Candeleros Formation

Candeleros Formation Stratigraphic range: Cenomanian
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Neuquén Group
Underlies	Huincul Formation
Overlies	Lohan Cura Formation
Thickness	300 m (980 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Conglomerate Eolian Siltstone Paleosol
Location
Region	Neuquén Province
Country	Argentina
Type section
Named for	Candeleros Hill

The Candeleros Formation (formerly known as the Candeleros Member of the "Rio Limay Formation") is a geologic formation that outcrops in Río Negro, Neuquén, and Mendoza provinces of Argentina. It is the oldest formation in the Neuquén Group and belongs to the Rio Limay Subgroup. Formerly that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Candeleros Formation was known as the Candeleros Member.

The type locality of the Candeleros Formation is Candeleros Hill in Neuquén province. This formation unconformably overlies the Lohan Cura Formation, and it is in turn overlain by the Huincul Formation, also a unit of the Neuquén Group. The sediments of the latter are of lighter greenish and yellow colors and the boundary between the Candeleros and Huincul formations is easily recognizable.

The Candeleros Formation is almost 300 meters thick in some sections. Overall, the formation represents an ancient braided river system, made up mostly of sandstones and conglomerates. There are also isolated sections that represent eolian (wind-blown) deposition, as well as siltstones deposited under swamp conditions. Paleosols (soil deposits) are common in some sections as well.

Era: Mesozoic
Period: Late Cretaceous
Faunal stage: early Cenomanian
Absolute Age: ~100 to ~97 mya

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