2.11.1.3. Kerniel Member

Name

The term Sands and Gravel of Kerniel are introduced by Van Den Broeck (1883) in an explanatory note of the geological map Bilzen 1/20.000. The village of Kerniel lies north of Borgloon and is now a dependant municipality of Borgloon (Limburg prov-ince).

General characteristics

The member consists of medium-grained, rather fine-grained, white to yellowish, brownish quartzitic sand. Mica and glauconite are rare (Batjes, 1958). According to Kruissink et al. (1978), the base of the member is often clayey, and the transition with the underlying Kleine-Spouwen Member is gradual. The Kerniel Sands can consist of an alternation of more or less clayey layers.

The Kerniel gravel - which occurs in the middle of the sandy deposit - consists of rounded quartz pebbles, milky-quartz pebbles and flint pebbles. This horizon is sometimes indurated and can contain intercalations of plastic clay.

Occurrence

The Kerniel Member occurs in South Limburg (Sint-Truiden, Tongeren unto Genk) and East Limburg (Maasmechelen, Eisden). The lower boundary is with the Kleine-Spouwen Member and the upper boundary is with the Boom Formation. The thick-ness of the member is approximately 7 m.

Stratotype

Outcrop along the railroad Looz-Kerniel, at Kerniel (Van Den Broeck, 1883).

This coutcrop is not accessible anymore. Furthermore, it has been argued whether the once observed sands already belonged to the Miocene (Gullentops, personal observa-tion).

Former designations

Geological map 1/40.000:

R1d: sands below gravel

R2a: gravel

R2b: sands above gravel

Stratigraphical register (1929, 1932): no record

New geological map 1/50.000: BiKe