by Intercol (Beltran and Gallo, 1979). It is very well
represented in the El Valle-San Luis area (see Fig.
41, where it conformably overlies the Villeta Forma-
tion. Between the two units a transition is seen with
limestones containing increasingly abundant terri-
genous quartz grains and medium-scale crossbed-
ding. Locally, however, the basal contact consists of
a limestone breccia with a coarse-grained quartzose
matrix, or it is marked by a coarse fossiliferous
packstone (Fig. 17). These features, together with
the presence of reworked clasts at the base of the
Monserrate Formation and a fauna1 hiatus, led
Burg1 and Dumit (1954) to place an unconformity
between the Villeta and Monserrate Formations in
the Girardot area.
In the El Valle-San Luis area (see Fig. 4), the
Monserrate Formation is characterized by a se-
quence of sandy brown limestones with medium-
scale tabular crossbedding and coarse- to medium-
grained quartzose sandstones. The section reaches a
thickness of 150 meters.
In the Ortega area (see Fig. 8), the Monserrate
Formation has a maximum thickness of 200 meters
and is composed of fine-grained grey conglomerates
134 f.:A. BARRIO and I). Q. COFFIELD
and fine to medium-grained, medium-scale crossbed-
ded sandstones containing abundant milky quartz.
No fossil ages have been reported for the Mon-
serrate Formation in the study area. Based on simi-
larities with units along the Eastern Cordillera, it is
considered to be mid-Campanian to late Maastrich-
tian in age (Waddell, 1982). The Monserrate Forma-
tion is interpreted as having been deposited in a
nearshore setting, grading from outer neritic to
inner shelf and to tidal channels (Waddell. 1982).
Gzmdzum Formation
The name Guaduas Formation is taken from
Hubach (1958, cited in Corrigan, 19791, who applied
it to sediments exposed in the Guaduas syncline in
Cundinamarca that are not equivalent to the Gua-
duas Formation exposed in the Upper Magdalena
Valley (Corrigan, 1979).
There are few exposures of the Guaduas Forma-
tion in the study area. The best outcrop is in the
road to Ortega, where the unit consists of red and
gray shale with thin beds of lithic, crossbedded sand-
stones toward the top. The measured thickness
ranges from 400 to 500 meters.
The age of the Guaduas Formation was defined
by Van der Hammen (1954, 1957) as late Maast-
richtian-Paleocene. Ramirez (1989) and Laverde
(1989) confirmed this age in the Cunday-Sylvania
area along the eastern margin of the Upper Magda-
lena Valley. The abundance of red shales, together
with the scarcity of sandy channels, is interpreted as
indicating deposition by meandering streams.
DISCUSSION
Stratigraphy
Within the framework of the Upper Cretaceous
succession, the stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena
Valley can now be clarified - in particular, the ter-
minology applied to the basal section.
It is assumed in this study that the northern
Lower Sandstone (Qda. El Cobre) is equivalent to the
Caqueza (Julivert, 1968) and Naveta Formations
(Caceres and Etayo, 1967; Sarmiento, 1989; Fig. 18)
of the Middle Magdalena and Eastern Cordillera
sections. These Hauterivian-Barremian sediments
are not represented farther south (Fig. 181, as illus-
trated by the absence of the basal sandstones in the
Ortega field (Texas Petroleum Co., 1962; Biirgl,
1961b; Fig. 19). Nondeposition of the Lower Sand-
stone in the Ortega area suggests that the area was a
paleohigh early in the Cretaceous and was later
covered by sediments representing deeper deposi-
tional conditions (Tetuan and Bambuca units).
Within this framework, the Del Luisa Sandstone
(HOCOL reports) is equivalent to the Caballos For-
mation in the Ortega area, as originally described by
Burg1 i1961b) (Fig. 2). The members of the Caballos
Formation identified in the Girardot Sub-Basin
(Penas and Vargas, 1989) have their equivalents to
the south in the Neiva Sub-Basin ;Reltran and
Gallo, 1979; Sneider, 1988; Fig. 19).
Others working in the Upper Magdalena Valley
have recognized the Yavi Formation, a continental
