GEOLOGY OF THE PIEDMONT IN NEW JERSEY
J. Michael PollockNew Jersey Audubon
Adapted for Summer Field Studies 2012
CHRONOLOGIC HISTORY
Reading “Prong”HIGHLANDS
Newark “Prong”
Manhattan SchistPrecambrian (>570 MYbp)
Paleozoic (570-245 MYbp)
Triassic/Jurassic (245-144 MYbp)
Cretaceous (144-66.4 MYbp)
Tertiary (66.4-1.6 MYbp)
Pangaea
About 200 Million years agoNew Jersey (approx)
Continental Rifting—Part 1
New Jersey—about 200 MYbp and following
Basaltic magma rises along rift valley faults
Steens Mountain (Southeast Oregon)
NEW JERSEY IN THE TRIASSIC?
TRIASSIC/JURASSIC Rifting of the Continent of Pangaea
• Mid-continent desert• Development of a basin bounded by faults• Filling of (Newark Basin) with sediments shed
from the Appalachian Mountains
TRIASSIC/JURASSIC Rifting of the Continent of Pangaea
• Mid-continent desert• Development of a basin bounded by faults• Filling of (Newark) basin with sediments shed
from Appalachian Mountains
• Basalt lava flows (Watchung ridges)• Emplacement of “intrusive” magma (Palisades,
Sourland Mtn)• Early Dinosaurs
Duke Farms
Sourland Mtn.
Round Valley Chimney Rock
Hudson River
Palisade Sill (red)
Ramapo Fault
First Watchung ridge
Newark Basin (North--cross-section today)
Highlands
NEWARK BASIN(South--cross-section today)
Normal Faults
Basin filled (and deformed) as it formed
GEOLOGIC MAP FOR DUKE FARMS/SOURLAND MOUNTAIN
Duke Farms (fenced area)
Sourland Mountain (Somerset Co. Park)
South Branch outcrop
PIEDMONT UNITS
Jurassic diabase
Triassic red shale (Passaic)
Triassic gray shale (Passaic)
Triassic gray shale (Lockatong)
Top Related