Howell Bosbyshell , Leeann Srogi and Gale Blackmer

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Howell Bosbyshell , Leeann Srogi and Gale Blackmer Advances in constraining the timing of deformation and metamorphism: Howell Bosbyshell1, LeeAnn Srogi1 and Gale Blackmer2 1 2 Salinic through Acadian transpressional tectonics in the Central Appalachians West Chester University Pennsylvania Geological Survey Simplified Geologic Map of the Central Appalachian Piedmont 44069 (monazite) Ge-06-33 A Mt. Cuba Gneiss 39 40 40 Coastal Plain 0.0688 Wissahickon Formation 429 o o o W o Wissahickon Formation Pa. P-T conditions in Mt. Cuba Gneiss in the Mill Creek nappe, This poster focuses on 30'N N 30'N TIMS data P-05-02 Md. 76 Mesozoic Basin 300 Yorklyn, De (loc. 44069) are estimated to have exceeded 427 the West Grove Meta- 0.0684 James Run arc/BMC 426 morphic Suite 750°C, based on the presence of perthitic feldspars, at pres- U 320 Wissahickon Fm 238 MAP AREA sures in the sillimanite stability field, but greater than 0.6 0.0680 424 (WGMS)- the Mt. Cuba Pb/ 340 Gneiss and Doe Run Wilmington Complex GPa, based on a lack of cordierite (Bosbyshell et al., 2011). 206 o W 422 0.0676 75 Mt. Cuba Gneiss SHRIMP and TIMS monazite ages, 426 ± 3 Ma and 424.9 ± 0.4 360 Schist and the arc- Concordia Age = 424.9 ± 0.4 Ma N probability of concordance = 0.42 Laurels & Doe Run Schist Ma, respectively (Aleinikoff, et al., 2006), constrain the timing 420 related Wissahickon 0.0672 380 Metasedimentary rocks of high-T metamorphism and deformation. 0.512 0.514 0.516 0.518 0.520 0.522 0.524 0.526 0.528 Formation. 207 235 0 km 25 Pb/ U 400 Clastics and carbonates Modified from Faill (1997), Hanan and Sinha (1989). Grenville gneiss (Ma) Age 420 Mill Creek Nappe Geologic Map of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware Mill Creek Nappe 440 460 2 mm 10000 WG-43b 480 340 While complexly deformed, the eastern Wissahickon Formation Ge-06-33 is characterized by a classic Barrovian, st-ky-sil metamorhpic field U 500 U 360 9000 D kyanite Z - biotite gradient and exhibits little evidence of the Silurian high-T meta- D S Wiss-1N Honey Brook Upland sillimanite y e l l a n V do 380 morphism. Monazite ages indicate that this metamorphism is B-22 ing t n Hu - ilmenite 8000 Devonian, approximately 384 Ma(Bosbyshell, 2008). 380 + rutile 400 -staurolite e n i L P-05-02 +kyanite Mine Ridge c 390 i pl ilm t t Ca Mn s r 420 +ms U B22 a u 7000 grt bt M r (Ma) Age h T D sil qtz e l l i liq qfm v 400 e 440 e -chl r Pressure [Bar] b +liquid pl ilm Z -muscovite m 6000 Ca Mn S E grt bt Rim domains N West Chester Massif 460 410 -staurolite sil qtz U +cordierite D t B-22 H2O qfm l W E GW-05-54 u a -H2O t 480 F 420 5000 -biotite +sillimanite C-207 d n S a e o CC-7205 t r e o S R t - sillimanite +cordierite m - D o k m a i i n e r o e s h T o Avondale Massif 10 Km Woodville R 430 23.01.2012 - 10:53:11 CPU time: 5h 04m 32.46 Monazite is complexly zoned and may contain 80º ? Nappe 79º 78º 77º 76º ? 42º 42º 4000 ? 75º (Ma) Age two age populations: 419 ± 9.7 Ma and 437 ± 11.0 ? ? 