210 HISTORICAL GEOLOGY 



are as yet more doubtful because scarcity of fossils renders a sepa- 

 ration of possible Jurassic strata from Triassic uncertain. The best 

 evidence, however, points to continual deposition of "Red Beds" 

 over some of the region at least. 



Foreign Triassic 



Europe. — As in America, so in Europe, the Triassic shows 

 considerable development of both continental and marine facies. 

 The Bunter series (1600 to 1800 feet thick) of Germany consists 

 chiefly of red beds, such as sandstones and shales, with some salt 

 and gypsum, clearly indicating deposition under arid climate con- 

 ditions much like the western interior of the United States at the 

 same time. The Muschelkalk of Germany is mostly a marine 

 limestone formation up to 1000 feet thick, thus showing the pres- 

 ence of marine waters over the region, probably as an arm of the 

 sea, similar to the Baltic Sea, as the fossils suggest. During part 

 of this time, at least, salt lake conditions were restored as indicated 

 by gypsum and salt in the midst of the series. During Keuper 

 time conditions of deposition were much as during the Bunter, 

 though marine waters again transgressed the area toward the close 

 of the Triassic. 



In England, much of eastern Russia, and western and southern 

 Spain, Triassic strata essentially like those of Germany are well 

 developed. 



In middle southern Europe the marine facies is widely devel- 

 oped, being mostly limestone (often dolomitic) and shales. The 

 rugged peaks of the famous " Dolomites" or Tyrolean Alps have 

 been carved out of this comparatively resistant dolomitic limestone, 

 much of which was of Coral-reef origin. 



Map Fig. 125 gives a good idea of the relations of land and 

 water in Europe during earlier Triassic time. 



Other Continents. — The marine facies of the European Tri- 

 assic continues eastward through much of southern Asia, there 

 being an unusually fine development of the system in the Hima- 

 layas. Triassic rocks, sometimes of continental origin, also occur 

 in other parts of Asia as in Japan and eastern Siberia. 



Triassic rocks are also known in Australia, New Zealand, north 

 and south Africa, and South America, with coal-bearing strata in 

 Argentina and Chile, and marine strata in the Andes. 



