i, 5

Upper Cretaceous Subsurface 

Stratigraphy and Structure of 

Coastal Georgia and South Carolina

GEOtQGIC AL SURVE:Y PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1222
Upper Cretaceous Subsurface 

Stratigraphy and Structure of 

Coastal Georgia and South Carolina

By PAGE C. VALENTINE

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1222

A study based on 24 wells along transects 

from the Southeast Georgia Embayment 

northeastward to the Cape Fear Arch and 

offshore to the Outer Continental Shelf

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1982
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

JAMES G. WATT, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L. Peck, Director

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Valentine, Page C.

Upper Cretaceous subsurface stratigraphy and structure of coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

(Geological Survey professional paper ; 1222)

"A study based on 24 wells along transects from the Southeast Georgia Embayment northeastward to the Cape Fear Arch and

offshore to the Outer Continental Shelf." 

Bibliography: p. 

Supt. of Docs, no.: 119.16:1222 

1. Geology, Stratigraphic-Cretaceous. 2. Geology-Georgia. 3. Geology-South Carolina. 4. Coasts-Georgia. 5. Coasts-South

Carolina. I. Title. II. Series: United States. Geological Survey. Professional paper ; 1222.

QE688.V35 551.7T09757 80-607868

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

604 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
CONTENTS

Abstract ___________. 

Introduction _________. 

Acknowledgments ____. 

Regional geology _______. 

Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy.

Cenomanian-Turonian European Stage boundary ________

COST GE-1 well, Outer Continental Shelf off Georgia __ 

Age of pollen zone IV ____________________ 11 

Fripp Island well, South Carolina _____________ 13 

Parris Island No. 2 well, South Carolina __________ 15

Page

Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy-Continued

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina _____ 15 

Penny Royal and Myrtle Beach wells, South Carolina;

Calabash well, North Carolina ______________ 19 

Georgia Geological Survey wells, southeastern Georgia _ 19 

Wells in the axis of the Southeast Georgia Embayment __ 21 

Ages of subsurface stratigraphic units ___________ 25

Geologic section of northern Florida and coastal Georgia and 

South Carolina _________________________ 25

Summary _____________________________ 30

References cited _________________________ 31

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE 1. The southeastern Atlantic continental margin showing location of wells, geologic sections, and structural features _____ 3

2. Diagram showing Cretaceous stratigraphic units recognized in previous studies of coastal Georgia and South Carolina and

the authors' correlation of their units with Gulf Coast and European stages ________________________ 4

3. Diagram showing correlation of upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian stratigraphic units of parts of Europe and the

United States _________________________________________________________ 6 

4-9. Diagrams showing stratigraphic correlations of wells based on results of this study and comparisons with previous 

stratigraphic interpretations:

4. Fripp Island well, South Carolina _____________________________________________ 14

5. Parris Island No. 2 and Fripp Island wells, South Carolina _______________________________ 16

6. Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina ____________________________________ 17

7. Penny Royal and Myrtle Beach wells, South Carolina, and Calabash well, North Carolina _______________ 20

8. Georgia Geological Survey wells 876,1198,724, 719, and 1197 in the Southeast Georgia Embayment, Georgia ___ 22

9. Section (8-80 through Georgia Geological Survey wells 144 and 724 and COST GE-1 along the axis of the Southeast Georgia Embayment, Georgia __________________________________________ 24

10. Diagram showing reinterpreted correlation of Cretaceous stratigraphic units recognized in previous studies of coastal

Georgia and South Carolina with Gulf Coast and European stages _____________________________ 26

11. Diagram showing stratigraphic correlation along section (A-A') through the Southeast Georgia Embayment and the

Cape Fear Arch, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina ___________________________________ 28

TABLE

Page

TABLE 1. Well number, name, location, altitude, and depth of 24 wells drilled in coastal South Carolina and Georgia, northern

Florida, and offshore _____________________________________________________ 8

in

UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY AND STRUCTURE 

OF COASTAL GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA

By PAGE C. VALENTINE

ABSTRACT

Upper Cretaceous subsurface stratigraphy and structure of coastal 

Georgia and South Carolina is based on the study of 24 wells along two 

transects, one extending across the seaward-dipping sedimentary 

basin termed the "Southeast Georgia Embayment" northeastward to 

the crest of the Cape Fear Arch, and the other alined east-west, 

parallel to the basin axis and including the COST GE-1 well on the 

Outer Continental Shelf. A new biostratigraphic analysis, using 

calcareous nannofossils, of the Fripp Island, S.C., well and reinterpretations of the Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina, 

and other wells in South Carolina, Georgia, and northernmost Florida 

have made possible the comparison and revaluation of stratigraphic 

interpretations of the region made by G. S. Gohn and others in 1978 

and 1980 and by P. M. Brown and others in 1979. The present study indicates that within the Upper Cretaceous section the stratigraphic 

units formerly assigned a Cenomanian (Eaglefordian and Woodbinian) 

age are Coniacian (Austinian) and Turonian (Eaglefordian) in age. A 

previously described hiatus encompassing Coniacian and Turonian 

time is not present. More likely, a hiatus is probably present in the upper Turonian, and major gaps in the record are present within the 

Cenomanian and between the Upper Cretaceous and the preCretaceous basement.

After an erosional episode in Cenomanian time that affected the section beneath eastern Georgia and South Carolina, Upper Cretaceous 

marine clastic and carbonate rocks were deposited on a regionally subsiding margin that extended to the present Blake Escarpment. In contrast, during Cenozoic time, especially in the Eocene, subsidence and 

sedimentation rates were uneven across the margin. A thick progradational sequence of carbonate rocks accumulated in the Southeast 

Georgia Embayment and also built the present Continental Shelf, 

whereas farther offshore a much thinner layer of sediments was 

deposited on the Blake Plateau.

There is no general agreement on the exact placement of the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in Europe or the United States 

Western Interior, and the widespread Sciponoceras gracile ammonite 

zone represents an interval of equivocal age between accepted 

Cenomanian and Turonian strata. The extinction of the foraminifer 

genus Rotalipora took place within the Sciponoceras gracile zone; it is 

used here to identify the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary.

Pollen zone IV (Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage zone) is an 

important and widespread biostratigraphic unit characterized by a 

distinctive spore and pollen flora. It is consistently associated with 

lower Turonian calcareous nannofossils on the Atlantic continental 

margin; these nannofossil assemblages are also present in pollen zone 

IV, in strata that encompass the Sciponoceras gracile zone and the 

lower part of the MytUoides lahiatus zone in the Gulf Coastal Plain at 

Dallas, Tex.

INTRODUCTION

Numerous wells have been drilled along the coasts of 

South Carolina and Georgia, and many of these have 

reached pre-Cretaceous basement. Previous investigators of these wells have outlined the subsurface 

geology of the region. Their studies were based primarily on lithologic and electric log correlations supplemented by paleontological interpretations. However, 

the results of the most recent and extensive investigations of the Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy in the subsurface of the coastal region do not agree on the placement of hiatuses in the rock record or on the age of the 

lower part of the sedimentary section that lies above 

pre-Cretaceous basement (Brown and others, 1979; 

Gohn and others, 1978a, 1980, and in press).

The drilling of the COST GE-1 well on the Continental 

Shelf off southeastern Georgia provided an opportunity 

to investigate the paleontology of a thick section (2,300 

ft) of Upper Cretaceous strata (Scholle, 1979). Biostratigraphic studies of the sedimentary strata 

penetrated by this well revealed a nearly complete section of Upper Cretaceous limestone that includes strata 

of Coniacian Age and Turonian Age, and a thin, unfossiliferous, apparently shallow-marine interval above 

the Albian that may represent the Cenomanian (Valentine, 1979a; Poag and Hall, 1979). In order to compare 

the Upper Cretaceous sequence at COST GE-1 with the 

onshore section, I made a biostratigraphic analysis of 

the Cretaceous calcareous nannofossils from a well 

drilled on Fripp Island, S.C. This well is also ideal for 

comparing recently published stratigraphic interpretations of the subsurface, for it was studied by Gohn and 

others (1978a) and is only 11 miles from a well on Parris 

Island, S.C., studied by Brown and others (1979) and by 

Gohn and others (1978a). The present study incorporates new biostratigraphic analyses into a reevalution of the Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy of 

coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Two of my colleagues, R. A. Christopher and C. C. 

Smith of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), have 

generously allowed me to use their unpublished reports 

on the occurrences of spores and pollen, planktic 

foraminifers, and calcareous nannofossils from the subsurface of South Carolina and Georgia; these reports 

form the paleontological basis for the stratigraphic interpretations of Gohn and others (1978a, 1980, and in 

press). I am grateful to W. A. Abbott, South Carolina 

Geological Survey, for providing me with the samples 

for the Fripp Island well, and to R. K. Olsson, Rutgers 

University, for samples from the Toms River well. I 

wish to thank J. E. Hazel, R. A. Christopher, and Peter 

Popenoe of the USGS for critically reading the 

manuscript.

REGIONAL GEOLOGY

The region of coastal South Carolina and Georgia and 

northern Florida that is treated in this study includes 

the southwest flank of the Cape Fear Arch and the 

Southeast Georgia Embayment (fig. 1). The embayment 

is a seaward-dipping sedimentary basin bounded on the 

northeast by the Cape Fear Arch, on the southwest by 

the Peninsular Arch, and on the west by the Piedmont 

province. Marine carbonate and clastic strata, chiefly of 

Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic age, are 4,600 ft thick 

beneath the southeastern Georgia Coastal Plain. Offshore, the basin descends dramatically to at least 11,000 

ft below sea level at COST GE-1, near the shelf edge, 

where the section also includes 5,000 feet of Lower 

Cretaceous rocks. I outlined the stratigraphy and structure of the Southeast Georgia Embayment in a previous 

paper (Valentine, 1979b). Seaward of the FloridaHatteras slope, the Southeast Georgia Embayment 

opens into the much deeper (40,000 ft) Blake Plateau 

basin (Dillon and others, 1979).

In the deepest part of the Southeast Georgia Embayment onshore, the basal sedimentary strata in some 

wells may constitute a thin (possibly 150 ft) sequence of 

undated nonmarine to marginal-marine clastic rocks. 

These rocks are overlain by a transgressive sequence of 

Upper Cretaceous marine clastic strata (~ 650 ft), which 

are surmounted by marine carbonate beds (~ 1,150 ft) of 

latest Cretaceous age. The marine clastic facies thickens 

northeastward along the coastline to include the entire 

Upper Cretaceous and extends over Cape Fear Arch, 

where it is 1,300 ft thick. The Upper Cretaceous marine 

carbonate facies is confined to the center of the basin, 

but it is overlain by a widespread, thick (2,100 ft) carbonate wedge of Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene age 

that thins to the northeast and is absent over the Cape 

Fear Arch.

UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY

The results of drilling into the Cretaceous deposits 

along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina and in 

northern Florida have been reported by many authors, 

including Applin (1955), Herrick (1961), Herrick and 

Vorhis (1963), Applin and Applin (1965, 1967), Marsalis 

(1970, paleontology by S. M. Herrick and E. R. Applin), 

Maher (1971, paleontology by E. R. Applin), Cramer 

(1974), Zupan and Abbott (1976), Brown and others 

(1979), and Gohn and others (1978a, 1980, and in press). 

Several of these studies deal with the subsurface 

stratigraphy on a regional basis.

Maher (1971) used a combination of lithostratigraphic 

units and Gulf Coast stages in his broad-scale study of 

the Atlantic coastal province. However, he did not indicate the presence of major unconformities in the Upper Cretaceous coastal section of Georgia and South 

Carolina, nor did he correlate his stratigraphic units 

with European stages. Brown and others (1979) extended into the South Carolina and Georgia subsurface 

the Cretaceous stratigraphic framework established by 

Brown and others (1972) for the Coastal Plain north of 

Cape Fear, and the stratigraphic units are considered by 

the authors to be chronostratigraphic in nature. 

Although Brown and others (1979) did not document 

their interpretations in Georgia and South Carolina, 

they presumably used the same guidelines as those used 

in the earlier study (Brown and others, 1972), and the 

delineation of stratigraphic units apparently is heavily 

dependent on lithology and the presence of a limited 

number of ostracode and foraminifer guide fossils. The 

type sections of these units (Brown and others, 1972) are 

in the subsurface of North Carolina, just north of the 

region under study here. Brown and others (1972,1979) 

equated their stratigraphic units primarily with Gulf 

Coast provincial stages. In the other recent studies of 

the region, Gohn and others (1978a, 1980) recognized a 

sequence of Cretaceous lithostratigraphic units in the 

subsurface of coastal Georgia and South Carolina and 

correlated them with both European and Gulf Coast 

stages on the basis of analyses of spores and pollen, 

planktic foraminfers, and calcareous nannofossils. In 

the following discussion of the stratigraphic units of 

Gohn and others (1978a, 1980) and Brown and others 

(1979), the Gulf Coast and European stage equivalents 

of each unit are those given by Gohn and others and 

Brown and others, unless otherwise stated.

The stratigraphic interpretations of Brown and others 

(1979) and Gohn and others (1978a, 1980) differ in 

several aspects; a comparison of their results and a correlation by those authors of their units with Gulf Coast 

and European stages is shown in figure 2. Brown and 

others (1979) indicated the presence of a regional hiatus
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY

81° 80° 79°

BLAKE 

PLATEAU

EXPLANATION

AREA OF UPPER CRETACEOUS 

OUTCROP

 STRUCTURE CONTOUR OF UPPER

CRETACEOUS SURFACE - CONTOURS 

ARE IN FEET

BATHYMETRIC CONTOURBATHYMETRY IS IN METERS

WELL LOCATION- NUMBER IS WELL 

NUMBER FROM TABLE

DATUM IS SEA LEVEL

30

29

80{ 79C

FIGURE l.-The southeastern Atlantic continental margin, showing locations of wells, geologic sections, and structural features. See table 1 for 

names and altitudes of wells. Data used in drawing Upper Cretaceous structure contours include additional wells not shown here (Herrick 

and Vorhis, 1963; Applin and Applin, 1967; Maher, 1971; Cramer, 1974; Hathaway and others, 1979).
UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

A

B

C

D

xVWV

E

F

Provincial 

Stage

Navarroan

Tayloran

Austin ian

Eaglefordian

Woodbinian

Washitan 

and

Fredericksburg ian

European 

Stage

Maestrichtian

Cam pan ian

Santonian

Coniacian

Turonian

Cenomanian

Albian

Gohn 

and others 

(I978aj980)

KG

K5 

K4

m

^K3^

^K2 ^

V\KI ;

FIGURE 2.-Cretaceous stratigraphic units of coastal Georgia and South Carolina recognized by Brown and others (1979), Gohn 

and others (1978a, 1980), and those authors' correlation of their units with Gulf Coast (Provincial) and European stages. 

Cross-hatched zones represent hiatuses. Note differences in the placement of hiatuses and in the ages of the oldest rocks 

above pre-Cretaceous basement.
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY

within the Cenomanian between units D (Eaglefordian) 

and E (Woodbinian). In contrast, Gohn and others 

(1978a, 1980) recognized a major hiatus between the 

Santonian (unit K4, middle to upper Austinian) and the 

Upper Cenomanian (unit K3, middle Eaglefordian) and 

indicated that the Turonian and Coniacian are absent in 

this region. With regard to the lowermost sedimentary 

beds in the section, Brown and others (1979) recognized, 

in units E and F, strata as old as middle Cenomanian to 

Albian (Woodbinian, Washitan, and Fredericksburgian). 

On the other hand, the oldest beds recognized by Gohn 

and others (1978a, 1980) are their units K3 and K2 

(upper Cenomanian, middle Eaglefordian) and unit Kl, 

which was designated upper Cenomanian in South 

Carolina and later revised to be Upper(?) Cretaceous in 

their study of the Georgia subsurface.

In the present study of the regional Cretaceous 

stratigraphy, I have attempted to show the relations 

between stratigraphic units recognized by other authors 

and to date these units on the basis of their fossil 

assemblages. The results of one aspect of this study indicate that previous authors have underestimated the 

thickness of the Santonian-Coniacian (lower and middle 

Austinian) stages and have overestimated the ages of 

several of their lower stratigraphic units. I believe that 

Coniacian and, in particular, Turonian strata are present beneath the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina 

and that the Cenomanian, if present, is a relatively thin 

unit above the pre-Cretaceous basement. These conclusions rest on the recognition of Turonian fossil 

assemblages and ultimately on the placement of the 

Cenomanian-Turonian Stage boundary in Europe and 

North America.

Unless otherwise indicated, in the stratigraphic 

descriptions that follow, the depths of samples and 

stratigraphic boundaries in onshore wells are given in 

feet as originally designated during drilling, whereas 

COST GE-1 depths are given relative to sea level. Table 

1 gives locations and altitudes of the wells.

CENOMANIAN-TURONIAN EUROPEAN STAGE BOUNDARY

The boundary between the Cenomanian and Turonian 

Stages is ill defined both faunally and lithologically. 

D'Orbigny (1842,1847) erected these stages on the basis 

of their molluscan assemblages, but he did not designate 

type sections. However, he stipulated the city of 

LeMans as the type area for the Cenomanian and, 

somewhat to the south, the environs of Tours as the type 

area for the Turonian. In the years since d'Orbigny's 

original descriptions, many geologists have studied 

these areas, and they have established a biostratigraphic 

zonation based primarily on ammonites and inoceramids. The stratigraphic interpretations of many of

the recent European and North American studies are 

shown in figure 3.

