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Guide to the Mesozoic Redbeds of Central Connecticut

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Guide to the Mesozoic Redbeds of Central Connecticut I I I Guide to the Mesozoic Redheds I of I Central Connecticut I JOHN F. HUBERT, ALAN A. REED, I WAYNE L. DOWDALL, and J. MICHAEL GILCHRIST I I I STATE GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 1978 GUIDEBOOK NO. 4 On the cover: In the early morning along the shore of on East Berlin Lake, the 7-m phytosour Rutiodon snatches a Semionotus from the sho I lows. The tall horsetail Equisetum and cycad Otozomiles thrive in the wet mud of the lake strand. Stands of the conifer Aroucarioxylon tower 60 m high along the distant horizon on sandy soils of the well drained uplands. The dinosaur Eubronfes passed this way the previous evening. Sketch by Amy S. Hubert STATE GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION } } ] GUIDE TO THE MESOZOIC REDBEDS OF CENTRAL CONNECTICUT JOHN F. HUBERT J University of Massachusetts ALAN A. REED ) Chevron Oil Company WAYNE L • DOWDALL Weston Geophysical Resea:t>ch J. MICHAEL GILCHRIST Texaco Oil Company ,-------,_r-- -----------, i 1 i I 1 I ~ l ; .J J 1978 J GUIDEBOOK NO. 4 J J ii STATE GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF CONNECTICUT THE NATURAL RESOURCES CENTER DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Honorable Ella Grasso, Governor of Connecticut Stanley J. Pac, Connnissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection STATE GEOLOGIST DIRECTOR, NATURAL RESOURCES CENTER Hugo F. Thomas, Ph.D. This guidebook is a reprint of "Guide to the Redbeds of Central Connecticut: 1978 Field Trip, Eastern Section of the Society of Economic Mineralogists and Paleontologists." It was originally published as Contribution No. 32, Department of Geology and Geography, University of Massachusetts; Amherst, Massachusetts. For information on ordering this guidebook and other publications of the Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey, consult the List of Publications available from the Survey, Dept. of Environmental Protection, State Office Building, Hartford, Connecticut 06115. iii ) DEDICATION This guidebook is dedicated to the memory of Paul D• Krynine (1902-1964), superb teacher and researcher at The .l Pennsylvania State University and the foremost sedimentary petrographer of his day. His pioneering 1950 monograph . "Petrology, stratigraphy, and origin of the Triassic sedi- '1 mentary rocks of Connecticut" provides inspiration and a solid foundation for the subsequent advances in our under- standing of the sedimentology of the redbed sequence of the ) Connecticut Valley. J J J iv Special Note The fact that a locality is described in this guidebook does not imply that the public has access to the locality. Stopping ·on a limited access highway is forbidden by a regu­ lation of the State Traffic Commission, which prohibits all vehicles from stopping or parking on any part of the highway. These regulations also prohibit pedestrians on any limited access highway. Field trip features on these highways can be viewed from other ground. In other instances, stops on private property require permission of the owner. Anyone planning to go on this field trip should check carefully the suggested stops. Hugo F. Thomas State Geologist v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION.- • .••....•.........•. I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii TABLE OF CONTENTS •••.••.•••.••••..•.••...•.••..•..••..•.• I • • • • • • • v LIST OF FIGURES. , • , , .• , , •••••.••.••. , , .....••..•.••.... , , • . • • • • • • viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS , , •• , .••.••.••.•..• , . , . , • , •• , , , •• , •••. , , . • • • . • • xi OBJECTIVES OF THE TRIP •.••.••.••.••.• , ...••••.•• , •••• , . , ••••.• , • • 1 REGIONAL SETTING ••.•..•.. , , ••.••.••.•••..•••• , , ..•• , • • • . • • . • . • • 1 ABSTRACT OF THE PALEOGEOGRAPHIC HISTORY ..••••.••.••..••.••...•.•• 5 STOP 1. PORTLAND ARKO SE, DURHAM ••...•••.••••.•... , . • • . • . • • . • • • • 9 Location.................................................... 9 Introduction . ........................................... , . 9 Objective of Stop 1. ........................................ 10 Description of the Alluvial-fan Sequence .••.••..•.••.••.•.•. 10 STOP 2. NEW HAVEN ARKOSE, NORTH HAVEN ••••••..•..•......•.•..••.• 14 Location .................................................... 14 Objectives of Stop 2 ••••••••• ·-· ••••••••••.•••••••• , ••• , ••••• 14 Sedimentation on the Braided-river Alluvial Plain .••.•••••.. 17 Caliche Paleosol Profiles •••••.•••.•••••.•..••.••..•.•...••• 23 ) Description of the Caliche. • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • . • . • • • 23 j Soil Processes and Paleoclimate ••••..•.••.•••••.•..••.• 28 Broad Terrane Hypothesis .••.••.•.••.• , ••.••.••.••....