TY - CONF T1 - Latest Paleozoic through Mesozoic faults in north-central Massachusetts and their correlations with New Hampshire T2 - Geological Society of America - Northeastern section Y1 - 2016 A1 - Kopera J.P. A1 - Roden-Tice, M.K. A1 - Robert P Wintsch KW - #Bibliography KW - #StaffPubs KW - AFT KW - apatite KW - apatite fission track KW - brittle KW - Campbel Hill KW - Clinton Newbury KW - Cretaceous KW - extension KW - fault KW - fault zone KW - fault zones KW - faults KW - fission track KW - Fitchburg KW - Fitchburg Plutons KW - Flint Hill KW - I-290 KW - Johnny Appleseed KW - Jurassic KW - merrimack KW - mesozoic KW - Nashua Trough KW - Normal Faults KW - Oakdale formation KW - Permian KW - Pinnacle KW - Rt 2 KW - Sterling KW - Stodge Meadow Pond KW - Triassic KW - Wachusett KW - Wekepeke KW - Worcester Formation AB -

Several faults in south-central New Hampshire can be extended into Massachusetts (MA) as a result of detailed mapping in both states since publication of the MA state bedrock geologic map in 1983. Many of these faults delineate and/or cut Devonian metamorphic isograds in the Silurian Merrimack Belt in northern MA, and juxtapose chlorite-grade rocks in the Nashua sub-belt (NSB) between lithologically similar middle- to upper amphibolite-facies rocks on either side.

Recent mapping in the NSB, combined with previous studies, suggest it may represent a graben initially formed during latest Paleozoic transtension contemporaneous with formation of the Narragansett Basin in southeastern MA and RI. Mylonites along the Silver Hill-Wekepeke Fault (Robinson, 1981), bounding the western edge of the NSB, show east-side-down normal motion and west-side down normal motion along the Clinton-Newbury Fault Zone (CNFZ; Goldstein, 1994) which bounds the NSB’s southeastern margin. A possible extension of the Flint Hill fault system (NH) forms the eastern edge of the NSB offsetting the CNFZ with normal west-side down motion near Ayer, MA. Late brittle normal faults in the NSB are abundant. Late, low-T˚, west-side-down shear zones in the Nashoba Terrane and similar rocks to the south may also be related to down-dropping of the NSB.

AFT ages were collected across north-central MA to constrain its late uplift history. A ~127 Ma AFT age in the NSB is discontinuous with AFT ages in the belts adjoining it, with ~182-144 Ma ages west across the Wekepeke fault and ~160-167 Ma east across the CNFZ. To the west, the brittle southern extension of the Pinnacle Fault in NH (Stodge Meadow Pond fault of Peterson, 1984) follows the western edge of the Fitchburg plutons in MA while a well-exposed west-side down brittle normal fault system, possibly the southward extension of the Campbell Hill Fault (NH), is developed along their eastern edge. AFT ages of ~144-136 Ma immediately west of the Pinnacle Fault in MA are discontinuous with ~117-115 Ma ages immediately to the east within the Fitchburg plutons. A single ~106 Ma age in the plutons west of the Campbell Hill Fault in MA is discontinuous with ~128-123 Ma ages to the east of it. The discontinuities amongst AFT ages across these faults suggest that they may have been active through the Cretaceous.

 

 

