Paper No. 1-9
Presentation Time: 11:00 AM
EXPLORING UPPER DEVONIAN MARINE TO TERRESTRIAL TRANSITION SITES: 3D GEOLOGIC SCENES AND SEDIMENTARY FACIES DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE NORTHERN APPALACHIAN BASIN
PITTS, Alan1, DOCTOR, Daniel1, GRAY, Alexander1, OEST, Christopher2, BIERLY, Aaron D.3, EBERSOLE, Craig2, KOCHANOV, William4 and HOGANCAMP, Nicholas5, (1)Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192, (2)Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Geological Survey, Middletown, PA 17057, (3)Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Geological Survey, 3240 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown, PA 17057, (4)Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Geological Survey (retired), Middletown, PA 17057, (5)The Bedrock and Earth History Research Organization, Clarks Summit, PA 18411; Earth Sciences Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902
For decades, mapping geologists have faced significant challenges in consistently mapping and correlating the Upper Devonian strata of the Appalachian Basin, particularly those representing the transition from marine to terrestrial sedimentary environments. These transitional strata have proven problematic due to their complex sedimentary features, along-strike variations across the region, and their general poor exposure quality. In addition, these units have historically been defined according to a mix of lithostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic criteria. Key units occupying this interval include the Foreknobs Formation in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, and the Irish Valley Member of the Catskill Formation in central Pennsylvania. However correlative strata in north central Pennsylvania have yet to be consistently mapped and are placed into the lower portion of the Catskill Formation.
This talk will first discuss the practical application of revised mapping criteria to the transitional facies in the north-central Appalachian Basin and highlight their effectiveness in reconciling numerous map offsets within previously published maps. Then, we will move to explore along-strike correlative sites in the northern Appalachian Basin to discuss their relevance to this framework. During this talk, we will explore suites of geospatially rectified immersive geologic content, such as Structure from Motion (SfM) derived 3D outcrop models visualized together with regional digital elevation models. This “tour” will aim to zoom in and out of multiple scales ranging from the outcrop scale of individual sedimentary facies distributions to regional scale to discuss a common regional stratigraphic framework.
To facilitate further research and public access, 3D geologic content showcased in this talk is available for download in their full resolution format from U.S. Geological Survey ScienceBase.
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