Paleogene stratigraphy of the Solomons Island, Maryland, corehole

Open-File Report 94-708
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Abstract

The Solomons Island corehole was drilled in the hope of obtaining a continuous and more nearly complete section of upper Paleocene and lower Eocene strata than are found in the discontinuous and fragmentary sections in the outcrop belt to the west. Consultation with Harry Hansen (Maryland Geological Survey) on possible drilling sites that were within the limits of our equipment and funding led to the selection of Solomons Island. A strong factor in this selection was the stratigraphic information available from the nearby Lexington Park well (Hansen and Wilson, 1984). As anticipated, all Paleogene units previously reported in the Maryland and Virginia Coastal Plain, except for the upper Eocene Chickahominy Formation and the upper Oligocene Old Church Formation, were penetrated at Solomons Island. The upper part of the Solomons Island corehole also penetrated the Calvert Formation of Miocene age and the younger Lowland Deposit. Gibson and Andrews (1994) described the lithology and biostratigraphy of these Miocene sediments. This paper describes the lithologies of the Lower Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene strata that were recovered from the Solomons Island corehole and gives a brief biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental summary of the beds penetrated there.

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Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Paleogene stratigraphy of the Solomons Island, Maryland, corehole
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 94-708
DOI 10.3133/ofr94708
Year Published 1994
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Contributing office(s) Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center
Description ii, 39 p.
Country United States
State Maryland
Other Geospatial Solomons Island
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