JF - Geological Society of America - Northeastern section PB - Geological Society of America CY - Albany, NY UR - https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2016NE/webprogram/Paper272576.html ER - TY - MPCT T1 - The Flow of Time - 500 Million Years of Geohistory in the Connecticut River Valley Y1 - 2000 KW - #ConnecticutValley KW - #EducationalResources KW - #MassGeology KW - #MassGeologyBooks KW - armored mudballs KW - book KW - clay KW - Connecticut Valley KW - dinosaurs KW - field trip guide KW - footprints KW - fossils KW - geologic history KW - glacial lake KW - glaciers KW - hitchcock KW - mesozoic KW - movie KW - mud balls KW - mudballs KW - nNew England KW - site KW - varves KW - video KW - western Massachusetts AB - With animations and a bit of humor, geologist-educator Richard Little takes you through the amazing events of the last 500 million years in the Connecticut River Valley region, and shows you why this is the best place to study geology in the world. Learn about glacial Lake Hitchcock, unique armored mud balls and take a tour of the dinosaur resources of the Amherst College Pratt Museum and Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, CT. This video has been seen by thousands and is in use in classrooms from upper elementary school through college. PB - Earthview LLC SN - 0-9616520-3-9 UR - http://www.earthview.pair.com/publications.html ER - TY - Generic T1 - Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College (Amherst, MA) Y1 - KW - #EducationalResources KW - #Museums KW - dinosaurs KW - field trips KW - footprints KW - fossils KW - Massachusetts Geology KW - mesozoic KW - minerals KW - museums PB - Amherst College UR - https://www.amherst.edu/museums/naturalhistory ER - TY - Generic T1 - Dinosaurs, Dunes, and Drifting Continents: the Geohistory of the Connecticut Valley Y1 - 0 KW - #ConnecticutValley KW - #EducationalResources KW - #MassGeology KW - #MassGeologyBooks KW - book KW - clay KW - Connecticut Valley KW - dinosaurs KW - field trip guide KW - footprints KW - fossils KW - geologic history KW - glaciers KW - hitchcock KW - lake KW - mesozoic KW - New England KW - site KW - varves KW - western Massachusetts AB - Written by local geology expert Richard Little, this book is a great resource for the geologic layperson interested in the geologist history of the Connecticut Valley: from its formation during the rifting of Pangea through the modification of the landscape by glaciers during the most recent ice age. PB - Earthview LLC SN - 9616520-7-1 UR - http://www.earthview.pair.com/publications.html ER - TY - Generic T1 - Exploring the Berkshire Hills: A Guide to Geology and Early Industry in the Upper Housatonic Watershed Y1 - 0 KW - #ConnecticutValley KW - #EducationalResources KW - #MassGeology KW - #MassGeologyBooks KW - Berkshire KW - book KW - clay KW - dinosaurs KW - field trip guide KW - footprints KW - fossils KW - geologic history KW - glaciers KW - hilltown KW - hitchcock KW - housatonic KW - industry KW - lake KW - mesozoic KW - nNew England KW - site KW - valley KW - varves KW - western Massachusetts AB - After introductory chapters on Berkshire geology, Author Ed Kirby takes you to some of the most scenic and interesting sites throughout the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. As you take the 25 field tours, which include roadside geology, hikes and short walks, you gain field experience with local geology and also appreciate the role geology played in the industrial and historical development of the region. With some humor and excellent illustrations, Ed presents the making of rocks and landscape, the workings of blast furnaces, localities of iron ore, glass sand, and clay. Quotes and stories from Longfellow, Melville, Hawthorne, and Wharton are interspersed with descriptions of unconformities, great faults, waterfalls, and mountaintop vistas. PB - Earthview LLC SN - 0-9616520-4-7 UR - http://www.earthview.pair.com/publications.html ER - TY - Generic T1 - Great Falls Discovery Center (Turner's Falls, MA) Y1 - KW - #EducationalResources KW - #Museums KW - dinosaurs KW - field trips KW - footprints KW - fossils KW - Massachusetts Geology KW - mesozoic KW - minerals KW - museums KW - natural history PB - Pioneer Valley Institute UR - http://greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/ ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Jurassic Roadshow Y1 - 0 KW - #Blogs KW - #ConnecticutValley KW - #EducationalResources KW - #MassGeology KW - dinosaurs KW - Eubrontes KW - footprints KW - fossils KW - Franklin County KW - hitchcock KW - Jurassic KW - mesozoic KW - minerals KW - redbeds KW - Triassic KW - Turners Falls AB - A blog and roving roadshow of rocks, tracks, and fossils. They host frequent public events throughout western Massachusetts highlighting the geology and history of geologic study of the Connecticut Valley UR - http://jurassicroadshow.com/ ER -