39 New Evidence for Glacial and De-Glacial Timing and Processes in the Northeastern Region and Beyond (Posters)

Tuesday, 22 March 2016
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Convention Hall

CONTROLS ON JOINT FORMATION DURING GLACIAL UNLOADING OF THE SHARON SANDSTONE AT GORGE METRO PARK, AKRON, OHIO

Paper number: 39-7
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

Exposures of the Sharon sandstone at Gorge Metro Park in Akron, Ohio, contain many continuous and discontinuous joints in similar orientations. The Sharon sandstone is a nearly pure quartz sandstone with medium grain size formed during the early Pennsylvanian period. Joints in these exposures of the Sharon Sandstone formed during glacial unloading following the last glacial maximum. Preliminary results indicate that there are two major joint sets made up of both continuous and discontinuous joints. The first joint set (J1) makes up the face of the outcrop having a SE orientation. The second joint set (J2) has a NE orientation and is normal to (J1). Discontinuous joint sets were less than four meters in length and terminated for a variety of reasons: 7% of discontinuous joints terminated because of preexisting joints, 22% terminated because of changes in lithology, and 71% terminated randomly within the rock. Continuous joints were greater than four meters long and terminated at the end of the outcrop. These results indicate that stress relaxation effects the propagation of joints more than interference with other interfaces such as preexisting joints and changes in lithology.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 48, No. 1

doi: 10.1130/abs/2016NE-272752

© Copyright 2016 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.