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Matmor Formation
Matmor Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Callovian; ~164–160 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Matmor Formation (foreground and middle ground) in Hamakhtesh Hagadol, Israel
Type	Sedimentary
Underlies	Hatira Formation
Overlies	kidod Formation
Thickness	Up to 100 m (330 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Other	Marl
Location
Region	Negev
Country	Israel
Extent	Southern Israel
Type section
Named for	Matmor, Israel
Named by	Hirsch & Roded
Year defined	1996

The Matmor Formation is a geologic formation of up to 100 metres (330 ft) thick, that is exposed in Hamakhtesh Hagadol in southern Israel. The Matmor Formation contains fossils from a Jurassic equatorial shallow marine environment. Bivalves, gastropods, sponges, corals, echinoderms, and sclerobionts are present in the Matmor Formation to various degrees (Wilson et al., 2010). The stratigraphy of the Matmor Formation consists of alternating layers of limestone and marl (Hirsch and Roded, 1996).

Stratigraphy

The Iraq Petroleum Company originally described the Jurassic sequence in Hamakhtesh Hagadol of Israel in the 1930s (Hudson, 1958). These findings were later described and published by Blake (1935). Shaw (1947) published a limited summary of the stratigraphy. Hudson (1958) later subdivided the rocks into the Callovian, Divesian, Argovian, Sequanim biostratigraphic stages. In 1963, Goldberg subdivided the section into the Zohar, Kidod and Be'er Sheva Formations. Goldberg (1963) further divided the Zohar Formation into the Ziyya and Madsus members. In 1966, Mayac dated the Callovian and what appeared to be the Lower Oxfordian stages with forams (Mayac, 1966, in Hirsch and Roded, 1996). Further biostratigraphic work by Hirsch et al. (1998) and Grossowicz et al. (2000) show that the Matmor Formation is entirely Late Callovian.

Gallery

Marls and limestones of the Matmor Formation exposed near the center of Makhtesh Gadol
Gastrochaenolites boring in a coral from the Matmor Formation
Calcarea sponge and encrusting crinoid from the Matmor Formation
Scleractinian coral from the Matmor Formation
Paracenoceras, a nautiloid from the Matmor Formation
Enallhelia, a scleractinian coral from the Matmor Formation
Fimbria sp.; a bivalve from the Matmor Formation
Amphiastrea Etallon 1859; a scleractinian coral from the Matmor Formation
Axosmilia, a scleractinian coral from the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic) of southern Israel; side view
Axosmilia, a scleractinian coral from the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic) of southern Israel; oral view
The scleractinian coral Microsolena from the Matmor Formation, Middle Jurassic, southern Israel
Epistreptophyllum, a scleractinian coral from the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic) of southern Israel; side view
Actinostreon spp. from the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic, Callovian) of Makhtesh Gadol, southern Israel
Mytilus (Falcimytilus) jurensis from the Middle Jurassic (Callovian) Matmor Formation of Makhtesh Gadol, southern Israel