unit underlying the Cretaceous strata !Mojica and
Macia, 1981; Macia et al., 1985). Penas and Vargas
(1989) differentiated the Calambe Member of the
Yavi Formaiton and described it as being in contact
with the Caballos Formation. In its limited expo-
sures, the Yavi Formation consists characteristically
of continental to shallow marine deposits whose
depositional geometry was controlled by paleotopo-
graphy. In the Ortega-Tetuan area? the Yavi For-
mation was reported from the Chicuambe well
(Macia et al., 19851, but inspection of the well log
suggests that the sediments underlying the sand-
stones of the Caballos Formation are equivalent to
the Tetuan-Bambuca sequence. Good exposures of
the Yavi Formation were studied by Penas and
Vargas (1989) and Agudelo and Penaloza 1.1990) in
the Quebrada Calambe. They concluded that the
Yavi Formation was deposited in a complex of allu-
vial fans and braided streams. The formation may
represent the southern, continental facies of the
Lower Sandstone-Tetuan Limestone-Bambuca
Shale-lower Caballos supercycle, but better age data
are needed to make a conclusive correlation
Fabre (1983) proposed the presence of a paleo-
fault north of Girardot (the Gutierrez Fault) to ex-
plain the abrupt facies change and the absence of the
basal Cretaceous in the Upper Magdalena Valley.
However, the Hauterivian-Barremian transgression
is represented in the study area, as t.he presence of
the Lower Sandstone shows, and the distribution of
the basal Cretaceous section can be explained with-
out faulting.
Thickness and Lithologic Variations
Several differences are noted in the Villeta
Formation between the study area and the eastern
margin of the Magdalena Valley. A marked increase
in thickness is observed to the east, ranging from
800 meters in the El Valle-San Luis area and 960
meters in the Ortega area, to 6000 meters in the
Apulo-Villeta area (Sarmiento, 19891, 3225 meters
in the Prado-Dolores area (Mojica and Macia, 19821,
and over 1100 meters in the Cunday area (Ramirez,
1989). From thickness data, the western margin of
the Magdalena Valley clearly subsided at a slower
rate than the eastern margin and was marginal to
the main depocenter, with facies representing shal-
lower environments than the equivalents to the east.
The shallowness of the equivalent sediments may be
related to positive relief of the Cordillera Central
during Late Cretaceous time, as substantiated by
petrographic studies of the Villeta Formation and
equivalents (Moreno, 1989; Rubiano, 1989) and the
Monserrate Formation (Waddell, 1.982: However,
 GirardotSub-Basin
Age La Ciralnfantas 1 ApulHmeJta 2 NeivaSub-Basin 0
El Valb-San Luis area 3 Ortega area 3.4,5
-66.5 -_-_. ________ ________________,- _~y-y333---77- ~~7~~~~7~~~777 ~~~~77-_-_-_-_-_-_-r~ ---------~---_
.-_____________
- - - - - - _- _________________. Fm.3+g.+&.+.~&J~ Fm.&.g.$.&.+.g.;~*e&3 Fm.j$.<.tg
---_-_
- - - - -___________________
______________.
____ ., ..........*~s~;ri~..~~..~,..~,..~~~.~~.~.ou~
.. .--. :.:..:.. . . .
-..._ .:.:.:.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .:.:.:.:.. :.:.:_. . . . . . . . . . . .:.:.:.:.. .:.:.. .. . .. .. . ...:~.:~.~..:
_~-------------_
_____________________________,
------_______________________ ._
. ._._._._._._._._............ :.: ( : :. : : : ( : :. : : : f : :.: :.: .
. : ; : . : :.: ( : ( : ( : :.: :.: : : ( :; :::::( :I :
Maasbichtian _____________________________~ : .: .: .: .: .: .: .: .: .: .: .: .: .: :(:~::.:I:-::.:(:I::.::.:I:I:..:.:
__:_:_:_:~-~~~ ~~;,:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:~_~:
; * i f i f ; f j f ; f i f ;f ; ( ;f j f i f ;f i ; ;f ;f i fMonme F,,,., ; ; i Conse~~~.i~ii:i:i::iiiiiii,i(i::i::iii::iiiiili
_____________________________ : &: .: .. .. .. .. ._.. .. .. .: .: .: .: .: .: : : : : . . . .. : : : : .: : : : .: : : : .:
-74 .----___-_-____________________
___________________.-..--.-.. ;.rr.r:(LBbOr-Tiem~:-:;:.:.:;:;:;:;:;:.
______________
[;f$Y_-_-_------ ____________________
Campanian -----------___________
------__________________