550 650 750 850 440 Pa. WG-216 41º 41º ? Ma. Both inclusions and matrix grains contain Del. Cores 75º Temperature [C] ? U ? compositional domains which yield both ages. 450 40º 40º ? 75º The dominant foliation in the Mount Cuba Gniess above the Street Road Fault (sample WG-43) 44069 e ? 80º 79º 78º 77º 76º While there are instances where textures are con- n i WG-43 l ? is defined by aligned sillimanite and biotite. Staurolite contains inclusions of foliation-parallel c i Wilmington Complex t sistent with this age difference, such examples are 460 ? n DEL. Bc21-b sillimanite and cross-cuts sillimanite fabrics. Kyanite occurs as small crystals which overprint A ? Legend WG-101 k e not ubiquitous. Thus it is not clear that these re- re ? C l Triassic rocks sillimanite and high Ca-rims are present on garnet. This suggests a second period of mineral il ? 470 M sults indicate two distinct periods of monazite ? Stockton Fm. growth during isobaric cooling from peak temperatures. ? growth. The average of all analyses is 427 ± 14 Ma, ? 480 Pa. similar to previously reported TIMS and SHRIMP Md. Del. Rocks of known and probable Laurentian affinity results (above, Aleinikoff, 2006). Coastal PlainLower Paleozoic Cambrian Tectonic Speculation Octoraro Formation West Grove Metamorphic Suite Street Road Fault Wilmington Complex Avondale Massif Ordovician - ~480 Ma Rocks of arc affinity Chickies, Harpers, Antietam Fms. Mt. Cuba Gneiss Wissahickon Fm. Sample B-22 demonstrates the metamorphic and deformational Ganderia ? undifferentiated meta-clastic rocks Laurels and Doe Run Schist Doe Run Schist Iapetus Avalonia Silurian plutonic/metaplutonic rocks Undifferentiated Ca history of the western, probably lower portion of the Wissa- Granite/ WG-216 Gabbro granodiorite meta-carbonate rocks Kennett Square Amphibolite C-207 hickon Formation. Garnet maps show a low-Ca core, which Ordovician metaigneous rocks Peters Creek Schist White Clay Creek Amphibolite staurolite staurolite formed during M1, high-T low-P metamorphism (andalusite- Wilmington Complex is intra-Iapetan arc. Volcanic Plutonic Glenarm Group sillimanite grade), with a high-Ca overgrowth the formed during Silurian ~430 Ma Salinic Orogeny Precambrian M2, higher-P, kyanite-grade metamorphism. The fabric in this Ordovician meta-clastic Avondale massif Wiss Fm. rock, S3 wraps the M1 garnet core, but is included within M2 Laurentia Doe Run Mt.Cuba Avalonia and meta-volcanic rocks Anorthosite Sycamore Mills Fm. Wissahickon Fm overgrowth. Monazite cores (433 ± 7 Ma) likely record the time Quartz monzonite gneiss Undifferentiated gneiss sillimanite Rosemont Shear Zone of M1. Asymmetric high-U rims on monazite constrain the timing Felsic and intermediate gneiss West Chester Massif Undifferentiated of S3 (average, 415 ± 14 Ma) and are included in high-Ca garnet Granulite facies garnet High-T low-P metamorphism in Wissahickon, then Mt. Cuba ultramafic rocks Graphitic felsic gneiss sillimanite rims. Amphibolite facies Granulite metamorphism of Wilmington Complex Modified from Blackmer, 2005; Pyle et al., 2006. Ca x-ray map of garnet from WG-216. Low Ca rim is in- Width of field ≈ 6mm for both photos