earth science

Hiló Formation

Hiló Formation is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hiló Formation rather than just read about it. In short: The Hiló Formation (Spanish: Formación Hiló, Kih) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The predominantly shale formation dates to the Middle Cretaceous period; Late Albian to Early Cenomanian epochs and has a measured thickness at its type section of 470 metres (1,540 ft).

Key takeaways

Hiló Formation belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hiló Formation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hiló Formation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Hiló Formation (Spanish: Formación Hiló, Kih) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The predominantly shale formation dates to the Middle Cretaceous period; Late Albian to Early Cenomanian epochs and has a measured thickness at its type section of 470 metres (1,540 ft). The fossiliferous formation has provided a great abundance of ammonites and other marine species.

Etymology The formation was defined and named in 1931 by Hubach after the Caserío Boquerón de Hiló in Anapoima.

Description

Lithologies The Hiló Formation with a measured thickness of 470 metres (1,540 ft), is characterised by a sequence of pyritic organic shales, limestones and siltstones, with sandstone banks intercalated in the formation.

Stratigraphy and depositional environment The Hiló Formation overlies the Capotes Formation and is overlain by the Simijaca Formation. The age has been estimated to be Late Albian to Early Cenomanian. Stratigraphically, the formation is time equivalent with the Une and Pacho Formations. The formation has been deposited in an open platform setting. The deposition is represented by a maximum flooding surface and pelagic to hemipelagic conditions.

Fossil content Fossils of Actinoceramus munsoni, Actinoceramus aff. subsulcatiformis, Beudanticeras cf. rebouli, Desmoceras latidorsatum, Eubrancoceras cf. aegoceratoides, Exogyra aff. texana, Goodhallites aguilerae, Inoceramus anglicus, Inoceramus cf. cadottensis, Inoceramus aff. dunveganensis, Inoceramus aff. etheridgei, Inoceramus cf. ewaldi, Inoceramus aff. irenensis, Inoceramus prefragilis, Inoceramus cf. richensis, Lyelliceras pseudolyelli, Mojsisovicsia evansi, Mortoniceras arietiforme, Neocomiceramus neocomiensis, Neoharpoceras hugardianum, Oxytropidoceras intermedium, Oxytropidoceras karsteni, Oxytropidoceras laraense, Oxytropidoceras multicostatum, Oxytropidoceras nodosum, Oxytropidoceras peruvianum, ?Oxytropidoceras robustum, Oxytropidoceras venezolanum, Prolyelliceras gevreyi, Prolyelliceras prorsocurvatum, Puzio media, Tegoceras mosense, Acompsoceras sp., ?Bositra sp., Camptonectes sp., Entolium sp., Hamites sp., Hysteroceras sp., Mariella sp., Ostrea sp., Phelopteria sp., and ?Syncyclonema sp. have been found in the Hiló Formation.

Outcrops

The Hiló Formation is apart from its type locality along the road from Apulo to Anapoima, found just east of Viotá, Cundinamarca, and in the department of Tolima. West of Guayabal de Síquima, the formation is offset by the Vianí Fault.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hiló Formation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hiló Formation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hiló Formation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hiló Formation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hiló Formation

In research: Hiló Formation appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hiló Formation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hiló Formation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Albian Stage, Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Cenomanian Stage, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hiló Formation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hiló Formation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hiló Formation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hiló Formation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hiló Formation in simple terms?

Why does Hiló Formation matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hiló Formation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hiló Formation.