Lower Paleozoic Carbonates: Great Valley
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LOWER PALEOZOIC CARBONATES: GREAT VALLEY Frank J. Markewicz and Richard Dalton New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Resources, Trenton, New Jersey INTRODUCTION The purpose of this field trip is to demonstrate the The Lower Cambrian Leithsville Formation named subdivision of the Cambro-Ordovician carbonate se by Wherry (1909) in Pennsylvania is the equivalent of quence as proposed by the field trip.leaders. In addition, the Tomstown Formation described by Miller and there will be discussions on environmental, others (1939) in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, hydrogeologic, and engineering problems in these car bonates and how this subdivision has "opened the Avery Drake, (1961, 1967b) mapped the Leithsville doors" in understanding how everyday problems from Formation on the Frenchtown and Bloomsbury man's activities can affect or be affected by certain lit,hie Quadrangles and Markewicz (1967) used the term units within the carbonate sequence. This understanding Leithsville on the High Bridge Quadrangle. Wherry of the interaction between man's activities' and how it (1909) assigned a Lower-Middle Cambrian age to the lflight affect or be affected by critical aquifers, thin or Leithsville, whereas Willard (1961) infers that it is Mid thick soil horizons, and specific lithologies by septic dle Cambrian. No fossil evidence had been found to waste loads, ground water pollution, building founda establish its age until the discovery of the Lower Cam tion loading, landfills, etc'., has become extremely im-' brian fossil Hyolithellus micans in the early part of the portant in the land development process. 1960's, Markewicz (1964 unpublished), in rubbly dolomitic beds of the basal Leithsville at Califon, New We anticipate this field trip will not only relate the Jersey and also near Monroe in southern New York carbonate subdivision but will point out how important State. In addition, the fossil Archaeocyathus occurs in this breakdown is to applied geology. basal Leithsville dolomite at Franklin, Califon and Wantage in New Jersey and at Easton, Pennsylvania. It "KITTATINNY LIMESTONE" is most prolific immediately above the Hardyston Leithsville contact but has also been noted in the lower Weller (1900) used the general term "Kittatinny part of the Wallkill Member. A recent paper by Palmer Limestone" for Cambro-Ordovician carbonate rocks of and Rozanov (1976) describes the original Archaeo northern New Jersey and identified them with similar cyathus found in New Jersey by George Banino at units in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Franklin. York. In his "Annual Report of the State Geologist 1900," page 4, he states, "This limestone formation has The Leithsville Formation is subdivided into three a great thickness which is estimated at from 2;700 to members, based upon field work by Markewicz 1964-68 3,000 feet. It is designated the Kittatinny Limestone and Markewicz and Dalton 1968-72. These members are because it is the great limestone formation of the Kit in ,descending order: tatinny Valley ... " Wallkill Member LEITHSVILLE FORMATION Hamburg Member Califon Member Although there are no scheduled stops at Leithsville Formation outcrops (because of no exposures on or ad Califon Member jacent to Route 80) on the trip, a short description of the LeithsvilIe Formation is induded in order to better The Califon Member is the basal Leithsville unit and understand the Lower Paleozoic carbonate ("Kittatin is named after the Hyolithe/tus micans and Archaeo ny") group for this guidebook. (see Table 1) cyathus bearing dolomite exposed in an abandoped 54 55 FIELD STUDIES OF NEW JERSEY GEOLOGY AND GUIDE TO FIELD TRIPS TABLE 1. SUBDIVIDISION OF THE KITTATINNY LIMESTONE Formation Formations Formations 'Cur~ent Stratigraphy Name Used I Recognized by Recognized by As Used by on N.Jo H. B. Kummel and A. A. Drake and F .. J. Markewicz and Geol.. Map Others F. J. Markewicz R. F. Dalton OJ OJ d d 0 Harmonyvale mbr. ::s -I"l ttl 4..J f"'"4 t'tl Epler ~ e Beaver Run mbr~ 8~ d Lafayette mbr. 0 orf .&oJ ~ cd ~H Beekmantown Big Springs mbr. u ~ e H Q.O ~~ ~ ~ z Branchville mbr. 0 0ta E--4 C(.l ~ ~ ..c:: Hope ~ ~ () s:::: 0 g..J ttl 0 mbr. ...::r ..o"ri Crooked Swamp Rickenbach d .&J ~ OJ ttl Dolomite Facies Z H ~ Lower "r"I e0 ~ ~~ mbr. ~ E-l H ~ $ § O"l"'f Upper mbr4 .j..I .j.,J Allentown Allentown c::: Cd ~ ~ f"'"4 0 Limeport mbr. <~ ~ H Walkil1 mbr. p:: QJ ~ f"'"4 ~ 1"""1 I=l u Toms town Leithsville ."":>"r"l 0 Hamburg mbr. Cf.l .