Geology of the New Tripoli Quadrangle, Lehigh, Berks, Schuylki II, and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania
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Geology of the New Tripoli Quadrangle, Lehigh, Berks, Schuylki II, and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1994 Prepared in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey Geology of the New Tripoli Quadrangle, Lehigh, Berks, Schuylkill, and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania By JACK B. EPSTEIN and PETER T. LYTTLE Prepared in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey Structure and stratigraphy of a complexly deformed Paleozoic sequence in the central Appalachians of Pennsylvania U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1994 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1993 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Box 25286, Bldg. 810, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Epstein, Jack Burton, 1935- Geology of the New Tripoli quadrangle, Lehigh, Berks, Schuylkill, and Carbon counties, Pennsylvania I by Jack B. Epstein and Peter T. Lyttle. p. cm.-(U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 1994) "Prepared in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey." Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.3:1994 1. Geology-Pennsylvania. 2. Geology-Appalachian region. I. Lyttle, Peter T. II. Pennsylvania. Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey. Ill. Title. IV. Series. QE75.B9 no. 1994 [QE157] 557.3 s-dc20 [557.48] 91-21087 CIP CONTENTS Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Stratigraphy 4 Windsor Township Formation 4 Facies Relations in the Shochary Ridge Sequence 4 Facies Relations in the Martinsburg Formation 5 Graptolite Zonation in the Shochary Ridge Sequence and Martinsburg Formation 6 Regional Relations of Upper Silurian through Lower Middle Devonian Rocks 8 Surficial Deposits 8 Alluvium and Flood-Plain Deposits 8 Boulder Fields 9 Colluvium 9 Terrace Deposits 10 Pre-Illinoian Outwash(?) 10 Pre-Illinoian Till 11 Structural Geology 11 Valley and Ridge Province 11 Lithotectonic Unit 6 (Mahantango through Catskill Formations) 11 Lithotectonic Unit 5 (Upper Silurian through Middle Devonian Rocks) 11 Lithotectonic Unit 4 (Tuscarora Sandstone, Clinton Formation, and Bloomsburg Red Beds) 12 Great Valley 12 Lithotectonic Unit 3 (Martinsburg Formation) 12 Lithotectonic Unit 2 (Shochary Ridge Sequence) 13 Lithotectonic Unit 1 (Windsor Township Formation) 13 Faults 14 Faults of Taconic Age 14 Faults of Alleghanian Age 14 Eckville Fault 15 Kistler Valley Fault 15 Decollements 15 Duplex in Blue Mountain 16 Sweet Arrow Fault 16 Timing of Deformation 17 References Cited 17 PLATE 1. Geologic map, cross sections, and figures, New Tripoli quadrangle, Pennsylvania In pocket Contents Ill FIGURES 1. Simplified geologic map of the New Tripoli and surrounding quadrangles showing the six lithotectonic units 3 2. Stratigraphic section of facies in the Martinsburg Formation in the New Tripoli quadrangle, Pennsylvania 7 TABLES 1. Lithotectonic units in the New Tripoli quadrangle, Pennsylvania 2 2. Fossil identifications at sites shown on map on plate 1 5 IV Contents Geology of the New Tripoli Quadrangle, Lehigh, Berks, Schuylkill, and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania By jack B. Epstein and Peter T. Lyttle Abstract the Bloomsburg Red Beds. The Stony Ridge decollement separates lithotectonic units 4 and 5. Sedimentary rocks exceeding 29,000 ft (8,800 m) in Lithotectonic unit 5 (Bloomsburg Red Beds through thickness form the stratigraphic sequence exposed in the Marcellus Shale of Late Silurian to Middle Devonian age) New Tripoli quadrangle, Pennsylvania. Lying in the Great consists of 700ft (200 m) of a wide variety of sedimentary Valley and the Valley and Ridge province of the central rocks forming 20 mappable units. Complex folds have Appalachians, these rocks range in age from Early Ordo wavelengths averaging 1,000 ft (300m). The unit is sepa vician to Late Devonian and are overlain by Quaternary rated from lithotectonic unit 6 to the north by the Weir surficial deposits, including alluvium, colluvium, talus, Mountain decollement and the Sweet Arrow fault. and pre-Illinoian glacial deposits. Lithotectonic unit 6 (Mahantango Formation through The sequence has been divided into six lithotectonic Catskill Formation of Middle and Late Devonian age) units; each has a distinct stratigraphy and structural style forms a large upright regional syncline in more than 5,800 and is bounded by faults or dtkollements. Lithotectonic ft (1 ,800 m) of siltstone, sandstone, and shale. unit 1 (Windsor Township Formation