PENNSYLT~ANIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOURTH SERIES BULLETIN C 39 EEL-IG OUNTY ENNSY.LVANIA GEOLOGYAND GEOGRAPHY BY BENJAMIN LEROY MILLER Professor of Geology, Lehigh Universitl/ with chapters on PRE-CAMBRIAN GEOLOGY BY DONAI;D MCCOY FRASER Associate Professor of Geolog2/, Lehigh University JACKSONBURG FORMATION BY RALPH LEROY MILLER Instructor in Geology, Columbia University MARTINSBURG FORMATION BY BRADFORD WILLARD Professor of Geology, Lehigh University TRIASSIC ROCKS BY EDCAR T. WHERRY s Associate Professor of Botany, University of Pennsylvania DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFA1R.S WILLIAM S. LIVENGOOD, JE., Secretary TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SURVEY GEORGE H. ASHLEY, State Geologist ” Harrisburg, Pa. c 1941 TABLF A OF COKTFVTSi* 'age Forewor(l, by B. L. Miller ........................................ vii Introduction, by B. L. Mille’r ....................................... 1 ;;;;Free of geologi’cal history ................................... 1 ....................................................... 2 Use ........................................................ 2 Population ................................................ 3 Hi,ghways ................................................. 3 Railroads, trolleys and canals .............................. 5 Early histo&al development, by B. L. Miller ........................ 6 Pre-Indian occupation ......................................... 6 Indian ,occupat.ion ............................................. 7 Indi,an jasper quarries ............................ ..a .......... 11 Eary white settlers ............................................ 19 Bibliography .................................................. 20 Devel.opment of knowled,ge of the geography and geology, by B. L. Miller ............... ........................... ............... 23 Bibliography and 8c,artography ................................. 24 T,oponymy, by B. L. Miller ......................................... 63 Place names .. ..- .............................................. 67 Weather sand climate, by B. 1,. Miller ............................... 84 Temperature .................................................. 86 Precipitation .................................................. 90 Snowfall ...................................................... 92 Humidity ..................................................... 94 Gener.al character ‘of weather .................................. 94 Winds ........................................................ 95 Storms ........................................................ 104 Phyaiography, by B. L. Miller . ;. ................................... 106 Topographic features .......................................... 107 Ori,gin of physiographic features ............................... 112 Peneplanes .................................................... 116 Streams ...................................................... 117 Floods ........................................................ 123 Water gaps and wind gaps ..................................... 1826 ‘Caves, sinks and und’erground drainage system ................. 132 Other physiographic features .................................. 135 Stratigraphy, by B. L. Miller ..................................... 138 Stratigraphy and petrography of the pre-Cambrian rocks, by D. M. Fraser .......................................................... 142 Formation derxription ......................................... 143 Franklin formation ............................................ 144 Mo8ravian Heights formation ................................... 146 P’ochuck ‘gneiss ................................................ 149 Metadiabase ................................................... 154 Byram granite gneiss .......................................... 155 Pegm,atitic material ........................................... 159 General description of the Paleozoi’c, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic rocks, by B. L. Miller ................................................... 161 Paleozoic era .................................................. 161 Cambrian system .......................................... 162 Ordovician system ......................................... 163 Silurian system ........................................... 163 Mesozoic er’a .................................................. 163 Tri.assic system ........................................... 164 Cenozoic era .................................................... 164 Pleistocene pe’riod, Glacial ,epoch ........................... 164 Recent ‘era .................................................... 164 C’ambrian system .............................................. 165 Har’dyst,on formation, by B. L. Miller and P. B. Myers ...... 