This study is a biostratigraphical analysis of the foraminifera contained in the middle Eocene rocks of the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. The boundaries of the middle Eocene section are delineated and correlated, from outcrop to shallow subsurface, solely on the basis of the foraminiferal content of the rocks.
This study will -
1. demonstrate that the planktic foraminifera identified from the middle Eocene section correlate precisely with a worldwide zonation and that this age determination agrees well with determinations based on other microfossil disciplines;
and resolve the existing confusion surrounding the precise age of outcropping Eocene rocks in North Carolina.
2. propose a spatial and temporal depositional framework for the carbonate lithofacies comprising the middle Eocene section.
3. using statistical analysis of the foraminifera, characterize the bathymetry of the seafloor of North Carolina during deposition of the middle Eocene section.
4. propose a structural model invoking differential movement of crustal blocks to explain the thickness and distribution trends of middle Eocene carbonate lithofacies.
By Garry D. Jones, 1983. 80 pages.
|
