Geologic Cross Section A–A′ Through the Appalachian Basin From the Southern Margin of the Ontario Lowlands Province, Genesee County, Western New York, to the Valley and Ridge Province, Lycoming County, North-Central Pennsylvania By Michael H. Trippi, Robert T. Ryder, and Catherine B. Enomoto Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3425 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DAVID BERNHARDT, Acting Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2019 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment— visit https://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747). For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov. 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ISSN 2329-1311 (print) ISSN 2329-132X (online) ISBN 978-1-4113-4284-2 ii Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 Construction of the Cross Section ...............................................................................................................................................................................................1 Structural Framework ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Basement Rocks and Associated Structures ...................................................................................................................................................................4 Thin-Skinned Structures .......................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Stratigraphic Framework ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................7 Lower Cambrian to Upper Ordovician Siliciclastic and Carbonate Strata ...................................................................................................................7 Upper Ordovician to Lower Silurian Siliciclastic Strata ................................................................................................................................................10 Lower Silurian to Middle Devonian Carbonate and Evaporite Strata .........................................................................................................................11 Middle Devonian to Lower Mississippian Siliciclastic Strata ......................................................................................................................................13 Middle and Upper Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Siliciclastic Strata ..................................................................................................................15 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................15 References Cited...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................15 Appendix 1. Table Summarizing Stratigraphic Units and Depths of Stratigraphic Units for Drill Holes 1–10 in Cross Section A–A′ ....................27 Appendix 2. Scale, Units, and Depths for Gamma-Ray Logging Runs ..............................................................................................................................73 Figures [On map sheets] 1. Map showing the location of cross section A–A′ with political and geographic features in New York and Pennsylvania 2. Map showing the location of cross section A–A′ with surface and subsurface structural features in New York and Pennsylvania 3. Correlation chart of Proterozoic and Paleozoic rocks along cross section A–A′ in New York and Pennsylvania Tables Table 1. Drill holes used to construct cross section A–A’ ....................................................................................................................................................2 iii Conversion Factors Multiply By To obtain Length foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi) Geologic Cross Section A–A′ Through the Appalachian Basin from the Southern Margin of the Ontario Lowlands Province, Genesee County, Western New York, to the Valley and Ridge Province, Lycoming County, North-Central Pennsylvania By Michael H. Trippi, Robert T. Ryder, and Catherine B. Enomoto Introduction (1990), de Witt and others (1993), Hettinger (2001), of carbon dioxide (for example, Smith and others, Hickman and others (2006), Riley and others (2006), 2002; Lucier and others, 2006). Geologic cross section A–A′ is the fifth in a series Smith and Leone (2010), and Mount (2014). Although of cross sections constructed by the U.S. Geological some of these other cross sections show more structural Survey (USGS) to document and improve understand- and stratigraphic detail, they are of more limited extent Construction of the Cross Section ing of the geologic framework and petroleum systems geographically and stratigraphically. of the Appalachian basin. Cross section A–A′ provides a Cross section A–A′ contains much information Cross section A–A′ is oriented northwest to south- regional view of the structural and stratigraphic frame- that is useful for evaluating energy resources in the east, approximately normal to the structural grain of the work of the Appalachian basin from the southern mar- Appalachian basin. Although the Appalachian basin region. Several abrupt bends in the section, however, gin of the Ontario Lowlands province in western New petroleum systems identified by Swezey (2002) and are required to accommodate key drill holes that pen- York, across the Allegheny Plateau province of central Milici and others (2003) are not shown on the cross etrate a thick section of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. New York and north-central Pennsylvania, to the Valley section, many of their key elements (such as source Cross section A–A′ is based on geological and and Ridge province in north-central Pennsylvania, a dis- rocks, reservoir rocks, seals, and traps) can be inferred geophysical data from 10 deep drill holes (table 1), tance of approximately 176 miles (mi) (figs. 1 and 2). from lithologic units, unconformities, and geologic 3 of which penetrate the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks This cross section is a companion to cross sections structures shown on the cross section. Other aspects of the basin and bottom in Mesoproterozoic crystal- E–E′, D–D′, C–C′, and I–I′ (Ryder and others, 2008; of petroleum systems (such as the timing of petroleum line basement rocks of the Grenville province (Rankin Ryder and others, 2009; Ryder and others, 2012; Ryder generation and petroleum migration pathways) may be and others, 1993). The locations of the tops of each and others, 2015) that are located approximately 100 to evaluated by burial history, thermal history, and fluid stratigraphic unit penetrated in the 10 deep drill holes 500 mi to the southwest (see index map, sheet 2). Cross flow models on the basis of what is shown on the cross were converted from depth in feet (ft) below the kelly section A–A′ complements earlier geologic or strati- section. In addition, cross section A–A′ may be used bushing (KB) to depth below ground level (GL), and graphic cross sections through the central New York as a reconnaissance tool to identify plausible geologic then were plotted on the cross section with respect to and north-central Pennsylvania part of the Appalachian structures and strata for the subsurface storage of liquid mean sea level (MSL). Detailed depth information for basin by Wagner (1966), Colton (1970), Faill and others waste (for example, Colton, 1961; Lloyd and Reid, the tops of the stratigraphic units in each drill hole is (1977), Faill (1979), Berg and others (1980), Harper 1990; Clark and others, 2005) or for the sequestration reported in appendix 1. 2 Geologic Cross Section A–A′ Through the Appalachian Basin Table 1. Drill holes used to construct cross section