Guidebook to field trips in southern Maine; 57th meeting, October 8-10, 1965, held at Bowdoin College: Trip 

Borns, H.W.  Jr.

Hagar, D.J.

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository NEIGC Trips New England Intercollegiate Geological Excursion Collection 1-1-1965 Late-Glacial Stratigraphy of the Kennebec River Valley From Norridgewock to Solon, Maine Borns, H.W. Jr. Hagar, D.J. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/neigc_trips Recommended Citation Borns, H.W. Jr. and Hagar, D.J., "Late-Glacial Stratigraphy of the Kennebec River Valley From Norridgewock to Solon, Maine" (1965). NEIGC Trips. 72. https://scholars.unh.edu/neigc_trips/72 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the New England Intercollegiate Geological Excursion Collection at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in NEIGC Trips by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu. TRIP  DL A T E -G L A C IA L  STRATIGRAPH Y OF THE KENNEBEC RIVER V A LLE YFROM  NORRIDGEWOCK TO SOLON, MAINE H. W. B orns ,  J r . ,  Dept, o f  G eo log ica l  S c ien ces ,  Univ. o f  MaineD. J. Hagar, Dept, o f  G eology , Univ. of M ass .INTRODUCTIONAs the last ice  sheet that c o v e r e d  this area  (C a r y ? )  d issipated, the ear ly  p o s t -g la c ia l  sea t ra n s g r e s s e d  to fo rm  an estuary  of the Kennebec R iver  valley  at least  as far north as Bingham, Maine. At t im es  the g lac ia l  ice  stood in o r  c l o s e  to the sea. The tra n sg ress in g  sea reached  its highestposition  approxim ately  12,930 Y rs .  B. P. The P re s u m p s co t  Fm . (marines i l t - c la y )  was deposited  p r im a r i ly  during the m arine t ra n sg re ss io n  while the dissipating ice  sheet was still  able to contribute large  vo lum es of m e l t -  water and ro ck  flour to the sea. As the reg ion  em erg ed ,  sandy outwash of the Embden F m . , der ived  f r o m  the dissipating ice  sheet, aggraded over  the surface  of  the P re s u m p s co t  F m . As e m e rg e n ce  continued, with the source  of  outwash p o ss ib ly  rem oved ,  the ea r ly  Kennebec R iver  in c ised  the Embden and P re su m p sco t  F m s .  The reg im en  of the r iv e r  changed and the c o a r s e  grave l  o f  the North Anson F m . , p o ss ib ly  outwash f r o m  a late P le is tocene  ice  cap, aggraded unconform ably  on the P re s u m p s co t  F m . At present  the Kennebec R iver  is degrading the North Anson F m . (See the g e o lo g ic  c r o s s -  sect ion  presented  in F ig .  1)The g eo log ic  sequence o f  events, rad iocarb on  dates in the area  and co rre la t io n  of events o f  the Maine, Q uebec, New Brunswick  and Nova Scotia reg ion  suggest that the last extensive  ice  sheet to c o v e r  the reg ion  d issipated  m o re  rapidly  in eastern  Maine and New B runsw ick  than in the highlands of New Ham pshire  and w estern  Maine. The data a lso  suggest that ice  p e rs is te d  in the highlands during the C a r y - P o r t  Huron Interstade, perhaps dissipating during the P ort  H u ron -V a ld ers  Interstade. These  highlands probably  later becam e a center  fo r  ice  accum ulation  and radial outflow. This ice  cap probably  grew  synchronously  with the main V alders  ice  sheet to the north, with c irque  g la c ie r s  on Mt. Katahdin, Maine, and with the ice  cap in south­w estern  Nova Scotia.L iterature  dealing with the su r f ic ia l  geo logy  o f  this reg ion  includesStone (1099), Leavitt and Perkins (1935), Trefethen (1944), Goldthwait (1949), Caldwell  (1959), Borns (1963), and B orns  and Hagar (in p r e s s ) .45QUADRANGLE MAPS NEEDEDW aterville ,  N orridgew ock , Anson and Skowhegan.Stops are in the Anson quadrangle.ASSEMBLY POINTIn W aterville  at the E lm wood Hotel.TIMETrip  will  leave by bus at 8 a. m . sharp.ROAD LOG Mileage0. 