of Early and Middle The Ordovician-Silurian boundary is marked by the Ordovician age) consists of more than 4,600 ft (1 ,400 m) of Taconic angular discordance, a regional unconformity that shale, mudstone, and graywacke and minor conglomer is exposed for more than 200 mi (320 km) from central ate, limestone, and chert. The rocks are in northwest Pennsylvania through the New Tripoli quadrangle and into verging folds having wavelengths as great as 1,200 ft (370 New Jersey and New York. Most structures in the quad m). This unit is part of the lower thrust sheet of the rangle, including the regional cleavage in the Martinsburg Hamburg klippe. It is separated from lithotectonic unit 2 Formation and younger rocks, formed during Alleghanian by the Weisenberg Church and Kistler Valley faults. deformation. Taconic deformation in the Martinsburg Lithotectonic unit 2 (Shochary Ridge sequence of (lithotectonic unit 3) was limited to gentle folding, Middle and Late Ordovician age) makes up a large whereas extensive Taconic folding and faulting are amplitude regional syncline containing more than 8,000 ft recorded in lithotectonic units 1 and 2. The Shochary (2,500 m) of graywacke, shale, siltstone, and minor con syncline (unit 2) is anomalous in that there are virtually no glomerate. The unit is bounded on the north by the satellitic folds on its limbs. Although it may have formed Eckville fault and on the east by the Game Preserve fault. during the Taconic orogeny, it seems likely that it was Lithotectonic unit 3 (Martinsburg Formation of Mid tightened and cleaved during Alleghanian time. dle and Late Ordovician age) consists of more than 7,000 ft Detailed mapping shows that the middle (Ramsey (2,000 m) of tightly folded slate, siltstone, and graywacke. burg) member of the Martinsburg Formation pinches out The unit is separated from overlying rocks by an uncon westward and grades into and is replaced by the upper formity and the Blue Mountain decollement. (Pen Argyl) member. This conclusion, a review of paleon Lithotectonic unit 4 (Tuscarora Sandstone through tologic data in the area, and mapping of the structures Bloomsburg Red Beds of Middle and Late Silurian age) confirm that the Martinsburg is composed of three mem contains about 3,150 ft (960 m) of quartzite and other bers in the eastern half of the quadrangle, as well as in all clastic rocks that hold up Blue Mountain, part of a ridge Pennsylvania to the east, and disagree with some previous that extends throughout the length of the Appalachians of interpretations of a two-member division within the Mar the Eastern United States. These rocks are tightly folded tinsburg. and faulted and are interpreted to form a duplex, whose floor thrust lies just below the Tuscarora Sandstone in the Martinsburg Formation and whose roof thrust lies within INTRODUCTION The New Tripoli quadrangle occupies an area of 56 2 2 Manuscript approved for publication April 25, 1991. mi (145 km ) within the Great Valley and the Valley and Introduction Table 1. Lithotectonic units in the New Tripoli quadrangle, Pennsylvania Litho- tectonic Age and stratigraphic sequence Lithologic characteristics Structural characteristics unit 6 Late and Middle Devonian >5,800 ft (1,800 m) of siltstone, sand- Nearly symmetrical, upright Weir Mountain Catskill through Mahantango stone, shale, and minor conglomerate syncline with half wavelength about 2 mi Formations (3 km) and amplitude about 4,500 ft (1,400 m) Weir Mountain decollement and Sweet Arrow fault 5 Middle Devonian to Late Silurian About 700ft (200m) of shale, limestone, Asymmetric, northwest-verging, open to tight, Marcellus Shale through Bloomsburg sandstone, siltstone, dolomite, and con- upright and overturned, concentric and Red Beds glomerate in thin, heterogeneous units similar folds with wavelengths averaging about 1 ,000 ft (300 m) and amplitudes of 100-1,000 ft (30-300 m) Stony Ridge decollement and roof thrust 4 Late to Early Silurian 3,150 ft (960 m) of quartzite, shale, silt- Asymmetric and generally overturned Bloomsburg Red Beds through stone, and conglomerate northwest-verging folds with wavelengths Tuscarora Sandstone averaging about 2,000 ft (600 m) and amplitudes about 900 ft (270 m), cut by a series of northwest-dipping thrusts believed to be ramps in a duplex bounded by floor and roof thrusts Blue Mountain decollement, floor thrust, Taconic unconformity 3 Late and Middle Ordovician >7 ,000 ft (2,000 m) of slate, siltstone, Asymmetric, northwest-verging, generally Martinsburg Formation and graywacke overturned similar folds with wavelengths averaging 1 ,200 ft (370 m) and amplitudes averaging about 600ft (180m), with well- developed axial-plane cleavage