Rosemont Shear Zone Early Devonian ~410 Ma CC-7205 Early stages of Acadian orogeny West Grove Metamorphic Suite Wissahickon Formation terpreted to correspond to garnet growth during high m1 WG-216 320 Rosemont Shear Zone T staurolite breakdown (Srogi et al., 2007). Late garnet Street Road Fault 1035 Ma 1050 Ma 1195 Ma Wiss-1N GW-05-154 960 Ma Bc21-b C-207 and sil after st (photomicrographs) is syn- to post- Laurentia Avalonia Wissahickon Fm. 434 C-207 Mt. Cuba Gneiss Doe Run Schist tectonic. Isopleths of this garnet rim compositon inter- 430 418 340 340 Ashland, De Chatham, Pa Wissahickon Creek sect at approximately 700C and 5 kb. n = 90 360 Dextral transpression n = 95 895 Ma Philadelphia, Pa Rims n = 139 10000 471 360 Burial and metamorphism of Doe Run Schist WG-216 380 Deformation onset of crustal thickening in Wissahickon Fm. 574 Ma 491 546 Ma -chlorite 427 kyanite Outer core Middle Devonian ~385 Ma 9000 400 380 sillimanite 388 ± 12 Ma End of Acadian orogeny 1050 Ma 44069 960 Ma 1470 Ma P-05-02 GW-05-154 - ilm 420 -chloritoid (n = 24) Rosemont Shear Zone Mt. Cuba Gneiss + rt 400 Street Road Fault Wissahickon Fm. +chlorite 945 Ma Doe Run Schist 8000 Embreeville Thrust Yorklyn, De Fairmont Park Monazite with young, low-Y, high- 440 0.5 mm Laurentia Avalonia n = 49 Unionville, Pa n = 124 Philadelphia, Pa Th rims is present in the matrix and 420 Aleinikoff et al. 2006 +liquid -H2O pl ilm 460 n = 143 7000 grt bt as inclusions in the high-Ca garnet (Ma) Age Above, syn-tectonic 554 Ma sil qtz Barrovian metamorphism of Wissahickon Fm. liq qfm rims in WG-216. High-T metamor- garnet in ultramylonite 480 440 Cores References Pressure [Bar] phism can be no older than 410 ± from the RSZ (loc. CC- Aleinikoff, J.L, Schenck, W. S., Plank, M. O., Srogi, L. A., Fanning, C. M., Kamo, S. L., and Bosbyshell, H., 2006, Deciphering igneous and 6000 st-bearing metamorphic events in high-grade rocks of the Wilmington Complex, Delaware: Morphology, cathodoluminescence and backscattered assemblages 11 Ma. Textural considerations on 520 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 7205). P-T estimates of electron zoning, and SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology of zircon and monazite: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 118, p. 39-64. 1020 Ma Wg-101 1200 Ma CC46-2 460 Blackmer, G. C., 2005, Preliminary bedrock geologic map of a portion of the Wilmington 30- by 60-minute quadrangle, southeastern 610 Ma sps the timing of monazite growth Ma 600C at 8 kb were ob- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Open-File Report OFBM 05–01.0, 16 p., Portable Document Format (PDF) file. Wissahickon Fm. grs 540 Mt. Cuba Gneiss 5000 similarly constrain the age of high-T Bosbyshell, H., Blackmer, G.C., Srogi, L., Mathur, R., Crawford, M., Valencia, V., and Schenck, W.S., 2012, Detrital zircon ages from the Wissa- +cordierite tained using the composi- hickon Formation, southeast Pennsylvania and northern Delaware: Regional tectonic implications: Geological Society of America 965 Ma alm The West Grove Metamorphic Glen Riddle, Pa Abstracts with Programs, v.
