11 Back to the Devonian: Revisiting Milestones of Paleontology and Stratigraphy from 1985 (Posters)

Friday, 28 March 2025
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
North Great Hall

APPLICATION OF DEPOSITIONAL AND TECTONIC MODELS: UPPER DEVONIAN BLUESTONE RESOURCES, ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK

Paper number: 11-1
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

Depositional models are critical in providing interpretations and predictions to facies and stratigraphic relationships in the rock record , which we are applying in this presentation.

There are 97 active Bluestone mines in New York State, a majority 10 acre in size. This study documents the high probability of a deposit located the Corso Property, Deerpark Orange County New York to be one of the largest (500 acres) in New York State.

We have utilized geological, topographic, aerial, fault pattern ,drainage maps, and published geological literatures. The evaluated area contains no overburden and is in the Genesse Group, Oneonta Formation overlying is the Sonyea Group, Walton Formation an equivalent of the Rhinestreet Formation, the major rocks of the Bluestone mined in Pennsylvania.

Field work of the area, the Corso Property, concurs with regional maps of Upper Devonian Genesse Group, Oneonta Formation of fine grained sandstone/mudstone with cross-bedded sandstones and channel deposits(340 Mya) The Genesse Formation is between 900 to 3200 feet thick . It was deposited as a non-marine facies of the Paleozoic Catskill depositional system A regressive sequence is interpreted for this group. The Genesse Group was deformed during the Alleghenian Orogeny (318 Mya) resulting a plunging synclinorium to the northwest, with beds dipping 30 degrees, identifiable in aerial photography.

Topographic maps demonstrate 500 feet of relief, with evaluated area of 7200 feet width, 3600 feet in length. There are pre-existing mining exposures from the 1860’s to 1920’s, with 4 mines or terrace platforms, and additional 4 platforms for mining. A conservative 600 feet of thickness is assigned (75’ per terrace)Laboratory testing from the Bluestone pilings yielded economically viable cement quality rock The following are the test results 1) the Resistive to Degradation Test (L.A. Abrasion test) 16.7, 2) the Cycle Sodium Sulfate Soundness Test.05, 3) the Alkali Reactivity of Aggregate Test adding 25% dry ash supports concrete grade bluestone, 4) ASTMC 142, AASHTO112 yielding .04..

Volumetric estimation, using a Stone Weight Calculator results in 1.01 billion tons of Bluestone and 500 million tons of low risk Bluestone from exposed mining, with an estimated 10 million tons of Bluestone pilings.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 3

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025NE-406940

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