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jHEslS

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

The Almond Moraine of the Western ‘ '

Finger Lakes Region, New York

presented by

G. Gordon Connally

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

Ph. D. degree in Geology

77%, 1/» WP
' ’Major professor
M . M . Mi 1 l e r

Date May 15, 1964

0-169

LIBRARY

Michigan State
University

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

THE ALMOND MORAINE OF THE WESTERN
FINGER LAKES REGION, NEW YORK

By G. Gordon Connally

The purpose of this dissertation is to delineate
the border of what has been referred to as the ”Binghamton
Drift Sheet" in the western Finger Lakes region. The
region is located in south—central New York State; from
the Genesee River on the west to Seneca Lake on the
east. Field work, consisting of reconnaissance of all
roads, stratigraphic description of critical drift exposures,
and collection of samples for laboratory analysis, was
performed during the summers of 1960 and 1961. Laboratory
work consisted of disaggregating the samples, separating
the heavy minerals, and counting and recording heavy
mineral relative frequencies. From the raw data, garnet
ratios (ratios of purple garnet to red garnet) and
stability ratios (ratios of unstable: hornblende,
hypersthene, and monoclinic pyroxene; to total garnet)
were computed.

Three major morphostratigraphic units were identified.
These are, in ascending order, the Almond Moraine, the
Arkport Moraine, and the Valley Heads Moraine. The

oldest drift in the region is Olean till; its terminal

G. Gordon Connally

moraine is south of the study area. The Almond Moraine
is tentatively correlated with the Kent Moraine of
northwestern Pennsylvania and Ohio, while the Valley Heads
Moraine is correlated with the Lake Escarpment complex of
the same area. The Arkport Moraine may be either recessional-
Almond or advance—Valley Heads. Possible correlations with
New England by other workers are noted,

Previous attempts at rock—stratigraphic correlation
are discussed and evaluated. Two new formations are

defined as the Olean Formation (older) and the Canaseraga

 

Formation (younger) on the basis of garnet ratios. The
Olean Formation contains appreciable red garnet, indicating
a provenance in the central Adirondack Mountains while

the Canaserage Formation shows a dominance of purple garnet,
suggesting a provenance north of Montreal and Ottawa.

The term Binghamton is redefined as a magnafacies, of
both formations, in which conglomeritic lenses of bright,
valley—fill deposits are common. In the Olean Formation
these lenses are named the Chenango member and in the
Canaseraga Formation, the Goff Creek member. At present,
the Canaseraga Formation appears to have the Almond Moraine
as its southern boundary (or the Valley Heads Moraine where
it overrides the Almond).

A composite time—stratigraphic column is adopted from
many sources. It divides the Wisconsinan glacial stage into
five glacial substages separated by four intraglacial sub—

stages.

G. Gordon Connally
Valderan substage
Two Creeks intraglacial substage
Woodfordian substage
Farmdalian intraglacial substage
Southwold? substage
Port Talbot intraglacial substage
Dunwick? substage
St. Pierre intraglacial substage
Basal Wisconsinan substage
Using published dates, the Almond Moraine is
interpreted as marking the maximum Woodfordian advance
except where it is overridden by the Valley Heads Moraine
(in general, a recessional Woodfordian Moraine). Thus,
the Canaserago Formation was deposited during Woodfordian
time. The Olean Formation was probably deposited during
Basal Wisconsinan time and its terminus represents the
maximum Wisconsinan glaciation in the area. The Dunwich,
Southwold and Valderan substages are not represented by
glacial deposits.
Stability ratios were not found to be useful in

correlation, refuting a suggestion made previously by

the writer.

 

THE ALMOND MORAINE OF THE WESTERN
FINGER LAKES REGION, NEW YORK
By

G if Gordon 0 onna lly

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Geology

1964

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The writer is especially indebted to the New York
State Museum and Science Service for two Graduate Student
Honoraria which partially supported field work during the
1960 and 1961 field seasons. The writer is also indebted
to them for the loan of a blood cell counter which was
used during laboratory investigation. Thanks are also due
to C. E. Prouty, Chairman, Department of Geology, and
Irving F. Schneider, Department of Soil Science, Michigan
State University for the loan of equipment during the field
seasons.

Appreciation is shown to the members of my Guidance
Committee; William J. Hinze, Maynard M. Miller, C. E.
Prouty, Bennett T. Sandefur, and Justin Zinn who read pre—
liminary drafts of this dissertation and made many helpful
suggestions. Particular attention should be given to Dr.
Miller, chairman of the committee, who was instrumental in
helping me to obtain the Honoraria.

In addition, I would like to thank Norman Wingard who
acted as field assistant to the writer during the 1961
field season. Also, to my wife Libby, who acted as field
assistant, scout, camp cook, and everything else; while

taking care of two children in a tent, at the same time.

ii

During the field season I was privilaged to work with,
talk to, and learn from many fine geologists. Among these
men I single out Ernest H. Muller of Syracuse University
for special recognition. His interest, advice, help and
encouragement were a source of stimulation throughout this

study.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
IlST<H1TABLm3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vi
LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vii
LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . Viii
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Purpose. . 1
Geographic Setting 1
Geologic Setting. . . . . . . . . . 4
Previous Work . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Binghamton Problem 7
Present Study. . 9

1

FIELD WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Constructional Topography . . . . . . . 11

Field Sites . . . . . . . . . . 13
Field Correlations . . . . . . . . . . 14
LABORATORY PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Heavy Mineral Separation . . . . . . . . 19
Separation of Magnetic Grains . . . . . . 2O
Mineral Identification. . . . . . . . . 21
Garnet . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Hornblende . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Hypersthene . . . . . . . . . . 23
Monoclinic Pyroxene . . . . . . . . 23
Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . 24
MORPHOSTRATIGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Valley Heads Moraine . . . . . . . . 28
Genesee Valley . . . . . . . . . . 32
Canaseraga Creek (Dansville) Valley . . . 33
Hemlock Lake (Springwater) Valley. . . . 35
Canandaigua Lake (Naples) Valley . . . . 35

iv

Prattsburg Valley .
Keuka Lake Valley
Mud Creek Valley
Seneca Lake Valley

The Arkport Moraine.
Canisteo Valley.
Cohocton Valley.

The Almond Moraine
Genesee Valley .
Canisteo Valley.
Cohocton Valley.

Olean Drift .
Risingville Segment
South Canisteo Segment
Purdy Creek Segment

Morphostratigraphic Correlations

ROCK STRATIGRAPHY

Pebble Lithology.
Depth of Leaching
Texture.
Heavy Minerals
Garnet Ratios
Coated Heavy Minerals.
Color . . .
Fabric
Rock Units.
Definitions
Correlations.

TIME STRATIGRAPHY
Radiocarbon Dates
Pleistocene Chronology
Time— Stratigraphic Correlations.
The Clean Formation
The Canaseraga Formation.
Stability Ratios
CONCLUSIONS
SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY
REFERENCES CITED

APPENDICES

Page

36
38
39
40
40
Ln
4%
an
A6
47
49
51
52
53
53
53

57

57

59
61

63
61+
68
69
7o
71
72
75

77
78
82
82
81+
85
88
91
93

98

Table

LIST OF TABLES

Heavy mineral and magnetic percentages
Heavy mineral frequency .
Purple garnet/red garnet ratios

Stability ratios for hornblends hypersthene,
and monoclinic pyroxene.

vi

Page
22
25
66

87

Figure

5a.

\OCDNCD

10.

LIST OF FIGURES

The geographic setting of the western Finger
Lakes region

Field sites visited
Flow sheet for laboratory preparation

An index to the field maps included in
Appendix 2

The relationship between tOpography, geo—
graphic position and magnafacies in
regressive deposits of successive drift
sheets

Flow lines established from garnet ratios.

Till color distribution

Garnet distribution

Classification of the Wisconsinan Stage
After Frye and Willman

Diagrammatic representation of the Wisconsinan
column for New York State

*In Volume II.

vii

Page

17

29

6O
67

8O

83

LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page

1. A description of the field sites which are
noted in the text. . . . . . . . . 104

2. Field Maps(l:62, 500) and a composite map
of the western Finger Lakes region . . . *

*These maps are included in Volume II.

viii

INTRODUCTION

Purpose

This dissertation concerns part of a continuing
study by the writer, the larger purpose of which is to map
the glacial deposits of the Finger Lakes Region, New York.
The aim of the present treatment is to delineate the border
of what has been referred to as the "Binghamton Drift
Sheet" of western New York. An effort is made to establish
criteria which can be used in correlating this drift, and

subjacent deposites, with deposits in continguous areas.

Geographic Setting

 

The western Finger Lakes Region, as defined for the
purposes of this study is bounded on the west by the
Genesee River, on the east by Seneca Lake, and on the south
by the Pennsylvania State line. The northern border is
roughly the northern edge of the Appalachian Upland
(Broughton, et_al., 1962) or the northern end of the Finger
Lakes themselves in the troughs that partially dissect this
upland. The area is approximately bounded by 42° 45' North
latitude, 42° North latitude, 76° 45' West longitude, and
78° West longitude (see Fig. l). The area is covered by

the Portage, Nunda, Wayland, Naples, Hammondsport, Belmont,

76°45’

A

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- Chemung
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Fig. l.—-The geographic setting of the western

Finger Lakes.

Wellsville, Greenwood, Woodhull, Corning, and Elmira
fifteen—minute quadrangles.

Politically, the area consists of Steuben Co. and
parts of Ontario, Yates, Schuyler, Allegany and Chemung
Counties. The major cities are Corning (17,085), Hornell
(13,907), Bath (6,166), Wellsville (5,967), and Dansville
(5,460), with the rest each having populations under 5,000.

Corning is the industrial center of the eastern part
of this region while Hornell and Wellsville dominate the
industry in the west. Corning is, of course, the home of
Corning Glass, while Hornell handles railroad repairs and
Wellsville once was the center of a thriving oil and gas
industry. The remainder of the economy is based on agri—
culture and the tourist trade. The Canandaigua Lake and
Keuka Lake valleys are the settings for extensive vinyards
which supply major wineries in Naples and Hammondsport.

The lowland area surrounding Dansville supports tree
nurseries and ”muck farms.” Stony Brook State Park near
Dansville, and Watkins Glen State Park attract many tourists,
as do the shores of the Finger Lakes. The region is also
noted for Alfred University and the associated Ceramic

School of the University of the State of New York.

