Turopian (Ea^efardian) Stratigra 

Atlantic Coastal Plain and Texas

U.S., GEQ1OGICAJL 131 B
Turonian (Eaglefordian) Stratigraphy of the 

Atlantic Coastal Plain and Texas

By PAGE C. VALENTINE

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1315

A discussion of Turonian strata and the CenomanianTuronian boundary beneath the Atlantic and Gulf 

Coastal Plains. Revised ages of Upper Cretaceous 

stratigraphic units are presented

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1984
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

WILLIAM P. CLARK, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L. Peck, Director

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Valentine, Page C.

Turonian (Eaglefordian) stratigraphy of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Texas.

(Geological Survey professional paper ; 1315)

Bibliography: p.

Supt. of Docs. no. : I 19.16:1315

1. Geology, Stratigraphic Cretaceous. 2. Geology Atlantic Coast (U.S.) 3. Geology Gulf Coast (U.S.)

4. Geologic Texas Gulf Region. I. Title. II. Series. 

QE688.V348 1984 551.7'7'0974 83-600335

For sale by the Distribution Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, 

604 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract ....................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ----------- ---.- -- -- --.----.---- -i

Acknowledgments ............................................................................. l

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary........................................................... l

ComplexiopoUis-Atlantopollis pollen zone ......................................... 2

Age of calcareous nannofossil species ................................................. 5

New Jersey Coastal Plain ....................................................................... 6

Toms River Chemical Co. well ...................................................... 6

USGS Island Beach No. 1 well...............................................

New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts Coastal Plains

Fire Island State Park well ....................................................

Block Island outcrop .................................................................

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island wells ...............

Virginia Coastal Plain

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

J and J Enterprises, E. G. Taylor No. 1-G well........................ 7

Page

South Carolina Coastal Plain ................................................................ 7

Fripp Island well .............................................................................. 8

Layne Atlantic, Parris Island Test No. 2 well.......................... 9

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1.................................................. 9

Ages of subsurface stratigraphic units in South Carolina ... 11

Georgia Coastal Plain ...............................................................................11

Georgia Geological Survey wells 1197, 724,1198 .....................11

Texas Coastal Plain ................................................................................. 12

Socony Mobil corehole 16 ............................................................... 12

Correlation of Turonian age stratigraphic units of the Atlantic 

and Gulf Coastal Plains ................................................................. 16

Summary and conclusions ..................................................................... 18

References cited ....................................................................................... 19

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

FIGURE 1. Turonian localities on the Atlantic continental margin .................................................................................................................... 2

2-9. Diagrams showing:

2. Correlation of upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian stratigraphic units of France, the British Isles,

the United States Western Interior, and the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains .................................................... 4

3. Upper Cenomanian and Turonian stratigraphy of the Toms River Chemical Co. well, New Jersey ...................... 6

4. Stratigraphic interpretations of the Fripp Island well, South Carolina .......................................................................... 8

5. Stratigraphic interpretations of Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina .................................................... 9

6. Turonian stratigraphy of the Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina .......................................................... 10

7. Reinterpreted correlation of Cretaceous stratigraphic units recognized in previous studies of

coastal South Carolina with European and Provincial stages .................................................................................... 11

8. Upper Cenomanian, Turonian, and Coniacian stratigraphy of Socony Mobil corehole 16, Dallas, Texas ............ 13

9. Correlation of biostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic units of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Texas .................. 14

10. Generalized correlation chart for upper Cenomanian to lower Campanian strata of the Atlantic

and Gulf Coastal Plains ...................................................................................................................................................................... 17

TABLE

TABLE 1. Turonian localities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains

Page 

3

III

TURONIAN (EAGLEFORDIAN) STRATIGRAPHY OF THE 

ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

By PAGE C. VALENTINE

ABSTRACT

A stratigraphic analysis of 14 localities from New England to 

Georgia and of 1 well from the type area of the Eaglefordian Stage 

at Dallas, Tex., has resulted in a reevaluation of the ages of both 

formal and informal stratigraphic units previously established for 

the Atlantic and eastern Gulf Coastal Plains. Lower Turonian 

strata, once thought to be absent beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain, 

are present. The study focused on a stratigraphic interval that is 

characterized by the presence of distinctive calcareous nannofossil 

and pollen floras. The ComplexiopoUis-AtlaHtopollis pollen assemblage zone, widespread throughout the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal 

Plains and previously dated as late Cenomanian, is now shown to be 

late Cenomanian-early Turonian on the Gulf Coast on the basis of its 

occurrence with calcareous nannofossils, planktic foraminifers, and 

mollusks of that age. On the Atlantic Coast, only the lower Turonian 

part of the Comple.riopollis-AtlaHtopoUis zone is known to be present. Stratigraphic units that are now assigned to the lower Turonian 

include (1) the Woodbridge Clay and Sayreville Sand Members of 

the Raritan Formation, New Jersey; (2) the upper part of the Raritan equivalent beneath the eastern shore of Virginia; (3) the Tuscaloosa equivalent (informal units K2, E, and part of F) in the South 

Carolina and Georgia coastal region; (4) the Tuscaloosa Formation 

of eastern Alabama and western Georgia; and, beneath the Gulf 

Coastal Plain (5) the Coker Formation of western Alabama and (6) 

the upper Britton and lowermost Arcadia Park Formations at Dallas, Tex. Cenomanian strata beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain are 

now interpreted to be much thinner than previously supposed. The 

lower Turonian there is bounded by upper Turonian and uppermost 

Cenomanian hiatuses of regional extent, whereas the upper Cenomanian-Turonian section is relatively complete at Dallas, Tex.

INTRODUCTION

Recent interpretations of the Upper Cretaceous 

stratigraphy of the Atlantic Coastal Plain have shown 

a relatively thick section of Cenomanian strata bounded 

above by a hiatus that encompasses at least early Turonian time in the Raritan Embayment of New Jersey 

and all of Turonian and Coniacian time in the Southeast Georgia Embayment of South Carolina and Georgia (Gohn and others, 1978,1980; Christopher, 1979a, 

1982). These conclusions have been based in part on 

the correlation of molluscan faunas of the Atlantic 

Coastal Plain with Cenomanian faunas of the Texas 

Gulf Coast (Stephenson, 1952, 1954) and partly on 

spores and pollen that have been compared with floras 

in Texas strata that have been dated as Cenomanian 

by using planktic foraminifers and mollusks (Christopher, 1982).

In South Carolina and Georgia, the Cenomanian is 

reported to be 300 to 600 ft thick beneath the coast, and 

Turonian and Coniacian strata are thought to be

absent there (Gohn and others, 1978,1980). In contrast, 

biostratigraphic studies of the COST No. GE-1 well 

offshore in the southeast Georgia Embayment (fig. 1, 

locality 14) have shown that Turonian and Coniacian 

limestone at least 600 ft thick overlies a thin, 150-ft 

interval of undated shallow-water, calcareous sandstone of possible Cenomanian age (Valentine, 1979a,b). 

This finding, and my observation of calcareous nannofossil assemblages of probable Turonian age in beds 

beneath the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains that have 

been dated as Cenomanian in the reports cited above, 

has prompted a reevaluation of the age of this controversial stratigraphic interval. The present study is 

based on information from 13 wells and 1 outcrop on 

the Atlantic continental margin (fig. 1) and on 1 well 

from the Gulf Coastal Plain at Dallas, Tex. (table 1). 

The depths of samples and stratigraphic boundaries 

mentioned in the following discussion are given in feet 

as originally designated during drilling.

The purpose of this report is (1) to delineate Turonian strata and the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary 

beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain in New England, 

New York, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, and 

Georgia and beneath the Gulf Coastal Plain at Dallas, 

Tex., by using calcareous nannofossils and by dating a 

distinctive pollen zone that is present throughout the 

region and (2) to revise the ages of some Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic units that had been established 

previously for Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain deposits.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank W. V. Sliter and J. E. Hazel of the 

U.S. Geological Survey, Stefan Gartner of Texas A&M 

University, and J. D. Powell of Grand Junction, Colo., 

for critically reviewing the manuscript. I am particularly grateful to Joe Hazel and Dan Powell for the 

interest and insight they brought to our discussions of 

the problem.

CENOMANIAN-TURONIAN BOUNDARY

Until type sections are chosen for the Cenomanian 

and Turonian Stages, some controversy will exist 

regarding the identification and placement of the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the European and 

North American rock record. I have reviewed this 

problem (fig. 2; Valentine, 1982) and found that the 

workers who base their interpretation on the evolution
TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

\ 0 200 KM

0,0°

FIGURE 1. Turonian localities (numbered 1-14) on the Atlantic 

continental margin referred to in this study (see table 1). Line 

labeled 1,000 m is depth to basement. Shaded area is Cretaceous 

outcrop.

of mollusks place the boundary either within an interval equivalent to the Scipowoceras gracile zone or at its 

lower or upper boundary (Basse, 1959; Hancock, 1959; 

Lecointre, 1959; Cobban and Scott, 1972; Kennedy and 

Juignet, 1973; Kennedy and Hancock, 1976; Juignet,

1976; Juignet and others, 1978; Rawson and others, 

1978).