Recommended publications
  • The Chemistry of Rocks in the Wissahickon Valley
    The Chemistry of Rocks in the Wissahickon Valley Cristobal Carambo Philadelphia High School for Girls Problem Statement Rationale Proposed Unit of Study Objectives Background Standards Used in the Unit Lesson Plans Appendix Bibliography Problem Statement The majority of my students are sophomores who have had little to no science during their middle school years. This lack of a comprehensive science program in their formative years explains much of their difficulty connecting science to their daily life. This is most evident when I introduce the periodic table of elements and attempt to explain how elements combine to form the many compounds that are necessary in our lives. Although I use many common household chemicals to illustrate the importance of elements and compounds, students still fail to fully appreciate the role that chemistry plays in our understanding of the physical world. I have often attempted to use the chemistry of the rock cycle to connect our class to the real world but many students are unaware of the rock cycle, or have had a cursory general survey of rocks. Understanding the role that elements play in the formation of minerals and how those minerals combine to form the many rock types and materials in our world would create a vibrant connection between the static elements on the periodic table and the world in which we live. In our conversations of the world around us, I have noticed that many of my students have had little or no experiences in natural settings where they could explore and make connections between the concepts learned in the classroom and their environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Map of the Piedmont in the Savage and Relay Quadrangles, Howard, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel Counties, Maryland
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Geologic Map of the Piedmont in the Savage and Relay Quadrangles, Howard, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel Counties, Maryland By Avery Ala Drake, Jr.1 Open-File Report 98-757 This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 'Reston, VA 1998 GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PIEDMONT IN THE SAVAGE AND RELAY QUADRANGLES, HOWARD, BALTIMORE, AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTIES, MARYLAND by Avery Ala Drake, Jr. INTRODUCTION The Piedmont in the Savage and Relay quadrangles (fig. 1) is largely in Howard County, Maryland. The northeasternmost part is in Baltimore County, Maryland and about 0.03 square miles is in Anne Arundel County. Most of the area is suburban and almost all outcrops are restricted to the Patapsco, Middle Patuxent, Little Patuxent, and other stream valleys. Crystalline rocks of the central Appalachian Piedmont within these quadrangles are overlain in many places by Coastal Plain deposits of Cretaceous age. Alluvium occurs along most streams. The geology of adjacent quadrangles on the west and south has been mapped by Drake (in press, unpublished data, 1991-1997) and J.N. Roen and A.A. Drake, Jr. (in press), and that to the north and east by Crowley (1976). The tectonics of the area were interpreted by Crowley (1976) and Drake (1995). Aeromagnetic and gravity surveys of the area were interpreted by Bromery (1968).
    [Show full text]
  • SP20 Delaware Piedmont Geology
    Delaware Piedmont Geology including a guide to the rocks of Red Clay Valley RESEARCH DELAWARE SERVICEGEOLOGICAL SURVEY EXPLORATION Delaware Geological Survey University of Delaware Special Publication No. 20 By Margaret O. Plank and William S. Schenck 106/1500/298/C Delaware Piedmont Geology Including a guide to the rocks of Red Clay Valley Delaware Geological Survey University of Delaware Special Publication No. 20 Margaret O. Plank and William S. Schenck 1998 Contents FOREWORD . v INTRODUCTION . vii Acknowledgments . viii BASIC FACTS ABOUT ROCKS . 1–13 Our Earth . 1 Crust . 1 Mantle . 2 Core. 2 Plate Tectonics . 3 Minerals . 5 Rocks . 6 Igneous Rocks . 6 Sedimentary Rocks. 8 Metamorphic Rocks . 9 Deformation. 11 Time . 12 READING THE ROCKS: A HISTORY OF THE DELAWARE PIEDMONT . 15–29 Geologic Setting . 15 Piedmont . 15 Fall Line. 17 Atlantic Coastal Plain. 17 Rock Units of the Delaware Piedmont . 20 Wilmington Complex . 20 Wissahickon Formation . 21 Setters Formation & Cockeysville Marble . 22 Geologic Map for Reference . 23 Baltimore Gneiss . 24 Deformation in the Delaware Piedmont . 24 The Piedmont and Plate Tectonics . 27 Red Clay Valley: Table of Contents iii A GUIDE TO THE ROCKS ALONG THE TRACK . 31–54 Before We Begin . 31 Geologic Points of Interest . 31 A Southeast of Greenbank . 35 B Workhouse Quarry at Greenbank. 36 C Red Clay Creek and Brandywine Springs Park . 36 D Brandywine Springs to Faulkland Road . 38 E Hercules Golf Course . 39 F Rock Cut at Wooddale . 40 G Wissahickon Formation at Wooddale. 43 H Quarries at Wooddale. 43 I Red Clay Creek Flood Plain . 44 J Mount Cuba . 44 K Mount Cuba Picnic Grove .
