B5 Sedimentary Petrology of the Cretaceous Sediments of Northern
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......,,"" vVjJy DO NOT REMOVE R£1t1t2- r/"1'0 : from Room 208 DELAWAREC: :'LOGICl\l SURVE't it ~ ~ ~- UNIVERSI TY OF DELAWARE '77e/9.$f? V NEWARK,DElAWARf. 1971(,'7$0/ t<h7 H n¥ / t1 L)/J 1...5 "/#/9h /<' 7{) STATE OF DELAWARE DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY B ULLETIN No.5 SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY OF THE CRETACEOUS SEDIMENTS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE IN RELATION TO PALEOGEOGRAPHIC PROBLEMS •-.' by JOHAN J. GROOT State Geologist 0/ Delaware NEWARK, DELAWARE J ULY 1955 STATE OF DELAWARE DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN No.5 SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY OF THE CRETACEOUS SEDIMENTS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE IN RELATION TO PALEOGEOGRAPHIC PROBLEMS by JORAN J. GROOT State Geologist of Delaware NEWARK, DELAWARE JULY 1955 FOREWORD The writer is greatly indebted to Jan P. Bakker, Professor at the Uni versity of Amsterdam, for his constructive criticism and valuable suggestions regarding the interpretation of the mechanical and mineral analyses. Thanks are due .to Lincoln and Clarissa Dryden of Bryn Mawr College who, because of their great knowledge of Coastal Plain sediments, were able to give ~ound advice concerning the main problems discussed in this report. D. J. Doeglas, Professor at the Landbouwhogeschool, Wageningen, the Nether lands, critically read Chapters IV and V, and H. J. MacGilIavry of the University of Amsterdam read Chapters I, II and III. Donna M. Organist, Geologist, Delaware Geological Survey, partici pated in the field work and the study of the mineral slides. Her help in preparing the report has been invaluable. The writer gratefully acknowledges the helpful suggestions received from Paul D. Krynine of Pennsylvania State University, F. J. Pettijohn of John Hopkins University, W. C. Krumbein of Northwestern University, and W. C. Rasmussen of the the U. S. Geological Survey. Sedimentary analysis of many samples was made possible by financial assistance from the cooperative program of the U. S. Geological Survey and the Delaware Geological Survey. CONTENTS Page Foreword 3 Abstract 9 Chapter I. Introduction .., :....................................................... 12 Purpose and scope 12 Previous investigations 13 Chapter II. Methods of investigation 17 Sampling techniques _..................................... 17 Sample numbering system 18 Methods of mechanical analysis and presentation of data _......... 18 Methods of heavy mineral analysis and presentation of data 21 Chapter III. The Cretaceous formations of northern Delaware 23 Chapter IV. The heavy mineral content of the Cretaceous formations of northern Delaware 29 General considerations 29 Patuxent zone 35 Patapsco-Raritan zone 40 Magothy formation 45 Marine Upper Cretaceous formations 46 Chapter V. The provenance of the sediments 52 General considerations 52 Patuxent zone 59 Evidence from the heavy mineral suite 59 Evidence from tourmaline 60 Evidence from field observations and sample study.............................................. 61 Patapsco-Raritan zone 62 Evidence from the heavy mineral suite 62 Evidence from tourmaline 64· Evidence from field observations and sample study.............................................. 64 Magothy formation 66 Evidence from the heavy mineral suite 66 Evidence from tourmaline 66 Evidence from field observations and sample study.............................................. 67 'Marine Upper 'Cretaceous formations : :............................ 67 Evidence from the heavy mineral suite 67 Evidence from tourmaline 70 Evidence from field observations and sample study ,....................... 71 General conclusions regarding the provenance of the Cretaceous sediments of northern Delaware 71 Chapter VI. The environment of deposition of the sediments 73 General considerations 73 Patuxent zone 92 Patapsco-Raritan zone 102 Magothy formation 103 Marine Upper Cretaceous formations 103 Chapter VII. The Cretaceous development of the Appalachian Mountain system in the light of the sedimentary record of the Coastal Plain 122 Main problems 122 5 Page ILLUSTRATIONS Reversal of Appalachian drainage . Origin of wind and water gaps in th~'A;;~i~;hi'~'~'M';~~~~j~"""""""""""""" 123 PLATES I' . s 126 The age of the Appalachi (in pocket) an penep anes In the light of the sedimentary record 126 • I. Map of northern Delaware showing sampling localities References . ....................................... 132 II. Sampling localities outside the principle area of investigation Appendix A. Heavy mineral content of Cretaceous, Pleistocene, and Recent sedi FIGURES Page ments of the Coastal Plain of nonhern Delaware ...................................... 134 I. Block diagram showing the physiographic provinces of the Appalachian region Appendix B. Heavy mineral content of Cretaceous sediments of the Coastal Plain and the Coastal Plain 24 of New Jersey . 