-84 gvvvvtwII
F&:i:i__._. . . . . . . . . ._ . .
Santonian F ~V.?ialamhnMhr~~~~ : . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....I :..

Turonl
52
Cenomanian E

_____-.--------------

__-__.OlinlSh. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

1.-Morales et al. 1985 2.- Sarmiento. 1989 3.- Field Work, 1987 4.-Texas, 1982 5. Allen, 1989 8.- B&r&n end Galb, 1979

@ conglomerates c3 shales a shaly limestones - unconformity

Ls. Limestone
~sandstones a bbclastic limestone a sandy limestones
Ss. Sandstone
B limestones a siltstones 0 chetl Sh. Shale

Fig. 18. Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Middle Magdalena Valley, Eastern Cordillera area, and the Upper Magdalena Valley with the Girardot Sub-Basin and the Neiva Sub-Basin.
136 C. A. BARRIO and Il. Q. COFFIELD

an Francisco Field-._.__ lmk,,+__. ._~~_~_ Ortega field --------45 b Quebrada

Sneider, 1988 Texas Petrol. Co.. 1962 El Cobre

15Om

100
a vokanii Rock3 WTrcugh cross-bedding

@LimeHones c- Planarc-ing
@p&es -q Ripplecross-bedding
50
@ sandwles j Burrows
@Q Calcereniies
0 N Treetrunks
@ Bioclasts
Plant debris
d
v Unconformity

Fig. 19. Lithostratigraphic correlation of the base of the Cretaceous in the Upper Magdalena Vallr:J

the abundance of carbonates in the sequence implies
minor elastic input to the basin (Tankard, 1986).
Lithologic differences in the Villeta Formation
are also evident between the western and eastern
margins of the Upper Magdalena Valley. The Cre-
taceous succession on the western margin is charac-
terized by abundant limestones and some sand-
stones, whereas black shales are the dominant litho-
logy to the east (see Fig. 18). The Lower and Upper
Chert are well represented in the study area and also
recognized in the Prado-Dolores area (Mojica and
Macfa, 1982) and the Neiva Sub-Basin (Beltran and
Gallo, 1979).
The El Cobre Sandstone in the study area may
be stratigraphically equivalent to the Dura Forma-
tion (Perez and Salazar, 1972; see Fig. 181, but the
temporal equivalence is not clear since the El Cobre
seems to have had a western source, whereas the
Dura clearly had an eastern provenance (Perez and
Salazar, 1978). In the western margin, between the
Upper Chert and the Monserrate Formation, there is
a thick succession of limestones and calcareous sand-
stones intercalated with marlstones. This sequence
is not present on the eastern side of the basin (see
Fig. 18).
The Monserrate Formation is stratigraphically
equivalent to the Labor-Tierna Formations, and
again a difference in provenance is seen between
these two units (Waddell, 1982; Perez and Salazar,
19721, indicating a continuing influence of the Cen-
tral Cordillera along the western margin of the
Magdalena Valley. At the top of the Cretaceous
sequence there is a direct correlation between the
sediments of the Guaduas Formation on both sides of
the valley (see Fig. 18).
Depodtionul History
Based on the preceding, three major trans-
gressive-regressive cycles can be differentiated in
the Cretaceous sedimentary deposits along the west-
ern margin of the Girardot Sub-Basin.
The first cycle is represented by the basal Creta-
ceous section in the northern portion of the study
area. The section beginning with the Lower Sand-
stone, passing into the Tetuan Limestone, and
finally to the lower portion of the Bambuca Shale
represents the first transgressive hemicycle. The top
of the Bambuca Shale and the lower member of the
Caballos Formation represents the regressive hemi-
cycle. A sequence boundary thus can be placed at
the top of the Lower Caballos member. The Lower
Sandstone, the Tetuan Limestone, and the lower
 Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Upper Magdalena Basin, Colombia 137

