Budden Canyon Formation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Budden Canyon Formation Stratigraphic range: Berriasian-Turonian ~145–90Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Great Valley Group
Sub-units	Bald Hills, Chickabolly, Gas Point, Huling Sandstone & Ogo Members
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, sandstone
Other	Conglomerate, limestone
Location
Coordinates	40°24′N 122°30′W / 40.4°N 122.5°W / 40.4; -122.5
Approximate paleocoordinates	40°30′N 78°30′W / 40.5°N 78.5°W / 40.5; -78.5
Region	California
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Budden Canyon

The Budden Canyon Formation is a special type of rock layer found in California. It's called a sedimentary rock formation because it formed from layers of mud, sand, and other bits of rock that settled over millions of years.

This formation dates back to the Cretaceous Period, a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth! Specifically, it formed between about 145 and 90 million years ago.

Discovering the Budden Canyon Formation

The Budden Canyon Formation is incredibly thick, reaching more than 20,000 feet deep. That's like stacking over 3,000 school buses on top of each other!

What is the Budden Canyon Formation?

This rock formation is mostly made of mudstone and sandstone. These rocks formed from tiny pieces of rock and dirt that were carried by water.

The sediments settled in different places, including:

• Alluvial fans (fan-shaped deposits from rivers)
• Shallow parts of the ocean
• Deep ocean slopes and basins, where fast-moving underwater currents called turbidites deposited layers of sediment.

What Fossils Can We Find?

The Budden Canyon Formation is famous for being full of fossils! Scientists call it "fossiliferous" because it has so many ancient remains.

You can find many "macro-fossils," which are fossils big enough to see easily. These include:

• Ammonites: These were ancient sea creatures with spiral shells, similar to modern-day nautiluses.
• Gastropods: These are ancient snails.
• Bivalves: These are like ancient clams or oysters.

Besides animal fossils, there are also lots of plant fossils. You can find petrified wood, which is wood that has turned into rock, along with fossilized leaves and seeds.

Even tiny "microfossils" are present, like:

• Foraminifera: These are microscopic, single-celled organisms with shells.
• Microgastropods: These are very tiny snails.

Rarely, scientists also find fossils of larger animals, called vertebrates. These include:

• Ancient fish
• Pterosaurs (flying reptiles)
• Even a dinosaur!
• And marine turtles that swam in the ancient seas.