| Boonton Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range:Late Hettangian-Sinemurian ~197–190 Ma | |
 Exposure of the Boonton Formation along a road cut inPequannock Township, New Jersey. | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Newark Supergroup Meriden Group |
| Underlies | Potomac Formation |
| Overlies | Hook Mountain Basalt |
| Thickness | maximum of over 1,640 feet (500 m)[1] |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone,siltstone,mudstone |
| Other | Conglomerate,evaporite |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°54′N74°24′W / 40.9°N 74.4°W /40.9; -74.4 |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 22°42′N19°48′W / 22.7°N 19.8°W /22.7; -19.8 |
| Region | Newark Basin of Eastern North America Rift Basins |
| Extent | continuous for ~30 miles (48 km) inNew Jersey |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Boonton, New Jersey[1] |
| Named by | Paul E. Olsen[1] |
| Year defined | 1980 |
  Boonton Formation (the United States) Show map of the United States Boonton Formation (New Jersey) Show map of New Jersey | |
TheBoonton Formation is a mapped bedrock unit inNew Jersey, formerly divided between the Boonton and Whitehall beds of the defunct Brunswick Formation. It is named for the town ofBoonton, New Jersey, which is near where its type section was described by paleontologistPaul E. Olsen.[1]
The Boonton Formation is composed of reddish-brown to reddish-purple fine grained sandstone, as well as red, gray, purple, and black siltstone and mudstone. Siltstone and mudstone layers can be calcareous and feature dolomitic concretions. A well known fossil fish bed is known to exist in a carbonate rich siltstone near the top of the formation. Additionally, cross-bedded conglomerate layers interfinger with beds of the formation, usually bearing clasts of gneiss and granite.[1][2]
The Boonton Formation can be characterized as the uppermost continuation of thePassaic Formation, which is mostlyplaya andalluvial fan deposits resulting from the rifting ofPangea. However, unlike the Passaic Formation, which is primarily red in color due to arid conditions at the time of deposition,[3] the Boonton Formation contains a much more significant portion of non-red layers, indicative of lakes present during wetter periods.[4]
A chief difference between the Boonton Formation and all other formations of the Newark Basin is that the lower part of the formation lacks a cyclic deposition pattern. Typically, the sedimentary formations of the Newark Basin feature recurring periods of wet and dry deposition, resulting in a series of alternating red and gray-black beds. However, the lower beds of the Boonton Formation show a wide variety of color and texture arranged in no particular order.[1]
Fish fossils, including the ray-finnedSemiontus elegans, thecoelacanthDiplurus longicaudatus, and others, such asRedfieldius andPtycholepis, can be found in the uppermost parts of the formation.[1] In other layers, indeterminate fossilornithischian tracks have been noted[5] (Anomoepus is reported), along with additional reptile and dinosaur prints, such as those ofBatrachopus, and thetheropodGrallator. Fossil conifer remains, as well as other plant related fossils such as root structures and pollen, are also found in the formation.[1]
The Boonton Formation rests conformably above the Hook Mountain Basalt, placing its deposition sometime between approximately 197 and 190 million years ago during the lateHettangian stage andSinemurian stage of the Jurassic.
