SEDI4ENTATION DURING THE TACONIC OROGENY: A STUDY OF LATE ORDOVICIAN AND EARLY SILURIAN ROCKS OF THE SIEGAS AREA, NEW BRUNSWICK by Terence Hamilton-Smith Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science and the Degree of Bachelor of Science at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY June, 1969 I, Signature of Author ... 0 .. .I . ~4 . * '. - I if /. *. .-.. ... Department of Geology and Geophysics, May, 1969 /1 Certified by ...... i I A ,o ~ -.. ... Thesis Supervisor /% Accepted by ........ 0. ... 0 1-l17 . . .. *. ... . o ,..1r Chairman, Departmental Committee on Theses Lindgren 'JUN 2 0 1969 ; *.... r ABSTRACT The thesis area is twenty square miles in extent and is underlain by folded sedimentary rocks. The purpose of the thesis is to define the sedimentary environment of an area during the Taconic orogeny. The Siegas area was chosen because of its proximity to the Taconic folded belt and because of the occurrence of sandstones of early Llandovery age. Detailed work was done only on the Carys Mills Formation of Late Ordovician age and the Siegas Formation of early Llandovery age. No unconformity of regional significance occurs in the thesis area. The Carys Mills Formation is characterized by an assemblage of thinly interbedded limestone and slate. A model of sedimentation is presented based on modern carbonate deposition in the deep basin of the Black Sea. This model implies that the calcareous mud was mainly biogenic and was deposited by fallout from life-supporting surface waters. Facies changes show that the Carys Mills Formation in the thesis area is a marginal facies of the formation as a whole and that the surface of deposition shallowed to the north in the direction of a source of fine-grained terriginous sediment. Vertical changes in the Siegas Formation were studied by detailed graphic log analysis of one complete section. The sedimentation of the formation consisted of two distinct processes which occurred concurrently. In situ deposition of calcareous mud was essentially a continuation of the environment of the Carys Mills Formation. Superimposed on this process were three distinct events of exogenic sedimentation of sand. The environ-nent of exogenic sedimentation varied laterally across the thesis area from a high-energy shelf-Zo-where quartz arenites were deposited to a deeper basin characterized by transgressive-regressive sequences of turbidite deposition. Structural analysis shows that the bulk deformation of the thesis area took place in the Acadian orogeny by the development of a system of plane, cylindrical, tightly appressed folds. Older structures within the Madawaska Lake Formation may have been developed by syndepositional folding during the Taconic orogeny. Relationships of the thesis area to surrounding regions show that the Siegas Formation is laterally equivalent to early Llandovery beds of the Carys Mills Formation to the southeast of the thesis area. The source area of the Siegas Formation was probably an isolated anticlinorium in northwestern New Brunswick composed of quartzose sandstones, mafic volcanic rocks and salic plutonic rocks. CONTENTS Page Abstract .......... 0..0 .. .......... 0 . *. 2 .00 ....... . 00.. 0 Introduction ...... 12 Acknowledgement s 12 Previous work .. 13 .. 0 . Present work ... 13 .*.g. . . . . . . . Regional setting Local stratigraphy 15 18 o........ . . . . .. 18 Madawaska Lake Formati on 21 Summary Distribution and thickness ... Lithology ...... .. 21 ...................... ... . ......... ..... 21 . 24 Age........................... Perham Lower member 25 ...................... Formation .. .. . ..... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. 25 .. 25 Distribution and thickness .... Lithology Age ........ ......... .............. ... . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . 26 . . 27 Contact with the Siegas Formation 27 Slump 28 Upper member Carys Mills Summary structures ..... Formation . ............... ... ...... ....... 29 ........... ......................... .... ......... 30 ... 30 ............ Distribution and thickness Detailed Lower stratigraphy ....... limestone member 32 .. *...... ........................ ..... ..... . 32 34 5 Page Middle slate member . . . .. .. .. .. . .. ... Upper limestone member ......... 0.* 35 ... .. .. .. .. 36 O* g* . Relationship to the Madawaska Lake Formation 36 Age 37 ... ..... Facies variations 38 Stratigraphic variations ... 38 ....... . Lower limestone member 38 Upper limestone member 39 Insoluble residue analysis 40 g......... Method of analysis ...... 40 Lateral variations of inso luble residue content 42 ......... 0 0 0g0 Limestone lithotype ......... Mineralogy 46 46 .. ............ *0 0g 0~ Sedimentary structures . 47 e.. ...... ........ Faunal distribution . *Ce00 48 e........ Local depositional environment Sie gas Formation 51 .................. 54 .g....... Summary .*..... Definition ....... ... 54 e 58 0.... Distribution and thickness 59 Relationship to the Carys Mills Format ion 59 Age ....................... 61 EK558 section ...... Method of study Lithotypes ... ....... 61 ........ 61 .......... .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 62 Page Limestone conglomerate Sandstone........ Siltstone 00.0.0 ..... .. ............ . .... 62 68 ....... 78 .......... Limestone ............ Chert * 79 ................ . .... a 79 .* Stratigraphic succession 79 Modal analyses of sandsto aes Paleocurrent analyses ... ... Facies variations 83 . .. 85 a...... 87 .......... Stratigraphic variations .... .. *0 Variation of sandstone co npositions 87 90 Roundness distribution an alysis . 101 Grain size distribution a nalysis .. 102 Environment of deposition .. 107 Provenance 110 Depositional history .e..... 00 Structural geology 112 .114 Summary ...... 114 .. Regional setting ...... Field analysis ...... . ~....a..... .. 0. . . 116 .. 0 . . , 118 . 0 * 0 00 9 g. Macroscopic features .. 0 . . . 118 Mesoscopic features .. 0 . . . 121 Stereographic analysis .. a . . . 121 .. 0 . . . 121 .. 6 . . . 124 Procedure Bedding .......... ......... Cleavage ........... Tectonic interpretation ........................... 131 134 .. .ao* Page 134 Acadian orogeny Older structures............... e....... 135 Aspects of the regional geology ............ g....... 138 Summary . ........ .. . ... .. . . .. . . . . . . .. . 138 ....... Regional stratigraphy 140 Sedimentation in the Aroostook-Matapedia belt 142 Provenance of the Siegas Formation 145 Appendix 1: 148 Summary of paleontological info rmation 148 Carys Mills Formation ................... Siegas Formation ..... ........ 0 ................. .. 155 ....... 159 Appendix 2: Method of insoluble residue analysis Appendix 3: Vertical variation of insoluble residue content of limestones of the Carys Mills Appendix 4: Formation ...... 163 .......................... Analysis of clasts of a conglomerate 168 bed of the Siegas Formation Appendix 5: Petrographic modal analysis of 171 sandstones of the Siegas Formation Method of analysis Petrographic Results of species analysis Grouped analysis References ...... ....... ......... . .. . .............................. . ................................ . .. .............. 171 178 181 .................................. ..................... 171 *. 184 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. 2. Index map of the Siegas area, New Brunswick .. Some tectonic features of northeastern Maine and vicinity 16 .......................... 3. Generalized stratigraphy of the thesis area 4. Generalized section of the Madawaska Lake Formation .......... * . * . *.** . ** ...... **0* * 5. Type section of the Carys Mills Formation 6. Insoluble residue content of limestones 41 Mills Formation 43 ....................... Insoluble residue variation in the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. 9. ............... *..... .... .... .... ... 63 bed ............................ 64 Intraformational structures in a limestone conglomerate 14. *. Imbrication at the base of a limestone conglomerate 13. 50 Sandstone body in a limestone conglomerate bed 12. 45 Distribution of benthonic fauna of the Carys Mills Formation 11. 44 Insoluble residue variation in the lower limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. 10. 22 Grouping of insoluble residue data of the Carys 8. 19 33 of the Carys Mills Formation ................. 7. 14 bed ............................ 65 Erosional contact at the base of a limestone conglomerate bed ............................ 66 Page Figure 15. 16. Cross-lamination -in a graded sandstone 17. bed ......... 74 ,................... bed 75 ......................... Groove casts on the base of a graded sandstone 21. 73 .............................. Flute casts on the base of a graded sandstone 20. bed Large tool marks on the base of a graded sandstone 19. 71 ......................... bed... Load casts at the base of a graded sandstone 18. bed ......... ,...... ... .... 80 84 Paleocurrent directions from sandstones of the Siegas Formation at EM558 ........... 25. 77 Variation of sandstone compositions of the Siegas Formation at EM558 24. 75 Vertical lithologic variations of the Siegas Formation at EM558.......... 23. . Parting lamination in the interior of a graded sandstone bed 22. 70 A graded bed of the sandstone lithotype 86 Schematic cross-section of the Siegas Formation .... .............................. 89 26. Facies of the Siegas Formation 91 27. Variation of total quartz in sandstones of the Siegas Formation .................... 28. 93 Variation of plagioclase feldspar content in the Siegas Formation .................... 94 10 Page Figure 29. Variation of total potassium feldspar in the Siegas Formation 30. 95 Variation of total salic plutonic content in the Siegas Formation 31. 96 Variation of mafic volcanics in sandstones of the Siegas Formation ...................... 32. Variation of limestone content of sandstones of the Siegas Formation 33. ................... * Formation ... .0.................... 0 Siegas Formation ........................ 106 Formation ...... 111 ............... Structural cross-section at the TH165 section 39. 119 .......... Structural cross-section at the DR1065 section ........... ..... ..... .... ..... .... 40. Structural map of EM557 41. Distribution of bedding poles of the thesis ...................... area domain .............. 42. 105 Sedimentary transport and environment of the Siegas 38. 103 'Matrixvariation in sandstones of the Siegas Formation 37. 100 Grain size distributions of sandstones of the 36. 99 Roundness of quartz of sandstones of the Siegas 35. ................... Variation of pyroxene content of sandstones of the Siegas Formation 34. 98 . . . . . . . . .. 120 122 125 Distribution of bedding poles of the Silurian domain ............................. * 126 Page Figure 43. Distribution of bedding poles of the Ordovician domain 44. ... .* .. ... Distribution of bedding poles of 129 the Carys Mills domain ...................... 45. Distribution of bedding poles of the 130 Madawaska Lake domain...... 46. Distribution of cleavage poles of the 132 Lower Perham donain.................. 47, Distribution of cleavage poles of the 133 Madawaska Lake domain ....................... 48. Outcrops and structural data of the inside back cover Siegas area, New Brunswick .................. 49. 127 Geological map of the Siegas area, New Brunswick ........... ,....... ...... . inside back cover INTRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis was written under the supervision of Dr. E. Mencher of the City College of New York and Dr. R.R. Schrock of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The author is grateful to T.B. Griswold of Kentucky State University and to G. Planansky of Harvard University for their assistance during the field season of 1967. T.B. Griswold was responsible for the photography accompanying this thesis. The author is particularly indebted to Dr. A.J. Boucot of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. W.B.N. Berry of the University of California, Dr. J.M. Berdan and Dr. R.B. Neuman of the U.S. Geological Survey for the paleontological information that is essential to this thesis. Dr. R.S. Naylor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology kindly read portions of the manuscript. Acknowledgement is given to the Atlas Construction Company of Fredericton, New Brunswick, who allowed the author access to their quarry workings in the thesis area. Field and laboratory work resulting in this thesis was financially supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant GP-1547 to E. Mencher). Special thanks are due to the writer's wife, Carol, for her continual encouragement and assistance and for the typing of this thesis. PREVIOUS WORK An index map showing the location of the thesis area and the geographical names referred to in the thesis is presented in Figure 1 (p. 14). The first geologist to visit the Siegas area was Dr. C.J. Jackson. Despite his concluding comment, "The geology of Madawaska is simple and not very interesting," (Jackson, 1837, p. 73) investigation of the area continued. Information of direct use to this thesis was first obtained by the stratigraphic work of O.OL Nylander (1940). W.J. Wright (1945) area. A few years later, studied some of the limestones of the thesis More recently, reconnaissance mapping has been carried out on the area by E. Mencher and D.C. Roy (1963-66, unpublished work). This work established general features of the stratigraphy in the thesis area. PRESENT WORK The outcrops and structural data of the thesis area are summarized in Figure 48. is presented in Figure 49. A geological map of the thesis area Particular outcrops in the thesis area are denoted by two letters followed by a one to four digit number (i.e., R4558). The purpose of this thesis is to define the detailed sedimentary and tectonic environment of a small area during the Taconic orogeny. The Siegas area was chosen to include the 14 FIGURE INDEX MAP OF THE S/IEGAS AREA, NEW BRUNSWICK NEW ENGL AND AND THE MARITIME PROVINCES NORTHERN MAINE AND VIC INITY nee mks to so so SGO egik Cap -0 .;Arc j \ i~tjg D~-.~e C Vh 3i-z, ,*~ .1 IV*i-t Ccu o i herngu sota~ , acu" a -.-. - c -C-014r I, Pa-en ~ cjt cpCori C,7e i 0- ' LI4'Mnce Sant LaIr PRINCE EDWARD- r.1otteto[n 15 well-exposed succession of Early Llandovery sandstones at E558, The nature of the thesis study required refinement of the previously established stratigraphy and detailed mapping within the thesis area. However, most of the thesis is devoted to detailed study of the Carys Mills Formation of Late Ordovician age and the Siegas Formation of Early Llandovery age. Field work in the summer of 1967 was divided equally between study of the exposure at EM558 and study of the outcrops of the rest of the thesis area. With the exception of EM558 the outcrops of the thesis area are small and poorly exposed. Stratigraphic correlation was limited to the scale of individual formations. Structural analysis was limited by the general lack of information concerning mesoscopic structural features. Laboratory studies in 1967 and 1968 included petrographic work on sandstones of the thesis area, insoluble residue analysis of limestones, and stereographic structural analysis of folding. REGIONAL SETTING A map showing major structural features of northern M1aine is presented in Figure 2 (p. 16). Most of northeastern Maine and northwestern New Brunswick is underlain by Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian rocks of the eugeosynclinal suite of the Appalachian geosyncline. These rocks are tightly folded and locally faulted as a result of deformation in the Taconic and Acadian orogenies. The Taconic FIGURE 2 ' SOME TECTONIC FEATURES OF NORTHEASTERN MAINE AND VICINITY S TOCKHOL M MOUNTAIN (NCLINORIUM NEW pt~st' Rack BRUNSWICK CHAPMAN SYNCLINE .w..+oik .Fredericton WEEKSBOO -LUNKSOOS ANTI CL I NORIUM 0 1* zo .0 #6 50 - PORTAGE ANTICLINE dffer PAVL IDES and others (1964) and HALL (1964) orogeny took place from the middle Ordovician to the early Silurian and affected the entire region with the exception of the Aroostook-Mvatapedia belt (Pavlides and others, 1968). The Acadian orogeny, which took place from the early to the late Devonian, affected the entire region and produced the present sub-chlorite grade of regional metamorphism. The thesis area is located on the western flank of the Stockholm Mountain synclinorium within the region of transition from the Taconic folded belt of the west to the Aroostook-Matapedia belt in the east. However, most of the structural features of the thesis area were produced by the Acadian orogeny. The thesis area is underlain by folded and faulted Ordovician and Silurian sedimentary rocks. The rocks are considered to be unmetamorphosed and are referred to by the nomenclature of sedimentary rocks. Rocks referred to as "slate" are argillaceous rocks essentially characterized by the presence of cleavage. term. No metamorphic grade is implied by the 18 LOCAL STRATIGRAPHY SUM4ARY The generalized stratigraphy of the thesis area is summarized in Figure 3 (p. 19). The stratigraphic succession in the thesis area is grossly similar to that described by Boucot and others (1964) for the Presque Isle quadrangle, as modified by subsequent work of Mencher and others (196367, unpublished reconnaissance). The oldest unit exposed in the thesis area is the Madawaska Lake Formation of late Middle Ordovician age. The formation is at least 1950 feet thick in the thesis area and is composed of dark gray slate with minor shale and quartzose sandstone. The base of this formation is not seen in the thesis area. The Carys Mills Formation of Upper Ordovician.to lowermost Silurian age conformably overlies the Madawaska Lake Formation in the thesis area. The Carys Mills Formation is about 1300 feet thick and is characterized by monotonous sequences of interbedded state, shale, and limestone. Variation of the abundance of limestone within the formation has been used as the basis for a division of the Carys Mills Formation in the thesis area into three members which are in vertical succession. The Siegas Formation of Early Llandovery age overlies the Carys Mills Formation with general conformity within the FIGURE 3 GENERAL IZED STRATIGRA PHY( OF THE THESIS AREA EUROPEA N STANDARD SEC TION , THESIS Ttt I PERHAM 31 FORMATION 30 29 8 27 4 X. Lowe r Member 26 4 C6 25 24 FOSSIL AGES -r ,- clcarecous Member o T | NAM ES rLITHOLOGIES Upper (J AREA shdle and silfsf one, minor sa ndstone ca/careous slate end minor siltsftone 23 C3 C2 22 21 C, U ) 0 O widdlec to -4 20 '9 A 18 SIEGAS 17 FORMATION 16 CARYS MILLS 11 FORMATION MADAWASKA LAKE FORMATION ' UPPER Ashqill 010 Lu Q/2 _ _ G T /1mestone limestone cnd slee , slate ond minor shdle, sendstone 1/0 _io 1-1 sdendsftone s/esf nd _ I_, -9rapfollfe zones - thickness in fee t * - sfreigraphic level of fossils range of dge -biosfrfigrdphic EUROPEAN STANDARD SECTION end grdpfolife zones -dken from PAVLIDES Dnd BERRY (1966) cind PAVLIDES dnd others (1964) 20 thesis area. Local unconformity due to submarine erosion is observed at DR1066. The thickness of the Siegas Formation The varies from 790 to 350 feet within the thesis area. formation is composed of sandstone and slate with minor conglomerate, shale and limestone. Regional considerations suggest that the Siegas Formation is of local extent, disappearing abruptly to the south and east of the thesis area. The lower member of the Perham Formation conformably overlies the Siegas Formation in the thesis area. The age of the lower member is poorly established in northern Maine as possibly Middle Llandovery through Wenlock. The lower member in the thesis area is composed of gray, calcareous slate with minor siltstone and is about 600 feet thick. The upper member of the Perham Formation conformably overlies the lower member in the thesis area. member is The upper Early Ludlow in age and is composed of calcareous shale and siltstone with minor slate, limestone and sandstone. The thickness of the upper member was not determined in the thesis area, but is-probably in excess of 2000 feet. The upper member of the Ferham Formation is the youngest stratigraphic unit observed in the thesis area. Significant lateral facies changes within the thesis area are known to exist in the Madawaska Lake,Carys Mills and Siegas Formations. 21 MADAWASKA LAKE FORMATION Distribution and Thickness The Madawaska Lake Formation is an informal name applied by Mencher and others (i.e. Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 9) to a distinctive slate unit exposed in the core of the Pennington anticlinorium north of the Portage anticline. The base of the Madawaska Lake Formation is not seen throughout its area of outcrop. In the thesis area the minimum thickness of the formation is about 1950 feet. Lithology The abundance and vertical distribution of the lithotypes of the Madawaska Lake Formation are sumnmarized in a generalized section in Figure 4 (p. 22). This section is based on exposures between Upper Siegas and the Grand River (Figure 48). Work in the rest of the thesis area suggests the possibility of significant lateral facies changes within the formation. The exact nature of these facies changes has not been determined but it is clear that the distribution of lithotypes as shown in Figure 4 is only of local significance. The most abundant and characteristic lithotype of the Madawaska Lake Formation is dark gray, noncalcareous, laminated slate. The laminae are indistinct zones of very dark gray slate from k to 1 inch thick. The slate weathers medium 22 GENERALIZED FIGURE 4 SECTION OF THE MADAWASKA LAKE FORMA TION pdrf of sec-hon exposcd in oufcrop /00 ~sa 200 nds-fonc shdlc C~ ~ slafe TH359 400 TH358 600-J TH204 TH205 TH2OI CTH08 CTH198 TH 99 0 ZC /300 - c TH197 cTH2/0 Lu cTH196 ?? '7tX ,am. )10 lI 2 3 I I I 20 30 405060 70 PERCENT ABUNDANCE OF SANDSTONE Tus 23 greenish gray and the laminae weather dark greenish gray, The laminae are irregularly spaced in the slate at intervals from 2 to 10 inches. The thickness of individual slate beds is difficult to determine. The slate is overwhelmingly abundant in the upper part of the formation throughout the thesis area. The most distinctive minor lithotype of the Madawaska Lake Formation is light gray, highly calcareous, quartzose, fine-grained sandstone. This sandstone occurs in beds from 1 inch to 4 feet thick which are usually laminated and often cross-laminated. Laminae are k- to 1/16-inch segregations of very highly calcareous, medium-grained sandstone containing micaceous minerals. Examination of thin sections of the sandstone shows the composition to be very uniform within the thesis area. The approximate modal composition of the sandstone lithotype is summarized below. quartz 70% calcite 25% plagioclase 3% biotite 1% lithic fragments traces sphene traces The quartz grains are well sorted but quite angular and appear in thin section to be "floating" in a matrix of coarsely crystalline calcite. The sandstone occurs from top to bottom of the Madawaska Lake Formation but thickly bedded sequences 24 where sandstone is abundant are restricted to the lower part of the formation. Sandstones also appear to be more abundant in the Madawaska Lake Formation in the northeast part of the thesis area. The other minor lithotype of the formation is noncalcareous, gray, laminated, micaceous, coarse-grained siltstone or shale. The laminae are 1/16-inch segregations of micaceous minerals and occur regularly at 1/8-inch intervals within the shale beds. fissile and occurs in The shale itself is highly to 2 inch beds. A&e The age of the Madawaska Lake Formation is poorly established in northeastern Maine as ranging from Zone 12 of the Caradoc to about Zone 15 of the Ashgill. (Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 11; Mencher and others, unpublished information). In the thesis area, graptolites collected at TH205 about 800 feet below the top of the formation were considered to be of Zone 13 age by R.B. Neuman (oral communication, 1967) on the basis of a field identification. A minimum age of earliest Late Ordovician can be assigned to the top of the Madawaska Lake Formation in the thesis area on the basis of the age of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 37). 