14I: Dating Late Eocene Sediments
Please download the latest version of
this chart below.
this chart below.
Paleo Data
This is ongoing research. Paleo Data created the above PDF file as a guide to Gulf Coast sediments, they are a research consulting firm.
Ryan D. Weber, Manager of Biostratigrapher for Paleo Data kindly gave me permission to post this chart and add a link to their website, the chart is frequently updated.
The chart can be downloaded at this link. www.paleodata.com/chart/
This is ongoing research. Paleo Data created the above PDF file as a guide to Gulf Coast sediments, they are a research consulting firm.
Ryan D. Weber, Manager of Biostratigrapher for Paleo Data kindly gave me permission to post this chart and add a link to their website, the chart is frequently updated.
The chart can be downloaded at this link. www.paleodata.com/chart/
Forams (Foraminifera)
Foraminifera are essentially ameba with calcium shells, known as forams for short they occur in fresh and salt water in a variety of environments and can be present in numbers, especially in marine (saltwater) environments. Their shells easily fossilize. They often evolve quickly and tend to be very sensitive to their natural environment.
Foraminifera are essentially ameba with calcium shells, known as forams for short they occur in fresh and salt water in a variety of environments and can be present in numbers, especially in marine (saltwater) environments. Their shells easily fossilize. They often evolve quickly and tend to be very sensitive to their natural environment.
Nannoplankton
As the name suggests, nannoplankton is microscopic, single cell plankton. Calcareous nannoplankton is the same but in life it creates a calcium shell which easily and frequently fossilizes. Like forams, calcareous nannoplankton tends to be marine, evolve quickly, and are often present in numbers.
As the name suggests, nannoplankton is microscopic, single cell plankton. Calcareous nannoplankton is the same but in life it creates a calcium shell which easily and frequently fossilizes. Like forams, calcareous nannoplankton tends to be marine, evolve quickly, and are often present in numbers.
Dating sediments
Forams & calcareous nannoplankton are used to accurately date sediments. The oil industry has put a great deal of effort and financing into tracking and dating their evolutionary paths. This research has allowed an easy-to-use chart to be constructed which shows the ranges of many forams and species of calcareous nannoplankton. The chart emphasizes the upper boundary for species, or when they became extinct.
When a scientist isolates and identifies the forams and calcareous nannoplankton in any given sample that information can be used to date the sediments. The more species identified, the greater accuracy found.
Forams & calcareous nannoplankton are used to accurately date sediments. The oil industry has put a great deal of effort and financing into tracking and dating their evolutionary paths. This research has allowed an easy-to-use chart to be constructed which shows the ranges of many forams and species of calcareous nannoplankton. The chart emphasizes the upper boundary for species, or when they became extinct.
When a scientist isolates and identifies the forams and calcareous nannoplankton in any given sample that information can be used to date the sediments. The more species identified, the greater accuracy found.
Results
Using this chart and referring to the published literature, we can run the forams and calcareous nannoplankton researchers documented and confirm the ages of various Eocene formations in central Georgia.
Using this chart and referring to the published literature, we can run the forams and calcareous nannoplankton researchers documented and confirm the ages of various Eocene formations in central Georgia.
Upper Jacksonian Stage
(Uppermost Priabonian)
Sediments (Uppermost age in Millions of years)
Ocmulgee Formation (1 & 2) 33.9 MYA
Hantkenina alabamensis 33.9 MYA
Bulimina jacksonensis 33.8 MYA
Tobacco Road Sand (1 & 2) 33.9 MYA
(Interfingers w/Ocmulgee Form.)
Sandersville Limestone (1 & 2) 33.9 MYA
(Interfingers w/Tobacco Road)
The sand dollar genus Periarchus also occurs (in abundance) in the Ocmulgee Formation, Tobacco Road Sand & Sandersville Limestone; limiting its uppermost age to the Eocene/Oligocene Horizon 33.9 mya.
