Age and correlation of tertiary sediments in the western South Carolina Coastal Plain

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6025858

Laws, R A; Harris, W B; Zullo, V A; Fallaw, W C; Price, V

Integration of coastal onlap stratigraphy, calcareous nannofossil, dinoflagellate, and megafossil biostratigraphy provide new data for interpretation of age and interregional correlation of Paleocene to Oligocene deposits of the western South Carolina Coastal Plain. Clastic and calcareous sediments examined in cores and outcrops in the vicinity of the Savannah River Plant record at least seven coastal onlap cycles. Basal Tertiary sediments of the Ellenton Formation represent cycles TA1.1 - 1.3 and contain dinoflagellates of Midwayan to Sabinian age. The overlying Williamsburg Formation probably represents deposits of cycle TA2.1. The superjacent siliciclastics of the Congaree Formation contain few fossils, but may preserve transgressive and highstand deposits of cycles TA2.4 - 3.3. The overlying unit is commonly calcareous, contains nannofossils indicative of zones NP16-17 (Upper Claibornian), and marks a significant change in depositional style subsequent to the 49.5 Ma eustatic fall. ''Marls'' of the overlying Griffins Landing Member of the Dry Branch Formation contain micro- and megafossils of Late Eocene (Jacksonian) age and represent transgressive deposits of cycle TA4.1. The discontinuous lateral distribution of these calcareous units and overlying clastics of the Dry Branch and Tobacco Road Formations results largely from erosion and deep incision during the mid-Oligocene eustatic fall (30 Ma). The ''Upland'' unit is interpreted as being deposited on this erosional surface.

• Research Organization: North Carolina Univ., Wilmington (USA). Dept. of Earth Sciences; Furman Univ., Greenville, SC (USA); Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 6025858
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-87-74; CONF-871014-2-Vugraphs; ON: DE88001372
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
580100* -- Geology & Hydrology-- (-1989)
CENOZOIC ERA
DRILL CORES
FEDERAL REGION IV
FOSSILS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SOUTH CAROLINA
STRATIGRAPHY
TERTIARY PERIOD
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA