“Stratotype turonien”: Turonian type section from Saumur to Montrichard

Anjou and Touraine are two of the most historically beautiful regions in France. The region they cover is often associated in our mind with the Loire Châteaux, wine and a mild climate. But it is also where a stage of the Upper Cretaceous series can be found: the Turonian.

Although today the base of the Upper Cretaceous stage is defined near Pueblo in the US State of Colorado, the type section, located in France, is still of immense heritage value since it clarifies the content thereof. 

This volume begins by explaining what led Alcide d’Orbigny, in the 19th century, to choose the region "going from Saumur to Montrichard" as the typical region of its Turonian stage. Progress on knowledge about the typical Turonian is summed up through a review of several publications. Various aspects are addressed: the succession of layers mostly comprising tuffeau stone, old landscapes and palaeontological content. The Turonian stage and Man also share a common history through the extraction of tuffeau stone for construction, especially for building the Loire Châteaux, as well as in the use of underground quarries for growing mushrooms and storing wine. Last but not least, the spotlight is shone on heritage through an inventory of protected sites and collections. 

On the web:

http://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/fr/collections/patrimoine-geologique/stratotype-turonien