25 PERHAM FORMATION The Perham Formation was originally defined and divided into an upper and lower member by Boucot and others (1964) in the Presque Isle quadrangle. The formation has been extended as far as northwestern New Brunswick by unpublished mapping of E. Mencher, D.C. Roy and others (i.e. Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 18). Lower Member Distribution and Thickness The lower member of the Perham Formation outcrops on the east limb of the Stockholm Mountain synclinoriutm from Van Buren south to the Presque Isle region. The lower member is also found on the west limb of the Stockholm Mountain synclinorium northeast of Martin's Siding. Another area where the lower member is exposed is in a narrow zone on the west limb of the Pennington anticlinoriutm extending northeast from Cross Lake into New Brunswick. The thickness of the lower member of the Perham Formation is thought to be about 2000 feet in the Presque Isle area (Pavlides, 1968, p. 19). In the thesis area the thickness of the lower member is well established as 600 feet from measurements near TH80. 26 Lithology The lower member of the Perham Formation is composed almost entirely of gray, calcareous, laminated slate. laminae are of two types. The The first type consists of 1/16- inch segregations of coarse silt or fine sand grains. These laminae are generally light gray, highly calcareous and may be internally laminated and cross-laminated. type of lamination consists of k- to segregations of dark gray slate. The second -inch indistinct Both types of lamination occur irregularly in the slate at intervals of to 3 inches. The thickness of individual slate beds is difficult to determine. The minor lithotypes of the lower member make up a distinctive assemblage consisting of red and green slates and ferrous, siliceous siltstone. In the thesis area these rocks are restricted to a stratigraphic interval of 50 feet or less in thickness occurring about 200 feet above the base of the member. These rocks are equivalent to the "manganese deposits" mentioned by Boucot and others (1964, p. 35) and to similar sequences in northeastern Aroostook County. In the thesis area the red and green slates are generally similar to the normal gray slate of the lower member with the exception of color. The color of the "red" slate is actually dark reddish brown. A continuous series of lithologic variations exists between these red and green slates and the ferrous siliceous siltstone. The latter lithotype is 27 composed of k- to -inch layers of dark red siliceous siltstone and medium green siliceous siltstone. are generally highly calcareous. The layers The siliceous siltstone occurs in poorly defined beds from four to ten inches thick associated with poorly defined beds of red or green slate. Age In the Presque Isle area the age of the lower member of the Perham Formation has been poorly established as postEarly Llandovery pre-Ludlow (Pavlides, 1968, p. 19). No fossils have been found in the lower member in the thesis area. The age is between that of the Siegas Formation (p. 61) and the upper member of the Perham Formation and is in agreement with that determined in the Presque Isle area. Contact with the Siegas Formation In the thesis area the lower member of the Perham Formation overlies the Siegas Formation with conformity. The contact is exposed at &1558 and TH181. The top of the Siegas Formation is defined as the top of the uppermost sandstone bed in the transitional interval between the two formations. At the two exposures there is an abrupt but conformable transition from the sandstones and slates of the Siegas Formation to the slate of the lower member of the Perham Formation. Due to the nature of facies changes in the 28 Siegas Formation some ambiguity exists as to the definition of this contact in the northeastern part of the thesis area. This problem will be discussed later in the thesis (p. 88). Slump Structures The beds of the lower member of the Perham Formation at EM558 show features of large scale soft-sediment deformation. Bedding in the slates immediately overlying the Siegas Formation is irregularly contorted with local disruption by small faults and clastic dykes. throughout the exposed rock. These structures extend The size of the exposure corresponds to a body of deformed sediment with a minimum volume of about 8 X 104 cubic feet. Deformation evidently took place by slumping of a large mass of hydroplastic sediment. This slumping, however, resulted in internal readjustments only on the order of a few inches and the mass as a whole remained coherent. According to Moore (1961) slumping of fine grained sediments is due either to very rapid deposition or to deposition on very steep slopes. As slumping is only a local feature of the lower member, the conditions producing slumping at 3-4558 should only have local significance. The lithologic uniformity of the Perham Formation over its entire area of outcrop suggests that sedimentation rates throughout the formation were relatively uniform. The original slumping was probably produced by deposition on steep slopes in the 29 neighborhood of M4558. This aspect of pre-lower member topography is closely related to the sedimentation of the Siegas Formation (p. 113). Upper Member The upper member of the Perham Formation was not specifically studied in this thesis and will not be discussed in detail. Observations in the thesis area were generally consistent with those of the Presque Isle region (Boucot and others, 1964, p. 34) and the Stockholm area (Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 21). In the thesis area the upper member consists of a distinctive assemblage of shale and siltstone lithotypes with minor sandstone beds. The fine-grained calcareous sandstone beds are generally graded and often are laminated and crosslaminated. The age of the upper member ranges from late Wenlock through the Early Ludlow (Pavlides, 1968, p. 21) but in the St. John River valley area only Early Ludlow ages have been reported (Mencher and others, unpublished information). The upper member of the Perham Formation overlies the lower member with apparent conformity. The contact is not exposed in the thesis area and it is assumed that the relationship is the same as that in the Presque Isle region (Boucot and others, 1964, p. 34). The thickness of the upper member was not determined in the thesis area but is probably in excess of 2000 feet. The upper member of the Perham Formation is the youngest stratigraphic unit in the thesis area. 30 CARYS MILLS FORMATION SUMMARY The Carys Mills Formation outcrops in the core of the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium from the Houlton area northeast into New Brunswick. It also outcrops on both flanks of the Pennington anticlinorium in the St. John River area. In the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium the thickness of the Carys Mills Formation is 9000 to 12000 feet. In the thesis area the formation is only 1300 feet thick. In the thesis area the Carys Mills Formation has been divided into three members in vertical succession. The lower limestone member is composed of interbedded limestone, slate, and shale and is 700 feet thick. The middle slate member is composed mainly of slate with minor sandstone and shale and is 350 feet thick. The upper limestone member is composed of interbedded limestone, slate, and shale and is 300 feet thick. In the thesis area the Carys Mills Formation overlies the Madawaska Lake Formation with conformity. In the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium the age range of the Carys Mills Formation includes Zone 13 of the Caradoc through Zone 19 of the Llandovery. In the thesis area the age range is significantly smaller including at the most latest Middle Ordovician through earliest Silurian. Significant facies changes take place in the Carys Mills Formation within the thesis area. Lithologic variations within the limestone 'members of the formation show increasingly unsuitable conditions for carbonate sedimentation towards the north part of the thesis area. Insoluble residue analysis of limestone samples shows the increasing relative importance of terriginous sedimentation towards the north which suggests the presence of a source of terriginous clastic sediment to the north of the thesis area. The depositional environment of the Carys Mills Formation suggested in this thesis is based mainly on the nature of sedimentation of the characteristic limestone lithotype of the formation. Sedimentary structures of the limestones show that turbidite sedimentation was insignificant in the thesis area although resedimentation of carbonate material by normal bottom currents was a minor factor. The distribution of benthonic faunal remains of the limestones suggests that the environment was fundamentally related to biological processes. A model of carbonate sedimentation applicable to the Carys Mills Formation is presented, whose modern analogue is carbonate deposition in the deep Black Sea. This process is essentially the accumulation of biogenic carbonate detritus beneath stagnant bottom waters. The environment in the thesis area was one of transition from anerobic bottom waters in the south part of the thesis area to more aerated bottom waters in the north. This transition suggests a shallowing of the depositional surface towards the north, in the direction of the source of terriginous sediment. The increasingly inappropriate conditions for carbonate deposition towards the north was 32 probably related to variations in the microbiotic productivity of surface waters. The Carys Mills Formation in the thesis area is a marginal facies of the formation as a whole. Application of the Black Sea model to regional aspects of the Carys Mills Formation is discussed later in the thesis (p.14 2 ). DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS The Carys Mills Formation outcrops in the core of the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium from the Houlton area to northern New Brunswick (Pavlides, 1968, p. 2). The formation also occurs on the flanks of thePennington anticlinorium in the St. John River area (Mencher and others, unpublished reconnaissance). The thickness of the formation ranges from 12000 to 1500 feet in the Bridgewater quadrangle and is 9000 feet in the Presque Isle region (Pavlides, 1968, p. 10). In the thesis area the Carys Mills Formation is 1300 feet thick. DETAILED STRATIGRAPHY In the thesis area the Carys Mills Formation has been informally subdivided into three members in vertical sequence. The type section for the division extends from DR1066 to TH50 including many nearby outcrops. Figure 5 (p. 33) contains a generalized lithologic column for this section. The details of this figure are applicable only to the type section. TYPE SECTION 5 OF THE CARYS MILLS FIGURE FORMATION __ PERCENT ABUNDANCE OF LIMESTONE Member Lifhologic Oufcrop Divisions Con-frol O /0 ;O Column O 04,050 6p 70 8,90 EM323 DR1066 I . i I /00 . . . Lifesfone LTH23 Member i:TH22 200 cTH24-25 300 [TH217 H 3-14 4q0- Middle Sldfe Member -TH223 (TH216 600700. u- - - l - TH2,, 14 ET H2 800 Lower 9001 Limesf one Member 0 1000 (i: DR 1065 HOO0 1202 ~TH241-2 1300 c TH25 0 limesfone Rr+of scCf on exposed in oufcrop E3 Sdndsfone shle ~~ SldfC TH5 34 Lower Limestone Member The lower limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation conformably overlies the Madawaska Lake Formation and conformably underlies the middle slate member of the Carys Mills Formation. The former relationship will be discussed later in the thesis (p. 36). The type locality of the lower member is DR1065 where the thickness is 690 t 150 feet. The thickness at TH49 is 750 t 150 feet and is 650 t 100 feet at TH360. The thickness of the lower limestone member is constant within the thesis area at 700 feet. The member consists of interbedded limestone, shale, and slate. abundances of these lithotypes are given in Figure 5. characteristic lithotype is The The dark gray, fine-grained limestone which is typically hard, compact and brittle. limestone is probably The weathered either light bluish gray or light brown and occurs in well-defined beds from k to 16 inches thick. The beds have either no internal structures or abundant lamination and crosslamination. These two varieties are,- respectively, the "limestone almost free of quartz" and the "quartzose limestone" of Pavlides (1965, p. 17, p. 15). The laminae are 1/32-inch segregations of silt-sized quartz grains and occur at irregular intervals throughout the bed. The troughlike cross- laminated units are as thick as 10 inches. Graded bedding occurs locally in thin beds with abundant silt-sized quartz, associated with load casts. The limestone lithotype is discussed in more detail below (p. 46). The slate of the'member is dark gray, micaceous, and laminated. variable. Other characteristics of the lithotype are The shale of the member is dark gray, slightly calcareous and laminated. The laminae are 1/16- to -inch segregations of highly calcareous, coarse-grained siltstone and are often internally structured by cross-lamination and load casts. The shale occurs in poorly defined beds from 2 to 8 inches thick. Middle Slate Member The middle slate member of the Carys Mills Formation conformably overlies the lower limestone member and conformably underlies the upper limestone member. TH216 and TH217 together make up the type locality of the member. middle slate member there is The thickness of the 350 1 50 feet. The member consists mainly of slate, with minor shale and sandstone. Figure 5. The abundances of the lithotypes are given in The shale is identical to that of the lower limestone member. The slate is similar to that of the lower limestone member but is noncalcareous. The sandstones of the middle slate member are of two types. The common type is light gray, fine-grained, highly calcareous sandstone that is usually laminated and cross-laminated and occurs in 2- to 8-inch beds. weathered and medium brown. The beds are usually deeply The second type of sandstone is dark gray, medium grained, slightly calcareous and occurs in 36 2- to 4-foot beds. The beds are graded in the lower parts and laminated or cross-laminated in the upper parts. The sandstone is lithic, feldspathic and quartzose and is similar to the lithic wackes of the Siegas Formation (p. 68). Upper Limestone Member The upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation conformably overlies the middle slate member and conformably underlies the Siegas Formation. discussed later in the thesis (p. The latter relationship is 59). The type locality is DR1066 where the thickness is 250 ± 50 feet. There the member is overlain by the Siegas Formation with unconformity due to submarine erosion (p. 61). Comparison of the type section to conformable sections in the thesis area indicates that about 30 feet of slate have been removed at DR1066. The thickness of the upper limestone member was 300 feet before erosion. The member consists of interbedded limestone, shale, and slate. 5. The abundances of the lithotypes are given in Figure The lithotypes are identical to those of the lower limestone member. RELATIONSHIP TO THE MADAWASKA LAKE FORMATION In the thesis area the Carys Mills Formation conformably overlies the Madawaska Lake Formation. The base of the Carys Mills Formation is defined as the base of the lowermost bed of the characteristic limestone lithotype. The contact is not completely exposed in the thesis area but intermittent exposure crosses the contact at DR708-709 and TH360-361. There the abundance of limestone decreases continuously from 40% at the top of the section to zero at the base, where dark gray slate of the Madawaska Lake Formation is dominant. This gradual change takes place over a stratigraphic interval of about 100 feet. Regional relationships of the Carys Mills Formation to the Madawaska Lake Formation will be discussed later in the thesis (p.140 ). AGE In the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium the age of the Carys Mills Formation ranges from Zone 13 of the Caradoc to Zone 19 of the Llandovery (Pavlides, 1968, p. 11). In the thesis area the age range is smaller including at the most latest Middle Ordovician through earliest Silurian. Relevant paleontological information is summarized in Appendix 1 (p. 148 ). A late Middle to Late Ordovician age has been found for graptolites from E-1326 (Mencher and others, unpublished information). The beds at EM326 are of the lower limestone member and occur about 1000 feet higher in the section than beds of the Madawaska Lake Formation of Zone 13 age (p. 24). 38 Accordingly, a Late Ordovician age is probable for D1326. Collections from EM661 include ostracodes and graptolites. The graptolites are either Late Ordovician or early Silurian and are more suggestive of an early Silurian age (Berry, written communication). 1968, The ostradodes are either Ordovician or Silurian and are more suggestive of an Ordovician age (Berdan, 1968, written communication). The beds at EM661 are of the upper limestone member and occur about 1000 feet lower in the section than beds of the Siegas Formation of Early Llandovery age (p. 61). earliest Silurian age is Accordingly, a Late Ordovician or probable for E661. Detailed stratigraphic and faunal correlations (p. 150). show that TH165, TH308 and E1154 represent the same beds. With the exception of Berounella (p. 153), ostracodes collected from these outcrops indicate an age between Late Ordovician and Early Devonian (Berdan, 1968, written communication). Since the beds are of the upper limestone member a Late Ordovician or early Silurian age is most probable. FACIES VARIATIONS Stratigraphic Variations Lower Limestone Member Partial sections through the lower limestone member include EM326, DR708, TH50, TH360 and DR1065. With this type 39 of exposure general trends across the thesis area can be recognized. The abundance of the limestone lithotype decreases from the southwest to the northeast. The thickness of the lower limestone member is essentially constant. No intermediate forms between the limestone lithotype and calcareous siltstone occur in the Carys Mills Formation. The decreasing abundance of limestone towards the northeast must be the result of relatively abrupt disappearance of individual limestone beds. Sedimentary conditions were generally less suitable for carbonate sedimentation in the northeast than in the southwest part of the thesis area. Upper Limestone Member Partial sections through the upper limestone member include E322, E-661, TH124, EM1154 and DR1066. Both the abundance of the limestone lithotype and the average thickness of the limestone beds decrease towards the northwest part of the thesis area. The decrease in abundance is probably produced by the thinning of individual limestone beds. Evidently suitable conditions for carbonate sedimentation existed throughout the thesis area with a decreasing rate of carbonate deposition towards the northeast. Variations in the thickness of the upper limestone member are due to submarine erosion and are discussed later in the thesis (p. 60). 