Data from Paleocene-Eocene sediments of three cores in the Salisbury Embayment, Maryland and Virginia
April 3, 2025
The Surprise Hill core was drilled on the Northern Neck, Northumberland County, Virginia. The studied section consists of glauconitic quartz sands of the upper Paleocene Aquia Formation and silty clays of the lower Eocene Marlboro Clay. Data from this core were compared to the previously documented South Dover Bridge and Howards Tract cores from Maryland. The purpose of this study was to compare the Paleocene and Eocene sediments and microfossils from Virginia to comparative material from Maryland in order to document paleoenronmental change in the Salisbury Embayment across the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Calcareous nannofossil count data from the Surprise Hill, South Dover Bridge, and Howards Tract cores are presented in three separate Excel charts. Calcareous nannofossil data were used to determine the ages and zonation of each formation. Stable carbon isotope data were obtained from the Surprise Hill core and are based on benthic foraminifera. Species used for these data include Anomaloides acutus, Anomaloides spp., Cibicidoides alleni, and Cibicidoides spp. Carbon isotope data from the South Dover Bridge and Howards Tract cores have already been previously published. Additional data generated from the Surprise Hill core includes a complete suite of sand/silt/clay percent abundances. Additionally, data for the sand-size fraction from each sample were further broken down into percent abundance of very fine, fine, medium, and coarse components. Grain size data from the South Dover Bridge and Howards Tract cores were not available and the scarcity of remaining sample sediments precluded running these analyses.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2025 |
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Title | Data from Paleocene-Eocene sediments of three cores in the Salisbury Embayment, Maryland and Virginia |
DOI | 10.5066/P14CMYWM |
Authors | Masayuki Utsunomiya, Jean M Self-Trail, Daniel C Kelly, Xiaodong Zhang, Kristina F Gardner, J C Zachos |
Product Type | Data Release |
Record Source | USGS Asset Identifier Service (AIS) |
USGS Organization | Florence Bascom Geoscience Center |
Rights | This work is marked with CC0 1.0 Universal |