ABSTRACT
Detailed studies in rocks of Mettawee (Late Precambrian? to Early Cambrian)
and Walloomsac (Middle Ordovician) slates between Old Chatham and East
Chatham, New York, have shown that these rocks were intensely deformed
during the Taconic orogeny and a later deformation event(?). Two generations
of structures are clearly recognized in the area. The first generation
(G1) includes tight west-verging folds whose axial plane foliation is the
regional foliation slaty cleavage (S1). These structures are considered
synchronous with the regional metamorphism of the Taconic orogeny and correlative
with those structures belonging to the D2 deformation event proposed by
Ratcliffe (1979) and Rowley (1983). The second generation of structures
(G2) is represented by NE-trending kink bands, concentric folds and their
associated crenulation cleavage (S2) which overprint the pre-existing regional
foliation (S1). This kind of deformation seems to be localized in the metapelitic
rocks and is, at least partially, synchronous with the development of the
Chatham fault zone. These structures are considered here to be correlative
with those belonging to the D3 deformation event of Rowley (1983) and the
F5 generation of folds of Ratcliffe (1979). Their overprinting relationships
relative to the faulting are consistent with the Rowley idea about the
generation of the crenulation cleavage during thrusting (c.f. T3, Rowley
1983).
Evidence of an earlier deformation event (e.g. dismembered intrafolial
folds in the metapsammites) in rocks of Mettawee slate has been sporadically
observed, and is correlated with the D1 deformation event of Rowley (1983).
Other structure present in the Chatham area and not included in the above
generations is a NW-trending macrofold in the regional foliation, which
reflects the geometry of the Chatham fault zone. This fold has been correlated
with the NW-trending folds belonging to the F4 generation of Ratcliffe
(1979).
Mora, J. 1984. Chatham Fault Zone, Old Chatham-East Chatham, New York:
mesostructures and microstructures: their spatial and age relationships.
Unpublished MSc. thesis, State University of New York at Albany.
78pp., +x; 2 folded plates (maps)
University at Albany Science Library call number: SCIENCE Oversize
(*) QE 40 Z899 1984 M67
Return to MS Theses completed in the Geological
Sciences Program, University at Albany