Trace fossils and bioturbation in peritidal facies of the Potsdam-Theresa Formations (Cambrian-Ordovician), Northwest Adirondacks

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Palaois; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3514770· OSTI ID:6918267

Bjerstedt, T W ^[1]; Erickson, J M ^[2]

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1. Department of Energy, Las Vegas, NV (USA)
2. St. Lawrence Univ., Canton, NY (USA)

The Cambrian-Ordovician Potsdam Sandstone, Theresa Formation, and Canadian correlatives in the St. Lawrence Lowlands preserve tide-dominated facies during the basal Cambrian transgression. Low intertidal sand flats in the upper Potsdam contain a Skolithos Ichnofacies dominated by Diplocraterion parallelum in clean, herringbone cross-bedded sandstones indicative of high tidal current energy. Wind-wave-driven longshore and tidal currents along a macrotidal coastline were funneled northeast-southwest by Precambrian topographic relief of up to 65 m. This relief is now expressed as the Thousand Islands of New York and Canada. The conformably overlying Theresa Formation preserves a shoaling-upward sequence of mixed clastic-carbonate facies. Shallow subtidal and peritidal facies contain a mixed Skolithos-Cruziana Ichnofacies in sharply alternating lithofacies consisting of gray, intensely bioturbated, poorly sorted calcareous sandstone, and meter-thick, white cross-bedded sandstone. The parallelism between ichnofacies and lithofacies indicates that environmental energy level and persistence rather than water depth controlled trace fossil distribution. Bioturbated sandstones contain a Cruziana ichnofacies of abundant deposit feeders including: Fustiglyphus , Gyrochorte , Neonereites uniserialis , Phycodes flabellum, Planolites beverlyensis, Rosselia socialis, and Teichichnus. Suspension feeders are represented by D. habichi, D. parallelum, Skolithos, Monocraterion, and possibly Palaeophycus tubularis. Scavenging or deposit-feeding arthropods are represented by rare Cruziana furrows. Cross-bedded sandstones contain a Skolithos Ichnofacies of shallow Skolithos and Monocraterion burrows, and an undescribed large epistratal eurypterid( ) trail.

• OSTI ID: 6918267
• Journal Information: Palaois; (USA), Journal Name: Palaois; (USA) Vol. 4:3; ISSN PALAE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
CARBONATE ROCKS
DEPOSITION
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
FOSSILS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
MOUNTAINS
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
PALEONTOLOGY
PALEOZOIC ERA
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEDIMENTATION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STRATIGRAPHY
TECTONICS
THICKNESS
TIDE