At present, there is no universal agreement either on 

the physical placement of the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary or on a biostratigraphic definition of it. It has 

been drawn at various levels within a stratigraphically 

short interval above the upper Cenomanian strata of the 

Calycoceras naviculare zone (as used by Kennedy and 

Juignet, 1973; = Eucalycoceras pentagonumCalycoceras naviculare zone of Kennedy and Hancock, 

1976) and below lower Turonian strata of the Mammites 

nodosoides-Inoceramus labiatus zone. These two 

molluscan zones are widespread and have been recognized in both Europe and North America. The intervening stratigraphic units are characterized in the type 

areas of France by beds of variable lithology that show 

lateral facies changes, and they are frequently bounded 

by unconformities and contain relatively poor fossil 

assemblages.

During the time between the deposition of strata of 

the upper Cenomanian Calycoceras naviculare zone and 

that of the lower Turonian Mammites nodosoidesInoceramus labiatus zone, a major evolutionary event 

took place in many groups of organisms, including the 

ammonites, inoceramids, and foraminifers (Kauffman 

and others, 1976). Early studies of the European type 

areas reported a lack of ammonite faunas in this interval, but subsequent collecting has revealed the presence 

of a distinctive assemblage representative of the 

Sciponoceras gracile zone that was recognized first in 

the Western Interior of the United States (Cobban and 

Reeside, 1952; Cobban and Scott, 1972) and is now 

known also in northern France and southern England 

(Kennedy and Hancock, 1976). A composite faunal 

assemblage of North American and European elements 

characteristic of this zone would include, among others, 

the belemnite Actinocamax plenus, the ammonites 

Kanabiceras septemseriatum, Metoicoceras geslinianum, M. gourdoni, M. whitei, Sciponoceras gracile, 

Worthoceras vermiculum, and the bivalve Inoceramus 

pictus.

Strata assigned to the Sciponoceras gracile zone in the 

Cenomanian type area are the Sables a Catopygus obtusus and the overlying Craie a Terebratella carantonensis (= Horizon A; Kennedy and Juignet, 1973; Kennedy 

and Hancock, 1976). In the Turonian type area, 

elements of the Sciponoceras gracile assemblage have 

been reported from the Craie marneuse at the base of 

the Turonian in the Fretevou section (Rawson and 

others, 1978). In northern France and southeastern 

England, the lower part of the Sciponoceras gracile zone 

includes the Actinocamax plenus marls (Metoicoceras 

geslinianum and M. gourdoni zones of Jefferies, 1962), 

and, in Devon, southwestern England, the upper part of
UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

LU

» 

CO

z

^"^

O

cr

\-

cr

LU

3?

-*

_i

cr

LU\ 

2

>-

O

O 

QQ

2

<

0

cr

\

2

<t

O

2

LU

O

^

2

0

2

LU

O

cr

LU

Q. 

Q_

TURONIAN 

AREA

TOURAINE

Lecointre 

(1959)

Craie 

morneuse 

(Fretevou 

section, base 

of "type"

Turonian)

f~*>

I I |l

| 1 ||

 0 g; Kio

| .1 S |

o £ °

~ i S

1 °

o

1 | 2

111

H 'T

c

CENOMANIAN TYPE AREA

SARTHE

Basse (1959) 

Hancock (1959)

Craie

a

Terebrotella

carantonensis

Sables

a

Cotopygus

obtusus

T

C

HIATUS

Mornes 

a

Ostrea 

£ biauriN culata

1

.5

1

§

§

g

"t" Sables

du

Perche

Kennedy 

and 

Juignet 

(1973)

£

o

<o

nodosoide w 

>s

5

^

O

1

i

1j^r*

1

1

1s

1

1

1

%

-G^

^

£

x t

<o

Craie 

a Inoceramus 

labiatus

T

C

Craie

a

Tereb.

caront.

Sables

a

Catopy.

obtusus

HIATUS

Marnes

a 

Ostrea

biouric.

Sables

du

Perche

MAINE

Juignet, 

Kennedy and 

Lebert 

(1978)

Croie 

a 

Inoceromus 

labiatus

T

O

%"5

0

8

1

1

Sciponoceros

i

-J

o

1

5

g, fe

3i

§

1

|

C

Croie

a

Tereb.

carant.

Sables 

et Gres 

a 

Catopy.

obtusus

Marnes

a 

Ostrea

biouric

Sables

du

Perche

SARTHE

Juignet

Craie 

a 

Inoceromus 

lobiotus

T

0

o 

o 

o

"g

^

Sciponoceros

\

.J "5

0

1

§

^>

^

^

1

-Is

1

c

Croie

a

Tereb.

corant.

Sables /

et Gres / 

a / 

Catopy] 

obtusus

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/Craie

/ ^

\Actino-

/ camax

/ plenus

Marnes

a 

Ostreo

biouric.

Sables

du

Perche

NORTHERN FRANCE 

and 

BELGIUM

HAUTENORMANDIE

Kennedy 

and 

Juignet 

(1973)

£

O

Jp

!. S

fc5:

i

_

 3Lo

B

t

1^

1

i

l

§

 l

I

s

.Q

.§

^

0

9»

^

s

s^

§

s

§

!§^0

Nodular 

white 

chalk

T

C

Nodular

chalk

Chalk

Chalk

CAP 

BLANC NEZ

Magne 

and 

Polveche 

(1961)

O

^5

1

7l

1

^ 5

 i

c

plenus max zo

a

.|

^

I

i

 §~§^

 ^§

^

Craie

noduleuse 

a

Inocer.

labiotus

T^ 

1

.5.

<t

Croie 

argileuse

Croie

gris

a

Ho/aster

subglobosus

CAP BLANC NEZ/ 

HAINAUTlFR-BEUS.)

Robaszynski 

(1971,1976)

O

S

^

'S

i

 <8

|

^

^m

S

S

1

I

1<J

1

^

o

i.5

1

*

§

^

S

^

Craie /

noduleuse/

(

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/Marnes

/ vertes

/"Dieves")

 / 

/ 

*!

t

<t

Niveau 

a 

Actino - 

camax

plenus

Craie

massive

LONDONFftRIS BASIN

and 

S.E. FRANCE

Robasynski 

and 

Coron 

(1979)

a>

0

I

§

^

%

|

-o

S

1

§

^

 SJ

1

o

geslinionun y. 

to

i

«s

^

o

1

1

i

s

^

T

~\ C *} 

i

.§.

s

plenus >ox zor

I

'<|

"*

SOUTHEAST 

FRANCE

BASSIN DE 

L ESTERON

Porthoult 

and others 

(1967)

<D

o

«rt

nodosoide. s 

 Sj

i>

I

$

1

 §

Is

§ 

^

1

o

£

geslinionut as 

<b

1

^

W^

I

i

5* >

to

1

^

^

 5

1.§.

"« -^

o

i i

 3§^

^

T

C

FIGURE 3. - Correlation of upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian stratigraphic units of France (including the type 

areas), Belgium, England, and the United States Western Interior and Gulf Coastal Plain. Zonation based on 

ammonites and bivalves. Ranges ofRotalipora and elements of the Sdponoceras gracile assemblage zone are 

shown in the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval. No vertical scale. Formation names at Pueblo, Colo., 

also apply to the section in western Kansas. At Dallas, Tex., 3. D. Powell of Grand Junction, Colo., studied outcrops; R. A. Christopher (USGS) and Valentine studied the same core. Heavy horizontal line indicates 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary of various authors; dashed where approximate.
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY

ENGLAND

SOUTHEASTERN ENGLAND

Jefferies 

(1963)

Melbourn

Rock

O

gourdoni iceras

*£j

1

i

 i

.C;

1

1.8

I

a

-§1

,51

I

 Si

5,

^

Ac tiro - 

camax 

plenus 

marls

1

 5-1

(S

T

C

Kennedy 

(1969)

o

§

.^

1

^

1 o

^

O

gourdoni was i

»

 5

i

o

i

S

-.5

8.

s

§.§

1

I

i

i

i

si

5

t

Middle

Chalk

T

T-C

Act in ocamax 

plenus

marls

T-C

C

Lower 

Chalk

Kennedy 

and 

Juignet 

(1973)

C= 

0

i

'tes nodoso/t

|

1

<x.

1

O

§

gourdoni v:eras z

51

1

<u

§

-^

-§

I

<3

§

.§

1

O

1

1 

 5

1

51

^

Melbourn 

Rock 

(upper)

T

C

Melbourn 

Rock 

(lower)

Actinocamax 

plenus

marls

Lower 

Chalk

DEVON

Kennedy 

and 

Juignet 

(1973)

O

i

'tes nodosoi*

^

^.

^

<t

O 

O

n:

C

o

i i

I

.§^»i

£

S

|

 55

-^

i

§

§.§51

1

O

1

^

1

1

§

^

Middle 

Chalk 

(lower)

T

C

Neocardioceras

bed 

(Middle 

Chalk,

base)

BedC

HIATUS

BedC 

(base)

ENGLAND and 

No. FRANCE

Kennedy 

and 

Hancock 

(1976)

a>

o

i

'tes nodosol

%

^

o

-Sj 

1

.§.

§

c

0

<b

~5jj

.^

1

1

s

§

>

1

IJs£

T

C

BRITISH ISLES

Rawson 

and others 

(1978)

C

o

nodosok tes 

%

^

1

-S;

i

i51

.§.

%

0>

0

Qj

 ^J ^

^>

*

1

^

|

§,

1

1

|

3

T

C

Horizon 

A

Actinocamax 

plenus 

marls

1

.§. s

(S

WESTERN INTERIOR

PUEBLO, COLORADO

Cobban 

and 

Scott 

(1973)

O

1

I

$

I

O

i5^i .^. ^

CA

C

S

k-

^

o

$

1

§

1^

g

^

Bridge 

Creek 

Limestone 

(part)

T

C

Bridge 

Creek 

Limestone 

(part)

Hart land

Shale 

and 

lower

units

Cobban and 

Scott (1973), 

E cher and 

Worstell (1970)

o

1

51

<o 

51

S

grocile oceros 2

.c^%

,,

8 J

^

1

T

C

ll

^- .^

 <; ^

1

t

-

 ^

$

t

^

 J-J X

< «-,

,,

 §

$

^

WESTERN 

KANSAS

Cobban and 

Scott (1973), 

E cher and 

Wors ell (1970)

o

-i

1

<0

< <b

<o 

51

S

gracile oceras i

. .

*

s

^

5 Tl

.1 3 1C: 

^-*J

T

C

S

V

'

: '

 -

*

«

: 5

> *$

i ^

S -SJ

i e

> ^

c ^

^'5

1

^

|«

 *>

Cs

.9.

s

(5

CENTRAL 

KANSAS

Hatt n(l965,!975; 

Eicher and 

Worstell (1970), 

Sm th (1975)

O

i,51

1

1

_g

1

o

?

o

'IT

?

s

"^

1

<5

|

1

.§. |

to

Hartland

Shale 

(part) 

and upper

b/atus lineage

 s

1 J

Hartland

Shale

(port)

§

!

ll

||& ^

§^<u

& 1

^ ^

 x -« 5

"*C

a

.^.

$

i^

Hartland

Shale 

(part) 

and older

units

GULF COASTAL PLAIN

DALLAS, TEXAS

Eagle 

Ford 

Group

Arcadia 

Park

Formation 

(lower part)

^\S\/\s

disconformity]

?

C O

o o.

I I;

o 3

0 °

m 5

%

If

o °-

m

Tarrant

Formation

Powell 

(1980, 

unpublished)

is zone

.51

1

i >i

a>

O

I5

Cb

*

^

o 

o

_j

c

Cenomonia pper 

^>

T

C

Christopher, 

{in press)

post zone E 

pre zone 2

1

_o

1

O

I

g

^t

^

^

(Complex/of, ffi 

0

"o

Q_

Valentine, 

ths study

§

kj

J

1

 $

5s

3

sj

o

o

\ 

£

o _J

T

C

o

o

E

o 

o

a.

^>

EXPLANATION

*] H ghest occurrence

\ Lowest occurrence

x S ngle occurrence

FIGURE 3.-Continued.
8 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

TABLE I.-Well number, name, location, altitude, and depth of 24 wells drilled in coastal South Carolina and Georgia, northern Florida, and

offshore

[Sources of data: (1) Applin and Applin, 1967; (2) Brown and others, 1972; (3) Brown and others, 1979; (4) Gohn and others, 1978a; (5) Scholle, 1979. GGS = Georgia Geological Survey well

number]

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5

6

7 

8

9 

10

11 

12

13 

14

15 

16

17a

17b 

18

19 

20

21 

22

23 

24

Well 

Name

GGS 144; Sun Oil Co., 

W. J. Barlow No. 1. 

Sun Oil Co., Ruth M. 

Bishop, No. 1. 

Hunt Oil Co., H. L. 

Hunt No. 1. 

GGS 876; South Penn Oil 

Co., 0. C. Mizell No. 1. 

GGS 1198; Pan-American 

Petroleum, No. 1-B 

Union Camp 

GGS 724; Humble State-1 

Union Bag Camp. 

GGS 719; Humble No. 1, 

W. C. McDonald Estate. 

GGS 1197; Pan American 

Petroleum, Union 

Camp No. 1. 

GGS 363; E. B. La Rue, 

No 1 Jelks-Rogers. 

GGS 3194; Savannah 

Ports Authority. 

Hilton Head Island

Layne Atlantic, Parris 

Island Test No. 2. 

Fripp Island

Seabrook Development 

Corp., Test Well 

No. 1. 

Kiawah Island

U.S. Geological Survey 

Clubhouse Crossroads 

Corehole 1. 

Charleston Consolidated 

Railway and Lighting. 

Charleston Medical Center _ 

Sydnor Well and Pump 

Co., Snee Farms Corp. 

Esterville Plantation _____ 

Georgetown Rural Test 

Well, Penny Royal Road. 

Myrtle Beach 10th Ave. ___ 

North Carolina Division 

Water Resources, 

Calabash Test No. 1. 

Fort Fisher No. 1

COST No. GE-1, Ocean 

Production Co.

County and State

Clinch, Ga. 

Columbia, Fla. 

Baker, Fla. 

Charlton, Ga.

Camden, Ga. 

Glynn, Ga. 

___ do ___

___ do _____ 

Liberty, Ga.

Chatham, Ga. 

Beaufort, S.C.

do

do

Charleston, S.C. 

do

Dorchester, S.C.

Charleston, S.C. 

___ do ___

___ do _____ 

Georgetown, S.C.

___ do _____ 

Horry, S.C.

Brunswick, N.C. 

New Hanover,

N.C.

C)

Location

LatN.

30°55'42"

30°47'28"

30°50'45" 

31°08'20" 

31°14'42"

31°22'20" 

31 0 41'31ff 

32°07'01"

32°19'40" 

32°19'39"

32°35'30" 

32°35'40"

32°53'15"

32°47'03"

32 0 51'05" 

330 15'08"

32°20'17" 

33°42'30"

33°53'35" 

33°58'25"

30°37'08"

Long W.

82°47'53" 

C) 

(3) 

81° 59^9*

81°50'30" 

81'38'20" 

81°38'01"

81°33'54" 

81°20'54"

81° 1319" 

(4)

80°41'5(T 80°27'42"

80°08'30" 

80°07'10"

80°21'25"

(6) 

79°56'35"

79°49'45" 

79°16'24"

79°21'43" 

78°54'22"

78°35'20" 

77°55'10"

80°17'59"

Altitude

Measuring point 

feet (meters)

177 

2 174 

2 134 

36

28 

29 

25

24 

26 

20

18

8

23

20 

18

20 

25

48

98

(54.0) 

(53) 

(40) 

(10.9)

(8.5) 

(8.8) 

(7.6)

(7.3) 

(7.9) 

(6.1)

(5.5)

(2.4)

(7.0)

(6.1) 

(5.5)

(6.1) 

(7.6)

(14.6)

(29.8)

Ground level 

feet (meters)

167

25

14 

14 

15

13 

16

20 

«5

15 

65

3 

10

18 

«5

610

20 

18

20 

25

48 

5

8 136

(50.9)

(7.6)

(4.3) 

(4.3) 

(4.6)

(3.9) 

(4.9)

(6.1) 

(1.5)

(4.6) 

(1.5)

(0.9) 

(3.0)

(5.5)

(1.5) 

(3.0)

(6.1) 

(5.5)

(6.1) 

(7.6)

(14.6) 

(1.5)

(41.4)

Total depth

feet

3,848

2,828 

3,349 

4,600

4,710 

4,633

4,747

4,460 

4,264

3,440 

2,900

3,454 

3,168

2,705 

2,287

2,530

2,007 

2,078

2,130 

1,835

810 

1,448

1,335 

1,549

13,254

(meters)

(1,173) 

(862) 

(1,021) 

(1,402)

(1,436) 

(1,412) 

(1,447)

(1,359) 

(1,300)

(1,049) 

(884)

(1,053) 

(996)

(824) 

(697)

(771)

(612) 

(633)

(649) 

(559)

(247) 

(441)

(407) 

(472)

(4,040)

Source 

of 

data

3 

1 

1 

3

3 

3 

3

3 

3

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4 

4

3 

3

3 

3

3 

2

5

1 Sec 10, T.4 S., R. 17 E.

2 Measuring point and ground level not differentiated.

8 Sec 21, T. 1 N., R. 20 E.

4 North end, Hilton Head Island.

6 Approximate.

8 Location not given by source of data.

7 Continental shelf off Georgia and Florida.

8 Water depth.
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 9

the Lower Chalk; the upper part of the Sdponoceras 

gracile zone is equivalent to Horizon A in HauteNormandie, the lower part of the Melbourne Rock in 

southeastern England, and the Neocardioceras pebble 

bed at the base of the Middle Chalk in Devon (Kennedy 

and Juignet, 1973; Kennedy and Hancock, 1976). In 

southeastern France, strata corresponding in age to the 

Actinocamax plenus marls have also been recognized 

(Porthault and others, 1967). In the Western Interior 

United States, the Sdponoceras gracile zone is in the 

lower part of the Bridge Creek Limestone Member of 

the Greenhorn Limestone in Pueblo County, Colo., and 

. Hamilton County, western Kansas (Cobban and Scott, 

1972), and in the lower part of the Hartland Shale 

Member of the same formation in Russell County, central Kansas (Hattin, 1975). The S. gracile assemblage is, 

therefore, distinctive and widespread geographically; it 

is commonly confined to a few feet of section between 

recognized Cenomanian and Turonian rocks, and it 

represents an interval of time during which ammonites 

and other fossil groups underwent a remarkable evolutionary change.

