Structural and Stratigraphic Framework, and Spatial Distribution of Permeability of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 796 Structural and Stratigraphic Framework, and Spatial Distribution of Permeability of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York By PHILIP M. BROWN, JAMES A. MILLER, and FREDERICK M. SWAIN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 796 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1972 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 72-600285 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 Stock Number 2401-00243 CONTENTS Page Abstract.___________________________________________ 1 Stratigraphic framework Continued Introduction. __ _____________________---____----_-____ 2 Lithostratigraphic description and biostratigraphic Location of area.____________________________________ 3 discussion Continued Acknowledgments. __________________________________ 3 Cenozoic Era__ ____________-_-___--__-------_ 45 Previous work_______________________________________ 5 Tertiary System. _______.-_______----__-_ 45 Purpose of this report. ________________________________ 6 Paleocene Series _ ___________________ 45 Structural architecture._______________________________ 6 Midway Stage Rocks of Midway Introduction, __ ________________________________ 6 Age_ ___----__-____--_------__ 45 General discussion________________________ _______ 9 Eocene Series.. _ _____________________ 47 Structural configuration of the coastal margin________ 10 Sabine Stage Rocks of Sabine Regional system of intersecting hingebelts and its re­ Age___ ____-________.___--___- 47 lation Lo sediment distribution. ____________ 13 Claiborne Stage Rocks of Claiborne Structurr 1 models. __________________________ 18 Age--------------------------- 48 Analysis of the mechanics of deformation____________ 19 Jackson Stage Rocks of Jackson Regional components . tilt_ _ _____________________ 23 49 The geographic distribution of sedimentary troughs Oligocene Series. __-_______-___---____ 50 and the nature of their structural boundaries Vicksburgian-Chickasawhayan unit and cross structures between North Carolina - Rocks of Oligocene age_ _______ 50 and Long Island, N.Y.__ ____________________ 27 Miocene Series _ _ _ ___-_-_____--______ 51 The geometry of sedimentary troughs, first-order Middle Miocene unit Rocks of tectonic stage._____________________________ 27 middle Miocene age__ __-____-__ 51 The geometry of sedimentary troughs, second- Late Miocene unit Rocks of late order tectonic stage_-___- __--_-________-____ 28 Miocene age._ ----------------- 52 Stratigraphic framework._____________________________ 29 Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene General discussion and review.____________________ 29 Series, undifferentiated_ _________ 53 Correlation framework____________________________ 31 Post-Miocene unit Rocks of post- Construction of geologic maps and cross sections. ____ 35 Miocene age. ____-__________--- 53 Lithostratigraphic description and biostratigraphic Descriptive and quantitative sedimentary geometry. _ 54 discussion of regional chronostratigraphic units_ 37 Arcuate-type transgression and regression, ______ 55 Mesozoic Era________________________________ 37 Linear-type transgression and regression .__-____ 59 Jurassic(?) System Rocks of Jurassic(?) Regional patterns of subsidence and sedimenta­ age._____________________________ 37 tion. _ ____________________________________ 62 Unit I Rocks of Unit !_____________. 37 Sediment input versus trough subsidence. _ ______ 64 Jurassic(?) and Cretaceous Systems Rocks First-order tectonic stage. ________.---.____ 66 of Cretaceous and Late Jurassic(?) Second-order tectonic stage- .--_--__---____ 68 age_ ______________________________ 37 Regional distribution framework of intrinsic permeability. _ 70 Unit H Rocks of Unit H_ ____________ 37 General discussion, __ ______________----__ _.--__-_- 70 Cretaceous System Rocks of Cretaceous age- 39 The nonuniform nature of intrinsic permeability in the Unit G Rocks of Unit G_ ____________ 39 report area. _ __________________________________ 70 Unit F Rocks of Unit F_____________ 40 72 Unit E Rocks of Unit E_ ____________ 41 Construction of the regional lithofacies maps_ _______ Unit D Rocks of Unit D___ __________ 42 Construction of the relative intrinsic-permeability Unit C Rocks of Unit C_____ ________ 43 networks, ___________-_______.________--__--_-- 73 Unit B Rocks of Unit B___ __________ 43 Summary. _____-____-__-______-_-_____------------_- 75 Unit A Rocks of Unit A_____________ 44 Selected references. ___________-_____-___---------._-- 76 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates follow text in case] PLATE 1. Schematic mechanical models that illustrate the sequential deformation of the unit-structural block. 