ABSTRACT
The Ganson Hill study area is located in the Giddings Brook Slice of
the Taconic Allochthon. It contains rocks of Cambrian(?), Cambrian and
Ordovician age. The predominant rock type is slate with subordinate lithologies
including quartzite, limestone, micrite, arenite and graywacke. The lithostratigraphy
identified in the Ganson Hill area extends from the basal Bomoseen wacke
to the Poultney slate. A more precisely defined lithostratigraphy is derived
from the study area by the occurrence and recognition of the Middle Granville
Slate Formation and the documentation of a second Cambrian black/green
boundary. Previous workers have included this formation in different places,
in two different formations creating much confusion.
Three stages of deformation have been recognized in the Ganson Hill
study area. They are: pre-slaty cleavage folding, slaty cleavage development
with associated folding, and faulting and seen only sporadically, crenulation
cleavage development with associated folding and faulting. Documented in
this thesis is the Hubbardton Gulf Thrust Fault which places Cambrian green
slate (Undifferentiated Bull Fm.) over black and gray slate with interbedded
quartzite (Poultney Fm.).
An early Ordovician contourite deposit has been identified in the Poultney
unit. The grain size, the composition and the lateral extent of the quartz-rich
beds in the Poultney Formation in addition to sharp top and bottom bedding
contacts and preserved sedimentary structures are distinguishing characteristics
of the contourite deposit. Paleocurrent directions indicate northerly flowing
bottom currents depositing and reworking material fed from the North American
Platform adjacent to and south of the present area of the Taconics.
Aparisi, M., 1985. Stratigraphy and structure of the Ganson Hill area:
northern Taconic Allochthon. Unpublished MSc. thesis, State University
of New York at Albany. 128 pp., +ix; 3 folded plates (maps)
University at Albany Science Library call number: SCIENCE Oversize
(*) QE 40 Z899 1985 A65
Return to MS Theses completed in the Geological
Sciences Program, University at Albany