A review of selected recent papers on the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary reveals that as study of 

the problem has progressed, the boundary has been 

raised from the basal part of the present Sdponoceras 

gracile zone to the top of that zone. These studies (fig. 3) 

have been based chiefly on the stratigraphic ranges of 

ammonites and inoceramids. Lecointre (1959) attempted to clarify the stratigraphy in France by proposing a Turonian type section in the Cher Valley near the 

type area originally described by d'Orbigny (1842,1847). 

Lecointre placed the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary at 

the base of the Craie marneuse in the Fretevou section 

and suggested that those beds were laterally equivalent 

to other facies in the Cenomanian type area, namely the 

Marnes a Terebratella carantonensis, the Marnes a 

Ditrupa deformis, and the Sables a Catopygus obtusus.

As a result of more recent studies in northern France 

and southern England, however, the CenomanianTuronian boundary has been moved higher in the section 

(Kennedy and Juignet, 1973; Juignet, 1976; Kennedy 

and Hancock, 1976; Juignet and others, 1978). In the 

Cenomanian type area, those authors have drawn the 

boundary between the Craie a Terebratella carantonensis (top of both Horizon A and the Sdponoceras gracile 

zone) and the Craie a Inoceramus labiatus (Mammites 

nodosoides zone); in northern France and southeastern 

England, the boundary was placed at the top of Horizon 

A, which overlies the Actinocamax plenus marls.

In the Western Interior United States, Cobban and 

Scott (1972) tentatively recognized the CenomanianTuronian boundary at the same position, between the 

Sdponoceras gracile zone below and the Inoceramus

labiatus zone above, and subsequent studies have drawn 

the boundary at that level (Kauffman and others, 1976, 

1977).

Although the many studies of Cenomanian and Turonian strata have not resulted in general agreement on 

the placement of the boundary, they have succeeded in 

delineating a short, faunally distinctive stratigraphic interval, the Sdponoceras gracile zone, within which the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary undoubtedly lies. The 

beds assigned to this zone represent a transitional interval between strata of undisputed Cenomanian and undisputed Turonian Age, a conclusion reached by Magne 

and Polveche (1961) in their study of the Actinocamax 

plenus zone. The concept of a transitional zone encompassing a stage boundary may not be philosophically acceptable to all stratigraphers, but it seems to best 

characterize the stratigraphic relations that typify the 

beds assigned to the Sdponoceras gracile zone. The difficulty in determining the exact placement of the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary will remain unresolved 

as long as no type sections are recognized for these two 

stages.

Molluscan faunal assemblages historically have been 

the basis for the highly successful biostratigraphic zonation of Cenomanian and Turonian strata in both Europe 

and the United States Western Interior. However, as a 

practical matter, stratigraphers must also be able to 

recognize the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary by using 

other biostratigraphically important groups such as 

planktic foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils. 

Studies of European and North American sections have 

shown that a major evolutionary event, the extinction of 

the planktic foraminifer genus Rotalipora, took place 

within the Cenomanian-Turonian transition zone 

described above. Planktic foraminifers are poorly 

preserved in this interval in the Cenomanian and Turonian type areas (Marks, 1977), but they are well 

represented in coeval beds elsewhere in Europe and 

North America. More precisely, the rotaliporids became 

extinct during deposition of the Actinocamax plenus 

beds and their equivalents in Europe and the 

Sdponoceras gracile zone in the United States Western 

Interior.

Magne and Polveche (1961) have shown in their study 

of the Cenomanian-Turonian sections at Blanc-Nez and 

Sangatte on the north coast of France that Rotalipora 

became extinct in the upper part of the Actinocamax 

plenus zone, and they placed the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary at that level. In southern England, the last occurrence of Rotalipora is also in the upper part of the 

Actinocamax plenus zone (Jefferies, 1962). Similar 

stratigraphic relations have been reported in northern 

France and in the Hainaut region of Belgium and 

France (Robaszynski, 1971, 1976) and also in
10 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

southeastern France (Porthault and others, 1967). The 

Rotalipora extinction datum has also been delineated in 

the United States Western Interior (Eicher and 

Worstell, 1970); a comparison of the range of Rotalipora 

and the ranges of ammonites and bivalves from the 

same sections in Colorado and Kansas (Cobban and 

Scott, 1972; Hattin, 1975; Smith, 1975) shows that 

Rotalipora became extinct in the Sdponoceras gratile 

zone. This relation also appears to exist in Oklahoma 

(Kauffman and others, 1977). The rotaliporid extinction 

event is widespread and easy to recognize, and I follow 

the practice of many stratigraphers (Pessagno, 1969; 

van Hinte, 1976) who have adopted it as a reliable datum 

for the practical determination of the CenomanianTuronian boundary.

COST GE-1 WELL, OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OFF 

GEORGIA

Several investigators have conducted biostratigraphic 

studies of calcareous nannofossils, planktic 

foraminifers, and palynomorphs from the COST GE-1 

well on the Outer Continental Shelf off southeastern 

Georgia (International Biostratigraphers, Inc., 1977; 

Amato and Bebout, 1978; Valentine, ^979a; Poag and 

Hall, 1979). I have determined the ranges of 

stratigraphically important calcareous nannofossil 

species in this well by examining cuttings samples 

(Valentine, 1979a), and the resulting biostratigraphic interpretation agrees closely with the conclusions of the 

other workers (Scholle, 1979, table 1).

This well is important because it provides an opportunity to compare the offshore Cretaceous stratigraphy 

with the onshore section of Georpia and South Carolina; 

it also allows the age of a distinctive spore and pollen 

flora in wells beneath the Atlantic Coastal Plain to be 

established on the basis of its presence in rocks containing calcareous nannofossil and foraminifer assemblages. 

The Tertiary-Cretaceous boundary is 3,562 ft below sea 

level (water depth is 136 ft at COST GE-1), and the 

Upper Cretaceous Series is a 2,140-ft sequence of 

argillaceous limestones that includes Turonian through 

Maestrichtian rocks. An undated 150-ft-thick interval of 

shallow-water limestone and calcareous sandstone between Turonian and Albian rocks may mark an unconformity of Cenomanian Age. This section contrasts sharply 

with the onshore stratigraphy determined by Gohn and 

others (1978a, 1980), who recognized the presence of a 

major hiatus representing Turonian and Coniacian time 

as well as recognizing a sequence of Cenomanian strata 

that ranges in thickness from 300 ft at the Cape Fear 

Arch to about 600 ft beneath the Georgia Coastal Plain.

Turonian beds at COST GE-1 contain a rich 

assemblage of calcareous nannofossils, which includes

Ahmuellerella octoradiata, Braarudosphaera bigelowii, 

Chiastozygus cuneatus, C. plicatus, Corollithion 

achylosum, C. exiguum, C. signum, Cretarhabdus conicus, C. coronadventis, C. crenulatus, Cribosphaera 

ehrenbergii, Cylindralithus coronatus, Eiffellithus 

eximius, E. turriseiffeli, Gartnerago segmentatum, 

Lithastrinus floralis, Manivitella pemmatoidea, 

Microrhabdulus belgicus, M. decoratus, Micula 

staurophora, Parhabdolithus angustus, P. embergeri, P. 

splendens, Prediscosphaera cretacea, Tranolithus 

orionatus, Vagalapilla matalosa, Watznaueria 

bamesae, Zygodiscus acanthus, Z. diplogrammus, andZ. 

fibuliformis. The ranges of two of these species, Corollithion achylosum and Eiffellithus eximius, are important in dating the assemblage, and I believe that their 

co-occurrence indicates a Turoniafc age.

In a worldwide study of Jurassic and Cretaceous 

strata involving more than 800 samples, Thierstein 

(1976) reported the ranges of many calcareous nannofossil species. He concluded that Corollithion 

achylosum ranges from the Aptian to the uppermost 

Turonian (Thierstein, 1976, fig. 7 and pi. 3, figs. 39, 40). 

I have found this species to be restricted to rocks independently dated as Turonian and older in the COST 

B-2, B-3, and GE-1 wells drilled on the Atlantic margin 

(Valentine, 1979a, 1980). A re-evaluation of the 

stratigraphy of the COST B-2 well (Valentine, 1980) has 

shown the reference to C. achylosum in that well (Valentine, 1977, p. 39) to be incorrect. In the Gulf Coastal 

Plain of Texas, C. achylosum has not been reliably 

reported from strata younger than Turonian (Gartner, 

1968; Bukry, 1969; Smith, 1981), and in a recent unpublished study of calcareous nannofossils in a core from 

the Eagle Ford and Austin Groups at Dallas, Tex. (see 

also Christopher, in press), I found that the highest occurrence of C. achylosum is in the upper part of the Arcadia Park Formation (upper Turonian) and that it does 

not range into the overlying Atco Formation 

(Coniacian).

In contrast, Verbeek (1977a) reported C. achylosum to 

range from the upper Aptian to the Campanian, but this 

range is based apparently on information from an early 

paper by Thierstein (1973) on Lower Cretaceous biostratigraphy and does not reflect that author's later 

determinations (Thierstein, 1976). Moreover, Verbeek's 

(1976, 1977a) studies in Tunisia and Spain have shown 

that C. achylosum is restricted to Turonian and older 

strata, except for a single occurrence in younger beds. 

At El Kef in Tunisia, C. achylosum occurs in the 

Cenomanian and Turonian part of the section and in two 

samples (18 and 19) that Verbeek (1976) at first placed in 

the Coniacian; later, he indicated that the lower sample 

(18) is Turonian in age (Verbeek, 1977a). Sample 19 is 

now the lowest sample in Verbeek's (1976) Mar-
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 11

thasteritesfurcatus zone (Coniacian), which is defined on 

the first occurrence of M. Jurcatus, even though sample 

18, now Turonian, also contains that species. M. furcatus actually may appear first in the uppermost Turonian, as indicated by Manivit and others (1979), and I 

have found it associated with Corollithion achylosum 

and Eiffellithus eximius in the Turonian of the COST 

B-3 well (Valentine, 1980). Therefore, Verbeek's "Coniacian" samples that contain both C. achylosum and M. 

jurcatus probably are Turonian in age.

Eiffelithus eximius has been reported to range from 

the middle Turonian to the Campanian-Maestrichtian 

boundary (Thierstein, 1976, fig. 7, and pi. 5, figs. 28, 29; 

Verbeek, 1976, 1977a). Wonders and Verbeek (1977) 

have shown that the first occurrence of this species in 

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

the rotaliporid extinction level; the same relation exists 

in a section at Javernant, France (Verbeek, 1977b; 

DeVries, 1977). Manivit and others (1977), in a paper on 

important middle Cretaceous nannofossil marker 

species, indicated that E. eximius initially appeared in 

the upper Turonian. Subsequently, Manivit and others 

(1979) showed that this species first appeared in the 

middle part of the Turonian.

In COST GE-1, Eiffellithus eximius and Corollithion 

achylosum are present in the 400-ft interval of Turonian 

Age from 5,302 to 5,702 ft below sea level. The 

limestones in this sequence also contain spores and 

pollen. Cuttings samples from 5,592 to 5,602 and 5,672 

to 5,682 ft, examined by R. A. Christopher (unpub. data, 

1978), were found to contain a flora representative of 

pollen zone IV, a biostratigraphic unit established by 

Doyle (1969a) in his study of the Raritan Formation of 

New Jersey.

AGE OF POLLEN ZONE IV

The age of pollen zone IV has an important bearing on 

the stratigraphic interpretations made by the present 

study. The zone was described from the Woodbridge 

Clay Member and the underlying Farrington Sand 

Member of the Raritan Formation in the Raritan Bay 

area of New Jersey (Doyle, 1969a and b, 1977; Doyle and 

Robbins, 1977). Work by Sirkin (1974) on Long Island 

and by Christopher (1977, 1979) in New Jersey has 

shown that this zone is present in the Woodbridge Clay 

and in the overlying Sayreville Sand Members of the 

Raritan Formation. Pollen zone IV, as used in the present study, refers to the upper part of the zone that is 

typical of these two members; in this sense, the zone has 

been redefined by Christopher (1979) as the 

Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage zone on the 

basis of the co-occurrence of the nominate genera and 

the absence of other Normapolles genera. Christopher 

(1977 and in press) and earlier workers dated the zone as

late Cenomanian in age, but Doyle and Robbins (1977) 

did not rule out the possibility of an early Turonian age 

for the Woodbridge part of pollen zone IV.

The age of the Woodbridge Clay Member of New 

Jersey can be ascertained from studies by Perry and 

others (1975) and by Petters (1976). Perry and others 

(1975, figs. 11, 12) incorporated palynologic data of 

Doyle (1969a, b) and Sirkin (1974) into a synthesis of 

Atlantic Coastal Plain stratigraphy; they used a broader 

definition of pollen zone IV than that described above. 

In New Jersey, they showed the coincidence of part of 

pollen zone IV with the Woodbridge Clay Member in the 

Toms River Chemical Co. well, and they also delineated 

pollen zone IV in the USGS Island Beach No. 1 well. 

Using planktic foraminifers, Petters (1976, p. 93,96, fig. 

6) dated the Woodbridge Clay Member as ekrly Turonian in both the Toms River well (1,323 to 1,440 ft below 

sea level) and the Island Beach well (1,950 to 2,200 ft 

below sea level).

In the Island Beach well, R. A. Christopher (oral commun., 1979) found pollen zone IV assemblages in 

sidewall cores from 2,004 and 2,200 ft; these samples 

are from the interval dated as early Turonian by Petters 

(1976) and lie within the part of the section identified as 

pollen zone IV by Perry and others (1975). I have 

examined the calcareous nannofossils from these two 

cores. The sample from 2,004 ft is Turonian in age and 

contains Corollithion achylosum and Eiffellithus 

eximius as well as Biscutum blackii, Chiastozygus 

cuneatus, C. plicatus, Corollithion signum, Cretarhabdus conicus, C. crenulatus, Eiffellithus turriseiffeli, 

Gartnerago segmentatum, G. striatum, Lithastrinus 

floralis, L. grillii, Microrhabdulus decoratus, Parhabdolithus angustus, P. embergeri, P. splendens, 

Prediscosphaera cretacea, Vagalapilla matalosa, Watznaueria barnesae, Zygodiscus acanthus, Z. diplogrammus, and Z. fibuliformis.

The nannofossil assemblage from 2,200 ft is almost 

identical with the one from 2,004 ft except for the 

absence of Eiffellithus eximius and the presence of 

Lithraphidites acutum. I interpret this assemblage to be 

early Turonian in age. Lithraphidites acutum Verbeek 

and Manivit is a newly described species that ranges 

from middle Cenomanian to middle Turonian (Manivit 

and others, 1977, pi. 1, figs. 7, 8). This form was 

previously included in the stratigraphically older L. 

alatus Thierstein, a species once thought to be restricted 

to Cenomanian and lowermost Turonian strata (Thierstein, 1976; compare Roth and Thierstein, 1972, pi. 3, 

figs. 1-8 and Thierstein 1974, pi. 3, figs. 5-11). Since the 

separation of L. acutum, L. alatus is reported to range 

from the upper Aptian to only the upper Cenomanian 

(Manivit and others, 1977), but its upper limit is not 

documented thoroughly yet, and it probably ranges into
12 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

the lower Turonian. The last occurrence of L. acutum in 

the Turonian is not precisely known, as implied by the 

dashed line representing the upper part of its range in 

Manivit and others (1977, fig. 1). In figure 1 of Manivit 

and others (1977), I consider the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary to occur at the extinction of Rotalipora 

cushmani, not at the lower level they have shown; my interpretation does not significantly alter the age of the 

upper part of the range of L. acutum portrayed in their 

figure. The lower Turonian sidewall core from 2,200 ft 

in the Island Beach well is at or near the CenomanianTuronian boundary and the base of the Woodbridge Clay 

Member (Fetters, 1976).

In the Toms River well, Doyle (1969b; oral commun. 

1981) examined spores and pollen from sidewall cores 

and found floras typical of the Woodbridge Clay 

Member in samples from 1,298 to 1,300 and 1,369 to 

1,371 ft, and a somewhat older assemblage at 1,437 to 

1,439 ft. All these samples are above 1,440 ft, where 

Fetters (1976) identified the Rotalipora extinction and 

the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary. I have examined 

calcareous nannofossils in six sidewall cores from the 

section immediately above the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary, and the assemblages are similar to those 

described above in the Island Beach well samples. The 

upper four samples, from 1,323 to 1,393 ft, contain Corollithion achylosum and Eiffellithus eximius and are of 

Turonian age. The lower two samples contain 

Lithraphidites acutum, Podorhabdus albianus, and 

Parhabdolithus asper, but not Eiffellithus eximius, and 

they are early Turonian in age. Biostratigraphic 

evidence from planktic foraminifers (Fetters, 1976) and 

calcareous nannofossils in the Island Beach and Toms 

River wells shows that the pollen zone IV 

(Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis assemblage zone) floras 

are early Turonian in age.

In the Fripp Island, S.C., well, a pollen zone IV 

assemblage resembling that found in the Woodbridge 

Clay and Sayreville Sand Members of New Jersey has 

been identified by R. A. Christopher (unpub. data, 1977) 

in cuttings samples from 3,097 to 3,107 and 3,127 to 

3,137 ft. Calcareous nannofossils in individual rock chips 

from 3,057 to 3,067, 3,097 to 3,107, and 3,137 to 3,147 ft 

contain Eiffellithus eximius and Corrollithion 

achylosum and are of Turonian Age.

