Sedimentology, Facies and Depositional E N V I R O N M E N T S of The Rochester Shale (Silurian Wenlockian) in Western New York and Ontario I

SEDIMENTOLOGY, FACIES AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE (SILURIAN; WENLOCKIAN)

IN WESTERN NEW YORK AND ONTARIO I
CARLTON E. B R E T T
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Rochester
Rochester. New York 14627
ABSTRACT: In western New York and Ontario, the Rochester Shale (Silurian; Wenlockian; Clinton Group)
is everywhere divisible into lower (Lewistonl and upper (Burleigh Hill-Stoney Creek) members; thin units
within these members are traceable east to west for distances exceeding 10O km, without substantial change
in lithology, or fossil content. In contrast, abrupt lateral facies changes occur within the Rochester Shale
along short north-south sections (for example, Niagara Gorge). Such stratigraphic evidence suggests that
Rochester shale facies belts are elongate east-west, parallel both to a northern paleoshoreline and also to
the present outcrop trend.
The Rochester Shale consists of sparsely to richly fossiliferous, gray, shaley mudstone with abundant
interbedded carbonates, including intrasparrudites, lenticular biosparites and biomicrites ( - calcarenites)
and laminated pelmicrites ( - calcisiltites), Such interbeds provide evidence for episodic concentration and
transport of carbonate sediments by storm-wave action on a gently southwards-sloping shelf. Calcarenite
lenses were formed as erosion-lag deposits in regions within storm-wave base. Finer debris, winnowed
from such areas, formed suspension clouds which flowed downslope, depositing storm silt- (calcisiltite)
and mud layers.
A crinoidal bank facies (Wiarton) accumulated in the area of the Algonquin Arch during Rochester
deposition. Adjacent shelf areas, to the south, received a mixture of terrigenous muds from southeastern
source areas (Taconics) and detrital carbonate sediments from the Wiarton shoal, forming argillaceous
carbonates a n d / o r calcareous shales (Stoney Creek-upper Burleigh Hill). During times of low sedimentation
this area became the site of abundant bryozoan g r o w t h - - ' b r y o z o a n belt" (Lewiston B, D and E). Farther
southward (basinward), facies comprise a mixture of sparsely fossiliferous mudstones and storm-silt layers
(Lewiston C, lower Burleigh Hill).
Vertical facies changes in the Rochester Shale are attributed to north-south shifting of environmental
belts, due to migration of the northern paleoshoreline. As a whole, the formation comprises two (eustatic?)
trangressive-regressive cycles. The Lewiston Member represents a nearly symmetrical cycle of deepening
(units A - C ) and shallowing (units C - E L while the upper units (Burleigh Hill, Stoney Creek) reflect aspects
of an asymmetrical, shallowing-upward hemicycle. During the last event, allodapic carbonate sedimentation
was considerably increased, as a result of migrating crinoidal bars. inhibiting the growth of bryozoans and
other organisms.
The Rochester Shale provides a paradigm for interpreting numerous marine units in western New York
which exhibit layer-cake arrays of facies.
INTRODUCTION ate environments (for example, Black River and

Lower Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of New Helderberg groups: Walker, 1972; Walker and
York State and adjacent Ontario have provided Laporte, 1970; Laporte, 1967, 1969), or on
a major source of data on the depositional en- deltaic settings (for example, Queenston and
vironments of ancient epeiric seas; indeed, Catskill deltaic complexes; Bretsky, 1969, 1970;
certain extensively studied rock units form the Sutton, Bowen, and McAlester, 1970; Thayer,
basis for paleoenvironmentai models (Laporte, 1974; McGhee and Sutton, 1981). Relatively
1967, 1969; Walker and Laporte, 1970; An- little emphasis has been placed on nondeltaic,
derson et al., 1978; Cisne and Rabe, 1978). open marine paleoenvironments. As a conse-
However, most previous studies in New York quence, some of the most fossiliferous, and
have concentrated either on near-shore carbon- thus, paleontologically best known, rock units
have received very little paleoenvironmental
study.
~Manuscript received 19 March 1982; revised 18 Feb- The relatively thin marine rock sequences of
ruary 1983. western New York and Ontario are particularly
JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY, VOL. 53, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER, 1983, P. 0947--0971

Copyright © 1983, The Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists 0022-4472/83/0053-0947/$03.00
Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

by Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad user
948 CARLTON E. BRETI"
difficult to interpret in terms of conventional In the present paper, data on the sedimen-
facies models. Stratigraphic sequences such as tology, paleoecology, and stratigraphic rela-
the Silurian Clinton, Lockport, and Salina tionships with other rock units have been syn-
groups exhibit vertical successions of lithic and thesized in interpreting Rochester Shale
faunal subdivisions (facies), each of which is sedimentary environments. Depositional en-
typically widely traceable as a stratigraphic unit. vironments of the synjacent Irondequoit,
These vertical facies rarely intergrade with one DeCew, and Gasport Formations have also been
another laterally along the east-west trending considered to provide a general framework for
outcrop belt (Belak, 1980; Kissling and Mosh- interpreting the paleoenvironmental setting of
ier, 1981; Koch, 1981). This "layer-cake" as- the Rochester Shale. A model of storm-influ-
pect (sensu Levorsen, 1943) of New York stra- enced sedimentation along a gently sloping shelf
tigraphy has facilitated local correlations but is presented to explain many of the sedimen-
has also hampered attempts to decipher facies tologic features observed within the Rochester
relationships and depositional environments. Shale.
The medial Silurian Rochester Shale (Wen-
lockian; Clinton Group) is a classic unit in
GEOLOGIC SETTING A N D FACIES RELATIONSHIPS
American stratigraphy, being among the first OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE
formally designated formations in North
America (Hall, 1839, p. 20). This formation In Ontario and New York State, the Roch-
has been widely correlated in the northern and ester Shale constitutes the middle unit of three
central Appalachian region, and serves as an formations of the upper Clinton Group (Bol-
important stratigraphic marker in subsurface ton, 1957) (Figs. 1, 2). Throughout much of
studies (Schuchert, 1914; Chadwick, 1918; its extent, the Rochester is underlain conform-
Caley, 1940; Gillette, 1940, 1947; Berry and ably by the upper member of the Irondequoit
Boucot, 1970). The Rochester Shale is also Limestone, a light gray to pinkish gray cri-
noted as an important source of fossils; over noidal biomicrite or biosparite.
200 species of invertebrates have been re- From Hamilton, Ontario, eastward to Roch-
ported from the formation, including some of ester, New York, the Rochester Shale is over-
the best preserved Silurian fossils in North lain by fine-grained, buff-colored DeCew Do-
America (Hall, 1852; Ringueberg, 1888, 1897; lostone. Early workers (Ulrich, 1911;
Grabau, 1901; Sarle, 1901; Bassler, 1906; Schuchert, 1914; Chadwick, 1918) postulated
Springer, 1920, 1926; Brett, 1978). a major disconformity between the Rochester
Yet, despite its historical, stratigraphic, and and DeCew, but the completely gradational
paleontologic significance, the Rochester Shale nature of the contact in nearly all localities ar-
has received little attention in recent literature. gues against this. For this reason, the bound-
Preliminary studies of Rochester depositional ary between the Clinton and Lockport groups
environments and paleoecology were under- is now generally placed at the sharp upper con-
taken by Thusu (1972) and Narbonne (1977); tact of the DeCew with the overlying Gasport
however, these papers are restricted in geo- Limestone in western New York (Gillette, 1947;
graphic scope, and their conclusions are nec- Bolton, 1957).
essarily generalized and tentative. Northwest of Hamilton, Ontario, the DeCew
Recent detailed stratigraphic and paleonto- Dolostone is absent, and the Gasport Lime-
logic studies (Brett, 1978, in press) provide a stone rests directly on a condensed Rochester
general background for the present paleoen- Shale section. Where the Rochester Shale
vironmental interpretation of the Rochester pinches out, the Gasport overlies the Ironde-
Shale. Most importantly, these studies indicate quoit Limestone (Figs. 1, 3). The two rock units
that facies belts within the Rochester Shale ex- represent nearly identical facies types, and to-
tend east-west, subparallel to the modern Ni- gether they appear to merge northwestward into
agara Escarpment outcrop belt in western New the crinoidal, dolomitic limestone of the Wiar-
York and the Ontario peninsula (Brett, in press). ton Formation of the Amabel Group (Sanford,
This single factor provides a key for the de- 1969).
velopment of a depositional model for the In north-south cross sections (Fig. 1), the
Rochester Shale, and perhaps also other units lrondequoit and Gasport limestones appear as
with apparent "layer-cake" stratigraphy. tongues of the ciinoidal shoal facies that ex-

ROCHESTER SHALE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS 949
i
__ GUELPH
.~ ~-- GOAT ISLAIN3 FiT

;,_
==========================================
.'......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
•.:-:-:.:.: ,~o~ :.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.~ 1
===============================================================================================
.....
T ,'~'~, 'Y'
0 KIL~'T~
~" " 1 ~ ~
J ~' IXXDIdn'E SI,IUItLE
0 MILES 30 s~'r~,lt tt~'nX

t , , 1 I
• NY I , , ' I I
•. - "~,,Gx ~ O KILOMETERS 4O
OHIO
F1o. 1.--Cross-sectional diagram of the upper Clinton-lower Lockport groups in Ontario and western New York;
orientation of section line is indicated on inset. Modified from Sanford (1969).
~ R O N T O -
--J ~-" LAKE ONTARIO

c~j "
',\
l
~AM~Lt~H "
rruztland
Cr ~.msby
' St
Fonthill
ONTARIO (
ELAKE~ E ~ ~ 1......
3 NEW YORK ~ ...............
Esearp~nt
/ ~ Shore line
I0 0 I0 20 30 4o N X l e s
i0 0 i0 20 30 40 50 ~£1om~ter$
FIG. 2.--Location map for stratigmphic sections of the Rochester Shale in western New York and Ontario. Numbers
refer to localities described in Brett (1978a).

950 CARLTON E. BRE7T
c*Lc,~,s c~v rNm M D r 4 o s~tAtty

aCtC~O~
s ~ loJ*~.*i,,
. . . . . ,N,,MIO ~ ,
z~
........ ~,c~,s ecxa4o*Ar
Z~Z
Z--Z
I/ ~ I~ F-~ P-~ L.-'"~ZZ
G~oo¢ I
W S£
ANCASTER STO'I,IE¥ CREEK G,FIIMF~BY DIECEW FALLS N I d ~ i I R A GO~IGE LIOCKPO~IT R~HESTER

L,~ 5 Loc 9 LO¢ 13 Lo¢ 19 L~ 23b Loc 28 LOC 4O
FIG. 3.--Stratigraphic sections of Rochester Shale at seven localities in Ontario and western New York. Locations
of numbered sections are shown in Fig. 2,
tend southeastward into the Appalachian Ba- dicate a southward thickening in western New
sin. These tongues are separated by mudstone York from 15-21 m (57-70 ft) in Niagara-Or-
and argillaceous dolostone of the Rochester and leans counties to thicknesses of 30-35 m (100-
DeCew formations. 115 ft) in southern Erie, Genessee, and Liv-
In Ontario and New York State, the Roch- ingston counties (Kreidler et al., 1972).
ester Shale consists of medium to dark gray The Rochester Shale maintains a thickness
calcareous shale and thin-bedded limestones, of 12-15 m (40-50 ft) in the subsurface along
including micfites, pelmicfites, biomicrites, and the southern side of the Ontario peninsula
intramicrites (Thusu, 1972). Along the outcrop westward to Windsor, Ontario. However, well
belt in New York and Ontario, the Rochester logs also reveal relatively rapid thinning and
thickens southeastward from a minimum of 0.6 pinch-out of the Rochester into Wiarton cri-
m (2 ft) at Clappisons Corners, Ontario, to a noidal dolostone within 24-32 km northeast of
maximum of about 37 m (122 ft) near Wolcott, this belt (Caley, 1940; Fig. 1).
in central New York. Subsurface data reveal This northward-thinning is apparently due to
that the Rochester is thickest in an elongate facies change with only minor, if any, erosive
northeast-southwest trending area of west cen- overstep of the Rochester (Bolton, 1957; San-
tral New York from North Victory (Cayuga ford, 1969). The Wiarton crinoidal facies is thus
County), to Geneva (Ontario County), where the northern equivalent of the entire Ironde-
it attains a maximum thickness of 44.8 m (147 quoit-Gasport sequence. The line of abrupt fa-
ft) (Gillette, 1940; Figs. I, 14). Well logs in- cies change approximately coincides with the