2. Photomicrographs of representative mineral slides of the Cretaceous formations 33·36 144 3. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Patuxent zone 37 Appendix C. M h . I . ec amca composition of the sediments of the Coastal Plain of 4. Heavy mineral suites of the Patuxent, Patapsco-Raritan, and Pleistocene of test northern Delaware ............................................................................................ 145 hole 25, New Castle, Delaware -r _....... 38 Appendix D. Selected outcrop descriptions 5. Specimens of mineral grains of the. Patuxent zone 39 ........................................................... 155 6. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Patapsco-Haritan zone 41·42 Appendix E. Depth of core drill samples 157 a. Sediments mapped as Patapsco by Miller (Bascom & Miller, 1920) 41 b. Sediments mapped as Raritan by Miller (Bascom & /Miller, 1920) 41 c. Sediments from test holes in the New Castle area 42 d. New Jersey Raritan-Magothy, undifferentiated 42 7. Specimens of mineral grains of the Patapsoo-Raritan zone 43 8. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Magotby formation 46 9. Specimens of mineral grains of the Magotby formation 47 10. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Mercbantville formation 48 . n. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Wenonah formation 48 12. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Mount Laurel-Navesink formation 49 13. Examples of the heavy mineral suite of the Red Balik formation 49 14. Specimens of mineral grains of the marine Upper Cretaceous formations 50·51 15. Rutile-zircon percentage 8S related to median grain 'size in the Patapsco-Raritan zone _....... 58 16. Basement configuration-Central Atlantic States 63 17. Bar diagrams of the heavy mineral content of marine Upper Cretaceous forma- tions in New Jersey _....... 69 18. 'Mechanical analyses of beach sands of the Netherlands 75 19. 'Mechanical analyses of beach sands of the Netherlands 75 20. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Patuxent zone 77 21. Relationship between median grain size and skewnesaPatapsco-Raritan zone 77 22. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Magothy formation 78 23. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Merchantville formation .:.. 78 24. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Wenonah formation 79 25. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Mount Laurel-Navesink formation _................................................................................... 79 26. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Red Bank formation 80 27. Relationship between median grain size and skewness, Recent floodplain sediments 80 28. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coeffcient, Patuxent zone ........ 83 29. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coefficient, Patapsco-Raritan zone 83 30. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coefficient, Magothy formation 84 31. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coefficient, Merchantville for- mation 84 32. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coefficient, Wenonah formation 85 33. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coefficient, Mount Laurel- Navesink formation _................................................................ 85 34. Relationship between median grain size and sorting coefficient, Red Bank forma. tion c.................... 86 6 7 SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY OF THE CRETACEOUS ,. .Page 35. Relationship between median grain size and rti . SEDIMENTS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE sediments so tmg coeffieient, Recent floodplain 36. Relat~onship betwee~..~~di~~..;~~i~··~·i~~..~~d·"k~·~~~~i~··p~;~~~·~···............................... 86 IN RELATION TO PALEOGEOGRAPHIC PROBLEMS 37. Relationship between median '. d k ' t zone 88 38. Relationship between median :ra~n ~ze and kurtoSis, Patapsco-Raritan zone 88 39. Relationship between medi ra~n s.lze an urtosis, Magothy formation 89 by 40. Relationship between medi:nn ggral.n sl~e anddkkurtosis, Merchantville formation 89 41 R ram size an urtosis We h f . • elationship between median grai d k .' nona ormation ...._....... 90 mation ram size an urtosis, Mount Laurel-Navesink for- JOHAN J. GROOT 42. Relationship b~;~~~~··;;di~~··;;;:;~·~i~;·~~d"·k~·~~~·~i····..·..·· ··· :.................. 90 43. Cumulative curves of two de " s, Red Bank forma lion 91 and different sorting coefficie~:I~..~lth log normal size frequency distributions 44. Combined deposition of traction I ...d".......................................................................... 93 ABSTRACT normal distribution a an suspension particles, each having a log 45. Eflects of removal of·~di·~~~;~;:;;·..···~:..[e..··f..··..·..·· ·· ·...................... 94 HE NON-MARINE