Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Vincentown Manasquan, and Shark River Formations of northern Kent County, Delaware
Date
2022
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The Vincentown, Manasquan, and Shark River Formations are three marine units deposited during the Paleocene and Eocene Epochs in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This study analyzed the lithostratigraphy, planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy, and benthic foraminiferal biofacies from three cores in Kent County, Delaware. New planktonic foraminiferal biozonations from this study indicate that the Vincentown Formation in Delaware is late Paleocene (Zone P4c), the Manasquan Formation is early Eocene (Zones E1-E5), and the Shark River Formation is early to middle Eocene in age (Zones E7-E10). ☐ The Rancocas aquifer is found within the Vincentown Formation in Delaware, and is used for regional groundwater extraction. The Vincentown Formation changes from an aquifer sand to more muddy facies in a short distance near the Kent County-New Castle County boundary. Benthic foraminifera were compared to previous biofacies interpretations in New Jersey, and outer neritic biofacies are found throughout these three units, with some shallower middle neritic influence. The benthic foraminifera indicate that the Vincentown Formation in the updip coreholes is a coarse-grained outer neritic paleoenvironment with potentially some middle neritic influence, while the downdip Vincentown Formation is a finer-grained outer neritic paleoenvironment. Benthic foraminifera from the Manasquan Formation suggest middle neritic and outer neritic paleoenvironments. The Shark River Formation contains one sample with outer neritic benthic foraminifera, and other samples with more mixed results. These results indicate that there have been water depth changes with the Vincentown, Manasquan, and Shark River Formations through the Paleocene and Eocene in Delaware.
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Keywords
Biostratigraphy, Foraminifera, Geology, Paleoecology, Paleontology, Stratigraphy