•. , . • . • 32 Introduction ....... ,, ............... , ................... 32 J Modified Concept. • . • • . • • . • • . • . • • • • . • . • • . • • . • • . • . • . • 32 Isolated Basin Hypothesis ••••••.••••.•••••••..•••..•••• 37 J Pomperaug Outlier •• , • • . • • . • • • . • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • . • • . • • . 39 J Regional Maps of Hartford Basin-Pomperaug Outlier •.••.. 39 J vi Page STOP 3. TALCOTT BASALT, MERIDEN. • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 7 Location ......... ................ , . 4 7 Objectives of Stop 3........................................ 47 Description of the Talcott Basalt at Stop 3 ••••••••••••..•.• 50 Paleogeography............. • • • • • • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • . • • • • . • • 50 STOP 4. EAST PEAK OF THE HANGING HILLS OF MERIDEN ..••.••••••.••• 54 Location.................................................... 54 Objective of Stop 4......................................... 54 Geology Seen from the Stone Tower •...•••••.•.••••••.••.•..•• 54 STOP 5. NEW- HAVEN ARKO SE, MERIDEN............................... 59 Location.................................................... 59 Objectives of Stop 5...................... •. • • • • .. • . • • • . • • . 59 Descrip.tion of Stop 5....................................... 59 Interpretation of the River-channel Sandstones .•••••...••••• 63 STOP 6. SHUTTLE MEADOW FORMATION, PLAINVILLE •.••.••.•••.•.•••••. 65 Location... • • . • . • • . • . • • • • • . • • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • 65 Objectives of Stop 6....... • • • . • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • • 65 Evidence for Lacustrine Redbeds............................. 66 P aleos lopes ................. , . • • • • • . • .. • . • . • • .. • . .. • • • • . • • 70 Paleocurrents ••.••••••..•.••• , .••...••.•• , . • • • . • • . • • • • • • • . • . 72 Enigmatic Inclined Surfaces and Elongate Scour ••••••••.••.•• 73 Description of Inclined Surfaces .••••••••.•••••.•••.••• 73 Description of Elongate Scour ••..••••••.••••••.••.••••• 75 In terpre ta tion . ............•.................. ~ . 75 Limestone................................................... 76 '.,, ' ' vii 1 STOP 7. EAST BERLIN FORMATION, CROMWELL. • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • 77 Location........... 77 Introduction.............. 77 Lacustrine Black Shale, Gray Mudstone, 'll and Gray Sands tone. • . • • • • • • • • . • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • . • • • • . 79 ' l Symmetrical Lacustrine Cycles.......................... 79 P aleos lopes . 85 P aleocurrents. • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • . • • • . • • • • . • • • . 85 Origin of Laminated Dolomite-Black Shale or Gray Mudstone Couplets ••.•••••.••.••....••••. 89 Size and Depth of the Perennial Lakes •••.••.•••.•.••••. 96 Burial Diagenesis. 99 Lacus trine Redbeds. • • • • . • . • • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • . • . • • • • 99 River-channel Sandstone ..................................... 102 Floodplain Red Muds tone .•.•••••••••••••.••.••.••••••••..•••. 104 Origin of the Color of the Redbeds •••••.••.•••••.•••••.••••. 104 In troduc tion. 104 J Colors in the East Berlin Formation •••••••••••••••••••• 107 J Genesis of Hematite Pigment ••.••••••••.••••••••.••••••• 107 REFERENCES CITED. • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • 110 J ROAD LOG •••••.•.•••••••••••.••.••••••••.•.••.••••.•••••.•••••••.• 123 'J J . I '' ,J viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Geologic map with location of field trip stops.................. 2 2. Map of basins of the Newark Supergroup.......................... 4 3. Stratigraphy of the Newark, Hartford, and Deerfield Basins and the Pomperaug Outlier.. • • . • • • • • • • . • . • • . • . • . • . • 6 4. Measured section of alluvial-fan facies of Portland Arkose, Durham........................................ 11 5. Measured section of New Haven Arkose, North. Haven............... 15 6. Braided-river sandstone and floodplain red mudstone in New Haven Arkose, North Haven............................... 16 7. Close-up of braid-bar complex in Figure 6.. • . • • . • • . • . • • • . • . • • . 16 8. Sketch of braid-bar complex in New Haven Arkose, North Haven •.•• 18 9. Thickness of cross-bed sets in New Haven Arkose ..••.••.•..•.••.• 19 10. Sketch of braided river with longitudinal bars ..••.••••.•.••••.. 21 11. Field and microscopic features of caliche in the New Haven Arkose........................................ 24 12. Caliche profile in New Haven Arkose, North Haven •••.•.•.•.••.•.. 26 13. Caliche profile in New Haven Arkose, North Haven •...•.•..•.•.••• 26 14. Measured section of New Haven Arkose along I-84, Southington •••• 27 15. Late Triassic paleoclimatic zones in Gondwanaland and Laurasia ...••.•..••.•••••...••...••...••.•.• ; . • . • • • • . • . • • • • 31 16. Newark and Hartford
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