    [Show full text]
  • Bulletin of the Geological Society of America Vol. 63, Pp
    BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA VOL. 63, PP. 26-68, 22 FIGS. JANUARY 1952 METAMORPHIC FACIES IN THE WISSAHICKON SCHIST NEAR PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA BY DOROTHY WYCKOFF ABSTRACT The mica schists and mica gneisses of the Wissahickon formation in the Philadelphia region are de- scribed in terms of metamorphic facies. Representatives of the amphibolite facies (sillimanite-almandine and staurolite-kyanite subfacies) predominate, but show incipient alteration to minerals characteristic of the epidote-albite amphibolite facies. The status of rocks containing the assemblages kyanite-orthoclase, sillimanite-muscovite, and kyanite-almandine is also discussed. Metamorphism of the highest grade is found in the southwestern end of the schist belt; but evidence is presented to show that the most intense metamorphism took place, not at the time of highest temperatures, but during a succeeding period of declining temperatures, when mineral changes were facilitated by copious hydrotherrnal solutions and strong regional deformation. The decipherable history is therefore largely one of retrograde metamorphism; many of the higher grade rocks have been converted by granitization to micro- cline gneiss ("granodiorite"), especially in the southern part of the schist belt, while farther to the north and west, incipient chloritization has been favored by late crushing. The period of metamorphism is tenta- tively dated as Paleozoic. CONTENTS TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure Pag« Introduction 26 1. AKF diagram: staurolite-k yanite subf acies... 27 Philadelphia region as a test case 28 2. AKF diagram: sillimanite-almandine sub- Acknowledgments 30 fades 27 Chemical character of the rocks 30 3. AKF diagrams: possible intermediate sub- Significant mineral associations 31 facies 28 Classification of specimens 31 4.
    [Show full text]
  • A Foundation Failure in Philadelphia
    Missouri University of Science and Technology Scholars' Mine International Conference on Case Histories in (1988) - Second International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering 03 Jun 1988, 10:00 am - 5:30 pm A Foundation Failure in Philadelphia W. B. Fergusson Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania E. F. Glynn Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge Part of the Geotechnical Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Fergusson, W. B. and Glynn, E. F., "A Foundation Failure in Philadelphia" (1988). International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering. 1. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/2icchge/2icchge-session6/1 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Article - Conference proceedings is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars' Mine. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering by an authorized administrator of Scholars' Mine. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Proceedings: Second International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering, June 1-5, 1988, St. Louis, Mo., Paper No. 6.42 A foundation Failure in Philadelphia W.B. Fergusson E.f. Glynn Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Villanova University, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania Villanova, Pennsylvania SYNOPSIS: The foundation failure of the 22 story, steel framed, federal courthouse in Philadelphia occurred because of an inadequate geotechnical assessment of a complex geological condition.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulletin 19 of the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Resources
    COMMISSION OF MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY S. JAMES CAMPBELL Towson RICHARD W. COOPER Salisbury JOHN C. GEYER Baltimore ROBERT C. HARVEY Frostburg M. GORDON WOLMAN Baltimore PREFACE In 1906 the Maryland Geological Survey published a report on "The Physical Features of Maryland", which was mainly an account of the geology and min- eral resources of the State. It included a brief outline of the geography, a more extended description of the physiography, and chapters on the soils, climate, hydrography, terrestrial magnetism and forestry. In 1918 the Survey published a report on "The Geography of Maryland", which covered the same fields as the earlier report, but gave only a brief outline of the geology and added chap- ters on the economic geography of the State. Both of these reports are now out of print. Because of the close relationship of geography and geology and the overlap in subject matter, the two reports were revised and combined into a single volume and published in 1957 as Bulletin 19 of the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Resources. The Bulletin has been subsequently reprinted in 1961 and 1966. Some revisions in statistical data were made in the 1961 and 1968 reprints. Certain sections of the Bulletin were extensively revised by Dr. Jona- than Edwards in this 1974 reprint. The Introduction, Mineral Resources, Soils and Agriculture, Seafood Industries, Commerce and Transportation and Manu- facturing chapters of the book have received the most revision and updating. The chapter on Geology and Physiography was not revised. This report has been used extensively in the schools of the State, and the combination of Geology and Geography in one volume allows greater latitude in adapting it to use as a reference or textbook at various school levels.