Studies of coeval sections in Europe and North 

America have shown that the planktic foraminifer 

genus Rotalipora became extinct within the Sciponoceras gracile zone or its equivalent (Magne and Polveche, 1961; Jeff cries, 1962; Porthaultand others, 1967; 

Robaszynski, 1971, 1976; Eicher and Worstell, 1970; 

Smith, 1975; Robaszynski and Caron, 1979), and I follow those stratigraphers who have adopted the Rotalipora extinction event as a reliable datum for the practical determination of the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary (van Hinte, 1976). The recognition of Turonian strata beneath the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal 

Plains depends primarily on the age of a pollen assemblage zone and on the age of several distinctive calcareous nannofossil species.

COMPLEXIOPOLLIS-A TLANTOPOLLIS 

POLLEN ZONE

The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage 

zone (Christopher, 1979a) is a distinctive and widespread biostratigraphic unit that is used to identify 

Cenomanian strata beneath the Atlantic and Gulf 

Coastal Plains. This pollen zone is based on a previously 

described unit, pollen zone IV, that is present in outcropping and subsurface strata of the middle and 

north Atlantic Coastal Plain (Doyle, 1969a; Doyle and 

Robbins, 1977). In outcrop, the Woodbridge Clay 

Member and the underlying Farrington Sand Member 

of the Raritan Formation in New Jersey were placed in 

pollen zone IV, as were correlative strata in wells in 

New Jersey and Virginia. Among the characteristics 

of zone IV is the occurrence of only two genera of the 

triporate Normapolles group of angiosperms, Complexiopollis and Atlantopollis. These two genera occur 

together in the Woodbridge Clay Member, whereas 

lower in the zone only Complexiopollis is present.

The age of pollen zone IV strata was considered to 

be middle and (or) late Cenomanian by some workers 

(Doyle, 1969a; Wolfe and Pakiser, 1971; Christopher, 

1979a) on the basis of European palynomorph biostratigraphy and on a molluscan fauna from the Woodbridge Clay Member (Richards, 1943; Stephenson, 

1952, 1954). However, Doyle (1969b) and Doyle and 

Robbins (1977) pointed out that Complexiopollis and 

Atlantopollis are important elements in the Turonian 

of Europe, and they speculated that the upper part of 

zone IV could be early Turonian in age.

Christopher (1979a) renamed pollen zone IV and 

redefined it to include only the Woodbridge Clay 

Member and the overlying Sayreville Sand Member of 

the Raritan Formation, thereby excluding the Far-
COMPLEXIOPOLLIS-ATLANTOPOLLIS POLLEN ZONE

TABLE I. Turanian localities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains

No. Name County and State LatN. LongW.

Measuring 

feet (meters)

Ground level 

feet (meters)

Total 

Depth 

feet (meters)

Source of 

data1

1......USGS borehole 6001........Nantucket, Mass....... 41°15'54.9" 70°02'16.72" 35.8(10.9) 35.8 (10.9) 1,686 (514) 1

2 ......Well ENW-50, Martha's Dukes, Mass............... 41°24' 70°35' 32.8 (10) 32.8 (10) 859 (262) 2

Vineyard.

3 ......Block Island outcrop........Washington, R.I. ...... Beach cliffs, eastern .................................................... .................................. 3

shore of Block Island.

4 ......Well S21091T, Fire Suffolk, N.Y............... 40°37'27" 73°15'46"

Island State Park.

5 ......Toms River Chemical Ocean, N.J................... 3i9°56' 74°12'

Co. Well. (approx.) (approx.)

6 ......USGS Island Beach ................ do ................ 39°48'15" 74°05'45"

No. 1 well.

7 ......J and J Enterprises, Accomack, Va. .......... 37°53.3' 75°30.9'

E. G. Taylor No. 1-G 

well.

8 ......USGS Clubhouse Dorchester, S.C......... 32°53'15" 80°21'25"

Crossroads corehole 1.

9 ......Fripp Island well..............Beaufort, S.C............. 32°19'39" 80°27'42"

10 ......Layne Atlantic, Parris ................ do ................ 32°19'40" 80°41'50"

Island Test No. 2 well.

11 ......GGS 1197; Pan Ameri- Glynn, Ga. .................. 31°22'20" 81°33'54"

can Petroleum Union 

Camp No. 1.

12 ......GGS 724; Humble State-................ do ................ 31°08'20" 81°38'20"

1, Union Bag Camp.

13 ......GGS 1198; Pan Ameri- Camden, Ga. .............. 30°50'45" 81°50'30"

can Petroleum, Union 

Camp No. 1-B.

14 ......Ocean Production Co., [Offshore] 30°37'08" 80°17'59"

COST No. GE-1 well. Ga.-Fla.

15 ......Socony Mobil Field Dallas, Tex................. 32°41'44" 96°54'16"

Research Lab 

______corehole 16. ____ _______________

'Sources of data: (1) Folger and others, 1978; (2) Hall and others, 1980; (3) Sirkin, 1974; (4) Brown and others, 1972; (5) Fetters, 1976: (6) Robbins and others, 1975; (7) Brown and others, 

1979; (8) Gohn and others. 1978; (9) Scholle, 1979; (10) Brown and Pierce, 1962; (11) Christopher, 1982.

52.5 (16)

23 (7)

18 (5.5)

24 (7.3)

12

10 

42

(3.6)

(3) 

(12.8)

18 (5.5)

5 (1.5) 

(approx.) 

15 (4.6)

13 (4)

2,014 

2,255 

3,891 

6,272

2,530 

3,168 

3,454

4,460

(613.9) 

(687.3) 

(1,186) 

(1,911.7)

(771) 

(966) 

(1,053)

(1,359)

3,4 

4,5 

4,5 

6

7 

8 

7

7

29

28

(8.8) 14 

(8.5) 14

(4.3) 4,633 (1,412) 7 

(4.3) 4,710 (1,436) 7

98 (30) 136 (41) 13,254 (4,040) 9

(water depth) 

......................... 666 (203) 591.2 (180.2) 10,11

rington Sand Member. A necessary criterion of Christopher's new Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage zone is the occurrence of the nominate genera and 

the absence of other Normapolles genera, and therefore 

the new zone does not include the lower part of pollen 

zone IV where only Complexiopollis is present. The 

stratotype of the new zone is the Woodbridge Clay 

Member exposed in the Raritan Bay region of northern New Jersey (Christopher, 1979a, p. 100, fig. 4). 

The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage zone 

was dated as middle to late Cenomanian on the basis of 

the first occurrence of Complexiopollis in middle Cenomanian strata of Europe and of the Atlantic and Gulf 

Coastal Plains (Christopher, 1979a, and references 

therein). This conclusion has influenced the most 

recent stratigraphic interpretations of the South Carolina and Georgia Coastal Plain (Gohn and others, 1978, 

1980).

The Woodbridge Clay Member of northern New 

Jersey, the stratotype of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone, was dated as Cenomanian on the basis of its 

dominantly molluscan macrofauna, which is poorly 

preserved, chiefly as molds and casts (Richards, 1943; 

Stephenson, 1954). The age of the Woodbridge fauna 

was addressed by Stephenson in 1952; after he studied 

a new fossil collection in 1954, he concluded that "the 

Raritan Formation, particularly in the lower part 

[Woodbridge Clay Member], corresponds approximately in age to the Woodbine Formation (Cenomanian) of Texas * * *" (Stephenson, 1954, p. 25). The 

Cenomanian age of the Woodbine Formation is not in 

dispute as it is based on the presence of ammonite and 

bivalve species that are close relations or analogs of 

species found in the Cenomanian strata of France and 

England (Stephenson, 1952, p. 24). On the other hand, 

a comparison of the Woodbridge Clay Member fauna
TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

FIGURE 2. Correlation of upper Cenomanian 

and lower Turonian stratigraphic units of 

France, the British Isles, the United States 

Western Interior, and localities on the Gulf 

and Atlantic Coastal Plains. The Sciponoceras 

gracile assemblage zone and the highest occurrence of Rotalipora, shown by horizontal arrows, are in the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval. Heavy horizontal line indicates 

the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary of various authors; T (Turonian), C (Cenomanian). 

No vertical scale. At Dallas, Tex.,J. D. Powell 

of Grand Junction, Colo., studied outcrops; R. 

A. Christopher and Valentine studied the 

same core.

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COMPLEXIOPOLLIS-ATLANTOPOLLIS POLLEN ZONE

with that of the Eagle Ford Group (CenomanianTuronian) of Texas was not possible because the molluscan fauna of the Eagle Ford, which overlies the 

Woodbine Formation, had not been adequately studied 

and described (Stephenson, 1952, p. 25). Only two molluscan species from the Woodbridge Clay Member are 

definitely identified as occurring in the Woodbine 

Formation, while the rest are either related only to 

Woodbine forms or their identification is questioned 

by Stephenson. More significantly, a recent study by 

Christopher (1982) has shown that the molluscan 

correlation of the Woodbridge Clay Member and the 

Woodbine Formation is not valid because the Complexiopollis-AtlantopolUs pollen assemblage of the 

Woodbridge Clay Member is not present either in the 

Woodbine Formation of Texas or in the Tarrant Formation, the basal formation of the overlying Eagle 

Ford Group. However, the pollen assemblage is present higher in the Eagle Ford in the middle and upper 

part of the Britton Formation and in the lower part of 

the Arcadia Park Formation, and it is now interpreted 

by Christopher (1982, oral commun., 1981), to be late 

Cenomanian and possibly, in the uppermost part, 

early Turonian in age.

