View source for Earth:Wetterstein limestone

{{mergeto|Wetterstein Formation|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name           = Wetterstein limestone
| image          =
| caption        =
| type           = [[Earth:Geological formation|Geological formation]]
| age            = [[Earth:Middle Triassic|Middle]]—[[Earth:Late Triassic|Late Triassic]]<br>{{fossil range|Ladinian|Carnian}}
| prilithology   = [[Earth:Limestone|Limestone]]
| otherlithology =
| namedfor       = 
| namedby        = 
| region         = [[Place:Alps|Alps]], [[Place:Central Europe|Central Europe]]
| country        = Austria, {{wipe|Germany}}, {{wipe|Switzerland}}
| coordinates    =
| unitof         =
| subunits       =
| underlies      =
| overlies       =
| thickness      = 600 m
| extent         =
| area           =
| map            =
| map_caption    =
}}
'''Wetterstein limestone''' ({{lang-de|Wettersteinkalk}}) and '''Wetterstein dolomite''' (''Wettersteindolomit'') are the most common names for a [[Earth:Carbonate rock|carbonate rock]] from the [[Earth:Middle Triassic|Middle Triassic]] epoch of the Ladinian stage, comparable to the German stage in which [[Earth:Muschelkalk|Muschelkalk]] rock strata were formed.

The rock gets its name from the Wetterstein Mountains, because the Wetterstein limestone is the bedrock of large mountains here. The center of its distribution, however, is in the Karwendel Mountains. It occurs in the Northern and Southern Limestone Alps and in the Western Carpathians.

==Geology==
[[File:Paleogene transgression.jpg|thumb|200px|Transgression of the [[Earth:Paleogene|Paleogene]] sediments over the Wetterstein Limestone of the Silicic Superunit, Western Carpathians.]]

The rock is found in the whole of the [[Place:Alps|Alps]], in many places as [[Earth:Limestone|limestone]] ([[Chemistry:Calcium carbonate|calcium carbonate]]), in many others as [[Earth:Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]]. In many areas there is a frequent alternation of limestone and dolomite facies.

===Subunits===
Its subunits include: 
*Messerstich Limestone
*[[Earth:Schlern Dolomite|Schlern Dolomite]]
*Marmolata Limestone
*Steinalm Formation
*[[Earth:Ramsau Dolomite Formation|Ramsau Dolomite Formation]]

===Fossils=== 
Because, during dolomitisation, traces of fossils are largely lost as a result of recrystallisation, fossils in the Wetterstein dolomite are harder to distinguish, and even in thin sections may be barely recognizable. Wetterstein dolomite is rarely as bituminous as typical [[Earth:Main Dolomite|Main Dolomite]] and therefore tends to be much more pure and brighter-coloured. Otherwise, there are no fundamental differences with the Wetterstein limestone.

==See also==
*List of types of limestone
*{{C|Triassic Europe}}

==References==
*McCann, Tom (2008). ''The Geology of Central Europe: Mesozoic and Cenozoic'', Vol. 2, Geological Society; Pap/Cdr edition (Sep 2008), {{ISBN|978-1-86239-265-6}}

==External links==
* [http://www.scotese.com/newpage8.htm World map at the time of the Early/Lower Triassic]
* [http://www.geologie.ac.at/pdf/Poster/Poster_2007_OEPG_hofmann_voeroes_etal.pdf ''Cephalopod coquina beds in the Wetterstein Limestone'']


[[Category:Limestone formations]]
[[Category:Lithostratigraphy]]

{{Sourceattribution|Wetterstein limestone|1}}