165 T.omst80wn formation, by B. L. Miller ....................... 180 Allentown formation, by B. ‘L. Miller ....................... 186 Ordovician system ............................................. 193 Beekmantown f.ormation, by B, L. Miller ................... 193 ... 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Page Jacksonburg formation, by Ralph L. Miller ................................ 202 ’ Martinsburg formation, by Bradford Willard 213 Silurian system, by B. L. Miller ................................. 229 Tuecarora formation ....... .............................. 229 Triassic system, by Edgar T. Wherry ........................... 231 Brunswick formation ...................................... 231 Quaternary system, by B. L. Miller ............................. 236 Glacial deposits ........................................... 236 Wisconsin ice sheet ................................... 238 Illinoian ice sheet ..................................... 239 Pre-Illinoian (Jerseyan) ice sheet ..................... 2’44 Alluvial deposits ........................................... 245 Colluvial depositIs .......................................... 245 Residual deposits .......................................... 245 Structure, by B. L. Miller .......................................... 245 Mineral resources, by B. L. Miller .................................. 251 Iron ore ....................................................... 252 History of operations ..................................... 252 Limonite ores ................. ........................... 258 Descriptions of individual mmes, by Albert J. Getz ...... 272 Magnetite ores ............................................ 316 Hematite ores ............................................. 324 Iron carbonate (siderite) ores ............................. 326 Zinc .......................................................... 326 Manganese .................................................... 354 Lead, copper, gold ............................................ 357 Pyrite ........................................................ 358 ,, Ocher ......................................................... 361 Limestones .................................................... 367 Cement ....................................................... 374 Building stone ................................................. 3,92 Clay and shale ................................................ 395 Slate, by B. L. Miller and C. H. Behre, Jr. ....................... 4Ql Sand and gravel ......................................... ..... 416 Graphite ...................................................... 419 Minor products ................................................ 421 Ground water resources ........................................... 421 Soils .............................................................. 435 Agriculture ....................................................... 442 Mineralogy, by B. L. Miller ........................................ 443 Geologic history, by B. L. Miller .. ... 470 Pre-Cambrian history, by D. M. Fraser....................................................... 470 Index ............................................................ 479 iv IL&%TRATIONS PLATE 1. Geologic map of Lehigh County . ......... ... ...... .In pocket 2. Map of Lehigh County showing location of mines and quarries ...................................... ... .In pocket 3. Muhlenberg Collepe on a limestone hill .......... Frontispiece 4. A, Kern’s saw mill on Trout Creek, Slatington; B, Snyder’s grist mill on Switzer Creek east of Lynnville . 120 5. A, Wehr’s dam and mill on Jordan Creek; B, Broken dam on Indian Creek, Upper Milford Township . 120 6. Lehigh River at Allentown, Tilghman Street bridge; B, Meander in Lehigh River between Rockdale and Laurys . 120’ 7. A,%FIsia6d ‘Lehigh River, Allentown ; B, Broken mill dam near GLrmansville . 120’ 8. A, Jordan Creek, log dam; B, Jordan Creek, silt deposits. 120 9. A, Lvon Creek at Lyon Valley at site of mill dam; B, Joidan Creek, site of former dam . 120 10. Flood at Allentown Aug. 24, 1933. A, Little Lehigh Creek near mouth ; B, Lehigh Valley R. R. station . 120 11. A, Lehigh Gap from south; B, Lehigh Gap from north. 121 12. A. The Devil’s Pulpit, west side of Lehigh Gap; B, Bake Oven Knob, crest of Kittatinny Mountam . 136 13. A. Bear Rocks, summit of Kittatinny Mountain; B, Bauer Rock or Big Rock, top of South Mountain, near Allen- town . 137 14. Photomicrographs of thin sections of rocks. A, Pochuck gneiss ; B, Gradational material between Pochuck and Byram gneisses; C, Moravian Heights formation; D, Byram gneiss; E, Metabasalt ; F, Hardyston quartzite. 168 15. A, Jasper cliff west of Mountainville; B, Large Sc~Zithz~~ 168 16. A, Common form of Scolithus linearis; B, Irregular form of Scolithus; C, Coarse oolite in Tomstown hmestone, East