In the Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, also in South 

Carolina, a pollen zone IV flora is present in a 62-ft section from 2,342.3 to 2,404.8 ft (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1976; Hazel and others, 1977). I have examined 67 samples from this interval; 33 of them are 

fossiliferous and contain calcareous nannofossil 

assemblages of early Turonian age that included such 

species as Ahmuellerella octoradiata, Corollithion 

achylosum, Cruciellipsis chiastia, Lithraphidites

acutum, Parhabdolithus asper, and Podorhabdus 

alManus.

On the Atlantic continental margin, therefore, spore 

and pollen assemblages of pollen zone IV are found with 

Turonian calcareous nannofossils in the Island Beach 

and Toms River wells in New Jersey, in the Fripp Island 

well and the Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1 in South 

Carolina, and in the COST GE-1 well off Georgia.

Finally, in the corehole beneath the Gulf Coastal Plain 

at Dallas, Tex. (fig. 3), pollen zone IV assemblages are 

present in the middle and upper parts of the Britton Formation (208.9 to 438.6 ft) and possibly in the lowermost 

part of the overlying Arcadia Park Formation, both of 

the Eagle Ford Group (Socony-Mobil Field Research 

Lab Corehole No. 16; Brown and Pierce, 1962; 

Pessagno, 1969; Christopher, in press). The zone IV 

spores and pollen are found in a section of the core that 

has been dated by Pessagno (1969, pi. 9) by means of 

planktic foraminifers and determined to include mainly 

strata of late Cenomanian Age (Britton Formation) 

separated by a disconformity from a short sequence of 

late Turonian Age (uppermost part of Britton Formation and lower part of Arcadia Park Formation). 

Planktic foraminifers are relatively sparse in the core, 

however, and Cenomanian rotaliporid marker species 

are represented by a single occurrence of Rotalipora 

cuhsmani at 444 ft (Pessagno, 1969, pi. 39b), just below 

the base of pollen zone IV delineated by Christopher (in 

press).

On the other hand, recent unpublished studies by J. D. 

Powell of Grand Junction, Colo. (oral and written communs., 1980; fig. 3, this report), on the planktic 

foraminifers, ammonites, and inoceramids collected 

from outcrops near the Dallas corehole site have shown 

that the upper 15 ft of the Britton Formation and 

possibly the lower 30 ft of the Arcadia Park Formation 

actually represent the lower Turonian Mytiloides 

"labiatus" zone (Kauffman and others, 1977) and that 

the underlying approximately 200 ft of the middle and 

upper parts of the Britton Formation represents the 

Sciponoceras gracile zone interpreted by him to be of 

latest Cenomanian Age. Christopher (in press) has suggested that pollen zone IV in the Dallas core coincides 

with the Sciponoceras gracile zone and with the base of 

the Mytiloides "labiatus" zone outlined by Powell in outcrop.

In summary, pollen zone IV is present in a part of the 

Dallas core (middle and upper parts of Britton Formation and lower part of Arcadia Park Formation) that has 

been dated as late Cenomanian and late Turonian by 

means of planktic foraminifers, whereas, in nearby outcrops, this interval has been dated as late Cenomanian 

and early Turonian by means of planktic foraminifers, 

ammonites, and inoceramids.
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 13

I have studied the Dallas core (fig. 3), and nannofossils 

are common to abundant and well preserved except for 

an interval in the upper part of the Britton Formation 

where the assemblages are sparse. Eiffellithus eximius 

first appears at 210.1 ft, just below the top of the Britton 

Formation and ranges up through the Arcadia Park 

Formation; its co-occurrence with Corollithion 

achylosum indicates a Turonian age for this interval. 

The basal beds of this sequence are in the upper part of 

pollen zone IV and are equivalent to Turonian strata 

containing pollen zone IV assemblages that have been 

already described from the Island Beach well, the Toms 

River well, and the COST GE-1 well on the Atlantic 

margin. The middle and upper part of the Britton Formation from about 224.7 ft down to the base of pollen 

zone IV (438.6 ft) contains a calcareous nannofossil 

assemblage that includes the following species: 

Ahmuellerella octoradiata, Cruciellipsis chiastia, 

Lithraphidites acutum, Microrhabdulus belgicus, 

Parhabdolithus asper, and Podorhabdus albianus. 

Similar assemblages have been found in the Toms River, 

Island Beach, and Clubhouse Crossroads wells. The upper range of Cruciellipsis chiastia has been extended 

recently from the Cenomanian into the lower Turonian 

(Barrier, 1980), and the other species all occur in the 

Turonian.

The studies of the Britton and Arcadia Park Formations in Dallas, Tex., indicate to me that pollen zone IV 

represents: (a) the lower Turonian, found in the middle 

and upper part of the Britton Formation within the 

Sciponoceras gracile zone and containing Corollithion 

achylosum and Lithraphidites acutum', (b) the lower 

Turonian, found in the uppermost part of the Britton 

Formation and lower part of the Arcadia Park Formation within the Mytiloides labiatus zone, where Corollithion achylosum and Eiffellithus eximius are present, but not Lithraphidites acutum.

The spore and pollen flora reported by Christopher (in 

press) from the middle and upper parts of the Arcadia 

Park Formation and the lower part of the Austin Group 

in the Dallas core contains elements of both pollen zone 

IV and the younger pollen zone V-A (= zone V of Sirkin, 

1974; = Complexiopollis exigua-Santalacites minor 

assemblage zone of Christopher, 1979). Calcareous nannofossils from the same interval in the core range in age 

from Turonian (middle and upper part of the Arcadia 

Park Formation) to Coniacian (Austin Group). We will 

see in subsequent discussions that similar post-pollen 

zone IV-pre-pollen zone V floras have also been identified in some wells on the southeastern Atlantic margin 

(R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1977-1979).

FRIPP ISLAND WELL, SOUTH CAROLINA

The Fripp Island well (table 1, fig. 1) is a key well for 

interpreting the Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy in 

South Carolina. I have studied the section in detail, 

using calcareous nannofossils; in all, I have examined 

279 cuttings samples at 94 levels in the approximately 

1,700-ft Upper Cretaceous interval. Cuttings were collected over 10-ft intervals, and individual rock chips 

representative of each lithologic unit in a sample were 

examined for calcareous nannofossils. There is a 263-ft 

sampling gap in the Campanian part of the section. The 

biostratigraphy of the well (fig. 4) is based on the ranges 

of the following species: Micula mura (1,507 ft); 

Tetralithus aculeus (1,507-1,970 ft); T. trifidus 

(1,527-1,970 ft); Broinsonia parca (1,527-2,427); Eiffellithus eximius (1,808-3,147 ft, lowest sample); 

Lithastrinus grillii (2,263-2,867 ft); Chiastozygus 

cuneatus (2,427-3,007 ft); Lithastrinus floralis 

(2,457-3,147 ft, lowest sample); Marthasterites furcatus 

(2,457-2,857 ft); and Corollithion achylosum 

(3,057-3,147 ft, lowest sample).

The Tertiary-Cretaceous contact 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 Santonian and 

Santonian-Coniacian cuttings are consistently present 

down to 2,867 ft; the samples from 2,637 ft down to the 

top of the Turonian at 3,057 ft are dominated by coarse 

quartz sand, and from 2,877 ft, the cuttings are 

predominantly Campanian cavings. The unfossiliferous 

sand from 2,637 to 3,057 ft may in fact be Coniacian in 

age, but because I could not distinguish the boundary 

between the Santonian and Coniacian Stages, I have 

designated the entire interval from 2,427 to 3,057 ft as 

Santonian-Coniacian.

Near the bottom of the Fripp Island well, a Turonian 

calcareous nannofossil assemblage is present in three 

samples (3,057 to 3,067, 3,097 to 3,107, and 3,137 to 

3,147 ft) that include Ahmuellerella octoradiata, Corollithion achylosum, C. exiguum, Eiffellithus eximius, 

and Lithastrinus floralis. Two samples from within this 

interval (3,097 to 3,107 and 3,127 to 3,137 ft) contain a 

flora indicative of pollen zone IV (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1977), A sample from 3,117 to 3,127 ft contains a planktic foraminiferal assemblage dated as Turonian or Coniacian but not older than Turonian, and 

rotaliporid species indicative of the Cenomanian are absent (C. C. Smith, unpub. data, 1977). Samples were not 

available from the lowermost 21 ft of the section, and 

the well did not penetrate crystalline basement rocks 

(Gohn and others, 1978a).

There is little disagreement between my interpretation of the upper part of the Fripp Island section and
14 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Well No. 13, Fripp Island,S.C.

I400H

1800-1

<c

LU 

CO

LU

aa 2200-

Q_ 

LU 

Q

2600-

3000-

Gohn and others (I978a)

Provincial 

Stage

European 

Stage

Cenozoic 

(part)

K

NavarroanTayloran

K

TayloranAustinian

K

Austinian

vxfv/v/vrvA/v

K

Eagleford ian

Eagle- K

f nrriinn

6

MaestrichtianCampanian

5

Companion

4

CampanianSantonian

v/\/\/\y\y\/\/\/

3

c

0

c

0

E 

o 

c <t> 

o

2

Valentine (this study)

European 

Stage

Cenozoic 

(part)

M77 ff ItO Ml

Maestrichtian

lOfiOf* loUoTT

Campanian

 2427ft 

SantonianConiacian

w3057ftv/w 

Turanian

Samples

1

1

o

0

M 

H1 1

a»f 

o

^^^_ Ivl

c 

^^H o 

 "o 

Q_

mm j

^^

Calcareous 

nannofossils

 1507ft M.mura 

\l527ft , frparca

1000 ft i k.ex/m/us

, T. aculeus 

-1970ft ' T.trifidus

-2263ft , Lgriiia

/2427ft i c.cuneatus 

L- 2427 ft 1 B. parca

\2457ft-, LJIonlls 

M.furcatus

/ 2057ft ' M.furcatus 

-2067ft 1 L. grill ii

-3007ft 1 C.cuneatus

3057ft i c. achylosum

EXPLANATION 

Single occurrence

Highest occurrence 

Lowest occurrence

FIGURE 4.-Stratigraphic interpretations of the Fripp Island well, South Carolina; Gohn and others (1978a) compared with Valentine 

(this study, based on calcareous nannofossils). In sample column, blacked-in areas indicate complete sequence of samples studied. 

Pollen zone IV flora, indicated by ruled area, identified by R. A. Christopher (U.S. Geological Survey). Depth scale is relative to sea 

level; stratigraphic boundaries and fossil occurrences are given in original depths (for depth below sea level, subtract 5 ft).
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 15

that of Gohn and others (1978a). I place the TertiaryCretaceous contact somewhat higher (at 1,437 ft) than 

do Gohn and others on the basis of the first appearance 

of a mixed assemblage of Cretaceous and Paleocene 

nannofossils. In the lower part of the well, Gohn and 

others (1978a) interpreted their units K2 and K3 to be 

Cenomanian in age and postulated a major hiatus above 

unit K3 that represents Coniacian and Turonian time. In 

contrast, I believe these strata to be younger, and I interpret their unit K3 to represent beds of SantonianConiacian Age and unit K2 to be Turonian in age.

PARRIS ISLAND NO. 2 WELL, SOUTH CAROLINA

The Parris Island No. 2 well is only 11 miles west of 

the Fripp Island well (table 1, fig. 1) and is useful for 

comparing the stratigraphic schemes of Gohn and 

others (1978a, 1980) with those of Brown and others 

(1979). This comparison and the independent dating, by 

means of calcareous nannofossils, of the units of Gohn 

and others (1978a) at Fripp Island are important for 

determining the subsurface stratigraphy of the region. 

Gohn and others (1978a) used paleontological analyses 

and electric logs to date and correlate the Parris Island 

and Fripp Island wells. The basis for the interpretation 

of the Parris Island well by Brown and others (1979) is 

not given but, as mentioned above, presumably includes 

lithologic characteristics and the occurrences of key 

species of ostracodes and forarnmifers. A comparison of 

the results of these two studies is shown in figure 5.

The stratigraphic interpretations of the Parris Island 

well by Gohn and others (1978a) and Brown and others 

(1979) do not differ significantly in the upper part of the 

sections, except that Brown and others placed the 

Tertiary-Cretaceous contact about 180 ft shallower than 

did Gohn and others. However, differences in interpretation exist at lower levels, for example, from 2,528 

to about 2,650 ft, where unit D (Eaglefordian; Turonianupper Cenomanian) of Brown and others (1979) overlaps 

the lower part of an ostensibly younger unit K4 (Austinian; lower Campanian-Santonian) of Gohn and others 

(1978a). And although both of these studies recognized 

coincident stratigraphic boundaries lower in the well (at 

3,144 and 3,256 ft), Brown and others (1979) assigned 

these strata to their unit E (Woodbinian; Cenomanian) 

and unit F (Washitan-Fredericksburgian; lower 

Cenomanian-Albian), whereas Gohn and others (1978a, 

1980) considered the same beds to be younger and 

placed them, respectively, in their unit K2 (middle 

EagleforcEan; upper Cenomanian) and unit Kl (Upper? 

Cretaceous).

I have not studied any samples from Parris Island, and 

paleontological analyses are sparse in the lower part of 

the well, as only three samples are shown by Gohn and

others (1978a, sheet 2) to have been studied between 

2,350 ft and the bottom of the well at 3,454 ft. Gohn and 

others (1978a) showed that in the upper part of the 

Parris Island to Fripp Island section units K4, K5, and 

K6 dip eastward, whereas the older units (Kl, K2, and 

K3) dip westward. However, I interpret the electric logs 

illustrated by Gohn and others (1978a) to show that the 

upper units (K4, K5, and K6) also dip gently westward, 

and I have reevaluated the stratigraphy of the Parris 

Island well by using the electric logs and applying the 

stratigraphy that I established by means of calcareous 

nannofossils for the nearby Fripp Island well. Figure 5 

shows my assessment of the Parris Island stratigraphy 

and its correlation with that of Fripp Island. The strata 

in the lower part of the well are younger than previous 

authors have indicated. The beds attributed by Brown 

and others (1979) to their unit D (Eaglefordian; 

Turonian-upper Cenomanian) and unit E (Woodbinian; 

Cenomanian) and by Gohn and others (1978a) to their 

units K2 and K3 (middle Eaglefordian; upper Cenomanian) are now shown to represent the SantonianConiacian and Turonian stages. The age of the lower 200 

ft of strata drilled at Parris Island, unit F of Brown and 

others (1979) and unit Kl of Gohn and others (1978a) is 

unknown at present.

CLUBHOUSE CROSSROADS COREHOLE 1, SOUTH 

CAROLINA

The Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1 is on the northern flank of the Southeast Georgia Embayment, 42 

miles north of the Parris Island and Fripp Island wells 

(table 1, fig. 1). The lithology and paleontology of the 

core has been extensively studied (Gohn and others, 

1977; Hazel and others, 1977), and significantly, both 

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

have incorporated this corehole into their respective 

stratigraphic frameworks (fig. 6). Their interpretations 

are coincident down to the base of the Austinian Stage. 

At that level, Gohn and others (1978a) indicated the 

presence of a major disconformity between their units 

K4 and K3; below the hiatus, they assigned the entire interval down to the basalt in the bottom of the hole to 

units K3 and K2 (middle Eaglefordian; upper Cenomanian) and Kl (Upper? Cretaceous in Gohn and others, 

1980). On the other hand, Brown and others (1979) interpreted this same interval to include strata of their unit D 

(Eaglefordian; Turonian-upper Cenomanian) separated 

by a hiatus representing unit E (Woodbinian; Cenomanian) from the underlying rocks of unit F (WashitanFredericksburgian; lower Cenomanian-Albian). Gohn 

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

therefore, did not recognize the same hiatus in the lower 

part of this section and also disagreed on the age of the 

beds in the lower - 200 ft of the corehole.
16 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Well No. 12 

Parris Island,S.C. 

w

Well No. 13 

Fripp Island.S.C.

MILESLU I 

<t

LU 

CO

1 

LU 

CD

I 

LU

1000

1300-

1600-

1900-

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

Gohn 

and others 

(I978a,l980)

Cenozoic 

(part)

A 

Navarroan

B

Tayloran

C 

Austinian

D

Eaglefordian

N/VVVV/X/V

Woodbin. E

Wash., F 

F-burgian

K6

NavarroanTayloran

K5

TayloranAustinian

K4

Austinian

\/\A/\A/\A 

K3

, c=

03 .2

K2

I/I

Upper(? ) M 

Cretaceous

-1456ft 1437ftMaestrichtian

-1890ft _________ _~ - 

Companion

 ?4?7ft- -2480ft 

SantonianConiacian

 3057ft-

 Ol^rTT "Tnrrtnifin 7.1 CQ (i \ \J^ \ \J \\i\t ' __ _ jlPOiT 

Tic^xi - - ~" ~~~ T L)

Gohn 

and others 

(I978a)

Ceno 

(pa

K6

MaestrichtianCampanian

K5

Companion

K4

CampanianSantonian

\/\A/V\/\/>

K3

a

E 

o

0

K2

Valentine 

(this study)

zoic 

rt)

Maestrichtian

Companion

SantonianConiacian

>yv\/\/\/\y\

_ Turpnjan ___

-3256ft 

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x46 

74R4«Tn

2500-

2800-

3100-

3400-

FIGURE 5. - Stratigraphic correlation of the Parris Island No. 2 and the Fripp Island wells, South Carolina, showing stratigraphic interpretations 

of Gohn and others (1978a, 1980), Brown and others (1979), and Valentine (this study). The stratigraphic units of Gohn and others (1978a, 

1980) are expressed as their European-stage equivalents in the Fripp Island well and as their Gulf Coast-stage equivalents in the Parris 

Island well. Fredericksburgian is abbreviated F-burgian; Washitan, Wash.; and Woodbinian, Woodbin. Dashed lines are electric-log correlations. Depth scale is relative to sea level; stratigraphic boundaries are given in original depths (for depth below sea level, subtract 5 ft 

for the Fripp Island well and 18 ft for the Parris Island well).
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY

Well No. 16, Clubhouse Crossroads,S.C.

17

SEA LEVEL300-

600-

Ul

S 900-

<c

Ul 

CO

g 1200-

Ul

m

I 

Ul

z

-

gj 1800-

Q

2100-

2400-

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

Gohn 

and others 

(I978a,l980)

Hazel 

and others 

(1977)

Cenozoic

A

Navarroan

B

Tayloran

C

Austinian

D

Eagleford ian

\/vrv/vv\/\/\/\/\

Washitan, F 

F-burgian

K6

NavarroanTayloran

K5

TayloranAustinian

Austinian K4

\/v\y\y\/v\y\/\/\ 

K3

1 = 

_2> o>"^.S

0 o

ui -iUpper(?) 

Cretaceous

-/ > xiii:

Maestrichtian

Campanian

Santonian ?

^vv\/vvvv\/\/>

c 

a

E

o

0

Triassic - Jurassic basalt

Samples

=

^^~~

=

o

' M 

0)

o

QJ

"o

Q_

_ I

 j/xX^i

 %I^J

-?5sn ft rnValentine 

(this study)

Cenozoic

flOdft

Maestrichtian

!/ »!"» IT *1 1025ft

Campanian

 1706ft 

SantonianConiacian

\/W 2342 f t\/\/xo 

Turonian

C.-T- lu TT

\ Cenomanian(?)/ N 2462ft '

-

-

^ _

*~~

FIGURE 6.-Stratigraphic interpretations of the Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, South Carolina, of Hazel and others (1977), Gohn and 

others (1978a, 1980), Brown and others (1979), and Valentine (this study). Fredericksburgian is abbreviated F-burg. Samples shown 

were, for the most part, discussed by Hazel and others (1977). Pollen zone IV flora, represented by ruled area, identified by R. A. 

Christopher (USGS). Depth scale is relative to sea level; Stratigraphic boundaries are given in original depths (for depth below sea level, 

subtract 23 ft).
18 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Hazel and others (1977), using planktic foraminifers, 

have shown that the Tertiary-Maestrichtian contact is at 

approximately 804 ft, and they reported Maestrichtian 

foraminifers from 1,025 ft, somewhat above a Campanian calcareous nannofossil flora at 1,050 ft (Hattner 

and Wise, 1979). Campanian strata extend down to approximately 1,706 ft, where spore and pollen 

assemblages have been reported (Hazel and others, 

1977) that are typical of the Magothy Formation of New 

Jersey.

The beds from 1,706 to 2,342 ft are almost barren of 

fossils, and spore and pollen assemblages are present 

only in the upper 200 ft of the interval. The Magothy 

flora is present from 1,706 to 1,804 ft; from 1,804 to 

1,906 ft, a flora is present that is characteristic of the 

upper member (South Amboy Fire Clay Member) of the 

Raritan Formation of New Jersey (Hazel and others, 

1977). The Magothy and the South Amboy spore and 

pollen assemblages constitute the tripartite pollen zone 

V of Christopher (1977, 1979, and in press). This 

stratigraphk interval is chiefly Santonian in age, but it 

also includes strata of earliest Campanian and possibly 

Coniacian Age (R. A. Christopher, oral commun., 1979). 

I have examined two samples from this interval for 

calcareous nannofossils. The sample from 1,752 ft contains a rich Santonian assemblage, but nannofossils are 

rare in the sample from 1,943 ft, and its age is equivocal; 

the presence of Eiffelliihus exvrrwus, Tetralithus 

obscurus, and Lithastrinus grillii point to a Turonian 

Age or younger, possibly Coniacian. Few planktic 

foraminifers have been observed 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 attributed to the 

Cenomanian, partly because several samples from below 

2,308.8 ft were dated as Cenomanian. G. caseyi, 

however, is not restricted to the Cenomanian; it has 

been reported from the upper Cenomanian and lower 

and middle Turonian of Kansas and Colorado (Eicher 

and Worstell, 1970), and the highest occurrence of this 

species is also considered to be diagnostic of lower Turonian strata beneath the Scotian Shelf of Canada (Ascoli, 

1976). Furthermore, these strata from 1,706 to 2,342 ft 

are characterized by sand and silt, and Gohn and others 

(1978a, sheet 2) have shown this interval, units K3 (upper Cenomanian) and K4 (Santonian-lower Campanian) 

to be correlative with a lithologicafly similar sequence in 

the Fripp Island well that I have determined to be 

Santonian-Coniacian in age.

Lower in the Clubhouse Crossroads core, a spore and 

pollen flora characteristic of pollen zone IV and the 

Woodbridge Clay Member of the Raritan Formation 

(New Jersey) is present from 2,342.3 to 2,404.8 ft (R. A.

Christopher, unpub. data, 1976; Hazel and others, 1977). 

Samples from these beds (2,364.4, 2,365.4, 2,369.4, 

2,373.7, and 2,399.2 ft) contain planktic foraminifers 

that have been interpreted as late Cenomanian in age, 

although Cenomanian rotaliporids are absent (C. C. 

Smith, unpub. data, 1976; Hazel and others, 1977). 

These planktic assemblages are composed of one to 

three species, Guembelitria harrisi, Hedbergella brittonensis, and Heterohelix moremani. The age determination is based chiefly on the presence of 

Guembelitria harrisi, which is present in all samples; 

however, the range of this species is not precisely 

known, and in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota it 

has been reported to range higher than the rotaliporids 

and therefore into the Turonian (Eicher and Worstell, 

1970). Additional samples from this interval (2,367.5, 

2,370.5, and 2,396 ft) have yielded assemblages of 

planktic foraminfers containing only two species, 

Guembelitria harrisi and Heterohelix moremani (C. W. 

Poag, unpub. data, 1981).

Calcareous nannofossils from the Cretaceous of the 

Clubhouse Crossroads core have been studied by Hattner and Wise (1980). They examined four samples from 

the pollen zone IV interval and reported the presence of 

AhmuelUereUa octoradiata, Lithraphidites acutum, and 

L. alatus in an assemblage from 2,372 ft, which they 

dated as Cenomanian. The other samples are barren or 

contain a nondiagnostic flora.

I have also studied the calcareous nannofossils from 

pollen zone IV strata in the core; 33 of 67 samples 

examined in the 62-ft interval are fossiliferous. The 

range of biostratigraphically important species are: 

Ahmuellerella octoradiata (2,370-2,407 ft); Corollithion 

achylosum (2,363-2,407 ft); Cntciellipsis chiastia 

(2,364.5-2,406 ft); EiffeUithus eximms (rare, 2,364 ft); 

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

Lithraphidites alatus (rare, 2,394 ft); Microhabdulus 

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

(2,370-2,407 ft); Parhabdolithus asper (2,363-2,406 ft); 

and Podorhabdus albianus (2,364-2,406 ft). I interpret 

this interval to be early Turonian in age. These beds are 

units K2 of Gohn and others (1978a), and they have 

shown the beds to be coeval with K2 in the Fripp Island 

well that also contains a pollen zone IV flora and in 

which I have identified Turonian calcareous nannofossil 

assemblages. Brown and others (1979) indicated that 

their unit E is missing from the Clubhouse Crossroads 

section, but the evidence presented above and the 

stratigraphy of the Parris Island well (fig. 5) suggest 

that it is present and that it is probably coincident here 

with unit K2 of Gohn and others (1978a),

The strata in the core between - 2,416 ft and the 

basalt encountered at about 2,462 ft are unfossiliferous, 

and I regard them, with reservation, to be Cenomanian
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 19

in age. In subsequent drilling, approximately 3 mi from 

Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1, the basalt was 

penetrated to reveal clastic red beds of Late Triassic to 

Early Jurassic age (Gohn and others, 1978b).

PENNY ROYAL AND MYRTLE BEACH WELLS, SOUTH 

CAROLINA, CALABASH WELL, NORTH CAROLINA

The Penny Royal, Myrtle Beach, and Calabash wells 

are on a transect extending from approximately 60 mi 

south of the Cape Fear Arch northeastward to its crest 

(fig. 1). The wells have been studied by Gohn and others 

(1978a) and by Brown and others (1979). Gohn and 

others (1978a) did not differentiate their units K5 and 

K6 in these three northern wells, and I have attempted 

to separate the two units by using the electric logs published by the authors. On the same basis, I have raised 

the top of their unit K3 in the Calabash well.

The paleontological analyses of the wells by C. C. 

Smith and R. A. Christopher (unpub. data, 1977, 1978) 

are the basis for the age determinations of Gohn and 

others (1978a) and for my own interpretations, and sample levels are shown in figure 7. In the Penny Royal well, 

the Maestrichtian-Campanian boundary has been drawn 

at ~ 550 ft, between two cuttings samples (490-510 and 

590-610 ft) containing diagnostic planktic foraminifers 

and calcareous nannofossils. At Myrtle Beach, 

Maestrichtian foraminifers are present in the upper part 

of the well, and Santonian-Coniacian(?) spore and pollen 

assemblages of pollen zone V are present from 953 ft to 

at least 1,242 ft. In the Calabash well, the CampanianSantonian boundary is at about 750 ft, between two 

samples (690-700 and 800-810 ft) containing spores and 

pollen. Santonian-Coniacian(?) floras are present in all 

the underlying samples down to 1,170 ft.

The lower part of the Santonian-Coniacian interval, as 

I have delineated it in the Myrtle Beach and Calabash 

wells (fig. 7) is interpreted by Gohn and others (1978a, 

unit K3) and Brown and others (1979, unit D) to be of 

Turonian or late Cenomanian age. The age of the strata 

below the last sample and above basement in the 

Calabash and Myrtle Beach wells is not known, but 

Brown and others (1979) indicated that the beds were as 

old as early Cenomanian and Albian, whereas Gohn and 

others (1978a) considered them to be late Cenomanian in 

age.

GEORGIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WELLS, SOUTHEASTERN 

GEORGIA

Georgia Geological Survey wells 719, 724, 876, 1197, 

and 1198 were drilled into the deepest part of the 

Southeast Georgia Embayment beneath the Coastal 

Plain (fig. 1). The top of the Cretaceous here lies ~ 2,600 

ft below sea level, and it dips very gently seaward. Offshore, at the COST GE-1 site 88 miles to the east, where

the Southeast Georgia Embayment is deepest, the 

Upper Cretaceous surface is ~ 3,450 ft below sea level. 

In contrast to the Upper Cretaceous surface, the 

crystalline and metamorphic basement rocks are at 

-4,600 ft beneath the Coastal Plain and dip more 

steeply seaward to ~ 11,000 ft at COST GE-1. The offshore section accommodates a sequence of Lower 

Cretaceous nonmarine and shallow marine clastic and 

carbonate rocks approximately 5,000 ft thick that are 

absent, or at least very poorly represented, beneath the 

Georgia coast.

This series of five wells (fig. 8) has been studied, in 

part, by Marsalis (1970), Maher (1971), and Gohn and 

others (1980), and all five wells have been investigated 

by Brown and others (1979). A comparison of their interpretations of the younger strata shows generally 

good agreement, but their stage asssignments and 

terminology differ somewhat in the lower parts of the 

wells, where Marsalis (1970) and Maher (1971) use the 

terms Atkinson Formation and Comanchean Provincial 

Series for strata that are identified by the other authors 

as representing the Eaglefordian, Woodbinian, 

Washitan, and Fredericksburgian Stages. The relations 

already established between the stratigraphic units of 

Gohn and others (1978a) and Brown and others (1979) in 

the South Carolina subsurface are also evident in 

Georgia. Brown and others (1979) showed that strata 

representative of unit E (Woodbinian) are present 

throughout the deep part of the Southeast Georgia Embayment but apparently are absent north of the Parris 

Island well in South Carolina. The inclusion of the interpretations of Marsalis (1970) and Maher (1971) provides 

an opportunity to compare the placement of the Atkinson Formation with regard to the stratigraphic units of 

Brown and others (1979) and Gohn and others (1980).

The GGS 724 and GGS 1198 wells have been 

documented paleontologically, using calcareous nannofossils, planktic foraminifers, and spores and pollen 

(C. C. Smith and R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1978). 

The upper part of the Maestrichtian section is barren in 

both wells, but the Maestrichtian-Campanian interval 

can be differentiated from underlying Santonian strata 

at - 3,750 ft in GGS 1198 and at ~ 3,900 ft in GGS 724. 

In both wells, the Campanian-Santonian boundary is 

near the boundary between units K5 and K4 of Gohn and 

others (1980) and the boundary between units B and C of 

Brown and others (1979). The Santonian-Coniacian interval is present in GGS 1198 down to -4,300 ft and in 

GGS 724 down to ~ 4,450 ft. The age of the upper part 

of this interval is comparable with age determinations 

made by Brown and others (1979) and Gohn and others 

(1980). However, the lower part of the SantonianConiacian in these two wells is equivalent to strata identified by Brown and others (1979) as unit D (Eagleford-
20

SW

UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Well No. 21 Well No. 22 

Myrtle Beach, S.C. Calabash.N.C.

 37 MILES ' 23 MILES ' - NE

Well No. 20 

Penny Royal,S.C.

SEA LEVEL300-

600-

900-

1200-

I500 J

Brown

and others

(1979)

Gohn

and others 

(I978a)

Cenozoic

Navarroan

Taylaran

K6

NavarroanTayloran

Taylpran-K5 

Austinian

Austinian K4

550ft"

810 ft TD

Maestrichtian

Companion

SantonianConiacian

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

A

Navarroan

B

Tayloran

C

Austinian

p.

Eagle - 

fordian

VWWXA

Washitan, F

F-burg.

Gohn 

and others 

(I978a)

K6

MaestrichtianCampanian

K5

Companion

K4

Companion -

Santonian

K3

o "c

0

E

o

C

0.

1

I

 Maestrichtian

Companion

9 . 750ft-

{ Santonian -

Coniacian

 __ _ . ? 

Brown 

and others 

(1979)

A

Navarroan

B

Tayloran

C

Austinian

Eagle- D

.A/WWV

Washitan, F

F-burg.

Gohn 

and others 

(I978a)

K6

NavarroanTayloran

K5

TayloranAustinian

K4

VXAA/W-V

I\O

Eaglefordian

a> 3.

o

CO

? BasemenA 1335 ft TD

BasemenM 1448 ft TD

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x!44

FIGURE 7. - Stratigraphic correlation of the Penny Royal and Myrtle Beach wells, South Carolina, and the Calabash well, North Carolina, based 

on the results of this study and showing stratigraphic interpretations of Gohn and others (1978a) and Brown and others (1979). 

Fredericksburgian is abbreviated F-burg. Samples shown were originally part of the study by Gohn and others (1978a). Depth scale is relative 

to sea level; stratigraphic boundaries are given in original depths (for depth below sea level, subtract 20 ft for the Penny Royal well, 25 ft for 

the Myrtle Beach well, and 48 ft for the Calabash well).

ian; Turonian-upper Cenomanian), by Gohn and others 

(1980) as unit K2-3 (middle Eaglefordian; upper 

Cenomanian), and by Maher (1971) as the upper part of 

the Atkinson Formation.

In the GGS 1198 well, three samples (4,340-4,370, 

4,500-4,530, and 4,590-4,620 ft) from strata assigned to 

units E and F by Brown and others (1979) and units 

K2-3 by Gohn and others (1980) contain spore and 

pollen assemblages that represent pollen zone IV or a 

biostratigraphic interval between zone IV and the 

younger zone V of early Campanian-SantonianConiacian age (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1978). I 

place these beds in the Turonian on the basis of the 

association of Turonian calcareous nannofossils with 

pollen zone IV assemblages in the COST GE-1, Fripp 

Island, Clubhouse Crossroads, Island Beach, and Toms 

River wells and in the Dallas, Tex. core. As mentioned 

above, Christopher (in press) has reported post-zone 

IV-pre-zone V spore and pollen floras from the middle 

and upper parts of the Arcadia Park Formation (Turonian Age) and the lower part of the Austin Group (Coniacian Age) in the Dallas core. In contrast, C. C. Smith 

(unpub. data, 1978) has reported the presence of

foraminifers and nannofossils of Cenomanian Age in a 

sample from 4,530-4,560 ft in GGS 1198, but the nannofossil assemblage (from handpicked cuttings) has a 

decided Turonian aspect (Corollithion achylosum, Eiffellithus eximius, Lithraphidites alatus, Parhabdolithits 

asper, and PodorhaJbdus albianus). The foraminiferal 

assemblage from the same sample is composed of 

species that range across the Turonian-Cenomanian 

boundary, as well as many species that are restricted to 

Turonian and younger strata; rotaliporid marker species 

are absent. Gu&mbelitria harrisi is present, but, as 

noted above, its range is not precisely known. Similarly, 

in GGS 724, two samples (4,520 to 4,540 and 

4,630-4,640 ft) from the lower 100 ft of the section contain spores and pollen characteristic of either pollen 

zone IV or a post-zone IV-pre-zone V interval, and I interpret them to be Turonian in age. A thin interval of 

somewhat older, undated strata may be present just 

above basement in these wells.

Brown and others (1979) and Gohn and others (1980) 

have also studied GGS 1197, and the relations among 

their stratigraphic units that have been recognized in 

other wells are also evident here. Few samples have
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 21

been analyzed paleontologically from this well. Santonian and Coniacian(?) strata containing pollen zone V 

floras are present in samples from 3,640 to 3,650 and 

3,830 to 3,840 ft (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 1979), 

and I have observed calcareous nannofossils of Santonian Age in samples from 3,800 to 3,810 and 4,000 to 

4,010 ft. These beds are part of units C and D of Brown 

and others (1979) and units K3 and K4 of Gohn and 

others (1980). A single sample from 4,180 to 4,190 ft, examined by R. A. Christopher (unpub. data, 1979), contains a spore and pollen assemblage indicative of either 

pollen zone IV or a pre-zone V interval, similar to the 

floras observed in the strata at GGS 724 and GGS 1198 

that I place in the Turonian.

The remaining two wells studied in this region, GGS 

719 and GGS 876, provide a comparison of the 

stratigraphic interpretations of Marsalis (1970) and 

Brown and others (1979). In the upper parts of the wells, 

these authors' delineation of the Gulf Coast provincial 

stages is fairly consistent and also is in agreement with 

the work of both Maher (1971) and Brown and others 

(1979) on GGS 724. However, the stage assignment of 

the Atkinson Formation, as recognized in these three 

wells, varies considerably. The Atkinson Formation, as 

redefined by Applin (1955), is composed of an upper 

member of Eaglefordian Age and a lower member of 

Woodbinian Age. At GGS 719, Brown and others (1979) 

confined the Atkinson Formation, as delineated by Marsalis (1970), to unit D (Eaglefordian), whereas at GGS 

876, Brown and others (1979) equated the Atkinson Formation with units D, E, and part of F (Eaglefordian, 

Woodbinian, and part of the Washitan-Fredericksburgian). At GGS 724, the strata assigned to the Atkinson Formation (Eaglefordian, Woodbinian) by Maher 

(1971) have been placed by Brown and others (1979) in 

units C (part), D, E, and F (part Austinian, Eaglefordian, Woodbinian, and Washitan-Fredericksburgian). 

Clearly, it is either very difficult to recognize and correlate the lithologic units in this part of the Southeast 

Georgia Embayment or the Atkinson Formation is 

diachronous within this small region of the basin. I interpret the upper part of the Atkinson Formation of Marsalis (1970) in these wells to be Santonian-Coniacian in 

age and the lower part to be Turonian and perhaps 

older.

WELLS IN THE AXIS OF THE SOUTHEAST 

GEORGIA EMBAYMENT

The geologic section B-B' (fig. 9) through GGS 144, 

GGS 724, and COST GE-1 lies along the axis of the 

Southeast Georgia Embayment (fig. 1). The 

stratigraphy at GGS 724 beneath the Coastal Plain and 

at COST GE-1 beneath the Outer Continental Shelf has 

been discussed above. GGS 144 was drilled into the

shallow western part of the Southeast Georgia Embayment. The Upper-Cretaceous section is twice as thick at 

GGS 724, which was drilled into the deep part of the 

basin onshore, as it is at GGS 144, whereas Tertiary 

strata are equally thick in both wells. Studies of GGS 144 

by Applin (1955) and Applin and Applin (1967) revealed 

that the Upper Cretaceous section is about 900 ft thick 

and that Navarroan strata are absent. The absence of 

the Navarroan Stage in this well and to the west on the 

Suwannee Saddle and in part of the Southwest Georgia 

Embayment has been interpreted as being due to 

nondeposition in an uplifted area (Applin and Applin, 

1967) or to post-Cretaceous erosion (Toulmin, 1955). 

Tayloran and Austinian rocks are present in GGS 144, 

as shown by both Applin and Applin (1967) and Brown 

and others (1979).

Lower in the well, the Atkinson Formation has been 

divided into an upper member of Eaglefordian Age and 

a lower member of Woodbinian Age by Applin (1955) 

and Applin and Applin (1967); Brown and others (1979) 

interpreted this part of the section similarly. Applin 

(1955) discovered a foraminifer assemblage, the "Barlow 

fauna," in a core (3,709-3,719 ft) from the lower member 

of the Atkinson Formation in GGS 144. The "Barlow 

fauna" contains the planktonic foraminifer Rotalipora 

cushmani, and Hazel (1969) concluded that the fauna is 

late Cenomanian in age and that therefore at least part 

of the lower member of the Atkinson Formation is of 

Eaglefordian rather than Woodbinian Age. The distinctive "Barlow fauna" is present in other wells in Georgia, 

Alabama, and Florida to the west and south of GGS 144 

(Applin, 1955; Applin and Applin, 1967), but it has never 

been reported from wells drilled into the southeast 

Georgia Embayment proper or on the Cape Fear Arch 

to the northwest.

Cenomanian strata have not yet been recognized at 

GGS 724, but offshore at COST GE-1 the Cenomanian 

may be represented by a thin unfossiliferous interval 

between rocks of Turonian and Albian Age. Turonian 

strata at COST GE-1 contain a pollen zone IV flora; I interpret Turonian strata to be present also at the base of 

GGS 724 in unit K2 (middle Eaglefordian; upper 

Cenomanian) of Gohn and others (1980), where a spore 

and pollen flora indicative of pollen zone IV or pre-zone 

V has been reported (R. A. Christopher, unpub. data, 

1978).

The pre-Cretaceous basement dips seaward along the 

section shown in figure 9. Beneath the Coastal Plain, the 

basement is overlain unconformably by a thin (up to 

150-ft) interval of unfossiliferous strata that is possibly 

Late Cretaceous in age. In contrast, a thick ( 7,500 ft) 

sequence of Early Cretaceous and older sedimentary 

and metasedimentary rocks is present beneath the 

Outer Continental Shelf; these rocks extend farther
22 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Well No.4 Well No. 5 

GGS 876 GGS 1198

W -10 MILES- -sw- 25 MILES2300-

2700-

d 3|oo-

>

LU_J

LU 

CO

^

3 

m 3500-

1 

LU 

LU

u_

z 

ur

Q_

LUQ 3900- 

4300- 

4700-

Brown 

and 

others

(1979)

_o

"o ~

CJ> §1

Navarroan

3>

B

c=

0 

0

Austinian

o

D

L^J ^^ 

^^/^^^^\

Wood-E 

binian

Wash., F 

F-burg.

in

P

Navarroan

c

0 

_0

c= 

o

cz

CO

gl

II

Lower 

Cret.

Basement

a>

o. 

E 

o CO

A

A

A 

A

A

"~^ 3750ft* - 

"~^ ' "4300ft 0-

4600 ft TD

EXPLANATION 

A Barren Sample

Gohn 

and 

others 

(I960)

Brown 

and 

others 

(1979)

Cenozoic 

(part)

oran-Navarroan 

%

12

K5 

I e=

t_ C= o~

£«i

K4

c= 

.2

c=

CO

=3

WV/N K2-3

i c=

Navarroan

j>

B

c=

0

o

Austinian

o

D

xrv/vx

Wb. E

F 

Wash., 

F-burg.

Basement 

4710 ft TD

Cenozoic

MaestrichtianCampanian

SantonianConiacian

Turonian

® Pollen zone 12 or pre-zone 2 flora 

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x70

FIGURE 8.-Stratigraphic correlations of Georgia Geological Survey (GGS) wells 876, 1198, 724, 719, and 1197 in the Southeast 

(1971), Brown and others (1979), and Gohn and others (1980). Wb, Woodbinian; Wash., Washitan; F-burg., Fredericksburgian; 

or pre-zone V flora identified by R. A. Christopher (USGS). Depth scale is relative to sea level; stratigraphic boundaries are given
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 23

Well No. 6 Well No.7 W 

GGS 724 GGS 719 G

c 111 i cf tr\ in i i-»»

Lower Cret.-

Maher 

(1971)

(

UDOJJDAD(\|

c. 

o

Austinian

11

Brown 

and 

others 

(1979)

^enozo 

(part)

Navarroan

>

B

c 

o

_0

C

C

o

C

CO

=3

J)

o>~2

O o

l_i_J

PVWb^E

Wash/ 

F-burg.

Gohn 

and 

others 

(1980)

C

L 

Tayloran-Navarroan

0>

K5

K4

CO

=3

wv\

K3

-o

" oK2

CD

O>

O

LU

tr> 

a>

O.

E

0 

CO

A 

A ^^^^ -A^^^^ 

A 

A 

A

A 

A 

A 

A

- 3900ft 

- * 4450ft __ ?

a\

Basement-^ 

4633 ft TD

Brown 

and 

others 

(1979)

Cenc 

(pa

Navarroan 

j>

B 

o

o

C 

o

CO

-5:

D

1 C

ljj «2

Wb. E

Wash., F 

F-burg.

tr>

11

>zoic 

rt)

UDOJJDADf\|

c

0

o

Austinian

|i

"ic=

Is

o

Basement

a> 

o.

E

CO

Cenozoic

MaestrichtianCampanian

SantonianConiacian

4140 ft 7

ell No. 8 

GSII97

NE

Gohn 

and 

others 

(I960)

Cenc 

(part)

Maestrichtian- Campanian g

K5

C.

o

o 

o.

E 

o CJ

K4 

i

.P 0

|1

11

^^To

C

"c o

o

" §K2

CD

O

Brown 

and 

others 

(1979)

)ZOIC

<£

UOOJJDADM

o 

o

C

C.

C. 

CO

<t 

D

1 c 

a> o

iS£ 

\/\y\/>

Wb. E

Wash., F 

F-burg.

Basement 

4460 ft TD

4747 ft TD

Georgia Embayment, based on the results of this study and showing stratigraphic interpretations of Marsalis (1970), Maher 

Cret., Cretaceous; Aust., Austinian. Samples shown were originally part of the study by Gohn and others (1980). Pollen zone IV 

in original depths (for depth below sea level, subtract 28 ft for GGS 1198, 29 ft for GGS 724, and 24 ft for GGS 1197).
B

Well No. I 

GGS 144

COASTAL PLAIN

Well No. 6 

GGS 724

CONTINENTAL SHELF

SEA LEVEL600 -

1200-

1800-

W

4800-

5400-

6000-

6600 J

Eocene

EXPLANATION

Navarroan Provincial Stage 

Toylpran Provincial Stage 

Austinian Provincial Stage 

Eaglefordian Provincial Stage 

Woodbinian Provincial Stage

Washitan and Fredericksburgian

Provincial Stages 

Maestrichtian European Stage 

Companion European Stage 

San Ionian European Stage 

Coniocion European Stage 

Turonian European Stage 

Cenomanian European Stage

COM 

AT 

Al

Comanchean Provincial Series 

Atkinson Formation 

Albion European Stage

Pollen zone E or 

pre-zane I flora 

Pollen zone E flora

"Barlow fauna, late 

Cenomonion 

Unconformity 

Fossil data

I 

50 Miles VERTICAL EXA

FIGURE 9.-Stratigraphic correlation based on the results of this study, along section B-B' through Georgia Geological Survey (GGS) wells 144 and 724 an

axis of the Southeast Georgia Embayment, showing stratigraphic interpretations of (1), Applin (1955), Applin and Applin (1967); (2) Marsalis (1970); (3) 

and others (1979); (5) Valentine (1979a, b); and (6) Gohn and others (1980). "Barlow fauna" identified by Applin (1955). Pollen zone IV or pre-zone V 

Christopher (USGS). Depth scale is relative to sea level; stratigraphic boundaries are given in original depths (for depth below sea level, subtract 177 

for GGS 724).
UPPER CRETACEOUS STRATIGRAPHY 25

seaward, becoming even thicker (-30,000 ft) beneath 

the Blake Plateau (Dillon and others, 1979).

Tertiary strata about 2,600 ft thick, principally 

Eocene limestone, overlie the Upper Cretaceous within 

the embayment. The Tertiary sedimentary wedge 

thickens toward the outer shelf, but it thins at the shelf 

edge and beneath the Florida-Hatteras Slope (not shown 

in fig. 9) and is only several hundred feet thick beneath 

the Blake Plateau.

AGES OF SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHIC UNITS

The foregoing analysis is the basis for my reinterpretation of the ages of stratigraphic units that have 

been delineated in the subsurface of coastal South 

Carolina and Georgia by previous authors. In figure 10,1 

show the stratigraphic units of Gohn and others (1978a, 

1980) and Brown and others (1979) and their relation to 

the Gulf Coast and European Upper Cretaceous stages 

as indicated by those authors; I have added my interpretation of the relation of those authors' stratigraphic 

units to the Upper Cretaceous stages. My stratigraphic 

interpretations rely on the biostratigraphy of selected 

wells in coastal South Carolina and Georgia, and the application of my conclusions to adjacent areas depends, in 

part, on the internal consistency of the stratigraphic 

framework erected by previous authors; the units identified by Brown and others (1972, 1979), Gohn and 

others (1978a, 1980) may vary somewhat over a large 

region. _

My interpretation of the ages of units A (Navarroan) 

and B (Tayloran) is essentially the same as that of 

Brown and others (1979), except that I observe some 

overlap of the two units at the Navarroan-Tayloran 

(Maestrichtian-Campanian) boundary. However, I 

restrict Brown and others' unit C (Austinian) to the upper Austinian (Campanian-Santonian), and I now assign 

their unit D (Eaglefordian) to the middle and lower 

Austinian (Santonian-Coniacian). Brown and others 

(1979) assigned unit E to the Woodbinian (Cenomanian) 

Stage and indicated that the unit is absent in the subsurface from the Cape Fear Arch southward to the Parris 

Island well but that it is consistently present from there 

into the Southeast Georgia Embayment. My 

biostratigraphic study of the Fripp Island well and correlation with the nearby Parris Island well shows that 

unit E is actually Turonian (middle to late Eaglefordian) 

in age. In the deep part of the Southeast Georgia Embayment at GGS 724 and GGS 1198, paleontological 

studies by C. C. Smith and R. A. Christopher (unpub. 

data, 1978, 1979), as interpreted in the present study, 

show that unit E and unit F (Washitan-Fredericksburgian, lower Cenomanian-Albian) of Brown and 

others (1979) are Turonian and possibly, in part, late 

Cenomanian in age. At GGS 144, in the western part of

the basin, beds of proven late Cenomanian (Eaglefordian) Age (Hazel, 1969) that are present in the lower 

member of the Atkinson Formation have been equated 

with the lower part of unit E (Woodbinian) by Brown 

and others (1979). These upper Cenomanian beds contain the "Barlow fauna" and have been found only west 

and south of the Southeast Georgia Embayment; 

therefore, I restrict unit E of Brown and others (1979) to 

the Turonian, as this unit is delineated in the other wells 

treated in the present study. North of Parris Island and 

Fripp Island, at the Clubhouse Crossroads core where 

Brown and others (1979) show unit E to be missing, the 

newly recognized Turonian interval is equivalent to part 

of their unit F. I question whether unit F has been properly delineated or dated within the Southeast Georgia 

Embayment, especially over the Cape Fear Arch. 

Figure 10 illustrates the doubtful placement of this unit. 

The ages of the stratigraphic units of Gohn and others 

(1978a, 1980) that represent Maestrichtian, Campanian, 

and Santonian strata (units K6, K5, and K4) remain unchanged for the most part in my interpretation (fig. 10). 

However, those authors recognized a hiatus in the section that represents Coniacian and Turonian time, and 

they placed units K2 and K3 in the upper Cenomanian 

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

Cretaceous. My recent study of the Fripp Island and 

Clubhouse Crossroads wells and evaluation of the other 

well sections discussed above suggests that SantonianConiacian and Turonian strata are present beneath the 

South Carolina and Georgia coasts. I interpret unit K3 

to represent the Coniacian and possibly part of the Santonian (lower Austinian), whereas unit K2 is Turonian 

(middle to upper Eaglefordian). Unit Kl is present only 

in the lowermost part of the sedimentary section in 

several wells (Clubhouse Crossroads, Parris Island, GGS 

363) and may be unfossiliferous. Gohn and others 

(1978a, 1980), in contrast to Brown and others (1979), 

did not recognize the presence of any stratigraphic units 

of early Cenomanian or Albian Age.

GEOLOGIC SECTION OF NORTHERN FLORIDA 

AND COASTAL GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA

The geologic section in figure 11 is based, for the most 

part, on the biostratigraphy of selected wells in South 

Carolina and Georgia and the consequent reinterpretation of the ages of stratigraphic units established by 

Gohn and others (1978a, 1980) and Brown and others 

(1979). The stratigraphy of the two wells in northern 

Florida is from Applin and Applin (1967). Figure 11 is 

broadly similar to a section illustrated in a previous 

study (Valentine, 1979b, fig. 5), but the Upper 

Cretaceous stratigraphy is shown in more detail here. A
26 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Brown

and others 

(1979)

A

C

D

xxxxx

E

F

This 

study

A 

_J~

cw _

D

2V99Q

E_r- -

?

F

?

Provincial 

Stage

Navarroan

Tayloran

Austin ian

Eaglefordian

Woodbinian

Washitan

and 

Frederic ksburgian

European 

Stage

Maestrichtian

Campanian

Santonian

Coniacian

Turonian

Cenomanian

Albion

This 

study

K6

K5

j- 

_?n K4

K3

K2

KJ?

Gohn

and others 

(I978a,l980)

K6

K5

 

K4

XXXX? SA^VVv <rVWv^

^3388 SXXX>C

xKV

\ / Wi \KI /

FIGURE 10. - Reinterpretation of the Cretaceous stratigraphic units of coastal Georgia and South Carolina recognized by Gohn and others 

(1978a, 1980) and Brown and others (1979). Those authors' correlations of their units with Gulf Coast (Provincial) and European stages are 

shown (as in fig. 2) compared with the new interpretation that has resulted from this study. Cross-hatched zones represent hiatuses.
SUMMARY 27

comparison of the onshore stratigraphy with the offshore section at COST GE-1 (Valentine, 1979b; Poag 

and Hall, 1979) is useful in determining the geologic 

development of the Upper Cretaceous in this region.

