Taconic Stratigraphic Names: Definitions · and Synonymies
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Taconic Stratigraphic Names: Definitions · and Synonymies G E 0 L 0 G 1' C A L S U R V E Y B U L L E T ] N 11 7 4 Taconic Stratigraphic Names: Definitions and Synonymies ByE-AN ZEN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1174 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director The U.S. Geological Survey Library has cataloged this publication as: Zen, E-an, 1928- Taconic stratigraphic names: definitions and synonynnes. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1964. iv. 94 p. map. 24 em. (U.S. Geological Survey. Bulletin 1174) Bibliography : p. 89-94. 1. Geology-Nomenclature. 2. Geology-Taconic Mou,ntains. I. Title. (Series) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C., 20402 CONTENTS· Pa~ Abstract ___________________ ------------'-_-_-_-___ -_---------_-___ 1 Introduction-------------------------~~---------~----------------- 1 Acknowledgment ___ -----------------------'""--------.:.---------- __ -- Z Criteria for selection and exclusion of names"" ______ ..... ___________ "'"____ 3 Comments on the format _______________ :.. ______ .;. _____ .;. ___________ _:__ 5 Synonymy and description ____________________________________ :.._---- 10 Ashley Hill Limestone Conglomerate ___ ----- __ ""- ____ -----------__ 10 Austerlitz Phyllite ___ ,;_ _______ ;..-- _______ -_______________________ 11 Austin Glen Member ___________ --- __ ------- _____ ----------- ___ "" 12 Bald Mountain Limestone ___ ;_ __ ---------------'-------- __ ------- 13 Barker Quartzite.:.._--- _________ - _____ - ___ -- __ .:.;... __ '""_- _____ ---___ 15 Beebe Limestone Member ___ -------------------- ___ .:._---- __ .____ 16 Bellowspipe Limestone ___________ ----- _____ ---_;... _________ ------ 16 Benson Black Slate __ ----_____ ---- ______ '"" ____ -.:."'"_.:._-___________ 17 Berkshire Schist----------------------------------------------- 18 Biddie Knob Formation _________________ .:.- _________ ---- ____ _.___ 19 Bird Mountain Grit ______________ ---__________________ ._________ 20 Bomoseen Graywacke _________ -------- ____ ;... ___ .._ ______ '""-________ 21 Brezee Formation---------------------------------------------- 22 Brezee Phyllite _____ ------_---------------_----·--··---..:-_·..:_______ 23 Bull Formation________ - ___ -·-----__ ----_-_________ ---_____ ;...___ 24 Bull Slate_______ -----------------------------___ -----_---_--__ 26 Burden Conglomerate------------------------·.:.- ________ "'"---..: .... _.... 27 Burden Iron Ore---------------------------------------------- 28 Claverack Conglomerate ______ ------------------- __ -------______ 29 Curtiss [sic] Mountain Quartzite ___________ .;._____________________ 29 Deepkill Shale ___ ----------------_____ ----- ____ ------_________ 30 Diamond Rock Quartzite___________ ----- __________ ----------___ 31 Eagle Bridge Quartzite______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 32 Eddy Hill Grit------------------------------------------------ 34 Egremont Limestone ______ -------- __________________ .... _ _z_ __ _ __ __ _ 35 Elizaville Shales_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 36 Everett Schist ______________________________ -----______________ 36 Forbes Hill Conglomerate_______________________________________ 38 Germantown Formation ______________________________ -----_____ 38 GreenwichSlate_______________________________________________ 40 GreylockSchist----------------------------------------------- 41 Hatch Hill Formation__________________________________________ 42 Hooker Slate-------------------------------------------------- 43 Hortonville Slate _______ ~-------------------------------------- 44 Hubbardton Slate_____________________________________________ 45 Indian River Slate_____________________________________________ 45 Ira Formation_________________________________________________ 47 III IV CONTENTS Synonymy and description--Continued Page Mettawee Slate Facies_ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ 48 Mount Anthony Formation------------------------------------- 50· Mount Hamilton Formation_----- _____ ------------------------- 51 MountEla~ton~UP---------------------------------------- 52 Mount Merino Member---------------------------------------- 54 Mudd Pond Quartzite Member---------------------------------- 55 ~assau Beds-------------------------------------------------- 57 ~assauFormation--------------------------------------------- 58 ~ormanskillShale--------------------------------------------- 60 ~orth Brittain Limestone Conglomerate Member__________________ 61 Pawlet Formation __ ----------________________ ------___________ 62 