The region can be divided into three hydrologic
provinces; the Genesee River drainage basin, the Susquehanna
drainage basin, and the Finger Lakes drainage nets. The

Genesee River province is located on the western border of

the region. The River itself is one of very few northerly
flowing trunk streams in the eastern United States. The
divides between this basin and the adjacent drainage areas
appear to be little modified from the preglacial boundaries.
The divide between the streams which flow north into the
Finger Lakes troughs and the southerly drainage of the
Canisteo and Chemung Rivers is determined by morainic de-
posits at the southern end of each of the lowland troughs.
0n the upland, the divide is governed by the Portage Escarp-
ment which separates the Appalachian Upland from the Ontario
Lowland.

The region has a relief of about 1900 feet, varying
from a ground elevation of 2341 feet west of Greenwood to
445 feet at Watkins Glen. This does not take into account
the depth of water in the Finger Lakes but is probably much
less than prior to glaciation in any case. The present hills
are almost barren of glacial deposits while the valleys con—
tain a thick fill of stratified drift. Erosion of the uplands
and filling in of the lowlands has undoubtedly produced a

more subdued landscape.

Geologic Setting

 

During the Paleozoic Era the region was more or less
continuously submerged, from Cambrian through Devonian time.
During the early Paleozoic it was miogeosynclinal and during

the Silurian and Devonian Periods, exogeosynclinal. The

U7

sediments deposited were dominantly clastic with lesser
accumulations of evaporites and carbonates. There may be
as much as 9,000 feet of rock overlaying the basement,
however, only about 4,000 feet are exposed in this region.
At the end of the Paleozoic Era the Appalachian Revolution
produced some very gentle domes and a regional dip to the
south of about 40 feet per mile.

During the Meozoic and Cenozoic Eras the region was
subjected to erosion which may have produced one or more
peneplains (Coates, 1963). Subsequent crustal unrest then
elevated the region and streams out rather deep valleys,
partially dissecting the raised erosion surface(s). These
streams flowed northward, at the present sites of the Finger
Lakes troughs, and into the Ontarion River (Horberg and
Anderson, 1956) which occupied what is now the Lake Ontario
depression.

During the Pleistocene Epoch great ice sheets moved
slowly southward into New York State. The glaciers moved
into the Ontarion River valley and gouged out the present
lake basin. Lobes of ice were forced southward up the trib—
utary valleys and carved out deep, steep sided troughs that
are mostly occupied by the Finger Lakes today. In excavating
the major tributary valleys, the glaciers left the minor
tributaries stranded above the levels of the troughs. These
stranded tributaries are now observed as hanging valleys
whose streams enter the Finger Lakes over steep cataracts

or water falls such as the ones at Watkins Glen.

The bedrock exposed belongs to the Hamilton, Genesee,
Sonyea or West Falls Groups, all of Devonian age (Brough-
ton, 22.81;: 1962, Fig. 17). It comprises interbedded gray
shales, siltstones and sandstones deposited in shallow
marine water on the Catskill Alluvial Plain, or dark gray
and black shales of deeper water origin. Bedrock is mantled
by thin drift on the uplands and by thicker deposits of
glacial, glacio—fluvial or glacio—lacustrine origin in the
lowlands. The intervening slopes are either exposed bedrock
or mantled with thin colluvial deposits derived from bedrock.
The age of the drift is discussed extensively in the body
of this dissertation but it can be stated here that it is

probably all Wisconsinan.

Previous Work

 

Initial work was reported on the ”Terminal MoraineH
of western New York and northeastern Pennsylvania by Upham
(1879), Chamberlain (1883), and Lewis (1884). Tarr (1905)
was the first investigator to recognize the Valley Heads
Moraine when he mapped the drift at the heads of the Seneca
Lake and Cayuga Lake valleys. Succeeding workers also noted
the presence of morainic loops in other major valleys of
the Finger Lakes Region. Fairchild (1932b) proposed cor—
relation of these loops and thus formalized the Valley
Heads Moraine. In the same paper Fairchild noted the
presence of patches of drift between the Valley Heads

Moraine and the ”Terminal Moraine” to the south. Foremost

among those mentioned are the kame areas of Franklinville
and Almond.

The next major study of the region was by MacClintock
and Apfel (1944) on the drift of the Salamanca Re—Entrant.
0n the basis of topographic and lithologic character these
authors recognized two moraines rather than one "Terminal
Moraine." 0n the west side of the re—entrant they recog—
nized the Binghamton Drift and on the east side, the older,
Olean Drift. Their interpretation was that the Binghamton
Drift was the result of a glacier which overrode the Olean
deposits on the western side.

The Olean Drift was defined by a pebble lithology
dominated by shale and siltstone of local derivation and a
topographic expression which is subdued. This moraine was
correlated with the old "Terminal Moraine” which traverses
northern Pennsylvania. The Binghamton Moraine was defined
by bold topographic expression and by a pebble lithology
in which exotics of limestone and crystalline rocks
are present. This pebble lithology was termed ”bright

gravel."

The Binghamton Problem

 

By a series of north—south traverses, MacClintock and
Apfel located the southernmost point at which bright gravel
is found in the major valleys. Among these points were the
kame areas of Franklinville and Almond. The authors sug—

gested that the extensive deposits of bright gravel south

of Binghamton were best suited as a type locality and there-
fore, adopted the name Binghamton Drift.

MacClintock (1954), in a reconnaissance study of the
Finger Lakes region, found that the depth of leaching was
about the same for both the Valley Heads and Binghamton
drift sheets and contrasted with that for the Olean Drift.
0n the basis of this work he proposed the Bangor Moraines
of Delaware Water Gap, the drift of northeast New Jersey,
the Harbor Hill Moraine of Long Island, and the ”lower till”
of Massachusetts as correlates of the Clean Drift. The
”younger drift” of the Catskill Mountains, the Portland
Drift of Delaware Water Gap, the drift of Middletown Con-
necticut would then be correlates of the Binghamton and
Valley Heads Moraines.

Denny (1956) failed to find Binghamton Drift in the
Elmira region. He suggested that it either was overridden
by the Valley Heads glacier or that it is not manifested
by its type topographic or lithologic character. Denny did
however admit the possibility that Binghamton Drift exists
between the Elmira region and the Catskills, emerging from
beneath a Valley Heads cover. In any case, Denny suggested
that the Valley Heads Moraine is correlative with either
the Harbor Hill or Ronkonkoma Moraines and that the Olean
Drift is unknown in New England.

More recently, Moss and Ritter (1961) have concluded

that all the drift south of the Valley Heads Moraine between

the Elmira region and the Catskills is Olean and not Bing-
hamton. This means that the type Binghamton deposits are
not correlative with the better known ”Binghamton” of
western New York with which this study is dealing.
Connally (1959) recognized a consistency in the
heavy mineral suites from localities in the Valley Heads
Moraine and suggested that a similar relationship might
exist for other New York Moraines. Dreimanis (1961) and
Connally (1960) have also shown that the heavy minerals
from the Olean Drift easily identify this deposit. Thus
the "Binghamton” Drift of western New York appears to be
sandwiched between two drift sheets which are significantly
different from it with respect to their heavy mineral

suites.

Present Study

 

Because the question has been raised as to the
presence of the topographic ”Binghamton” Drift in the type
lithologic locality, the writer (Connally, 1961) has
adOpted a suggestion by Merritt and Muller (1959) and re—
stricted the name Binghamton to a rock stratigraphic term.
In the present study the term is further used in this manner,
thus retaining the significance of the type locality. In
this study the term Almond Moraine is adopted for the mor—
phostratigraphic equivalent of the moraine of Binghamton

lithology west of the Salamanca re—entrant.

IO

In order to determine the northern limit of the Almond
Drift, the exact position of the Valley Heads Moraine must
be determined. To the knowledge of the writer there has
not been any previous attempt at field correlation of the
various loops of Valley Heads Moraine. The necessity for
field correlation of the Almond Moraine is also obvious.
Muller (1957, 1964) has located the old "Binghamton"

Moraine from the Salamanca re-entrant to the Genesee River,
west of the Finger Lakes. Denny (1956) and Moss and Ritter
(1962) have denied the presence of this moraine, or its
equivalent east of the Finger Lakes. Thus it is hoped that
the present study will bridge the gap and permit some con—
clusion concerning the absence of the Almond (nee Binghamton)

Moraine in the eastern Finger Lakes region.

FIELD WORK

Seventy days of field work were done during the summer
of 1960, followed by an additional 77 days during the summer
of 1961. This work was partially supported by Graduate
Student Honoraria from the New York State Museum and Science
Service.

The major part of the time was spent in reconnaisance
of the region by automobile. All passable roads were driven
at least once, and preferably once in each direction. Using
the existing road network for traverses, all of the visable
glacial deposits were mapped on available base maps; either
1:24,000 or 1:62,500. In lowland areas coverage was more
complete since the road network was fairly dense. The upland
areas were fairly well covered in the northern tier of quad—
rangles. In the southern tiers however, somewhat less
detailed work could be accomplished since most of the land
has fallen into disuse and consequently, so have the roads.

The valley walls were seldom accessible.

Constructional Topography

 

In this region it is possible to distinguish between
constructional topography and erosional topography in most
instances. Erosinal topography is caused by stream activity,

glaciation, or by some combination of these agents. Where

ll

l2

erosion has dominated, bedrock is generally exposed or is
close to the surface. Examples of erosional topography are
the valley walls of the Finger Lakes troughs. Here bedrock
is either exposed or is covered by a thin veneer of col—
luvium. Although the knobs and vales are gently rounded
bedrock is always present in the roadside ditches which are
swept clean by runoff every spring.

Constructional topography may be the result of stream,
glacial, or lacustrine deposition. Generally the construc—
tional topography in this region has a hummocky appearance
in the lowlands where the depositional agent is not always
easily identified. The only absolute interpretations are
made on the basis of fresh exposures. These are plentiful
north of the Almond border. 0n the upland areas a glacial
origin is assumed for all constructional deposits, from
bold moraine to undulating plains.

Most interpretations in the valley sites are based
on exposures in the cutbanks of streams or in the many
gravel pits that pock—mark the region. These exposures are
so plentiful in the low—lying areas that only exceptionally
good ones were examined. In the upland, however, all
exposures which could be found were examined, due to their
paucity. Observations were recorded at each exposure exam—
ined and suggested field correlations noted. Where exposures
were sufficiently fresh, or where a locality was thought to

be critical a sample was extracted for laboratory analysis.

 

13

A description of the field sites which were cited in this

text are given in Appendix 1.

Field Sites

 

The field sites visited are shown in Figure 2 (in
Volume 2). The sites are numbered chronologically. The
first number designates the year collected. For example
site 60—41 was the forty-first locality described during
the 1960 field season.

