biology

Macarao Formation

Macarao Formation is a biology 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 Macarao Formation rather than just read about it. In short: The Macarao Formation (Spanish: Formación Macarao, E2m) is a geological formation of the Cocinetas Basin in the northernmost Colombian department of La Guajira. The formation consists of foraminifera-rich fine to medium grained calcareous sandstones intercalated with calcareous siltstones, cross-cut by veins of gypsum.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The Macarao Formation (Spanish: Formación Macarao, E2m) is a geological formation of the Cocinetas Basin in the northernmost Colombian department of La Guajira. The formation consists of foraminifera-rich fine to medium grained calcareous sandstones intercalated with calcareous siltstones, cross-cut by veins of gypsum. The 253 metres (830 ft) thick Macarao Formation dates to the Paleogene period; Middle to Late Eocene epoch, corresponding to the Divisaderan in the South American land mammal ages (SALMA).

Definition The formation was defined by Rollins in 1965.

Description

Lithologies The Macarao Formation consists of foraminifera-rich fine to medium grained calcareous sandstones intercalated with calcareous siltstones, cross-cut by veins of gypsum.

Stratigraphy and depositional environment The Macarao Formation has a maximum thickness of 253 metres (830 ft) and overlies the Cretaceous Guaramalai Formation and the basement (Jarara Schist) and is overlain by the Siamaná and Castilletes Formations with a high angle unconformity. The age has been estimated to be Middle to Late Eocene, corresponding to the Divisaderan in the South American land mammal ages (SALMA). The formation has been deposited in a shallow marine bay environment.

Petroleum geology The Macarao Formation is a reservoir rock formation in the Guajira Basin.

See also

Geology of the Eastern Hills Cesar-Ranchería Basin Bogotá Formation Chota, Loreto, Regadera, Soncco, Usme Formations

References

Bibliography ANH (2010), Guajira Basin - Colombia Open Round 2010 (PDF), ANH, p. 1, archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-31, retrieved 2017-08-30 Moreno, F.; Hendy, A.J.W.; Quiroz, L.; Hoyos, N.; Jones, D.S.; Zapata, V.; Zapata, S.; Ballen, G.A.; Cadena, A.L. Cárdenas, J.D. Carrillo Briceño, J.D. Carrillo, D. Delgado Sierra, J. Escobar, J.I. Martínez, C. Martínez, C. Montes, J. Moreno, N. Pérez, R. Sánchez, C. Suárez, M.C. Vallejo Pareja, C. Jaramillo, Edwin (2015), "Revised stratigraphy of Neogene strata in the Cocinetas Basin, La Guajira, Colombia" (PDF), Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 134 (1): 5–43, Bibcode:2015SwJP..134....5M, doi:10.1007/s13358-015-0071-4, retrieved 2017-08-08{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Rodríguez, Gabriel; Londoño, Ana Cristina (2002), Mapa geológico del Departamento de La Guajira - 1:250,000, INGEOMINAS, pp. 1–259, retrieved 2017-08-08

Maps Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Ochoa, Alberto; Muñoz, Carlos A.; Dorado, Camilo E.; Guerrero, Nathalia M.; Martínez, Ana M.; Medina, Paula A.; Ocampo, Edgar F.; Pinilla and Paula A. Ríos, Bibiana P. Rodríguez, Edward A. Salazar, Vladimir L. Zapata, Alejandro (2008), Plancha 3 - Puerto Estrella - 1:100,000, INGEOMINAS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-06-06{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Ochoa, Alberto; Muñoz, Carlos A.; Dorado, Camilo E.; Guerrero, Nathalia M.; Martínez, Ana M.; Medina, Paula A.; Ocampo, Edgar F.; Pinilla and Paula A. Ríos, Bibiana P. Rodríguez, Edward A. Salazar, Vladimir L. Zapata, Alejandro (2008), Plancha 5 - Bahía Portete - 1:100,000, INGEOMINAS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-06-06{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Ochoa, Alberto; Muñoz, Carlos A.; Dorado, Camilo E.; Guerrero, Nathalia M.; Martínez, Ana M.; Medina, Paula A.; Ocampo, Edgar F.; Pinilla and Paula A. Ríos, Bibiana P. Rodríguez, Edward A. Salazar, Vladimir L. Zapata, Alejandro (2008), Plancha 10 - Rancho Grande - 1:100,000, INGEOMINAS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-06-06{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Ochoa, Alberto; Muñoz, Carlos A.; Dorado, Camilo E.; Guerrero, Nathalia M.; Martínez, Ana M.; Medina, Paula A.; Ocampo, Edgar F.; Pinilla and Paula A. Ríos, Bibiana P. Rodríguez, Edward A. Salazar, Vladimir L. Zapata, Alejandro (2008), Plancha 10bis - Rancho Grande - 1:100,000, INGEOMINAS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-06-06{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Macarao Formation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Macarao Formation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, 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 Macarao 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 Macarao 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 Macarao Formation

In research: Macarao Formation appears in biology 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 Macarao 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: Macarao Formation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bartonian Stage, Divisaderan, Eocene Series of South America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Macarao 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 Macarao Formation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Macarao 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 Macarao Formation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Macarao Formation in simple terms?

Why does Macarao Formation matter?

Because it connects several biology 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 Macarao 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 Macarao Formation.