U Co'fc- I' 17 I I LtSk&f MHt*r ptimm, fmatfrnik. MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BALTIMORE COUNTY MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BALTIMORE COUNTY BALTIMORE THE JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS 1929 WAVEELY PRESS. INC. BALTIMORE, TJ. S. A. ADVISORY COUNCIL Raymond A. Pearson Executive Officer PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND Joseph S. Ames Ex-Officio Member PRESIDENT OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY Robert W. Williams Baltimore John B. Ferguson Hagerstown SCIENTIFIC STAFF Edward Bennett Mathews State Geologist SUPERINTENDENT OP THE SURVEY Edward W. Berry Assistant State Geologist Joseph T. Singewald, Jr Geologist Eleanora B. Knopf Geologist Anna I. Jonas Geologist Edward H. Watson Assistant Geologist Also with the cooperation of several members of the bureaus of the National Government and Carnegie Institution. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL To Raymond A. Pearson, President of the University of Maryland, Sir:—I have the honor to present herewith a report on The Physical Features of Baltimore County. This volume is the eleventh of a series of reports on the county resources, and is accompanied by large scale topographical, geological, and agricultural soil maps. The information contained in this volume will prove of both economic and educational value to the residents of Baltimore County as well as to those who may desire information regarding this section of the State. I am. Very respectfully, Edward Bennett Mathews, State Geologist. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, September, 1929. CONTENTS Page Preface 17 Development op Knowledge Concerning the Physical Features op Baltimore County. By Edward W. Berry 21 Introductory 21 Historical Review 21 History op Geographic Research 22 History op Geologic Research 34 Bibliography 38 The Physiography of Baltimore County. By Eleanora Bliss Knopf .... 58 Introductory 58 Geographic Location of Baltimore County 58 Physiographic Provinces of Maryland 59 Topographic Features of the Coastal Plain in Baltimore County... 61 Topographic Features of the Piedmont Province in Baltimore County ; 62 Meadow lowlands 62 Summit uplands 63 Stream gorges 63 Cause of the Topographic Differences 63 Progress of Normal Erosion Cycle 64 Characteristic Topography at Various Stages of the Erosion Cycle. 66 Topographic anomaly in Baltimore County 67 Renuvenation and successive peneplanations... 68 Geologic age of uplifted and dissected peneplains 68 Correlation of residuals of erosion 69 Study of Dissected Surfaces 69 Projected profiles 70 Maps 72 Divide profiles 72 Correlation of Buried Peneplains and Subaerial Surfaces 73 Coastal Plain Terraces of Pleistocene Age 74 Talbot Terrace 74 Wicomico Terrace 75 Upper and Lower Sunderland Terraces 76 Age of the Coastal Plain Terraces 76 Origin of the Coastal Plain Terraces 78 Piedmont Terraces and their Associated Gravel Deposits 79 Hamilton Terrace 81 Howard Park Terrace 82 Catonsville Terrace 82 Sweetair Terrace 84 8 Contents Page Reisterstown Terrace 85 Arcadia Terrace 86 Hampstead Terrace 86 Correlation of Piedmont Terraces 87 Origin of Piedmont Terraces 90 Stream adjustment 93 The Geology op the Crystalline Rocks op Baltimore County. By Eleanora Bliss Knopf and Anna I. Jonas 97 Relation of Geology to Landscape and to Economic Interest 97 Origin of Crystalline Schists 99 Outline of General Geology 102 Igneous Rocks 106 Gabbro 107 Hypersthene gabbr.o 109 Hornblende gabbro 110 Meta-gabbro (hornblende gneiss) Ill Pyroxenite, peridotite, and serpentine 114 Granite 123 Pre-Glenarm granites 124 Post-Glenarm granites 125 Epi-Carboniferous granites 131 Alaskite porphyry 136 Pegmatite 136 Diabase 138 Crystalline Rocks of Sedimentary Origin 140 Pre-Cambrian 140 Baltimore gneiss 140 Glenarm Series 152 Setters formation 152 Cockeysville marble 162 VVissahickon formation 166 Peters Creek formation 176 Age of the Glenarm Series 180 Structure 184 Folding 186 Faulting 190 Age of the structures 191 Geological History 192 The Geology op the Coastal Plain of Baltimore County. By Edward W. Berry 200 Introductory 200 The Lower Cretaceous Formations 200 The Potomac Group 201 The Patuxent Formation 201 The Arundel Formation 203 The Patapsco Formation 205 Contents 9 Page The Upper Cretaceous 207 The Raritan Formation 207 The Pleistocene Formations 209 The Brandywine Formation 210 The Sunderland Formation 211 The Wicomico Formation 212 The Talbot Formation 215 The Recent Deposits 216 The Mineral Resources of Baltimore County. By Edward B. Mathews and Edward H. Watson 219 Introductory 219 The Iron Ores 221 Iron Works in Baltimore County 222 The Ore Banks 225 The Carbonate Ores 225 The Building Stones 228 Granite 232 Marble 233 Gabbro and Serpentine 236 Gneiss 236 Flagstone 237 Fieldstone 238 Road Materials 238 Operations in Building Stone and Road Materials 240 Quarries in Granite 240 Quarries in Crystalline Limestone 243 Quarries in Trap 249 Quarries in Gneiss 254 Quarries in Flagstone 258 Sand and Gravel 263 Operations for Sand and Gravel 