At each site the nature of the material was described,
although sometimes only a notation of the topography was
made. In other cases a complete lithologic description of
the material was recorded. In critical areas, where more
than one drift sheet was suspected, a complete stratigraphic
section was recorded. Due to the large areal coverage of
this study, many potential stratigraphic sections were
intentionally ignored even though detailed study is certainly
warranted in the future.

At each site where till was sampled, the color and
texture were noted along with a qualitative judgement as
to the pebble lithology. Where possible the fabric was
determined from 5 to 10 oriented till stones. These fabrics
are not considered definitive. The interpretive value is in
some cases questionable because in a region of such relief
these sedimentary structures tend to conform with the align—

ment of the major topographic features. Where stratified

l4

drift was sampled, a qualitative judgment on pebble lithology
was always made. The presence or absence of ice-contact
structures was also noted and in many cases the depositional
agent was inferred from such evidence. Texture was deter—
mined by rubbing moist material between two fingers,which is
qualitative to a certain degree.

Until completion of this study the writer regarded
till color as a highly variable property, however, this did
not prove to be the case. The plotting of field data shows
that till color can be consistant within given units, even
though the terminology might be quite subjective. This will

be discussed in a later section.

Field Correlations

 

By darkening areas of constructional topography on
the map with a colored pencil, the pattern of constructional
topographic features became apparent in valleys and along
major highways. As each road segment was driven, all con—
structional areas were so noted. Where roads were few and
far between, the trend of deposits was observed and correla—
tion was established where these trends appeared to intersect
those of deposits bordering adjacent roads. Most correla-
tions are of this type.

In some areas no linear trend could be noted on the
ground and a topographic map or soils map was examined for
clues. Where topographic lineaments or linear soil trends

could be found on a map they were then used to correlate

15

between known constructional deposits. In either of the
above cases the correlations are considered to be well
established.

In some places there were no readily apparent topo—
graphic trends or map lineaments. In these localities
correlations are suggested using existing topography as a
guide. For instance, correlation might be inferred from
the existance of a steep valley wall rather than by invoking
a tie-in across an interfluve. The writer believes that his
"well established” correlations would be adopted by any
other geologist familiar with the area. The suggested cor-
relations are considered as provisional.

Field correlations were usually well supported by the
subsequent laboratory analyses. Where laboratory work sug-
gested alternative possibilities the writer re—examined
field data before making a judgment. These cases are few
and are discussed below. A copy of each field map is
included as Appendix 2.

Field samples were labeled and stored in polyethylene
bags to prevent dessication. This preserved the field color
and texture and also made the samples more susceptable to

disaggregation during laboratory analysis.

LABORATORY PROCEDURE

The procedure for preparation of samples for heavy
mineral analysis is similar to that described previously
by the writer (Connally, 1960). In brief, the samples were
disaggregated, wet sieved for the entire sand fraction and
then sieved for the desired fraction. This fraction was
then split until a portion weighing about 10 grams remained.
Whenever possible the sample was split so that one—half
could be stored for future use or for re—runs in case of
experimental error. A flow sheet for the laboratory prep—
aration is given in Figure 3.

More than sixty samples had to be processed and about
one—half of these were compact till samples or indurated
gravel. Moss and Ritter (1961) have shown that acid treat—
ment affects the resulting heavy mineral suite in at least
a qualitative sense. Rather than risk possible alteration
or destruction of some grains, the writer decided to perform
disaggregations in tap water.

Each sample of till was split by hand, due to the
compact nature of the till. The sample was broken into clods
and an attempt was made to choose an equal volume of clod
material for each of the two splits. One sample was stored

and the other disaggregated for testing.

16

 

 

Orngmal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sompm
l/2 l/2
Stored Dasoggregoted
:0 Water
We?
Sueved
Sond Coarse ane
Frochoo Fraction Froétnon
USCG! dad I. o s t
l/2 l/2
Stored Dry Sieved
Coarse Fme
Frochon Fraction
Remomder l0 gm
Stored Separated
In CH813
Lnghf Heavey
Minerals Mmerols
Stored MOunted

 

 

 

 

 

Fig. 3.--Flow sheet for Laboratory Preparation.

 

18

The test sample was then placed in a 600 ml. beaker
and covered with tap water. The speciman was left in this
bath for about 24 hours, with only occasional stirring.

Then the sample was stirred vigorously and poured onto a
nest of sieves. Any sediment remaining in the beaker was
washed onto the sieves with a jet of water.

The wet sieving served to separate out the sand
fraction, between .062 and 2.000 mm. (Wentworth—Udden
grade scale). This material was next poured onto a 2000
micron sieve and was washed through a 250 micron sieve and
a 62 micron sieve with a very gentle, indirect stream of
water. The 250 micron sieve was nested between the other
two only for convenience, in order to eliminate the sediment
overload on the lower sieve. The coarse fraction (above
2000 microns) was discarded while the fine fraction (below
62 microns) was lost with the water flushed.outthrough the
lower sieve. The sand fraction was then washed from the 62
micron sieve and the 250 micron sieve into a clean 600 ml.
beaker and allowed to dry in a drying oven.

It had been found previously (Connally, 1960) that
the fraction between .062 and .350 mm. was the most desirable
to work with in heavy mineral analysis. Thus, the dried
sample was again split with a Jones Sample Splitter (Krum—
bein and Pettijohn, 1938, p. 45) and one portion was sieved
for the desired fraction. As there was no mechanical device

available, the samples were sieved by hand. Although some

19

error may have been introduced at this point, it is consid—
ered negligible.

The coarse fraction (above 350 microns) was stored
for possible future use while the desired fraction was
prepared for heavy mineral analysis. This preparation
entailed splitting until a portion weighing about 10 grams
was obtained. Next the sample was weighed on a Mettler
analytical balance, accurate to the nearest milligram, and
stored in a stoppered bottle, ready for separation.

The steps outlined above, for till samples, were also
followed for samples of stratified drift. Disaggregation
and wet sieving are obviously not necessary for this type
of sediment, however, the writer wished to insure that any
error inadvertantly introduced during sample preparation

would affect all samples equally.

Heavy Mineral Separation

 

The heavy fraction of the sand was separated using
purified bromoform (CHBrB) having a specific gravity of
2.87 at 20°C. The separation was carried out by the standard
method for heavy liquids outlined by Krumbein and Pettijohn
(1938. pp. 335 and 343).

A separatory funnel was filled with bromoform to
within 3 cm. of the top. The prepared sand was poured onto
the surface of the liquid and gently agitated until all of
the heavy minerals collected at the bottom of the funnel.

When the separation was complete the stop cock was opened

2O

long enough to allow only that portion of the liquid seen
to contain heavy minerals to pass through. The heavy
mineral grains dropped onto a conical filter paper, and the
bromoform was permitted to drain off. The grains were then
washed with ethyl alcohol (02H50H) and allowed to dry.

The dry mineral grains were transferred to a 50 ml.
beaker and again weighed on the analytical balance. From
these figures as compared to the weight of the unseparated
fraction,‘Ume percent by weight of heavy minerals present

in the sample was calculated (see Table 1).

Separation of Magnetic Grains

 

The magnetic grains in the heavy fraction were
removed. The primary reason for this was to concentrate
the non=opaque minerals for optical study. More than 99%
of the minerals attracted to the magnet were Opaque so this
separation removed much opaque material. A second reason
for this separation is that time percent by“ weight of
magnetic grains is easily determined in this manner.
Previous data (Connally, 1960) suggested that percent cfi‘
magnetic grains might be useful in recognizing Olean drift.
More extensive sampling in the present investigation, how—

ever, does not support this thesis.1

 

lLawler (1962) has presented data which relates
magnetic anomolies to the type of glacial deposit examined.
It may be that a systematic variation would exist if these
data were reinterpreted on this basis.

 

21

A small hand magnet was used to effect the separation
(also see Connally, 1960). The percent:'hy weight of

magnetic grains is reported in Table 1.

Mineral Identification

 

The heavy minerals, minus the magnetic fraction were
mounted on petrographic slides using Canada balsam
(n=l.54) heated on a small hot plate. Usually the sample
was split prior to mounting; with one-half being stored as
previously noted. Occasionally the dearth of heavy minerals
made it necessary to mount the entire fraction.

The minerals were identified with a petrographic
microscope using crystal form, cleavage, fracture, color,
pleochroism, extinction angle, elongation, interference
figure, optical sign and 2V as definitive characteristics.
Although many minerals were identified only red garnet,
purple garnet, hornblende, hypersthene, and monoclinic
pyroxenes were counted as individual categories. (For a
more complete list and a discussion of minerals previously
reported also see Connally, 1960). A brief discussion of

the heavy minerals used in this study follows.

Garnet

Garnet is present as grains which exhibit conchoidal
fracture and very little rounding. Red, orange, pink,
purple, and colorless varieties are all present. The

garnets are divided into two categories for the purpose

22

TABLE l.——Heavy mineral and magnetic percentages.

 

 

 

Heavy Heavy

Sample Mineral Magnetic Sample Mineral Magnetic
Number % % Number % %
60—17a 0.9 5.6 61-3 0.3 3.0
60-l7b 1.6 11.0 61-5 1.7 6.2
60-19 3.5 11.5 61-8-2 2.0 10.9
60-21 2.8 10.2 61-9-1 1.1 3.7
60-23 1.4 10.9 61-9-2 1.0 5.0
60-24 1.5 10.0 61-10 1.4 9.4
60—30 0.2 5.0 61-11 0.8 8.2
60-32 1.2 12.6 61-14 1.4 2.2
60-37 1.3 2.5 61-15 1.2 6.9
60-41 1.3 2.3 61-18 1.8 3.9
60-45-1 2.2 4.7 61-19 2.7 7.3
60-45-11 1.8 4.2 61-20—1 1.2 13.2
60-46-1 1.4 4.4 61-20-2 0.8 11.0
60-46-2 2.1 0.0 61—21 0.5 2.8
60-52 0.8 5.2 61-23 0.2 8.8
60-56 1.7 7.5 61-24 1.3 39.9
60-57-1 1.7 14.4 61-25 0.9 10.0
60-57-2 1.6 9.1 61-27 0.5 16.3
60-60-1 0.3 4.5 61-28 0.2 10.4
60-60-2 2.4 4.9 61-29 2.1 12.2
60-61 1.8 4.2 61-30 1.6 1.2
60-62 2.0 2.1 61-39-1 1.6 11.3
60-63 2.5 1.5 61-39-2 2.0 9.4
60-65 2.3 2.1 61-42 2.2 12.1
60-71 2.0 2.0 61-45-1 1.5 4.4
60—72 2.5 2.2 61-45—2 1.3 7.4
60-73 1.1 3.4 61-47 0.9 8.6
60-75—1 2.8 1.1 61—49 1.8 5.2
60-75-2 1.0 0.1 61—50 1.6 8.8
60—76 1.2 9.9 61-55-1 2.1 0.0

61-55-2 6.2 1.3

61-58 2.1 6.5

 

23

of indicating provenance. The red, orange and pink
varieties each exhibit a distinct color and were counted

as red garnet, while the purple and colorless garnets
appear to grade into one another and were counted as purple
garnet. The garnet was distinguished by its color and

isotropism.