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Topographic Map Interpretation Methods to Determine Tookany (Tacony) Creek Erosion History Upstream from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    Journal of Geography and Geology; Vol . 8, No. 4; 2016 ISSN 1916-9779 E-ISSN 1916-9787 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Using topographic map interpretation methods to determine Tookany (Tacony) Creek erosion history upstream from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Eric Clausen1 1 Jenkintown, PA. USA Correspondence: Eric N. Clausen, 100 West Ave D-17, Jenkintown, PA, 19046, USA. E-mail: [email protected] Received: October 26, 2016 Accepted: November 18, 2016 Online Published: December 2, 2016 doi:10.5539/jgg.v8n4p30 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jgg.v8n4p30 Abstract Topographic map interpretation methods are used to determine erosional landform origins in and adjacent to the Tookany (Tacony) Creek drainage basin, located upstream from and adjacent to Philadelphia, PA. Five wind gaps notched into the Tookany-Wissahickon Creek drainage divide (which is also the Delaware-Schuylkill River drainage divide), a deep through valley crossing the Tookany-Pennypack Creek drainage divide, a Tookany Creek elbow of capture, orientations of Tookany Creek tributary valleys, a narrow valley carved in erosion resistant metamorphic bedrock, and the relationship of a major Tookany Creek direction change with a Pennypack Creek elbow of capture and a Pennypack Creek barbed tributary are used along with other evidence to reconstruct how a deep south oriented Tookany Creek valley eroded headward across massive southwest oriented flood flow. The flood flow origin cannot be determined from Tookany Creek drainage basin evidence, but may have been derived from a melting continental ice sheet, and originally flowed across the Tookany Creek drainage basin region on a low gradient topographic surface equivalent in elevation to or higher than the highest present day Tookany Creek drainage divide elevations with the water flowing in a complex of shallow diverging and converging channels that had formed by scouring of less resistant bedrock units and zones.
    [Show full text]
  • Bedrock Geology of the West Grove Quadrangle, Pennsylvania-Delaware Piedmont
    Geological Society of America Digital Map and Chart Series DMCH002 2005 Bedrock geology of the West Grove Quadrangle, Pennsylvania-Delaware piedmont J. Alcock Department of Environmental Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, Abington, Pennsylvania 19001, USA ABSTRACT Three lithotectonic units are exposed across the West Grove Quadrangle in the Pennsylvania-Delaware piedmont. These are mid-Proterozoic gneisses that core the Landenberg, Avondale, and Woodville Massifs, latest Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic metasediments of the Glenarm Series (Setters Formation and Cockeysville Marble) that form the margins of the massifs, and the allocthonous latest Proterozoic to early Paleozoic metasediments of the Wissahickon Formation. Metamorphic and structural discontinuities can be used to establish that each unit has experienced a distinct meta- morphic and tectonic history. Keywords: Pennsylvania-Delaware piedmont, Glenarm Series, Wissahickon Forma- tion, metamorphic discontinuity, structural discontinuity. INTRODUCTION tify key locations and relationships among the different map units and supports the interpretation that the Wissahickon Formation Multiple deformational and metamorphic events affecting in this area is allocthonous, having been thrust across the lower the Pennsylvania-Delaware piedmont during early Paleozoic units during Paleozoic plate collision. plate collision produced a complex regional structure that con- Mapping by the author was initiated in an effort to bet- tinues to cause debate amongst geologists working in the area. ter defi ne metamorphic and structural relationships among the A key issue of contention is the relationship of metapelites and various lithotectonic units exposed in the Pennsylvania-Delaware metapsammites of the Wissahickon Formation to the Cock- Piedmont as part of a doctoral thesis (Alcock, 1989) with addi- eysville Marble and Setters Formation, which were originally tional work continuing until 1996.