40 Insoluble Residue Analysis Method of Analysis The method of analysis is fully discussed in Appendix 2 (p. 159). The solubility in 4N HUI was found for a number of samples of the limestone lithotype. The insoluble residue values are summarized in Figure 6 (p. 41). These values are not the concentrations of noncarbonate minerals. However, relative values probably represent variations in the abundance of noncarbonate minerals in the samples. The variation of insoluble residue content of the samples is the product of two processes. The first is the vertical variation of insoluble residue content at a particular place through time. The second is the spatial variation of insoluble residue content at a particular time in the thesis area. The nature of vertical variations in three sections through the upper limestone member is summarized in Appendix 3 (p. 163). The average standard deviation of insoluble residue content for these sections is 4.9 percent. If it is assumed that this value can be applied to both the upper and lower limestone members throughout the thesis area then any set of raw data with a standard deviation greater than 4.9 percent represents the combined effects of vertical and lateral variation. The standard deviation for the upper limestone member is 6.8 percent for the lower limestone member is 5.8 percent. The FIGURE 6 INSOLUBLE RESIDUE CONTENT OF LIMESTONES OF THE CARYS MILLS FORMATION NUMBER OF LOCALITY SAMPLES PERCENT MEMBER INSOLUBLE RESIDUE TH1 upper TH18 lower 11.4 TH50 lower 11.9 TH51 lower 15.0 TH165 upper 19.0 TH1 71 lower 23.6 TH260 lower 6.9 TH261 lower 6.0 TH264 lower 10.8 TH308 upper 25.7 TH360 lower 23.5 TH386 lower 21.7 TH408 lower TH413 upper 8.6 EAM326 lower 15.8 EM661 upper 18.2 EM1154 upper 22.8 EM1184 lower 16.5 DR699 lower 14.4 DR700 lower 14.9 DR1065 lower 7.5 23.3 23.4 23.4 20.0 42 lateral variation of insoluble residue content is probably of the same order of magnitude as the vertical variation. The lateral variation is of particular interest. It is most practical to arrive at the nature of the average lateral variation over a time span equivalent to the thickness of a member of the for-nation. Two sets of raw data are available, one for the upper limestone member and one for the lower limestone member. For each set, outcrops which are essentially in the same vertical section have been grouped as shown in Figure 7 (p. 43). The individual insoluble residue values are averaged over the group, thus reducing the effect of vertical variations in the resultant percentages. Contouring the grouped averages at 5.0 percent intervals should provide a realistic representation of systematic lateral variations. Lateral Variations of Insoluble Residue Content The lateral variations of insoluble residue content for the upper and lower limestone members are presented in Figure 8 (p. 44) and Figure 9 (p. 45) respectively. Significant systematic variations appear in both members. The data of the lower limestone member indicate an increase in soluble residue content towards the northwest part of the thesis area. The data of the upper limestone member indicate a systematic variation that is consistent with that shown for the lower limestone member. These variations are not the same as the original 43 FIGURE 7 GROUPING OF INSOLUBLE RESIDUE DATA OF THE CA RYS MILLS FORMATION GROUP UPPER MEMBER LOCALITIES WITHIN GROUP AVERAGE % INSOLUBLE R ES IDUE A Em1154 22.8 B TH165, TH308 22..4 C TH1I, D TH413 E661 12.9 8.6 LOWER MEMBER E TH408 23.3 F TH386 21.7 G EM1184 16.5 H TH360 23.5 I TH171 23.6 J TH260, TH261, TH264 K TH18 11.4 L DR1065 21.7 M TH50, DR699, DR700 13.7 N TH51, EM326 15.4 7.9 44 FIGURE 8 INSOLUBLE RESIDUE VARIATION IN THE UPPER L IMES TONE MEMBER OF THE CARYS MILLS B -GROUP DESIGNATION AS IN FIGURE 7 o - GROUP LOCATION 12.9-AVERAGE % INSOLUBLE RESIDUE AS IN FIGURE 7 ~N ~, ~\ no 0 ~fm aem m o mm0 o io am xw 2= KM 4ow'-, % 45 FIGURE 9 INSOLUBLE RESIDUE VARIATION IN THE LOWER LIMESTONE MEMBER OF THE CARYS MILLS E-GROUP DESIGNATION AS IN FIGURE 7 e - GROUP LOCATION 12.9 -AVERAGE % INSOLUBLE RESIDUE AS IN FIGURE 7 e N ,, ~ 46 variations on the depositional surface as a result of the deformation of the depositional surface during folding of the thesis area. It is not possible to construct palinspastic maps of the thesis area (p. 135). Since the depositional surface has been compressed in a NW-SE direction the original direction of increasing insoluble residue content would have been more towards the north. The increasing insoluble residue content in samples of the limestone lithotype is due to increasing dilution of the accumulating carbonate by terriginous sediment. The variations shown in Figures 8 and 9 indicate a source of terriginous sediment to the north of the thesis area. Limestone Lithotype Mineralogy Petrographic characteristics of the limestone lithotype of the Carys Mills Formation have been summarized by Pavlides (1965, p. 17-18). The results of examination of thin sections from the thesis area are identical to the findings of Pavlides. The uniformity of the grain size of the carbonate material is probably the result of homogeneous recrystallization. The limestone lithotype in the thesis area may have a high content of organic carbon. Abundant organic material was released from samples by acid digestion during insoluble residue analysis. Sedimentary Structures Sedimentary structures of the limestone lithotype within the thesis area include lamination, cross-lamination, convolute lamination, graded bedding and load casts. These structures were studied both in the field and by microscopic examination of etched surfaces of samples. In the thesis area about 80 percent of all limestone beds had no sedimentary structures, about 15 percent had crosslamination or convolute lamination and about 5 percent were simply laminated. Only three graded beds were observed in the thesis area. Laminae of the limestones are of two types. The common type consists of 0.01-inch thick segregations of silt-sized, angular quartz grains. These laminae are spaced throughout the bed at 0.04- to 0.5-inch intervals. The second type consists of 0.02-inch thick segregations of 0.004- to 0.01inch bioclastic carbonate grains. Cross-lamination, often modified-by convolute lamination, occurs in units from 0.1 to 10 inches thick. The form of the corss-laminated units is troughlike or irregular. Quartz grains are abundant in cross-laminated beds and fossils are absent. At EM326 a graded bed 0.4 inch thick contained a high concentration of quartz grains ranging in size from 0.002 inch at the top of the bed to 0.01-inch at the base. Near the base there were 0.008-inch pelmatazoan fragments and 0.01-inch ostracode 48 shells. Micro-load casts with a relief of 0.1 inch occurred at the base of the bed. Similar graded beds were observed at EM661 and TH51. The rare occurrence of graded bedding shows turbidite deposition to have been insignificant in the sedimentation of the limestones of the Carys Mills Formation, important only in the production of transported faunas such as the assemblage from EM%326. The relative abundance of cross- lamination shows resedimentation of carbonate detritus by normal bottom currents to have been a significant factor in limestone deposition closely related to the relative abundance and availability of silt-sized terriginous sediment. The general scarcity of sedimentary structures implies that sedimentation of the limestones was not fundamentally related to near-bottom mechanisms of lateral sediment transportation. Faunal Distribution General aspects of the nature and distribution of the faunal assemblage of limestones of the Carys Mills Formation were investigated by microscopic examination of insoluble residues and etched surfaces of samples. Faunal remains in the thesis area include pelmatazoan fragments, bryzoans, ostracodes, brachiopods, sponge spicules, coral fragments, and graptolites. This assemblage is dominated by shelly material, a striking contrast to the generally graptolitic assemblages of the formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia 49 anticlinorium (Pavlides, 1968, p. 12-13). Ostracodes range between.0.002 and 0.02 inch in size and include both smooth and ornamented forms. are summarized in Appendix 1 (p. 148). Identified forms Ostracodes were very abundant in samples from EM1154, TH308, TH165 and EM661. Brachiopods were preserved as casts in etched surfaces and ranged up to 0.04 inch in size. Sponge spicules were tapering hollow tubular fragments up to 0.1 inch in length. tetrahedral spicule fragment was observed. One Obscure structures were observed in etched surfaces of samples from TH165 and EM1154 that may have been bryzoans in growth positions (Shorck, 1968, oral communication). Graptolite fragments were found in samples from TH260, EM326 and EM661 (p. 148). The shelly faunal assemblage from E4326 was collected from the graded bed described in the previous section and is obviously a transported fauna. Neither this assemblage nor the occurrences of graptolites are relevant to the discussion of benthonic faunal remains. The size of the shelly fossil remains is generally about an order of magnitude larger than the size of either the quartz or the carbonate grains with which the fossils occur. It is probable that the distribution of shelly faunal remains in the thesis area reflects in a general way the original distribution of benthonic organisms. The distribution of shelly fauna of the Carys Mills Formation is expressed in Figure 10 (p. 50). The average number of genera for each group is the total number of genera DISTRIBUTION OF FIGURE /0 BENTHONIC FAUNA OF THE CARYS MILLS FORMATION E-GROUP DESIGNATION -AS IN F7GURE 7 * - GROUP LOCATION / -AVERAGE NUMBER OF GENERA OBSERVED recognized in all samples from outcrops of the group divided by the number of outcrops in the group. Group N was disregarded in contouring the results since the datum was based on the faunal assemblage of E4326. A significant biofacies boundary separates the northern and southern parts of the thesis area. The environment of deposition of the limestones of the Carys Mills Formation was characterized by a striking change in the thesis area of the conditions for benthonic life. LOCAL DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT The lithotypes (p. 36) and the sedimentary structures (p. 48) of the Carys Mills Formation in the thesis area show that turbidite sedimentation was an insignificant factor in the deposition of the formation. The complete absence of shallow-water sedimentary structures or colonial fauna such as reefs suggests that the sedimentation of the Carys Mills Formation was different from modern shallow-water carbonate deposition. In such an intractable situation a priori reasoning is less productive than a modelling approach. A successful sedimentary model in application to problems of the Carys Mills Formation both on a local and a regional scale is based on recent carbonate sedimentation in the deep basin of the Black Sea. In the Black Sea, aerated surface waters overlie completely stagnant bottom waters (Caspers, 1957, p. 809). Microbiotic production of 52 calcareous skeletal debris in the aerated life-supporting surface waters leads to the accumulation of biogenic carbonate muds on the sea floor (Caspers, 1957, p. 824-825). These deposits have no benthonic fauna, abundant pelagic faunal remains, a high organic carbon content and a low to moderate content of fine-grained terriginous sediment (Caspers, 1957, p. 828). The deposits may be locally reworked by active bottom currents (Pyrkin and others, 1968). The skeletal particles in the calcareous mud break down by the decomposition of organic binding matter (Matthews, 1966, p. 452). The carbonate content of the deposits would vary with the microbiotic productivity of the surface waters and the contribution of terriginous sediment. Application of the Black Sea model to the sedimentary environment of the Carys Mills Formation in the thesis area accounts for all the relevant information collected in this thesis. The biofacies boundary in the thesis area (p. 50) marks the separation of stagnant bottom waters in the south from more aerated bottom waters in the north. Since dense, stagnant bottom waters must underlie any lighter, more aerated waters, the depositional surface in the thesis area was shallower in the north than in the south. The local paleoslope dipped to the south, away from the direction of the source of the fine-grained terriginous sediment (p. 46). The local resedimentation of the carbonate detritus by normal bottom currents (p. 48) and occasional turbidite deposition (p. 48) suggested for the Carys Mills Formation 53 would be expected in this environment. Decreasing sedimentation rates and increasingly unsuitable conditions for carbonate deposition towards the north part of the thesis area (p. 39 ) are probably related to variations in the microbiotic productivity of aerated surface waters. Diagenetic recrystallization of the carbonate muds would produce the fine-grained, homogeneous texture of the limestone lithotype. This environment of deposition indicates that the Carys Mills Formation of the thesis area is a marginal facies of the formation as a whole. This conclusion is consistent with current thought as to the regional sedimentary environment (i.e., Berry, 1968, p. 31). Applications of the Black Sea model to regional aspects of the Carys Mills Formation will be discussed later in the thesis (p. 142). 54 SIEGAS FORM4ATION SUMMARY The "Seigas Conglomerate" defined by Nylander (1940) is redefined as the "Siegas Formation" with the type locality at E4558. The formation is of local extent and is absent 8 miles to the southeast of the thesis area. The thickness of the formation varies from 790 to 350 feet within the thesis area. The Siegas Formation overlies the Carys Mills Formation with conformity. Local unconformities at DR1066 and near Ei558 are due to submarine erosion. A known maximum of 180 feet of the Carys Mills Formation has been eroded near EM665. The age of the Siegas Formation is early Llandovery. A section across the entire formation at E1558 contains five lithotypes: limestone conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, limestone, and chert. The limestone conglomerates are intraformational and are derived from erosion of semiconsolidated beds of the Siegas and the Carys Mills Formations. The sandstone lithotype is mainly made up of graded sandstones produced by turbidite deposition. Most of the thicker beds, however, have a base of nongraded coarse sandstone indicative of extremely proximal conditions. The normal turbidity currents eroded semi-consolidated limestone. The siltstone lithotype consists mainly of slates that 55 are similar to those of the Carys Mills Formation. The linestone lithotype is identical to that of the Carys Mills Formation. Sedimentation at E558 is divided into in situ deposition of limestone and slate and exogenic deposition of sandstone and limestone conglomerate. The former is a continuation of the sedimentary environment of the Carys Mills Formation. The exogenic deposition took place in three discrete events, the second of which was a transgressiveregressive sequence of turbidite deposition beginning and ending with distal conditions and passing through a highly proximal phase. Modal analyses of graded sandstones of E558 show that the nature of the source area remained constant throughout the early Llandovery. The more proximal turbidites are less mature than the more distal phases indicating lateral segregation in the turbidity flow. The sandstones are mainly lithic wackes. Paleocurrent directions from EA558 are very uniform and consistently indicate transport from north to south. The paleoslope at E4558 dipped to the south and was relatively stable throughout the early Llandovery. Stratigraphic variations indicate that this paleoslope extended over the southern and western part of the thesis area. The limestone conglomerates are restricted to a small region near a558 and abruptly disappear to the south. Modal analyses of sandstones of the Siegas Formation 56 lead to the definition of three laterally equivalent facies. The orthoquartzitic facies occurs in the northeastern part of the thesis area. The arkosic facies occurs in the south- central part of the thesis area. The lithic wacke facies occurs in the southern and western parts of the thesis area. Turbidite sedimentation as described at Ev558 took place only in the lithic wacke facies. Distributions of the petrographic species show that the lithic wacke facies accumulated in deeper water than the arkosic facies. The sandstones of the lithic wacke facies are composed of andesitic volcanic fragments and their disintegration products and were dispersed across the basin from a restricted source near EB558. The arkosic facies accumulated on a slope dipping to the southwest in shallower water than the lithic wacke facies. The sand- stones of the arkosic facies are composed of quartz, salic plutonic fragments and their disintegration products. Roundness analysis of quartz grains shows that the sandstones of the orthoquartzitic fa-cies accumulated in shallower water than the lithic wacke facies. Grain size distribution analysis shows that the sands of the orthoquartzitic facies was deposited in an environment characterized by active reworking. The environment of deposition of the Siegas Formation was essentially a continuation of the environment of the Carys Mills Formation with superposition of a variable pattern of exogenic deposition. Turbidite deposits in the 57 lithic wacke facies accumulated on a south-dipping slope bounded by slopes to the east and northeast. EA558 was located in a submarine canyon close to its terminus in the proximal region of the lithic wacke facies. The limestone conglomerates were produced by undercutting and slumping of the canyon walls. Sedimentary structures of the sandstones of the orthoquartzitic facies suggest that they were reworked in the upper flow regime by very active bottom currents on a shallow shelf. The sandstones of the arkosic facies accumulated in quieter, deeper water. Feldspar ratios and grain size distribution show that the sands were derived from the same source material which was fractionated on the high energy shelf. The source of the lithic wacke facies was andesitic volcanic rocks and chert. The source of the orthoquartzitic and arkosic facies was quartzose sandstone and salic plutonic rock with a composition between diorite and granite. Continual in situ deposition of limestone and slate occurred in the thesis area through the Late Ordovician and the Early Llandovery. In the southern part of the thesis area there were three significant exogenic events but only the second, major event affected the shelf and the slope. On the shelf a high energy environment developed during the second event. After the second event both exogenic deposition and in situ deposition of limestone and slate were replaced on the shelf by in situ deposition of laminated 58 slate. This transition took place in the southern part of the thesis area after the third exogenic event. The laminated slates are assigned to the lower member of the Perham Formation. It is probable that tectonic uplift of the shelf margins accompanied the first or second exogenic events. Regional aspects of the Siegas Formation will be discussed later in the thesis (p. 138). DEFINITION The "Seigas (Siegas) Conglornerate"*or "'Seigas Sandstone" as defined by Nylander (1940, p. 7) included THIO, EM4559, and outcrops to the east of the thesis area. TH10 as a type locality for the unit. Nylander chose Recent mapping (Mencher and others, 1963-66, unpublished reconnaissance) has shown that these outcrops are not part of the same stratigraphic unit. The term "Seigas Conglomerate" can only be applied to the beds at TH10. It is proposed that the name of the unit represented be the beds at TH10 be changed from "Seigas Conglomerate" to "Siegas Formation" and that the type locality of the unit be changed from TH10 to E1558. At E4558 the Siegas Formpion is defined as the succession of sandstones and associated rocks that overlies beds of the Carys Mills Formation at TH4 and underlies beds of the lower member of * "Siegas" is the correct spelling. 59 the Perham Formation at the east end of E-1558. The contact of the Siegas Formation with the lower member of the Perham Formation is described on page 27 and the contact with the Carys Mills Formation is discussed below. DISTRIBUTION AND THICKNESS The Siegas Formation is of local extent. Reconnaissance mapping (Mencher and others, unpublished work) shows that the formation extends at least 7 miles to the north and northwest of the thesis area. to the southeast. However, the formation is absent 8 miles The relations to the southwest are complicated and will be discussed later in the thesis (p.142 ). Little is known of the geology to the east and northeast of the thesis area. The thickness of the Siegas Formation varies from 790 to 350 feet within the thesis area. (See p.89.) RELATIONSHIP TO THE CARYS MILLS FORMATION In the thesis area the contact between the Siegas Formation and the Carys Mills Formation is exposed at DR1066, EM323, TH124, TH165, and a11154. In addition, three drill cores described by Wright (1945) cross the contact near EM558. The base of the Siegas Formation is defined as the base 60 of the lowermost sandstone or conglomerate bed in the section. At E4323, TH124, T1165, and EM1154 there is a gradational transition from interbedded sandstone and slate of the Siegas Formation to interbedded limestone, shale, and slate of the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. The basal sandstone bed at DR1066 is 22 feet thick and overlies interbedded limestone, slate and shale of the upper limestone member. Bedding attitudes on either side of the contact are identical but a definite erosional surface is present at the contact. This surface is irregular with about a foot of relief and repeatedly truncates both an underlying limestone bed and several laminae in an underlying shale bed. About 30 feet of slate have been removed by erosion at this contact (p. 36). The thickness of the upper limestone member is 300 feet (p. 36). The data of Wright (1945) indicate that near EM665 the thickness is 121 feet, near TH4 the thickness is 173 feet, and near EM694 the thickness is 141 feet. (See Appendix 3, p. 163.) Analysis of insoluble residue variations in the three sections show that these values are the result of the removal of parts of the upper limestone member by erosion. At a4553 erosional contacts occur at the base of several conglomerate beds where significant incorporation of the underlying material has taken place (p. 67). (See Figure 14.) Submarine erosion was a significant process in the sedimentation of the Siegas Formation (p. 78). The Siegas Formation overlies the Carys Mills Formation with fundamental conformity. The unconformity at DR1066 and the probable unconformity near EM558 were produced by submarine erosion during the deposition of the Siegas Formation. Regional aspects of the relationship between the Siegas Formation and the Carys Mills Formations will be discussed later in the thesis (p. 141). AGE Fossils have been found in the Siegas Formation only in the upper part of the section at EM558. (See Figure 22.) The relevant paleontological information is summarized in Appendix I (p. 155). In a recent review of the evidence, Ayrton and others (1969, p. 470) state, "Earlier unpublished fossil reports by A.J. Boucot and R.B. Neuman (1965) pointed to an early Llandovery age, which is confirmed by the present restudy of the collection." EI558 SECTION Method of Study EK558 is a large quarry which exposes most of the Siegas Formation and the basal beds of the lower member of the Perham Formation. With the addition of TH3, a complete section across beds of the Siegas Formation was chosen for study. Each bed in the section was numbered from Bed 1 at the top of the formation to Bed 458 near the base. The beds were individually described by a graphic log technique. The beds were then divided into as many significant lithotypes as possible. Five basic lithotypes were constructed which included all but three beds of the section. Each lithotype occurs throughout the stratigraphic section at M4558. Lithotypes Limestone Conglomerate This lithotype occurs in beds from 2 to 30 feet thick. The internal structure of the beds is generally irregular and occasionally chaotic. The maximum thickness of any uniform interval is about five feet. The beds contain discontinuous sandstone layers and ellipsoidal lenses (Figure 11, p. 63). Some limestone conglomerate beds are graded and have imbricated clasts at the base of the bed (Figure 12, p. 64). Some clasts show interformational features produced by incorporation and subsequent shattering of large sheets of limestone within the flow (Figure 13, p. 65). Examination of polished sections of the limestone conglomerate shows that some limestone clasts were semiconsolidated at the time they were eroded. Erosional contacts occur at the base of several limestone conglomerate beds (Figure 14, p. 66). 