The Trenton Limestone--Utica Shale succession: Depositional events in a Middle to Late Ordovician foreland basin setting, New York State

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:5688852

Baird, G C ^[1]; Brett, C E; Lehmann, D ^[2]

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1. S.U.N.Y. Fredonia, Fredonia, NY (United States). Dept. of Geosciences
2. Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences

The Trenton Limestone to Utica Shale succession, northeast of Utica, N.Y. is still enigmatic with regard to its internal stratigraphy and inferred sequence of depositional and tectonic events. The middle Trenton can be subdivided into at least six small scale depositional sequences. Each is marked by a thin, sharply-based nodular wacke- to packstone interval (transgressive systems tract) and is separated from overlying dark shales and calcilutites (highstand systems tract) by surfaces of sediment starvation. Overall, these sequences record the progressive northwestward retreat of shelf facies with concurrent sediment-starvation and stratigraphic-condensation of equivalent slope facies in the basin. Furthermore, these sequence-scale cycles nest parasequence-scale cycles. Using event horizons, submarine discontinuities and sedimentary cycles as lithochronostratigraphic markers, the present authors recognize that: (1) middle Trenton transgressive deposits pass basinward (eastward) into condensed bioclastic facies; geographically widespread facies of the upper Dolgeville correspond to early highstand with establishment of dysoxic conditions, (2) the Utica Shale (sensu strictu) appears to be separated from the Trenton Limestone and Trenton-equivalent strata (Dolgeville facies) by a widespread unconformity, and (3) an unconformity separates lower to middle Utica Shale from upper Utica Shale. The two unconformities apparently merge east on Trenton Falls such that upper Utica strata rest unconformably on Steuben strata (upper Trenton). This merged unconformity surface is regionally extensive, beveling successively older Trenton strata in a southeastward direction.

• OSTI ID: 5688852
• Report Number(s): CONF-921058--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 24:7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
DEPOSITION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
LITHOLOGY
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLOGY
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
STRATIGRAPHY
TECTONICS
USA