portion of the Bambuca Shale (up to the maximum confined to the northern part of the Middle Magda-
transgressive surface) represent the transgressive lena Basin (La Cira-Infantas area; Morales et al.,
system tract. The maximum transgressive surface 1958). The ensuing Hauterivian-Barremian trans-
separates the transgressive system tract from the gression covered a larger area, with its shallower
highstand system tract (Vail, 1987; Van Wagoner et facies covering the northern part of the Girardot
al., 19881, with the latter represented by the upper Sub-Basin (Quebrada El Cobre-Quebrada Cachipi).
Bambuca unit together with the lower member of During Aptian-Albian times, the Caballos Forma-
the Caballos Formation. Farther to the south, in the tion was deposited over a widespread area, repre-
Quebrada Calambe section, Penas and Vargas senting a major transgression associated with a
(1989) concluded in a similar manner that the lower great rise in sea level (Macellari, 1988).
part of the Yavf Formation, the Calambe Member, During the Cenomanian-Turonian, the northern
and the lower Caballos member constitute a trans- portion of South America was covered by sediments
gressive-regressive cycle. of the Villeta Group and equivalents, indicating the
Deposition of the middle member of the Caballos marine flooding of the continent during Cmtaceous
Formation during the Aptian-Albian marks the time (Macellari, 1988). At the end of the Cretaceous,
onset of the second transgression, followed by a the retreat of the sea resulted in deposition of the
regression represented by the upper member of the Monserrate and Guaduas Formations in the area of
Caballos Formation. The middle member then re- the Upper Magdalena Valley.
presents the transgressive system tract passing up to
the highstand system tract of the upper Caballos
Formation. The same conclusion was reached by CONCLUSIONS
Pedas and Vargas (1989) for the Quebrada Calambe
section. Three major transgressive-regressive cycles are
The third cycle is marked by deposition of the represented in the Cretaceous section in the study
marine sediments of the Villeta Formation. The re- area. The first cycle by the Lower Sandstone, Tetuin
gressive hemicycle that corresponds to this trans- Limestone, Bambuca Shale, and lower Caballos
gression is represented by the calcarenites of the top member; the second cycle by the middle and upper
of the Villeta Formation and extends upward into Caballos members; and the third cycle by the
the shallow marine Monserrate Formation and the sediments of the Villeta Formation under conditions
continental Guaduas Formation. The deeper condi- of sea-level stillstand and periods of upwelling that
tions of sedimentation in the area and the lack of brought silica-rich organisms to near the surface.
fossiliferous control makes it difficult to differentiate The regression is recorded in the sandy limestones at
system tracts within the Villeta Formation but, as the top of the Villeta Formation and, finally, in the
was stated in discussing the depositional environ- elastic sediments of the Monserrate and Guaduas
ment of the Villeta Formation, variations in water Formations.
depths were noted. The El Cobre Sandstone can be The Central Cordillera influenced deposition
attributed to a drop in sea level or can be linked to a throughout most of the Cretaceous by acting as a
local increase in sediment input. regional high, but it was not always an active elastic
Macellari (1988) also described three major source, as indicated by the abundance of carbonates
cycles of sedimentation in the Upper Cretaceous of in the study area.
the Upper Magdalena Valley: the Caballos-lower This work provides support and further defines
Villeta (late Aptian to mid-Cenomanian), the upper the extent of the Cretaceous transgressions into the
Villeta cycle (late Cenomanian-early Campanian?), Upper Magdalena Valley. The data show that the
and the Monserrate-Guaduas cycle (Campanian- first transgression took place in the Hauterivian-
Maastrichtian). He proposed that these cycles gen- Barremian and was restricted to the northern part of
erally coincide with eustatic changes in sea level the study area, in the vicinity of the San Luis-El
recognized worldwide. These three cycles coincide in Valle area. This was followed by the short-lived
part with the ones described here, the difference Aptian-Albian transgression represented through-
being that we place the lowermost cycle lower in the out the upper valley. Regional flooding of northern
section and interpret the Monserrate-Guaduas suc- South America is recorded in the Cenomanian-
cession as the regressive portion of the Villeta trans- Turonian sediments of the Villeta Formation.
gressive cycle, whereas Macellari (1988) considered Additional work is needed in order to define the
this succession as belonging to a different cycle. exact age of the units discussed here. Such informa-
tion will help determine the timing and regional
extent of Cretaceous transgressions in this area.
Paleogeography

The present data show that the sandstone inter-
vals migrated progressively to the south, marking
the maximum advance of the different Cretaceous
transgressions. The Valanginian-Hauterivian
transgression (the Tambor Formation) seems to be
SAES 512-B
Acknowledgmenta-The release of information wa8 authorized
by HOCOL SA (Houston Oil Colombia), to whom we are grateful.
Jorge Campuzano (HOCOL) helped with our vieite to Colombia
and in organizing our field work. Pat Monteleone and Mac McGil-
very of Tenneco were in charge of the project and maintained
interesting discussions about the study area. Carlos E. Macellari
138 A.
C:. BARRIO and D. Q. COFFIELD

