page_title: San Cassiano Formation
section_title: Geological background
hierarchical_section_title: San Cassiano Formation / Geological background
caption_attribution_description: English: Outcrop of the San Cassiano Formation, Middle Triassic, Sella Pass, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy. Deutsch: Aufschluss der Sankt-Cassian-Formation, Mittlere Trias, Sellajoch,Dolomiten, Südtirol, Italien..
context_page_description: San Cassiano Formation is a geologic formation located on the Southern Alps in the Dolomites. These Triassic dolomites are considered to be a classic example of ancient carbonate platforms. As the allochthonous elements in the Shale strata show a good preservation, fossils and microbialites contained in these elements are useful in detailed geochemical analyses.
context_section_description: The landscape of the Dolomites is dominated by Triassic carbonates, deposited from the Anisian to the Carnian. In the Lower Carnian (Julian) the percentages of carbonates increments due to the diminishing eustatic sea-level change. The last part of the reefal evolution is the development of patch reefs constituted by colonial corals (Scleractinia).
  Large areas of the reefs of the Dolomites suffered karstic erosian due to sea regression in the Anisian. A new transgression in the Carnian permitted new carbonate platforms to develop in swallow basins.
caption: Outcrop of the San Cassiano Formation at the Hotel Mariaflora at the Sella Pass
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