Tournaisian Stage
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Tournaisian Stage
the lowest stage of the Lower Carboniferous [seeCARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM (PERIOD)]. The Tournaisian was identified by the French geologist M. Dupont in 1882. In its stratotype near Tournai, Belgium, it is represented by marine deposits, namely, limestones and shales characterized by corals, brachiopods, and goniatites. In the USSR the Tournaisian stage corresponds to the Likhvin and Chernyshino substages (limestones). In many regions, Tournaisian deposits contain coal.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.