0 E lm wood Hotel. P ro c e e d  north on Route 104.4. 3 F a ir f ie ld  Center6 .4  At Holway C orner  go left on Route 139.10. 3 Beginning of "The Plains. 11 G ray-b lue  m arine siltand c lay  (P resu m p sco t  Fm . ) overla in  by fluvial sand (Embden F m . ).13. 6 Buffalos in pasture on right.14.4 Sand dunes, der ived  fr o m  the Embden Fm . by w ester lywinds, on slope of hill to the right.14. 5 Intersection  of Routes 139 and 2. F o l low  Route 2to the right through N orridgew ock .15. 0 Intersection  of Routes 201A and 2. F o l low  201A toright a c r o s s  the Kennebec R iver .  This route p o s t ­dates the map. It c r o s s e s  kame te r r a c e s ,  till and bedrock  in this section at an altitude of app rox i­m ately  260-280 feet. A large esker  para lle ls  the r iver  on the opposite side.2 1 .0  Stop # 1 . "E s k e r -d e l ta "  at Old Point, Madison. Thisesker  can be traced ,  as a se r ie s  of segments, f ro m  N orridgew ock , up the Kennebec R iver  valley to Bingham, a distance of at least 25 m ile s .  It is doubtful that these46- 4 7 -Fig. 1 Generalized geological cross-section of the northern Kennebec River valley, Maine.482 3 . 024. 7 24. 9 2 5 .427. 230.932. 0 32. 9segm ents  w ere  the product  of  a single, continuous g lac ia l  r iv e r .  The grave l  mound on the east side of  the road has a thickness o f  at least  180 feet.The mound on the west side of  the road is  a m arine delta co m p o se d  of sand, cobb le  and pebble grave l  in ter f ingered  with the fo s s i l i f e r o u s  (M a com a  ca lca re a  Gmelin ) s i l t - c la y  o f  the P re s u m p s co t  F m . Good exp osu res  would show deform ation  within the delta suggesting that g la c ia l  ice  was present  during its construction .Intersection  of Routes 201A and 148 at M adison. Follow  Route 148 to left  a c r o s s  the Kennebec R iver -to  Anson.The fa lls  at M adison  acted as a te m p o ra ry  base leve l  which con tro l led  the p re -N o r th  Anson F m . depth of inc is ion  into the Embden and P re s u m p s co t  F m s .  upstream . Continue to F ive  C o r n e r s .  Route is  on deposit ional surface  o f  the Embden F m .P re su m p sco t  F m . , underlying the Embden F m . , exposed  on right in valley.In tersect ion  of Routes 148 and 43 at F ive  C o rn e rs .Take Route 43 to left.Stop #2 . In the exposure  under the pow er  line, the m arine  P re s u m p s co t  Fm . grades  upwards into the fluvial Embden F m . This transition  rep resen ts  a withdrawal o f  the sea f r o m  its upper l im it  accom pan ied  by an influx of sandy outwash into the shoaling estuary . The Embden F m . has been tra ced  upstream  into i c e -c o n ta c t  heads. The barn on the opposite  side of  the road rests  on till .  Back track  to Anson.In tersect ion  o f  Routes 148 and 201A  in Anson. F o l low  Route 201A north. Benedict  Arnold  portaged  these fa lls  in O ctober  1775 on his way to Quebec.Note p irated  channel of  the C arrabasse tt  R iver  on left.North Anson. Continue u p -r iv e r  on Route 201 A. The route trave ls  on the deposit ional surface  of  the Embden Fm . at an altitude o f  approx im ate ly  340 feet.Stop #3 . F o l lo w  the pow er  line to the right. This o f fe r s  a m a rv e lou s  panoram a o f  the Kennebec R iver- 4 9 -34.839. 