ROCHESTER SHALE DEPOS1TIONAL ENVIRONMENTS 951
Algonquin Axis, an area of relative uplift dur- ester Shale is divisible into lower and upper
ing the Paleozoic. members of roughly equal thickness, generally
The Rochester Shale persists in the subsur- separated by a sharp contact (Fig. 3). The lower
face southward from Ontario into eastern Ohio or Lewiston Member is further subdivisible into
and Kentucky, but grades westward into ar- five mappable submembers; it exhibits a cyclic
gillaceous dolostone (Bisher Formation) in the repetition of facies which bryozoan-rich bio-
Ohio outcrop belt (Hunter, 1970). In south- sparites (submembers A, E) and biomicrites
western Pennsylvania, the Rochester thins to (submembers B, D) at the base and top of the
6-12 m (20-40 ft) of dark gray shale, which member separated by an interval of sparsely
overlies and interfingers southeastward with the fossilferous shale and calcisiitites (submember
Keefer Sandstone (Swartz, 1934, 1935; Hunter, C). The upper or Burleigh Hill Member com-
1970). These shales are generally sparsely fos- prises barren or slightly fossiliferous shales and
siliferous, compared with the Rochester Shale calcisiltites resembling submember C of the
in western New York, but contain many of the Lewiston and grades upward into dolomitic (or
same faunal elements (Swartz, 1923). Local calcareous) shales and argillaceous dolostones
bioherms have been reported from the upper of the DeCew Formation. West of Grimsby,
Rochester and overlying McKenzie formations Ontario, the Burleigh Hill Member is replaced
near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (Cuffey and by an argillaceous dolostone facies, the Stoney
Davidheiser, 1979). Creek Member.
in Maryland and West Virginia, the so-called Lithologic subdivisions of the Rochester
Rochester Formation consists of nearly black, Shale, including the submembers of the Lew-
laminated, pyritic shales lacking a normal ma- iston Member, are laterally persistent for over
rine fauna, and interpreted by Folk (1962) as 100 kilometers along the east-west trending
lagoonal deposits formed in a restricted envi- Niagara escarpment (Figs. 2, 3). However, ab-
ronment landward of an offshore sand bar, a rupt facies changes are observed in short north-
tongue of the Keefer Sandstone. south sections, such as along Niagara Gorge
In east-central New York, the Rochester Shale (Brett, 1982; Fig. 4, herein). Here, fossilifer-
exhibits sandstone tongues, and in Oneida ous portions of the Lewiston Member (sub-
County, New York, the formation grades into members B, D, and E) thin and pinch out
the Herkirner Sandstone. The Herkimer has been southward in only 8-11 km, whereas the mid-
further subdivided into two laterally adjacent dle, sparsely fossiliferous shale interval (sub-
members (Zenger, 1966). A western Joslin Hill member C) thickens rapidly and comes to
Member consists of brownish-gray calcareous comprise most of the Lewiston Member in the
and fossiliferous sandstone with some gray shale south (Table 1). The Burleigh Hill Member thins
layers. In contrast, the Jordanville Member slightly to the south and becomes entirely bar-
consists of silica-cemented quartz arenite and ren shale with the loss of calcisiltites and ar-
quartz pebble conglomerate. Body fossils are gillaceous dolostones (Fig. 4; Table 1).
absent or rare in the Jordanville, but trace fos- Rapid southward facies change is also cor-
sils are abundant in some units (Zenger, 1966). roborated by field data from stream exposures
of the Rochester Shale in the Fonthill Reen-
STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE trant, an 8-km (5-mi) southward embayment in
IN ONTARIO A N D WESTERN NEW YORK
the Niagara Escarpment just west of St. Cath-
Although local subdivisions of the Roches- arines. Here again, the Lewiston Member
ter Shale were recognized by early workers thickens and grades southward into a more
(Ringueberg, 1888; Grabau, 1901), subse- monotonous, sparsely fossiliferous shale inter-
quent authors have treated the Rochester Shale val. Bryozoan-rich beds of unit E, well rep-
as a uniform lithologic unit, lacking mappable resented in the north, again diminish and are
subdivisions (Gillette, 1940; Bolton, 1957; replaced by calcisiltite beds capped by one or
Thusu, 1972). Detailed stratigraphic study of two thin beds of crinoid-brachiopod-rich cal-
the Rochester Shale indicates the existence of carenite.
several widely traceable units within the for- A third area where abrupt north-south changes
mation, and four new members have recently are observable in the Rochester Shale is the
been proposed (Brett, in press; Fig, 3). Burlington Bay Reemrant, at the western end
In western New York and Ontario the Roch- of Lake Ontario. Here the Niagara Escarpment

952 CARLTON E. BRETT
NIAGARA FALLS Ill' HIR L POOL QI_IEEN STON

(SOL'TH) (NORTH)
E.II~ LI 21 D-
. . . . . . . • , ' , ! ," ," ," , ' - 7 7 " T , " ," ," ," ," :" ." ," ," 1" ," ,','1" ," ,' ~" ." ." ." ." ," ." ," ." , : . . . . . . - ," *". ' - . " ." ~- ," ~" ~
?,.',',.':',.'::'.:,.~.,':.,., .:., ,,., : ,, ,, : ,,., .,',." ,,.,,.,,,.,,.,,,,,,,.',,',.',',,',,',,"

,, :,: ,,,,L.',.',,',.?,:.'::,.',.?/ :
tllURLEIGII IIILL MEMBER = ---- : ~ ~ -- -- ~. ~_

lii - - - -
{In I I,EIIClSTIIN MEMNE~
..7S;'..;',. , . :-:."~ . . . ~ . : . : , '.".;~'.'.~."?~'.:.S.-i".".': ",' ':"."..".".'.'.'.~.".~.', ', '~'=

? : - '. • : . ; . , , , '. • • • ." ." ,~,,~.E~.,,,. ,.,.E~r,,~., " , ' , ':. ' • " ; " - ' • '. '. '. '. ', ;, : "~" : • : • : ' '.' ,'. ". '. ', ', ~.~
I.(.nll{ tllilr I.illl('~lllfll" ; ]

Ilil~mil rilr )
C;Ih istllll|" ii o
'OUN 1)4llllhll)ltl" Pr~r---Pl[fj/IolililJ IJinl'glllfl I" Iooo ql ~(HP 1414H) I~1111

•ArI•Jllllll;I)oh>ml( rlf('l : • • ' ' • '~'Blolnl( rll(" I|io~l)Llrll{'l ~II'[I'fN
FIG. 4 . - - N o r t h - S o u t h stratigraphic relationships of the Rochester Shale and synjacent units in Niagara Gorge; ver-
tical lines indicate positions of measured sections from diamond drill cores, logged by Bolton (1957; Appendix B, p.
107-141); numbers correspond to codes utilized by Bolton.
makes an abrupt bend from east-west to north-

TABLE 1,--Measurements of Rochester Shale subunits in
diamond drill cores adjacent to west side of Niagara Gorge south; exposures of Rochester Shale occur on
from Adam Beck Power Plant (P-1-4) to Niagara Falls, both north and south sides of the 8-km (5-mi)
Ontario (N-14). Core codes refer to those given b.s" Bolton
(1957). Thicknesses in feet; abbreviations: LEW-AB, Lewiston
wide reentrant (Fig. 2). On the south side of
submembers A,B; LEW-C, Lewiston submember C; LEW-DE, the reentrant, the Rochester Shale is 4.3 m (14
Lewiston submembers D,E; LEW TOTAL, total thickness ft) thick and is divisible into Lewiston and
Lewiston Member, measured to topmost bryozoan-bearing
limestone bed: BH TOTAL, total thickness of Burleigh Hill Stoney Creek Members; 8 km (5 mi) to the
Member: ROCH. TOTAL, total Rochester Shale thickness. north of this area at Clappison Comers (Loc.
Note consistent southward thickening of Lewiston Member, due 1) the Rochester consists of 0.6 m (2 ft) of
to thickening of Lewiston C, despite thinning of Lewiston-AB
and DE subunits. Variable thicknesses of total Rochester intraclastic sandy limestones and calcareous
reflect variability of Burleigh Hill measurements. Cores are shales. North of this locality, the Rochester is
spaced approximotetv i km apart; total north-south distance
from P-1-4 (north) to N-14 is about 9.5 kin,
represented by a shaly parting or is absent al-
together. As noted previously, this rapid
Core LEW LEW- LEW LEW B.H. ROCH northward-thinning and pinch-out of the Roch-
# AB C DE Total Total Total
ester Shale can be recognized in the subsurface
North P-14 12.7 7.7 10.4 30.8 27.3 58.1 as far west as the Windsor area of Ontario.
F-1 10.8 17.0 6.3 33.1 21.5 54.6
K-1 9.4 20.9 5.7 36.0 21,7 57.7 The rapid and substantial north-south facies
C-2 6.3 27.6 3.9 37.8 18.8 56.6 changes of the Rochester Shale across the Bur-
D-I 4.0 30.1 3.7 37.8 20.3 58.1
E-18 2.8 33.0 4.2 40.0 18.1 58.1
lington and Fonthill Reentrants and in the length
E-32 3.1 39.7 1.3 44.1 12.4 56.5 of Niagara Gorge contrast with the east-west
E-29 4.4 40.1 0.5 45.0 13.4 58.4 persistence of facies. This indicates that, in
South N-14 3.9 39.6 0,5 48.0 13.2 61.2
western New York and adjacent Ontario,

Rochester facies belts are elongate east to west,

probably parallel to a northern paleoshoreline
and subparallel to the modem Niagara Escarp-
ment. The rare north-south outcrop sections are
approximately perpendicular to depositional
strike and thus show rapid changes in short
distances.
SEDIMENTOLOGY OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE

Mudstones
The bulk of the Rochester Formation in
western New York and Ontario consists of me-
dium to dark gray calcareous to dolomitic
mudstone. Most of this unit lacks distinct lam-
ination or primary fissility and is burrow-mot- Fro. 5.--Rochester Shale mudstones; note typical
blocky, sparsely fossiliferous mudstone overlain by a lens
tled locally, suggesting thorough bioturbation of bryozoan-fich calcareous mudstone. Lens cap is 57 ram;
of the sediment. Carbonate content ranges from Lewiston Member, Niagara Gorge (Loc. 23).
about 40 percent in the barren middle portion
of the Lewiston Member (submember C) to over
60 percent in argillaceous limestones and do- traclastic limestones (intrasparites), calcaren-
lostones of the upper Burleigh Hill-Stoney Creek ites (biomicrites and biosparites), and calci-
Members. siltites (pelmicrites). Such interbeds reveal
Rochester mudstones contain both clay and abundant evidence for sporadic, storm-gener-
fine silt-sized particles. Quantitative grain-size ated sedimentation. Carbonate storm layers or
analyses by Narbonne (1977) indicate a vari- tempestites (Ager, 1974) can be distinguished
ability in both median and maximum grain size from background sediments by a combination
within the Rochester Shale. Samples from the of features including a) sharply defined basal
middle Lewiston Member at St. Catharines yield surfaces with sole marks such as scours and
median diameters of 6.5 microns with little gutter casts, b) internal sedimentary structures,
sediment exceeding 16 microns. An abrupt in- including parallel and cross-lamination and
crease in grain size takes place within the Bur- vaguely grading bedding, and c) rippled upper
leigh Hill Member; median grain size is ap- surfaces (Kreisa, 1981; Aigner, 1982). In ad-
proximately 8 microns and about 16 percent of dition, taphonomic evidence may point to the
the grains in the upper beds are greater than existence of otherwise unrecognizable storm
16 microns (Narbonne, 1977). mud layers in fine-grained sequences.
Fossil content of the Rochester mudstones is
variable. Many intervals, particularly in the Intraclastic Limestones
Burleigh Hill Member, are nearly barren, with Intraclast-bearing carbonates are rare within
only scattered brachiopods and trilobite frag- the Rochester Formation as a whole, being al-
ments. Locally, within the Lewiston Member, most restricted to sections in the Stoney Creek
mud-supported accumulations of bryozoans and Member near Hamilton, Ontario. Such units
brachiopods form discontinuous beds or len- are best developed at Clappison Comers (Loc.
ses, here termed bryozoan clusters (Fig. 5). 1). These consist of beds 5-10 cm thick, con-
These are distinguishable from biomicrites by taining large (up to 10 cm in diameter) angular
their better fossil preservation, relatively low clasts of shale and calcisiltite in a matrix of
carbonate content of the matrix muds, and crinoid debris and coarse quartz sand grains with
consequently different weathering properties. sparry calcite cement (Fig. 6). Intraclastic units
Clusters tend to be crumbly and, therefore, indicate rip-up of indurated carbonate-rich
weather into reentrants. Biomicrites are more muds, probably due to submarine erosion by
indurated, and hence, weather out as project- storm waves. Imbrication of clasts and win-
ing ledges. nowing of particles smaller than medium sand
Rochester mudstones are interbedded with a size suggest deposition of the intrasparites un-
variety of carbonate lithologies including in- der shallow, highly agitated conditions. As