Lower Jacksonian Stage (Mid Priabonian)
Dry Branch Formation
Twiggs Clay Member
Twiggs Clay Foram Upper Age
Textularia hockleyensis 34.35
Irwinton Sand Member
Griffins Landing Member (2)
Griffins Landing Forams Upper Age
Turborotalia cocoaensis (Formerly Globorotalia) 34.0
Globigerinatheka tropicalis 35.2
Hantkenina alabamensis 33.8
Subbotina linaperta (Formerly Globigerian) 35.0
Tivola Limestone
No forams listed for the Tivola occur on the Paleo Data Chart
Clinchfield Formation (1&2)
Riggins Mill Member
Treadwell Member
Albion Member
Utley Limestone Member
Clinchfield Foram Upper Age
Subbotina linaperta (Former Genus Globigerina) 35.00
Texularia didollensis (4) 35.42
Turborotalia cerroazulensis cocoaensis (4) 34.03
(The above is formerly Globorotalia cocoaensis)
Marginulina cocoaensis (4) 34.00
Dry Branch Formation
Twiggs Clay Member
Twiggs Clay Foram Upper Age
Textularia hockleyensis 34.35
Irwinton Sand Member
Griffins Landing Member (2)
Griffins Landing Forams Upper Age
Turborotalia cocoaensis (Formerly Globorotalia) 34.0
Globigerinatheka tropicalis 35.2
Hantkenina alabamensis 33.8
Subbotina linaperta (Formerly Globigerian) 35.0
Tivola Limestone
No forams listed for the Tivola occur on the Paleo Data Chart
Clinchfield Formation (1&2)
Riggins Mill Member
Treadwell Member
Albion Member
Utley Limestone Member
Clinchfield Foram Upper Age
Subbotina linaperta (Former Genus Globigerina) 35.00
Texularia didollensis (4) 35.42
Turborotalia cerroazulensis cocoaensis (4) 34.03
(The above is formerly Globorotalia cocoaensis)
Marginulina cocoaensis (4) 34.00
Bartonian Stage (Clairborne)
Lisbon Formation
Blue Bluff Member of the Lisbon Formation (3)
Blue Bluff Forams Upper Age
Chiasmolithus solitus 39.71
Lisbon Formation
Blue Bluff Member of the Lisbon Formation (3)
Blue Bluff Forams Upper Age
Chiasmolithus solitus 39.71
Forams
In Sam Pickering's 1970 paper (1) he listed both species & frequency.
Formations, Left to Right;
Lisbon, Clinchfield, Tivola, Ocmulgee, Marianna (Early Oligocene), & Undifferentiated Oligocene Residuum
Species in red occur on Paleo Data chart
Pickering; 1970 (1) (Huddlestun's formation nomenclature {2})
Frequency; a=Abundant, c=Common, vr=Very Rare, r=Rare
Species Lisbo Clinch Tivola Twigg Ocmul Maria UnOli Upper Age
Siphonina jacksonensis r c
Cibicides americanus c r c c r
Cibicides mississippiensis c r
Cibicides lobatalus r a
Cibicides planoconvexus r c c r
Cibicides westi r
Planulina byramensis c
Planulina cocoaensis vr r
Planulina cooperensis c
Planorbulina mediterranensis r
Lepidocyclina ocalana r a vr
Lepidocyclina undosa a
Lepidocyclina mantelli a
Nummulites floridensis vr
Robulus alato-limbatus r r c r
Marginulina cocoaensis c 33.97
Dentalina jacksonensis r
Dentalina cocoaensis c
Nodosaria latejugata c
Lagena laevis c
Lagena hexagona vr r
Guttalina problema r
Globulina gibba globosa c
Nonion advenum r c a vr
Nonion inexcavatum r r r
Species Lisbo Clinch Tivola Twigg Ocmul Maria UnOli Upper Age
Nonion vicksburgensis c
Hantkenina alabamensis vr 33.8
Bulimina jacksonensis c 33.9
Bolivina jacksonensis r c r
Spiroplectammina mississippiensis r r
Textularia subhauri r
Textularia hockleyensis c 34.35
Textularia adalta c c
Gaudryina jacksonensis r
Karreriella (sp?) vr
Liebusella byramensis r r
Quinqueloculina vicksburgensis r c
Quinqueloculina monroei r
Pyrogo (sp?) vr
Pyrogo byramensis r r
Uvigerina vicksburgensis r 31.12
Uvigerina jacksonensis c
Angulogerina byramensis c
Discorbis assulata r r
Discorbis arcuatocostata c
Species Lisbo Clinch Tivola Twigg Ocmul Maria UnOli Upper Age
Mississippina monsouri c
Valvulineria jacksonensis c c a
Valvulineria paucilocula c
Gyroidina vicksburgensis c
Eponides jacksonensis r r
Eponides advena c
Eponides byramensis r c
Paraotalia parva c
Pararotalia Mexicana var. a
Siphonina (sp?) r
Siphonina byramensis r a
Reusella eocena c
Reusella oligocenica r
Reusella byramensis r c a
Asterigerina subacuta c
Alabamina mississippiensis c
In Sam Pickering's 1970 paper (1) he listed both species & frequency.
