earth science

Solling Formation

Solling 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 Solling Formation rather than just read about it. In short: The Solling Formation is a geologic formation in Germany. Formerly considered earliest Triassic (Induan), but later dating places the formation from the Olenekian to Anisian of the Triassic period.

Key takeaways

Solling 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 Solling Formation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Solling Formation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Solling Formation is a geologic formation in Germany. Formerly considered earliest Triassic (Induan), but later dating places the formation from the Olenekian to Anisian of the Triassic period.

Description The formation is subdivided into three members, the lower Solling-Bausandstein Member, the Trendelburg/Karlshafen Beds and the upper Chirotherium Sandstone Member.

Fossil content The following fossils have been reported from the formation:

Temnospondyls Parotosuchus nasutus Trematosaurus brauni

Reptiles Anomoiodon liliensterni Ctenosauriscus koeneni Koiloskiosaurus coburgiensis Trachelosaurus fischeri

Flora Pleuromeia sternbergii

See also List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Germany

References

Bibliography Schoch, R. R (2018), "The temnospondyl Parotosuchus nasutus (v. Meyer, 1858) from the Early Triassic Middle Buntsandstein of Germany", Palaeodiversity, 11: 107–126, doi:10.18476/pale.11.a6 Säilä, L. K (2008), "The Osteology and Affinities of Anomoiodon liliensterni, a Procolophonid Reptile from the Lower Triassic Buntsandstein of Germany", Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28 (4): 1199–1205, Bibcode:2008JVPal..28.1199S, doi:10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1199 Broili, F.; Fischer, E. (1917), "Trachelosaurus fischeri nov. gen. nov. sp. Ein neuer Saurier aus dem Buntsandstein von Bernburg", Jahrbuch der Königlich Preussischen geologischen Landesanstalt zu Berlin, 37: 359–414 von Huene, F (1911), "Ueber die Procolophoniden, mit einer neuen Form aus dem Buntsandstein", Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie, 1911: 78–83 von Huene, F (1902), "Übersicht über die Reptilien der Trias - Review of the Reptilia of the Triassic", Geologische und Paläontologische Abhandlungen (Neue Serie) Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 6: 1–84

Further reading H. H. Ecke. 1986. Palynologie des Zechsteins und Unteren Buntsandsteins im Germanischen Becken. Dissertation Georg-August-Universität Göttingen 1-117

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Solling Formation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Solling 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 Solling 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 Solling 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 Solling Formation

In research: Solling 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 Solling 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: Solling Formation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Anisian Stage, Bavaria, Claystone formations, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Solling 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 Solling Formation in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Solling Formation in simple terms?

The Solling Formation is a geologic formation in Germany. Formerly considered earliest Triassic (Induan), but later dating places the formation from the Olenekian to Anisian of the Triassic period.

Why does Solling 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 Solling 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 Solling Formation.