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J. 2 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY No. 83 30830 C3RKELATION PAPERS EOCENK. WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1891 DEPARTMENT OP THE INTERIOR BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY No. 83 SO 8 50 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PKINXINO OFFICE 1891 UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY J. W. POWELL, DIRECTOR CORRELATION PAPERS EOCENE BY 30850 WILLIAM BULLOCK CLARK WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1891 CONTENTS. Letter of transmittal........................................................ 9 Outline of this paper.................. ...................................... 11 Preface..................................................................... 13 Introduction............................................................. .. 15 Atlantic and Gulf Coast region .............. ................................ 17 Preliminary remarks.................................................... 17 Historical sketch........................................................ 17 General boundaries ..................................................... 38 Stratigraphical and paleoutological characteristics....................... 39 General remarks .................................................... 39 New Jersey ......................................................... 40 Delaware............................................................ 43 Maryland........................................................... 43 Virginia.... ........................................................ 46 North Carolina.............. ........................................ 48 South Carolina...................................................... 50 Georgia........................ ..................................... 54 Florida.......................................................... .... 55 Alahama ............................................................ 57 Mississippi ......................................................... 66 Tennessee ...................... .................................... 70 Kentucky........................................................... 71 Illinois ............................................................. 73 Missouri...........................1................................ 73 Arkansas ................................................... g .. ...... 74 Louisiana...... ..................................................... 75 Texas .............................................................. 76 Correlation of deposits .................................................. 79 New Jersey..................................................... 80 Maryland........................................................ 80 Virginia................. ........................................ 80 North Carolina .............................___.............. 81 South Carolina.................................................. 82 Georgia............. ............................................ 82 Florida......................................................... 82 Alahama................ .......... .............................. 83 Mississippi.............................:.._..................... 83 Mississippi embay uiont................ .................... ...... 83 Louisiana ....................................................... 84 Texas.................i......................................... 84 Tabular representation of the Geological range of the Eocene in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast region ............................ 85 5 6 CONTENTS. Fage. Atlantic and Gulf Coast region Continued. Provisional division into provinces ...... ................................ 85 New Jersey province............................................ 85 Maryland-Virginia province..................................... 80 Carolina-Georgia province ........................'.. ............ 87 Gulf province................................................... 87 Comparisons with European deposits .................................... 88 Appendix............................................................... 90 The Brandon formation ............................. ................ 90 Vermont........................................................ 92 Pennsylvania................................................... 93 Georgia........................... j. ............................ 93 Pacific Coast region..... .......................................-.»>........ 95 Preliminary remarks ............. ........................................ 95 Historical sketch........................................................ 96 Stratigraphical and paleontological characteristics....................... 100 Tejon group .................................................... 100 Piiget group .................................................... 107 Grounds for the reference of the Tejon and Puget groups to the Eocene... 108 Interior region.............................................................. Ill Preliminary remarks.................................................... Ill Historical sketch ....................................................... Ill Stratigraphical and paleontological characteristics........................ 131 General remarks ...................................................... 131 Laraniie group...................................................... 132 Fort Union beds .................................................... 135 Bear River Estuary beds............................................. 135 Arapaho beds....................................................... 135 Denver beds........................................................ 13G Middle Park beds................................................... 137 Puercobeds......................................................... 137 Wasatch group ..................................................... 139 Green River group........................ ............ ...... ........ 140 Wind River group .................................................. 140 Manti beds.......................................................... 141 Amyzon beds ....................................................... 141 Bridger group....................................................... 141 Huerfano beds ...................................................... 142 TJinta group ........................................................ 143 Summary of correlative evidence........................................ 141 Table showing the relative position of the Interior deposits in the Eocene series................................................................. 14G Bibliography ............................................................... 148 Atlantic and Gulf Coast region .......................................... 148 Pacific Coast region.................................................... 155 Interior region.......................................................... 156 Index ..................................................................... 161 ILLUSTRATIONS, Paga Plate I. Map of Alabama, showing the distribution of Eocene strata......... 60 II. Distribution of the Eocene in the United States .................... 146 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DIVISION OF GEOLOGIC CORRELATION, Washington, D. 0., June 1, 1891. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith an essay by Dr. William B. Clark on the Eocene of the United States, prepared for publication as a bulletin. The Division of Geologic Correlation was created for the purpose of summarizing existing knowledge with reference to the geologic formations of North America, and especially of the United States; of discussing the correlation of the formations found in different parts of the country with one another, and with formations in other countries; and of discussing the principles of geologic correlation in the light of American phenomena. The formations of each geologic period were assigned to some student already well acquainted with them, and it was arranged that he should expand his knowledge by study of the literature and by field examination of classic localities, and embody his results in an essay. The general plan of the work has been set forth on page 16 of the Ninth Annual Eeport of the Survey, and on pages 108 to 113 of the Tenth Annual Eeport, as well as in a letter of trans- mittal to Bulletin No. 80 of the Survey. The present essay is the fourth of a series resulting from this work. The first, prepared by Prof. Henry S. Williams, pertains to the forma tions of the Carboniferous and Devonian periods, and constitutes Bul letin No. 80; the second, prepared by Mr. C. D. Walcott, pertains to the formations of the Cambrian, and constitutes Bulletin No. 81; the third, prepared by Dr. 0. A, White, pertains to the formations of the Cretaceous, and constitutes Bulletin No. 82. The present essay is closely related to the one which follows it in the series, an essay by Dr. William H. Dall on the formations of the Neocene, Bulletin No. 84. Dr. Clark has devoted himself chiefly to the correlation and system atic presentation of published material and opinions bearing on corre lation of the formations of the Eocene. He finds that the marine faunas of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts permit a separation of the 9 10 THE EOCENE. [BULL.83. Eocene as a whole from formations belonging to earlier and later periods with a high degree of confidence, but that with present evidence the lines 4>f separation are not sharply drawn among the marine and fresh water formations of the Pacific Coast and the Interior region. The correlation of the individual formations