It contains an oolitic dolomite marker bed correlated with the Johnnie Formation in Death Valley, California, and preserves an isotopic record of the Shuram excursion.
[1][3] At its type section, the Clemente Formation consists of 210.3 m (690 ft) of siltstone, sandstone, quartzite, conglomerate, and minor dolomite exposed in the Cerro Rajon area.
It is named for Cerro Clemente, Sonora, which lies about 11 km (6.8 mi) south-southwest of the location of its composite type section.
[2][4] At its type section, six informal stratigraphic subdivision (units) of the Clemente Formation are recognized.
Two beds of intraclast conglomerate containing tabular siltstone clasts as large as 15 cm (5.9 in) in length occur within its lower 30 m (98 ft).
A small outcrop exposing 110 m-thick (361 ft) of unit 6 of the Clemente Formation occurs in the northernmost part of Cerro El Arpa area where it is otherwise missing because of faulting.
[3][8] As part of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Caborca miogeoclinal sequence outcropping near the town of Caborca, Mexico, the Clemente Formation is regarded as to have accumulated in shallow marine depositional environments generally no deeper than continental shelf depths.
As with the rest of the Caborca miogeoclinal sequence, it likely was located on a passive margin that formed part of the edge of Laurentia.