Hornblende

 

Hornblende is present as prismatic grains with
rounded ends and an extinction angle less than 20°, or in
some cases as irregular grains. The grains vary from those
that are translucent to those that are opaque in the center
and translucent only on the edges. All grains exhibit

pleochroism, mostly of the green to brown variety.

Hypersthene

 

Hypersthene and enstatite are members of the iso—
morphous series of orthorhombic pyroxenes. This series is
present as stubby prismatic grains predominantly pleochroic
from light green to pink or red (hypersthene) or in a few
instances; colorless (enstatite). Some of the grains of
hypersthene possess inclusions of brown plates in parallel
alignment (schiller structure) which distinguish the variety

bronzite. The series was recognized by parallel extinction.

Monoclinic Pyroxene

 

Monoclinic pyroxene, including augite and diopside,

are included in one group and are present as worn, elongate

24

clevage fragments. The grains are light green in color and
have an extinction angle of about 55° with respect to elong-
ation. The grains were distinguished by the extinction angle

and the lack of pleochroism.

Frequency

 

All other minerals were lumped into one category for
the purpose of reporting mineral frequency. Between 200
and 700 grains were counted on each slide. The frequency
with which each of the above described categories is
present was recorded and converted to a percentage of the
total grain count. The percentages are recorded in Table 2.

The counting was done with the aid of a petrographic
microscope and a square grid pattern superimposed on the
bottom of the slides. It was found sufficient to count
every other square of the grid on all but a few slides.
Counts were recorded on a blood cell counter which was
borrowed for this project from the New York State Museum

and Science Service.

Clino-
Pyroxene

Hypersthene

25
Hornblende

Purple
Garnet

Red

TABLE 2.-—Heavy mineral frequency.
Garnet

Sample
Number

 

 

 

%
7:6 54 986 r574 92 0350000398887R/509

3lr564267458r5r5225r500r5000220003

70
915907;:7(7:0w(ufi4gou.0n(A;2QoOZO:JQZHQJlEogy5RV

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

%

12 3114 75114 O4 0698 558851 524486
62 356 917064 76 7418304 34108 7511
21333243211121232 2

%

78946119021976002006110484114
1111 1.1.1 111

%
64 7484 0547918 9571438 7386 55688

5.1. 309866 766648708 004 11044 r51 03

.111 l
121 1212 12
ab ___ ___. ._
779134027lR/RJ6267700123R/l23R/56
444224888444»- 66666610666441.7444
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
66666666666666666666666666666

1 377722888 944

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

334334 5020 233

2 1331906 .150 344

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

0154267022344

O73R/Qfll 71852 26

0000000000000

8722692435118

21 12 l .121

5091178759469

0000000000000

0837721376909
1111

192 0 550895972

0000000000000

l

12

212 __

. _ .01458900
ODE/009911111122
__.____._.___
1111111111111
6666666666666

Clino—
Pyroxene

Hypersthene

26
Hornblende

Purple

Garnet

Red
Garnet

 

Sample
Number

 

 

TABLE 2—-Continued

7o
hilnléuoéerQu7AVQJ1mum/RK4RUR/

11222410222229.3102

%
446049834198342490

%

88480.5,760884625596

667320031182085R/32
1121 3212112 1

%

41465627745583.1847

90822941468413.1521
1 ll 1 1111111 1

7o
M4QX8nyRibauQfi4QJRXVKVQ:lolln2

94 92 5691790 50662 28
l l 1

61-21
61-23
61-24
61-25
61-27
61-28
61-29
61-30
61—39-1
61-39—2
61-42
61-45-1
61—47
61-49
61-50
61-55—1
61-55-2
61-58

 

MORPHOSTRATIGRAPHY

According to Frye and Willman (1960) "A morphostrati—
graphic unit is defined as comprising a body of rock that
is identified primarily from the surface form it displays;

." However, lithologic relationships cannot be ignored
when exposures of drift are common. It would be unwise to
ignore the relationship between the lithology of a drift
sheet and its topographic expression. Therefore morpho-
stratigraphy becomes litho-morphostratigraphy where one
seeks a morpho-rock unit just as many stratigraphers seek
time-rock units.

In the discussion that follows the lithology, or at
least some lithologic parameters, is used to characterize
each unit even though they are termed morphostratigraphic
units. The dependancy of topographic expression on litho-
logy has been noted and discussed by Moss and Ritter (1962)
for similar drift deposits in the eastern Finger Lakes
region.

Three morphostratigraphic units are recognized in
this region. These are the Valley Heads Moraine, the
Arkport Moraine (new), and the Almond Moraine (new name).
The Valley Heads is the youngest and the Almond the oldest.
Each of these units is superimposed on a terraine that was

glaciated when the Olean drift was deposited.

27

28

The discussion below is adopted from a progress
report (Connally, 1962) submitted to the New York State
Museum and Science Service. Where laboratory work has
suggested alternative correlations they are discussed under
subsequent topics and are merely noted here. If the reader
wishes to follow the topographic continuity he may refer to
the field maps in Appendix 2. An index to these maps is
given in Figure 4, and is also included in the Appendix.
The field grid designation (i.e. J-9) is given in the text
when a new map area is being described. In general, the

description is from west to east.

The Valley Heads Moraine

 

The drift of the Valley Heads Moraine manifests itself
dominantly as stratified drift which is characterized by
bold morainic topography. This morainic topography is
generally limited to the heads of present stream valleys
and to the flattened interfluves separating the valleys.

On the valley walls there is a scarcity of drift, with the
exception of kame terrace remnants. Till exposures are
limited to stream cuts near the stratified deposits, but
are absent from the bold topography.

The Valley Heads border appears to follow the present
valley contours, as if the valley lobations had been con—
trolled almost entirely by pre—existing topography. On the

valley walls and interfluves the drift border is subparallel

29

.Uflhm oaoflm m on Lemma mHoQE%m oQB
.m Kflocooa< CH UoUSHoQH QOE paoflm map 0p mecHuu.: .mflm

 

 

 

 

~.-J :-4 o_-4 m-4 m-4 L-4
(IZiJU 02—2100 JJDIOOO>> QOOZmemQ w44_>m44u>> HZOZJNQ
N—o! __OV- o_u¥ mux mt! Nu!

ZUJO PCOQ
WZ_K.P<>> quZOEE<I ,Ibdm AJmZKOI <0<mww<2<0 <U_JwOZ<
:4. O_.\. m-.. w-fi h-fi
24> ZZUQ mMJm<Z OZ<4><>> <QZDZ modhmoa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30

to existing topography illustrating somewhat less topo—
graphic control than in the adjacent lowlands.

The outer limit of the main Valley Heads advance is
marked by continuous constructional topography, with
associated meltwater channels. In some places there appear
to be patches of drift south of the main advance border.
Thus, it is suggested that the massive, main glaciation was
preceeded by a slightly more attenuated phase that was
either of much shorter duration than the ”massive phase"
or was masked and dissected by meltwater deposits of the
massive phase. The more southerly patches of drift are
hereafter referred to as the ”advance phase.”

Striations on the bedrock surface beneath the drift
are rare, and where found tend to parallel topographic
trends. The only reliable striae are at sites 60—32, 61—6,
and 61—7. Site 60—32 is west of Dansville (J—9) at an
elevation of 1480 feet and shows a direction of N 15° W
which is parallel to the valley wall. Sites 61—6 and 61-7
are located on the interfluve between Keuka Lake and Lamoka
Lake (K—ll) at an elevation of 1420 feet and are about two
miles apart. Here the striae trend N 15° N and N 200 W,
respectively which also parallels the trend of existing
topography.

The dominance of waterlaid drift and the topographic

control of the glacial border suggest a thermophysically

31

2 In other

Temperate glaciation during Valley Heads time.
words, the Valley Heads glacier was essentially at its
pressure—melting point throughout its entire thickness.

The concordance of striae and existing topographic trends
also tends to support this suggestion. This interpretation
is consistant with the observations of Denny (1956) for
post-Olean deposits in the Elmira region.

The nature of the till associated with Valley Heads
ice is highly variable, owing to at least four small pulsa—
tions of the terminus of the ice lobe, and also to the
presence of ponded waters immediately adjacent to the ice.
North of the terminal position, the till is generally
coarse textured ranging from fine sandy loam to silt loam.
The till is blue when fresh, is firm, and contains many
till stones. The stones show very little stream rounding
and are generally polished and striated.

Exposures of two or more tills are common in proximity

to the terminal deposits. Although the writer has examined

only a few of these in detail, the upper till in most cases

 

2Since completion of the preliminary drafts of this
dissertation, Maynard M. Miller has presented a paper
entitled "Thermophysical Characteristics of Glaciers and
Ice-Sheets as a Factor in Interpretation of Pleistocene
Geology," Mich. Acad. 801., 68th Meeting, 1964. Professor
Miller's views support the interpretations of the writer on
a theoretical basis although he points out the tentative
nature of such conclusions due to the number of factors in—
volved. This agreement is not surprising as the views of
the writer were formulated on the basis of previous conver—
sations with Professor Miller.

32

is a blue, silt till, similar to more northerly exposures.
It is overlain by a coarse cobble gravel which was deposited
by northward flowing streams. Underlying tills vary in
their texture and generally reflect the nature of the sedi—
ment beneath them. The sediments which separate the tills
are lacustrine silts, clays, or sands which evidently were
easily incorporated by the overriding ice. This suggests
repeated attenuations, into pro—glacial lakes and onto
lacustrine deposits. These lower tills are generally
chocolate brown and have a clay or silty clay texture, re—
flecting the overridden lacustrine rhythmites. In places
the tills are yellow—brown and sandy, indicating interim
glaciofluvial sedimentation in an oxidizing environment.

A description of the field relationships shown on

the maps in Appendix 2, follows.