954 CARLTON E. BREIT
of epifaunal organisms that may have used the

shell layers as settlement substrates. Closed
brachiopod shells frequently exhibit randomly
oriented geopetal infillings of mud resembling
sediment of the underlying mudstone units,
suggesting their reworking from below. Break-
age and occasional abrasion of the fossils as
well as the occurrence of intraclasts suggest
bursts of high energy impinging on the Roch-
ester sea floor. Certain calcarenites occur as a
series of isolated lenses with tapering extrem-
ities, suggestive of starved ripples (compare
Potter, Maynard, and Pryor, 1980; Fig. 7
herein).
Similar shelly and intraclastic limestones have
been described from the Silurian of Arctic
Canada (Jones and Dixon, 1976), and from the
Upper Ordovician of the south-central Appa-
lachians (Kreisa, 1981). In both cases, the
limestones were interpreted as randomly oc-
curring, storm-generated debris layers.
Certain calcarenites in the Rochester Shale
show slight size grading from coarse-grained
FtG. 6.--A) Sandy, intraelastic limestone (intraspar-

it¢) bands in outcrop of Rochester Shale at Clappisons
Comers, Ontario (Loc l). B) Photomicrograph of same',
note large burrow-mottled dolostone clast in matrix of
quartz sand and skeletal grains, with sparry cement; bar
scale indicates 5 ram.
noted above, intraclast-bearing limestones are

clearly associated with the Algonquin Axis.
Calcarenites
The second category of Rochester carbon-
ates consists of thin (5-15 cm), lenticular lay-
ers of disarticulated and broken fossil debris,
rarely also including rip-up clasts of shale.
Fossils, including brachiopod, bryozoan, pei-
matozoan, and trilobite fragments, usually be-
long to the same species, which occur scat-
tered through the underlying mudstones from
which the debris layers were probably derived
by the winnowing action of storm waves (com-
pare with Sutton et al., 1970; Bowen et al.,
1974). Winnowed mud and silt must have been
removed and deposited elsewhere. These lay- FIG. 7.--A) Lens of bryozoan-pelmatozoan-richcal-
carenite interpretedas a starved ripple; Lewiston Member
ers show sharp basal surfaces, rarely with well- (Loc. 23B). B) Photomicrographof bryozoan-rich biom-
preserved fossils intact; they are sometimes icrite; bar scale indicates 5 ram; Lewiston Member (Loc.
overlain by evidently autochthonous remains 9).

skeletal material at the base into finer-grained

debris, for example, crinoid ossicles, at the top.
Such debris layers may also grade vertically or
laterally into a third type of finer storm-gen-
erated layer: laminated caicisiltites.
Calcisiltites
In outcrops, calcisiltites appear as sharply
defined, buff-weathering and laterally persis-
tent beds (Fig. 8). These beds contain numer-
ous sedimentary structures indicative of de-
position from waning currents. Weathered
surfaces exhibit wavy cross- and planar-lami-
nation, typically in alternating sets; brown, silty
mud layers alternate with darker laminae of
carbonate peloids (Figs. 8, 9). Undersurfaces
of calcisiltites are sharply defined and exhibit
sole marks such as flute, groove, and ridge
molds indicative of scour of muds by sedi-
ment-laden currents (Fig. 10). Such lineations
suggest a southerly current flow in many cases,
presumably drainage from carbonate shoals to
the northwest. Upper surfaces of the calcisil-
tites typically show low-amplitude ripple marks FIG. 9 . - - A , B, Polished sections of calcisiltite bands;
and cut-and-fill structures. Internally, the cal- note irregular alternating dark and light laminae and abun-
cisiltites frequently exhibit small spherical blebs dant burrows, including Chrondrites (I), Teichichnus (2),
and large vertical burrows, possibly escape structures (3);
bar scales indicate 1 cm; lower Rochester Shale at South
Greece, N.Y. (Loc. 39).
of disseminated pyrite. These may represent

infillings of bubble cavities. Gas bubble cav-
ities of comparable size have been found in
similar rhythmically laminated silt-clay layers
deposited from suspension clouds on the Rhine
Delta in Lake Constance, Switzerland (Re-
ineck and Singh, 1975, p. 109).
Fossil fragments and, rarely, well-preserved
fragile fossils (for example, crinoids) may oc-
cur at the bases of calcisiltites, but apparently
the scouring action of the currents was typi-
cally too great to preserve in-place fossil com-
munities. Although body fossils are usually
lacking within or atop calcisiltites, these units
show a variety of well-preserved ichnofossils,
including possible escape burrows with short
straight walls bordered by disrupted laminae.
Upper portions may be intensely bioturbated
FIG. 8 . - - A ) Weathered surface of calcisiltite band, by Chondrites, Planolites, and Teichichnus
showing alternating sets of planar- and cross-lamination; spreiten (Fig. 9). These provide evidence for
lower Rochester Shale at South Greece, New York (Loc.
39); bar scale indicates I cm. B) Thin section of calcis-
rapid colonization of silt layers by infaunal-de-
iltite; Lewiston Member; Niagara Gorge (Loc. 23B); bar posit feeding communities rather than by shelly
scale indicates 5 mm. forms.

956 CARLTON E. BRE1-T
dently overturned immediately prior to burial,

since they bear attached, inverted epifaunal or-
ganisms (for example, bryozoans and edrioas-
teroids; Brett, 1978, p. 397-398).
Silty mudstones immediately overlying such
shell beds may also contain unusually well
preserved fossils, such as complete crinoids,
still attached to brachiopod shells (Fig. l 1A).
These fossils may show vaguely preferred ori-
entations indicative of slight current action at
the time of burial (Brett and Eckert, 1982).
Obviously, extremely rapid or even live burial
of these organisms is indicated. Further evi-
dence for local rapid burial of the bottom is
provided by well-preserved vagrant organ-
isms, particularly stelleroids (Fig. I IC). Schiifer
(1972) found that some recent ophiuroids can
escape burial in up to 5 cm of silt. Thus, well-
preserved stelleroids found in barren mudstone
~rst,,i. slightly above the base of smothered horizon
provide direct evidence for essentially imme-
diate burial by substantial mud layers.
Smothered bottom assemblages tend to oc-
FIG. 10.--Undersurface of calcisiltite beds exhibiting
cur at closely spaced intervals in local strati-
sole marks: A) Lobate flow marks, bar scale indicates I graphic sections, indicating that conditions
cm; B) Groove and ridge molds, same scale, arrow in- necessary for their formation recurred fre-
dicates north orientation. Both specimens from lower quently in certain environments. For example,
Rochester Shale at South Greece, N.Y. (Loc. 39). the Homocrinus band at Lockport, New York,
a 40-centimeter interval in the middle portion
of the Lewiston Member of the Rochester Shale,
Calcisiltites in the Rochester Shale are very contains five such assemblages.
similar to storm silt-and-sand layers described
by Reineck and Singh (1972) from outer parts Storm-generated Sedimentation
of the North Sea shelf, and are thus interpreted in the Rochester Shale
as storm-generated silt layers deposited from Studies of recent and ancient shelf environ-
moving suspension clouds. ments have revealed the importance of epi-
sodic, relatively rare storm events in the de-
Mud Layers position and shaping of sedimentary packages
In turn, silt layers grade laterally and ver- (Hayes, 1967; Ball, 1971; Reineck and Singh,
tically into storm-generated, silty mudstone 1975; Ager, 1974; Aigner, 1979, 1982; Kreisa,
beds. This fourth type of episodic sedimentary 1981; Kreisa and Bambach, 1982; Seilacher,
package is recognized primarily on taphonom- 1982). Furthermore, the concept of proximal-
ic criteria, indicating so-called "smothered ity has been extended to the interpretation of
bottoms" (Fig. 11). These consist of unfossi- tempestite sequences (Aigner, 1979; 1982).
liferous, vaguely laminated mudstone layers up Because the intensity of storm effects de-
to several centimeters thick that abruptly over- creases away from shore, proximal storm de-
lie well-preserved fossil assemblages. The bases posits are characteristically thicker and coarser
of such units may be sharply demarcated by than distal tempestites. The former are com-
shell beds. Although evidence of scouring is monly calcarenites or calcirudites; proximal
usually lacking, indications of slight disturb- shell lags may be multiply reworked to form
ance of the sea floor immediately prior to mud composite or amalgamated beds. In contrast,
deposition may be present. In some cases, bra- distal deposits are calcisiltites or mud layers
chiopod valves (seen convex downward on the and represent single-event beds (Aigner, 1982,
undersurface of a bed in Fig. 1 IB) were evi- p. 187).

FIG. 1 l.--Well-preserved fossils from a "smothered-bottom assemblage." A) Complete specimens of the flexible
crinoid Asaphocrinus ornatus Hall; note attachment to a spiriferid brachiopod. B) edrioasteroid (Hemicystites) attached
to the shell of Striispirifer on the underside of a mudstone slab, indicating inversion of the brachiopod shell to a
concave-upward orientation prior to burial; C) ophiuroid, Protaster, found in barren mudstone overlying "smothered
bottom assemblage." All specimens from Lewiston Member at Lockport, New York, (Loc. 28). Bar scales indicate
5 mm.
The Rochester Shale contains four distinct and mud layers distally (Fig. 12; compare Aig-
but intergrading types of episodic deposits or ner, 1982, Fig. 10).
event deposits (sensu Seilacher, 1982, p. 161): Presumably, any of the four types of storm
intraclastic limestones, wave-winnowed cal- deposits could have been generated in shallow
carenites, calcisiltites, and mud layers. De- water depending upon the intensity of and du-
tailed field observations suggest that all types ration of storm waves. However, in deeper
can be regarded as genetically related units water settings, only calcisiltites and silty mud
generated as a side effect of a storm-wave ac- layers would have been deposited. The fre-
tion on a shallow, but gently sloping shelf. In quency of the four types of tempestites may
this model, areas of sea bottom within storm- thus provide a rough index of paleobathymetry
wave base (proximal regions) were scoured, (compare Kreisa, 1981; Aigner, 1982), and
producing parautochthonous debris layers and variations in their relative abundance in ver-
forming clouds of suspended carbonate and tical sections of the Rochester Shale suggest
terrigenous silt and mud. Under the influence variation of water depth.
of gravity, these suspension clouds then flowed Along the Niagara Escarpment outcrop belt
downslope, depositing calcisiltites proximally of western New York and Ontario calcarenites

i Nolmal Wave Base dicate that a shoaling event of regional scale,

J . . . . . . .. 1 accompanied by long-term reworking and win-
.,,,a
~ 7 ~ . . ~ ............... 5tol~ WaveBa~. . . . . . . . . . . .
• c~uo,*~,tes ~ ] ~ ~ ~ ~ Suspens,onCd~ud
nowing, occurred toward the end of the Lew-
iFine SkeletalDpbrtg~.-___ iston deposition. Similar features characterize
~dslone Layers l the basal beds (Unit A) of the Lewiston Mem-
/ONE OF SCOURING]
I
ZONEOF OEPOSII~ONFROMSUSPfNSIORCLOUDS / ber. In the context of a storm depositional
model, this sequence implies implies a trans-
FiG. 1 2 . - - S c h e m a t i c d i a g r a m o f storrn-generated sedi-
gressive-regressive cycle within the Lewiston
mentation on a s h a l l o w , g e n t l y - s l o p i n g shelf. Areas o f sea
floor within storm w a v e base, about 10 60 m, e x p e r i e n c e
Member (compare Kreisa, 1981; Meyer et al.,
scouring and w i n n o w i n g o f f i n e - g r a i n e d s e d i m e n t s , gen- 1981).
erating coquinites. W i n n o w e d s e d i m e n t then m o v e s d o w n In the same region, the lower half of the
slope in suspension clouds (density flows), depositing finer Burleigh Hill Member contains few interbeds
skeletal debris, carbonate silts, and m u d s in s u c c e s s i v e l y
deeper water.
of any kind; however, thin calcisiltites appear
near the middle of the member and increase in
frequency and thickness (Table 2) toward the
(" bryozoa beds'), interpreted as proximal tem- top of the unit where they become closely
pestites, are abundant at the base and, again, spaced and grade upward into argillaceous do-
near the top of the Lewiston Member, whereas lostone of the DeCew Formation. Thicker beds
the middle portion of the Lewiston is charac- toward the top of the Burleigh Hill, particu-
terized by calcisiltites and silty mudstones (distal larly at its type section in Ontario, display
tempestites; Table 2). Composite crinoidal hummocky cross-stratification, wave-rippled
bryozoan-ricb beds of variable thickness in- upper surfaces and grading, with fine crinoidal
variably mark the top of the Lewiston Mem- sand and rare intraclasts concentrated near the
ber. Multiple episodes of reworking and con- base of the units. This stratification sequence
densation of bioclasts within this interval are strongly suggests that the Burleigh Hill records
strongly suggested by a mixture of well-we- upward shallowing. The Stoney Creek Mem-
served and broken, abraded, and biocorroded ber displays a comparable sequence, although
fossil material. Local occurrence of glauconite calcisiltite bands occur even at the base of this
within the topmost bed also suggests very low unit.
rates of clastic sedimentation. These data in- Such interpretations based on single out-
"TABLE 2.--Numbers of calcarenite and calcisiltite bands per meter of measured section in outcrops and cores along Niagara
Gorge; sampling sites are arranged from north (LEW) to south (E-19) and are spaced about 1 km apart. Total Rochester Shale
thicknesses (in meters) is listed below each locality designation. Symbols: LEW; outcrop along east wall of Niagara Gorge 0.5 km
north of Robert Moses Power Plant and 2,3 km south of Lewiston, New York WP: outcrop at Niagara Falls Sewage Treatment
Plant: 1.2 km south of Whirlpool Bridge; SK: outcrop at site of (collapsed) Schoelkopf Power Plant 0.8 m north of niagara Falls,
Net*' York, F-4, C-2, E-18 and E-19 refer to drill cores adjacent to west well of Niagara Gorge; designations refer to codes
utilized by Bohon (1957); see Figure 4. Nole that positions of calcisiltites could not be determined for core data. Dashes indicate
no data because of covered interval. ++ indicates numerous limestones interbedded with calcareous fossil-rich shale.
Calcarenites Calcisiltites
LEW F.-4 C-2 E-18 WP SK E- 19 LEW WP SK
T: 17 5 17.6 17.2 17.7 -- 17.7 17.8 17.5 -- 17.7
ts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 3 0
17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1 1
'~ 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 2 1
~ 14 1 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 1 0
~ 13 0 0 0 4 5 0 0 2 9 3
O 0 4 4 0 0 0 1 6 6
~ I1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 l 3 4
N 10 7 7 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3
~ 9 7 3 1 0 0 0 2 -- l
4 0 1 0 -- 0 0 I -- l
7 2 1 0 0 -- 0 0 5 -- 3
~ 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2
~ 5 0 1 0 0 -- 0 0 5 -- 3
4 2 5 0 0 -- 0 0 4 -- 2
~ 3 6 7 0 0 -- 2 0 0 0
8 4 4 5 -- 5 0 1 -- O
++ ++ ++ ++ -- ++ ++ 0 -- 2

crops are further supported by lateral facies re- within the formation. Certain limestones and
lationships within the Rochester Shale along biostromes, especially within the Lewiston
north-south oriented cross sections perpendic- Member, are extraordinarily rich in fossils, but
ular to the presumed depositional strike. For the bulk of the formation is moderately to
example, the stratigraphic profile of the Lew- sparsely fossiliferous. Boucot (1975) referred
iston Member along Niagara Gorge (Fig. 4) the entire Rochester Shale fauna to the "Striis-
closely resembles a "text book" transgressive- pirifer community," a high diversity brachio-
regressive cycle (see, for example, Raup and pod-dominated association which he assigned
Stanley, 1978, p. 215). Note that bryozoan- to Benthic Assemblage 3--that is, an off-
rich lower and upper portions of the Lewiston shore, quiet-water setting. Detailed studies of
converge toward the north (Fig. 4; Table 1). Rochester Shale faunas (Brett, 1978) reveal that
To further document this relationship, the the Striispirifer association is restricted to cer-
number of carbonate interbeds per meter of tain portions of the formation. In fact, several
vertical section was determined at several sec- distinct, though intergrading, fossil associa-
tions along a north-south transect of the Roch- tions, evidently reflecting specific paleocom-
ester Shale (Table 2; Fig. 13). All measured munities, recur cyclicly within the Rochester
sections of the Lewiston Member exhibit a Shale (Fig. 13).
nearly symmetrical distribution of interbeds Ichnofossil Association.--The simplest as-
centered on a middle shaly interval (Unit C). sociation consists primarily of trace fossils. The
Calcarenites at the base and the top of the ichnogenera Chondrites, Planolites, and Tei-
Lewiston Member decrease in number and chichnus occur abundantly in calcisiltites and
thickness toward the south, while calcisiltites argillaceous dolostones. These beds rarely
increase in the corresponding intervals. Thus, contain abundant body fossils; rather, this ap-
for example, the bryozoan calcarenites of Unit pears to represent an association of soft-bod-
E, except for the topmost bed, are replaced ied, burrowing organisms that were rather
southward by thin to medium beds of cross- closely restricted to silty substrates, inhospita-
laminated, storm-tippled calcisiltite (Figs. 4, ble to most skeletonized benthic forms. The
13). ichnofossil assemblage is found in barren silty
Similarly, the number of calcisiltite bands in shales and calcisiltites at many horizons in the
the middle unit (C) of the Lewiston Member Rochester Shale, particularly in the middle unit
and in the lower Burleigh Hill Member de- (C) of the Lewiston Member, and throughout
crease toward the south, where both of these the upper Rochester and DeCew Dolostone.
intervals are represented by sequences of nearly Amphistrophia-Dalmanites Association.-
barren, dark gray to black mudstone. Present This low-diversity, brachiopod- and trilobite-
data are insufficient to quantify the occurrence dominated association, with about 25-30 spe-
of storm mud layers, but qualitative observa- cies, characterizes the less fossiliferous shales
tions on the taphonomy of the Rochester Shale of the Lewiston and Burleigh Hill Members.
strongly corroborate interpretations based on Most abundant fossils include the thin, flat-
other lithologies. Most notably, all exception- shelled orthids and strophomenid brachiopods
ally well preserved fossil occurrences discov- Amphistrophia striata, Coolinia subplana,
ered to date are associated with shale and cal- Leptaena rhomboidalis, Parrnorthis, Steger-
cisiltite sequences in Unit C of the Lewiston hynchus, the small inarticulate Pholidops, the
Member or in the middle to upper portions of trilobites Dalmanites limulurus and Trimerus
the Burleigh Hill Member (Brett, 1978; Brett delphinocephalus and the ostracode Parachae-
and Eckert, 1982). These observations suggest mina. Crinoids including Dendrocrinus and
that ~smothered-bottom" layers are, indeed, Dimerocrinites occur in clusters associated with
more numerous in certain portions of the this fauna. This fossil association appears to
Rochester than in others. represent a mud-tolerant community typical of
deeper, lower energy sea floors. Small, low-
density skeletons of organisms may reflect ad-
PALEONTOLOGY AND P A L E O E C O L O G Y
aptations to soft, unstable mud bottoms.
Although the Rochester Shale is noted for its Striispirifer Association.--A somewhat more
diverse and well-preserved invertebrate faunas, diverse (35-40 species) Striispirifer associa-
fossils are by no means uniformly distributed tion contains many of the same elements as the

~17. : 17.
16-
~ ....' 15. 15.
14, 14.
13. 13.
~ f
12. 12•
i"/ II,
=lo [ iol 20 I0~
!FPIF'!I
91 56 D
" Ri
52
.i
7 7.
41
6, 6.
5 5 I0 5,
N
~c 4 " ~ 4 4•
! LIll
24
3 3-
2 2D 21
! 37 Ii
0 0
6'o o E b b D AACH LPPSW CSD BDT
a) b) C) {" f r r s rsc rel nn oaD lid
t Carbonate I n t c r b c d s Species Richness Oislribuliofl of c o m n t o n .%pet'les
B 17 17
6. 16
54 15 15
4. 14 |4
13 ) II 13 I p,, :llrl; I ,I
I
2, 12 12 I
II I
II] ...,,......,,"""
°.)
II
I0
9. 9
8. 8
7. ,2 7
6, .2 6
5. 5
4 ,i 4
3. 4 3 I
I
2
i!
2
I
• 16
0
! I,
0 . . . . . . . . 0
I
!l I Ii
o ' I~o" i o " go" ,~o" ~o" ~(J 0 10 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6(1 bbb D AACH PPSW CSD BDT
a) b) fer r s r s c F e l n n oa] i Id
x Carbonale I n l e t b e d s ,Species Richness I)islrihulion o! Common Si)('('i(-~

Amphistrophia-Dalnumites assemblage, but has, an abundance of the camerate crinoids Euca-

in addition, a great abundance of spiriferid and lyptocrinites, Dimerocrinites, and Saccocri-
atrypid brachiopods, fenestellid bryozoans, nus, flexibles such as Lecanocrinus, the rhom-
dendroid graptolites, trilobites such as Caly- biferans Caryocrinites and Callocystites, and
mene and Aretinurus, and echinoderms such as large specimens of the coronoid Stephanocri-
Asaphocrinus, Homocrinus, and Caryocrin- nus. The brachiopods Atrypa, Whitfieldella,
ites. Sporadic beds of Striispirifer occur as ex- Coolinia, and large specimens of Leptaena are
tremely high density shell pavements. This is also abundantly associated. Fragmentary ra-
the typical "Striispirifer community" of Bou- mose and fenestellid bryozoans are relatively
cot (I 975). common though not as abundant in lower
Atrypa-Bryozoan Patch A s s o c i a t i o n . - - Rochester bryozoan patches. The generally
Bryozoan clusters (Fig. 5) constitute the most disarticulated and sometimes abraded nature of
diverse fossil assemblages of the Rochester fossils, association with well-washed biospar-
Shale; 60 to over 100 species may be present. ires, and sedimentary structures including
These occur as ienticular masses of ramose and planar- and cross-lamination indicate that this
fenestellid bryozoans, frequently dominated by faunal association occurred in very shallow,
Chilotrypa ostiolata and Hallopora elegan- agitated waters, crinoidal shoals, or banks.
tula. Virtually all of the fossils found in the Fistuliporoid Bioherms.--These comprise
Striispirifer assemblage can also be found in small mounds of laminate fistuliporoid bryozo-
this association, although these forms are rel- ans, often with a large component of struc-
atively rare. Brachiopods are dominated by tureless micrite, possibly algal boundstones
Atrypa, Plectatrypa, Whitfieldella nitida, (Hewitt and Cuffey, in prep.). A WhitfieldeUa-
Howellella crispa, Dicoelosia biloba, and atrypid brachiopod association characterizes
Sceninoides. Trilobites are typified by Bumas- these mounds, and shale-filled pockets within
tus, with lesser numbers of Dalmanites and the mounds may contain large specimens of the
Calymene. The echinoderms Caryocrinites or- trilobites Calymene and Bumastus (see Mikulic
natus and Stephanocrinus angulatus, com- 1981). Pelmatozoans including Eucal)ptocrin-
monly associated with bryozoan patches, are ites and Stephanocrinus gemmiformis were as-
frequently directly attached by holdfasts to sociated with and attached by holdfasts to the
bryozoan zooaria (see Brett, 1978b). Low- surfaces of these mounds.
sedimentation rates combined with generally The lamellar growth forms of these bryozo-
low-energy settings probably favored the growth ans, possible algal structures (including rare
of local thickets of bryozoans on skeletal sub- receptaculitids), and the association of bryozo-
strates (Brett, 1978a). an mounds with well-washed biosparites again
Encrinite Association.--Local thin beds in suggest that the mounds grew in shoal settings.
the base and top of the Lewiston Member con- Distribution of faunal associations within the
tain crinoidal biosparites similar to those of Rochester Shale closely parallels that of litho-
Irondequoit and Gasport Limestones. A survey facies (Fig. 13). Along the Niagara Escarp-
of disartieulated plates and holdfasts of pel- ment, encfinites and fistuliporoid mound as-
matozoan echinoderms (Brett, 1978a) reveals sociations occur in the basal Rochester and
FIG. 13.--Graphical summary of vertical changes in lithology and fauna of the Rochester Shale at two locations
along east side of Niagara Gorge. A) 0.5 km north of Robert Moses Power Plant, and 2.3 km south of Lewiston,
New York. B) Exposures at site of (collapsed) Schoelkopf Power Plant, 0.8 km north of Niagara Falls, New York.
Location A is about 6.5 km north of Location B. Features shown for each location are as follows: a, percentage
thickness of two types of carbonate interbeds, (thickness of interbed lithology per meter of section); solid line: cal-
carenites (biomicritesand biospafites);dotted line: calcisiltites(pelmicritesand pelsparites);b, species richness (num-
ber of species collected in bulk samples of approximately 10 kgm); c, vertical distributionof common fossil species,
solid thin line denotes presence of species; thick line denotes abundantoccurrence (5% or more of total assemblage);
dashed line indicatesprobable occurrence, unconfirmedby bulk sampling. Symbols for fossil species include: rugose
coral, Ec: Enterolasma caliculum; bryozoans, bf: fenestrate bryozoans, be: encrusting bryozoans, br: ramose bry-
ozoans; graptolite, Dr: Dictyonema retiforme; brachiopods; As: Amphistrophia striata, Ar: Atrypa "reticularis', Cs:
Coolinia subplana, Hc: Howellella (Heidina)crispa; Lr: Leptaena "rhomboidalis"; Pc: Parmorthis elegantula; Pt:
Plectodonta transversalis; Sn: Striispir~er niagarensis; Wn: Whitfieldella nitida; pelmatozoanechinoderms, Co: Car-
yocrinites ornatus; DD: Dendrocrinus spp. and Dimerocrinites spp.; trilobites; Bi: Bumastus ioxus; D[: Dalmanites
limulurus; Td: Trimerus delphinocephalus.

