Gulf coastal Pleistocene units and time stratigraphy; reevaluation and problems of Atlantic correlation

Conference · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6112073

Otvos, E G ^[1]

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1. Gulf Coast Research Lab., Ocean Springs, MS (United States). Geology Section

Outdated glacial subdivisions and misinterpretations of alluvial interfluve ridges as marine terraces hampered advances in coastal stratigraphy. One problem involves C.W. Cooke's extension of his Atlantic shorelines along the NE Gulf into the Mississippi Embayment. The mirage of an inter-Wisconsinan interglacial gave way to beliefs in high glacial Wisconsinan sea levels that were assumed to have resulted in barriers and intensive alluvial aggradation on the TX-LA coastal plain. Without vertical definitions, Fisk assigned formation status to alluvial and brackish-marine sediments that directly underlie four coastwise Pleistocene terraces in SW Louisiana. The youngest (Prairie) and associated formations were recently (re)defined and correlated with other coastal areas. Brackish and marine deposits in the subsurface have been correlated with Fisk's second youngest coastwise surface. Detailed facies analyses of cores from hundreds of drillholes indicated that, in sharp contrast with Plio-Pleistocene barriers on the Atlantic coast, only a single, Sangamonian (Sg) barrier shore complex remains on the NE Gulf coastal plain after intensive uplift/erosion. Few isolated remnants of pre-Sg Pleistocene alluvial units occur, including flora elements in peat lenses at one location. An early, low Sg sea level stand near Apalachicola is marked by transgressive deposits at c. [minus]37.5m. Thin NE Gulf Sg sequence includes the fine-grained, open marine-to-estuarine Biloxi, the regressive, shallow subtidal-to-supratidal, mainland Gulfport barrier and the alluvial Prairie Formations. These are correlatable Gulfwide. Contrary to widespread assumption, the Gulfport-Ingleside barriers were not islands but mainland strandplains. The Sg complex correlates with oxygen isotope Stage 5 units of the Mid/South Atlantic coastal plain and shelf. Thick LA-TX shelf/slope intervals display about ten fourth-order cycles within 4 primary ones.

• OSTI ID: 6112073
• Report Number(s): CONF-9304188-; CODEN: GAAPBC
• Journal Information: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:4; Conference: 42. annual Geological Society of America (GSA) Southeastern Section meeting, Tallahassee, FL (United States), 1-2 Apr 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
STRATIGRAPHY
LOUISIANA
PLEISTOCENE EPOCH
SEA LEVEL
TEXAS
CORRELATIONS
GULF OF MEXICO
US EAST COAST
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
LEVELS
NORTH AMERICA
QUATERNARY PERIOD
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
580000* - Geosciences