Genesee Valley

From the Genesee River (J—7), east to the Canaseraga-
Newville Creek divide (J—8) both the massive Valley Heads
and the advance phase of the Valley Heads are found. From
the Genesee east to Keshequa Creek two moraines run parallel
to each other, the massive phase at 1250 feet and a reces—
sional moraine at 1U20 feet. The massive phase rises to
1800 feet on the west bank of Keshequa Creek and descends
into the valley one mile south of Dalton. The moraine again
rises to 1800 feet on the east valley wall and gradually

descends eastward into the Canaseraga Creek valley where it

33

crests at 1360 feet. Here it forms the divide between
Canaseraga Creek and Newville Creek, three and one—half
miles southeast of Nunda.

From this divide the moraine turns north and rises
to 1500 feet forming a "nose” of drift south and east of
Barkertown. From Barkertown north, the moraine rises
rapidly to 1980 feet on the north end of the interfluve
between Nunda and Dansville, where it forms the divide
between Wildcat and Sugar Creeks.

The advance phase appears as a ”nose” of drift ex—
tending beyond the massive phase in the Keshequa and Can—
aseraga Creek valleys. In both cases the drift is weakly
constructional and mantled with outwash from the later

advance.

Canaseraga Creek (Dansville) Valley

 

0n the west side of the Genesee—Canaseraga interfluve
north, southwest, and south of Westview the moraine is mani-
fested in bold, constructional topography which crests at
about 1900 feet. The moraine appears to follow the ridge
bordering Sugar Creek on the east, and descends into the
Sugar Creek\mfljegrone and one—half miles west of Ossian.
The south bank of Sugar Creek is weakly constructional at
an elevation of 1440 feet, south and west of Ossian. One
mile southeast of Ossian the moraine crests at 1480 feet in
a bold loop breached by the valley. From this point it turns

north and crests at 1660 feet on a spur between Ossian and

34

Dansville (J-9). From this crest the moraine descends into
the Canaseraga Creek valley and loops across this valley
five miles south of Dansville (K—9), at about 1260 feet.

On the east side of the valley the moraine rises
abruptly to 1560 feet trending eastward into the Stony Brook
valley two miles northwest of South Dansville. From this
point the moraine rises to 1480 feet on the east side of
the valley wall and turns northeast for four miles at this
elevation (J-9). At Perkinsville the moraine loops north
across the wide valley to Clover Hill and then west to East
Hill. Here the distal side faces north and is apparently
mantled with outwash. The moraine continues around the
west side of East Hill and rises toward the north end of
the interfluve between the Canaseraga and Springwater
valleys, where it crests at 2040 feet. On this interfluve
the moraine is characterized by bold, constructional top-
ography having a relief of 20 to 80 feet.

The advance phase is well illustrated on the Can—
aseraga—Canisteo divide forming a concave loop north, east,
and west of the village of Moraine (K-9) and by a similar
loop extending to within one mile of the village of Can—
aseraga on the west (K-8). As in the Genesee valley, the
topography is subdued, due to a mantle of pro—glacial out—

wash from the massive phase.

35

Hemlock Lake (Springwater) Valley

 

On the east side of the Springwater-Canaseraga inter-
fluve (J—9) the moraine is illustrated by bold, construc-
tional topography from the crest at the north, along the
ridge to Pokomoonshine Hollow. The moraine descends from
1820 feet south of the hollow, to 1400 feet southwest of
Wayland. From this point it is inferred to loop to the
east, joining with an isolated patch of morainic tOpography
on the rock island two miles northeast of Patchinville.
This would account for the diversion of pro—glacial melt—
water into the channel south of ”the island.”

The moraine is inferred to turn north from the rock
island, looping back across the valley to the north and
joining the boldly constructional moraine that runs from
1500 feet, west of Wayland to 2100 feet on the north end

of the Springwater—Naples interfluve.

Canandaigua Lake (Naples) Valley

 

The Valley Heads Moraine is absent from the northern
end, and eastern side of the Springwater—Naples interfluve.
It is inferred at an elevation of 2100 feet, from the north
end of the spur to a point two miles south of the Ontario
County line. Here there is a patch of constructional top—
ography at 2000 feet which descends southeast and joins the
massive lowland topography one—half mile south of Garling-

house (J-lO). In this sector the moraine lies at 1480 feet,

36

descending further to its terminus near the Steuben County
line at 1400 feet. The terminus lOOpS across the Cohocton
River valley at 1360 feet, from northwest to southeast,
turning north at North Cohocton. From North Cohocton the
moraine rises abruptly to a crest of 1960 feet on the Pine
Hill spur, and then drOps to 1500 feet just north of Ingle-
side where it forms the divide between Reservoir Creek and
Twelvemile Creek.

From Ingleside the moraine turns north around the
bedrock spur and then turns due east, rising from 1600 to
2100 feet in a five mile stretch along the south wall of
the Flint Creek valley. Here the topography is particularly
bold and recessional moraines are well developed at 1660
feet and 1500 feet.

Subsequent laboratory work has suggested an alternate
correlation. This will be discussed under the section on
rock stratigraphy. It is probabletkat the high level
moraine is actually correlative with the Almond system,
while the recessional moraines are the Valley Heads (and

Arkport?) equivalents.

Prattsburg Valley

 

Two miles south of Italy Hill the high level moraine
turns southward into the Prattsburg valley. The moraine
maintains its boldly constructional nature along the ridge
to the southwest until it reaches the headwaters of Center

Creek, three miles northwest of Prattsburg. From this

37

point there are three alternatives for correlation with
the Keuka Lake lobation.

There are two well developed morainic loops within
this valley, as well as drift on the valley walls at the
southern end of the valley (K—lO). The northerly loop is
south of Prattsburg (J-lO), while the southerly one is at
Renchans (K—lO). The writer (Connally, 1962) originally
prOposed a Valley Heads correlation with the morainic 100p
at Renchans via the rim of the west valley wall, even
though very little constructional topography has been noted
immediately adjacent to the valley. The Renchans loop
appears to be equivalent to a moraine in the Keuka Lake
lobation north of Bath, as shown by a meltwater channel on
the east side of the valley and its association with the
Keuka Lake lobe.

An alternative which is almost as attractive is to
correlate the Italy Hill segment with the distinct morainic
loop east and south of the village of Prattsburg (J—lO).
This moraine rises toward the north to an elevation of 1700
feet and then turns east and south at the Waldo Creek
divide (J—ll). From here the moraine is traceable south
to a point two miles west of Urbana (K—ll) where it undeni-
ably younger than the traditional Keuka Lake, Valley Heads
correlate.

A third possibility is that the Italy Hill segment

is correlative with a very bold, constructional segment of

38

moraine that trends south along the east wall of the West
Creek valley (K—lO) to a point one-half mile east of
Wheeler's Hill Church. The valley loop associated with
this segment appears to have been sluiced away. However,
there may be an apparent correlate on the Prattsburg—Keuka
Lake interfluve west of Mitchelsville. The writer
originally considered this southerly moraine to be correl—
ative with the Arkport Moraine, however, the laboratory
work suggests that this may actually be the terminus of the

Almond advance in this area.

Keuka Lake Valley

 

Although the correlation of the Renchans loop with
the Valley Heads Moraine is adopted in this report, it is
unattractive from many standpoints. The main difficulty is
that the moraine is absent from the Prattsburg Keuka Lake
interfluve and must be inferred around the north end of the
interfluve until it descends to 1360 feet at Mitchelsville.
The moraine then swings southward to join the bold, con—
structional topography north of Bath. It terminates in a
slightly concave loop about one mile north of Bath, at an
elevation of 1140 feet.

From its terminus the moraine turns north and rises
to 1600 feet on the Keuka Lake—Mud Creek interfluve (K-ll).
The moraine is present as weakly constructional drift on

the upland until it reaches the north end of Mount Washington

39

two and one-half miles southeast of Hammondsport, where a

bold kame-moraine is present.

Mud Creek Valley

 

From an elevation of 1880 feet on Mount Washington
the moraine descends southeast into Birdseye Hollow and
follows the west wall of the Mud Creek valley south at
1140 feet. The moraine loops around Kettle Lake and just
north of Parker Lake, inclosing bold, constructional top-
ography on the proximal side.

On the distal side of the morainic loop, is another
loop of subdued topography which includes the Round Lake,
Parker Lake, and Paterson Lake kettle holes. The southern
loop is mantled with outwash from the massive phase of the
Valley Heads and may represent nothing more than the
advance phase. It is also possible that this loop is cor—
relative with the Almond Moraine as discussed below.

On the east valley wall the moraine trends northeast
for 10 miles. The moraine rises from 1140 feet in Mud
Creek to 1900 feet, one mile southwest of Hall's Corners
(K—l2) on the north end of the Mud Creek—Seneca Lake inter—
fluve. As usual, the moraine is manifested as weak, con-
structional topography on the tributary divides and as bold

topography in the tributary valleys.

40

Seneca Lake Valley

 

From the north end of the interfluve, the moraine
turns south to Beaverdams, descending gradually to 1280
feet. The moraine traces the eastern border of the inter—
fluve and forms the divide between Mud Creek drainage and
Catherine Creek or Seneca Lake drainage.

From its terminus at Beaverdams the moraine rises
to the east to 1560 feet and then trends east along the
Schuyler County line, north of Johnson Hollow, and into the
Catherine Creek valley. Except for the border at Johnson
Hollow the writer is in complete agreement with the earlier
work of Tarr (1905). Tarr placed the border on the north-
east wall of the Johnson Hollow valley, while the writer
places it on the western wall of the Catherine Creek valley
(K-l2, L-l2). The garnet ratio from Field Site 61-11 tends
to substantiate the latter interpretation, as discussed
under rock stratigraphy. The writer has not attempted any

field study to the east of the Seneca Lake valley.

The Arkport Moraine

 

During the 1961 field season a new morphostratigraphic
unit was discovered, intermediate in position to the Valley
Heads and Almond Moraines. This unit is here named the
Arkport Moraine for the massive kame deposits immediately
north of Arkport, New York (K—9). The Arkport Moraine is

similar to both the Valley Heads and Almond Moraines in many

41

reSpects. The drift is dominantly stratified with very
little till exposed. The border is almost continuous,
being absent only from valley walls, and is controlled by
pre—existing topography almost as much as the Valley Heads
Moraine. There is, however, only one phase to this moraine
without any recessional deposits being recognized.