The present study is based on the stratigraphy of 

wells on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, and the 

results suggest that the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis 

zone is early Turonian in age beneath the Atlantic 

Coastal Plain but that it ranges from late Cenomanian 

to early Turonian beneath the Gulf Coastal Plain at 

Dallas, Tex. (fig. 2).

The distinctive Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

assemblage has been reported from many localities on 

the Atlantic margin including Martha's Vineyard and 

Nantucket Island, Mass. (Folger and others, 1978; 

Christopher, 1979a; Hall and others, 1980); Block 

Island, R.I. (Sirkin, 1974); Long Island, N.Y. (Sirkin, 

1974; Perry and others, 1975); New Jersey (Doyle, 

1969a,b; Perry and others, 1975); Virginia (Robbins 

and others, 1975; Doyle and Robbins, 1977); North 

Carolina (Christopher and others, 1979); South Carolina (Gohn and others, 1978); and Georgia (Gohn and 

others, 1980). The assemblage also is present in the 

Tuscaloosa Group of Georgia and Alabama (Leopold 

and Pakiser, 1964; Phillips and Felix, 1971; Christopher, 1979a,b) and in the Eagle Ford Group of Texas 

(Christopher, 1982). Offshore, it has been reported 

from the COST No. GE-1 well off Georgia.

AGE OF CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL SPECIES

Establishing the ages of several key nannofossil 

species that are present in the stratigraphic interval 

under study here is important. In a worldwide study of 

Jurassic and Cretaceous strata, Thierstein (1976, fig. 7

and pi. 3, figs. 39, 40) concluded that Corollithion 

achylosum ranges from the Aptian to the latest Turonian. This species is restricted to rocks independently 

dated with planktic foraminifers as Turonian and 

older in the COST No. B-2, B-3, and GE-1 wells drilled 

on the Atlantic margin (Valentine, 1977,1979b, 1980; 

Poag, 1977,1980; Poag and Hall, 1979); a reevaluation 

of the COST No. B-2 well (Valentine, 1980) revealed a 

previous reference to C. achylosum (Valentine, 1977, 

p. 39) to be incorrect. On the Texas Coastal Plain, C. 

achylosum has not been reported from strata younger 

than Turonian (Gartner, 1968; Bukry, 1969; Smith, 

1981). I found that in a core from the Eagle Ford and 

Austin Groups at Dallas, Tex. (Socony Mobil corehole 

16; Brown and Pierce, 1962; Pessagno, 1969), the highest occurrence of C. achylosum is in the upper part of 

the Arcadia Park Formation (upper Turonian); C, 

achylosum does not range into the overlying Atco 

Formation (Coniacian). In contrast, Verbeek (1977a) 

reported that C. achylosum ranged as high as the 

Campanian, but this range appears to be based on an 

early paper by Thierstein (1973) and not on that 

author's later report (Thierstein, 1976). Moreover, 

Verbeek's (1976, 1977a) studies in Tunisia and Spain 

showed that C. achylosum is restricted to Turonian 

and older strata except for a single occurrence in 

"Coniacian" beds that are probably Turonian in age 

(Valentine, 1982).

Eiffellithus eximius was reported by Thierstein 

(1976, fig. 7 and pi. 5, figs. 28, 29) to range from the 

middle Turonian to the Campanian-Maestrichtian 

boundary, and Stover (1966) reported it as ranging 

throughout the Turonian. Wonders and Verbeek (1977) 

have shown that the first occurrence of E. eocimius in 

the El Kef section of Tunisia is in the Turonian, above 

the extinction level of Rotalipora, and the same relation exists in a section at Javernant, France (Verbeek, 

1977b; de Vries, 1977). Manivit and others (1977) indicated the initial appearance of E. eximius was in the 

upper Turonian, but subsequently, Manivit and others 

(1979) showed it first appeared in the middle Turonian. Eiffellithus eximius occurs with Corollithion 

achylosum in the Fripp Island and Clubhouse Crossroads wells of South Carolina and in strata dated as 

Turonian in previous studies in the Dallas, Tex., core 

(Christopher, 1982; Powell, written and oral commun., 

1981,1982), in the Island Beach and Toms River wells 

of New Jersey (Petters, 1976), and in the COST No. 

B-2, B-3, and GE-1 wells offshore (Valentine, 1979b, 

1980,1982).

A third stratigraphically important calcareous 

nannofossil species is Lithraphidites acutum. This 

species has been reported as ranging from middle 

Cenomanian to middle Turonian, although its last 

occurrence in the Turonian is not well documented
TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

(Manivit and others, 1977, pi. 1, figs. 1, 7, 8). In the 

present study, L. acutum disappeared before the first 

appearance of Eiffellithus eximius, as reported by 

Manivit and others (1977). Lithraphidites acutum is 

present in the Fripp Island and Clubhouse Crossroads 

wells in South Carolina, in the Dallas corehole in 

Texas, and in strata dated as early Turonian with 

foraminifers (Fetters, 1976) in the Toms River and 

Island Beach wells in New Jersey.

Two distinct nannofossil assemblages have been 

identified in this study. They are present in, but are 

not confined to, the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis pollen zone, which is an important biostratigraphic unit 

that is found in the subsurface and in outcrops of the 

Coastal Plain from New England to Texas. The 

Lithraphidites acutum assemblage is present in the 

lower part of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

and contains Lithraphidites acutum, Corollithion achylosum, Cretarhabdus lorei, Cruciellipsis chiastia, Parhabdolithus asper, and Podorhabdus albianus. The 

somewhat younger Eiffellithus eximius assemblage is 

found in the upper part of the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone and contains Eiffellithus eximius, 

Corollithion achylosum, and possibly Cretarhabdus 

lorei.

NEW JERSEY COASTAL PLAIN

TOMS RIVER CHEMICAL CO. WELL

The Raritan Formation exposed in northern New 

Jersey does not contain calcareous microfossils, but, 38 

mi south of Raritan Bay, the formation, including the 

Woodbridge Clay Member, has been delineated in the 

Toms River Chemical Co. well through lithological, 

geophysical, and, most importantly, palynological correlations based on core samples (Perry and others, 

1975). Pollen zone IV was recognized from about 1,300 

to 1,500 ft, and the Woodbridge from about 1,300 to 

1,430 ft (Perry and others, 1975, fig. 11). J. A. Doyle, 

who analyzed the spores and pollen in this well for the 

study by Perry and others, reported beds equivalent to 

the Woodbridge Clay Member and containing only 

Complexiopollis and Atlantopollis of the Normapolles 

group to be present at 1,298 to 1,300 ft and 1,369 to 

1,371 ft and only Complexiopollis to be present at 1,437 

to 1,439, 1,460, and 1,528 ft (Doyle, 1969b, oral commun., 1981). The interval from 1,298 to at least 1,371 ft 

in the Toms River well (figs. 2 and 3) correlates with 

the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone of Christopher 

(1979a). The age of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis 

zone can be determined because both planktic foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils occur in this 

interval of the Toms River well. The extinction of 

Rotalipora is accepted here as marking the CenoToms River Chemical Co. well.N.J. 

Locality No. 5

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FIGURE 3. Upper Cenomanian and Turonian stratigraphy, calcareous nannofossil ranges, and the occurrence of the Coniple.riopollix-AtlaHtopollis zone in the Toms River Chemical Co. well, 

New Jersey. Pollen stratigraphy adapted from the work of Doyle 

(1969b, oral commun., 1981). Planktic foraminifer stratigraphy 

from Fetters (1976). Blacked-in areas represent cores studied for 

nannofossils. A hiatus (wavy line) is interpreted to exist between 

the upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian. Depth scale is original depth.

manian-Turonian boundary, and Fetters (1976, fig. 6) 

showed this datum to be at 1,440 ft at Toms River, 

below the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis interval; he 

also recognized the lower Turonian Praeglobotruncana Helvetica zone in the interval from 1,323 to 1,440 

ft (1976, p. 96, fig. 6). I have identified calcareous 

nannofossil assemblages that corroborate the early 

Turonian age determination for the Woodbridge Clay 

Member (Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone) in the 

well. An analysis of four core samples (1,323-1,325, 

1,345-1,347,1,369-1,371, and 1,391-1,393 ft) revealed 

the age of this interval to be Turonian on the basis of 

the occurrence of Corollithion achylosum and Eiffellithus eximius. Lower in the section (1,415-1,417 and 

1,437-1,439 ft), the highest occurrence of Lithraphidites acutum and Podorhabdus albianus at 1,415 ft and 

the presence of Corollithion achylosum and Podorhabdus albianus at 1,437 ft suggest an early Turpnian age
NEW JERSEY COASTAL PLAIN

for these beds that lie above the Rotalipora extinction 

at 1,440 ft.

USGS ISLAND BEACH NO. 1 WELL

The USGS Island Beach No. 1 well is located 

about 10 mi southeast of the Toms River well, and the 

Cenomanian-Turonian biostratigraphy of the two wells 

is similar. Fetters (1976, p. 93, fig. 6) delineated the 

lower Turonian Praeglobotruncana Helvetica zone from 

1,950 to 2,200 ft, the highest occurrence si Rotalipora. 

In the same interval, a Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis 

zone flora is present in sidewall cores from 2,004 and 

2,200 ft (Christopher, oral commun., 1979), and I have 

identified calcareous nannofossils that I interpret to 

be Turonian in age from the same cores. The core from 

2,004 ft contains Corollithion achylosum, Eiffellithus 

eximius, and other species. The nannofossil assemblage 

from 2,200 ft is similar, except that E. eximius is 

absent and Lithraphidites acutum is present.

NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, AND 

MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL PLAINS

FIRE ISLAND STATE PARK WELL

The Atlantic Coastal Plain narrows in northern 

New Jersey as the continental margin turns eastward 

to New England. Cretaceous strata are confined to the 

subsurface in the coastal region from New York to 

Massachusetts except where they have been transported southward and exposed by the advance of Pleistocene glaciers. The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis 

zone assemblage is present in cores collected between 

1,800 and 1,873 ft in a deep well drilled in Fire Island 

State Park (S21091T) off the south coast of Long Island, 

N.Y. (Sirkin, 1974). This interval has been correlated 

with the Woodbridge Clay Member of the Raritan 

Formation and pollen zone IV by Perry and others 

(1975, fig. 11). The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

flora is from a part of the Fire Island well that was 

assigned to unit F by Brown and others (1972).

BLOCK ISLAND OUTCROP

Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island is the 

site of an exposure of Upper Cretaceous strata that 

were transported and tilted during a Pleistocene glacial advance. Sirkin (1974) reported the occurrence of 

Complexiopollis and Atlantopollis in lignite seams 

from beach cliffs there that indicates a correlation 

with the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone of the 

Woodbridge Clay Member.

MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND NANTUCKET ISLAND WELLS

Two wells drilled on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island, Mass., encountered beds that can be

assigned to the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone. In 

the ENW-50 well on Martha's Vineyard, R. A. Christopher identified the Woodbridge flora in three splitspoon samples from 550, 600, and 835.5 ft (Hall and 

others, 1980). On Nantucket Island, Christopher found 

the same flora in cores from 850.4, 940.0, 1076.1, 

1083.0, and 1104.3 ft in the USGS borehole 6001 

(Folger and others, 1978; Valentine, 1981).

VIRGINIA COASTAL PLAIN

J. AND J. ENTERPRISES, E. G. TAYLOR NO. 1-G WELL

The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone flora is 

present also in the E. G. Taylor No. 1-G well on the 

eastern shore of Virginia, the only reported occurrence 

of the flora from the Coastal Plain between New Jersey 

and North Carolina. The stratigraphy of the well has 

been studied by Robbins and others (1975) and Doyle 

and Robbins (1977) who studied the palynomorphs and 

also incorporated into their interpretation information 

provided by M. Ruth Todd about foraminifers from a 

195-ft interval (1,325-1,520 ft).

Robbins and others (1975) examined cores and 

sidewall cores and delineated pollen zone IV from 

1,450 to 1,560 ft. The pollen distribution presented in 

their report indicates that the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone, as defined by Christopher (1979a), 

is present in a short interval from 1,450 to 1,480 ft; 

foraminifer species in the same interval are not age 

diagnostic and could be Turonian or Cenomanian, but 

Rotalipora greenhornensis is present lower in the section at 1,520 ft. Although Rotalipora occurs in a single 

sample, the pattern of stratigraphic succession, Rotalipora followed by Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

strata of early Turonian age, is similar to that observed 

in the Toms River, N.J., well.

SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL PLAIN

Brown and others (1979) and Gohn and others 

(1978, 1980) have delineated the Upper Cretaceous 

stratigraphy beneath the South Carolina Coastal Plain 

on the basis of lithologic and electric log correlations 

that are supplemented by paleontological interpretations. These authors studied many of the same wells, 

but their stratigraphic units often do not coincide. 

They also do not agree on the age of the lower part of 

the Upper Cretaceous section or on the placement of 

hiatuses. The results of the study of a deep stratigraphic test well (COST No. GE-1) on the Outer Continental Shelf off Georgia (Valentine, 1979a,b) prompted a 

reevaluation of the ages of Cretaceous strata that 

underlie the Georgia and South Carolina Coastal 

Plains. The three South Carolina wells treated here 

have been studied by other workers, and they are part
8 TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

of a broader investigation (Valentine, 1982) to revise 

the Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic framework previously established for the South Carolina-Georgia 

coastal region.

FRIPP ISLAND WELL

The Upper Cretaceous biostratigraphy of the 

Fripp Island well (fig. 4) has been studied in more 

detail than that of other wells in coastal South Carolina; the study involved the examination of 279 cuttings samples at 94 levels in the approximately 1,700- 

ft Upper Cretaceous interval. There is a 263-ft sampling gap in the Campanian part of the section. 

Cuttings were collected over 10-ft intervals, and individual rock chips representative of each lithologic unit 

in a sample were examined. Calcareous nannofossils 

are, for the most part, abundant and well preserved, 

and the stratigraphy of the well is based on the ranges 

of the following selected species: Micula mura (1,507 

ft); Tetralithus aculeus (1,507-1,907 ft); T. trifidus 

(1,527-1,970 ft); Broinsonia parca (1,527-2,427 ft); 

Eiffellithus eximius (1,808-3,147 ft, lowest sample); 

Lithastrinusgrillii(2,263-2,867 ft); Chiastozygus cuneatus (2,427-3,007 ft); Lithastrinusfloralis(2,457-3,U7 

ft, lowest sample); Marthasteritesfurcatus (2,457-2,857 

ft); and Corollithion achylosum (3,057-3,147 ft, lowest 

sample).

The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary is at 1,437 ft, 

and the Maestrichtian-Campanian boundary is at 

1,808 ft. The top of the Santonian is at 2,427 ft, and 

both Santonian and Coniacian cuttings are present 

down to at least 2,637 ft, where an unfossiliferous 

quartz sand appears that extends down to 3,057 ft. The 

420-ft thick sand may be Coniacian in age, but, because 

I could not determine the boundary between the Santonian and Coniacian Stages, the entire interval from 

2,427 to 3,057 ft is treated as Santonian-Coniacian. 

Below the quartz sand, there is a marked change in 

lithology to gray, calcareous sandy or silty shale and 

gray limestone (Gohn and others, 1978). Three samples 

(3,057-3,067, 3,097-3,107, and 3,137-3,147 ft) from 

this unit contain a Turonian Eiffellithus eximius 

assemblage that includes, among other species, Ahmuellerella octoradiata, Corollithion achylosum, C. exiguum, Eiffellithus eximius, and Lithastrinusfloralis; 

two samples (3,097-3,107 and 3,127-3,137 ft) within 

this interval contain a Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis 

zone flora (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1977). 

Planktic foraminifers dated as Turonian or Coniacian, 

but not older than Turonian, are present in a sample 

from 3,117 to 3,127 ft (C. C. Smith, unpub. data, 1977). 

Samples are not available from the lowest 21 ft of the 

section, and the well did not penetrate crystalline 

basement rocks (Gohn and others, 1978).

Fripp Island well,S.C. 

Locality No. 9

1400-

1800-

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LU 

CO

2200-

Q_ 

LU 

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2600-

3000-

Gohn and others (1978)

Provincial 

Stage

European 

Stage

Cenozoic 

(part)

K

NavarroanTayloran

K

TayloranAustinian

K

Austinian

X/V/V/V/N/VVV1

K

Eaglefordian

Eagle- K 

fordian

6

MaestrichtianCampanian

5

Campanian

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CampanianSantonian

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European 

Stage

Cenozoic 

(part)

14^7 ft I*r0 1 IT

Maestrichtian

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 2427ft 

SantonianConiacian

w 3057f t\/\/\, 

Turonian

FIGURE 4. Stratigraphic interpretations of the Fripp Island well, 

South Carolina. K2-K6 are unnamed stratigraphic units of Gohn 

and others (1978). Depth scale is relative to sea level; stratigraphic 

boundaries are given in original depths (for depth below sea level, 

subtract 5 ft). Wavy lines represent unconformities.

My interpretation of the upper part of the Fripp 

Island section agrees with that of Gohn and others 

(1978). However, in the lower part of the well, those 

authors interpreted their units K2 and K3 to be Cenomanian in age, and they recognized a major hiatus
SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL PLAIN

between units K3 and K4 that represents Coniacian 

and Turonian time. In contrast, I believe that unit K3 

is Santonian-Coniacian in age and that unit K2 is early 

Turonian.

LAYNE ATLANTIC, PARRIS ISLAND TEST NO. 2 WELL

The Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic units of 

Brown and others (1979) and Gohn and others (1978, 

1980) can be compared in the Parris Island Test No. 2 

well; further, correlation is possible with the Fripp 

Island well, only 11 mi to the west, where the units of 

Gohn and others can be dated with nannofossils and 

pollen. Gohn and others (1978,1980) based their correlation of the two wells on electric logs and paleontological analyses. Brown and others (1979) presumably 

used lithologic characteristics and the occurrence of 

key species of ostracodes and foraminifers to interpret 

the Parris Island well. The lowest units outlined in the 

well by these studies are physically the same, but 

Brown and others (1979) assigned them to unit E 

(Woodbinian) and Unit F (Washitan and Fredericksburgian), whereas Gohn and others (1978,1980) considered them to be younger and placed them, respectively, 

in unit K2 (middle Eaglefordian) and unit Kl (Upper(?) 

Cretaceous).

I have reinterpreted, in part, the electric logs published by Gohn and others (1978, sheet 2) to correlate 

strata in the Parris Island well with units I have dated 

at Fripp Island (Valentine, 1982). The beds in the lower 

part of the Parris Island well appear to be younger 

than the previous authors have indicated, and I interpret unit E (Cenomanian) of Brown and others (1979) 

and unit K2 (Cenomanian) of Gohn and others (1978, 

1980) to be early Turonian in age. The age of the lowest 

unit in the Parris Island well is unknown at present.

CLUBHOUSE CROSSROADS COREHOLE 1

The Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1 (fig. 5) is 42 

mi north of the Parris Island and Fripp Island wells. 

The lithology and paleontology of the core have been 

studied by Gohn and others (1977) and Hazel and others

(1977), and this corehole has been incorporated into 

the stratigraphic frameworks of Gohn and others

(1978) and Brown and others (1979). Their age interpretations are coincident down to the base of the Austinian Stage. At that level, Gohn and others (1978) 

indicated the presence of a major disconformity between units K4 and K3; Gohn and others (1980) 

assigned units K3 and K2 below the hiatus to the middle Eaglefordian and assigned unit Kl to the Upper(?) 

Cretaceous. Brown and others (1979) interpreted the 

same interval to include strata of unit D (Eaglefordian) separated by a hiatus representing unit E (Woodbinian) from the underlying rocks of unit F (Washitan 

and Fredericksburgian).

Hazel and others (1977), by using planktic foraminifers, have shown that the Tertiary-Maestrichtian 

boundary is at approximately 804 ft, that the Maestrichtian-Campanian contact is at about 1,030 ft, and 

that Campanian strata extend down to approximately 

1,706 ft. The interval from 1,706 to 2,342 ft is poorly 

fossiliferous, but spore and pollen flora typical of the 

Magothy Formation and the underlying South Amboy 

Fire Clay Member of the Raritan Formation of New 

Jersey are present down to 1,906 ft (Hazel and others, 

1977). The Magothy and the South Amboy assemblages 

belong to the tripartite pollen zone V of Christopher 

(1977,1979a, and 1982) that is chiefly Santonian in age 

but that also includes strata of early Campanian and 

late Coniacian age (R. A. Christopher, oral commun., 

1979). I have examined a sample from 1,752 ft that 

contains a rich Santonian nannofossil assemblage; a 

sample from 1,943 ft, however, contains only rare

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole I,S.C. 

Locality No. 8

300-

600-

> 900-

1200-

1500-

-

£ 1800-

0

2100-

2400-

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

Gohn 

and others 

(1978,1980)

Hazel 

and others 

(1977)

Valentine 

(1982)

Cenozoic

A 

Nova r roan

B

Toyloran

C

Austinion

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Eaglefordian

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TayloranAustinian

Austinian K4

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 1025ft 

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 1706ft 

SantonianConiacian

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\ Cenomanian(?)y N 2462ft ^

FIGURE 5. Stratigraphic interpretations of Clubhouse Crossroads 

corehole 1, South Carolina. Depth scale is relative to sea level; 

stratigraphic boundaries are given in original depths (for depth 

below sea level, subtract23 ft). Wavy lines indicate unconformities.
10 TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

nannofossils, and the presence of Eiffellithus eximius, 

Tetralithus obscurus, and Lithastrinus grillii point to a 

Turonian age or younger, possibly Coniacian. Planktic 

foraminifers are sparse in the interval from 1,706 to 

2,342 ft; two samples (1,922.5 and 2,308.8 ft) examined 

by C. C. Smith (unpub. data, 1976) each contained a 

single species (Globigerinelloides caseyi and G. sp. cf 

G. caseyi, respectively) and were dated as Cenomanian. G. caseyi, however, is not restricted to the Cenomanian; its highest occurrence is considered by Ascoli 

(1976) to be diagnostic of lower Turonian strata 

beneath the Scotian Shelf of Canada. It is present also 

in the upper Cenomanian and lower and middle Turonian of Kansas and Colorado (Eicher and Worstell, 

1970). The beds from 1,706 to 2,342 ft are chiefly sand, 

and silt, and Gohn and others (1978, sheet 2) correlated 

this interval, which they identified as units K3 and K4, 

with a lithologically similar sequence in the Fripp 

Island well that I have determined to be SantonianConiacian in age.

Lower in the Clubhouse Crossroads core, a spore 

and pollen flora characteristic of the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis pollen zone and the Woodbridge Clay 

Member of the Raritan Formation of New Jersey is 

present at 2,342.3, 2.371.1, 2,375.0, and 2,404.8 ft 

(Hazel and others, 1977). On the other hand, samples 

from these beds (2,364.4,2,365.4,2,369.4,2,373.7, and 

2,399.2 ft) contain planktic foraminifers interpreted to 

be Cenomanian in age (C. C. Smith, unpub. data, 

1976). Guembelitria harrisi, Hedbergella brittonensis, 

and Heterohelix moremani are the only species present, 

and the age is based on the presence of Guembelitria 

harrisi. The range of this species, however, is not precisely known, and it is probably present in the Turonian 

as Eicher and Worstell (1970) have shown it to range 

higher than Rotalipora in sections in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Three other samples (2,367.5, 

2,370.5, and 2,396.0 ft) from this part of the core 

yielded only Guembelitria harrisi and Heterohelix 

moremani (C. W. Poag, unpub., data, 1981).

Hattner and Wise (1980) studied nannofossils 

from the Upper Cretaceous of the Clubhouse Crossroads core. Among four samples from the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis interval, all but one are 

barren or contain nondiagnostic floras; at 2,373 ft, 

Ahmuellerellaoctoradiata, Lithraphiditesacutum, and 

L. alatus are present in an assemblage they interpreted 

to be Cenomanian.

I have examined the nannofossils from the same 

part of the core, and 38 of 80 samples in the 68.4-ft 

interval from 2,338.5 to 2,407.0 ft are fossiliferous (fig. 

6). The ranges of biostratigraphically important species are Ahmuellerella octoradiata (2,375-2,407 ft); 

Corollithion achylosum (2,363.5-2,407 ft); Cruciellipsis chiastia (2,364.5-2,406 ft); Eiffellithus eximius

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole I, S.C. 

Locality No. 8

2340-

2350-

2360-

2370-

2380 -

2390-

2400-

2410 -

Calcareous nannofossil 

species ranges

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EXPLANATION 

I[ core loss

rSi barren

FIGURE 6. Turonian stratigraphy, calcareous nannofossil ranges, 

and occurrence of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone in the 

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina. Pollen stratigraphy from Hazel and others (1977). Depth scale is original 

depth.

(rare, 2,364 ft); Lithraphidites acutum (2,372.5-2,406 

ft); L. alatus (rare, 2,394.5 ft); Microrhabdulus belgicus 

(rare, 2,373 and 2,406 ft); Micula staurophora (rare, 

2,370-2,407 ft); and Podorhabdus albianus (2,364-2,406 

ft). These strata are unit K2 of Gohn and others (1978) 

who have shown them to be coeval with K2 in the Fripp 

Island well that also contains a ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone flora and Turonian nannofossil 

assemblages. Brown and others (1979) indicated that 

their unit E is missing from the Clubhouse Crossroads 

section but that the older unit F is present. The evidence presented here and in the discussion of the Parris Island well suggests that unit F in the Clubhouse 

Crossroads core is equivalent to unit E at Parris Island
SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL PLAIN 11

and that, in these two wells, they are correlative with 

unit K2 of Gohn and others (1978). Between these strata 

and basalt at 2,462 ft, there lies a thin, undated interval 

that is practically barren, which could be Cenomanian 

in age.

AGES OF SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS IN 

SOUTH CAROLINA

The analyses of the Parris Island, Fripp Island, 

and Clubhouse Crossroads sections are, in part (see 

Valentine, 1982), the basis for a reevaluation of the 

ages of previously described stratigraphic units in the 

subsurface of coastal South Carolina (fig. 7). I agree 

with the ages assigned by Brown and others (1979) to 

their units A (Navarroan) and B (Tayloran), but I 

observe some overlap of the two units at the NavarroanTayloran (Maestrichtian-Campanian) boundary. I restrict their unit C (Austinian) to the upper Austinian 

(Campanian-Santonian), and I now assign their unit D 

(Eaglefordian) to the middle and lower part of the 

Austinian (Santonian-Coniacian) and unit E (Woodbinian) to the Eaglefordian (Turonian). Units E and F 

(Washitan and Fredericksburgian) may be delineated 

inadequately in South Carolina, because beds that are 

identified as Unit E in the Parris Island well are correlative, in my opinion, to unit F at Clubhouse Crossroads (Brown and others, 1979). It appears that the 

upper part of unit F can be assigned to the lower 

Turonian (Eaglefordian) in this region.

The ages of the stratigraphic units of Gohn and 

others (1978,1980) that represent Maestrichtian, Campanian, and Santonian strata (units K6, K5, and K4) 

remain unchanged in my interpretation. Those authors, 

however, recognized a Coniacian-Turonian hiatus in 

the section, and they placed units K2 and K3 in the 

upper Cenomanian and placed unit Kl in the Upper(?) 

Cretaceous. In contrast, I believe that Santonian, 

Coniacian, and lower Turonian strata are present 

beneath the South Carolina coast In my interpretation, 

unit K3 represents the Coniacian and possibly part of 

the Santonian (lower Austinian), whereas unit K2 is 

lower Turonian (middle and upper Eaglefordian). 

Unit Kl is present only in the lowest part of the sedimentary section and may be unfossiliferous; Cenomanian beds, if present, are poorly represented in the 

interval just above pre-Cretaceous basement rocks.

GEORGIA COASTAL PLAIN 

GEORGIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WELLS 1197, 724,1198

In Georgia, three wells located in the center of the 

Southeast Georgia Embayment onshore (fig. 1) have 

penetrated strata near basement that contain floras 

characteristic of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis pollen zone (Valentine, 1982). Brown and others (1979)

South Carolina Coastal Plain

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

A

C

D

xxxxx

E

F

Valentine 

(1982)

A

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D

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Provincial 

Stage

Navarroan

Tayloran

Austinian

Eaglefordian

Woodbinian

Washitan

and 

Fredericksburgian

European 

Stage

Maestrichtian

Companion

Santonian

Coniacian

Turonian

Cenomanian

Albian

Valentine 

(1982)

K6

K5

_j- 

_?n K4

K3

XXXXX

K2

Kl

7

Gohn 

and others 

(1978,1980

K6

K5

 -

K4

&£££< 888^< 888?$<

SXX>OC

vKV

\ /

W\ Kl /

FIGURE 7. Cretaceous stratigraphic units recognized in the subsurface of coastal South Carolina by Gohn and others (1978,1980) and 

by Brown and others (1979). Correlation of the units with European and Provincial Stages, as shown by those authors, is compared to the interpretations of Valentine (1982) and the present 

study. Crosshatched areas represent hiatuses. Dashed lines indicate uncertain delineation of unit boundaries with respect to 

European and Provincial Stages.

and Gohn and others (1980) studied these wells as part 

of their stratigraphic interpretations of the region. 

Complexiopollis and Atlantopollis are present together 

in cuttings from 4,500 to 4,530 and 4,590 to 4,620 ft in 

Georgia Geological Survey (GGS) well 1198 (R. A. 

Christopher, unpub. data, 1978). These samples are 

from units E and F of Brown and others (1979) and 

from unit K 2-3 of Gohn and others (1980). A sample 

from 4,530 to 4,560 ft yielded nannofossils and planktic 

foraminifers that were interpreted to be Cenomanian 

in age (C. C. Smith, unpub. data, 1978). The nannofossil 

assemblage from this sample appears to me to be Turonian, on the basis of the presence of Corollithion 

achylosum, Eiffellithus eximius, Lithraphidites alatus, Parhabdolithus asper, and Podorhabdus albianus. 

The foraminifers of stratigraphic importance in the 

sample range across the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary; Guembelitria harrisi is present, but, as previously mentioned, it is not a reliable marker for the 

Cenomanian.

GGS 724 also yielded Complexiopollis and Atlantopollis in cuttings samples 4,520 to 4,540 and 4,630 to
12 TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

4,640 ft (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1978) from 

unit F (Brown and others, 1979) and from unit K2 

(Gohn and others, 1980). In GGS1197, a similar flora is 

present at 4,180 to 4,190 ft (R. A. Christopher, unpub. 

data, 1979) from units E and K2.

TEXAS COASTAL PLAIN

SOCONY MOBIL COREHOLE 16

The biostratigraphic relations from the Atlantic 

Coastal Plain are also evident in a core from the Gulf 

Coastal Plain at Dallas, Tex. (figs. 2 and 8, SoconyMobil Field Research Lab corehole 16; Brown and 

Pierce, 1962; Pessagno, 1969; Christopher, 1982). In 

the Dallas core, a Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

flora is present in the middle and upper part of the 

Britton Formation and in the lower part of the Arcadia Park Formation of the Eagle Ford Group, whereas, 

lower in the Eagle Ford Group, the pollen flora contains rare Complexiopollis but no Atlantopollis and is 

assigned to the post-zone III, vre-ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone interval (Christopher, 1982). A similar floral break occurs just above the CenomanianTuronian boundary in the Toms River well in New 

Jersey.

My study of the calcareous nannofossils from the 

Dallas core shows that Eiffellithus eximius and Corollithion achylosum are present together in the uppermost part of the Britton Formation and range through 

the Arcadia Park Formation, indicating a Turonian 

age for these strata. The upper part of this interval 

(middle and upper Arcadia Park Formation) contains 

a ipost-Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis, pre-zone V flora 

and is late Turonian in age. The lower part of the 

interval (uppermost Britton Formation and lowermost Arcadia Park Formation) lies in the upper part 

of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone in this core 

and is early Turonian in age. Lithraphidites acutum, a 

species that ranges from the Cenomanian into the 

lower Turonian, is present in the middle and lower 

Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone (middle and upper 

Britton Formation). It is also present with the Normapolles genus Complexiopollis in the lower Britton 

Formation, which is probably Cenomanian in age.

In a previous study of the Dallas core based in 

planktic foraminifers, Pessagno (1969, pi. 9) concluded 

that the Britton and Arcadia Park Formations represent upper Cenomanian and upper Turonian strata 

separated by a lower Turonian hiatus; he interpreted 

the Cenomanian-upper Turonian boundary to lie near 

the top of the Britton Formation, between about 213 

and 223 ft. However, planktic foraminifers are not 

well represented in the core, and the stratigraphically

important genus Rotalipora is present in only one 

sample at 444 ft (Pessagno, 1969, pi. 39b).

J. D. Powell (in Christopher, 1982; oral and written 

commun., 1980,1982) studied the mollusks and foraminifers from an equivalent section in an outcrop near 

the Dallas core site and concluded that the upper 15 ft 

of the Britton Formation and possibly the lower 30it of 

the Arcadia Park Formation represent the Mytiloides 

"labiatus" zone of early Turonian age (fig. 9). Below 

this zone, in the middle and upper part of the Britton 

Formation, Powell delineated the Sciponocerasgracile 

zone that I believe overlaps the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary. Regarding the range of Rotalipora, Powell 

(1970) found that the upper limit of abundant Rotalipora is at the top of a chalky interval at outcrop locality 

D2 and that this level is also the base of the Sciponoceras gracile zone in outcrop and is coincident with the 

top of the bentonitic interval in corehole 16. Powell 

also found rare rotaliporids ranging up to the Metoicoceras whitei and Inoceramus pictus level at locality 

D3. The Arcadia Park Formation at outcrop locality 

D3 and in the Dallas corehole several miles to the east 

is almost equal in thickness. The Britton Formation is 

not fully exposed at D3, but, assuming that the exposed 

section and an equal thickness of the Britton in the 

corehole are coeval, the top of the Rotalipora range 

should occur at about 270 ft in corehole 16. On the same 

basis, the top of the Mytiloides "labiatus" zone and the 

associated lower Turonian-upper Turonian boundary 

are placed provisionally 30 ft above the base of the 

Arcadia Park Formation (fig. 9). The placement of 

this datum is not well documented, and it probably lies 

higher in the section, above the top of the 

Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone. At present, a case 

cannot be made for extending the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone into the upper Turonian.

On the basis of the results of the studies on the 

Dallas core and the age established for the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone beneath the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, I have concluded that upper and 

lower Turonian strata are present in the section that 

encompasses the upper Britton Formation and the 

Arcadia Park Formation. In a previous paper (Valentine, 1982), written before I knew the details of Powell's 

work on Rotalipora, I drew the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary at the base of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis pollen zone in the Dallas core. Now I place the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary at the last occurrence of Rotalipora in outcrop and at the equivalent 

level in the core as described above. This is somewhat 

below the boundary selected by Christopher (1982) at 

the top of the Sciponoceras gracile zone, and it is above 

the boundary recognized by Brown and Pierce (1962).
TEXAS COASTAL PLAIN 13

Socony Mobil corehole 16, Dallas, Tex. 

Locality No. 15

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species ranges

floralis

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EXPLANATION

^8 barren

FIGURE 8. Upper Cenomanian, Turonian, and Coniacian stratigraphy, calcareous nannofossil ranges, and occurrence of the Comple.riopollis-Atlantopollis and adjacent zones in the Socony Mobil corehole 16, Dallas, Tex. Pollen stratigraphy from Christopher (1982). 

Single occurrence of Rotalipora from Pessagno (1969). Depth scale is original depth.
14 TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

FIGURE 9. Correlation of biostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic units 

of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Texas. The Rotalipora extinction is a 

datum. Unit K2, a distinctive stratigraphic unit, is correlated in GGS 

724, GGS 1197, Parris Island No. 2, Fripp Island, and Clubhouse 

Crossroads corehole 1 with the lower Turonian. The placement of the 

lower Turonian-upper Turonian boundary is uncertain, but it probably lies above the top of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone in the 

Dallas corehole. The top of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis pollen 

zone is correlated with the top of the lower Turonian in Clubhouse 

Crossroads corehole 1 and in the E. G. Tavlor No. 1-G, Toms River, 

Fire Island State Park, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket wells. 

Stratigraphic units are to scale at each locality. No horizontal scale.

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CORRELATION OF TURONIAN AGE STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS 15

Depths are original depths in feet. Sources of data are (1) Christopher, 1982; (2) Brown and Pierce, 1962; (3) Pessagno, 1969; (4) 

Powell, 1970; personal commun., 1981,1982; (5) Christopher, unpub. 

data, 1978; (6) Gohn and others, 1980; (7) Brown and others, 1979; (8) 

Christopher, unpub. data, 1979; (9) Gohn and others, 1978; (10) Christopher, unpub. data, 1979; (11) Hazel and others, 1977; (12) Robbins 

and others, 1975; (13) Christopher, oral commun., 1979; (14) Fetters, 

1976; (15) Brown and others, 1972; (16) Doyle, 1969b; oral commun., 

1981; (17) Sirkin, 1974; (18) Hall and others, 1980; (19) Folger and 

others, 1978.