Irondequoit transition, and again, rarely, near Pelmatozoan holdfasts, brachiopods, and some
the top of the Lewiston Member. The bryozo- bryozoans within these beds occur preserved
an-patch facies occurs symmetrically in units in life position, suggesting that certain bryozo-
B and D of Lewiston, respectively. The Striis- an patches have simply been buried in place
pirifer association occurs in the transition zones and not later reworked.
between Unit C and the underlying and over- The best-preserved fossil horizons contain
lying units, whereas the sparse Amphistrophia- abundant, complete crinoids, trilobites, and
trilobite association typifies the middle portion graptolites, as well as many articulated bra-
(C) of the Lewiston Member and the lower two- chiopods occurring in the Striispirifer and Arn-
thirds of the Burleigh Hill Member. South- phistrophia associations, particularly in Unit C
eastward from the Niagara Escarpment in the of the Lewiston Member or in the middle to
Niagara Gorge, the bryozoan-rich assemblages upper Burleigh Hill Member (for example,
of the Lewiston Member tend to be replaced Homocrinus band, Eucalyptocrinites bed; Brett,
by the less diverse Striispirifer association. Near 1978a; Brett and Eckert, 1982). These appar-
the southern end of Niagara Gorge nearly the ently represent patch communities that were
entire Rochester Shale is very sparsely fossi- rapidly buffed by muds and were not later dis-
liferous and contains only rare members of the turbed in any way. This is suggestive of a low-
Amphistrophia-trilobite association. The ich- energy, muddy environment near the lower limit
nofossil association occurs sporadically in cal- of storm affects.
cisiltites and thicker beds of argillaceous car- Taken together, qualitative preservational data
bonate (DeCew Dolostone). indicate a rough taphonomic gradient from the
The various faunal assemblages also tend to Amphistrophia to the encfinite association. This
show a close association with particular types spectrum of fossil preservation appears to re-
of storm deposits. Thus, for example, remains flect the increasing frequency of bottom dis-
of ramose bryozoan patch association typically turbance by waves and currents in going from
occur in wave-winnowed calcarenites, in- deeper basinal areas to high-energy shoal set-
terbedded with relatively undisturbed samples tings. As such, taphonomic interpretation ac-
of bryozoan patches. In contrast, members of cords well with bathymetric inferences based
the Striispirifer and Amphistrophia associa- on the frequencies of storm deposits.
tions commonly occur at the bases of calci-
siltites or mud layers. DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
The five main body fossil associations also OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE
show varying degrees of taphonomic distur-
bance. Preservation of fossils is poorest in the General Depositional Setting
encrinite associations of the basal and upper of the Rochester Shale
portions of the Lewiston Member. Very high The sediments of the upper Clinton Group
disarticulation ratios of brachiopods (>80%), were deposited in a relatively shallow epeiric
as well as fragmentation, are observed within sea near the northern end of the gently sloping
this fossil association. Biosparite beds near the Appalachian Basin. A tectonically active (Ta-
base and, again, near the top of the Lewiston conic) source area southeast and east of New
Member contain shells with reworked geopetal York State supplied terrigenous sediments to
fillings. Abrasion and biocorrosion of fossils the adjacent epeiric sea basin. Slight uplift of
and glauconitic staining in these units also sug- this Taconic landmass immediately prior to de-
gest prolonged periods of exposure and win- position of the Rochester Shale may have pro-
nowing on the sea floor. duced an increased influx of terrigenous sed-
Atrypa-bryozoan patch associations in Units iment into the basin.
B and D of the Lewiston show somewhat bet- Subsurface data suggest that, during Roch-
ter preservation of fossils (Brett, 1978a, p. 346- ester Shale deposition, the northeast-southwest
353). Disarticulation ratios in brachiopods are trending axis of maximum subsidence of the
still moderately high (40-60%), but breakage Appalachian Basin lay in central New York
and biocorrosion are relatively infrequent. State (see p. 963; Fig. 14). The Rochester Shale
Echinoderms and trilobites are largely pre- thins slightly southeast from this area as it grades
served as disarticulated elements although whole into the Herkimer-Keefer sandstones (Fig. 14).
trilobites and crinoid calyces do occur rarely. The western Joslin Hill facies of the Herkimer

; . ,._.¢~ j. -- . . . . . ._~ JERSEY
i _c.~~= ~ :-- :?: -.L.:,:...;::i ,' ,;~,'~

Z_Z7_ii~ ~ : •
) I
4 ~v ::.: f
b __ . . -~] . . . . . . . . , ....
~ I.,.___ _ __~.:".~::~:(~_ _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / /
MAIqYLANO
• ~~.~ .... ;-~U,.:.~/.?~,I ',

•: " " .~-~" ",C .':::: • ;--\
: .. ~¢/ I FINE SANDSTONE
---------~.:.;.
" :~'#:--..:i~ : -.% ::: I~I
KE~.i~FEn ..... , ~r L-_ : - ~ SH,LE
SAI~I~STONE .... : ::::::L~
~-- - - BAR • :" " ":: :.::: MILES ~ OOLOMITE
",.v,,o,,,, t ~ ~ ~ t
5 ./( ii":::i?!~
(
; ' K I L' O M E T E R S ~ LIMESTONE
FtG. 1 4 . - - G e n e r a l i z e d f a c i e s m a p o f the R o c h e s t e r Shale and a s s o c i a t e d , c o e v a l f a c i e s , in the A p p a l a c h i a n B a s i n .

M o d i f i e d f r o m H u n t e r (1970).
is interpreted as a shallow subtidal, sandy de- Caley, 1970). This area evidently provided
posit, whereas the more eastern Jordanville some allochthonous carbonate to the basin, but
Member represents beach and bar deposits essentially no terrigenous sediments (Figs. 12,
(Zenger, 1966). Distribution of these sand- 14). Toward the west and northwest, the
stones suggests a northeast-southwest orienta- Rochester Shale also thins and interfingers with
tion of the eastern paleoshoreline. The source the carbonate platform sediments of the Iron-
area for the Herkimer-Keefer and Rochester dequoit, Wiarton (Amabel), and Gasport For-
clastic sediments lies to the east and southeast mations (Hunter, 1970). These formations yield
of New York State. Westward migration of the abundant sedimentologic evidence--such as
eastern shoreline during the Irondequoit-Roch- winnowing of fines and cross-stratification of
ester transition may have resulted from pro- comminuted crinoidal debris--suggesting de-
gradation of sediment from the Taconic source position in high-energy shoal environments,
area (Gillette, 1947). frequently above wave base (Crowley, 1973).
During Rochester deposition, the Appala- Thus, these carbonates are generally consid-
chian Basin was bordered on the northwest by ered to represent shelf settings shallower than
a carbonate platform-crinoidal shoal complex gray shale and fine-grained dolostone facies
in the area of the Algonquin Arch (Bolton, 1957; (Hunter, 1970).

Aside from the anomalous black shale facies suggest that the Irondequoit represents a cri-
(lagoonal?) of West Virginia (Folk, 1962), the noid bank deposit, formed in shallow, mod-
Rochester Shale represents the deposition of erate- to high-energy environments, as indi-
muds in a normal marine, relatively shallow cated by poorly to well-washed biospafite,
subtidal (inner nefitic) setting. Sedimentologic presence of small-scale cross-laminae, intra-
and taphanomic evidence indicates a generally clasts at the base of the unit, and the commi-
low-energy environment punctuated by occa- nuted nature of most fossils. The occurrence
sional bursts of higher energy sedimentation, of small bioherms formed of lamellate fistu-
probably during storms (Thusu, 1972; Nar- liporoid bryozoans and algae is further indic-
bonne, 1977). Paleogeographic reconstruc- ative of shallow-water deposition. The Iron-
tions of North America during the Silurian dequoit Limestone appears to merge with the
(Seyfert and Sirkin, 1973; Ziegler et al., 1977; overlying crinoidal carbonates of the Amabel
Bambach et al., 1980) indicate that New York Group, indicating a persistence of the crinoid
lay about 15° south of the paleoequator, thus biofacies during Rochester mud deposition far-
in a tropical climatic belt. A tropical position ther southeast (Figs. 14, 15).
for the Appalachian Basin could have placed Gradation of the lrondequoit into Unit A of
the epeiric seas within the pathway of severe the Lewiston Member of Rochester Shale at
tropical storms (humcanes) (see Kreisa, 1981). most western New York localities, and the
The Rochester Shale and synjacent units yield persistence of lrondequoit fauna, including its
evidence for storm-influenced shelf sedimen- fistuliporoid bryozoan bioherms, from the
tation, as noted above. limestone into the overlying shale, suggests a
Slight latitudinal shifting of North America rather gradual transition to more muddy initial
and/or orographic effects during the medial Rochester depositional conditions. Farther west,
Silurian may have resulted in a change from near Grimsby and Hamilton, Ontario, the Iron-
humid to arid tropical conditions. Hunter (1970) dequoit/Rochester contact is sharply defined,
noted a marked decrease in iron content in the and the development of local encrusted hard-
uppermost Clinton rocks and a virtual absence grounds on the upper surface of the Ironde-
of iron-rich rocks in the overlying Lockport quoit at Gfimsby (Brett, in press) indicates that
Group. He further suggested, as a cause, de- a discontinuity surface exists at this contact.
creased rainfall, possibly related to lowered re- The highly condensed section of the Roch-
lief of the Taconic uplands. Associated with ester Shale (Lewiston Member?) at Clappison
this greater aridity is possible evidence of a Comers, Ontario, probably accumulated near
slight increase in salinity during the latest the crest of Algonquin Arch. Intraclasts of do-
Clinton deposition. Rochester Shale sediments lomitic shale were probably derived locally by
were certainly deposited in seas of normal sa- erosion of previously deposited Rochester sed-
linity in most areas, as indicated by wide- iments. The provenance of rounded quartz
spread occurrence of stenohaline organisms (for grains is unknown; these grains may have been
example, crinoids). But restricted fauna and moved by longshore transport from southeast-
possible primary dolomite in the overlying ern source areas or they may be derived from
DeCew Formation may indicate slightly hy- the Precambrian shield nearby to the north.
persaline conditions at the end of Rochester A high-energy environment probably existed
deposition (Hunter, 1970; Nairn, 1973; Crow- along the Algonquin Arch throughout much of
ley, 1973). Rochester Shale deposition farther southeast;
the winnowing of fine-grained sediments re-
sulted in a very thin shale section. As noted
lrondequoit-Lower Rochester Sequence below, this condensed crinoidal intraclastic fa-
Carbonate sediments of the lrondequoit cies of the Wiarton shoal grades southeastward
Limestone accumulated over a rather broad re- into dolomitic shales and argillaceous lime-
gion during a time of low clastic sedimenta- stones or dolostones (argillaceous carbonate
tion. Conditions favorable for the growth of belt, see below).
crinoids, bryozoans, brachiopods, and other The most fossiliferous sections (B, D, and
benthic invertebrates existed over much of New E submembers) of the Lewiston Member, which
York State and adjacent Ontario at this time. crop out along the Niagara Escarpment be-
Petrological studies by Freedenberg (1975) tween Brockport, New York, and Grimsby,