    [Show full text]
  • Watershed 03J, Poquessing
    Updated 12/2003 Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS) State Water Plan Subbasin 03J Poquessing Creek and Pennypack Creek Watersheds (Includes the Delaware River and Tacony/Frankford Creek) Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties Introduction Subbasin 3J consists of 149 square miles of the Poquessing, Pennypack, and Tacony/Frankford Creeks and the Delaware River from the confluence of Neshaminy Creek to the confluence of the Schuylkill River. This small, highly urbanized subbasin consists of only 91 streams and 158 stream miles. Poquessing Creek forms part of the boundary between Philadelphia and Bucks County. The subbasin is included in HUC Area 2040202, Delaware River, a Category I, FY99/2000 Priority watershed in the Unified Watershed Assessment. Geology/Soils: The middle section of the basin is within the Northern Piedmont Ecoregion, Piedmont Uplands (64c), comprised of metamorphic and igneous rocks, mainly schist and mica of the Wissahickon Formation, and gneiss and hornblende. The topography is relatively level except for steep slopes in the ravines along major streams; slope ranging from 15 to 20 percent. The soils of Piedmont Uplands have a moderate rate of infiltration. The northern portion of the watershed, mainly north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, consists of the Northern Piedmont Ecoregion, Triassic Lowlands (64a), containing coarse gray sandstone, conglomerate, fine-grained red or brown sandstone and shale of the Stockton Formation. Low ridges associated with diabase dikes and sheets interrupt the low rolling topography. The soils of the Triassic Lowlands have slow infiltration rates and a high runoff potential. The lower third of the watershed and areas along the Delaware River consists of unconsolidated sand and clay of the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain Ecoregion, Delaware River Terraces and Uplands (63a).
    [Show full text]
  • RI59 Bedrock Geology of the Piedmont of Delaware And
    State of Delaware DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Robert R. Jordan, State Geologist REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS NO. 59 BEDROCK GEOLOGY OF THE PIEDMONT OF DELAWARE AND ADJACENT PENNSYLVANIA by Margaret O. Plank1, William S. Schenck1, LeeAnn Srogi2 University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 2000 1Delaware Geological Survey 2West Chester University State of Delaware DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Robert R. Jordan, State Geologist REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS NO. 59 BEDROCK GEOLOGY OF THE PIEDMONT OF DELAWARE AND ADJACENT PENNSYLVANIA by Margaret O. Plank1 William S. Schenck1 LeeAnn Srogi2 University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 2000 1Delaware Geological Survey 2West Chester University CONTENTS Page Page ABSTRACT . 1 Montchanin Metagabbro. 15 Mill Creek Metagabbro . 16 INTRODUCTION. 1 Rockford Park Gneiss . 16 Purpose and Scope. 1 Brandywine Blue Gneiss. 17 Regional Geologic Setting . 2 Arden Plutonic Supersuite . 18 Acknowledgments. 2 Ardentown Granitic Suite. 19 GEOLOGIC UNITS. 2 Perkins Run Gabbronorite Suite. 20 Baltimore Gneiss . 2 Biotite Tonalite. 21 Setters Formation. 4 Bringhurst Gabbro. 21 Cockeysville Marble. 6 Iron Hill Gabbro. 22 Wissahickon Formation. 7 Diabase Dike . 23 Ultramafic Lens . 10 GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE MAFIC ROCKS . 23 Wilmington Complex. 10 Windy Hills Gneiss . 11 DISCUSSION . 23 Faulkland Gneiss . 12 CONCLUSIONS . 25 Christianstead Gneiss. 13 Barley Mill Gneiss. 14 REFERENCES CITED . 26 APPENDIX Page TYPE AND REFERENCE SECTION LOCATION MAPS AND LITHOLOGIES . 31 Baltimore Gneiss in Delaware . 32 Setters Formation in Pennsylvania. 33 Setters Formation in Delaware. 34 Cockeysville Marble in Delaware. 35 Wissahickon Formation at Brandywine Springs Park, Delaware. 36 Wissahickon Formation at Mt. Cuba, Delaware . 37 Ultramafic Lens . 38 Windy Hills Gneiss. 39 Faulkland Gneiss. 40 Christianstead Gneiss . 41 Barley Mill Gneiss .
