Urgonien

The calcareous urgonien is a abundant Calcaire in the pre-alpine chains (Vercos, Massif of Chartreuse, Bauges…) and the South-east of France. It is characterized by its very clear, white color and with its purity in Carbonate of calcium. Its solidity and its white color make of them a stone very employed in the building.

Its name comes from the commune of Orgon (Rhone delta) where this stone was exploited and is still by the company Omya.

This Faciès rock is with its mode of formation: it is about a Sedimentary rock created by the deposit of coral barrier , at the bottom of a not very deep sea and in tropical climate. The animals (Rudiste S, Orbitoline S) and plants being in this ocean formed a deposit 115 million years ago (age Barrémien-aptien (Crétacé inferior) and formed this calcareous reef called Urgonien . Following compression and with the rising of the Pyrenees then of the Alps, the sea " referma". The Tectonic of the plates playing, this limestone was found in mountainous solid masses, and currently levels with the free air.

Layers

Limestone urgonien levels on most of the basin of South-east, and constitutes the basement of many solid masses, like:

the Massive of Vercors.
the North-East of the Alpilles (common of Orgon)
solid masses of Creeks.
the Mount Ventoux.

coral Reef

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Urgonien

Layers

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