FIG. 15.--Facies map for Rochester Shale in Ontario and western New York State. Reconstructionshows approx-
imate geographic position of facies belts during deposition of the upper part of the Lewiston Member Submember
E). Note parallelism between facies belts and present Niagara Escarpment.
Ontario, are interpreted as deposits that accu- and contains numerous bryozoan-rich lime-
mulated in the northeast-southwest trending stones. West of this location, the character of
environmental belt (bryozoan belt), which was the Lewiston Member changes rapidly, and at
particularly favorable to bryozoan growth (Fig. Fruitland, only 10 km west of Grimsby, it con-
15). This region of the Rochester sea floor sists dominantly of silty dolomitic shale with
probably lay below normal wave base but well only a few dolomitized bryozoan limestone
within reach of deeper storm waves, as indi- lenses. This aspect of the Lewiston Member
cated by lenticular bryozoan-rich biosparites (argillaceous carbonate belt), which persists into
and occasional intraclasts within the lime- the Hamilton area, suggests that bryozoan
stones. The location of this belt was controlled growth was somewhat restricted in the north-
largely by depth or sedimentation, and it fluc- western depositional area. An increase in bur-
tuated slightly during Lewiston deposition. rowed silty dolostone (originally calcisiltite) or
Recent bryozoans are often sensitive to silta- fine calcarenite in this area indicates that the
tion, and this was likely an important factor in controlling factor may have been the deposi-
controlling the distribution of Silurian forms as tion of silt- to fine sand-sized carbonate sedi-
well. This Silurian bryozoan belt strikingly re- ment. Interbedded stringers of well-sorted cfi-
sembles bryozoan-rich zones off the modem noidal debris, which grade upward into do-
Rhfne delta (Lagaaij and Gautier, 1965, p. 46). lomitic siltstones, reflect intermittent influx
Unfortunately, the northern edge of bry- of current-winnowed skeletal debris from the
ozoan belt has been largely removed by post- so-called Wiarton crinoid banks that lay im-
Silurian erosion, but some indication of its na- mediately northwest of the Hamilton area dur-
ture can be inferred from the westernmost out- ing Rochester deposition. Crowley (1973) has
crops of the Rochester Shale in the vicinity of determined a similar source for the DeCew
Hamilton, Ontario. A maximum development Dolostone. At times when the influx of debris
of the bryozoan facies in the lower Rochester from the northwest became less intense, the sea
was observed near Grimsby, Ontario, where floor was populated by bryozoans and other
the entire lower member of the formation (ex- organisms.
cept for the basal meter) is richly fossiliferous Outcrops near the south end of Niagara Gorge

and in the southern end of the Fonthill Reen- shale and calcisiltites in the lower half of the
trant, as well as those in west-central New York, Lewiston Member (units A-C) suggests that
indicate that the area lying immediately south- the bryozoan belt shifted northward through time
east of the bryozoan belt was a lower energy, as a result of minor transgression or increased
muddy, basinal area characterized by mud- sedimentation rates. Reappearance of bry-
stone and carbonate silt deposition. This re- ozoan-fich beds in the Lewiston Member above
gion received a larger input of terrigenous sed- submember C indicates that the environment
iments than the areas to the north, as well as of the bryozoan belt again migrated southward
occasional storm layers of carbonate silt (pel- toward the close of Lewiston deposition.
lets and fine skeletal debris), now represented Sedimentologic and taphonomic evidence
by thin, persistent calcisiltite bands. Hence this suggests that the lowest and highest portions
facies is termed a "calcisiltite belt" (Fig. 15). of the Lewiston Member were deposited under
DeNtal carbonate was probably winnowed from shallower water than the intervening sedi-
carbonate shoal areas, including the bryozoan ments. Hence, the Lewiston Member as a whole
belt to the northwest, and transported down- constitutes a single subsymmetrical transgres-
slope as suspension clouds or density currents sive-regressive cycle, with unit C representing
(Fig. 12). Farther south, subsurface data in- maximum northward transgression. This inter-
dicate that calcisiltites also become scarce, the pretation is further supported by the southward
entire deposit consisting instead of calcareous (basinward) thickening of the barren shale and
mudstone (mudstone belt). The fine grain size calcisiltite facies (unit C). Conversely, the up-
and absence of sedimentary structures indicate per bryozoan-rich beds (unit E) show a rapid
deposition of terrigenous muds in relatively southward rise (in concert with the thickening
quiet, possibly deep water of the central Ap- of unit C) and a thinning out to a single 5-cm
palachian Basin, which occupied south-central band.
New York, Pennsylvania, and southern On- A probably analogous sequence in eastern
tario. This low-energy, muddy environment was New York State is represented by the Kirkland
apparently favorable for a variety of brachio- Hematite-lower Rochester-Rochester "lean iron
pods, notably the Striispirifer and Amphistro- ore" sequence (Gillette, 1942). Again, both the
phia associations. However, many of the bry- basal and middle portions of the Rochester Shale
ozoans and echinoderms which typify the lower show evidence of deposition under shoaling
Rochester Shale along the western escarpment conditions, conducive to the formation of
were apparently excluded from that southern o61ithic hematites, whereas the intervening
area. shales represent quieter conditions farther off-
Thus, at any given time, during deposition shore.
of the Lewiston Member, an array of subpar-
aim east-west trending lithofacies existed; from Upper Rochester-Gasport Sequence
north to south these were a) Wiarton crinoid One of the most striking features of the
bank-biohermal, b) argillaceous carbonate, c) Rochester Shale in western New York and On-
bryozoan, d) calcisiltite, and e) mudstone belts. tario is the break between the uppermost bry-
Corresponding biofacies include a) encrinite- ozoan-rich limestone of the Lewiston Member
fistuliporoid bioherrn, b) trace fossil, c) Atrypa- and the overlying barren shales or shaly do-
bryozoan cluster, d) Striispirifer, and e) Am- lostone of the Stoney Creek-Burleigh Hill
phistrophia-triiobite associations. Members. The lower part of the Burleigh Hill
Fluctuation of these environmental-facies Member is nearly barren, well laminated, dark
belts is indicated by detailed stratigraphic stud- gray shale; the unit then shows an upward in-
ies of the Lewiston Member (see above). The crease in burrowed calcisiltites and ultimately
bryozoan belt facies appears to have been es- grades into dolomitic shale or argillaceous do-
tablished with the onset of Rochester elastic Iostone of the DeCew Formation. The base of
deposition, as indicated by a transition from this sequence strongly resembles the middle unit
crinoid-brachiopod-rich limestone of the Iron- (submember C) of the Lewiston Member, both
dequoit into interbedded shale and bryozoan- faunally and lithologically, and is interpreted
rich limestone of the lower Rochester at many as indicating a recurrence of deeper water de-
localities in western New York. An apparent positional conditions than the underlying bry-
upward increase in the percentage of barren ozoan beds (that is, mudstone and calcisiltite

belts). On the other hand, sedimentary struc- upper Rochester, which is particularly evident
tures near the top of the Burleigh Hill and in the Hamilton area, suggests that this portion
throughout most of the Stoney Creek Member of the Rochester sea floor was inhabited chiefly
suggest deposition in shallower water; these by infaunal burrowers. The activity of such or-
include dolomitic siltstone with medium-scale ganisms may, in turn, have rendered the sea
cross bedding and cross lamination, vertical and floor uninhabitable to most epifaunal organ-
oblique burrows, abundant storm deposits, beds isms. Restricted circulation of the sea water may
of oriented Tentaculites and crinoid colum- also have been a factor (Nairn, 1973), al-
nals, drag marks, ripples and stringers of cri- though the occurrence of scattered patches of
noidal sand, and some beds of dolomitic shale brachiopods, trilobites, and crinoids through-
intraclasts. Well-preserved accumulations of out the interval argues against drastic changes
fossil crinoids and some vertically embedded in salinity or water chemistry in general.
crinoid stems up to 6 cm long point to inter- In contrast to the completely gradational
mittent scouring and rapid deposition of silty lower contact of the DeCew Dolostone with
sediments. the upper Rochester, the upper DeCew is trun-
Furthermore, the upper Burleigh Hill and cated abruptly by the overlying Gasport cri-
Stoney Creek units are clearly transitional into noidal limestones. This sharp upper contrast
the overlying DeCew Doiostone, which has marks the migration of crinoid sand over these
been interpreted by Crowley (1973) and Nairn finer sediments. Migration of the crinoid bank
(1973) as dolomitic carbonate silt accumula- may have proceeded in a stepwise manner, in-
tion in a restricted shallow water environment itiated by spreading of a blanket of skeletal sands
in front of the advancing Gasport (= Wiarton, by currents outward from the existing bank edge
in part) crinoid bar. Fine-grained calcareous (Crowley, 1973). In many cases, initial de-
sediments which comprise up to 60 percent of position was preceded by a period of scouring
the upper Rochester Shale and DeCew Dolo- of older deposits, so that clasts of DeCew Do-
stone were probably derived from winnowing lostone were ripped up and incorporated into
of the crinoid bank (Crowley, 1973). Indeed, the basal Gasport crinoidal sands. As skeletal
some of the silty upper Rochester Shale con- sands became stabilized, they provided suit-
tains minute crinoid ossicles. able areas for colonization by crinoids and other
Together, this evidence suggests a rapid organisms. In turn, the debris of these organ-
transgressional phase followed by upward isms was eventually swept forward providing
shoaling of the Rochester sea. The Burleigh substrates for further colonization. In places,
Hill-Stoney Creek members are thus inter- biohermal buildups, dominated by stromato-
preted as an upward, regressional hemicycle. poroids and tabulate corals, developed on this
Unlike the lower Lewiston Member, which is platform of skeletal debris (Crowley, 1973;
subsymmetrical, there is apparently little rec- Crowley and Poore, 1974). Such patch reefs
ord of the upper Rochester transgressive phase. were further colonized by various pelmatozoan
Thus, the Burleigh Hill pattern is consistent with echinoderms, as indicated by in situ holdfasts
the PAC (Punctuated Aggradational Cycle) on the reef surfaces and abundant, well-pre-
model of epeiric sea sedimentation proposed served calyx and stem remains in their flank
by Anderson et al. (1978), whereas the lower sediments.
Rochester seemingly would imply that the A shallow-water, high-energy environment
model is not invariably applicable. for the Gasport is clearly indicated by the oc-
A rarity of bryozoans and a paucity of other currence of biosparite, cross-bedding of cri-
fossils from the uppermost Rochester is prob- noidal debris, DeCew intraclasts, overturned
lematical. Seemingly, during Burleigh Hill- coral and stromatoporoid heads, as well as reef
Stoney Creek deposition, the argillaceous-car- buildups. Crowley (1973) also provided evi-
bonate belt largely displaced the bryozoan belt. dence for shallow submergence or even su-
This situation may have resulted from a variety baerial exposure of reef tops at the close of
of causes. First, as noted above, there is evi- Gasport deposition.
dence for intermittent rapid sedimentation as
well as agitation of the bottom, so as to re- DISCUSSION
suspend fine calcareous silts and muds. Sec- Dennison (1970) and Dennison and Head
ondly, the strongly bioturbated character of the (1975) used a variety of stratigraphic, sedi-