340. 441. 1 41. 644. 244. 645. 847. 6 47. 750. 3and its valley. The Embden Fm . at the top o f  the escarpm en t  grades downward into the P resu m p sco t  Fm. at the base. The upper m arine lim it in this area is at an altitude o f  approxim ately  400 feet and fo s s i l  shells (Portlandia g lac ia l is  Gray ) co l le c ted  on the shore of Embden Pond w ere  dated at 12, 930 200 years  B. P. (Y-1477). P ro c e e d  u p -r iv e r  on Route 201 A.Note r iv e r - c u t  te r ra ce  on right. P ro ce e d  u p -r iv e r  upon the Embden Fm . through the town o f  Embden.F ollow  Route 201A a c r o s s  the Kennebec R iver  and into Solon.Intersection  of Routes 201A and 201. F o llow  Route 201 to the right.Turn left at Tewkbury*s house to Carratunk Falls .Stop #4 . Lunch. Carratunk F a lls .  The falls  acted as a base leve l  which con tro l led  the p re -N orth  Anson Fm . depth of inc is ion  o f  the Embden and P resu m p sco t  F m s .  upstream. Return to Solon and continue downstream  along Route 201 on the depositiona.1 surface  of the Embden Fm .Follow  road to right past c e m e te ry  to grave l  pit on right.Stop #5 . Pit in the upper part of  the Embden Fm . exposing good fluvial cu t -a n d - f i l l  structure. Leave pit, turn left toward the Kennebec R iver .Stop #6 . C oarse  grave l  o f  the North Anson Fm . resting unconform ably  upon the P resu m p sco t  Fm. This is best seen in the r iverbank exposure .  Backtrack  to Route 201.Turn right on Route 201.Embden Fm. exposed  at top of hill and the P resu m p sco t  Fm . in stream  at the base of the slope.Stop #7 . Aeolian sand, derived by w ester ly  winds f r o m  the Embden Fm. , deposited  upon till .  Ventifacts are com m on  in cuts on both sides of  the road. Donft take them all!  Note dune topography in the field to the left (east) o f  the road. P ro c e e d  south on Route 201.-5 0 -6 0 .2  Beginning o f  the Skowhegan " p l a i n s . "  The stratigraphy-same F ollowRoute 201 into Skowhegan, a c r o s s  the Kennebec R iver  toE lm w ood82. 6 E lm w ood  Hotel, W aterv il le .REFERENCES CITEDB orns ,  H. W. , 1963, P re l im in a ry  re p o r t  on the age and distributionof  the late P le is to cen e  ice  in north centra l  Maine: Am . JourSci. , v. 261, p. 738-740, and Hagar, D. J . ,  in p r e s s ,  L a te -g la c ia l  stratigraphy of a portion  o f  the Kennebec R iver  va lley ,  northw estern  MaineCaldwell,  D. W. , 1959, G lacia l  lake and g lac ia l  m arine  c lays  of  theFarm ington  area ,  Maine: Maine Geol.  Survey, Spec. Geol. Studies, Ser.  No. 3, 48 p.Goldthwait, L. , 1949, Clay survey: Maine Devel.  C om m . , Rept.State G e o l . ,  1947-1949, p. 63 -69Leavitt, H. W. , and P erk ins ,  E. H. , 1935, G lacia l  geo logy  ofMaine, v. 2: Maine Technol.  Expt. Sta. Bull. 30, 232 pStone, G. H. , 1899, The g lac ia l  g ra v e ls  of  Maine and theira ssoc ia ted  deposits :  U. S. Geol.  Survey, Mon. 34, 499 p.Trefethen, J. M. , and Trefethen, H. B. , 1944, L ithology of theKennebec va l ley  esk er :  A m . Jour.  Sci.  , v. 242, p. 521-52751

Late-Glacial Stratigraphy of the Kennebec River Valley From Norridgewock to Solon, Maine

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Late-Glacial Stratigraphy of the Kennebec River Valley From Norridgewock to Solon, Maine

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