Portland Formation
| Portland Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Hettangian-Sinemurian ~ | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Agawam Group, Newark Supergroup |
| Sub-units | Turners Falls Sandstone & Mount Toby Formation |
| Overlies | East Berlin Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Mudstone, siltstone, limestone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 42°18′N 72°30′W / 42.3°N 72.5°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 24°00′N 18°36′W / 24.0°N 18.6°W |
| Region | Connecticut, Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
| Extent | Deerfield & Hartford Basins |
The Portland Formation is a geological formation in Connecticut and Massachusetts in the northeastern United States. It dates back to the Early Jurassic period. The formation consists mainly of sandstone laid down by a series of lakes (in the older half of the formation) and the floodplain of a river (in the younger half). The sedimentary rock layers representing the entire Portland Formation are over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) thick and were formed over about 4 million years of time, from the Hettangian age (lower half) to the late Hettangian and Sinemurian ages (upper half).
In 2016, the paleontologist Robert E. Weems and colleagues suggested the Portland Formation should be elevated to a geological group within the Newark Supergroup (as the Portland Group), and thereby replacing the former name "Agawam Group". They also reinstated the Longmeadow Sandstone as a formation (within the uppermost Portland Group); it had earlier been considered identical to the Portland Formation.