The oldest sedimentary rocks in this region are clastic 

red beds encountered in the subsurface near the 

Clubhouse Crossroads well that are interlayered with 

basalt flows of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic age (Gohn 

and others, 1978b). The lowermost sedimentary unit 

that is laterally persistent in the Southeast Georgia Embayment basin onshore is a few tens of feet thick and is 

composed of marginal marine and possibly nonmarine 

clastic strata that extend northeastward at least as far 

as the Clubhouse Crossroads core. These beds are poorly 

fossiliferous, and I infer their age to be Turonian or late 

Cenomanian, although it is conceivable that they may, in 

part, represent a remnant of Lower Cretaceous 

deposits. Herrick and Vorhis (1963) assigned them to 

the Lower(?) Cretaceous as a result of correlations with 

dated rocks in northern Florida. This relatively thin unit 

is confined chiefly to the deep part of the basin; it is 

bounded below by crystalline and metamorphic basement rocks and above by Turonian marine clastic beds. 

It appears to represent the late stages of a widespread 

erosional episode, possibly in Cenomanian time, that 

resulted in the removal of Lower Cretaceous and 

perhaps older rocks that were once present beneath the 

Coastal Plain and are now found only offshore beneath 

the Continental Shelf. At COST GE-1, on the modern 

Outer Continental Shelf, a thin sequence (150 ft) of undated shallow marine calcareous sandstone lies between 

Turonian and Albian strata and may be the erosional or 

depositional remnant of a Cenomanian regression.

Overlying the oldest sedimentary unit onshore are 

transgressive lower Turonian marine shale and 

calcareous sandstone as much as 175 ft thick that extend 

throughout the Southeast Georgia Embayment beneath 

the South Carolina and Georgia coasts. Offshore, the 

Turonian is represented by an argillaceous limestone approximately 400 ft thick at COST GE-1. Turonian beds 

are inferred to exist northeast of the Clubhouse 

Crossroads core to at least the Esterville Plantation well 

(fig. 1) on the basis of the presence of unit K2 of Gohn 

and others (1978a) and unit F of Brown and others 

(1979), which I consider to be part Turonian in this 

region. There is no definitive fossil evidence to determine the age of unit F in the subsurface farther north.

The stratigraphic interpretation of the lower part of 

the Cape Fear Arch section in the Myrtle Beach and 

Calabash wells (fig. 7) by Brown and others (1979) is 

quite different from that by Gohn and others (1978a). 

Brown and others (1979) placed the lowermost beds in 

unit F (Washitan and Fredericksburgian; Cenomanian 

and Albian) and indicated that they are overlain unconformably by beds of unit D (Eaglefordian; Turonian and 

upper Cenomanian). The same beds were placed by 

Gohn and others (1978a) in unit K3 (middle Eaglefordian; upper Cenomanian), and they did not recognize an 

unconformity within the unit. I interpret these strata to 

be at least partly Santonian-Coniacian in age (fig. 7). 

Moreover, Christopher and others (1979) have reported 

that the Cape Fear Formation, near its type locality on 

the Cape Fear Arch in south-central North Carolina, 

contains a pollen zone V flora, now known to range in 

age from possibly Coniacian to Santonian and early 

Campanian (R. A. Christopher, oral commun., 1979). 

The Cape Fear Formation overlies crystalline basement 

in this region, and Christopher and others (1979) have 

therefore shown that Cenomanian and Lower 

Cretaceous rocks are not present on the Cape Fear 

Arch, at least near the inner edge of the Coastal Plain. 

At the coast, the Upper Cretaceous section thins 

somewhat over the Cape Fear Arch (fig. 11), and 

sedimentary strata of Cenomanian and Albian Age may 

not be present there either. Rather, Santonian and Coniacian and possibly Turonian rocks overlie preCretaceous crystalline basement, and the Upper 

Cretaceous-Lower Cretaceous boundary may be offshore beneath the Continental Shelf.

Santonian-Coniacian strata constitute a marine clastic 

interval about 650 ft thick that extends from the Cape 

Fear Arch southwestward along the coast into the basin, 

where in southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida 

the uppermost beds are marine carbonates. The 

Santonian-Coniacian rocks are somewhat coarser than 

the underlying Turonian beds, and the Coniacian part of 

the sequence may represent a regressive shallowing succeeded by further transgression during the Santonian, 

although a hiatus within these strata has not been 

documented yet. At COST GE-1, marine carbonate 

shelf conditions prevailed during the Santonian and 

Coniacian.

The combined Maestrichtian and Campanian stages 

range in thickness from 650 ft at the Cape Fear Arch to 

1,225 ft in southeast Georgia and are part of an extensive transgressive sequence in this region. The 

Maestrichtian-Campanian boundary cannot be 

distinguished paleontologically in the center of the 

Southeast Georgia Embayment. Marine clastic beds 

were deposited on the southern flank of the present 

Cape Fear Arch throughout Maestrichtian-Campanian 

time, but the center of the embayment onshore became a 

marine carbonate province that formed northeastward, 

transgressing the Cape Fear Arch in the Eocene. The 

Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary marine carbonates constitute a thick sequence that was deposited in the center 

of the embayment until post-Oligocene time; the coeval 

Tertiary section in the Cape Fear Arch region is much
28 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

PENINSULAR ARCH

A SW Fla.lGa 

Well Number 2 3 

SEA LEVEL

4 5 

I I

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA EMBAYMENT

Ga. I S.C.

678 9 10 II 12

j I

Oligocene

I I

/

/

^

 z.

^-

'et

U_ 

LU

<

/X

1

-^

z 1 t 

^-

<t

^

««>

u_

LU

(5)

/

^

X 

X 

X

x X

/

A

Z. 

"1

1 

~c

<t

~D

U_ 

LU

^

***

~6

z.

1

*~"

~5

1 

<t

~4

<r

<*,

3

u_

LU

^

u?

UJ

=r|

^

(4) (5)

(6)
SUMMARY 29

13 14 15 16 17 18 

1

 

|^/^ 

1 ' ^n ***

~1 \ ^

- ;/6

h

~5

o

O

4

 

3

CO

3

O

?

s

o

0

CO

o 

o

2

/

x

X

/x

z

"^

_!

Lu 

LU

^

%

^r

z

/I 1

<c

^~

«*»

LU

^. ^

'

^

'

(5)

i

z

» 

«t

Lu

LU

1

z

1

 

1 **

_ 

<t

r>0

Lu

LU

EF

o

C_>

CO

1 O

0

Tu

T

Z ^>

__ *7 **^ *~

 ~~ r rvtCvV^

, _ \j^

^_

l ^< i ^

<t ^,

^ ^ ><c co^0^

^ ^ ^ "* _ Q,o^C

LU

LU -" ""' "n\

^ ^

" //^

/ (5) (4) ,^ l*t;

CAPE FEAR ARCH

S.C.I N.C. NE A 

19 21 22 23 

1 1

^

<$& ^

^

\o!^

^

^

^

r\^^

^ *

0^

?

l^-^,» .

z

 

T-

*^

LU

^

z

^_

i

_

<c

e»

Lu 

LU

EF

^ -"'

 " ,_ H

/^ ^^ "

