• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Atlas 174c GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE BERWICK QUADRANGLE, LUZERNE AND COLUMBIA COUNtiES, PENNSYLVANIA by Jon D. Inners Pennsylvania Geological Survey PENNSYLVANIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOURTH SERIES HARRISBURG 1978 .. AtlasAtlas174c 174c GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE BERWICK QUADRANGLE, LUZERNE AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA byby Jono n D.D. Inners Pennsylvania Geological Survey PENNSYLVANIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOURTH SERIES HARRISBURG 19781978 Copyright 1978 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania QuotatQuotationsions from this book may be published if credit is given to the Pennsylvania Geological Survey PREFACE This report with its accompanying maps describes the nature and dis­ tribution of rock formations and surficial deposits in the vicinity of Ber­ wick, northeastern Pennsylvania. The Berwick area has a particularly in­ teresting geologic setting because it lies on the crest of one of the major rock fold structures in the Pennsylvania Appalachians and because it is situated at the edge of the great "terminal moraine," which was deposited by glacial ice and meltwater streams at the end of the Ice Age. Both of these geologic factors have a profound effect on land use, mineral resources, and environ­ mental conditionsconditions.. Special attention is paid to the influence of geology on groundwater occurrence and quality, cut-slope stability, excavation diffi­ culty, foundation stability, and waste disposal. The vast sand and gravel re­ sources of the area are described, and their geologic significance is ex­ plainedplained.. The report is designed to have educational as well as practical applications; it is hoped that it will prove not only useful to the professional geologist, engineer, and planner, but also informative to the student and in­ terested layman. ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICA nON MAY BE PURCHASED FROM STATE BOOK STORE, P. O.O. BOX 1365 HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 17125 iii CONTENTS Page Preface. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iii Abstract. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Introduction.Introduction. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 2 Physical setting. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3. 3 Acknowledgements. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .5 5 Bedrock structure. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 5 Folds. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5. 5 Faults. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .7 . 7 CleaCleavage vage.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 Joints. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 Fracture traces . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 Origin and age of surficial deposits .......... :.- . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Mineral resources. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Sand and gravel ..................................... " 23 Crushed stone. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27 Clay shale. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 Uranium ............................................. 28 Particulate coal and coaly shale .......................... " 28 References . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31 Glossary. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURES IN TEXT Figure 1. Equal-area lower-hemisphere projection of poles to bed­ ding, poles to cleavage, bedding-cleavage intersections, and axes of minor folds . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .6 6 2. Equal-area lower-hemisphere projection of poles to wedge faults, slickenlines on wedge faults, and slickenlines on bedding .... , .. ... ... ... ... ... .... .... 8 3. Equal-area lower-hemisphere projection of poles to joints in the Marcellus, Mahantango, and Harrell Formations. 12 4. Equal-area lower-hemisphere projection of poles to joints in the Trimmers Rock, Catskill, and Pocono Formations on the north flank of the Berwick anticlinorium. .. .. .. .. .. 13 5. Equal-area lower-hemisphere projection of poles to joints in the Trimmers Rock, Catskill, Spechty Kopf, Pocono, and Mauch Chunk Formations on the south flank of the Berwick anticlinorium. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 Page PLATES 'igure 6. Diagram showing orientation of fracture traces and line- (in envelope) aments. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 Plate 1.I. Bedrock geologic map of the Berwick quadrangle, Luzerne and 7. Diagram showing approximate absolute time at which Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania. various surficial processes that left a depositional record 2. Surficial geologic map of the Berwick quadrangle, Luzerne and were active in the Berwick quadrangle . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania. 8. Cumulative curves of grain-size distribution for Wood- fordian sand and samples. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 grgr~iVel~lVel 9. Histograms showing the lithologic composition of Wood- TABLES fordian sand and gravel samples. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 10. Cumulative curves of grain-size distribution for Holocene Page coaly sand and gravel and sand samplessamples. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 Table 1. Summary of test results for clay shale samples .... .. .. .. .. 29 2. Percent of particulate coal in coaly sand and gravel and FIGURES ON PLATE 1 sand samples ......................................................... ............ 31 1iguresligures 1-5. Photographs showing- 1. Large-scale planar cross beds in greenish-gray medium-grained sandstone, Sherman Creek Member of the Catskill For­ mationmation.. 2. Rubble slide in moderatelymOderately dipping sandstone, Sherman Creek Member of the Catskill Formation. 3. Calcareous fossil shell (brachiopod) lenses in the middle part of the Trimmers Rock Formation. 4. Siltstone beds, some distinctly graded, in the lower part of the Trimmers Rock FormationFormation.. 5. Coarse cleavage in argillaceous, micritic limestone, Tully Member of the Mahantango Formation. FIGURES ON PLATE 2 '"igures 1-7. Photographs showing- 1. Convoluted sharpstone colluvium derived from greenish-gray sandstone and silty clay shale of the Irish Valley Member (Catskill Formation). 2. Typical bedding and sorting variations in Woodfordian out- wash. 3. Cobbly outwash of the 575-foot (175-m) terrace. 4. Cut in a Woodfordian outwash terrace. 5.5. Inclined bedding in a Woodfordian kame terrace. 6. Torrential bedding in Woodfordian frontal-kame deposits. 7. Large quartz-conglomerate erratic (Pocono or Pottsville For­ mation) in Woodfordian ground moraine. vi vviiii GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE BERWICK OUADRANGLE. LUZERNE AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES.COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA by Jon D. lnnersInners ABSTRACT The Berwick 771f2-minute1/2-minute quadrangle is situated astride the North Branch, Susquehanna River, in the Appalachian Mountain section of the Valley and Ridge physiographic province. Although the topography is mainly controlled by the resistance to erosion of folded sedimentary rocks, depositional landforms related t9tp glacial and glaciofluvial proc­ esses are well developed in the eastern and central parts of the mapped area. Bedrock formations that underlie the quadrangle range from the Silurian Wills Creek Formation to the Mississippian Mauch Chunk Forma­ tion. The rocks are predominantly marine limestones, shales, and siltsilt­­ stones in the lower part of the stratigraphie column (Wills Creek to Trimmers Rock interval) and nonmarine shales, sandstones, and con­ glomerates in the upper part (Catskill to Mauch Chunk interval). The dominant bedrock structure in the quadrangle is the Berwick anticlinorium, which plunges gently northeastward and is flanked on the north and south by the Lackawanna and CatawissaCatawissa-McCauley-McCauley Mountain synclinoria, respectivelyrespectively... Fold limbs are composed of long, planar seg­ ments separated by sharp hinges. Faults constitute a subordinate part of the structure, although two large south-dipping reverse faults are in­ ferred to displace Silurian and Devonian rocks beneath the terrace gravels at Berwick. Cleavage, which is well developed in argillaceous rocks and also affects limestones, siltstones, and fine-grained sandstones, generally dips steeply to the south and fans across the Berwick anti­ clinoriumclinorium.. Joints are developed in all lithologies and are generally ap­ proximately perpendicular to bedding. Fracture-trace orientations appear to reflect joint trends. Unconsolidated deposits of Pleistocene and Holocene age comprise numerous surficial units-titls,units-tills, iceice-contact-contact stratified drift, kame-terrace and frontal-kame gravels, outwash, and alluvium-which form a blanket over more than half the mapped area. Deposits of three episodes of con­ tinental glaciation can be differentiated on the bases of morphological preservation, depth of weathering, and clast lithologylithology.. These glacial events are probably correlative with the Illinoian (oldest), Altonian, and BERWICK QUADRANGLE INTRODUCTION 3 oodfordian (youngest) glaciations, which have been recognized in ad­ (1970

Load more

  22

Copy Link