The gravel associated with this moraine is ”bright"
but is dominated by red sandstone rather than carbonates.
The till is exposed in only four localities, and always as
a thin smear of till over stratified gravel. In all four
locations the till is brown to brownish—gray, moderately
pebbly, calcareous, and has a silty clay matrix.

In the valley lobations the morainic border is
indistinct and is suggestive of a recessional Almond phase
similar to the Clymer and Findley Moraines (Shepps, gt_al.,
1959) farther west. On the upland surfaces, however, the
moraine has a bold expression and is much more suggestive
of an independent advance similar to the Lavery or Defiance
Moraines to the west. At present there is little evidence
to support one or the other of these hypotheses.

Specific observations on the Arkport Morine are

noted below.

Canisteo Valley

 

The westernmost expression of this moraine is at the
head of Bennett Creek (K—8), three miles northwest of Can—

aseraga. Here the moraine is manifested as bold kame

42

material and forms a divide which evidently reversed the
pre-Arkport drainage in this valley. From Bennett Creek
the moraine crosses the upland and descends southward to
the Canaseraga Creek valley, north of Whitney Crossings.

From Whitney Crossings the moraine is inferred to
cross the valley and join a ”nose” of drift which crests
at 1520 feet in the south tributary to Slader Creek. The
moraine then turns north and east, rising to 1600 feet and
continues southward along the west wall of the Canisteo
River valley (K-9). The moraine is continuous and descends
to 130( feet at Webbs, north of Bald Hill, illustrating the
blockage of ancestral Canacadea Creek.

The moraine has been sluiced away in the valley
bottom by pro—Valley Heads drainage. However, it is infer—
red to swing north from Webbs and join the bold, construc-
tional topography north of Arkport, for which it is named.
From Arkport the moraine trends northeast, rising to 1900
feet on the west side of Cream Hill. The moraine encircles
the hill and forms the divide between the Carrington Creek
and Stony Brook drainage on both sides of Cream Hill, south-
east and southwest of Beachville. It then trends north to
Sand Hill (J-9) where it crests at 2020 feet as it turns
east toward Loon Lake (K-9). The moraine descends into the
Neil Creek valley where it rests at 1700 feet and forms the
Neil Creek divide. The ice evidently caused a reversal of
Neil Creek drainage, as a steep bedrock gorge has been cut

to the south.

43

Cohocton Valley

 

The moraine runs north from Loon Lake, rising to 1900
feet in one mile (J—9). The moraine again descends, via a
small drainage divide, into a tributary of Blackcrick (this
stream is unnamed on the fifteen minute series quadrangle
but is located in the extreme southeast corner, north of
the village of Cohocton) on the west, then rises again to
the north and trends east along the south valley wall. The
moraine is inferred to be present at the north end of
Blackcrick Hollow and to be responsible, at least in part, for
this gorge. The moraine continues east to the hill south—
west of Atlanta (J—10) and then descends southward to 1300
feet just north of Cohocton. At Cohocton the drift con—
stricts the Cohocton River, although Valley Heads drainage
was evidently effective in carving a channel through it.

The moraine is present on the east valley wall north
of Kirkwood but is not traceable on to the interfluve.
There is a suggestion of thin drift in places on the Naples—
Prattsburg interfluve, however, the moraine is probably
lost in the compound morainic system on the north end of
the interfluve which was discussed under the Valley Heads
Moraine. As a matter of fact, the moraine north of Kirkwood
is probably correlative with the Almond Moraine, as dis—
cussed on the following pages. In any case, this is the
eastern most point at which the.Arkport Moraine is definitely
recognized at present even though it may prove to be corre—

lative with one of the moraines in the Prattsburg valley.

44

The Almond Moraine

 

The necessity of adopting the new term "Almond"
Moraine was discussed above, in the Introduction. The name
Almond was chosen for the prominant kame-moraine near the
village of Almond (K-9), as this was one of the first
deposits noted by early investigators.

The Almond drift does not lend itself to generaliza—
tion as well as does the Valley Heads drift. The drift of
the valley lobations is similar to the Valley Heads drift
in its bold topographic expression, the predominance of
stratified drift, and the tendency to follow local topo—
graphy. Although not continuous on the uplands, the moraine
is generally present on the valley walls and interfluves,
south of the Valley Heads border. Another feature of this
drift is the presence of till within the complex of morainic
topography, particularly on the uplands.

The Almond ice was controlled by pre—existing top—
ography in the valley lobations. 0n the interfluves and
valley walls, however, the glacier apparently advanced with—
out as much regard for local topography. This is borne out
by the fact that the Almond Moraine loops across depressions
that the Valley Heads ice would seemingly have occupied. On
the basis of the limited topographic control during glacia—
tion and the presence of unstratified moraines, it may be
inferred that the glaciation during Almond time was thermo-
physically less temperate than during Valley Heads time.

This glaciation would appear to be intermediate in

45

thermophysical character between the Valley Heads ice and
the Olean ice (as discussed below).3 As the Almond Moraine
is thought to be missing from the Elmira region, these con—
clusions are not in conflict with those of Denny (1956).

The nature of the till associated with the Almond
ice is less variable than the Valley Heads till. This
is possibly due to the suggested colder englacial condi-
tions and an apparent lesser number of pulsations of the
ice. Only two such pulsations have been noted in exposures
examined thus far.

The till is generally a firm, calcareous, blue, loam
to sandy loam deposit which contains many pebbles of
”bright” gravel. In the valley lobations the till may have
a finer matrix due to the incorporation of silts, and the
till stones may consist of stream—rounded cobbles. The kame
material found on valley walls and within the valley loba—
tions has a distinct Binghamton lithology, although it may
be somewhat diluted by local constituents high on the valley
walls.

The upland morainic segments, generally thought to
be missing, are well displayed on the interfluves. Although
these segments are discontinuous, they display bold topo-

graphy in many places.

 

3See footnote 2, page 31, and the discussion of the
thermophysical character of Olean ice on page 52.

46

Exposures in the valleys adjacent to the main loba—
tions illustrate two pulsations of the ice. In many places
two tills may be found which are separated by contorted,
lacustrine Silts. The lower till is typical Almond till
while the upper one is generally finer textured and sparsely
stoney, which reflects the lacustrine nature of the over—
ridden sediments. Nowhere does the intervening sediment or
the upper till contain oxidized material. This suggests no

appreciable retreat between the two episodes.

Genesee Valley

 

E. H. Muller (personal communication, 1962) has
located the Almond Moraine immediately adjacent to the
Genesee River in the vicinity of Oramel (K—7). The
writer also recognizes the moraine on the interfluve above
Keshequa Creek (J-8), some distance to the northeast. The
connecting link between these two positions, however, has
only been tentatively identified.

The westernmost point at which the moraine is known
in detail is east of the village of Granger, three miles
north of Short Tract. From this point the moraine rises
east and then descends into the headwaters of Rush Creek
at School No. 6 (K-8). The moraine again rises to the
southeast to an elevation of 2000 feet where it is present
as a hummocky ridge trending southeast and then northeast

toward Keshequa Creek. The moraine crosses just north of

47

the Keshequa—Fry Creek divide and turns south along the

east wall of the Fry Creek valley. The moraine is absent
from the valley wall for about one mile but is recognized
again on the upland as bold, constructional topography ad—
jacent to School No. 17. From this patch of drift, the
moraine descends into the Black Creek valley where it

forms the divide between Black Creek and an unnamed trib-
utary of Canaseraga Creek. A drainage reversal of ancestral

Black Creek was caused by the Almond Moraine at this point.

Canisteo Valley

 

From Black Creek the moraine probably trends south—
east and is correlated with the constructional ”nose” of
drift at Gas Springs on the headwaters of Slader Creek.
From Gas Springs the moraine can be traced due east along
the north wall of Slader Creek at about 1920 feet. It is
then postulated to turn south into the headwaters of the
east branch of Slader Creek and to connect with the bold,
constructional topography west of North Almond at about
1900 feet. It continues south along the east bank of a
tributary to the Canisteo River, and then across the Can—
isteo valley one mile west of Bishopville. The moraine is
traceable on Spurs and in valley ”noses” for an additional
eight miles to the south where the terminus is located at
about 1700 feet, two miles south of Alfred (L—8, L—9). The

writer has expressed reservations (Connally, 1962) about

48

placing all of the drift between Almond and Alfred, in the
Almond system. Although laboratory work serves to cast
further doubt on the morphostratigraphic continuity of this
segment, detailed field work is necessary before a defini~
tive statement can be made.

In the same report mentioned above, the writer has
noted an absence of drift on the south valley wall, as
well as in the Canisteo River valley south of Hornell (K-9).
Laboratory analyses suggest that the Almond glacier was
present south of Hornell and that its deposits were sluiced
away by meltwater accompanying deglaciation. On this basis
the moraine is inferred to be present as far south as Can—
isteo, however, detailed field work will be necessary here
also, before the terminus is accurately known. On the east
side of the valley, the drift is again present as a low
undulating deposit on the Carrington Creek-Big Creek divide,
at 1500 feet.

The former presence of ice in the Carrington Creek
valley is further supported from the deflection of ancestral
Big Creek into a bedrock gorge at its mouth. From this
divide the moraine trends northeast into a lobation south
of Haskinville where it forms the divide between Neil Creek,
Carrington Creek, and Castle Creek. The moraine can be
traced as a bold, constructional ridge to the east, along

the south bank of Neil Creek.

49

Cohocton Valley

 

Two miles southwest of Wallace (K—lO) at 1740 feet,
the moraine turns south while descending into a small lob—
ation in Castle Creek. Here the moraine crests at 1600
feet and is manifested as a kame—moraine. The moraine
then turns south around the spur separating Castle Creek
and Goff Creek to form another bold kame and kettle loba—
tion in Goff Creek.

The moraine again crests at 1600 feet in Goff Creek
and turns east along the south valley wall. From here it
rises to 1700 feet and noses into Ridge Glen and Chamber—
lain Creek with boldly constructional topography in both
places. From Chamberlain Creek the moraine was originally
thought to trend south and join a subdued ”nose” of drift
in Wolf Hollow and then run abruptly north along the west
flank of Brooks Hill. The moraine actually is missing from
Brooks Hill but was correlated, in the field, with a weakly
constructional deposit in Knight Creek, one mile west of
Bath. From this point the moraine was traced east along
the east branch of Smith Run and across Mount Washington
(K-ll) to the Mud Creek valley, as discussed under the sec—
tion on the Valley Heads Moraine.