Fripp Island,

S.C. 

Locality 9

3057

Clubhouse Crossroads

corehole I, S.C.

Locality 8

2342.3 2342

E.G. Taylor 

No. I-G, Va. 

Locality 7

1450

USGS Island

Beach No. I, N. J.

Locality 6

1950

Toms River

Chemical Co.,N.«

Locality 5

1298

1323

1437

1528

(16) (14)

S2I09IT 

Fire Island 

State Park,

N.Y. 

Locality 4

1800

1873

(17) (15)

ENW-50

Marthas

Vineyard,

Mass.

Locality

2

835.5

(18)

USGS 

6001

Nantuckel 

Island, 

Mass.

Locality

850.4

1104.3

(19)

Pollen zones

j post -C-A zone, pre-zone Y

[ Complex iopo His-Atlantopollis zone

post-zone \\\,yz-ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone

EXPLANATION 

Nonnofossil assemblages 

H Eiffellithus eximius 

H Lithraphidites acutum 

HI pre- Lithraphidites acutum

(ff) Rotalipora occurrence

@ Rotalipora last occurrence

B Basement

BN Barren interval

{I) Source of data
16 TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

CORRELATION OF TURONIAN AGE

STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS OF THE ATLANTIC

AND GULF COASTAL PLAINS

The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone is present 

in Coastal Plain strata extending from New England 

to Texas. This zone and its associated foraminifer and 

calcareous nannofossil assemblages play an important 

role in dating and revising the ages of formations 

beneath the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains (fig. 9). 

At Dallas, Tex., upper Cenomanian and lower and 

upper Turonian strata are present in a seemingly 

uninterrupted section that lies unconf ormably beneath 

Coniacian beds of the Austin Group. Stratigraphic 

evidence based on the occurrences of mollusks and 

foraminifers from outcrops that are correlated with 

the corehole section indicates that the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone and the Lithraphidites acutum 

nannofossil assemblage are present in the upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian and that the Eiffellithus 

eximius assemblage succeeds the Lithraphidites acutum assemblage in the lower Turonian.

Beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain, in the Salisbury and Raritan Embayments, pollen, foraminifers, 

and calcareous nannofossils from several localities 

have been studied. In the Toms River well, New Jersey, the pollen stratigraphy is incomplete, but the evidence suggests that the base of the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone lies within the lower Turonian 

Praeglobotruncana Helvetica zone, as does the boundary between the Lithraphidites acutum and Eiffellithus eximius assemblages. The stratigraphy at the 

Island Beach well is similar, except that a Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage is present at the base 

of the P. helvetica zone where Rotalipora becomes 

extinct, and it is possible that the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone extends below the CenomanianTuronian boundary here. In the E. G. Taylor well on 

the eastern shore of Virginia, the base of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone lies in beds that have yielded 

poorly preserved planktic foraminifers tentatively 

dated as pre-Santonian to Cenomanian in age; Rotalipora is present in the deepest sample studied, within 

the late Cenomanian post-zone III, pre-Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone interval.

Therefore, the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

appears to be early Turonian in age on the flanks of the 

Raritan and Salisbury Embayments. The upper Cenomanian part of this pollen zone possibly is missing 

there, but it could be present in deeper areas of the 

basins. The Fire Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket wells are located near the landward edge of the 

Coastal Plain on the Long Island Platform, and, 

because the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis strata lie at

relatively shallow depths in these wells, I am assigning 

them an early Turonian age.

South of the Cape Fear Arch, the ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone is present in a distinctive lithologic 

unit in a series of wells that transects the northern 

flank and central region of the Southeast Georgia 

Embayment(fig. 9). At Fripp Island, a Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis flora and the Turonian Eiffellithus 

eximius assemblage are present in an interval described as unit K2 by Gohn and others (1978,1980). 

Unit K2 is lithologically variable, but it is a relatively 

thin unit of approximately formational rank near the 

base of the Upper Cretaceous sequence, widespread 

beneath the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. At 

Clubhouse Crossroads, somewhat higher on the flank 

of the basin, the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis, Eiffellithus eximius, and Lithraphidites acutum assemblages 

are all present in unit K2. I interpret unit K2 to be 

early Turonian in age, equivalent to the upper part of 

the Britton Formation and the lower part of the Arcadia Park Formation at Dallas. In the Georgia subsurface, the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone is present 

in unit K2 in two wells in Glynn County.

Along the Atlantic Coast from New York to Georgia, the lower Turonian correlates variously with 

"chronostratigraphic" units D, E, and F of Brown and 

others (1972, 1979). Unit F, in particular, has been 

recognized in many wells by the presence of an ostracode fauna that includes the species Fossocytheridea 

lenoirensis, which has been reported from 38 wells in 

North Carolina and in 1 well in southern Virginia 

(Brown and others, 1972; Swain and Brown, 1972). At 

present, nannofossil, foraminifer, and pollen assemblages from unit F in these wells cannot be compared, 

but some evidence indicates that beds containing F. 

lenoirensis are Turonian in age. In the Clubhouse 

Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina, F. lenoirensis 

is present at 2,365 ft (Hazel and others, 1977), and I 

have observed it at 2,367.5 ft. Both occurrences are 

within the interval (2,342.3-2,404.8 ft) where calcareous nannofossils that I interpret to be Turonian in age 

are present with Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis pollen. 

In addition, a Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis flora is 

present in a core provided by P. M. Brown from unit F 

in a well from Halifax County, N.C., near the type 

section for unit F (Christopher and others, 1979; 

Christopher, oral commun., 1981).

The foregoing biostratigraphic analysis has led to 

a new, albeit provisional, correlation of Coastal Plain 

formations and informal lithologic units with the 

Eaglefordian Provincial Stage (fig. 10). In the Raritan 

Embayment of northern New Jersey, the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone encompasses the Wood-
CORRELATION OF TURONIAN AGE STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS 17

Stage Pollen 

zone Dallas,Texas Western 

Alabama

Alabama-Georgia 

area

South Carolina, 

Clubhouse Crossroads

North Carolina, 

Cape Fear Arch

Virginia, 

Salisbury Embayment

New Jersey, 

Raritan Embayment

Pollen 

zone Stage

 *- 2?

I 2

s.

e

Q- Q.

No data

Atco Fm. 

(part)

i i i i i i i

Arcadia Park 

Formation

__ (I)

Brit ton 

Formation

(I)

Mooreville 

Chalk 

(part)

Eutaw 

Formation

Gordo 

Formation

Coker 

Formation

o (2)

Blufftown

Formation

(part)

Eutaw 

Formation

Magofhy Fm. 

equivalent

Middendorf Fm.

and 

Cape Fear Fm.

unnamed 

strata

Middendorf Fm.

and 

Cape Fear Fm.

(6)

Tuscaloosa 

Formation

(4)

Tuscaloosa Fm. 

equivalent,

K2, F(parf) 

(5)

Tarrant 

Formation

Vick 

Formation

(i)

Woodbine Fm. 

_ i£art)_ J (3)

Magofhy 

Formation M

(8)

South Amboy 

Fire Clay Member

B;

Raritan Fm. 

equivalent

r, (7)

Raritan Fm. 

equivalent

(7)

N

a. o

Sayreville

Sand 

Member (8)

Woodbridge

Clay 

Member (8)

«S-fc;

II

Farrington

Sand 

Member

"Raritan 

Fire Clay"

Potomac Group 

(port) (7)

FIGURE 10. Generalized correlation chart for upper Cenomanian to lower Campanian strata of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. Ages 

of Turonian and upper Cenomanian units based on nannofossils, planktic foraminifers, and pollen as discussed in text. Assignment of 

numbered units to pollen zones is based on (1) Christopher, 1982; (2) Christopher and others, 1979; (3) Christopher, 1972; (4) 

Christopher, 1979b, 1982; oral commun., 1978; (5) Hazel and others, 1977; Christopher and others, 1979; Christopher, oral commun., 

1979; (6) Christopher and others, 1979; (7) Robbins and others, 1975; Doyle and Robbins, 1977; Ruth Todd, unpub. data, 1973; (8) 

Christopher, 1979a, 1982, oral commun., 1979. Placement of the Blufftown Formation, the Mooreville Chalk, and the Eutaw Formation 

of western Alabama from Hazel and others, 1977, fig. 3. Units Kl and K2 described by Gohn and others, 1978,1980. Unit F described by 

Brown and others, 1972,1979. Ruled lines indicate hiatuses. Not to scale.

bridge Clay and the Sayreville Sand Members of the 

Raritan Formation (Christopher, 1979a), and I assign 

them to the lower Turonian. They are separated by a 

hiatus from the South Amboy Fire Clay Member that 

Christopher (1979a, 1982, oral commun., 1979) placed 

in pollen zone V-A of the Coniacian-Santonian age. 