63 FIGURE I I SANDSTONE BODY IN A LIMESTONE CONGLOMERATE BED Griswold The sandstone body occurs in the middle of a 66-inch thick, graded bed of limestone conglomerate. is not a clast. The body Clasts at the base of the bed are imbricated (Figure 12). In this and succeeding photo- graphs direction 1 points upsection and direction 2 points in the direction of flow as determined by some feature in the particular bed. FIGURE 12 IMBRICATION AT THE BASE OF A LIMESTONE CONGLOMERATE BED Griswold The direction of dip of the imbricated clasts was computed from this and other sections through the bed. The direction of original dip is opposite to the direction of flow determined from paleocurrent data from EM558 (Figure 24). described in Figure 11. The bed is more fully 65 FIGURE INTERFORMATIONAL STRUCTURES IN A LIMESTONE CONGLOMERATE BED 13 Griswold This photograph is of the middle of a 27.5- foot thick bed of limestone conglomerate. The arrows point to segments of large limestone slabs which were evidently taken into the flow as large sheets and were subsequently broken into fragments. 66 FIGURE 14 EROSIONAL CONTACT AT THE BASE OF A LIMESTONE CONGLOMERATE BED Griswold This photograph is of the contact between Bed 20 of the limestone conglomerate lithotype and Bed 21 of the siltstone lithotype. Figure 13. Bed 20 is more fully described in Laminae in Bed 21 may be traced from the left side of the picture towards the right where several are truncated at the base of Bed 20. Siltstone clasts from Bed 21 were evidently incorporated into the overlying flow. The matrix of the limestone conglomerates is coarse- grained lithic sandstone identical to the material of the sandstone lithotype (p. 69 ). The clasts range in size from 1/10 to 30 inches and are poorly sorted. In individual beds the average clast size is between k and 6 inches. The concentration of clasts in the bed increases with increasing average clast size from 30 to 70 percent. The clasts are a mixture of limestone, slate, chert, and mafic volcanic rocks. The average percentage of limestone clasts increases from 50 percent at the base of the Siegas Formation to about 95 percent at the top. is the slate. The only other abundant clast type Limestone clasts are more poorly sorted and more angular than any other type. (See Appendix 4, p. 168.) The limestone clasts are lithologically identical to the limestone lithotypes of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 34) and the Siegas Formation (p. 79). The slate clasts are dark gray, noncalcareous to slightly calcareous, and faintly laminated. The chert clasts are hard, compact, and either dark gray or dark green. The mafic volcanic clasts are fine grained and contain abundant, small, plagioclase feldspar phenocrysts. Lateral variations of limestone conglomerate beds were observed in the quarry. In Beds 190 to 194 the size and concentration of the clasts and the thickness of the beds decrease rapidly to the southwest. The erosional surface at the base of Bed 20 varies irregularly across the quarry, truncating a maximum thickness of 8 feet of the underlying beds. The limestone conglomerates are obviously intraformational and were associated with significant submarine erosion. The limestone clasts were derived either from the Carys Mills Formation or from li-mestone beds of the Siegas Formation. The size of the clasts, the thickness of the beds, the abrupt lateral variations and the occurrence of erosional surfaces show that sedimentation of the lithotype was a local phenomenon and that most of the clasts were derived from a local source. The roundness contrast between the limestone clasts and the other clast types indicates a contribution from a second source. The presence of mafic volcanic clasts shows that this second source was not in the immediate vicinity. Mafic volcanic rocks do not occur within at least 7 or 8 miles of the thesis area (Miencher and others, unpublished reconnaissance). The deposition of the limestone conglomerate beds was a complicated process involving not only incoherent slumping or creep but also some sort of coherent flow. Either conditions in the nearby source area or the nature of the transportation process resulted in a thorough mixing of the locally derived limestone clasts with volcanic and chert clasts and abundant coarse-grained sandstone from a second, more distant source. Sandstone This lithotype includes all beds with an average grain size of fine to coarse sand. The beds can be divided into 69 a major group of graded sandstones and a minor group of nongraded sandstones. The nongraded sandstones occur in beds from 1 inch to 1 foot thick and are fine grained, light gray, highly calcareous, and quartzose. They have a very low content of lithic grains or feldspar. Sedimentary structures of this group are quite variable. A few beds have no internal structures or are simply laminated. Most of the beds contain abundant cross-lamination and convolute lamination. Graded sandstone beds are much more abundant than nongraded beds. They can be generally successfully described by the use of the standard sequence of Bouma (1962, p. 49). (p. 70). An example of a Tb-d sequence is shown in Figure 15 Most of the sequences are truncated and many are also bottom cut-out. It was difficult to distinguish a Tc sequence such as that in Figure 16 (p. 71) from some of the cross-laminated, nongraded sandstone beds. The standard sequence could not be successfully applied to the basal portions of most of the thicker graded sandstone beds since grading was not apparent in this part of the bed. massive, nongraded part of the bed below the will be referred to as the sub-a a The interval interval. The graded sandstone beds are 2 inches to 30 feet thick. The sandstone is fine to coarse grained, dark to medium gray, slightly calcareous, lithic, and feldspathic. The beds less than about five feet thick were adequately described by the standard sedimentation sequence. The base of the a 70 FIGURE 15 A GRADED BED OF THE SANDSTONE LITHOTYPE Griswold The bed is graded from a medium-grained sandstone at the base of the bed to a siltstone at the top. The top of the bed is difficult to define and distinguish from the overlying shale bed. of Bouma (1962) are present. Intervals b, c and d FIGURE 16 CROSS-LAMINATION IN A GRADED SANDSTONE BED 1I Griswoltd The bed is slightly graded from the bottom to the top of the bed within the fine-grained sandstone range. Interval c of Bouna (1962) makes up the whole bed. The cross-laminated units are trough forms and are generally heavily eroded. been preserved. Some stoss-side laminae have interval contains discontinuous, poorly defined bodies of limestone conglomerate and siltstone. The sandstone at the base of many a intervals is very poorly sorted and contains -inch grains of limestone. The sub-a interval is conspicuous in beds greater than five feet thick and accounts for the bulk of beds ten to thirty feet thick. The sandstone is coarse grained and relatively well sorted. interval. No grading was observed in the The sub-a interval is uniform and homogeneous with the exception of a few exotic limestone boulders up to 2 feet in diameter which occur well above the base of the bed. In some beds poorly defined lamination occurs near the top of the sub-a interval. Sole features occur on most exposed bottom surfaces of graded sandstone beds associated with the sub-a, a, b, or c intervals. These include load casts (Figure 17, p. 73), large tool marks (Figure 18, p. 74), flute casts (Figure 19, p. 75), and groove casts (Figure 20, p. 76). Tool marks are generally more abundant than either load or scour marks. Other sedimentary features of the graded sandstones include ripple marks (Figure 18) and parting lamination (Figure 21, p. 77). The major factor in the sedimentation of the sandstone lithotype was turbidite deposition. The nongraded sandstones were probably produced by the action of normal bottom currents. The abundance of limestone grains at the base of many a intervals suggests that the turbidity currents 73 FIGURE /7 LOAD CASTS AT THE BASE OF A GRADED SANDSTONE BED Grievold This photograph is of the bottom surface of Bed 1 of the sandstone lithotype. The prominent sole features are large load casts with about three inches of relief. Small flute and groove casts occur in the lower right corner of the picture. Bed 1 is graded from a coarse to a fine-grained sandstone and is made up of the a interval of Bouma (1962). about 16 inches thick. The bed is 74 FIGURE 18 LARGE TOOL MARKS ON THE BASE OF A GRADED SANDSTONE BED Griswold This photograph is of the bottom surface of a graded sandstone bed. The large irregular lipear structures on the bottom surface are ridges with a relief of to two inches and are probably tool marks where the irregularities and bifurcations of the casts are due to rotation of a large irregular tool in the flow. On the same surface are casts of ripple marks of an underlying sandstone bed. 75 FLUTE CASTS ON THE BASE OF A GRADED SANDSTONE BED FIGURE 19 Griswold This photograph is of the bottom surface of a graded sandstone bed between Bed 200 and Bed 250. The flute casts here have similar shapes and arrangements as most other flute casts at but are unusually large. m558 76 FIGURE 20 GROOVE CASTS ON THE BASE OF A GRADED SANDSTONE BED Griswold This photograph is of the bottom surface of Bed 138 of the sandstone lithotype. The bed is ten inches thick and is graded from top to bottom of the bed from fine- to medium-grained sandstone. a interval of Bouna (1962) is present. Only the The main groove cast has about 0.2 inches of relief. Smaller groove casts and low relief, symmetrical, isolated flute casts are abundant. 77 FIGURE 2/ PARTING LAMINATION IN THE INTERIOR OF A GRADED SANDSTONE BED Griswold This photograph is of an interior surface parallel to bedding of Bed 10.' The bed is about 18 inches thick and is graded from a fine-grained sandstone at the top of the bed to a fine-grained gravel at the base. the a interval of Bouma (1962) is present. Only The paleocurrent direction is the same as others from EM558 (Figure 24). were able to erode semi-consolidated limestone and that normal turbidite deposition was genetically associated with the sedimentation of the limestone conglomerates. The features of the sub-a intervals are generally similar to those of the "mass-flow deposits" of Stauffer (1967, p. 491) and the "proximal turbidites" of Walker (1967, p. 30). The general absence of limestone clasts in these intervals suggests that deposition was not accompanied by erosion of the underlying beds. The uniformity of grain size and the presence of suspended exotic boulders are similar to features of the "sand flows " of the San Lucas Canyon (Shepard, 1964, p. 168). However, the sub-a interval is not graded and is always associated with intervals of the normal turbidite sequence. Siltstone This lithotype includes siltstone, shale, and slate and occurs in beds from 1 to 15 inches thick. Obscure tracks attributed to benthonic organisms occur on the upper surfaces of some siltstone and shale beds. Most beds are slate and can be roughly separated into laminated and nonlaminated varieties. Nonlaminated slate is most abundant near the base of the Siegas Formation and laminated slate is most abundant near the top. micaceous, calcareous, and dark gray. types. The common laminae are The slate is Laminae are of two - to 1-inch, indistinct 79 segregations of very dark gray siltstone which are regularly spaced at 2- to 3-inch intervals in the slate beds. The slate weathers dark greenish gray and the laminations weather light greenish gray. laminae are 1/8- to -inch, The less common distinct segregations of light gray, highly calcareous, coarse-grained siltstone which are irregularly spaced at k- to 6-inch intervals in the slate beds. These laminae may be internally laminated or cross-laminated. Limestone The beds assigned to this lithotype are identical in all respects to beds of the limestone lithotype of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 34). Chert The 12 beds assigned to this lithotype range from 3 to 15 inches in thickness. The chert is dark gray, noncalcareous, and aphanitic. Stratigraphic Succession Characteristics of the stratigraphic succession at EM1558 are presented in Figure 22 (p. 80). The average bed thickness and the abundances of the lithotypes are plotted against bed 80 VERTICAL FIGURE 22 LITHOLOGIC VARIATIONS OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION A T EM558 B UBER 4T 0 T/ ONz e -4 L - 4.-- -~~ s -. el._- -+-. -.-- ~s 16 ~ ~~~~~~ up.. 2-()6 - 7 V - .- - ...s -.-. --.- ... =.-. .-- - - 20+ --- ....- . .aa - - -- i- - - - -- ULA ESTRATIGRAPHIC THIKNESS NJFRE1 * -fossil oceldy -moving cverdge of bed thickness n -movinq averaqe of freqency of occurrnce(7-bed intet-vaIJ 81 number to reduce the effect of the differences in sedimentation rates of the lithotypes on the assemblage. t is the moving average of bed thickness over a 7-bed interval. If k is the bed number, then k'=k+3 E(k) = 7tk' k'=k-3 where tk' is the thickness of the k'th bed. n is the moving average of the number of beds of a particular lithotype in a 7-bed interval. For a particular lithotype j, k'=k+3 nj (k) (k') =ij k'=k-3 where i is the lithotype of the k'th bed. t is measured in feet and A has a range from zero to seven. The distributions of bed thickness, sandstone abundance, and limestone conglomerate abundance are closely associated and the distributions of limestone abundance and siltstone abundance are associated. These two groups represent two fundamentally different types of sedimentation. The sedimentation of the sandstones and limestone conglomerates will be referred to as exogenic deposition and the sedimentation of the limestones and siltstones will be called in situ deposition. The in situ deposition would be expected to produce a succession of thinly interbedded limestone and slate. This 82 assemblage can be observed in certain parts of EM558. The lithotypes and the assembly produced by this type of deposition are identical to those of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 33). In situ deposition of the Siegas Formation was a continuation of the sedimentation of the Carys Mills Formation. The exogenic deposition occurred in three distinct sedimentary events. The second, major event was a transgressive-regressive sequence of turbidite deposition beginning and ending with distal conditions and passing through a proximal phase. This sedimentary event was initiated by mixed deposition of thinly bedded turbidites and nongraded sandstones introduced by normal bottom currents. (Beds 308-396.) This phase was followed by an increase in thickness and abundance of turbidite deposits associated with active submarine erosion and the production of limestone conglomerates (Beds 264-307). The cumulative phase was the mixed deposition of "sand flows" and normal turbidites and was probably not accompanied by submarine erosion (Beds 239-263). A regressive erosional phase followed (Beds 184-238) which was in turn followed by the final regressive distal phase of mixed turbidite and bottomcurrent deposition (Beds 84-183). The stratigraphic succession at U4558 was produced by the superposition of three events of exogenic deposition on a process of in situ sedimentation which was a continuation of that of the Carys Mills Formation. 83 Modal Anays of Sandstones Petrographic modal analyses were made on 32 samples from E24558 using a point counting technique. All of the samples were medium grained sandstone from graded sandstone beds. The analytic technique, petrographic species, and individual samples are described in Appendix 5 (p. 171). All of the samples are either lithic wackes or lithic arenites according to the system of Williams and others (1963, p. 292-293). The variation of sandstone composition with bed number is presented in Figure 23 (p. 84). The relative absence of data between Beds 20 and 180 and between Beds 300 and 440 is a result of the finer grain size of the sandstones of these regions. The high variability of data in the central region is probably only a result of abundant analyses. Sandstone composition shows relatively little variation across the section. It is possible that the more proximal phases have a higher total lithic content than the distal turbidites. Such a feature could be the result of lateral segregation within the turbidity flow. The constancy of composition suggests that the nature of the source area remained constant throughout the time of deposition of the formation. The results of modal analyses from the entire Siegas Formation will be considered later in the thesis (p. 90). FIGURE 25 VARIATION OF SANDSTONE COMPOSITIONS OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION AT EM558 60 _O T I t i T N 130 IT -L .L -L.- z920~ 0 f 10 A JOC LA TO T E- FEL S P 'R P'OTA CLSPAC L -- volume percen+ abunddnce of species 20o 85 Paleocurrent Analysis Paleocurrent information was taken from EM558 from 60 graded beds of the sandstone lithotype. The readings included 38 measurements of flute cast orientation, 23 measurements on groove casts and other tool marks, five readings on ripple marks and one measurement of parting lamination. The results of these readings are presented in Figure 24 (p. 86). It is assumed that the tool marks and the parting lamination were produced by motion in the same direction as indicated by flute casts and ripple marks. The beds from which readings were taken occur throughout the section at EMI558. No correlation exists of direction with type of sedimentary structure or bed number. Turbidite sedimentation at 4558 was characterized by a highly uniform direction of transport. This shows that the relative position of the immediate source of the turbidites and E1558 was highly stable throughout the time of deposition of the Siegas Formation and suggests the possibility of channelled flow. The generally proximal nature of turbidite sedimentation at EM558 indicates that the paleocurrent direction parallels the paleoslope. The depositional surface at E 558 duringthe sedimentation of the Siegas Formation was stable and dipped to the south. The source of the exogenic sediments at EM558 was somewhere to the north of the thesis area. The accuracy of paleocurrent readings is largely dependent on the practicability of unfolding the deformed beds to recover 86 PALEOCURRENT FIGURE 24 DIRECTIONS FROM SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION AT EM558 N w. E P - NUMBER OF READINGS FLOW FROM THE NORTH "-i's 87 the original orientation of the depositional surface. Later structural analysis (p.13 5 ) shows that the unfolding process is possible at EM558. FACIES VARIATIONS Stratigra c Variations The lithotypes of the Siegas Formation in the thesis area are similar to those at EM558. The chert lithotype has not been found outside of EX558, but this is probably due to the scarcity of the lithotype and poor exposure. Limestone and siltstone lithotypes in the thesis area are abundant and identical to those at EM558. Limestone conglomerates occur only at EM559, DR1021, TH411, and TH412 and appear to be most abundant at E4558. The sandstone lithotype is abundant in the thesis area but its characteristics are variable. A minor group of nongraded highly calcareous sandstones similar to those at R,1558 occurs throughout the thesis area. The major group of thickly bedded sandstones is also present but-the sandstones may be quite different from those at a4558. The differentiation of sedimentation into exogenic and in situ deposition established at E4558 can be applied throughout the thesis area and it is probable that in situ deposition was relatively uniform over the thesis area. changes in the Siegas Formation are the result of radical changes in exogenic deposition. Facies The stratigraphic variations produced by changes in exogenic deposition are summarized in Figure 25 (p. 89). The horizontal datum for this figure is bedding at the base of the lower member of the Perham Formation. The thickness of the Siegas Formation is well known at the E4558, DR1067, TH116, and EM11154 sections. The thickness decrease between the MA558 and the DR1067 sections is due to the rapid disappearance of the limestone conglomerate lithotype in a southward direction. Beds of the sandstone lithotype thin both to the south and the east. The decrease in thickness between the DR1067 and the TH116 sections is mainly the result of this gradual thinning of the sandstone beds and the disappearance of the lower sandstone unit which corresponds to the first exogenic event recognized at E553. At the TH116 section the upper sandstone unit (third exogenic event) is made up of thin beds of highly calcareous nongraded sandstone. The thickness decrease between the TH116 and the EA1154 sections is due mainly to the disappearance of the upper sandstone unit. In this section the interval of in situ deposition between the two sandstone units cannot be recognized and the contact with the lower member of the Perham Formation must be placed at the top of the major sandstone unit. A few very thin, highly calcareous, nongraded sandstone beds of the lower member of the Perham Formation at EX1152 may be correlatives of the upper sandstone unit of the Siegas Formation. The data of the next section will show the extent to which the process of exogenic deposition at EX558 is applicable low FIGURE 25 kO FEET 1w qw, I lqw- 11 11-1 - SCHEMATIC CROSS-SECTION THE SIEGAS FORMATION NW __ _ _ __ _ OF NE _ 1 -100 -200 k5 H9 1600W -300 TH292 M1164... D 400 \500 -H2 -EM560EM23 - - TH3MILES 2 00 6 -MAINLY SANDSTONE AND SLATE S-MAINLY LIMESTONE AND SLATE -OUTCROP DTH2 CONTROL IN THE SIEGAS THE SECTION L INE IS SHOWN IN FIGURE 26 -LIMESTONE CONGLOMERATE FORMATION 90 to the Siegas Formation as a whole. However, the rapid disappearance of the limestone conglomerates and the thinning of sandstone beds south from EM558 is consistent with the nature of deposition of the lithotypes (p. 68, 72 ) and suggests that the south-dipping paleoslope extended through the southwestern part of the thesis area. Variation of Sandstone Compositions Modal analyses were done on 67 samples of the sandstone lithotype from the Siegas Formation including samples from EX558 (p. 83). A complete description of the method of analysis, petrographic species, and the individual samples is given in Appendix 5 (p. 171). In an effort to reduce the effect of vertical variation the results were averaged into groups defined on page 183. The average compositions of these groups were classified according to the system of These results Williams and others (1963, p. 292-293). (p. 183) were used to define three facies of the Siegas Formation which are laterally equivalent. The lithic wacke facies (Figure 26, p. 91) includes only groups with average compositions of lithic wacke. The arkosic facies includes arkosic wackes and arkosic arenites. facies is made up of quartz arenites. The orthoquartzitic Feldspathic arenites such as occur at Groups E and J are transitional phases. Obviously the nature of exogenic deposition found at Ei558 can only be applied to the lithic wacke facies. 