No matter which deposite is chosen as the eastern
extremity of the Almond system, it is clear that the moraine
has lost its characteristic, bold identity and has probably

been masked by meltwater deposits of the Valley Heads

50

Moraine. The proximity of the two moraines leaves little
doubt that the Valley Heads glacier overrode the older
deposits in this region, as has been suggested by Denny
(1956).

Laboratory analyses, discussed below under Garnet
Ratios suggest that the Naples—Prattsburg interfluve (J—lO,
K-lO) was unaffected by post—Olean ice even though it is
north of the Almond Moraine. This suggestion is supported
by striations found at site 60—74 on this interfluve, four
miles northeast of Avoca (K—lO). These striae trend N 72°
E and are interpreted as being the result of southwesterly
flowing Olean ice (as opposed to the more southerly flowing
Almond and Valley Heads ice). Moss and Ritter (1962) have
illustrated the significance of flow direction in differ—
entiating between Olean and post—Olean glaciations.

Thus, the Almond Moraine may actually terminate some—
where near Kanona (K—10) and 100p northward along the east
wall of the Cohocton River valley. This would presume
that it was sluiced away by deglaciation, except possibly
at Kirkwood (J—lO) as discussed above under the Arkport
Moraine section.

In this case, the Almond Moraine would be overridden
by the Valley Heads Moraine on the north end of the Naples—
Prattsburg interfluve, rather than at Bath. Even so, it
might still be found beyond the Valley Heads terminus in

the Prattsburg (K-10) and Mud Creek (K-ll) valleys.

51

Olean Drift

 

Field work beyond the terminus of the Almond Moraine
has not proved fruitful to date. The Olean drift is thin
in most places and exposures are limited to cutbanks in
the valley bottoms. Very little stratified drift is in
evidence although till exposures are common. There is
some stagnant ice topography at the heads of valleys, how-
ever, it has either been greatly modified (e.g. by slumping,
solifluction, etc.) or never was very bold to begin with.

At present only four quasi-continuous morainic segments
have been identified.

The nature of the till associated with the Olean ice
is extremely uniform. Nowhere has more than one till been
noted. This is to be expected since the localities exam—
ined would be situated well back from the terminus of the
glacier and so would not reflect minor fluctuations. The
till is only slightly calcareous and is leached to a depth
of 10 or 12 feet where it has been exposed to soil formation.
The till is olive to green in color, and has a matrix of
clay, silty clay, or clay loam. Exposures are generally
clogged with slabs of shale and siltstone of local deriva-
tion, however far—travelled till stones may be present in
proportions indicating a Binghamton lighology.

The absence of stratified drift and the highly modi—
fied appearance of the constructional topography have also

been noted by Denny (1956). This is suggested as evidence

52

of Polar, or at least Subpolar glaciation during Olean time.
As a Polar glacier is one that is below its pressure—melting
point throughout (as contrasted with a Temperate glacier,
see p. 31), very little meltwater would be associated except
possibly accompanying final deglaciation. Thermally polar
conditions could persist, however, in one sector of the ice

sheet while temperate conditions prevail in another.

Risingville Segment

 

This is a segment of weakly constructional topography
which extends east, west, and south of Risingville (L—lO)
along the south valley wall of Michigan Creek. A gravel
pit on the proximal slope of this moraine reveals a gravel
of Olean lithology, leached for 4-6 feet and oxidized for
6-13 feet. A concentration of meltwater from ice at this
position evidently caused the downcutting of the oversteep—
ened valley now occupied by Goodhue Creek. Such a feature
might suggest unusually rapid deglaciation.

Although there is no field evidence to support further
extension of the Risingville segment it is probably correla-
tive with another, four miles to the northwest (K—lO, K-9).
This is the Campbell Creek segment which trends northeast
from Oregon School (five miles from Risingville) at an
elevation of 1860 feet. The moraine follows the south
valley wall of Campbell Creek for about eight miles, cross—

ing the divide between Campbell and Stephens Creeks.

53

South Canisteo Segment

From the north branch of Tuscarora Creek, one mile
east of South Canisteo (L—9), this segment is traceable to
the south into Liberty Creek and is then inferred to trend
southwest to the southern flank of Milwaukee Creek. In
both places the topography is weakly constructional and
correlation is only tentative. It is possible that this
segment correlates with patches of kame material in Bennett
Creek, near Norton Hollow although field evidence has not

yet been found to support this.

Purdy Creek Segment

 

The fourth segment is located two or three miles south
of Hartsville (L—9), forming the divide on the west, south,
and east of the headwaters of Purdy Creek. This segment is
manifested as moderately strong constructural topography,
looping south from White School and northeast again to Call
Hill School. It is possible that this moraine also cor-
relates with the patches of drift in Bennett Creek, but

again field evidence is missing.

Morphostratigraphic Correlations
The correlation of the Olean drift toward the east
and west offers little apparent complication, at present.
This drift sheet appears to be the southernmost in all areas
of New York State, from the re-entrant in the old ”Terminal

Moraine" on the Allegheny River near Salamanca, to the

54

Hudson valley. The present problem is not in finding the
correlate of the Olean drift but in finding the line along
which this drift Sheet wasoverridden by younger ice sheets.

The Almond Moraine is probably correlative with the
Kent Moraine of eastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania
.(Glacial Map of the United States east of the Rocky Moun-
tains). Muller (1964) has traced the Kent Moraine through
Chautauqua County and into Allegany County, New York.
While there is no direct link between the Almond Moraine
east of the Genesee River and the Kent Moraine on the west,
this correlation seems most probable based primarily on the
relationship with the Valley Heads system in both areas.

There are two possibilities for the eastward correla-
tion of the Almond Moraine. Moss and Ritter (1962) have
shown that there was no intervening glaciation between the
Olean and Valley Heads glaciations from the Elmira region
to the Catskill Mountains (the eastern Finger Lakes region).
Thus, the original suggestion of Denny (1956) that the
Valley Heads glacier overrode the Almond (”Binghamton”)
deposits has been supported by those authors, and by the
writer. In the present case it would appear that the Valley
Heads ice overrode the Almond deposits along the north end
of the Naples—Prattsburg interfluve.

A second possibility is that the Almond glacier
formed the high level moraine on the Naples—Prattsburg

interfluve and that the apparent recessional moraines, north

of, and lower than, the high level moraine, are actually
correlates of the Valley Heads Moraine of the Dansville—
Naples sector. Thus, the Valley Heads Moraine from the
Prattsburg valley east, would be correlative with the
Almond Moraine. This solution to the ”Binghamton problem"
would obviously create a somewhat similar "Valley Heads
problem.”

One of the strongest objections to the second alter-
native is that there is, to the writer's knowledge, no
evidence for a correlate of the Dansville—Naples Valley
Heads segment north of the type Valley Heads deposits of
the Seneca-Cayuga Lake lobation. Although there must be
some doubt about the eastern equivalent of the Valley Heads
Moraine, its western counterpart is well developed all the
way to Pennsylvania, where it is known as the Lake Escarp—
ment Moraine (Leverett, 1934).

Recently Winters (1961), Leighton (1959), and
Gravenor and Kupsch (1959) have been concerned with the
differentiation of deposits formed directly by rapid
ablation of active glaciers, from those resulting from
slow downwasting of stagnating ice. These authors agree
that the only satisfactory method for differentiating such
landforms is careful lithologic mapping, rather than by
cursory analyses of morphology alone. Since a detailed
consideration of rock stratigraphy is beyond the scope of

the present study and also since considerable variation in

56

topographic control is involved, no definite statement of
the state of the ice depositing these moraines can be made
without some degree of reservation.

The above notwithstanding, the writer concludes that
the Valley Heads Moraine and the Almond Moraine both repre-
sent readvances of the glacier that retreated from the
Olean terminus. Although much stagnant ice topography is
present in sheltered areas, the continuity of morainic
ridges on interfluves suggests active ice, as does the con—
stancy of the drift types within each of the morainic
systems. As discussed above, the slight differences in
the relationship of the moraines to pre-existing tOpography
have been used to infer a different thermophysical character
for each of the glaciations represented.

The problems associated with the interpretation and
correlation of the Arkport Moraine have also been dis-
cussed, above.

A composite map showing the morphostratigraphic cor-
relations is included as the first map in the series of

individual field maps in Appendix 2.

ROCK STRATIGRAPHY

Ever since MacClintock and Apfel (1944) separated the
drift sheets of the Salamanca re—entrant, investigators
have been attempting to find definitive criteria which will
allow long distance correlation of the Olean, Almond (nee,
Binghamton) and Valley Heads drift sheets. Although many
separate rock stratigraphic correlations have been suggested,
it still remains to define rock units, and prOpose formal
names for them. The writer will summarize the historical
development of the attempted definitions of rock units.
Then the units will be redefined for this region, on the

basis of information gathered during the present study.

Pebble Lithology

 

MacClintock and Apfel chose the lithology of the
pebbles present in the drift to define their rock units.
Till lithology has often been used erroneously as a synonym
for pebble lithology. As glacial formations vary in texture
from petromict conglomerates to very sparsely pebbley mud—
stones, pebble lithology is not usually representative of
total till lithology. Although pebbles should certainly
be accounted for in areas where the formations are conglom—

eritic, they are essentially unimportant in other areas.

57

58

MacClintock and Apfel defined the ”Binghamton” drift
as containing a significantly high percentage (usually 30%
or more) of limestone and other crystalline rocks. They
defined the Olean drift as being essentially exotic free
drift, made up of pebbles of locally derived siltstones and
shales. Since then many investigators, among whom are
Merritt and Muller (1959), Moss and Ritter (1962), Connally
(1962), and Coates (1963), have demonstrated that these are
lithofacies and that they are gradational and may both be
found within a single drift sheet.

Denny (1956) originally suggested that the bright
gravels might be stream gravels that were overridden by
advancing glaciers and remained restricted to stream valleys.
Conclusive evidence for this interpretation is reported by
Moss and Ritter for the Olean drift. These workers have
related bright deposits to pre—glacial valleys which head
near the Onondaga escarpment to the north (”through
valleys”). The facies distribution of pebble lithology has
been recognized by the writer in the Almond drift sheet and
by Merritt and Muller in the Valleys Heads drift.

The writer prOposes that Binghamton drift be used as
a restricted term in a rock stratigraphic sense only. He
further prOposes that the term be used to designate a
magnafacies in the regressive Wisconsinan deposits of
western New York, just as the term Chemung is restricted by

Woodrow and Nugent (1963) in the transgressive Devonion

59

Catskill deposits of the same region. This magnafacies is
found in each drift sheet, with thick conglomeritic lenses
of bright, valley-fill deposits in the valleys, surrounded
by a dull upland facies on the dissected plateau. It is
replaced by a Valley Train magnafacies to the south and a
Lake Plain magnafacies to the north. A simplified restored
section of this relationship is depicted in Figure 5a and

Figure 5b.