s* "*

^ L

L

LU A

^ ^

X$ -^^~

VJ -~~\

? B (/

^^S^r

"^" -«. Z

- 1 /^ """"' ~- » _^ c°^^/0/? -

"~~ -*.

~~~" t

~ °» 0 <*

i_ ^tonln

Lj . Cfln ' *l ""*

^ i] OCi(Jn *"

^, LU

R"^^^^ O

A ^^^^*^^_ ^

«(5) ^^-^g

^ (4) (5) pre- Cretaceous T

^ Basement ^

(4) (5)

EXPLANATION

N Navarroan Provincial Stage 0 T Tayloran Provincial Stage

A Austin ion Provincial Stage

/ ^ Lt-cj-- tr tagieroraian provincial STage

/ B p"1 

/- A A k

1 Woodbinian Provincial Stage

f4H^W7\ ^ Washitan and Fredericksburgian Provincial Stages

/ M] M Maestrichtian European Stage 

/ 9 Ca Companion European Stage

/ ' c^ S Santonian European Stage

^£» Co Coniacian European Stage

-c^ Tu Turanian European Stage 

X> Ce Cenomanian European Stage 

v\*b COM Comanchean Provincial Series

A A . tfy LK Lower

(5) (7) 0\Cr I1 Upper

Cretaceous Series

!?) Cretaceous Series

C\ x^J AT Atkinson Formation

^ B pre- Cretaceous Basement

1 "<j 1 Unconformity

A Fossil

0

i

i

0

Data

100 KILOMETERS

1 1

i l i |

50 MILES

VERTICAL EXAGGERATION x278

and coastal Georgia and South Carolina, showing stratigraphic interpretation of this study and interpretations of individual wells by: (1) Applin 

others (1980); and (7) Valentine (this study). The stratigraphy of the Fripp Island well (13) and the Clubhouse Crossroads corehole 1 (16) includes 

(1978a, 1980) and by Brown and others (1979) to designate their stratigraphic units.
30 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

thinner and is characterized by disconformities. At 

COST GE-1, Maestrichtian and Campanian limestones 

were deposited at depths that today are equated with 

marine shelf and upper slope conditions; they, in turn, 

are overlain by Paleogene shelf carbonate rocks.

The distribution, thickness, and configuration of the 

Upper Cretaceous Series and Tertiary System throughout the Southeast Georgia Embayment show that a 

marked change took place in the formational style of the 

continental margin from Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary time (Valentine, 1979b). In coastal South Carolina 

and Georgia, as well as offshore, the thickness of the Upper Cretaceous Series is more uniform than that of the 

Cenozoic strata. The Eocene, in particular, is very thick 

at the center of the basin and all but absent on the Cape 

Fear Arch. In Late Cretaceous and Paleocene time, 

deposition took place on a gently dipping continental 

margin that subsided regionally. In contrast, during the 

Eocene, the present Continental Shelf formed by progradation (Schlee, 1977; Paull and Dillon, 1980) in 

response to both the rapid accumulation of a large 

volume of carbonate sediments and more localized subsidence of the margin. Eocene deposits became very 

thick to form the present Southeast Georgia Embayment, but they remained thin over the relatively stable 

Cape Fear Arch and have been eroded during subsequent regressions during the Tertiary and Quaternary. 

The margin has continued to form in this manner 

throughout post-Eocene time.

SUMMARY

The Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy of coastal Georgia 

and South Carolina has been reevaluated through new 

biostratigraphic analyses in conjunction with a comparative study of recent stratigraphic interpretations of 

the region by other workers, interpretations that were 

in large part based on the same well sections. I am in 

agreement with the age assignments of the younger Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic units of Brown and others 

(1979) and Gohn and others (1978a, 1980), but I consider 

the older units to be significantly younger than those 

authors indicated.

There are no accepted type sections for the Cenomanian and Turonian stages in Europe, and, as a result, the 

placement of the boundary is in dispute. The 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary apparently is within 

the Sciponoceras gracile ammonite zone, which forms a 

boundary interval between the upper Cenomanian 

Calycoceras naviculare zone and the lower Turonian 

Mammites nodosoidesllnoceramus labiatus zone. The 

foraminifer genus Rotalipora becomes extinct in the 

Sciponoceras gracile zone in both Europe and the United 

States Western Interior; this datum is a practical basis 

for recognizing the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary.

On the Atlantic margin, calcareous nannofossils of 

chiefly early Turonian age are found with spores and 

pollen characteristic of pollen zone IV (ComplexiopollisAtlantopollis assemblage zone). These assemblages also 

occur together in the Gulf Coastal Plain. In a cored section at Dallas, Tex., Turonian nannofossils are found in 

pollen zone IV, as delineated by Christopher (in press) in 

the middle and upper part of the Britton Formation and 

the lower part of the Arcadia Park Formation; this interval encompasses the Sciponoceras gracile ammonite 

zone and the lower part of the Mytiloides labiatus 

mollusk zone identified in equivalent sections exposed 

near the corehole (J. D. Powell, oral and written commun., 1980).

Gohn and others (1978a, 1980) postulated a major 

hiatus encompassing Coniacian and Turonian time and 

identified several units of Cenomanian Age in the 

Southeast Georgia Embayment and on the Cape Fear 

Arch. In contrast, I believe that Coniacian and Turonian 

strata exist in this region and that Cenomanian beds, if 

present, are poorly represented in the interval just 

above pre-Cretaceous basement rocks.

I interpret the ages of the stratigraphic units 

established by Brown and others (1979) as follows: unit 

A (Navarroan) and unit B (Tayloran), both unchanged; 

unit C (Austinian), now restricted to a late Austinian 

(early Campanian and Santonian) Age; unit D (Eaglefordian), now assigned a middle and early Austinian 

(Santonian and Coniacian) Age; unit E (Woodbinian), 

now assigned a late and middle Eaglefordian (Turonian) 

Age; and unit F (Washitan and Fredericksburgian), now 

assigned an Eaglefordian and questionable Woodbinian 

or older Age.

The ages of the stratigraphic units of Gohn and others 

(1978a, 1980) are interpreted as follows: unit K6 

(Maestrichtian-Campanian; Navarroan-Tayloran), unit 

K5 (Campanian; Tayloran-Austinian), and unit K4 

(Campanian-Santonian; Austinian), all unchanged; unit 

K3 (late Cenomanian; middle Eaglefordian), now assigned a Santonian(?)-Coniacian (Austinian) Age; unit 

K2 (late Cenomanian; middle Eaglefordian), now assigned a Turonian (late and middle Eaglefordian) Age; 

and unit Kl (Late(?) Cretaceous), now questionably 

assigned a Turonian and Cenomanian Age.

These conclusions are fundamental to a reconstruction 

of the geologic history of the region. Lower Cretaceous 

rocks were removed from the present coastal region of 

South Carolina and Georgia during a widespread erosional episode in Cenomanian time, leaving a thin unit of 

unfossiliferous beds of probably nonmarine origin 

overlying pre-Cretaceous basement. Offshore, Albian 

and Turonian strata are separated by a thin sequence of 

undated shallow marine beds of possible Cenomanian 

Age. Lower Turonian marine shale onshore is probably
REFERENCES CITED 31

separated by a hiatus from Coniacian through 

Maestrichtian marine clastic strata. The upper Turonian 

hiatus and the coarser Coniacian beds may mark a 

period of regressive shallowing, and the Santonian, 

Campanian, and Maestrichtian strata are part of a 

transgressive sequence that in southeastern Georgia 

became a carbonate province in Campanian and 

Maestrichtian time. Turonian through Maestrichtian 

marine limestone is present offshore beneath the Outer 

Continental Shelf.

On a regional scale, Upper Cretaceous sediments were 

deposited on a broadly subsiding continental margin 

that included the present Georgia and South Carolina 

Coastal Plain, the Continental Shelf, and the Blake 

Plateau. During the Tertiary, however, a large volume 

of chiefly carbonate sediment was deposited in a subsiding region focused on the Southeast Georgia Embayment. Upper Cretaceous and basement rocks were 

warped downward south of the relatively stable Cape 

Fear Arch region, as a progradational Continental Shelf 

formed on the western margin of the continually subsiding and sediment-starved Blake Plateau.

REFERENCES CITED

Amato, R. V., and Bebout, J. W., 1978, Geological and operational 

summary, COST GE-1 well, Southeast Georgia Embayment area, 

South Atlantic OCS: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 

78-668, 122 p.

Applin, E. R., 1955, A biofacies of Woodbine age in the southeastern 

Gulf Coast region: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

264-1, p. 187-197.

Applin, P. L., and Applin, E. R., 1965, The Comanche Series and 

associated rocks in the subsurface in central and south Florida: 

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 447, 84 p.

 1967, The Gulf Series in the subsurface in northern Florida and 

southern Georgia: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

524-G, 35 p.

Ascoli, P., 1976, Foraminiferal and ostracod biostratigraphy of the 

Mesozoic-Cenozoic, Scotian Shelf, Atlantic Canada: Maritime 

Sediments Special Publication 1, pt. B, p. 653-771.

Barrier, J., 1980, A revision of the stratigraphic distribution of some 

Cretaceous coccoliths in Texas: Journal of Paleontology, v. 54, no. 

2, p. 289-308.

Basse, E. de Menorval, 1959, Le domaine d'influence borSale, in Congres des Soci6t6s Savantes de Paris et des Departements, Dijon, 

1959, Section des Sciences, Sous-section de Geologic, Comptes 

Rendus, Colloque sur le Cretacg Sup6rieur Francais: Paris, 

Gauthier-Villars, p. 799-814.

Brown, C. W., and Pierce, R. L., 1962, Palynologic correlations in 

Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group, northeast Texas: American 

Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 46, no. 12, p. 

2133-2147.

Brown, P. M., Brown, D. L., Reid, M. S., and Lloyd, 0. B., 1979, 

Evaluation of the geologic and hydrologic factors related to the 

waste-storage potential of Mesozoic aquifers in the southern part 

of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, South Carolina and Georgia: U.S. 

Geological Survey Professional Paper 1088, 37 p.

Brown, P. M., Miller, J. A., and Swain, F. M., 1972, Structural and 

stratigraphic framework, and spatial distribution of permeability 

of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, North Carolina to New York: U.S. 

Geological Survey Professional Paper 796, 79 p.

Bukry, David, 1969, Upper Cretaceous coccoliths from Texas and 

Europe: Kansas University Paleontological Contributions [51], 

Protista 2, 79 p.

Christopher, R. A., 1977, Selected normapolles pollen genera and the 

age of the Raritan and Magothy Formations (Upper Cretaceous) of 

northern New Jersey, in Owens, J. P., Sohl, N. F., and Minard, J. 

P., eds., A field guide to Cretaceous and lower Tertiary beds of the 

Raritan and Salisbury Embayments, New Jersey, Delaware, and 

Maryland: American Association of Petroleum Geologists- Society 

of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Guidebook for Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., June 12-16, 1977, p. 58-69.

 1979, Normapolles and triporate pollen assemblages from the 

Raritan and Magothy Formations (Upper Cretaceous) of New 

Jersey: Palynology, v. 3, p. 73-121. 

-in press, The occurrence of the Complexiopollis-Atlantopollis

zone (palynomorphs) in the Eagle Ford Group (Upper Cretaceous) 

of Texas: Journal of Paleontology.

Christopher, R. A., Owens, J. P., and Sohl, N. F., 1979, Late 

Cretaceous palynomorphs from the Cape Fear Formation of North 

Carolina: Southeastern Geology, v. 20, no. 3, p. 145-159.

Cobban, W. A., and Reeside, J. B., Jr., 1952, Correlation of the 

Cretaceous formations of the Western Interior of the United 

States: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 63, no. 10, p. 

1011-1043.

Cobban, W. A., and Scott, G. R., 1972, Stratigraphy and ammonite 

fauna of the Graneros Shale and Greenhorn Limestone near 

Pueblo, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 645, 

108 p.

Cramer, H. R., 1974, Isopach and lithofacies analyses of the 

Cretaceous and Cenozoic rocks of the Coastal Plain of Georgia: 

Georgia Geological Survey Bulletin 87, p. 21-44.

Dillon, W. P., Paull, C. K., Dahl, A. G., and Patterson, W. C., 1979, 

Structure of the continental margin near the COST No. GE-1 drill 

site from a common depth-point seismic-reflection profile, in 

Scholle, P. A., ed., Geological studies of the COST GE-1 well, 

United States South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf area: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 800, p. 97-107.

Doyle, J. A., 1969a, Angiosperm pollen evolution and biostratigraphy 

of the basal Cretaceous formations of Maryland, Delaware, and 

New Jersey [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with 

Programs, [v. 1] pt. 7, p. 51.

 1969b, Cretaceous angiosperm pollen of the Atlantic Coastal 

Plain and its evolutionary significance: Harvard University, 

Arnold Arboretum Journal, v. 50, p. 1-35. 

-1977, Spores and pollen; the Potomac Group (Cretaceous)

angiosperm sequence, in Kauffman, E. G., and Hazel, J. E., eds., 

Concepts and methods of biostratigraphy: Stroudsburg, Pa., 

Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, p. 339-363.

Doyle, J. A., and Robbins, E. L, 1977, Angiosperm pollen zonation of 

the continental Cretaceous of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and its application to deep wells in the Salisbury Embayment: Palynology, v. 

1, p. 43-78.

Eicher, D. L., and Worstell, Paula, 1970, Cenomanian and Turonian 

Foraminifera from the Great Plains, United States: Micropaleontology, v. 16, no. 3, p. 269-324.

Gartner, Stefan, Jr., 1968, Coccoliths and related calcareous nannofossils from Upper Cretaceous deposits of Texas and Arkansas: 

Kansas University Paleontological Contributions [48], Protista 1, 

56 p.
32 UPPER CRETACEOUS SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Gohn, G. S., Bybell, L. M., Christopher, R. A., Owens, J. P., and Smith, 

C. C., in press, A stratigraphic framework for Cretaceous and 

Paleogene sediments along the South Carolina and Georgia coastal 

margins, in Arden, D. D., and Beck, B. F., eds., Southeastern 

Coastal Plain Geology, Symposium: Georgia Geological Survey 

Bulletin.

Gohn, G. S., Christopher, R. A., Smith, C. C., and Owens, J. P., 1978a, 

Preliminary stratigraphic cross sections of Atlantic Coastal Plain 

sediments of the Southeastern United States-Cretaceous 

sediments along the South Carolina coastal margin: U.S. 

Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1015-A.

Gohn, G. S., Gottfried, D., Lanphere, M. A., and Higgins, B. B., 1978b, 

Regional implications of Triassic or Jurassic age for basalt and 

sedimentary red beds in the South Carolina Coastal Plain: Science, 

v. 202, no. 4370, p. 887-889.

Gohn, G. S., Higgins, B. B., Smith, C. C., and Owens, J. P., 1977, 

Lithostratigraphy of the deep corehole (Clubhouse Crossroads 

Corehole 1) near Charleston, South Carolina: U.S. Geological 

Survey Professional Paper 1028-E, p. 59-70.

Gohn, G. S., Smith, C. C., Christopher, R. A., and Owens, J. P., 1980, 

Preliminary stratigraphic cross sections of Atlantic Coastal Plain 

sediments of the Southeastern United States-Cretaceous 

sediments along the Georgia coastal margin: U.S. Geological 

Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1015-C.

Hancock, J. M., 1959, Les ammonites du Cenomanien de la Sarthe, in 

Congres des Societes Savantes de Paris et des Departements, Dijon, 1959, Section des Sciences, Sous-Section de Geologie, 

Comptes Rendus, Colloque sur le Cretace Superieur Francais: 

Paris, Gauthier-Villars, p. 249-252.

Hathaway, J. C., Poag, C. W., Valentine, P. C., Miller, R. E., Schultz, 

D. M., Manheim, F. T., Kohout, F. A., Bothner, M. H., and 

Sangrey, D. A., 1979, U.S. Geological Survey core drilling on the 

Atlantic Shelf: Science, v. 206, no. 4418, p. 515-527.

Hattin, D. E., 1965, Stratigraphy of the Graneros Shale (Upper 

Cretaceous) in central Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey Bulletin 

178, 83 p.

 1975, Stratigraphy and depositional environment of Greenhorn 

Limestone (Upper Cretaceous) of Kansas: Kansas Geological 

Survey Bulletin 209, 128 p.

Hattner, J. G., and Wise, S. W., Jr., 1979, Calcareous nannofossils 

from the type section of the Peedee Formation (Cretaceous) and 

neighboring localities in South Carolina: Geological Society of 

America Abstracts with Programs, v. 11, no. 4, p. 182.

 1980, Upper Cretaceous calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy 

of South Carolina: South Carolina Geology, v. 24, no. 2, p. 41-117.

Hazel, J. E., 1969, Cythereis eaglefordensis Alexander, 1929-A guide 

fossil for deposits of latest Cenomanian age in the western interior 

and Gulf Coast regions of the United States: U.S. Geological 

Survey Professional Paper 650-D, p. D155-D158.

Hazel, J. E., Bybell, L. M., Christopher, R. A., Fredericksen, N. 0., 

May, F. E., McLean, D. M., Poore, R. Z., Smith, C. C., Sohl, N. F., 

Valentine, P. C., and Witmer, R. J., 1977, Biostratigraphy of the 

deep corehole (Clubhouse Crossroads Corehole 1) near Charleston, 

South Carolina: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

1028-F, p. 71-89.

Herrick, S. M., 1961, Well logs of the Coastal Plain of Georgia: Georgia 

Geological Survey Bulletin 70, 461 p.

Herrick, S. M., and Vorhis, R. C., 1963, Subsurface geology of the 

Georgia Coastal Plain: Georgia Geological Survey Information Circular 25, 78 p.

International Biostratigraphers, Inc., 1977, Biostratigraphy of the 

COST No. GE-1 well Georgia Embayment test: Houston, Texas, 

16 p. (Available for public inspection at the U.S. Geological Survey, 

1725 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.)

Jefferies, R. P. S., 1962, The paleoecology of the Actinocamax plemis 

subzone (lowest Turonian) in the Anglo-Paris basin: Palaeontology, 

v. 4, p. 609-647.

Juignet, P., 1976, Presentation du Cr6tac6 moyen dans 1'ouest de la 

France: remarques sur les stratotypes du C6nomanien et du Turonien, in Reyment, R. A., and Thomel, G., eds., fiv6nements de la 

partie moyenne du Cr6tac6***: Mus6um d'Histoire Naturelle Nice 

Annales, v. 4, p. 2.1-2.12 [1979].

Juignet, P., Kennedy, W. J., and Lebert, A., 1978, Le Cenomanien du 

Maine; formations sedimentaires et faunes d'ammonites du 

stratotype: Provence University Annales, G6ologie Mediterran6ene, v. 5, no. 1, p. 87-99.

Kauffman, E. G., Cobban, W. A., and Eicher, D. L., 1976, Albian 

through lower Coniacian strata, biostratigraphy and principal 

events, western interior United States, in Reyment, R. A., and 

Thomel, Gerard, eds., fivenements de la partie moyenne du 

Cretac6***: Museum d'Histoire Naturelle Nice Annales, v. 4, p. 

23.1-23.52 [1979].

Kauffman, E. G., Hattin, D. E., and Powell, J. D., 1977, Stratigraphic, 

paleontologic, and paleoenvironmental analysis of the Upper 

Cretaceous rocks of Cimarron County, northwestern Oklahoma: 

Geological Society of America Memoir 149, 150 p.

Kennedy, W. J., 1969, The correlation of the Lower Chalk of southeast England: Geologists Association Proceedings, v. 80, pt. 4, p. 

459-551.

Kennedy, W. J., and Hancock, J. M., 1976, The mid-Cretaceous of the 

United Kingdom, in Reyment, R. A., and Thomel, G6rard, eds., 

fivenements de la partie moyenne du Cr6tac6***: Museum 

d'Histoire Naturelle Nice Annales, v. 4, p. 5.1-5.72 [1979].

Kennedy, W. J., and Juignet, P., 1973, Observations on the 

lithostratigraphy and ammonite succession across the 

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the environs of LeMans (Sarthe, N.W. France): Newsletters on Stratigraphy, v. 2, no. 4, p. 

189-202.

Lecointre, Georges, 1959, Le Turonian dans sa region type, la 

Touraine, in Congres des Soci6t6s Savantes de Paris et des 

Departements, Dijon, 1959, Section des Sciences, Sous-Section de 

Geologie, Comptes Rendus, Colloque sur le Cretac6 Sup6rieur 

Francais: Paris, Gauthier-Villars, p. 415-423.

Magn6, Jean, and Polveche, J., 1961, Sur le niveau a Actinocamax 

plenus (Blainville) du Boulonnais: Socie'tfi Geologique du Nord Annales, v. 81, pt. 1, p. 47-62.

Maher, J. C., 1971, Geologic framework and petroleum potential of the 

Atlantic Coastal Plain and Continental Shelf: U.S. Geological 

Survey Professional Paper 659, 98 p.

Manivit, H., Bick, A., and others, 1979, Calcareous nannofossil events 

in the Lower and Middle Cretaceous: INA Newsletter (International Nannoplankton Association Proceedings) v. 1., no. 1, p. N7.

Manivit, H., Perch-Nielsen, K., Prins, B., and Verbeek, J. W., 1977, 

Mid-Cretaceous calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy: 

Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen Proceedings, Series 

B, v. 80, p. 169-181.

Marks, P., 1977, Micropaleontology and the Cenomanian-Turonian 

boundary problem: Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 

Proceedings, Ser. B, v. 80, p. 1-6.

Marsalis, W. E., 1970, Petroleum exploration in Georgia: Georgia 

Geological Survey Information Circular 38, 52 p.

Orbigny, A. d', 1840-1842, Cephalopodes, v. 1 of Terrains Cr6tac6s: 

Paris, V. Masson, 662 p. 

-1847, Brachiopodes, v. 4 of Terrains Cr6tac6s: Paris, V.

Masson, 390 p.

Paull, C. K., and Dillon, W. P., 1980, Structure, stratigraphy and 

geologic history of Florida-Hatteras Shelf and inner Blake Plateau: 

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, no. 3, v. 

63, p. 339-358.
REFERENCES CITED 33

Perry, W. J., Minard, J. P., Weed, E. G. A., Robbins, E. I., and 

Rhodehamel, E. C., 1975, Stratigraphy of Atlantic coastal margin 

of United States north of Cape Hatteras; brief survey: American 

Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 59, no. 9, p. 

1529-1548.

Pessagno, E. A., Jr., 1969, Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy of the 

western Gulf Coast area of Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas: 

Geological Society of America Memoir 111, 139 p.

Fetters, S. W., 1976, Upper Cretaceous subsurface stratigraphy of 

Atlantic Coastal Plain of New Jersey: American Association of 

Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 60, no. 1, p. 87-107.

Poag, C. W., and Hall, R. E., 1979, Foraminiferal biostratigraphy, 

paleoecology, and sediment accumulation rates, in Scholle, P. A., 

ed., Geological studies of the COST GE-1 well, United States 

South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf area: U.S. Geological 

Survey Circular 800, p. 49-63.

Porthault, Bernard, Thomel, Gerard, and Villoutreys, 0. de, 1967, 

Etude biostratigraphique du Cenomanien du bassin superieur de 

1'EstSron (Alpes-Maritimes); le probleme de la limite CenomanienTuronien dans le sud-est de la France: Society G6ologique de 

France Bulletin, Ser. 7, v. 8 (1966), no. 3, p. 423-439.

Rawson, P. F., Curry, D., and others, 1978, A correlation of 

Cretaceous rocks in the British Isles: Geological Society of London 

Special Report 9, 70 p.

Robaszynski, Francis, 1971, Les foraminiferes pelagiques des "Dieves" 

crgtacees aux abords du golfe de Mons (Belgique): Society G6ologique du Nord Annales, v. 91, no. 1, p. 31-38.

 1976, Approche biostratigraphique du Cenomano-Turonien 

dans le Hainaut Franco-Beige et le nord de la France, in Reyment, 

R. A., and Thomel, Gerard, eds., EvSnements de lapartie moyenne 

de Cretace'***: Museum d'Histoire Naturelle Nice Annales, v. 4, p. 

8.1-8.23 [1979].

Robaszynski, Francis, and Caron, Michele, eds., 1979, Atlas de 

foraminiferes planctoniques du CretacS moyen (Mer Boreale et 

Tethys), v. 1: Cahiers du Micropal6ontologie, 1979, no. 1, 185 p.

Roth, P. H., and Thierstein, H. R., 1972, Calcareous nannoplankton; 

Leg 14 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, in California University, 

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, Initial reports of the 

Deep Sea Drilling Project, v. 14 * * *: Washington, D.C., U.S. National Science Foundation, p. 421-485.

Schlee, John, 1977, Stratigraphy and Tertiary development of the continental margin east of Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 581-F, 25 p.

Scholle, P. A., ed., 1979, Geological studies of the COST GE-1 well, 

United States South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf area: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 800, 114 p.

Sirkin, L. A., 1974, Palynology and stratigraphy of Cretaceous strata 

in Long Island, New York, and Block Island, Rhode Island: U.S. 

Geological Survey Journal of Research, v. 2, no. 4, p. 431-440.

Smith, C. C., 1975, Upper Cretaceous calcareous nannoplankton zonation and stage boundaries: Gulf Coast Association Geological 

Societies Transactions, v. 25, p. 263-278.

 1981, Calcareous nannoplankton and stratigraphy of late Turonian, Coniacian, and early Santonian Age of the Eagle Ford and 

Austin Groups of Texas: U.S. Geological Survey Professional 

Paper 1075, 98 p.

Thierstein, H. R., 1973, Lower Cretaceous calcareous nannoplankton 

biostratigraphy: [Austria] Geologisches Bundesanstalt 

Abhandlungen, v. 29, 52 p.

 1974, Calcareous nannoplankton; Leg 26 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, in California University, Scripps Institution of 

Oceanography, La Jolla, Initial reports of the Deep Sea Drilling 

Project, v. 26 * * *: Washington, D.C., U.S. National Science 

Foundation, p. 619-667. 

-1976, Mesozoic calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy of

marine sediments: Marine Micropalaeontology, v. 1, no. 4, p. 

325-362.

Toulmin, L. D., 1955, Cenozoic geology of southeastern Alabama, 

Florida, and Georgia: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists Bulletin, v. 39, no. 2, p. 207-235.

Valentine, P. C., 1977, Nannofossil biostratigraphy, in Scholle, P. A., 

ed., Geological studies on the COST No. B-2 well, U.S. MidAtlantic Outer Continental Shelf area: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 750, p. 37-40.

 1979a, Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental interpretation, in Scholle, P. A., ed., Geological 

studies of the COST GE-1 well, United States South Atlantic 

Outer Continental Shelf area: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 800, 

p. 64-70.

 1979b, Regional stratigraphy and structure of the Southeast 

Georgia Embayment, in Scholle, P. A., ed., Geological studies of 

the COST GE-1 well, United States South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf area: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 800, p. 7-17. 

-1980, Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy, paleoenvironments, and post-Jurassic continental margin development, in 

Scholle, P. A., ed., Geological studies of the COST No. B-3 well, 

United States Mid-Atlantic Continental Slope area: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 833, p. 67-84.

van Hinte, J. E., 1976, A Cretaceous time scale: American Association 

of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 60, no. 4, p. 498-516.

Verbeek, J. W., 1976, Upper Cretaceous calcareous nannoplankton 

zonation in a composite section near El Kef, Tunisia: Nederlandse 

Akademie van Wetenschappen Proceedings, Ser. B., v. 79, no. 2, p. 

129-148.

 1977a, Calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy of Middle and 

Upper Cretaceous deposits in Tunisia, southern Spain, and France: 

Utrecht Micropaleontological Bulletins, v. 16, 157 p. 

-1977b, Late Cenomanian to early Turonian calcareous nannofossils from a section SE of Javernant (Dept. Aube, France): 

Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen Proceedings, Ser. B., 

v. 80, no. 1, p. 20-22.

Vries, H. E. de, 1977, Late Cenomanian to early Turonian planktonic 

Foraminifera from a section SE of Javernant (Dept. Aube, 

France): Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen Proceedings, 

Ser. B, v. 80, no. 1, p. 23-38.

Wonders, A. A. H., and Verbeek, J. W., 1977, Correlation of 

planktonic foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil zonations of 

late Albian, Cenomanian and Turonian: Nederlandse Akademie 

van Wetenschappen Proceedings, Ser. B, v. 80, no. 1, p. 7-15.

Zupan, A. J., and Abbott, W. H., 1976, Comparative geology of onshore and offshore South Carolina, in Hathaway, J. C., and others, 

eds., Preliminary summary of the 1976 Atlantic Margin Coring 

Project of the U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 76-844, p. 206-214.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1982-381-614/167