Formations, Left to Right;
Lisbon, Clinchfield, Tivola, Ocmulgee, Marianna (Early Oligocene), & Undifferentiated Oligocene Residuum
Species in red occur on Paleo Data chart
Pickering; 1970 (1) (Huddlestun's formation nomenclature {2})
Frequency; a=Abundant, c=Common, vr=Very Rare, r=Rare
Species Lisbo Clinch Tivola Twigg Ocmul Maria UnOli Upper Age
Siphonina jacksonensis r c
Cibicides americanus c r c c r
Cibicides mississippiensis c r
Cibicides lobatalus r a
Cibicides planoconvexus r c c r
Cibicides westi r
Planulina byramensis c
Planulina cocoaensis vr r
Planulina cooperensis c
Planorbulina mediterranensis r
Lepidocyclina ocalana r a vr
Lepidocyclina undosa a
Lepidocyclina mantelli a
Nummulites floridensis vr
Robulus alato-limbatus r r c r
Marginulina cocoaensis c 33.97
Dentalina jacksonensis r
Dentalina cocoaensis c
Nodosaria latejugata c
Lagena laevis c
Lagena hexagona vr r
Guttalina problema r
Globulina gibba globosa c
Nonion advenum r c a vr
Nonion inexcavatum r r r
Species Lisbo Clinch Tivola Twigg Ocmul Maria UnOli Upper Age
Nonion vicksburgensis c
Hantkenina alabamensis vr 33.8
Bulimina jacksonensis c 33.9
Bolivina jacksonensis r c r
Spiroplectammina mississippiensis r r
Textularia subhauri r
Textularia hockleyensis c 34.35
Textularia adalta c c
Gaudryina jacksonensis r
Karreriella (sp?) vr
Liebusella byramensis r r
Quinqueloculina vicksburgensis r c
Quinqueloculina monroei r
Pyrogo (sp?) vr
Pyrogo byramensis r r
Uvigerina vicksburgensis r 31.12
Uvigerina jacksonensis c
Angulogerina byramensis c
Discorbis assulata r r
Discorbis arcuatocostata c
Species Lisbo Clinch Tivola Twigg Ocmul Maria UnOli Upper Age
Mississippina monsouri c
Valvulineria jacksonensis c c a
Valvulineria paucilocula c
Gyroidina vicksburgensis c
Eponides jacksonensis r r
Eponides advena c
Eponides byramensis r c
Paraotalia parva c
Pararotalia Mexicana var. a
Siphonina (sp?) r
Siphonina byramensis r a
Reusella eocena c
Reusella oligocenica r
Reusella byramensis r c a
Asterigerina subacuta c
Alabamina mississippiensis c
References:
1) Stratigraphy, Paleontology, & Economic Geology of Portions of Perry & Cochran Quadrangles, Georgia; Sam Pickering Jr, Bulletin 81, Georgia Geologic Survey, 1970
2) Upper Eocene Stratigraphy of Central & Eastern Georgia; Paul F. Huddlestun & John H. Hetrick, Bulletin 95, Dept of Natural Resources Evironmental Protection Division Georgia Geologic Survey, 1986
3) A New Middle Eocene Protocetid Whale (Mammalia: Cetacea: Archaeoceti) & Associated Biota From Georgia; Richard C Hulbert, Jr., Richard M Petkewich, Gale A. Bishop, David Bukry, & David P. Aleshire; Journal of Paleontology, 1998
4) Age and Correlation of the Clinchfield Sand in Georgia; S. M. Herrick, Geological Survey Bulletin 1354-E, U.S. Department of Interior, 1972
1) Stratigraphy, Paleontology, & Economic Geology of Portions of Perry & Cochran Quadrangles, Georgia; Sam Pickering Jr, Bulletin 81, Georgia Geologic Survey, 1970
2) Upper Eocene Stratigraphy of Central & Eastern Georgia; Paul F. Huddlestun & John H. Hetrick, Bulletin 95, Dept of Natural Resources Evironmental Protection Division Georgia Geologic Survey, 1986
3) A New Middle Eocene Protocetid Whale (Mammalia: Cetacea: Archaeoceti) & Associated Biota From Georgia; Richard C Hulbert, Jr., Richard M Petkewich, Gale A. Bishop, David Bukry, & David P. Aleshire; Journal of Paleontology, 1998
4) Age and Correlation of the Clinchfield Sand in Georgia; S. M. Herrick, Geological Survey Bulletin 1354-E, U.S. Department of Interior, 1972