    [Show full text]
  • Walking the Wissahickon in This Issue: Article Contributed by Mike Edelman ~ Photos by Kevin Kelly
    American Institute of Professional Geologists Pennsylvania Section www.aipg.org June 2019 Walking the Wissahickon In This Issue: Article contributed by Mike Edelman ~ Photos by Kevin Kelly Summary of PA AIPG’s The Pennsylvania Section of AIPG arranged a walking tour of a portion of Wissahickon Park Field Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia on May 18, 2019. The tour was Trip – pgs. 1-2 led by Temple University professor Dr. Natalie Flynn, who was assisted by Brownfields and PA DEP other faculty and staff from Temple. Approximately 40 people attended News Updates – pgs. 2-3 the tour – see group photo below. In Rememberance – The park is an oasis of quiet, just off of some of the busiest streets in Kevin Frysinger – pg. 3 Philadelphia. The land for the park was purchased in 1868 and demolition Broad Top Coalfield of mills and taverns within the boundaries occurred during the 1920s. The Study – pgs. 4-6 tour started at Valley Green Inn, the only remaining example of the types Summary of 2nd Private of taverns that were present at one time. Well Conference National Stakeholder Meeting – Not only is the park a treasure for city people seeking refuge in the park pg. 7 setting, it is a geological treasure as well. The geology consists of schist and gneiss of the Wissahickon Formation. According to information Your Help Needed, other PA geo societies etc. – provided during the trip, the geologic history of the Wissahickon Formation pg. 8 began around 1.1 billion years ago, when the supercontinent Rodinia broke apart to form the Iapetus Ocean, which covered the area during the Cambrian Period.
    [Show full text]
  • A Further Revision of the Stratigraphic Nomenclature of the Wissahickon Formation in Maryland
    MICHAEL W. HIGGINS U.S. Geological Survey, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 GEORGE W. FISHER Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 A Further Revision of the Stratigraphic Nomenclature of the Wissahickon Formation in Maryland ABSTRACT flexible and objective system for subdividing these rocks, Southwick and Fisher (1967) The Wissahickon Formation, the thickest divided nearly all the rocks above the Cockeys- and most extensive unit of the Glenarm ville into five lithofacies (Table 1) and included Series, was divided into lithofacies several these lithofacies in a single formation, the years ago. We suggest revision of two of Wissahickon. these lithofacies and addition of another. We Recent mapping by members of the U.S. also suggest that the term lithofacies be Geological Survey, the Maryland Geological shortened to facies. The added facies, the Survey, and The Johns Hopkins University quartzite facies, is distinguished by metamor- has indicated the need for revision of two of phosed orthoquartzites and protoquartzites. the lithofacies and for the addition of another; It corresponds in part to the former Peters these are discussed in this note. The term Creek quartzite. lithofacies is changed to fades, in the interests of brevity (Table 1). INTRODUCTION In the Maryland Piedmont, a 1100 m.y.-old PELITIC SCHIST FACIES basement complex, the Baltimore Gneiss, is Pelitic schists make up most of the Wissa- unconformably overlain by the Glenarm hickon Formation; they have been described Series,
    [Show full text]