PouUneySlate------------------------------------------------ 64 Rensselaer Graywacke ___ -------------------------------------- 66 Riga Schist ___________ ------__________________________________ 67 RoweSchist-------------------------------------------------- 68 Rysedorph Conglomerate--------------------------------------- 70 St. Catherine Formation ______________ ----- ___ ------------------ 71 SalisburySchist----------------------------------------------- 72 Schaghticoke Shale ___________ ----_____________________________ 73 Schodack Shales and Limestones _______ ------------------------- 74 Snake Hill Shales______________________________________________ 78 Stiles Phyllite ___ --------------________________________________ 79 Stuyvesant Conglomerate ________________________ -------------__ 80 Stuyvesant Falls Formation _____ ------- ____ -------------------__ 80 Taokawasick Limestone_------ __ ---------- ___ ----- ____ --------- 81 Troy Shale--------------------------------------------------- 82 Wallace Ledge Formation ______ -------------------------------- 83 Walloomsac Slate----------------·------________________________ 84 West Castleton Formation_____ ----_---_______ - ___ - _____ - _____ -_ 85 Zion Hill Quartzite and Graywacke Member __ -_-_-_---_--._-_-_-_ 87 References------------------~------------------------------------- 89 ILLUSTRATION Pap F,IGURE 1. Index map"""'of' ... topographic quadrangle-:"maps including the area of the Taconic sequence---------------------------- 8 TACONIC STRATIGRAPHIC NAMES: DEFINITIONS AND SYNONYMIES ByE-AN ZEN ABSTRACT The study of the stratigraphy of the Taconic sequence in· western New England and eastern New York is hampered by problems of nomenclature. During the course of years, geologists have proposed many stratigraphic names for various rock units in different parts of the Taconic region. Although most of these names refer to lithostratigraphic units, some refer to biostratigraphic units. A num.ber of names have, by definition or by usuage, gradually acquired chronostratigraphic significance. The precise meaning of yet other names has never been clearly defined. Intensive fieldwork in the Taconic region, especially since 1950, has resulted in a proliferation of new names and of modifications of old names to new acceptations. On the one hand, a particular name may be used by the same worker or different workers for subtly or obviously different rock units ; on the other hand, different names may be applied to the same rock unit by different workers. To aid field investigators to traverse this nomenclatorial labyrinth, published stratigraphic names that are currently useful or have been recently used in Taconic geology are compiled in this study. A synonymy is prepared for each name. Each synonymy, as a rule, includes only names that have been used for the same lithostratigraphic unit in geologically contiguous regions. For areas that are not contiguous, rock units and their names are compared and discussed in the text, but no synonymies are produced because of the risk of serious mistakes. The distinction between lithostratigraphic units and chronostratigraphic units is important for Taconic geology because of the possibility of significant lateral facies transitions within the stratigraphic section. In this study, the term "correlation" is reserved for comparison of time units; for comparison of lithic units the term "equivalence" is used. INTRODUCTION The study of Taconic geology began in the early 19th century, when the science of geology was in its infancy in this country. From the beginning, this study has been wrapped in enthusiastic controversies. The inception of the latest major phase of Taconic research was the publication, in 1899, of T. N. Dale's detailed geologic report on the "slate belt" of Vermont and New York. In 1909 Rudolph Ruede· mann published his hypothesis that the argillites of the Taconic se quence were deposited in a different trough from the synchronous carbonates that surround it .today, and that their present juxta- 1 2 TACONIC STRATIGRAPIDC NAMES: DEFINITIONS, SYNONYMIES position is due to large-scale thrusting. A period of intensive fieldwork followed in the twenties and early thirties; in addition to Ruedemann, A. C. Swinnerton, Arthur Keith, L. M. Prindle, and E. B. Knopf were important contributors. New stratigraphic names multiplied. A second epoch of intensive work on Taconic geology began about 1950 and still continues. Aided by the availability of superior topo graphic maps at large scales and of aerial photographs, as well as by a better overall knowledge of geologic relations in New England and in New York, workers have been domg much detailed mapping in the area. One byproduct of these activities is the proliferation