THE PALYNOLOGY OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS RARITAN FORMATION
Figure 4. Lloyd Sand and Raritan Clay Palynology
Baskerville (1965) analyzed pollen in the Upper Cretaceous strata under the Fresh Kills Landfill. He identified pollen from palynozones IV to VII in samples of Upper Cretaceous sediments from under southwestern Staten Island. However, his study also identified Early Cretaceous pollen from zones II-B and II-C in the same sediments (table to right). The consultants collected sedi- ment samples for pollen analysis during the Fresh Kills investi- gation to help define the interbedding between the sand and clay layers and, thereby, the hydraulic connections (IT Corp., 1993).
Ninety eight samples were collected from 38 borings, mostly from the IT series of borings. Palynozones II, IIA, IIB and IIC were assigned to 74 samples (IT Corp. 1993). Some of these results are depicted in Figures 3 and 4. These earlier palynozones were associated in New Jersey with the Lower Cretaceous Potomac Group (Brenner, 1963). Nine sediment samples contained pol- len assemblages that represented palynozones III. Six sedi- ment samples contained pollen assemblages that represented palynozone IV.
During previous studies, palynozone III pollen was found to be present in the Farrington Sand (NJ) and the Lloyd Sand (Long Island, NY) and palynozone IV pollen was found to be present in the Woodbridge Clay (NJ) and the Raritan Clay (Long Island), (Sirkin, 1974 and 1986). These formations were dated as the Cenomanian Stage of the Upper Cretaceous (Sirkin, 1974 and 1986). Additionally, six samples were determined by Sirkin to contain pollen assemblages representing palynozones V to VII. These palynozones typically occurred in the Upper Cretaceous Magothy Formation, which contacts the top of the Raritan Formation in New Jersey and Long Island (Wolfe and Pakiser, 1971; Christopher, 1979; Sirkin, 1986; Sugarman, 1996).
Sirkin and Brenner both were provided pollen samples from a select set of 12 other borings within the study area. Analyses
SERIES STAGE PALYNOZONE FORMATION UNITS
Table 2. Lower and Upper Cretaceous palynozones from Maryland to New York State (constructed from information in Brenner, 1963; Doyle, 1969; Wolfe and Pakiser, 1971; Wolfe et al., 1975; Christopher, 1977; Doyle and Robbins, 1977; Owens et al., 1977; Sirkin, 1974 and 1986; Jengo, 1995 and 2011).
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