&oJ -5 ~ .""OJ 0J...f Califon mbr. g..J~ The table indicates the present stratigraphy used in New Jersey and its correlation to those formational names used by earlier workers. j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j I j j J J j j j j j j j j j j j j j J j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j J 55 FiELD STUDIES OF NEW JERSEY GEOLOGY AND GUIDE TO FIELD TRIPS TABLE 1. SUBDIVIDISION OF THE KITTATINNY LIMESTONE Formation Formations Formations 'Cur~ent Stratigraphy Name Used I Recognized by Recognized by As Used by on N.J. H .. B. Kummel and A. A. Drake and F. J. Markewicz and Geol .. Map Others F. J. Markewicz R. F. Dalton Q) Q.I c::: r:: 0 Harmonyvale mbr. ::s -rot ~ ,j.J M c:tj Epler ~ e Beaver Run mbr. 5& r:: Lafayette mbr. 0 "1""1 .u ~ $.I c:tj 1-1 Beekmantown Big Springs mbr. u ~ e 1-1 ~o §) ~1J..4 :z.J::iI Branchville mbr. ~ 0 0 E-i c.f.! r:r:: f;I::l ..c Hope ~ t;J r:: i-::J ~ 0 mbr. I-l~ .o"'f""l Crooked Swamp Rickenbach r:: .j.J fi OJ «I Dolomite Facies Z H ~ e Lower oI'"f 0 ~ p:::~ mbr. E-4 E-4 1-1 ~ Upper mbr. +J+J~~ Allentown Allent"Own .-I~ ~0 Limeport mbr • <J:'r.4 ~ H Walkill mbr. ~ Q) ~ .-I 1'-1 I::: ~ ·rot 0 u Toms town Leithsville :>'"1""1 Hamburg mbr. CIl .u ..c:: a:l +J a '1"'4 $..! OJ 0 Califon mbr. ~~ The table indicates the present stratigraphy used in New Jersey and its correlation to those formational names used by earlier workers. LOWER PALEOZOIC CARBONATES: GREAT VALLEY 56 quarry near Califon, New Jersey, In New Jersey the with locallense-like laminated dolomite and chert. This member measures from 40 to 150 feet thick, but typical is the "damourite shalen unit as described in the early ly averages 100 feet thick. reports on the "Kittatinny" of New Jersey. It consists essentially of two distinct lithologies: The contact with the overlying Wallkill Member, though rarely exposed is gradational upward from the (1) The upper section, varying from 20 to 50 feet thick Hamburg. consists of: very fine to cryptogranular, light gray to locally light greenish gray, dense, sharp breaking, local~ Wallkill Member Jy laminated dolomite, in beds 6" to 20" thick, The Wallkill Member which overlies the Hamburg (2) The lower section can be 20 to 100 feet (thickness Member forms the upper part of the Leithsville Forma dependent on locality and depositional environment) . tion. It is poorly to rarely exposed, because it generally and varies from gray to dark gray, sparkly to dull, fine forms a topographic low in stream valleys or other low to medium megacrystalline, strongly stylolitic, patchy lying areas. textured dolomite. The Wallkill Member is named after the dark Discontinuous pyritic seams, masses, lenses or clots gray, patchy. dolomite that lies above the shaly, are typically present, especially in the lower part of the arenaceous Hamburg Member on the east side of the section. Wallkill Valley north of Hamburg. Here the lower part consists of fine to medium grained9 rubbly to lumpy Hamburg Member bedded, stylolitic, locally vuggy, mottled, patchy to ruditic textured, sparkly dolomite in beds from several The type section for the Hamburg Member is located inches to more than 1.5 feet thick. The lower part of the approximately one-half mile southwest of the town of unit is similar in depositional environment and lithology Hamburg, where it forms a sharp, razorback hill. At to the lower Califon Member. this locality it is approximately 85 to 100 feet thick. The underlying Califon Member can be seen at severalloca~ The upper part consisting of fine to medium~grained, tions here, It is less than 40 ft. thick. locally coarse crystalline dolomite with some beds of algal like structures and large oolites and pisolites ap~ Typically, the member is best described as a pears to be transitional into the lower part of the rhythmically bedded sequence of sedimentary cycles, Umeport Member of the Allentown Formation. The representative of mud flat to intertidal and lagoonal en~ ~allkm Member is estimated to be from 350 to 500 feet vironments. The member is estimated to be from 35 to thick. over 100 feet thick, depending upon locality and deposi tional environment. The overall lithology at any given The lower part of the Wallkill, the entire Hamburg exposure will generally consist of one of the following and Califon Members are considered to be potential types: sulfide-bearing horizons. Sphalerite, galena, fluorite, and some chalcopyrite have been found at several (1) Dark, organic, ribbony to laminated to very thinly localities. The Austinville, Virginia zinc deposit pro bedded, cryptogranular to very fine grained dense bably occurs in the lower equivalent (1) of the dolomite and shale with intercalated, thin siltstone and Leithsville Formation. fine sandstone beds, lenses or stringers. ALLENTOWN FORMATION (2) Dark to light gray, locally brownish gray to green cyclical units of fine to coarse sandstone, (locally quart The name Allentown was proposed by.Wherry (1909) zitic) siltstone, shale and very fine grained to cryp for the thick sequence of oolitic dolomite overlying the togranular, dense, conchoidftl-breaking dolomite.