Geology of Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic Coastal Plain developed landward of a hinge zone on slowly subsiding continental crust during the postrift phase of the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Generally, a wedge of marine and non-marine sediments reaches 2000m thickness near the Atlantic Coastline. Variations in deposition along strike in the coastal plain was controlled by tectonic movement of basins and structural highs which from north to south include the Raritan Embayment, South New Jersey High, Chesapeake-Delaware Basin, Norfolk Arch, Albemarle Embayment, Cape Fear Arch, Southeast Georgia Embayment and South Florida Basin. Postrift sedimentation was initiated during late Jurassic and early Cretaceous time adjacent to the faulted hinge zone which separates thicker unstretched continental crust beneath the coastal plain from thinner stretched crust beneath the outer Atlantic margin. Continental clastic and deltaic sediments were deposited in onlapping sequence from Long Island to northern Florida. During this time carbonate deposition was initiated in the South Florida Basin. Marine deposition of terrigenous sands, silts and clays occurred along the coastal plain in late Cenomanian time. Shallow carbonate deposition continued in Florida. Transgressive and regressive marine deposition was dominant in the coastal plain during late Cretaceous and Paleogene time. Deposition during the Neogene was affected by numerous changes in sea level and consequently it is stratigraphically incomplete and irregularly distributed. Many units lack precise biostratigraphic resolution.
- Research Organization:
- Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6457924
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COASTAL REGIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGY
STRATIGRAPHY
USA
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CONTINENTAL CRUST
PLATE TECTONICS
SEA-FLOOR SPREADING
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTATION
EARTH CRUST
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
NORTH AMERICA
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
TECTONICS
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)
580201 - Geophysics- Seismology & Tectonics- (1980-1989)