mentologic, and paleontologic criteria to infer port limestones, during the middle of Roch-
eustatic or basinwide fluctuations in sea level ester Shale deposition. This event is reflected
within the Appalachian Basin during the Sil- by a crinoidal biosparite tongue at the base of
urian and Devonian periods. They postulate two the Stoney Creek Member in Ontario, the bry-
intervals of lowered sea level during the mid- ozoa beds of the Lewiston Member, a middle
dle and upper Niagaran or Wenlockian Epoch. limestone in the Rochester Shale in Wayne
Based on the basinward extension of paralic County, and perhaps a "lean iron ore" near the
sheet sands and oolitic hematite seams (Keefer center of the Rochester Shale in central New
Sandstone), Dennison (1970) postulated a ma- York (Gillette, 1940, 1947). These units lo-
jor regressive-transgressive cycle. Dennison and cally separate the Rochester Shale into upper
Head (1975) suggested that the Irondequoit and lower members, each of which represents
Limestone of western New York corresponds a smaller scale transgressive-regressive cycle.
to this sea-level drop, and they speculated that In western New York, the lower cycle, com-
the overlying Rochester Shale was deposited prising the entire Lewiston Member, is by far
during subsequent transgression. the more complete and is nearly symmetrical.
A shallowing of lesser magnitude than that In contrast, the upper unit (Stoney Creek-Bur-
associated with the Keefer-lrondequoit depo- leigh Hill) is highly asymmetrical and repre-
sition probably occurred near the end of the sents only an upwardly regressional hemicy-
Wenlockian. This is reflected by a redbed cle. Predictably, in outcrops toward the center
(Rabble Run Member) and sandstone tongue of the basin, for example, in the Genesee River
within the McKenzie Formation of Maryland Gorge, these smaller cycles are less obvious,
and West Virginia (Travis, 1962). Dennison and the entire section takes on a more monot-
and Head (1975, p. 1098) correlate this event onous, homogeneous aspect.
with erosion surfaces recognized by Crowley
(1973) at the tops of bioherms in the Gasport
CONCLUSIONS
Limestone. The lithologic and faunal similar-
ity of the Gasport to the Irondequoit indicates 1) Stratigraphic evidence strongly suggests
that both were deposited under nearly identical that Rochester Shale facies occurred in elon-
depositional conditions in western New York, gate east-west trending belts subparallel to the
although the lrondequoit extends considerably present Niagara Escarpment. Layer-cake stra-
farther southeastward into the Appalachian Ba- tigraphy observed in Rochester Shale outcrops
sin than does the Gasport. This strongly sug- reflects parallelism of outcrop- and facies-belt
gests that the Gasport Formation itself resulted orientations.
from a widespread regressive event similar to, 2) The Rochester Shale consists of biotur-
but of lesser extent than, that which produced bated gray mudstone with abundant carbon-
the Irondequoit. Erosional tops of Gasport ate interbeds, including intrasparites, lenticu-
bioherms may represent the final and most ex- lar biosparites and biomicfites (= calcaren-
tensive phase of the late Wenlockian regres- ites), and laminated unfossiliferous pelmicrites
sive episode. (= calcisiltites). These units, together with
As noted earlier (Fig. 1), the Irondequoit and "smothered bottom layers" (well-preserved
Gasport appear in north-south cross sections as fossil assemblages), provide evidence for ep-
two basinward extensions of the Wiarton cri- isodic storm deposition. Carbonate sediments
noid bank facies. It is evident that these tongues were concentrated and locally transported by
define a large-scale transgressive-regressive storm-wave action on a gently sloping shelf.
cycle comprising the Irondequoit-Rochester- Intraclastic limestones and coarse calcarenite
DeCew-Gasport. Dennison and Head (1979) lenses formed as erosion-lag deposits in areas
had suggested that the Rochester Shale was de- within storm-wave base, and thus characterize
posited during a single rise of sea level, but the shallowest water depositional settings; they
the Rochester subdivisions indicate that this is typify the lower and upper parts of the Lew-
an overly simplistic view. Detailed stratigra- iston Member and, to a lesser extent, the upper
phy of the Rochester reveals evidence for a mi- Burleigh Hill Member. Finer debris was win-
nor regressive event, of lesser magnitude than nowed from shoal areas, forming suspension
that which produced the lrondequoit or Gas- clouds which moved down a southward-facing

paleoslope, depositing storm-silt (calcisiltite) ment of bryozoan facies analogous to those ob-
and mud layers, in slightly deeper water en- served in the Lewiston Member.
vironments. Such deposits are typical of the
middle Lewiston (submember C) and lower ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Burleigh Hill members. 1 am grateful to many persons who contrib-
3) The general depositional environment of uted to the present study of the Rochester Shale.
the Rochester Shale in Ontario and western New Craig R. Clement, James D. Eckert, Joseph A.
York is envisaged as a shallow (less than 50 Butch, and Mark Domagala aided in measur-
m), gently southeastwardly sloping muddy ing various sections and collecting samples and
shelf. This region was bordered on the south- provided much valuable discussion of ideas.
east by a sandy shoreline and on the northwest Kay O'Connell and Stephen Speyer drafted
by carbonate shoals. A hypothetical northwest maps and stratigraphic sections; Robert M.
to southeast transect would include the follow- Eaton prepared the photographs and Margrit
ing facies: A) crinoida! bank-biohermaffacies Gardner and Claire Sundeen carefully typed
(Wiarton), coinciding with the Algonquin axis; various drafts of the paper. The manuscript was
B) either an argillaceous-carbonate facies re- critically reviewed by Robert G. Sutton, Curt
flecting mixed terrigenous and detrital carbon- Teichert, Roger J. Cuffey, Mark A. Pearce,
ate sedimentation (portions of Lewiston, Stoney and Gordon C. Baird.
Creek and upper Burleigh Hill Members), or Field work on the Rochester Shale was par-
a bryozoan calcarenite facies consisting of tially supported by grants from the Scott Turner
abundant patches of ramose bryozoans, and Foundation (University of Michigan), the Geo-
associated diverse brachiopods, echinoderms, logical Society of America, andthe Rochester
and other fossils, formed during times of low- Museum and Science Center.
sedimentation rates (Lewiston B, D, and E);
C) a calcisiltitefacies comprising mudstone and REFERENCES
interbedded barren, carbonate, storm-silt lay-
ers (Lewiston C, lower Burleigh Hill); D) a AGER, D. V., 1974, Storm deposits in the Jurassic of the
Moroccan High Atlas: Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimat.,
sparsely fossiliferous mudstone facies (undif- Palaeoecol., v. 15, p. 83-93.
ferentiated lower Rochester Shale, lower Bur- AIGNER. T., 1979, Schill-Tempestite im Oberen Mus-
leigh Hill in part). chelkalk (Trias, sw-Deutschland): Neues Jahrb. Geol.,
4) Vertical facies changes in the Rochester Palaeontol., Abh. 156, p. 285-304.
Shale at a given section are attributed to lateral - - , 1982, Calcareous tempestites: storm-dominated
stratification in upper Muschelkalk Limestone (middle
(north or south) shifts of environmental (fa- Trias, sw-Germany), in Einsele, G., and Seilacher, A.,
cies) belts due to migration of a northern pa- eds., Cyclic and Event Stratification: New York, Hei-
leoshoreline. The Irondequoit to Gasport se- delberg, Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 536 p.
quence constitutes a major transgressive- ANDERSON, E. J., GOODWIN, P. W., AND CAMERON, B.,
1978, Punctuated aggradational cycles (PAC's) in Mid-
regressive cycle with two superimposed sub- dle Ordovician and Lower Devonian sequences, in
cycles in the Rochester Shale. The Lewiston Merriam, D. F., ed., Guidebook for field trips in the
Member records a subsymmetrical cycle of a Syracuse area: New York State Geol. Assoc. 50th Ann.
deepening (units submembers A-C) and shal- Mtg. Syracuse, N.Y., p. 204 224.
lowing (submembers C-E). In contrast, the BALL. S. M., 1971, The Westphalia Limestone of the
northern midcontinent: a possible ancient storm de-
upper unit (Burleigh Hill or Stoney Creek posit: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 41, p. 217-232.
member) reflects aspects of an asymmetrical BAMBACH,R. K., SCOTESE, C. R., AND ZIEGLER, A. M.,
shallowing-upward hemicycle. The transgres- 1980, Before Pangea: the geographies of the Paleozoic
sive portion of this sequence is poorly pre- world: Am. Scientist, v. 68, p. 26-36.
BASSLER, R. S., 1906, The bryozoan fauna of the Roch-
served or absent and is usually represented by ester Shale: USGS Bull., v. 292, 31 p.
a slight disconformity: the contact between BELAK, R., 1980, The Cobleskill and Akron members of
calcarenites of Lewiston E submember and up- the Rondout Formation: Late Silurian carbonate shelf
per (Burleigh Hill) barren shales. Greatly in- sedimentation in the Appalachian Basin, New York:
creased allodapic carbonate sedimentation dur- Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 50, p. 1187-1204.
BERRY, W. B. N., AND BOUCOT,A. J., 1970, Correlation
ing deposition of the upper Burleigh Hill-DeCew of the North Ameficnn Silurian rocks: Geol. Soc. Amer.,
interval inhibited the growth of bryozoans in Spec. Paper 102, 289 p.
shallow water and so prevented the develop- BOLrON, T. E., 1957, Silurian Stratigraphy of the Niagara

970 C A R L T O N E. B R E I T
Escarpment in Ontario: Geol. Surv. Canada, Mere., v. Virginia: Jour. Sod. Petrology, v. 32, p. 539-578.
289, 145 p. FREEDENBERG,H., 1975, Environment of deposition of the
BOWEN, Z. P., RHOADS,D. C., AND MCALESTER, A. L., Irondequoit Formation (Middle Silurian) western New
1974, Marine benthic communities in the Upper De- York and southern Ontario [unpubl. M.S. thesis]: Buf-
vonian of New York: Lethaia, v. 7, p. 93-120. falo, S.U.N.Y., 67 p.
BOUCOT,A. J., 1975, Evolution and Extinction Rate Con- GILLE~E, T. G., 1940, Geology of the Clyde and Sodus
trois: Amsterdam Elsevier, 427 p. Bay quadrangles, New York: N.Y. State Mus. Bull. v.
BRETSKVJ~., P. W., 1969, Central Appalachian Late Or- 320, 179 p.
dovician communities. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., v. 80, , 1947, The Clinton of western and central New
p. 193-212. York: New York State Mus. Bull. v. 341, 191 p.
- - , 1970, Late Ordovician benthic communities in GRABAU, A. W., 1901, Guide to the geology and paleon-
north-central New York. New York State Mus. and tology of Niagara Falls and vicinity: Buffalo Soc. of
Science Service Bull., v. 414, 34 p. Nat. Sci. Bull., v. 7, 284 p.
BRE'I'r, C. E., 1978a. Systematics and paleoecology of HALL, J., 1839, Third annual report of the Fourth Geo-
Late Silurian (Wenlockian) pelmatozoan echinoderms logical District of the State of New York: New York
from western New York and Ontario [unpubl. Ph.D. State Geol. Surv. Ann. Rept., No. 3, p. 287-339.
dissertation]: Ann Arbor, Univ. Michigan, 603 p. , 1852, Containing descriptions of the organic re-
- - . 1978b. Attachment structures in the rhombiferan mains of the lower middle division of the New York
cystoids Caryocrinites and their paleobiological impli- System: Paleontology of New York, v. 2, 362 p.
cations. Jour. Paleontology, v. 52, p. 717-726. HAVES, M. O., 1967, Hurricanes as geological agents,
- - , 1982, Stratigraphy and facies variation of the south Texas coast: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists
Rochester Shale (Silurian: Clinton Group) along Ni- Bull., v. 51, p. 937-942.
agara Gorge, in Calkin, P. E., ed., Guidebook for field HUNTER, R. E., 1970, Facies of iron sedimentation in the
trips in the Buffalo area. New York State Geol. Assoc. Clinton Group, in Fisher, G. W., ed., Studies of Ap-
54th Ann. Mtg., Buffalo, N.Y., p. 217-245. palachian Geology: Central and Southern: New York,
- - , (in press), Stratigraphy and facies relationships Wiley lnterscience, 400 p.
of the Silurian Rochester Shale (Wenlockian; Clinton JONES, B., AND DIXON, O. A., 1976, Storm deposits in
Group) in New York State and Ontario: Proceedings the Reed Bay Formation (Upper Silurian), Somerset Is-
Rochester Acad. Sci. land, Arctic Canada (an application of Markov chain
BRETT, C. E., AND ECKERT, J. D., 1982, Palaeoecology analysis): Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 46, p. 393-401.
of a well-preserved crinoid colony from the Silurian KISSLING, D. L., AND MOSHIER, S. O., 1981, The sub-
Rochester Shale in Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum Life surface Onondaga Limestone: Stratigraphy, facies and
Sci. Contrib. 131, p. 1 20. paleogeography, in Enos, P., ed., Guidebook for field
CALE¥, J. F., 1940, Paleozoic geology of the Toronto- trips in south-central New York. New York State Geol.
Hamilton area: Geol. Surv. Canada Mem. v. 224, 284 Assoc. 53rd Ann. Mtg., Binghamton, N.Y., p. 279-
p. 280.
CHADWICK, G. H., 1918, Stratigraphy of the New York Koch II, W. F., 1981, Brachiopod community paleo-
Clinton: Geol. Soc. Amer., Bull. v. 29, p. 327-368. ecology, paleobiogeography, and depositional topog-
CISNE, J. L., AND RABE, B. D., 1978, Coenocorrelation: raphy of the Devonian Onondaga Limestone and cor-
gradient analysis of fossil communities and its appli- relative strata in eastern North America: Lethaia v. 14,
cation in stratigraphy: Lethaia, v. I1, p. 341-364. p. 83-103.
CROWLEY, D. J., 1973, Middle Silurian patch reefs in the KREIDLER, W. L., VAN TYNE, A. M., ANDJORGENSEN, K.
Gasport member (Lockport Formation), New York: M., 1972, Deep wells in New York State: N.Y. State
Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geol. Bull., v. 52, p. 283- Mus. and Sci. Service, Bull. 418A, 335 p.
300. KREISA, R. D., 1981, Storm-generated sedimentary struc-
CROWLEY,D. J., ANDPORE, R. Z., 1974, Lockport (Mid- tures in subtidal marine facies with examples from the
dle Silurian) and Onondaga (Middle Devonian) patch Middle and Upper Ordovician of southwestern Vir-
reefs in wester New York, in Peterson, D. N., ed., ginia: Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 5 I, p. 823-848.
Guideb,,x)k 1or Geology of western New York: New York KREISA, R. D., AND BAMaAC~t, R. K., 1982, The role of
State Geol. Assoc. 46th Ann. Mtg., Fredonia, N.Y., storm processes in generating shell beds in Paleozoic
p. A-I-A-41. shelf environments, in Einsele, G., and Seilacher, A.,
CUFFEY, R. J., AND DAVIDHEISER,C. E., 1979, Paleoe- eds., Cyclic and Event Stratification: New York, Hei-
cologic zonation within a mid-Silurian (Rochester Shale) delberg, Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 536 p.
patch reef near Lock Haven, central Pennsylvania: Geol. LAGAAIJ, R., AND GAUTIER, Y. V., 1965, Bryozoan as-
Soc. Am. Abs. w. Prog., v. 1 l, no. 1, p. 9. semblages from marine sediments of the Rhrne delta,
DENNISON, J. M., 1970, Silurian stratigraphy and sedi- France: Micropaleontology v. 11, p. 39-58.
mentary tectonics of southern West Virginia and ad- LAPORTE, L. F., 1967, Carbonate deposition near mean
jacent Virginia, in Appalachian Geol. Soc. Field Conf. sea level and resultant facies mosaic: Manlius Forma-
Guidebook (1970); Charleston, W. Va., Appalachian tion (Lower Devonian) of New York State: Am. Assoc.
Geol. Sue., p. 2-33. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 51, p. 73-101.
DENNISON,J. M., ANDHE~.D, J. W., 1975, Sea-level vari- , 1969, Recognition of a transgressive carbonate
ations interpreted from the Appalachian Basin Silurian sequence within an epeiric sea: Helderberg Group (Lower
and Devonian: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 275, p. 1089-1120. Devonian) of New York State, in Friedman, G. M.,
FOI.K, R. L., 1962, Petrography and origin of the Silurian ed., Soc. Econ. Paleontologists Mineralogists Spec. Pub.
Rochester and McKenzie shales, Morgan County, West No. 14, p. 98-119.