(Pecten International) provided insights into the stratigraphy of Corrigan, H. T., 1979. The geology of the Upper Magdalena Basin
the area, and Heider Polania of HOCOL and Pitch Allen and 1northern portion). In: Geological Field Trips, Colombia: 19.59.
Steve Schamel of the Earth Sciences and Resources Institute 2978, pp. 221-249. Colombian Society of Petroleum Geologists
(University of South Carolina) provided ideas related to the re- and Geophysicists, Bogota, Colombia
gional geology of the area. Texaco Colombia was a partial sponsor
Fabre. A., 1983. La subsidencia de la Cuenca de1 Cocuy
of this project, and their previous work in the area provided the
(Cordillera Oriental de Colombia) durante el Cretaceo y Terciario,
geologic framework to carry out the present study. Reviews by A
segunda parte: Esquema de evolution tectonica. Geologta Nor-
Aleman ihmoco) and K.J. Smith (Shell) improved the final manu-
andina 8, 21-27.
script.
Hettner, 1892. Die Kordillere Vun Bogotc? Petersman. Mitt Erg,
HelR 104

Hubach, E., 1957. Estratigrafia de la sabana de Bogota y alrede-

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Reeumen-La secu6ncia Cretacica de1 margen oeste de la subcuenca de Girardot de1 Valle Superior de1 Rio
Magdalena de Colombiase compone de las arenitas de Lower Sandstones (Hauteriviano-Barremiano?), la
caliza Tetuan (pre-Aptiano?), la lutita Bambuca (preAptiano?l, y las formacionee Cabal108 (Aptiano-
Albiano), Villeta (Albiano-Campaniano), Monserrate (Campaniano-Maastrichtianol y Guaduas (Maastrich-
tiano-Paleocene). La unidad de Lower Sandstones se compone de arenitas cuarzosas con abundante cement0
calcareo. La Caliza Tetuan esta compuesta de calizas fosiliferas de grano grueso. La Lutita Bambuca se
compone de fangolitas negras que pasan hacia arriba a calizaz micriticas y calcarenitas. La Formaci6n
Cabal108 presenta tree miembros, el miembro inferior compue8to de arenitae cuarzoza8, el medio de
fangolitas negrae y calizas micr?ticas y el superior que conforma una eecuencia grano-creciente de arenitas
cuarzosaz entrecruzadas. La Formaci6n Villeta esta compuesta por fangolitas con intercalaciones de calizas
micriticas y calcarenitae. Dentro de la Formaci6n Villeta se diferencias do8 niveles de chert (Lower y Upper
Chert) en todo el gmbito de1 area de estudio. Hacia el norte de1 area de eetudio ze presentan las arenitas de
El Cobre. La Formaci6n Monzerrate 88 compone de are&as cuarzosaz y localmente intercala brechas
calcareae y pack&ones fosilifero8 de grano grueso. La Forma&n Guaduaa conforma una 8UCeSibn mon6-
tona de fangolitas rojas intercaladas con arenitas liticas. La presente informaci6n sugiere que tree ciclos
trangreaivos-regreeivos e&&n repreaentadoe en la Subcuenca de Girardot. El primer ciclo (Hauteriviano?-
Aptiano inferior) est6 compuesto por la8 unidadea de Lower Sandstone-Tetuan-Bambuca y el miembro in-
ferior de la Formacidn Caballos. El Segundo ciclo (Aptiano-Albiano) por 10s miembroe medio y superior de la
formaci6n Caballos. El tercer ciclo (Albiano-Paleocene) por la8 formaciones Villeta-Monserrate y Guaduas.
Se ha aeumido previamente que la8 sedimentation de1 Cretacico superior en la Cuenca Superior de1 Valle
de1 Magdalena manifiesta un control eustatico durante su deposicibn. El ciclo inferior no habia sido
diferenciado anteriormente y esto implica una transici6n entre el relleno de1 ezpeso depocentro de Bogota
hacia el norte y el relleno menos potente de1 Magdalena hacia el sur.