GLACIAL ERRATICS FROM THE SHAWANGUNK FORMATION OF NEW YORK STATE: UTILIZING LITHOLOGY TO IDENTIFY SOURCE PROVENANCE AND RECONSTRUCT SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF THE WISCONSIN GLACIATION IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

Glacial erratics belonging to the Shawangunk Formation from the Catskill Region in the Hudson Valley of New York occur scattered throughout most counties in northern New Jersey. These glacial erratics range in size from a few centimeters to several meters in diameter and consist of well-rounded, milky quartz pebble conglomerates that are conspicuous geomorphological features relative to the local bedrock. The occurrence of crossbedding and imbrication, chevron-shaped deformation structures, detrital zircon crystals, sulfide minerals, and rare rose quartz and albite feldspar clasts further reinforce the known source provenance of these erratics. The unique lithology of these erratics traces the bedrock source provenance to the Shawangunk Formation in New York that is as much as 150 km from the terminal moraine in northern New Jersey. The distribution of these Shawangunk Formation glacial erratics can be utilized to interpret the primary direction of ice movement and glacial transport during the Wisconsin Glaciation throughout the region. Moreover, these erratics further our understanding of glacial erosion and deposition on the surficial geology across northern New Jersey.