2. Correlation chart for the Stratigraphic intervals, Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York. Ill iv CONTENTS PLATE 3. Geologic-section chart showing the type reference sections for chronostratigraphic units and for lithofacies within each chronostratigraphic unit, Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York. 4. Location map for key wells and for geologic sections, Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York. 5. Map of the structural surface of basement rock, Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York: 6-22. Geohydrologic maps of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York: 6. Jurassic (?) Unit I. 7. Cretaceous and Late Jurassic(?) Unit H. 8. Cretaceous Unit G. 9. Cretaceous Unit F. 10. Cretaceous Unit E. 11. Cretaceous Unit D. 12. Cretaceous Unit C. 13. Cretaceous Unit B. 14. Cretaceous Unit A. 15. Rocks of Midway Age. 16. Rocks of Sabine Age. 17. Rocks of Claiborne Age. 18. Rocks of Jackson Age. 19. Rocks of Oligocene age. 20. Rocks of middle Miocene age. 21. Rocks of late Miocene age. 22. Rocks of post-Miocene age. 23-58. Geologic cross sections: 23. A-A' from Gibson well, Scotland County, N. C., to Whiteville well, Columbus County, N. C. 24. B-B' from Maxton well, Scotland County, N. C., to Lea well 1, Pender County, N. C. 25. C-C' from Young Property well, Cumberland County, N. C., to Justice well 1, Onslow County, N. C. 26. D-D' from Mt. Olive Pickle Co. well, Wayne County, N. C., to Huntley-Davis well 1, Carteret County, N. C. 27. E-E' from Stantonsburg well, Wilson County, N. C., to Bayland well 1, Carteret County, N. C. 28. F-F' from Pinetops well, Edgecombe County, N. C., to Marshall Collins well 1, Dare County, N. C. 29. G-G' from Odom Prison Farm well, Northampton County, N. C., to Furbee well 1, Washington Courty, N.C. 30. G'-G" from Furbee well 1, Washington County, N. C., to Hatteras Light well 1, Dare County, N. C. 31. H-H' from C-157 well, Northampton County, N. C., to Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel well, city of Virginia Beach, Va. 32. J-J' from NW-218 well, Prince George County, Va., to Twiford well 1, Currituck County, N. C. 33. K-K' from Meadow Bridge Farm well, Hanover County, Va., to John Lensey well, city of Chesapeake, Va. 34. L-L' from KQ-2 well, King and Queen County, Va., to Bush development well, city of Virginia Beach, Va. 35. M-M' from Washington's birthplace well, Westmoreland County, Va., to Maryland Esso well 1, Worcester County, Md. 36. N-N' from Col. Cralle well, King George County, Va., to Bush development well, city of Virginia Beach, Va. 37. 0-0' from LaPlata well, Charles County, Md., to Dickinson well 1, Cape May County, N. J. 38. P-P' from Fort Washington well, Prince Georges County, Md., to Janes Island well, Somerset County, Md. 39. Q-Q' from Wrangle Hill Farm well, New Castle County, Del., to Bethards well 1, Worcester County, Md. 40. R-R' from Laurel Springs well, Camden County, N. J., to Maryland Esso well 1, Worcester County, Md. 41. S-S' from lonac Chemical Co. well, Burlington County, N. J., to U.S. Geological Survey Island Beach test well, Ocean County, N. J. 42. T-T' from Tabor City Foods well, Columbus County, N. C., to Mt. Olive Pickle Co. well, Wayne County, N. C. 43. U-U' from Scotland Neck well, Halifax County, N. C., to Justice well 1, Onslow County, N. C. 44. V-V from U.S. Geological Survey test well T-2, Martin County, N. C., to Hercules Powder Co. well, New Hanover County, N. C. 45. W-W from Weyerhauser well 1, Camden County, N. C., to Maysville well, Jones County, N. C. 46. X-X' from Boykins well, Southampton County, Va., to Huntley-Davis well 1, Carteret County, N. C. 47. Y-Y' from Forest Glen School well, Nansemond County, Va., to U.S. Geological Survey test well T-2, Chowan County, N. C. 48. Y'-Y" from U.S. Geological Survey test well T-2, Chowan County, N. C., to Huntley-Davis well 1, Carteret County, N. C. 49. Z-Z' from Fort Fisher well 1, New Hanover County, N. C., to Huntley-Davis well 1, Carteret County, N. C. 50. Z'-Z" from Huntley-Davis well 1, Carteret County, N. C., to Hatteras Light well 1, Dare County, N. C. 51. Z"-Z'" from Hatteras Light well 1, Dare County, N. C., to Twiford well 1, Currituck County, N. C. 52. AA-AA' from NW-217 well, Prince George County, Va., to C-l well, Charles City County, Va. 53. BB-BB' from NW-213 well, Sussex County, Va., to Janes Island well, Somerset County, Md. 54. BB'-BB" from Janes Island well, Somerset County, Md., to Dickinson well 1, Cape May County, N. J. 55. CC-CC' from Point Lookout Hotel well, St. Marys County, Md., to Twiford well 1, Currituck County, N. C. 56. DD-DD' from Dover A. F. B. well, Kent County Del., to U.S. Geological Survey Island Beach test w>ll, Ocean County, N. J. CONTENTS v PLATE 57. EE-EE' from U.S. Geological Survey Island Beach test well, Ocean County, N. J., to U. S. Geological Survey site 6 test well, Suffolk County, N. Y. 58. FF-FF' from Fort Meade test well 3, Anne Arundel County, Md., to Bethardswell 1, Worcester County, Md. 59. Comparative geologic sections. Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York. Scale reductions or composites of the following plates: 49, 50, and 51; 32; 47 and 48; 53 and 54; 29 and 30; and 39.