91 FACIES FIGURE 26 OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION *L -GROUPS AS DEFINED IN A PPENDIX 5 SECTION LINE FOR FIGURE 25 e ~f THYS 92 On the basis of stratigraphic variations (p. 89) the lithic wacke facies may be divided into a proximal region including groups A through D and a distal region including groups F through I. The lateral variation of the abundance of total quartz in the sandstones is presented in Figure 27 (p. 93). Quartz abundance distinguishes the orthoquartzitic facies from the other two facies and indicates that the facies was a local source of quartz. The variation of plagioclase abundance is presented in Figure 28 (p. 94). Plagioclase abundance does not characterize any of the facies which suggests that plagioclase was derived form more than one local source. The maximum in the diagram is related to the direction of paleocurrent transport established at E4558 (p. 85) and implies that the lithic wacke facies was a major local source of plagioclase. It is also possible that the other facies were local sources. The variation of potassium feldspar abundance is presented in Figure 29 (p. 95). Potassium feldspar abundance distinguishes the arkosic facies from the other two and indicates that the arkosic facies was the local source of the species. Some potassium feldspar was dispersed into the distal region of the lithic wacke facies. The variation of total salic plutonic content is presented in Figure 30 (p. 96). The distribution is identical to that of the total potassium feldspar which indicates that the arkosic facies was the local source of salic plutonic 93 VARIATION OF FIGURE 27 TOTAL QUARTZ IN SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION IJ - GROUP AS DEFINED IN APPENDIX 5 33.5 - AVERAGE PER CENT A BUNDANCE OF TOTAL QUARTZ e ~ 1HS 94 VARIATION OF FIGURE 28 PL AGIOCLASE FELDSPAR CONTENT IN THE SIEGAS FORMATION OF - GROUPS AS DEFINED IN APPENDIX 5 6.7 -AVERAGE PER CENT CONTENT OF PLAGIOCLASE FELDSPAR r1s 95 VAR/ATION OF FIGURE 29 TOTAL POTASSIUM FELDSPAR IN THE SIEGAS FORMATION OP - GROUPS AS DEFINED IN APPENDIX 5 2.3 - AVERAGE PER CENT CONTENT OF POTASSIUM FELDSRAR AND PER THI TE. \*\ *, Nm% ~ ~ >)\ TIES 96 VARIATION OF FIGURE 30 TOTAL SALIC PLUTONIC CONTENT IN THE SIEGAS FORMATION AS DEFINED IN eJ - GROUPS APPENDIX 5 3.2-AVERAGE PER CENT CONTENT OF SALIC PLUTONIC GRA INS N m am am ourn a am m a am am a TIIS fragments and that the potassium feldspar was derived from the disintegration of salic plutonic rocks. The variation of the abundance of mafic volcanic fragments is presented in Figure 31 (p. 98). The abundance characterizes the lithic wacke facies and shows an obvious relation to the proximal-distal variation across the facies. The proximal region of the lithic wacke facies was the local source of mafic volcanic fragments. The variation of the content of limestone grains is shown in Figure 32 (p. 99). Abundant limestone grains characterize the proximal region of the lithic wacke facies. The maximum in the diagram is clearly related to the paleoslope (p. 90) and indicates that the local source of the limestone grains was in the proximal region or to the north or northwest of E4558. The variation of pyroxene abundance is shown in Figure 33 (p. 100). Pyroxene abundance bears the same relationship to the lithic wacke facies as does the limestone abundance. The proximal region of the lithic wacke facies was the local source of both the pyroxene and the limestone grains. The lithic wacke facies was the local source of mafic volcanic fragments, some plagioclase, pyroxene and limestone fragments. Previous considerations (p. 68) show that the limestone was locally derived by submarine erosion. Petrographic observations suggest that some of the plagioclase and all of the pyroxene are disintegration products of mrafic volcanic rocks. (See Appendix 5, 98 VA R 1A TION OF FIGURE 3 MAFIC VOLCA NICS IN SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION oH -GROUPS AS DEFINED IN APPENDIX 5 PER CENT CONTENT OF MAFIC VOLCANIC GRAINS 17.6 - AVERAGE e K\ d 4~~q T4Ii 99 FIGURE 32 VARIATION OF LIMESTONE CONTENT OF SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION eG - GROUPS AS DEFINED IN APPENDIX 5 0.3- AVERAGE PER CENT CONTENT OF LIMESTONE GRAINS 0~ 100 VARIATION OF FIGURE 33 PYROXENE CONTENT OF SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION - *C GROUPS AS DEFNED IN APPENDIX 5 /.0 - AVERAGE PER CENT CONTENT OF PYROXENE *\ ~ 'x\ 1 ~v' #4~ \~.\ m am o0 2r . 101 p. 174). The distributions of these species suggest that material from the lithic wacke facies was not dispersed into either the arkosic or the orthoquartzitic facies but was transported south across the facies from some region to the north or northwest of the thesis area. The arkosic facies was the source of salic plutonic fragments, potassium feldspar and some plagioclase. Petrographic considerations suggest that the feldspars may have been derived from the disintegration of salic plutonic rocks with a composition between diorite and granite. The distributions of the species suggest that sediment was dispersed from the arkosic facies into the distal region of the lithic wacke facies. This suggests that the local paleoslope dipped with a major component to the southwest and that the distal region of the lithic wacke facies was in deeper water than the arkosic facies. The orthoquartzitic facies was the major local source of quartz. This quartz was probably dispersed into both of the other facies but since the mafic volcanic rocks and salic plutonic rocks were also quartz sources (p. 175, 176 ) the quartz balance is more complicated. Roundness Distribution Analysis The roundness of quartz grains from sandstones of the Siegas Formation was investigated by point-counting 50 grains of medium sand size in each of four thin sections which were 102 also used for modal analysis (p. 179 , 180). Each grain was assigned a roundness value on Power's charts (Folk, 1965, p. 11) where the roundness decreases on a scale from six to zero. The results are presented as histograms in Figure 34 (p. 103). Samples TH294 and TH304 are from sandstones of the orthoquartzitic facies. Samples EM558-15 and EM558-74 are from sandstones of the lithic wacke facies. The quartz of the orthoquartzitic facies is a homogeneous rounded assemblage. The quartz of the lithic wacke facies is a mixture of a homogeneous rounded fraction similar to the quartz of the orthoquartzitic facies and a very angular fraction. Petrographic work shows that the quartz phenocrysts of the mafic volcanic fragments of the lithic wacke facies are also very angular (p. 175). Medium-grained rounded quartz was probably transported from the orthoquartzitic facies into the lithic wacke facies but angular quartz was not transported in the reverse direction. This suggests that the paleoslope between the two facies dipped with a major component to the west and that the orthoquartzitic facies accumulated in shallower water than the lithic wacke facies. Grain Size Distribution Analysis The grain size distributions of sandstones of the Siegas Formation were investigated by analyzing ten thin sections that were previously used for modal analyses (p. 179-180 ). 103 FIGURE 34 ROUNDNESS OF QUARTZ OF SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION 40- 4 TH294 TH304 30- 30- 10-%20- 00 6p 0p EM558 BED NUMBER /5 EM558 30- 30 /0- /0 S2 Op p - BED NUMBER 74 0 p ROUNDNESS (POWERS' SCALE) Tys 104 The analysis was done by counting 100 points for each thin section and measuring the size of the grain at each point by Martin's diameter (El-Hinnawi, 1966, p. 23), placing the grain size between limits based on the micrometer eyepiece of a microscope. The smallest size limit was 0.031 mm. Van der Plas (1962) has observed that a point counting procedure leads only to qualitative information. The results of the analyses are given in Figure 35 (p. 105). of the samples; TH109-1, TH109-2, and TH124 are from the arkosic facies; TH116, TH294, and TH304 are from the orthoquartzitic facies; E4558-8, TH558-74, and EM558-231 are from the lithic wacke facies, and TH181-1 is from the transitional area. It can be calculated that for the arkosic facies an average of 11 percent of the grains are coarser than 2$ where corresponding figures are 29 percent for the orthoquartzitic facies and 38 percent for the lithic wacke facies. While these numbers are not quantitatively significant, it is clear that the arkosic facies is depleted in coarse grains with respect to the other two facies. Since the samples of the arkosic facies were the coarsest that could be found, this finding is probably not a product of biased sampling. An independent aspect of grain size distributions can be examined by considering the variation of matrix abundance as determined by modal analyses. (See Figure 36, p. 106). The orthoquartzitic facies is distinguished from the other two facies by the scarcity of fine-grained matrix. The relative depletion suggests either that the immediate source FIGURE 35 GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS OF SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION 4 * EM558 BED 30 NUMBER 8 40 30 20 20 /0 /0 EM558 BED 4 o NUMBER 30. 74 EM558 BED NUMBER 231 40 % 40 THI8-I THIO9-I 30 30- 20 -- 20 ./a/- -0 I ~ 0/ TH304 - 0. 4040 TH109 -2 30 O THI - 414 o TH124 TH294 30- 3 2 /0. /0 00 0- /0 /0 0 1234- ANALYSIS TERMINATED AT 5#. % - VOLUME PERCENT(SEE TEXT) Hs 106 36 MATRIX VAR IA TION IN SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION FIGURE *A- GROUPS AS DEFINED IN APPENDIX 5 6.3- AVERAGE PER CENT CONTENT OF MATRIX 107 of the quartz arenites was also depleted in matrix material or the mechanism of deposition in the facies was effective in the removal of fine-grained material. Considering the general availability of fine-grained material in the Siegas Formation, the second alternative is more likely. ENVIROZMIENT OF DEPOSITION Sedimentation of the Siegas Formation was characterized by uniform in situ deposition of limestones and slates identical to those of the Carys Mills Formation. The essential features of the environment of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 51) were also characteristics of the environment of the Siegas Formation. The presence of organic markings (p. 78) suggests that benthonic life was possible at least at EN1558. A highly variable pattern of exogenic sedimentation was superposed on the environment of in situ deposition. In the lithic wacke facies turbidite deposition varied from a distal region in the south to a highly proximal region in the northwest. The paleoslope dipped to the south and was bordered by other slopes to the east (p. 101, 102). The turbidites moved from north to south across the facies from somewhere north of the thesis area. The general abundance of matrix and angularity of grains of the deposits indicate- that most of the sediments were not reworked. However, normal bottom currents were active in resedimentation of fine-grained quartzose sand. 108 Several features indicate an unusual environment at the most proximal end of the lithic wacke facies. The distributions of limestone grains, limestone conglomerates and pyroxene suggest dispersion from a restricted source located slightly to the northwest of E558. The uniformity of paleocurrent directions at EM'558 is suggestive of some sort of channelled flow. The abundance of limestone conglomerates and removal of as much as 170 feet from the Carys Mills Formation (p. 60) suggests an environment of active deep erosion by turbidity currents and transportation of the eroded material (p. 68). These are features expected or observed in modern submarine canyons (i.e., Shepard, 1964, 1965). EM558 was located in the channel of a submarine canyon possibly close to its terminus at a submarine fan in the south-central part of the thesis area. The thick limestone conglomerate beds were produced by slumping of the steep walls of the canyon. The sandstones of the orthoquartzitic facies have probably been thoroughly reworked (p. 107). No sedimentary structures have been found in these sandstones, even by acid etching of polished surfaces of samples. The average grain size of the sandstones is on the order of 0.3 mm. For this grain size reworking produces ripple and dune structures up to flow velocities of about 1 meter per second. 1963, p. 291). (Simons and Richardson, Above this approximate velocity the deposition of a structureless bed may take place (Simnons and others, 1965, p. 44). In order to wipe out previous sedimentary structures it is only necessary that flow velocities in the environment 109 rise to such high values from time to time. Velocities on the order of meters per second are observed today in shallow shelf environments with very active tidal currents (Seibold, 1963, p. 44). The sandstones of the orthoquartzitic environment were probably deposited on such a shelf. In contrast, the sandstones of the arkosic facies are crossbedded which suggests they accumulated in a more sheltered environment. The arkosic and the orthoquartzitic facies were both deposited in shallower water than the lithic wacke facies (p. 101, 102). closely related. The source material of the two facies are While the relative abundances of the feldspars would be greatly affected by the contrast in sedimentary environment, the ratio of total potassium feldspar to plagioclase should be largely independent of environment and be more closely related to source material. The average ratio for the orthoquartzitic facies is 5.4, for the arkosic facies is 6.3, and for the lithic wacke facies is 0.9. Evidently the sandstones of the orthoquartzitic and the arkosic facies were derived from the same immediate source material. The differences between the two facies are due mainly to sedimentary environment. The finer grain size of sandstones of the arkosic facies, the environment of the orthoquartzitic facies and the derivation from a common source material all suggest that the arkosic sediment was winnowed from the orthoquartzitic sediment on the shelf and deposited in deeper, quieter water on a slope to the east of the lithic wacke facies. 110 A simplified model of the environment and the transport directions deduced from dispersal of the petrographic species and paleocurrent information is shown in Figure 37 (p. 111). PROVENANCE Sandstones of the lithic wacke facies contain locally derived limestone grains, mafic volcanic fragments and their disintegration products. Limestone conglomerates contain locally derived limestone and slate clasts and rounded chert from so-ne other source. (See Appendix 4, p. 168.) A source of andesitic volcanic rocks (p. 175) and chert accounts for all exogenic components of the lithic wacke facies not derived from the immediate vicinity of the thesis area itself. Sandstones of the orthoquartzitic facies and the arkosic facies had the same local source material (p. 109) and the compositions of the arkosic sandstones show that a significant part of the ultimate source was salic plutonic rock (p. 101). However, the well-rounded quartz of the orthoquartzitic facies is most probably polycyclic and derived in part from older, quartzose sedimentary rocks. The local source material of the orthoquartzitic and the arkosic facies was probably quartzose, feldspathic detritus produced by mixing of erosion products of quartzose sandstones and salic plutonic rocks with a composition between diorite and granite. Regional aspects of the provenance will be considered later in the thesis (p. 145). 111 FIGURE 37 SEDIMENTARY TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION DIRECTIONS OF SEDIMENTARY TRANSPORT. THE SIZE OF THE SYMBOLS SHOWS THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIRECTIONS. .~ * ~ ~f xw No mn 0 a xw 1. 4uw mmoom1- 112 DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY In the late Ordovician interbedded limestone, shale and slate of the Carys Mills Formation accumulated in relatively quiet, stagnant to poorly aerated water on a stable paleoslope dipping to the south. In the earliest Silurian turbidite deposition began in the lithic wacke facies, associated with erosion of a submarine canyon in the EM,558 region and possible tectonic uplift of shelf margins. 37.) (Contrast Figures 10 and At this time no sandstone was accumulating on the developing shelf and slope. A decrease in exogenic sedimentation permitted the continuation of limestone and slate sedimentation over the whole thesis area. A major exogenic interval followed culmunating in "sand flow" deposition in the EM558 area. At this time quartzose, feldspathic sediment was deposited on the shelf, which had developed a highly active bottom current system. This sediment was continually resedimented, separating a finer grained fraction that was deposited in deeper, quieter water on the slope. Another decrease in exogenic deposition followed the major exogenic interval in which in situ deposition of limestone and slate continued in the southern and western parts of the thesis area. In the northeastern part of the thesis area there was only deposition of laminated slate. The third and final exogenic event produced some erosion in the EM1558 area and turbidite deposition in the lithic wacke facies but had very little effect on the shelf and slope. This was followed all 113 over the thesis area in the late Early or Middle Llandovery by deposition of the laminated slates of the lower member of the Perham Formation. Even at this time steep slopes persisted in the E4558 region (p. 29). 114 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY SUMARY Regional interpretation of northeastern Maine and vicinity shows that the area was last severely deformed in the Early to Late Devonian by the Acadian orogeny. Parts of the area were also deformed in the Middle Ordovician to Early Silurian by the Taconic orogeny. During this event the thesis area was located near a tectonic front between regions of quiescence and deformation, so the structural effects of the orogeny would probably have been minor. Field analysis shows that the main structural feature of the thesis area is a grossly homogeneous system of tightly appressed, symmetrical, similar folds. Poorly defined, post- kinematic, small-scale faults are also abundant. Nonplane, noncylindrical folding appears to be restricted to the mesoscopic scale at areas of macroscopic fold closure. Stereographic analysis of temporal domains of bedding shows that the fold system of Silurian units and the Carys Mills Formation is homogeneous, tightly appressed, plane, cylindrical, similar and symmetrical. Lake Formation are Folds in the Madawaska asymetrical, inclined, and noncylindrical. The structural contrast between the Madawaska Lake Formation and younger units is probably expressed as a disharmony involving basal beds of the Carys Mills Formation. Stereo- graphic analysis of cleavage shows that all cleavage in the 115 thesis area was formed by the same process that produced the symmetrical, sylindrical fold system. Tectonic interpretation of the symmetrical fold system shows that the bulk deformation of the thesis area occurred during the Acadian orogeny by the generation of a homogeneous system of plane, cylindrical, tightly appressed, symmetrical, similar folds with an axial plane of N43E87N and an axis striking S43W and plunging 2 degrees. The inclination and the plunge are related to the morphology of regional structures. The Acadian orogeny also produced a homogeneous cleavage system symmetrically distributed with respect to the axial plane of folding. The axes of the pure-strain ellipsoid can be deduced from the fold symmetry but the production of rotational strain components by regional tectonic movements indicates that the results are only of local significance. The upper member of the Perham Formation and the Siegas Formation were deformed mainly by flexural-slip folding which indicates that the beds of these units can be realistically "unfolded." The lower member of the Perham Formation and the Madawaska Lake Formation were deformed by slip or shear folding. Lack of knowledge of the mechism of bulk deformation of the thesis area makes the construction of palinspastic maps impossible. The structural style of the Madawaska Lake Formation was not produced by the homogeneous strain associated with Acadian folding. Local stress-perturbation within the formation probably cannot account for observed structures. Some unknown structures in the Madawaska Lake 116 Formation predated the Acadian orogeny. It is the writer's judgment that they were the product of low-intensity folding in the Taconic orogeny associated with the development of shelf margins in the thesis area. The thesis area during the Taconic orogeny was characterized by mild folding at shallow depths, evolution of shelf margins, and continuous sedimentation. The Taconic orogeny to the north of the thesis area can be tentatively dated as Early Llandovery to early Early Llandovery. RFGIONAL SETTING Most of northeastern Maine, northwestern New Brunswick and adjacent parts of Quebec were last severely deformed in the Early to Late Devonian by the Acadian orogeny (Boucot and others, 1964, p. 93-94). Parts of the same area were deformed with similar intensity during the late Ordovician or early Silurian by the Taconic orogeny (Pavlides and others, 1968). The thesis area was located near the western margin of the Aroostook-Matapedia trough, a stable basin that continuously received sediment from the late Middle Ordovician through the Early Llandovery (Berry, 1963, p. 31). Paleontological data imply the existence of a conformity during this time in northwestern New Brunswick about forty miles ot the northeast of the thesis area (Ayrton and others, 1969, p. 475). Conformable relationships are also suggested 117 by fossil ages in the Presque Isle-Caribou area some twentyfive miles south of the thesis area (Pavlides, 1968, p. 12-13). Folding took place during the Taconic orogeny in a large area north and west of the thesis area. Intense folding in the Rimouski-Matapedia region some sixty miles north and northwest of the thesis area at least locally predated the Early Llandovery (Lajoie and others, 1968, p. 21). An angular unconformity at Ashland, forty miles to the southwest of the thesis area, was produced by folding and erosion some time between the Middle Ordovician and the Late Llandovery (Mencher and others, unpublished information). Relationships between these two regions are less well known. A probable disconformity separates Late Ordovician and Late Llandovery beds about thirty-five miles south of the thesis area (Boucot and others, 1964, p. 91). Near Stockholm, fifteen miles southwest of the thesis area, Laux and Warner (1966, p. 16) report a possibly conformable contact between Late Ordovician and Llandovery beds. In the thesis area, no unconformity of regional significance occurs between the Middle Ordovician and the Late Silurian. However, detailed sedimentological analysis has shown that tectonic activity may have occurred in the thesis area in the early Early Llandovery (p. 112). Any possible folding at that time would be characterized by disharmonic relationships with undeformed beds. Such a process is occurring today in the Caspian Sea (Neprochnov, 1968, p. 1038). 