The information on this page is a summary description.
The full formal description is available here: Merelbeke Member
| Abbreviation | GeMe |
| Parent unit | Gentbrugge Formation |
| Child units | |
| Lithological description | The Merelbeke Member is a compact heavy to silty clay; it is a marine deposit, although some periods with fresh water algae influx have also been observed. Thin sand laminae with organic matter and small pyritic concretions have been described by De Moor & Geets (1974). The Merelbeke Member thickness is generally limited to about 6 to 7 m but exceptionally up to 14 m near Melle in the profile 3 by De Moor & Geets (1973). The thickness variations as figured in the profile by De Moor and Geets (1973) are most probably due to the lack of borehole sample quality although they may also be the result of strong erosion at that stratigraphic interval (Vandenberghe et al. 2004). |
| Age | |
| Thickness | |
| Area of occurrence | The Merelbeke Member occurs in the western part of the Brabant province and in the north of the provinces of East and West Flanders. Its distribution is irregular because of erosion by later Eocene deposits (Vandenberghe et al., 1998, 2004). Where the Merelbeke Member occurs, it overlies either the Egem Member or the Mont‐Panisel Member as in the Ronse‐Aalst‐Brussel area or the Kwatrecht Member in the east. The Member is overlain by the Pittem Member. On the 1:40 000 maps the Merelbeke Member is mapped as P1m, a code also often used in borehole descriptions. In the stratigraphic register (1929, 1932) it is part of the Y2 division. In the 1:40 000 mapping, Merelbeke and Aalbeke Members have been confused in the southwest of Flanders. In the area west of Mechelen (Hombeek, Zemst…), the Merelbeke Member has been confused in some borehole descriptions with the P1n clay (1:40.000 map legend), which is a unit occurring above or in the top of the Vlierzele Member (Buffel et al., 2009). This confusion in North Belgium was already pointed out by Fobe (1995). |
| Type locality | The section described between +5,6 and ‐4,9 m T.A.W. in the borehole Melle (055E0783) (222/E3/SWK/F/DB11), topographic map sheet 22/1‐2,Gent‐Melle (X= 109.125, Y = 188.775, Z = + 12.6 m) (Geets et al., 2000). |
| Alternative names | |
| Authors | Steurbaut, E., De Ceukelaire, M., Lanckacker, T., Matthijs, J., Stassen, P., Van Baelen, H. & Vandenberghe, N. |
| Date | 09/01/2017 |
| Cite as | Steurbaut, E., De Ceukelaire, M., Lanckacker, T., Matthijs, J., Stassen, P., Van Baelen, H. & Vandenberghe, N., 2017. The Merelbeke Member, 09/01/2017. National Commission for Stratigraphy Belgium. http://ncs.naturalsciences.be/lithostratigraphy/Merelbeke-Member |