265 Clay and Clay Products 270 Operations for Clay 273 Feldspar 276 Quartz 280 Workings for Quartz 283 Chrome 284 Copper 287 The Water Resources 288 Surface Waters 288 Springs ' 289 Dug Wells 290 Artesian Wells 291 The Coastal Plain area 291 The Piedmont area 300 10 Contents Page The Soils of Baltimore County. By Wm. T. Carter, Jr., J. M. Snyder, and O. C. Bruce 305 Soil Types 311 Summary 344 The Climate op Baltimore County. By Edward B. Mathews and Roscoe Nunn 347 Introductory "47 Atmospheric Pressure - 348 Temperature of the Atmosphere 350 Frequency of days with frost 366 Frequency of cold waves 367 Killing frosts and the growing season 367 Warm days and the growing season 367 Warm days in summer 368 Humidity 369 Variations in humidity 371 Absolute humidity 373 Precipitation • • 374 Influences affecting rainfall 375 Variations in precipitation 375 Monthly, seasonal, and annual averages 377 Excessive rainfall 379 Dry spells 380 Wet spells 381 Snowfall 381 Sunshine and Cloudiness 382 Wind 382 The Magnetic Declination in Baltimore County. By L. A. Bauer 385 Introductory 385 Meridian Line 385 Descriptions of Stations 387 Corrections for Secular and Diurnal Variations 391 The Forests of Baltimore County. By F. W. Besley 393 Introductory 393 Distribution of the Forests 393 Description of the Forests 395 Native Trees 396 Important Timber Trees and their chief uses 398 The Lumber and Timber Cut ^ Forest Protection ^3 Forest Management Forest Planting ^ Summary Index ^ ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page Plate I. Fig. 1. Profile of the divide between Patapsco and Gunpowder rivers. (Solid line shows Gwynns Falls-Gunpowder divide; broken line shows Gwynns Falls-Patapsco divide) 64 Fig. 2. Projected profile of the area between Parrs Ridge and the Coastal Plain 64 II. Block diagram of an area in northeastern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania showing Piedmont terraces and their stream continuation in fluvial benches 72 III. Map of Baltimore County showing the approximate outline of the Piedmont terraces 80 IV. Fig. 1. a. Water-worn gravels from 600-foot interstream upland at Randallstown; b. From 540-foot in terstream upland at Fishtown; c. From 320-foot terrace on Gunpowder Falls near Monkton 84 Fig. 2. a. Angular residual fragment of ven quartz, 480-foot level on Little Falls near Walker; b-d. High-level gravels from same locality; e-h. Gravels from present flood plain at same elevation and locality as b-d 84 Fig. 3. Water-worn gravels from near Reisterstown: a. Local- ity B of Barrell; b. Locality C of Barrell 84 V. Map showing the course of Little Falls near Walker. Cross indicates position of high-level gravels. Parkton Quadrangle 96 VI. Fig. 1. View showing injection of granite and pegmatite into Setters near the railroad bridge crossing Gunpowder Falls about 2 miles north of the Harford Road 112 Fig. 2. View showing injection of granite and pegmatite into the Wissahickon (?) at the bridge crossing Gunpowder Falls on the Harford Road 112 VII. Fig. 1. View of the earliest settlement on the site of Baltimore,. 120 Fig. 2. View of the present skyline from the Basin 120 VIII. Fig. 1. View of Charles Street and Washington monument, looking north, as it was in the 1840's 128 Fig. 2. A recent view of the Washington monument and Mount Vernon Square 128 IX. Fig. 1. View of the central part of Baltimore from the air 136 Fig. 2. View of Homewood from the air 136 Illustrations Facing page X. Fig. 1. View showing basal conglomerate of the Patuxent over- lying the Piedmont crystallines at Roland Park, Baltimore City 184 Fig. 2. View showing coarse, highly inclined and cross-bedded Patuxent sands near Homestead, Baltimore City 184 XI. Fig. 1. View showing erosion of old iron mine in the Arundel formation, Schoolhouse Hill, Baltimore County 192 Fig. 2. View showing Patuxent-Arundel contact, south shore of Spring Gardens, the probable locality where Tyson collected the historic Johns Hopkins cycad stump, Baltimore County 192 XII. Fig. 1. View showing the Patuxent-Arundel contact in belt- line cut near the eastern boundary of Baltimore City. 200 Fig. 2. View showing Patapsco sands and clays overlain by Pleistocene sands, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad cut, Rosedale Hill, Baltimore County 200 XIII. Fig. 1. View showing eroded upper surface of the Patuxent overlain by Sunderland deposits, belt-line cut near Charles Street, Baltimore City 208 Fig. 2. View showing Pleistocene gravels at Catonsville, Balti- more County 208 XIV. Fig. 1. View of clay bank at the Monument Street plant of the Baltimore Brick Company 224 Fig. 2. View of pit of the United Clay Mining Corporation of New Jersey, Poplar 224 XV. Fig. 1. View of Butler quarry in Setters quartzite 232 Fig. 2. View showing operations of the Woodstock Granite Quarry Company, near Granite 232 XVI. Fig. 1. View of part of the flagstone quarry at Wrights Mill, showing the pronounced cleavage of the rock and the smooth joint surfaces 240 Fig. 2. View of tower of the Baltimore City College built of Setters quartzite from Butler 240 XVII. Fig. 1.