118 FIELD ANALYSIS Macroscopic Features The structural data and a geological map of the thesis area are presented in Figures 48 and 49. The dominant structural feature is an apparently homogeneous system of tightly appressed symmetrical folds. These folds are probably similar and may be plane and cylindrical, although the map does not indicate whether or not some of the fold elements may be curvilinear. absent. Large-scale faulting is Small-scale faults are abundant but are poorly defined. A cross-section showing the style of folding is given in Figure 38 (p. 119). The TH165 section is one of the two well-exposed areas of fold closure in the thesis area. The folds are open and asymmetric, which is unusual for the thesis area as a whole. More typical folding is illustrated in Figure 39 (p. 120). The section lines on which Figures 38 and 39 are based are given in Figure 49. The section as a whole faces upwards to the northeast. However, between TH215 and DR1065 the beds are reversed. The zones of fold closure in this section must be on the order of one hundred feet across. The narrow zones of closure and the isoclinal nature of folding are typical of the thesis area as a whole, which suggests that folding in the thesis area is generally similar. 118 FIELD ANALYSIS Macroscopic Features The structural data and a geological map of the thesis area are presented in Figures 48 and 49. The dominant structural feature is an apparently homogeneous system of tightly appressed symmetrical folds. These folds are probably similar and may be plane and cylindrical, although the map does not indicate whether or not some of the fold elements may be curvilinear. absent. Large-scale faulting is Small-scale faults are abundant but are poorly defined. A cross-section showing the style of folding is given in Figure 38 (p. 119). The TH165 section is one of the two well-exposed areas of fold closure in the thesis area. The folds are open and asymmetric, which is unusual for the thesis area as a whole. More typical folding is illustrated in Figure 39 (p. 120). The section lines on which Figures 38 and 39 are based are given in Figure 49. The section as a whole faces upwards to the northeast. However, between TH215 and DR1065 the beds are reversed. The zones of fold closure in this section must be on the order of one hundred feet across. The narrow zones of closure and the isoclinal nature of folding are typical of the thesis area as a whole, which suggests that folding in the thesis area is generally similar. FIGURE 39 STRUCTURAL CROSS-SECTION AT THE DR1065 SECT/ON CARYS 200 FORMATION MILLS MIDDLE SLATE fMEMBER~ FEETO LOWER L IMESTONE MEMBER! C- D /00/ 200 (( 300 160 260 360 400 560 1000 FEET V BEDDING READING C NORTHWEST ~~ BEDDING AND FACING READINGS (BEDS OVERTURNED) D SOUTHEAST rf 121 Mesoscopic' Features Most of the outcrops of the thesis area are not large enough to provide any information on structures with a scale of tens of feet. Large exposures such as B4558 and DR1065 which are located on the limbs of macroscopic folds show no mesoscopic features and are perfectly regular in their structure. One large outcrop, Ez557, occurs at the closure of a major fold. (See Figure 49.) The beds exposed at a4557 are the upper 170 feet of the Siegas Formation. The beds are well exposed in a continuous outcrop on both sides of a road cut. Detailed structural and stratigraphic correlations across the road led to the structural map presented in Figure 40 (p. 122). The striking feature of this map is the non-plane, non-cylindrical style of folding. The contrast to the style of folding of the thesis area as a whole (Figure 49) suggests that nonplane, noncylindrical folding in the thesis area is restricted to the mesoscopic scale in zones of macroscopic fold closure. STEREOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Procedure The method of stereographic analysis used was that of Turner and Weiss (1963) with one important modification. No attempt was made to divide the thesis area into spatial 35 BEDDING READING WITH DIRECTION AND MAGNITUDE FEET 40 6O 80 80 So OF DIP 123 domains, but the stratigraphy of the thesis was used to define temporal domains. This procedure was used by Hall (1964, p. 112) to distinguish between Acadian and Taconic folds in the Spider Lake area. A valid structural domain is defined with respect to penetrative a particular fabric element where the element is on the scale of the domain. The only fabric elements known to be related to folding in the thesis area are bedding and cleavage. Bedding is possible domains. penetrative with respect to all Cleavage, however, is penetrative only in the lower member of the Perham Formation, the middle slate member of the Carys Mills Formation, and the Madawaska Lake Formation. The middle slate member of the Carys Mills Formation did not provide sufficient data for analysis. Various domains were defined and the poles of the relevant fabric elements were plotted on an equatorial, 20-cm, Schmidt net. as N. The number of poles plotted is denoted The distribution of points was then contoured by the Free-Counter method (Turner and Weiss, 1963, p. 61). Great circles Ai which are trends of possible structural significance were fitted to the maxima of the resultant diagrams. The great circle representing the most conspicuous maximum was studied to locate the minimum of the data distribution within the great circle. The pole of this great circle was taken to be the "fold axis" a. The pole and the associated minimum defined the "axial plane" P of folding in the domain. The significance of these fold elements 124 depends on the nature of folding in each domain. Maxima defined by circumferential elongations of the data distributions near the margins of the diagrams are due simply to the properties of the Schmidt net (Vistelius, 1966, p. 10). Bedding The thesis area domain includes bedding readings from all stratigraphic units in the thesis area. The structural diagram for this domain is presented in Figure 41 (p. 125). The distribution is interpreted (Turner and Weiss, 1963, p. 44, p. 76, p. 159) as representing a system of grossly homogeneous, tightly appressed, plane, symmetrical, similar folds. This conclusion is consistent with the findings of the field analysis. However, the apparently noncylindrical nature of the fold system and the asymmetric distribution of data suggests that internal heterogeneities are present in the domain. The Silurian domain (Figure 42, p. 126) contains all bedding readings from the Perham and the Siegas Formations within the thesis area. The fold system is homogeneous, plane, cylindrical, tightly appressed, similar, and has orthorhombic symmetry. The axial plane of the system is N43E87N and the axis strikes S43W plunging 2 degrees. The Ordovician domain (Figure 43, p. 127) consists of all bedding readings from the Carys Mills and Madawaska Lake 125 FIGURE 4 / DISTRIBUTION BEDDING POLES OF THE THESIS AREA DOMAIN OF contoured in points per 1 percent area N = 360 Al = N50W85N A2 = N50W64N A3 = N62W80N a = S41W5 0 P = N40E88S ..TM 126 FIGURE 42 DISTRIBUTION BEDDING POLES OF THE SILURIAN DOMAIN OF contoured in points per 1 percent area N= 225 A, = N42W50S A 2 = N47W70S A 3 = N47W88N a = S43W20 P = N43E87N ru-C 127 FIGURE 43 DISTRIBUTION BEDDING POLES OF THE ORDOVICIAN DOMAIN N contoured in points per 1 percent area N = 230 A, = N40W70N A 2 = N4OW50S A3 = N50W74N A 4 = N59W80N a = S41W16 0 P = N33E69N OF 128 Formations in the thesis area. The conspicuous noncylindrical aspect of the data suggests the Possibility of internal heterogeneity. The Carys Mills domain (Figure 44, p. 129) contains all bedding readings from the Carys Mills Formation in the thesis area. The fold system of this domain is apparently cylindrical which indicates that deformation of the Carys Mills Formation was fundamentally identical to that of the Silurian domain. However, the "fold elements" here have values intermediate between those of the Silurian and the Ordovician domains which suggests that the possibility of internal heterogeneity cannot be dismissed. The abundance of data does not permit further subdivision of the domain. The Madawaska Lake domain (Figure 45, p. 130) consists of all bedding readings from the Madawaska Lake Formation. The folds of this domain are plane, noncylindrical, tightly appressed, similar, inclined and asymmetric. The "fold axis" has no real meaning since axes are evidently curvilinear. The "axial plane" may not have significance since the possibility of internal heterogeneity cannot be dismissed. The data do not permit further subdivision of the domain. The heterogeneity of the thesis area and the Ordovician domains is concentrated in the Madawaska Lake domain. A significant structural contrast separates the Madawaska Lake Formation from younger rocks of the thesis area. The intermediate features of the Carys Mills domain suggest that this contrast is expressed not by some discontinuity but by 129 FIGURE 44 DISTRIBUTION BEDDING POLES OF THE CARYS MILLS DOMAIN OF contoured in points per 1 percent area N= 135 A1 = N42W84N A 2 = N46W87N A 3 = N53W74S a = S44W8 0 P = N41E72N Tfts 130 FIGURE 45 DISTRIBUTION OF BEDDING POLES OF THE MADAWASKA LAKE DOMAIN contoured in points per 1 percent area N =93 A1 = N28W68N A 2 = N43W44N A 3 = N43W57N A 4 = N43W70N a = S48W33 0 P = N22E56N T/1S 131 a disharmonic regioninvolving the older beds of the Carys Mills Formation. Cleavage The Lower Perham domain (Figure 46, p. 132) consists of all cleavage readings from the lower member of the Perham Formation in the thesis area. homogeneous. The data distribution is quite Cleavage is distributed symmetrically with respect to fold elements. The "fold axis" of the domain is unlike any found previously and is of unknown significance. The axial plane is most similar to that found for bedding in the Silurian domain (p. 126). The Madawaska Lake domain (Figure 47, p.-133) contains all cleavage readings from the Madawaska Lake Formation in the thesis area. The distribution is homogeneous and suggests that the associated folds are plane and not inclined. The "fold axis" is again of unknown significance but is very similar to that of the Lower Perham domain. The axial plane is identical to that found for bedding in the Silurian domain (p. 126). All cleavage in the thesis area was produced by the process that generated the folds of the Silurian domain. No cleavage anomaly is associated with the anomalous style of folding of the Madawaska Lake domain. 132 DISTRIBUTION FIGURE 46 CLEAVAGE POLES OF THE LOWER PERHAM DOMAIN N contoured in points per 1 percent area N = 63 A, = N9W70S A 2 = N42W79S a = N48E13 0 P = N51E77N OF 133 FIGURE 4/7 DISTRIBUTION OF CLEAVAGE POLES OF THE MADAWASKA LAKE DOMAIN contoured in points per 1 percent area N = 78 Al = N46W50N A 2 = N49W80S a = N39E10 0 P = N42E80N 1-r"~ 134 TECTONIC INTERPRETATION Acadian Orogeny Silurian rocks were deformed by a homogeneous system of plane, cylindrical, tightly appressed, similar folds which is slightly inclined and plunging. The similarity of these features to those of the thesis area as a whole shows that the bulk deformation of the thesis area post-dated the Early Ludlow (p. 29). The regional interpretation indicates that this deformation was due to the Acadian orogeny. The inclination and plunge of the Acadian fold system are probably related to the morphology of the Pennington anticlinorium (p. 16). The slight plunge of the fold system explains the abundance of Ordovician rocks in the northeast part of the thesis area. (See Figure 49.) The Acadian orogeny also produced a homogeneous cleavage system in the thesis area symmetrically dispersed to the axial plane of folding. Heterogeneity of Acadian fold elements was restricted to the mesoscopic scale on zones of macroscopic fold closure (p. 121 ). The Acadian fold system has orthorhomnbic symmetry with an axis of S43W plunging 2 degrees and an axial plane of N43E87N. The three symmetry axes are the axes of the pure-strain ellipsoid (Turner and Weiss, 1963, p. 520). It is probable that the axis normal to the axial plane is the direction of maximum pure strain. These conclusions are valid on the scale of the thesis area. Larger scale considerations must take into 135 account rotational and translational strain components introduced by the development of structures such as the Pennington anticlinorium. Laboratory and field investigations of fabric elements suggest that bedding in most of the upper member of the Perham Formation, most of the Siegas Formation, and a large part of the Carys Mills Formation was kinematically active. The mechanism of folding of the upper member of the Perham Formation and the Siegas Formation was mainly flexural-slip. Cleavage was an active fabric element in the Madawaska Lake Formation, the lower member of the Perham Formation, and a large part of the Carys Mills Formation. The mechanism of folding of the Madawaska Lake Formation and the lower member of the Perham Formation was mainly slip or shear folding. The mechanism of bulk deformation of the Carys Mills Formation is not known. Knowledge of the symmetry and mechanism of folding of the upper member of the Perham Formation and the Siegas Formation makes it possible to "unfold" beds of these formations (Turner and Weiss, 1963, p. 516-518). This is not possible for the Madawaska Lake Formation and the lower member of the Perham Formation. Lack of knowledge of the mechanism of bulk deformation and the depth of folding in the thesis area makes the construction of palinspastic maps impossible. Older Structures A significant contrast in the style of folding between 136 the Madawaska Lake Formation and younger units is probably marked by a structural disharmony involving beds of the lower part of the Carys Mills Formation (p.128 ). The structure of the Madawaska Lake Formation can be regarded as a composite of structures produced by homogeneous strain of Acadian folding and other structures. These other structures must be either pre-Acadian or due to local stress-perturbation within the Madawaska Lake Formation by lithologic heterogeneity across the thesis area (p. 21). If the latter is the case, then it is difficult to explain why no such heterogeneity of structure occurs in the Siegas Formation which also is quite variable (p. 89). It is also hard to explain why cleavage distributions in the Madawaska Lake Formation were not affected by local stress-perturbation. The anomalous structures of the Madawaska Lake Formation in the thesis area are probably partly pre-Acadian. These older structures were most probably folds but are difficult to discuss in more detail. Since folding is a process that takes place at depth, the structures can only be dated between the Middle Ordovician and Middle Devonian. Both the Taconic orogeny and the Salinic disturbance (Boucot, 1968, p. 86) occurred in this time interval. Since pre-Acadian deformation in the Madawaska Lake Formation was not of high enough intensity to produce cleavage (p. 131) it is possible that the folding was associated with the Salinic disturbance. However, it is the writer's judgment that the pre-Acadian structures of the Madawaska Lake Formation were produced by 137 low-intensity folding accompanying the development of shelf margins in the thesis area during the early or middle Early Llandovery (p. 112). During the Taconic orogeny the thesis area was characterized by continuous sedimentation and simultaneous folding at a depth greater than about 1300 feet. The thesis area must be located in the "belt of conformity" of Pavlides and others (1968, p. 62) although the effects of nearby disturbances exist. The beginning of the Taconic orogeny to the north of the thesis area may be tentatively dated by the occurrence of the first exogenic event of the Siegas Formation (p. 82) as early Early Llandovery. This is older than the late Early Llandovery age found in the Presque Isle area by Pavlides (1968, p. 38) but is younger than the preEarly Llandovery age found for the Temiscouata area (Lajoie and others, 1968, p. 638) which suggests a complicated history of regional tectonic activity. 138 ASPECTS OF THE REGIONAL GEOLOGY SUA4ARY The thesis area is critical in the evaluation of regional stratigraphy during the middle to late Ordovician and the early Silurian since for the first time rocks of the western clastic facies are observed in direct contact with limestones of the Carys Mills Formation. Paleontological and thickness information suggests that the Madawaska Lake Formation and the Carys Mills Formation are laterally equivalent in the range Zone 13 through the Late Ordovician and that the facies boundary is transgressive to the northwest. Sedimentological information and age relationships suggest that the Siegas Formation is laterally equivalent to Early Llandovery beds of the Carys Mills Formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium. be regarded in The Siegas Formation may a regional sense as a marginal clastic facies of the Carys Mills Formation. Further work is needed to define the relationship of the Siegas Formation to the Frenchville Formation. The nature of the sedimentation of the Carys Mills Formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia belt is examined in relation to the Black Sea model developed for the thesis area. Recent suggestions that the Carys Mills Formation is a calcareous flysch or some sort of shallow-water shelf deposit are not supported by the available lithologic and 139 faunal evidence. The Black Sea model of accumulation beneath stagnant bottom waters.of skeletal carbonate debris produced by microbiotic activity in aerated surface waters is successfully applied to the Carys Mills Formation on a regional scale. A mechanism for stagnation of bottom waters is suggested by the partially land-locked nature of the Aroostook-M1atapedia belt throughout most of its existence. The tectonic stability of the Aroostook-Matapedia belt through the Taconic orogeny is similar to the tectonic stability and continuous sedimentation of the Black Sea through the major events of the Alpine otogeny. Methods of directly testing the validity of the Black Sea model are proposed, including organic carbon analysis, electron microscopy of limestones, and field work near the margins of the Aroostook-Matapedia belt. Paleogeographic analysis of the region in the Early Llandovery shows that the source area of the Siegas Formation was located in a relatively small region in northwest New Brunswick now covered by Devonian rocks. The effects of the Taconic orogeny in northeastern Maine suggests that the Taconic orogeny was characterized by the uplift of discrete, relatively isolated anticlinoria mantled by Iiddle Ordovician mafic volcanic rocks. The source region of the Siegas Formation was probably a discrete uplift in northwestern New Brunswick similar to the Weeksboro-Lunksoos Lake anticlinorium. The source of the lithic wacke facies of the Siegas Formation was mafic volcanic rocks of either Middle 140 Ordovician or early Silurian age. The source of the arkosic and orthoquartzitic facies of the Siegas Formation consisted of rocks similar to the Rockabema Quartz Diorite and either quartz arenites related to the Grand Pitch Formation or quartz arenites of the Quebec Group. REGIONAL STRATIGRAPHY In northeastern Maine, facies relationships in the Middle and Late Ordovician and the early Silurian existed between noncalcareous clastic rocks to the west and limestones of the Carys Mills Formation to the east (Pavlides and others, 1964, p. C31-C32). The facies boundary defines the western margin of the Arookstook-Matapedia Boucot, 1968, p. 36-37). belt (Berry, 1968, p. In the thesis area, 28-31; rocks from the two facies are observed in contact for the first time. General relations of the Madawaska Lake Formation to the Carys Mills Formation have suggested that the two formations are partial lateral equivalents. The age of the Madawaska Lake Formation ranges between Zone 12 of the Caradoc and the latest Ordovician (Mencher and others, unpublished information; Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 11). The age of the Carys Mills Formation ranges between Zone 13 of the Caradoc and Zone 19 of the Llandovery (Pavlides, 1968, p. 10). The Carys Mills Formation underlies Silurian rocks on the east flank of the Stockholm Mountain synclinorium and the Madawaska Lake Formation underlies Silurian rocks on the west 141 flank. In the thesis area the Madawaska Lake Formation conformably underlies the Carys Mills Formation (p. 36). The age of the top of the Madawaska Lake Formation decreases from latest Ordovician near Stockholm (Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 11) to latest Middle Ordovician in the thesis area (p. 37) to pre-Zone 13 (if present) northwest of Caribou (Pavlides, 1968, p. 12). The thickness of the Carys Mills Formation decreases from about 9000 feet in the Presque Isle area (Pavlides, 1968, p. 10) to 1300 feet in the thesis area The Madawaska Lake Formation and the Carys Mills (p. 32). Formation are laterally equivalent at least in the range Zone 13 through the Ordovician. The facies boundary is trangressive to the northwest. It is possible to relate the Siegas Formation on a regional scale to the Carys Mills Formation. The age range of the Carys Mills Formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium includes the Early Llandovery. In the thesis area the age of the top of the Carys Mills Formation is