LEVORSEN, A. I., 1943, Discovery thinking: Amer. As- SCHAFER, W., 1972, Ecology and Palaeoecology of Ma-
soc. Petroleum Geol. Bull., v. 27, p. 887-928. rine Environments: Chicago, Univ. Chicago Press, 568
MCGHEE JR., G. R., AND SUTTON,R. G., 1981, Late De- p.
vonian marine ecology and zoogeography of the central SCHUCHERT,C., 1914, Medina and Cataract formations of
Appalachians and New York: Lethaia, v. 14, p. 27- the Siluric of New York and Ontario: Geol. Soc. Amer.
43. Bull., v. 25, p. 277-320.
MEYER, D. L., TOBIN, R. C., PRYOR, W. A., HARRISON, SEILACHER, A., 1982, General remarks about event de-
W. B., OSGOOD, R. G., HINTERLONG,G. D., KRUM- posits, in Einsele, G., and Seilacher, A., eds., Cyclic
POLZ, B. J., AND MAHAN, T. K., 1981, Stratigraphy, and Event Stratification: New York, Heidelberg, Ber-
sedimentology, and paleoecology of the Cincinnatian lin, Springer-Verlag, 536 p.
series (Upper Ordovician) in the vicinity of Cincinnati, SEYFERT, C. K., AND SIRKIN,L. A., 1979, Earth History
Ohio, in Roberts, T. G., ed., GSA Cincinnati '81, Field and Plate Tectonics: (2nd ed.): New York, Harper &
Trip Guidebooks, vol. 1: Stratigraphy and Sedimentol- Row, 600 p.
ogy, Amer. Geol. inst. Publ., p. 31-71. SPRINGER, F., 1926, American Silurian crinoids: Smith-
MIKULIC, D. C., 1981, Trilobites in Paleozoic carbonate sonian Inst. Publ. No. 2871, 239 p.
buildups. Lethaia, v. 14, p. 45-46. SU'IIq'ON,R. G., BOWEN, Z. P., AND MCALESTER, A. L.,
NAIRN,J., 1973, Depositional environment of the DeCew 1970, Marine shelf environments of the Upper Devon-
Member of the Lockport Formation in New York and ian Sonyea Group of New York: Geol. Soc. Am. Bull.,
Ontario lunpubl. M.S. thesis]: Fredonia, N.Y., S.U.C. v. 81, p. 2975-2992.
Fredonia, 6l p. SWARTZ,C. K., 1923, Stratigraphic and paleontologic re-
NARBONNE, G. M., 1977, Paleoecology of the Silurian lations of the Silurian strata of Maryland: Maryland Geol.
Rochester Formation in the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario Surv., Silurian volume, p. 28-51.
lunpubl. B.S. thesis]: St. Catharines, Ontario, Brock SWARTZ,F. M., 1934, Silurian sections near Mount Union,
University, 22 p. central Pennsylvania: Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., v. 45, p.
POTTER, P. E., MAYNARD,J. B., ANDPRYOR, W. A.. 1980, 81-134.
Sedimentology of shale: New York, Heidelberg, Ber- , 1935, Relationships of the Silurian Rochester and
lin, Springer-Vcrlag, 306 p. McKenzie Formations near Cumberland, Maryland, and
RAUP, D. M., AND STANLEY, S. M., 1978, Principles of Lakemont, Pennsylvania: Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., v. 46,
Paleontology (2nd ed.): San Francisco, W. H. Freeman p. 1165-1194.
and Co., 481 p. THAYER,C. W., 1974, Marine paleoecology in the Upper
REINECK, H. E., ANDS~NCH, I. B., 1972, Genesis of lam- Devonian of New York: Lethaia, v. 7, p. 121-155.
inated sand and graded rhymthmites in storm-sand lay- THUSU, B., 1972, Depositional environment of the Roch-
ers of shelf mud: Sedimentology, v. 18, p. 123-128. ester Formation (Middle Silurian) in southern Ontario:
REINECK. H. E., AND SINGH, I. B., 1975, Depositional Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 42, p. 130-134.
Sedimentary Environments: New York, Heidelberg, TRAVIS,J. W., 1962, Stratigraphy and petrographic study
Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 439 p. of the McKenzie Formation in West Virginia [unpubl.
RICKARO, L. W., 1975, Correlation of the Silurian and M.S. thesis]: Morgantown, W.V., West Virginia Univ.
Devonian rocks in New York State: N.Y. State Mus. ULRICH, E. O., 1911, Revision of the Paleozoic systems:
and Sci. Service, Map and Chart Series 24. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., v. 22, p. 281-680.
RINGUEBERG,E. N. S., 1886, New genera and species of WALKER, K. R., AND LAPORTE, L. F., 1970, Congruent
fossils from the Niagara shales: Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. fossil communities from Ordovician and Devonian car-
Bull., v. 5, p. 1-22. bonates of New York: Jour. Paleontology, v. 44, p.
- - , 1888, Niagara shales of western New York: a 928-944.
study of their origin and of their subdivisions and faunae: ZENGER,D. H., 1966, Redefinition of the Herkimer Sand-
Amer. Geol., v. 1, p. 264-262. stone (Middle Silurian) of New York: Geol. Soc. Am.
SANFORO, R. V., 1969, Geology of the Toronto-Windsor Bull., v. 77, p. 1159-1165.
area: Can. Geol. Surv., Map 1263A, Scale 1:250,1300; ZIEGLER,A. M., HANSEN,K. S., JOHNSON,M. E., KELLY,
Section. M. A., SCOTESE, C. R., AND VAN DER VOO, R., 1977,
SAREE, C. J., 190I, Reef structures in the Clinton and Silurian continental distributions, paleogeography, cli-
Niagara strata of western New York: Amer. Geol., v. matology, and biogeography: Tectonophysics, v. 40, p.
28, p. 282-299. 13-51.


Sedimentology, Facies and Depositional E N V I R O N M E N T S of The Rochester Shale (Silurian Wenlockian) in Western New York and Ontario I

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sedimentology, Facies and Depositional E N V I R O N M E N T S of The Rochester Shale (Silurian Wenlockian) in Western New York and Ontario I

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sedimentology, Facies and Depositional E N V I R O N M E N T S of The Rochester Shale (Silurian Wenlockian) in Western New York and Ontario I

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SEDIMENTOLOGY, FACIES AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE (SILURIAN; WENLOCKIAN)

INTRODUCTION ate environments (for example, Black River and

JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY, VOL. 53, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER, 1983, P. 0947--0971

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

.~ ~-- GOAT ISLAIN3 FiT

0 MILES 30 s~'r~,lt tt~'nX

--J ~-" LAKE ONTARIO

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

c*Lc,~,s c~v rNm M D r 4 o s~tAtty

I/ ~ I~ F-~ P-~ L.-'"~ZZ

ANCASTER STO'I,IE¥ CREEK G,FIIMF~BY DIECEW FALLS N I d ~ i I R A GO~IGE LIOCKPO~IT R~HESTER

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

NIAGARA FALLS Ill' HIR L POOL QI_IEEN STON

?,.',',.':',.'::'.:,.~.,':.,., .:., ,,., : ,, ,, : ,,., .,',." ,,.,,.,,,.,,.,,,,,,,.',,',.',',,',,',,"

tllURLEIGII IIILL MEMBER = ---- : ~ ~ -- -- ~. ~_

{In I I,EIIClSTIIN MEMNE~

..7S;'..;',. , . :-:."~ . . . ~ . : . : , '.".;~'.'.~."?~'.:.S.-i".".': ",' ':"."..".".'.'.'.~.".~.', ', '~'=

I.(.nll{ tllilr I.illl('~lllfll" ; ]

'OUN 1)4llllhll)ltl" Pr~r---Pl[fj/IolililJ IJinl'glllfl I" Iooo ql ~(HP 1414H) I~1111

makes an abrupt bend from east-west to north-

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Rochester facies belts are elongate east to west,

SEDIMENTOLOGY OF THE ROCHESTER SHALE

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

of epifaunal organisms that may have used the

FtG. 6.--A) Sandy, intraelastic limestone (intraspar-

noted above, intraclast-bearing limestones are

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

skeletal material at the base into finer-grained

of disseminated pyrite. These may represent

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

dently overturned immediately prior to burial,

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

i Nolmal Wave Base dicate that a shoaling event of regional scale,

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

=lo [ iol 20 I0~

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Amphistrophia-Dalnumites assemblage, but has, an abundance of the camerate crinoids Euca-

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

; . ,._.¢~ j. -- . . . . . ._~ JERSEY

i _c.~~= ~ :-- :?: -.L.:,:...;::i ,' ,;~,'~

• ~~.~ .... ;-~U,.:.~/.?~,I ',

FtG. 1 4 . - - G e n e r a l i z e d f a c i e s m a p o f the R o c h e s t e r Shale and a s s o c i a t e d , c o e v a l f a c i e s , in the A p p a l a c h i a n B a s i n .

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article-pdf/53/3/947/2809014/947.pdf

You might also like