The lower members of the Raritan Formation, the 

informal "Raritan Fire Clay," and the Farrington Sand 

Member are more difficult to date. The palynomorphs 

of this part of the outcropping Raritan are known only 

from a single sample from the "Raritan Fire Clay" 

(Groot and others, 1961). The flora does not contain 

Complexiopollis or Atlantopollis, but Doyle and Robbins (1977) placed it in zone IV, apparently because it 

is more typical of that zone than of the older zone III. I 

provisionally assign the "Raritan Fire Clay" and the 

Farrington Sand Member to the post-zone III, preComplexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone interval of late 

Cenomanian age that Christopher (1982) identified in 

the Dallas, Tex., corehole. An unconformity may exist 

between the Farrington Sand and the overlying Woodbridge Clay Members, representing the upper Cenomanian part of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone 

that apparently is missing beneath the Atlantic Coastal 

Plain.

On the eastern shore of Virginia, the E. G. Taylor
18 TURONIAN STRATIGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND TEXAS

No. 1-G well in the Salisbury Embayment penetrated 

strata that are equivalent to the Raritan Formation of 

New Jersey (Robbins and others, 1975; Doyle and 

Robbins, 1977). The upper beds in the sequence contain 

a Complexiopollis-AtlantopolUs zone flora and are 

coeval with the Woodbridge Clay and Sayreville Sand 

Members of early Turonian age. Lower in the section 

and possibly separated by a hiatus, slightly older beds 

contain only Complexiopollis of the Normapolles group, 

and I assign them to the post-zone III, pre-Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone interval of late Cenomanian 

age. A hiatus encompassing late Turonian and possibly 

Coniacian time separates the Raritan age section from 

an overlying sequence of Magothy age.

In South Carolina, south of the Cape Fear Arch, 

the Complexiopollis-AtlantopolUs zone is present in 

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1. The flora is in strata 

corresponding to unit K2 of Gohn and others (1978) 

and to part of unit F of Brown and others (1979). These 

beds are palynologically equivalent to the Tuscaloosa 

Formation of eastern Alabama and western Georgia. 

This part of the section at Clubhouse Crossroads previously had been equated with the Cape Fear Formation (Hazel and others, 1977), but recent work by 

Christopher and others (1979) on the Cape Fear Arch 

in North Carolina has shown that the Cape Fear Formation contains a flora typical of pollen zone V of 

Coniacian-Campanian age. At Clubhouse Crossroads, 

the Cape Fear Formation is actually represented by 

beds much higher in the core, which Hazel and others 

(1977) correlated with the South Amboy Fire Clay 

Member and the Magothy Formation of New Jersey. 

The lower Turonian at Clubhouse Crossroads probably 

is separated by an upper Turonian hiatus from a 

sequence of undated and unnamed beds, possibly of 

Coniacian age. Though the beds below the lower Turonian are not dated (unit Kl and the lowest part of unit 

F), they are placed provisionally in the Cenomanian.

In the Alabama-Georgia region of the eastern Gulf 

Coastal Plain, the Com pie xiopollis-Atlantopollis-zone 

has been identified in the Tuscaloosa Formation, and 

pollen zone V-A of Coniacian-Santonian age has been 

reported from the overlying Eutaw Formation (Christopher, 1979b, 1982, oral commun., 1978). The Tuscaloosa Formation in eastern Alabama and western 

Georgia is placed provisionally in the lower Turonian, 

and it is separated by an upper Turonian-lower Coniacian hiatus from the Eutaw Formation. In western 

Alabama, a Complexiopollis-AtlantopoUis flora is 

present in the Coker Formation, the basal formation of 

the Tuscaloosa Group (Christopher and others, 1979). 

The overlying Gordo Formation is not well known 

palynologically, but Leopold and Pakiser (1964) studied 

a core sample that contained pollen species of Turonian 

affinity, and they interpreted the Tuscaloosa Group

and the overlying McShan and Eutaw Formations to 

be pre-Coniacian in age. I provisionally place the Coker 

Formation in the lower Turonian, but it could extend 

into the upper Cenomanian. The Gordo Formation is 

probably Turonian in age, but further work is necessary to determine whether it is part of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone or whether it could represent 

the post-CompJexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone, pre-zone 

V interval of late Turonian to Coniacian age that is 

missing beneath the Coastal Plain to the east. The Vick 

Formation underlies the Tuscaloosa Group in western 

Alabama. It has been dated as late Cenomanian by 

Christopher (1972) who considered it to be a sedimentary facies of the Coker Formation. The Vick flora 

must be clarified before its stratigraphic position can 

be determined accurately, and I have tentatively 

assigned it to the post-zone III, pre-ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis zone interval of late Cenomanian age.

In the Eagle Ford section at Dallas, Tex., the Tarrant, Britton, and Arcadia Park Formations represent 

a relatively complete sequence of late Cenomanian and 

Turonian age. The Tarrant Formation and the lower 

part of the Britton Formation are equivalent to the 

lower part of the Raritan Formation in New Jersey. 

The middle part of the Britton Formation and the 

corresponding upper Cenomanian part of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone probably is missing from 

most areas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The upper 

Britton Formation and the lowermost Arcadia Park 

Formation correlate with the Woodbridge Clay and 

Sayreville Sand Members of the Raritan. The bulk of 

the Arcadia Park Formation represents an interval 

that is missing in New Jersey, as pointed out by Christopher (1982). The hiatus at the Turonian-Coniacian 

boundary at Dallas is expanded in the Raritan Embayment of northern New Jersey to encompass an 

upper Turonian and perhaps lower Coniacian gap 

between the Sayreville Sand and the South Amboy 

Fire Clay Members. However, in the Salisbury Embayment in southernmost New Jersey, both the upper 

Turonian and Coniacian are reported to be present in 

the Anchor Gas, Dickinson No. 1 well (Petters, 1976, p. 

97).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

In this study I have sought to resolve the age of a 

stratigraphic interval beneath the Atlantic and Gulf 

Coastal Plains that is characterized by the occurrence 

of distinctive calcareous nannofossil and pollen assemblages. The biostratigraphy is based on the ranges of 

the key nannofossil species Corollithion achijlosum, 

Eiffellithus eximius, and Lithraphidites acutum, on 

the occurrence of the widespread ComplexiopollisAtlantopolUs pollen assemblage zone, and on the 

assumption that the extinction of the planktic fora-
CORRELATION OF TURONIAN AGE STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS 19

minifer genus Rotalipora marks the CenomanianTuronian boundary.

The Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis pollen zone is 

present beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain from New 

England to Georgia and at localities in Alabama and 

Texas on the Gulf Coast. One or both of the Eiffellithus 

eximius and Lithraphidites acutum nannofossil assemblages are found in this pollen zone in wells in New 

Jersey, South Carolina, and Texas. Planktic foraminifers are present also with these nannofossil and pollen 

floras in New Jersey and support an age of early Turonian for the interval in question. In Texas, planktic 

foraminifers and mollusks indicate that the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis zone ranges from uppermost 

Cenomanian to lower Turonian.

The dating of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis 

zone as early Turonian beneath the Atlantic Coastal 

Plain has resulted in a revision of the ages of established 

stratigraphic units and suggests the existence there of 

a hiatus representing the uppermost Cenomanian.

The following lithologic units are assigned to the 

lower Turonian (Eaglefordian): the Woodbridge Clay 

and Sayreville Sand Members of the Raritan Formation, New Jersey; the upper part of the Raritan equivalent in the E. G. Taylor No. 1-G well on the eastern 

shore of Virginia; the Tuscaloosa equivalent (units K2, 

E, and part of F) in the South Carolina and Georgia 

coastal region; the Tuscaloosa Formation of eastern 

Alabama and western Georgia; and the Coker Formation of the Tuscaloosa Group in western Alabama. 

Farther north, the lower Turonian encompasses parts 

of units D and E in a well in New Jersey, whereas it 

corresponds to part of unit F in a well on Fire Island.

The Eagle Ford Group at Dallas, Tex., contains 

strata of late Cenomanian and early and late Turonian 

age. The Tarrant Formation and the lower and middle 

parts of the Britton Formation are late Cenomanian in 

age. The upper Britton and lowermost Arcadia Park 

Formations are early Turonian, and the remainder of 

the Arcadia Park is late Turonian in age.

Hiatuses in the stratigraphic record of the Atlantic 

Coastal Plain are pronounced on the flanks of embayments, but determining their extent throughout a sedimentary basin is sometimes difficult. Lower Turonian 

strata appear to be present all along the Atlantic coastal region, and they probably lie disconformably on 

upper Cenomanian beds. In contrast, the upper Turonian is represented by a hiatus in many areas. It is 

absent in the Raritan Embayment of New Jersey and 

in the southern part of the Salisbury Embayment in 

Virginia, but upper Turonian strata are reported in 

the central part of the Salisbury Embayment at Cape 

May, N.J. On the Cape Fear Arch in North and South 

Carolina, the Cenomanian and Turonian Stages apparently are absent. In the Southeast Georgia Embayment, the upper Turonian is absent also, and the lower 

Turonian is bounded below by a thin interval of 

undated sedimentary rocks of possible Cenomanian 

age that overlie crystalline basement.

Turonian and adjacent strata are better represented beneath the Gulf Coastal Plain. In western 

Alabama, the lower Turonian Coker Formation lies 

between the upper Cenomanian Vick Formation and 

the Gordo Formation of possible late Turonian age. At 

Dallas, Tex., the upper Cenomanian and lower and 

upper Turonian are present in a relatively uninterrupted section, separated by a hiatus from the Coniacian part of the Austin Group.

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