earliest Silurian (p. 32). However, the age of the top of the Siegas Formation is Early Llandovery (p. 61) and the in situ sedimentation characteristic of the formation has been shown to be essentially a continuation of the depositional environment of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 82). The exogenic deposits of the Siegas Formation are local in extent (t. 59) and were transported from the north towards the AroostookMatapedia belt (p. 107). The Siegas Formation is laterally 142 equivalent to Early Llandovery beds of the Carys Mills Formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia anticlinorium and can be considered on a regional scale to be a marginal clastic facies of the Carys Mills Formation. The relationship of the Siegas Formation to the Frenchville Formation (Boucot and others, 1964, p. 31) remains to be established by further work. The Frenchville Formation is absent in the thesis area and is thought to interfinger with the lower member of the Perham Formation between Stockholm and the thesis area (Roy, 1967, unpublished map). The Frenchville Formation is composed in part of quartz arenites and lithic arenites similar to rocks of the Siegas Formation (Laux and Warner, 1966, p. 11). All fossil ages of the Frenchville Formation are Late Llandovery to early Wenlock (Boucot, 1968, p. 84-85). (1966, However, Laux and Warner p. 16-17) suggest that the basal beds of the Frenchville Formation near Stockholm may be as old as earliest Silurian. Consequently it is possible that parts of the Frenchville Formation may be laterally equivalent to the Siegas Formation. SEDIMENTATION IN THE AROOSTOOK-MATAPEDIA BELT The Aroostook-Matapedia belt was a persistent and welldefined geographical feature from Zone 12 of the Caradoc (Berry, 1968, p. 28) to the Late Llandovery (Boucot, 1968, p. 87). The belt was the site of continuous accumulation of at least 3 miles of sediment of which the bulk is included in 143 the Carys Mills Formation of Zone 13 to Zone 19 age (Pavlides, 1968, p. 10). The belt was tectonically stable through the Taconic orogeny which severely deformed both of its margins (Pavlides and others, 1968, p. 62). The sedimentation of the Carys Mills Formation is not well understood. Recent studies have considered the formation to be a "calcareous flysch" (Boucot, 1968, p. 87) or some sort of shallow-water platform deposit (Neuman, 1968, p. 46). Although some features of turbidite deposition occur in the formation (Pavlides, 1963, p. 9) the scarcity of the features suggests that turbidity flow cannot account for the deposition of most of the beds (p. 48). Between the Washburn area and the thesis area the only common sedimentary structure is crosslamination modified by convolute lamination and most of the beds are completely unstructured (Hamilton-Smith, 1966, unpublished information). The evidence suggests that the Carys Mills Formation cannot be characterized as a calcareous flysch. Deposition of the formation probably did not take place in a shallow-water environment. The complete absence of typically shallow-water sedimentary structures, the striking lithological uniformity, and the complete absence of benthonic faunal remains (except transported assemblages) indicates an environment unlike any shallow-water region of carbonate deposition observed today. The characteristics of the Carys EKills Formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia belt are very similar to those in the 144 southern part of the thesis area. The Black Sea model of sedimentation which was successfully applied in the thesis area (p. 51) is essentially the accumulation beneath stagnant bottom waters of skeletal carbonate debris produced by microbiotic activity in aerated surface waters. The application of this model to the sedimentation in the Aroostook-Matapedia belt is consistent with what is known of the lithology and fauna of the Carys Mills Formation. On the regional scale, two other characteristics of the Carys Mills Formation can be explained with the Black Sea model. Stagnation of bottom waters requires a basin with restricted circulation. Paleogeographic and facies reconstructions (Berry, 1968, p. 31; Boucot, 1968, p. 86) suggest that the Aroostook-Matapedia belt was partially land-locked throughout most of its existence. The tectonic stability of the Aroostook-Matapedia belt has been mentioned. The deep basin of the Black Sea is a sedimentary environment where deposition has taken place steadily since the Paleozoic, undisturbed by the major events of the Alpine orogeny (Milanovskiy, 1968, p. 1241). The Black Sea model is attractive in that it accounts for most features of the Carys Mills Formation in the Aroostook-Matapedia belt. However, direct evidence substantiating the model is largely lacking. The proposed environment should be characterized by high concentrations of organic carbon that could be easily described by standard analytical techniques. Although recrystallization has largely formed the fabric of the limestones of the Carys Mills Formation, 145 electron microscopy (i.e., Fischer and others, 1967) should find evidence of the original micro-skeletal origin of the carbonate sediment. The significant lateral variations within the Carys Mills Formation of the thesis area suggest that normal field techniques would be most informatively applied near the margins of the Aroostook-Matapedia belt. PROVENANCE OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION Sedimentological analysis of the exogenic component of the Siegas Formation shows that two possibly associated sources can account for all of the coarse clastic material involved in exogenic sedimentation (p. 82). The first source was made up of mafic volcanic rocks, mainly andesites, and cherts. The second source was made up of quartz arenites and salic plutonic rocks with a composition between diorite and granite. This material was transported into the thesis area from the north (p. 111). The transport of coarse-grained material into the thesis area suggests that the head of the submarine canyon was near shore (Hand and Bnery, 1964, p. 540) and suggests that the source areas were at least within tens of miles of the thesis area. Paleogeographical and facies analysis of the Early Llandovery rocks of the Cabano Formation in the RimouskiTemiscouata area (Lajoie and others, 1968,-p. 625-626) indicates the presence of a minor source of mafic volcanic rocks to the southeast. The presence of Early Llandovery fossils in 146 limestones of the Carys Mills Formation near Leclerc in northern New Brunswick (Ayrton and others, 1969, p. 475) restricts the possible location of the source area of the Siegas Formation to western Restigouche County- or central Madawaska County in New Brunswick. These areas are now covered mainly by Devonian rocks (Potter and others, 1968). The source area of the Siegas Formation cannot be more than sixty miles away from the thesis area and is probably no more than thirty miles distant. The Weeksboro-Lunksoos Lake anticlinorium (Figure 2, p. 16) is cored by quartz arenites and slates of the Grand Pitch Formation of Cambrian (?) age and mantled by Middle Ordovician mafic volcanic rocks and chert (Neuman, 1967, p. 15-112). This complex was intruded by the Rockabema Quartz Diorite during the Middle or Late Ordovician (Ekre:!n and Frischkheckt, 1967, p. 8-11). The anticlinorium was deformed by the Acadian orogeny but was originally uplifted during the Taconic orogeny (Neuman, 1967, p. 132). The Munsungun Lake anticlinorium (Hall, 1964, p. 7) is cored by Cambrian (?) slate of the Chase Brook Formation and is mantled by Middle Ordovician volcanic and sedimentary rocks. This anticlinorium was also originally uplifted during the Taconic orogeny (Hall, 1964, p. 127). The mass of Middle Ordovician mafic volcanic rocks between Presque Isle and Ashland (Unit Ovs of Boucot and others (1964, p. 17)) may have been uplifted during the Taconic orogeny, as suggested by paleocurrent and facies analysis (Mencher and others, unpublished information). 147 Deformation in northeastern Maine during the Taconic orogeny was characterized by the development of discrete, relatively separate anticlinoria. The uplifts described account for all but one of the unconformities in the area summarized by Pavlides and others (1968, p. 62). It is suggested that the source area of the Siegas Formation was a Taconic anticlinorial uplift much like the ancestral Weeksboro-Lunksoos Lake anticlinorium. The structure was cored by either lithologic equivalents of the Grand Pitch Formation or by similar rocks of the Quebec Group (Lesperance, 1959, p. 4-5). The structure was mantled either by Middle Ordovician mafic volcanic rocks or by syntectonic early Silurian volcanic rocks (Lajoie and others, 1968, p. 627). The complex was probably intruded by late Ordovician salic plutonic rocks similar to the Rockabema Quartz Diorite. Such a source would have provided all the exogenic components of the Siegas Formation. The history of the source area was evidently complicated. The detrital products of the source area reached the thesis area in the Early Llandovery but were most conspicuous in the Rimouski-Temiscouata area in the Late Llandovery (Lajoie and others, 1963, p. 639). these differences. Further work is needed to explain 148 APPENDIX 1 SUMMARY OF PALEONTOLOGICAL INFORMATION CARYS MILLS FORMATION E4661 Stratigraphic Assignment EM4661 is assigned to the base of the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation, about 300 feet below the top of the formation. Location a) 1.50 miles S7.5E of (470151. 68000') b) 4.03 miles S68W of (47015,, 670551) c) 4.27 miles N3E of (470103, 68000,) The outcrop is a shallow road cut on both sides of a farm road. Lithology Dark gray, fine-grained, thinly bedded limestone. Typical lithology of the Carys Mills Formation. Fossil Listing Climacograptus, possibly scalaris Krausella sp. Schmidtella ? sp. smooth ostracodes, indet. 149 Age Dr. Jean M. Berdan reports on the ostracodes in a letter of October 10, 1968, "This collection is probably Ordovician rather than Silurian in age but cannot be dated precisely." Dr. William B.N. Berry reports on the graptolite in a letter of March 26, 1968, "I would suggest that the beds were within a Late Ordovician-Early Silurian (Llandovery) age span anyway and thus lean a little toward the Silurian age." EX1154 Stratigraphic Assignment EX1154 exposes the contact of the Carys Mills Formation and the Siegas Formation and the upper 100 feet of the Carys Mills Formation. The collections were made about 50 feet below the top of the formation in the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. Location a) 5.10 miles N83.5E of (470151, 68000') b) 1.28 miles N63E of (47'15', 670551) c) 7.28 miles S45E of (470151, 68000,) The outcrop is a large road cut on the south side of the main road. 150 I Lithology Medium gray, fine-grained, very thinly bedded limestone. Fossil Listing Aechmina Tricornina sp. sp. Grammolomatella ? sp. paleocopid and beecherellid ostracodes, indet. Dr. Jean M. Berdan reports, in a letter of October 10, 1968, that "the ostracodes could be anything from Late Ordovician to Early Devonian in age." However, detailed stratigraphic correlations conclusively indicate that the collections at E11154 were taken from the same stratigraphic interval (t 30 feet) at TH165. of the collection from TH165 is discussed in The age detail (P.153). TH308 Stratigraohic Assignment TH308 is assigned to the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. Dr. Jean M. Berdan reports, in a letter of October 10, 1968, that "Ei1154 and TH308 probably represent the same horizon, as in addition to the ostracodes mentioned above, they have other 151 undescribed species in common." On this basis the stratigraphic assignment may be refined. TH308 probably occurs about 50 feet below the top of the Carys Mills Formation. Location a) 4.76 miles N86.5E of (470151, 680001) b) 0.88 miles N68E of (47015,, 67 55') c) 7.23 miles S41E of (470201, 68 000,) The outcrop is a very small exposure in a small drainage in the woods on the north side of the main road. Lithology Medium gray, fine-grained, very thinly bedded limestone. Fossil Listing Aechmina sp. Tricornina Aechminaria sp. sp. paleocopid and beecherellid ostracodes, indet. Dr. Jean M. Berdan reports, in a letter of October 10, 1968, that "the ostracodes could be anything from Late Ordovician to Early Devonian in age." However, on the basis of detailed stratigraphic and faunal correlations it is clear that TH308 represents the same stratigraphic horizon as EM1154 and TH165. The age of the collection 152 at TH165 will be discussed in detail (p.15 3 ). TH165 Stratigraphic Assignment TH165 exposes the contact of the Carys Hills Formation with the Siegas Formation and the upper 80 feet of the Carys Mills Formation. The collections were taken from beds about 50 feet below the top of the formation, in the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. The stratigraphic succession at TH165 is identical to that at EM1154. Location a) 4.62 miles N87E (470151, 68000') b) 0,75 miles N70.5E (470151, 67055,) 0 c) 7.16 miles S39.5E (47020', 68 00') The outcrop is a large exposure in a road cut on the south side of the railway. Lithology Medium gray, fine-grained, very thinly bedded limestone. Fossil Listing Aechmina Berounella sp. sp. paleocopid and podocopid ostracodes, indet. 153 Dr. Jean M. Berdan reports in a letter of October 10, 1968 that "With the exception of the specimens of Berounella, the ostracodes could be anything from Late Ordovician to Early Devonian in age ... the presence of Berounella and the general aspect of the fauna suggests an Early Devonian or latest Silurian age." Discussion The age suggested by the age of the collection at TH165 is in striking contradiction to both the stratigraphy of the thesis area and the age of the Carys Mills Formation. In a letter of October 10, 1968, Dr. Berdan states the problem: "With the exception of the specimens of Berounella, the ostracodes could be anything from Late Ordovician to Early Devonian in age. However, according to Louis Pavlides, the Carys Mills Formation has been dated as not younger than Llandovery (Early Silurian) on the basis of graptolites. Although the presence of Berounella and the general aspect of the fauna suggests an Early Devonian or latest Silurian age, the genus is rare and consequently not well known and it is possible that it could occur 154 in older rocks. Unless additional evidence for a later age turns up from other groups of fossils it seems better to assume that the range of Berounella extends downward rather than to revise the age of the Carys Mills upward." No other paleontological information in the thesis area provides an independent estimate of the age of the beds at TH165. Assignment of TH165, EM1154 and TH308 to the upper member of the Carys Mills Formation is based on the lithologic similarity of the beds to the type section at DR1066 and on the assignment of sandstone beds at E41154 to the Siegas Formation. Both of these assignments are complicated by significant facies changes in both the Siegas and the Carys Mills Formations. A more direct line of evidence is made possible by the excellent structural control in the TH165 region (p. 119). TH165 must underlie TH288. The beds at TH288 are mainly ferrous siliceous siltstone which is a characteristic minor lithology of the lower member of the Perham Formation (p. 26). The lower member of the Perham Formation is pre-Ludlow in age throughout its region of outcrop. The beds at TH165 are definitely pre-Ludlow in age and probably pre-Silurian. An extension of the age range of Berounella is warranted. 155 SIEGAS FORMATION EM558 Stratigraphic Assignment EM558 is described earlier in the thesis (p. 61). Collections in 1965 were made from beds in the upper 100 feet of the Siegas Formation. Collections in 1967 were made from Bed 10, about 8 feet below the top of the formation and Bed 16, about 23 feet below the top of the formation. Location EMV558 is a large quarry located 1.1 miles N45E of Siegas, New Brunswick. All collections were made from beds outcropping on the east wall of the quarry at the uppermost level of excavation. Lito Bed 10 is a fine to coarse-grained, dark gray, graded sandstone between 12 and 24 inches thick whose sedimentary features suggest deposition by turbidity currents. The collection was made from the coarse- grained material at the base of the bed. Bed 16 is a pebble conglomerate whose clasts are predominately limestone similar to that of the Carys Mills Formation. of Bed 10. The matrix is similar to the sandstone Samples were taken from the matrix near the 156 base of the bed where the concentration of clasts was low. Fossil Listn a) 1965 Collection (Boucot, 1966, written communication) Catazyga sp. 7 sp. 7 Dalmanella ? Eostropheodonta Leangella sp. sp. Mendacella sp. Eoplectodonta sp. Plectothyrella Protatrypa sp. ? ? Skenidioides Spirigerina Stricklandia sp. 7 sp. sp. sp. dolerorthid unidentified dalmanellid pedicle valves; probably belonging to both Dalmanella sp. and Mendacella unidentified brachiopods Cornulites sp. tetracoral favosited heliolitid halysitid trilobite fragment sp. ? 157 b) Bed 10 (USNM No. 17010) (Boucot, 1968, written communication) dalmanellid Lower Llandovery heliolitid (to Oliver) c) Bed 16 (USNA No. 17012) (Boucot, 1968, written communication) dalmanellid Lower Llandovery heliolitid (to Oliver) atrypacean ? plectambonitid coral (to Oliver) Age In a recent review of the evidence, Ayrton and others (1969, p. 470) state, "Earlier unpublished fossil reports by A.J. Boucot and R.B. Neuman (1965) pointed to an early Llandovery age, which is confirmed by the present restudy of the collection. Critical to dating the Siegas Quarry rocks is the presence of Stricklandia which is unknown elsewhere in-the world below the base of the Silurian. Plectothvrella is known only from beds of either Early Llandovery or Ashgill age. Dalmanella sensu strictu has not been confirmed above beds of Early Llandovery age although it is abundant in the later Ordovician; Protatrypa, above C - the same is Eostropheodonta, true for Catazyga. and Mendacella are unknown C2 of the Late Llandovery although, except for Protatrypa, they can occur in the Ashgillian.0 158 It appears that the Siegas Quarry fauna can best be interpreted to be of Early Llandovery age. 159 APPENDIX 2 METHOD OF INSOLUBLE RESIDUE ANALYSIS SAMPLING AND PREPARATION Unweathered hand samples of the limestones typical of the Carys Mills Formation were collected from 21 outcrops of the formation within the thesis area. from TH408 and DR1065. convenience. Two samples were collected Sampling was determined mainly by In the laboratory an interior block was cut from each hand sample to completely ensure the absence of weathered material. This interior block was then crushed to coarse gravel size. Approximately twenty to thirty grams of this material were then washed, dried and accurately weighed. Acid Digestion The sample was initially immersed in approximately 100 ml. of 2N acetic acid. Reaction was initially vigorous but ceased within a few hours due to the formation of an impermeable rind of insoluble material around each of the sample grains. This rind was disaggregated by crushing the grains gently with a rubber pestle within the polyethylene dishes where acid digestion has taken place. The mixture of used acid and disaggregated insoluble residue was washed away from the remaining limestone grains and temporarily set aside. The remaining limestone grains were immersed in about 100 ml. of 160 fresh acid. This process was repeated as many times as necessary to obtain complete disintegration of each sample. Since the rate of reaction with 2N acetic acid decreased significantly after repeating the process a few times, 4N HC was used as the reagent in the final stages of digestion of each sample. Samples of the insoluble residue were examined before and after solution in HCl. No obvious difference was noted. All insoluble residual material of each sample was finally normalized with respect to solubility in 4N HCl. At the level of acid strength used in this analysis, solution of clay minerals is probable. The extent of solution of clay minerals is directly related to the time of solution. To provide information bearing on this source of error, the length of time of solution for each sample in both 2N acetic acid and 4N hydrochloric acid is summarized below. S Length of Time of Solution (hours) 2N Acetic 4N HCl % Insoluble Residue Total TH1 165 71 236 7.5 TRi18 192 49 241 11.4 TH50 192 143 335 11.9 TH51 309 71 380 15.0 TH165 184 678 862 19.0 TH171 184 194 378 23.6 TH260 165 71 236 6.9 TH261 192 119 311 6.0 161 Sample Length of Time of Solution (hours) 2N Acetic 4N HCl % Insoluble Residue Total TH264 311 71 382 10.8 TH308 169 736 905 25.7 TH360 171 27 198 23.5 TH386 170 26 196 21.7 TH408 1 170 26 196 23.3 TH4082 50 119 169 23.4 TH413 170 28 198 DR699 311 71 382 14.4 DR700 170 28 198 14.9 DR1065 1 169 209 378 23.4 DR10652 222 119 341 20.0 EM326 429 98 527 15.8 EM661 429 98 527 18.2 EM1154 184 812 996 22.8 EM1184 171 27 198 16.5 8.7 Examination of these figures shows that insoluble residue content of the samples is independent of the length of time of immersion in acid. The variation in the length of time of solution needed for disaggregation is probably related in part to the nature of the carbonate minerals in the samples. When the samples were completely disaggregated the insoluble residue was separated from the acid in which it had been suspended. This separation was done by forced filtering 162 through a fine ceramic filter. washed and again filtered. three times. The insoluble residue was The. washing process was repeated The remaining insoluble residue was thoroughly dried and weighed. If this weight is called W and the C1 initial weight of the sample is W2 then the insoluble residue content of the sample is simply: I% = W2 x 100 163 APPENDIX 3 VERTICAL VARIATION OF INSOLUBLE RESIDUE CONTENT OF LIMESTONES OF THE CARYS MILLS FOR4ATION INTRODUCTION W.J. Wright (1945, unpublished map and tables) studied the Carys Mills Formation in an area 2000 feet by 7300 feet immediately to the west of EX558. The work involved extensive drilling, insoluble residue analysis of drill cores and the preparation of a detailed (1 inch = 200 feet) geological map of the area. Zone 5 and 6 of Wright (1945) are equivalent to the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation. Analyses of carbonate content of drill cores were made throughout three complete sections through Zone 5 and Zone 6. Since the purpose of Wright's study was to establish tonnage and grade for mining prospects the samples analyzed were probably bulk rock, including limestone, slate and shale (p. 39). The individual results cannot be compared directly to the insoluble residue values obtained in this thesis (p. 41). For the purposes of this thesis it is assumed that the nature of the variation of carbonate content of the limestone lithotype is the same as the variation of bulk carbonate content in the three sections. The unpublished work of Dr. Wright was made available to the writer by R.R. Potter of the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, Mineral Resources Branch. 164 ANALYSIS Three cores were taken entirely through the upper limestone member of the Carys Mills Formation which led to the definition of the local stratigraphy and carbonate content at three sections to the west of EM558. The data is summarized in the accompanying graph. 1 ---- -b T413 Ir n'tub e 44 3, 7 - - _~ _ ~ Z - wd 1 hialo disgancy in fee - e t abi -o he aseo che e 165 The drill hole 1-2 section occurs near EM661 where the upper limestone member has a thickness of 141 feet. The drill hole 4-5 section occurs near TH5 where the member is 173 feet thick. The drill hole 6 section occurs near E4665 where the thickness of the upper limestone member is 121 feet. Evidently there is a systematic variation of bulk insoluble residue content from the bottom to the top of the member in all three sections. The variation in thickness between the members is evidently the result of truncation of the top of the member either by faulting or erosion. In view of the lack of evidence for faulting and the abundant evidence of erosion (p. 60, 66) the method of truncation is thought to have been erosion. VARIATION ANALYSIS Let rn be an individual value of percent insoluble residue. of rn. Let N be the total number of values in a given set Then 1 a 4r = - NN n 12 N N 166 The results for the various sections are summarized below. Drill Hole 1-2 Section N = 20 = 21.7% = 21.65 = 4.7% Drill Hole 4-5 Section N = 24 a = 20.5% s = 37.8 = 6.1% Drill Hole 6 Section N = a = 22.4% 17 = 15.1 = Then the average P is 3.9% 4.9%. CONCLUSIONS The vertical standard deviation of insoluble residue content within the upper limestone member has been found to be about 5%. It is assumed that this figure is applicable to the variation of insoluble residue content in the limestones of the upper and lower limestone members of the Carys Mills Formation. The 167 standard deviation of insoluble residue content of limestones of the Carys Mills Formation determined in this thesis is 6%, which suggests that vertical variation is inadequate to account for the insoluble residue variation within the thesis area. 168 APPENDIX 4 ANALYSIS OF CLASTS OF A CONGLOMERATE BED OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION INTRODUCTION A portion of Bed 16 of E558 was chosen for detailed An area 6 inches by 6 inches oriented study in the field. normal to bedding was chosen, and all the clasts within this area were described. The lithology, maximum and minimum dimensions, and apparent angularity of each clast was recorded. This information led to the following analysis. TERMS 1 average maximum dimension w average minimum dimension r 1/w = sphericity s (1 + w)/2 = average size lA .783 (1 x w) = average minimum area 2 (1 x w) = average maximum area N a number of clasts counted 2N S .014N (a,+ a2) = concentration of clasts in the bed 169 TOTAL ASSEMBLAGE Total number of clasts in 36 inch square inches: N = 161 and for these clasts: 1 = .37 inch w = .23 inch r = s = 1.6 .30 inch a= .067 square inches a2 = .085 square inches 2 N= .34 the composition of these clasts is: limestone 67% chert 15% slate 8% miscellaneous 1% where the percentage is calculated x%= N (100) N ANGULARITY Considering the angularity of the various lithologies: a) limestone angular angalar-round round 50% 35% 15% 170 b) chert c) slate d) all clasts angular 12% angular-round 25% round 63% angular 8% angular-round 54% round 38% angular 40% angular-round 35% round 35% GRAIN SIZE Considering the size and sphericity of clasts of the various lithologies: a) limestone 1 = .36 inch w = .23 inch r = 1.6 b) chert inch S = .30 1= .30 inch w = .20 inch r = 1.5 c) slate S = .25 inch 1 = .63 inch w = .27 inch r = 2.3 S = .45 inch 171 APPENDIX 5 PETROGRAPHIC MODAL ANALYSIS OF SANDSTONES OF THE SIEGAS FORMATION METHOD OF ANALYSIS Modal analyses of sandstones of the Siegas Formation provide the basic evidence for facies variations in the formation. The samples examined were from graded sandstone beds of EM558 (p. 69) and the thickly bedded sandstones of the rest of the formation (p. 87). Seventy-three samples of these sandstones were collected from 27 outcrops of the Siegas Formation. medium-grained sandstone. Each sample was unweathered A thin section was cut perpendicular to bedding in each sample. These sections were studied with the petrographic microscope without universal stage or staining techniques. Modal analyses were based on the normal point counting technique using 300 points for almost every section. The wide range of sandstone compositions made fine discrimination between similar values unnecessary which makes counting statistics an insignificant source of error. PETROGRAPHIC SPECIES The following species were differentiated in the modal 172 analyses. 1. QUAR - quartz 2. COM4Q - composite quartz 3. PLAG - plagioclase feldspar 4. KFEL - potassium feldspar 5. PERT - perthite 6. GRGR - graphic granite 7. LITH - lithic fragments a. MAVO - mafic volcanic rocks b. SAPL - salic plutonic rocks c. LIME - limestone d. CHER - chert - other lithic fragments e. MISC 8. ACCM - a. PYRO - pyroxene b. MICA - mica - other accessory minerals c. MISC 9. accessory minerals MATR - matrix Species 7e and 8c (MISC) were not differentiated in actual analysis. In samples where the additional information would not have been useful, LITH and ACCM were not internally differentiated. Quartz (QUAR) Quartz grains were of two types. One was a medium- to 173 coarse-grained, rounded variety with undulose extinction and strain lamellae. The other type was fine to medium grained, angular, and had no strain features. Most samples contained a mixture of these two types. (See p. 103.) Quartz of the sandstones of the orthoquartzitic facies was often modified by the development of overgrowths. Comoosite Quartz (CQ) Composite quartz grains were aggregates of two or more quartz crystals. No particular number of crystals was common and there was no preferred crystal orientation within the composite grains. Most crystal-crystal contacts are planar, although concavo-convex and sutured contacts were observed. If the composite quartz grains were composed of a very large number of small quartz crystals it was impossible to distinguish the species from chert (CHER). Plagioclase Feldspar (PLAG) Plagioclase feldspar grains were of one type. Albite twinning was common. zoning were very scarce. Other types of twinning and Alteration of grains was minor and most grains were perfectly clear. All specifically identified untwinned feldspar grains were orthoclase feldspar (KFEL). Untwinned plagioclase feldspar is not 174 present in the samples in significant quantities. Specific determinations of the composition of the plagioclase feldspar were made on 15 grains from Beds 8, 193, and 205 at EM558. The compositions ranged from An 2 6 to An4 5 and averaged An3 2 . The plagioclase feldspar grains were very similar to the plagioclase feldspar phenocrysts of the mafic volcanic fragments (MAVO). Potassium Feldspar (KFEL) Error in the identification of potassium feldspar may be significant because staining techniques were not used. Microcline twinning was scarce and the grains were generally identified by cleavage and the degree of alteration, which was moderate to extreme. Almost all specific identifications were of orthoclase feldspar. Perthite (PERT) This species included perthite and antiperthite and intergrowths ranging in size from mesoperthite to cryptoperthite. altered. The grains were moderately to extensively Since the scale of the feldspar-feldspar inter- growths may have been submicroscopic, the species cannot be realistically separated from potassium feldspar (KFEL). 175 Graphic Granite (GRGR) This species included all highly ordered quartzfeldspar intergrowths. Normal graphic granite and myrmekite were observed. Variation in the degree of ordering resulted in an arbitrary separation of the species from the salic plutonic fragments (SAPL). Mafic Volcanic Fragments (MAVO) Grains were assigned to this species on the basis of their textures and the minerology of their phenocrysts. Porphyritic textures were characteristic of the species. The common groundmass texture was pilotaxitic but other textures were felsophyric, variolitic or intersertal. In order of decreasing abundance, the phenocrysts were plagioclase feldspar, aegirine-augite, augite, quartz, potassium feldspar, hypersthene, and biotite. The quartz phenocrysts were euhedral and corroded-and were generally similar to the angular quartz type (QUAR) described above (p. 172). Individual mafic volcanic grains were generally andesite although quartz latite and trachyte grains were recognized. Many grains contained vesicules some of which were filled with prehnite. In a few samples it was necessary to make an arbitrary separation of the species from very similar matrix (MATR) or mafic plutonic fragments (MISC). 176 Salic Plutonic Fragments (SAPL) Salic plutonic fragments included all disordered, coarsely crystalline aggregates of quartz and feldspar. The original igneous rock is estimated to have had a composition between diorite and granite. The feldspars in the grains included orthoclase, perthite, sodic plagioclase and mymekite. As mentioned above (p. 175) it is not possible to realistically separate this species from graphic granite (GRGR). Limestone (LIME) Limestone grains were of two types. The abundant type was identical to the limestone lithotype.of the Carys Mills Formation (p. 34). The other type was coarsely crystalline calcite which may have been shelly fossil material. Chert (CHER) The grains assigned to this species were quite heterogeneous. Individual grains were tentatively identified as fine-grained taff, devitrified glass, felsophyric fine-grained mafic volcanic fragments and finely crystalline composite quartz. Individual textures range from hypidiomorphic-granular to variolitic. In many samples, grains of this species could not be 177 realistically distinguished from grains of the mafic volcanic species (MAVO) or of the composite quartz species (COMQ). A significant error in identification is possible. Pyroxene (PYRO) Pyroxene grains were usually aegirine-augite or augite although hypersthene was occassionally identified. The grains were generally angular and very similar to the pyroxene phenocrysts in the mafic volcanic fragments (MAVO). No amphibole grains were observed in any of the samples. Mica (MICA) Most mica grains were biotite. Some of the other grains assigned to this species were muscovite or sericite. Miscellaneous Lithic Fragments and Accessory Minerals (MISC) This species included a wide variety of material, none of which was quantitatively significant and only some of which was positively identified. Primary minerals included calcite, glauconite, spinel, zircon, sphene, rutile, schorlite, garnet, and apatite. Secondary minerals not part of the matrix included calcite, pyrite, magnetite, sericite, limonite, glauconite, and kaolinite. Rocks of this species included 178 siltstone and mafic intrusive fragments. A detailed qualitative study was made of the non-opaque heavy mineral fraction of sandstones of the orthoquartzitic facies. The assemblage was characterized by the abundance of zircon and biotite. Sphene, rutile, schorlite, and garnet were also present. Matrix (MATR) Matrix was easy to recognize and distinguish from the coarser grained detrital fraction of the sandstones except in samples where extensive carbonate recrystallization had taken place. Occassionally some matrix types were confused with the groundmass of mafic volcanic fragments (MAVO). The grain size of the matrix was too small to positively identify the mineral constituents. One type of matrix was cryptogranular, isotropic, dark gray, unidentified material. A second type of matrix was a microcrystalline aggregate of secondary "chlorite," "sericite," silica, pyrite, glauconite, and prehnite. A third type of matrix common in the sandstones of the arkosic facies was mainly the second type modified by the addition of abundant secondary calcite. RESULTS OF ANALYSIS The results of the modal analyses are summarized below. 179 NATR SAMPLE NAME E4322EM3234 E4323b D4323C EM323d E4323te E:1558 6 8 feldspathic arenite 14 15 +74 103 138. 169 189 7 193 198 , 215 219 220 227+228 230 COMQ PLAG KFEL PERT GRGR LITH MAVO SAPL LIME CHER ACCM PYRO MICA MISC * 0.7 4.0 71.7 6.0 3.0 10.7 2.0 1.3 lithic wacke arkosic wacke lithic wacke 11.0 23.0 19.0 23.3 15.0 23.7 1.0 1.7 3.0 9.0 16.0 9.3 25.3 3.7 15.3 0.7 4.3 4.0 27.3 0.3 * 6.3 6.7 * 3.3 27.3 * lithic wacke 11.7 36.3 3.3 6.0 10.3 3.7 lithic wacke 11.3 19.0 5.0 12.0 4.3 1.7 15.0 31.7 12.7 32.3 2.0 6.7 13.3 38.0 8.0 1.3 1.7 11.0 3.0 2.0 5.0 2.3 2.0 0.3 3.3 1.0 1.0 lithic lithic lithic lithic wacke wacke arenite wacke lithic wacke lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke arenite 231 lithic wacke 262 264a 264b 267 ' 268" 271' lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic 27-6 lithic wacke 288a 297" 371 390 441 4531 457, Z4560 E41154 QUAR lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic lithic wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke wacke arenite wacke lithic arenite 14.0 - - 7.7 * 0.7 0.7 4.0 4.7 * * * * 6.3 22.0 * 24.7 3.0 * * * * * 1.0 10.0 0.3 * * 3.7 0.3 - 35.0 37.0 85.3 29.7 52.0 0.7 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.7 - * * * * * * 5.7 . * * * * * * * * * * * * 0.6 - * * * * * * 0.7 3.0 3.3 1.0 0.7 2.3 0.7 2.3 3.7 2.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 - - - 62.7 56.0 54.3 45.7 * 68.7 * 77.3 * * 45.3 53.3 * * 57.0 29.3 * 48.0 * 78.0 * 81.7 * 15.0 13.3 7.7 1.7 0.3 - 54.3 48.3 0.3 - - 47.7 57.0 77.3 51.3 0.7 0.3 64.0 0.3 56.0 0.7 0.7 52.0 49.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.3 . 40 0 38.3 35.7 39.7 59.0 57.7 88.3 18.7 14.0 4.3 15.7 10.7 14.3 3.0 1.0 0.3 1.3 1.0 1.7 8.0 6.3 5.3 6.7 5.0 5.7 1.7 0.3 0.3 2.0 1.0 2.3 16.0 15.0 3.0 5.7 2.0 14.7 15.7 12.3 17.3 13.7 17.0 17.0 14.7 15.0 15.3 13.0 13.3 7.3 13.7 16.7 18.3 23.0 24.3 12.0 13.7 2.7 6.0 3.7 84.7 2.3 8.3 4.0 13.7 2.7 14.3 4.3 10.3 2.0 8.7 2.3 8.3 1.0 1.3 6.7 4.7 5.3 5.3 4.7 2.0 3.3 3.3 2.0 4.0 - - * * 8.7 1.3 0.7 11.0 1.7 10.3 5.0 2.7 6.0 2.7 7.0 0.7 0.7 4.7 2.0 14.3 2.3 8.7 1.0 0.3 3.0 3.0 - * * 8.7 10.3 16.0 5.7 1.3 20.7 18.0 15.7 18.7 15.7 6.0 2.0 - * - 11.7 14.7 13.7 14.7 15.7 20.3 15.7 13.3 16.7 17.0 13.5 9.3 0.7 0.3 1.0 0.3 - 0.3 1.0 5.0 - - * * 14.0 - 0.3 - - 0.7 1.0 1.0 0.3 . - 0.7 0.3 - 3.7 - 1.7 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 67.0 - * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1.0 3.0 1.3 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2.0 2.3 6.7 15.0 5.3 4.3 8.0 4.7 2.3 2.7 3.7 -7 3.0 - * * * * * * 5.3 * * * * * * * - - * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 3.3 0.3 5.3 4.3 2.7 * * * * * * * * * * * * 3.6 5.3 14.3 5.7 1.5 3.3 4.7 6.0 5.7 3.3 1.0 . 0.6 5.0 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 9.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 1.3 1.3 1.0 0.7 0.7 1.3 - - 0.3 * * * * * * * 1.0 * * 2.6 - * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * - - 2.3 - - * * 180 SAMPWi NAME MATR QUAR CGX4Q PLAG KFEL PERT GRGR LITH MAVO SAPL LIME CHER ACCM PYRO MICA MiW TH4J TH65' TH76 TH8Q TH9 a TH93 b TH109a,. TH1Q9b Ti 11~6' TH1 g TH129 TH181a: TH141b TH254a TH254b TH292a TH292b TH294 TH304 lithic wacke feldspathic wacke lithic wacke lithic wacke lithic wacke lithic wacke ardosic wacke ardosic wacke quartz arenite arkosic wacke ardosic arenite feldspathic wacke feldspathic arenite quartz arenite quartz arenite quartz arenite quartz arenite quartz arenite quartz arenite 13.7 DR1009a arkosic wacke DR1009b lithic wacke DR1009c lithic wacke DR1009d lithic wacke DR102Oa lithic wacke DR1020b lithic wacke DR1021 lithic wacke DR1022a feldspathic arenite DR1022b feldspathic aren.te D R1 023 feldsDathic arenite DR1066a lithic wacke DR1066b lithic wacke 1DR10.67pa lithic wacke DR1067b lithic wacke 8.7 0.7 60.0 2.3 15.3 14.7 4.0 16.6 20.7 3.3 10.0 24.3 3.0 17.3 23.7 1.3 23.3 10.3 10.3 17.3 1.7 86.0 3.3 16.0 24.0 7.0 14.0 4.0 10.0 61.0 2.3 2.7 9.3 71.7 3.3 82.7 5.0 3.3 80.3 6.0 3.3 78.7 11.0 4.0 81.0 6.3 6.6 78.7 6.3 0.3 89.7 5,7 12.7 15.0 14.7 14.7 13.3 11.3 10.3 12.0 3.3 5.0 28.7 15.7 26.7 22.7 5.0 6.3 8.5 65.7 62.3 6.0 68.3 14.0 17.7 16.3 8.7 16.8 2.0 13.3 4.0 3.0 1.7 6.7 9.7 13.7 13.3 13.3 7.3 8.3 0.7 6.0 11.3 2.0 3.0 1.0 1.7 2.0 1.0 2 0 0.3 1.7 12.7 11.0 11.0 5.7 9.0 45.7 48.0 5.3 42.0 42.7 18.7 11.7 6.0 5.7 4.7 6.0 3 7 2.0 0.3 2.3 1.7 1.3 3.0 2.0 6.3 7.0 2.0 1.7 6.0 0.3 4.7 10.3 9.7 7.3 5.7 9.7 2.3 4.0 12.3 7.3 4.0 6.3 9.7 6.3 3.0 0.3 2.3 0.7 2.0 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.5 3.5 3.0 6,0 11.0 2.3 5,7 5.7 11.7 3.3 3.3 4.3 10.3 1.3 1.3 11.3 2.3 1.3 5.7 1.7 0.7 0.8 5,2 0.4 1.0 4.3 2.7 0.3 0.3 2.3 1.7 2.7 4.0 3.0 4.3 0.3 3.0 9.3 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.7 * * * * * * * * * * * 2.7 * * * 69.0 0.7 27.7 25.0 24.7 18.3 0.7 1.3 0.3 5.0 1.3 -0 0.3 1.0 5.0 3.0 2.3 1.7 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.3 1.7 0.3 2.7 * *. * * * * * * * 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.3 1.3 1.3 1. 7 2.6 2.0 19, 0.3 -* 2.3 4.3 * 0.3 0.3 1.0 0.7 1.0 1.0 * * * 0.3 0.6 0.3 24.7 28.7 20.3 * * * 21.3 * * * * * * 64.7 0.3 * * * -. 80.0 1.3 1.7 1.7 1.3 0.7 1.3 1.3 1.0 0.7 3.7 2.3 8.7 2.0 1.0 0.3 2.0 2.3 5.3 5.7 * * * * * * * * * * * 0.3 3.7 2.0 3.3 2.3 5.3 * * * * 75.0 57.5 1.0 0.3 1.3 45.0 * 69.5 71.7 0.3 0.5 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.7 5.0 * * 0.4 0.7 0,3 0.7 0.3 1.3 1.0 1.7 1.0 1.3 2.3 * * * * * 1.0 0.4 * * * * * * 1.0 * * 0.7 1.0 * * * * 0.3 * * 1-. * * 2.0 * .07 3.3 10.0 1.3 2.3 01.7 5.0 * 4.4 '1.7 181 The symbols are'the same as those defined above (p. 172). The symbol " * " means that the particular petrographic species was not applicable to the analysis of the particular sample. The symbol " -9 means that the abundance of the particular species was zero in the analysis of the particular sample. The symbol " + " means that only 250 points were counted in the analysis of the particular sample. The lithologic names are based on the classification of Williams and others (1963, p. 292-293). The abundance of the petrographic species are expressed as percentages. GROUPED ANALYSIS The variation of composition of the samples is due to the combined effect of vertical and horizontal lithologic variations within the thesis area. The first factor represents the changing environment through time at a given place. The second factor represents the spatial variation of the environment at a given time. Since the first factor is relatively insignificant in the Siegas Formation (p. 84) it is only possible to examine the spatial variation of environment. It is most practical to represent this variation as an average environment throughout the time of deposition of the formation. This situation can be approached 182 by minimizing the effect of vertical lithological variations by averaging the compositions of sandstones from the same vertical section. This procedure leads to the accumulation of outcrops into groups which are given average modal compositions. The petrographic species may be formed into more realistic variables. Since no genetic significance has been found for COMQ it is combined with QUAR to form the new species "total quartz" (TQ). Since PERT cannot be realistically separated from KFEL (p. 174) the two species are combined to form the new species "total potassium feldspar" (TKSP). Since GRGR could not in practice be completely distinguished from SAPL and since the two species have similar genetic implications, they are combined to form the new species "total salic plutonic fragments" (TSPL). No systematic variations of CHER, MICA, and MISC were found so these species are disregarded. These results were directly applied to the construction of the facies diagram Figure 26 (p. 91) and the petrographic variation diagrams Figures 27 to 33 (p. 93-100). The definitions of the groups, the average lithological classifications and the average values of the significant petrographic variables are summarized below. 183 GROUP MATR TQ PLAG TKSP TSPL MAVO LINE xYRO lithic wacke 14.4 16.2 12.4 2,.3 1,1 50,6 1"o 2.3 lithic wacke 14.8 9.9 6.2 1.8 0.7 63.3 0.2 DR1021 lithic wacke 12.0 9.0 3.5 0.5 0,5 57.5 5,0 1.0 TH41 DR 1020 lithic wacke 11.8 7.7 1.6 1.0 0.1 72,0 0.7 0.5 TH65 foldspathic arenite 6.8 67.7 5.7 13.7 1.9 0.8 0.2 OUTCROPS 1:4558 DR1066 DR1067 E4560 DR1022 R1023 DR1009 lithic wacke 14.4 30.7 9.9 11.8 5.3 21.3 2.3 1.0 TH70 lithic wacke 15.3 18.7 9.7 12.7 7.3 27.7 0.3 - TH8O0 lithic wacke 14.7 25.4 13.4 10.7 5.8 22.7 0.4 0.1 Ea322 E3 23 lithilc wacke 12.8 36.2 7.1 16.4 3.2 17.6 0.3 0.2 TH181 feldspathic arenite 9.7 68.8 3.0 15.3 0.3 0.7 - - TH129 ardosic wacke 7.0 18.0 11.3 48.7 12.0 1.7 TH116 arkosic wacke 8.8 56.6 3.3 25.5 1.8 0.2 TH109 arkosic wacke 10.3 20.3 7.8 53.5 5.7 1.0 TH254 arkosic wacke 3.3 87.0 1.3 5.8 1.6 TH304 arkosic wacke 0.3 95.3 0.3 2.0 0.7 TH292 arkosic wacke 4.4 87.7 1.7 4.5 1.3 TH93 TH124 TH294 E:1154 184 REFERENCES Ayrton, William G., Berry, William B.N., Boucot, Arthur J., Lajoie, Jean, Lesperance, Pierre J., Pavlides, Louis, and Skidmore, W. 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Van der Plas, L., 1962, Preliminary note on the granulometric analysis of sedimentary rocks: Sedimentology, v. 1, p. 145-157. Vistelius, Andrew B., Structural diagrams: New York, Pergamon Press, 178 p. Walker, Roger G., 1967, Turbidite sedimentary structures and their relationship to proximal and distal depositional environments: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 37, p. 25-43. Williams, Howel, Turner, Francis J., and Gilbert, Charles M., 1954, Petrography, an introduction to the study of rocks in thin sections: San Francisco, W.H. Freeman and Co., 406 p. Wright, W.J., 1945, Limestone deposit at Siegas, Madawaska County, New Brunswick: New Brunswick Dept. Natural Resources, unpublished report. FIGURE 48 OUTCROPS AND STRUCTURA IL DATA OF THE SIEGAS AREA , NEW BRUNSWICK 0.5 MIL ES Too\ -TH23 SOa0 OUTCROP LOCATION STRIKE, DIP, A ND FACING OF BEDDING ( BEDS OVERTURNED). )e .. a. S8 DE ^650-1 -'5.). OSTO 009~ *- RB S 0\ FIGURE 49 OF THE NEW LATE SILURIAN EARLY SILURIAN U...' LU UU U U...' LATE ORDOVICIAN MIDDLE ORDOVICIAN SECTION LINES FOR FIGURES 38 AND 39.