Depth of Leaching

 

Thornbury (1940) showed that depth of leaching could
be used as a time stratigraphic tool, when differentiating
drift of stage status. His work involved the problem of
differentiating between Illinoian and Wisconsinan deposits.

MacClintock (1954) attempted to use depth of leaching
to differentiate deposits on a Substage level. MacClintock
used depth of leaching to illustrate differences between
Olean drift and Almond (Binghamton) drift in New York. He
also showed similarities between Almond drift and Valley
Heads drift. He pointed out that time, size of carbonate
particles, percolation rate, precipitation, temperature,
biota, and soil type all affect the depth of leaching. By
holding as many factors constant as possible he believed
that he could validate his ”Binghamton” border in New York
State and could correlate the drift of western New York with

that present in New England.

60

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61

Merritt and Muller (1959) have Shown that the depth
of leaching is inversely proportional to the carbonate
content of the drift. Thus, depth of leaching merely re—
flects part of the lithology of the drift, as used by Mac—
Clintock, and therefore describes a rock unit rather than
a time unit. Merritt and Muller also suggest that the car-
bonate content of the pebble fraction is not necessarily a
reflection of the total carbonate content of the drift.

Holmes (1952) and Moss and Ritter (1962) have illu—
strated the progressive dilution of the coarse carbonate
fraction as one travels down current (down glacier).
Merritt and Muller also illustrate progressive dilution of
the finer fractions, as distance from the carbonate source
increases. This variation in total carbonate content is
due not only to dilution by materials which are being
added to the glacial load by erosion at the base of the
ice, but also by depletion of the carbonate due to deposi—
tion. Therefore, depth of leaching within the Binghamton
magnafacies should prove to be essentially the same for all

rock units in a given geographic area.

Texture
Texture has come to be used in a very restricted
sense by Pleistocene stratigraphers. Pettijohn (1957, p.
13) states that the texture of a sedimentary rock includes

the size, shape and arrangement of the constituent grains.

62

However, texture has come to be used in the restricted sense
of the soil scientist, meaning size only.

Holmes (1960) has done an excellent job of demon—
strating the evolution of till stone shape, working partic—
ularly in western New York. However, the coarse fraction
of till does not necessarily define shape for all fractions.
In a stratifiedfacies Shape is more variable than in till,
owing to the further complication of water rounding. The
importance of arrangement (frabic) is discussed below, under
a heading of its own.

Due to many complicating factors, texture is further
restricted to mean till texture; and even within this
narrowed definition, till texture is further restricted to
mean till-matrix texture. Texture is generally reported
using the designations of the soil scientist (see Millar,
Turk and Foth, 1951, p. 48) or as ratios between sand,
silt, and clay.

White (1960) has summarized the classification of
glacial deposits in northeastern Ohio using texture as one
of his key criteria. Shepps, et al. (1959) has illustrated
this technique in Pennsylvania, as has Muller (1964) in
extreme western New York. In the dissected plateau area
of New York the writer has shown that the texture of a till
matrix is a direct reflection of the material immediately
below the till (Connally, 1962). Street (1963) has also

shown a vertical variation within a related sequence of

63

tills in the region in question as well as relating texture
to underlying deposits.

Although texture, in its restricted usage, may be
helpful in local correlation of the unstratified facies of
some formations, it cannot be adopted as a definitive

characteristic for rock units in this region.

Heaverinerals

 

Heavy minerals have been used to define rock units

 

in the past. Heavy minerals are restricted to the inter-
mediate, sand fraction of a deposit. Unlike pebble litho—
logy, texture, color, and fabric they may be used in both
the stratified and unstratified lithofacies of formations.
For this reason, and those that follow, the writer prefers
using heavy mineral assemblages in attempting to define
rock units.

Heavy minerals survive long distances of transporta—
tion with much less loss than rock fragments (Plumley,
1948, pp. 570-576). Their provenance can therefore be used
to infer a distant source area, and hence to determine the
regional direction of former glacial movement. Another ad—
vantage is that they are not bulky, being easily stored and
worked with. Fortunately, in the western Finger Lakes
region there are no sources for non—opaque heavy minerals

(Connally, 1962, p. 262) which would dilute the assemblage.

64

Garnet Ratios

 

Dreimanis, Reavely, Cook, Knox and Moretti (1957) made
initial examinations of tills in Ontario and adjacent areas
in Canada. Their results indicate that heavy minerals give
evidence of the source of the glacier which deposited these
tills. They used heavy minerals to differentiate tills and
to infer glacial ”flow lines.” In a later report Dreimanis
(1960) clearly established a source for red and for purple
garnets found in Ontario and in New York. A dominance of
red garnet illustrates a source in the central Adirondacks
or in the Lake Superior ”Province” north of Lake Huron. A
dominance of purple garnet indicates a source north of
Ottawa and Montreal.

Lewis (1960) has also worked with garnet ratios in
tills of western New York. The writer worked with garnet
ratios in stratified drift of the same general area
(Connally, 1960). The results of these investigators, and
Dreimanis (gpyg) are consistent in defining two distinct
source areas for the drift in this study.

In the northern, post—Olean, drift sheets a dominance
of purple garnet is well established. The ratio is usually
1.4 or greater for known Classical Wisconsinan deposits.
The ratio is usually 1.2 or less for Olean deposits in this
region. Thus, regional ”flow lines” can be established
which suggest that earlier, Olean, glaciation had a center

of outflow in the Adirondack Mountains, the ice moving from

 

65

northeast to southwest. This interpretation is consistant
with the conclusions of Moss and Ritter (1962) based on
striae and fabric studies. The later glaciations (Almond
and Valley Heads) had sources in the region north of Ottawa
and Montreal and entered New York State from the Lake
Ontario basin. 1
The results of the present analyses, which are
reported below in Table 3, Figure 6, and the section on
"Rock Units,” fully support the above interpretations.

More recently Wingard (1963) has attempted to estab—

 

lish trends for heavy minerals in the western Finger Lakes
region. He reports ratios of purple garnet to red garnet
(clear/red) that are anomalously high for all areas. When
subjected to some reinterpretation, however, his other data
support the flow directions noted above.

As all Wingard's ratios are dominated by purple
garnet he treats the rest of his data as though all samples
have a common provenance. If two sources are recognized in
terms of the morainic boundaries which are established in
this study (see Figure 6), then his data may be reinter—
preted.

Wingard's southern tier of sample sites are all south
of the Almond—Valley Heads Moraines. If these sites (at
least 9, 10, 14, 15, 16 in his Plate 15) are thereby taken
to represent a separate source area, not related to the more

northerly sites, then a progressive dilution of the heavy

 

66

Table 3.-—Purple garnet/red garnet ratios.

 

 

Sample Sample

Number Purple/red Number Purple/red
60—l7a 1.3 61-3 0.9
60—l7b 1.7 61-5 1.2
60—19 0.7 61-8-2 1.5
60-21 1.4 61-9-1 1.4
60-23 1.6 61-9-2 1.1
60-24 1.4 61-10 1.5
60—30 2.0 61-11 1.2
60-32 1.5 61—14 2.0
60-37 1.4 61—15 1.1
60-41. 1.9 61—18 1.9
60—45-1 1.6 61-19 2.4
60-45—11 1.6 61—20—1 1.9
60—46-1 1.6 61—20—2 1.6
60-46-2 1.5 61-21 1.0
60—52 0.7 61—23 2.3
60-56 1.4 61—24 0.9
60-57-1 1.0 61-25 1.0
60-57-2 1.5 61—27 2.2
60-60-1 0.1 61—28 1.5
60-60-2 0.1 61-29 1.5
60—61 1.3 61—30 1.4
60-62 0.7 61-39-1 2.0
60—63 1.4 61—39-2 1.8
60-65 1.0 61-42 1.8
60-71 1.0 61—45-1 2.5
60-72 1.8 61-45-2 1.5
60-73 0.8 61—47 1.1
60-75—1 1.2 61—49 1.9
60-75—2 1.3 61—50 1.8
60—76 1.1 61-55~1 2.7

61-55—2 1.i

1.

61—58

 

 

67

 

      
  

Adirondack
MOUH'GIHS

 

 
 
 

P — Purple Gornel Dominance ——)- "Flow lune" lor posI-Olenn
R— Red Garnet Dominance (Almond 5 Valley Henrls)

__——> I'Flow line" for Olean glacuer glacuers

 

 

 

Fig. 6.--”Flow lines” established from garnet ratios.
Modified from Dreimanis (1960a, 1960b)

68

fraction takes place from two different directions for the
separate deposits. The dilution takes place from north to
south behind the Almond and Valley Heads Moraines. In the
Olean drift to the south, the dilution takes place from
east to west. A similar pattern may be recognized with
respect to other of Wingard's data; namely the percent of
garnet (his Plates 12 and 15) and the percent of magnetics
(his Plate 6). Again, by reinterpretation these data would
appear to support the previously mentioned directions of

former ice disbursement.

Coated Heaverinerals

 

Moss and Ritter divided the heavy minerals into
uncoated opaque minerals, uncoated non—opaque minerals, and
grains coated with iron oxide. These authors found few
coated minerals (less than 24%) in Valley Heads till, but
over 74% coated grains in the Olean till. Intermediate
percentages were found within the lenses of Hbright gravel”
in the Olean.

Coates (1963) states: ”The author is very surprised
that all Olean samples of Moss and Ritter Show coated
heavy minerals greater than 74%.” In view of the following,
the writer is not at all surprised at the results of Moss
and Ritter. The key to the heavy mineral coatings lies in
the statement of Moss and Ritter that: ”Because till cuts
extending into the unoxidized zone could not be found in the

H

uplands, a constant depth of 4 to 6 feet was adopted.

 

 

69

Because of the low percentages of carbonates in the upland
facies and the higher percentage in the bright gravels of
the lowland, one should expect upland samples to be well
within the zone of oxidation. Lowland samples should also
be much fresher at the stated depths. In fact, the high
carbonate content of the Valley Heads drift precludes much
oxidation at depth.
In these terms, coating ratios for heavy minerals

probably reflect the sampling technique employed. In this

instance, they are not suitable as a stratigraphic tool.

9219.:

Color, like texture, is used in a restricted sense to
designate the color of the matrix of till. For this reason
color is of little value in defining a glacial formation
which may contain coarse, stratified members. Although
previously the writer (Connally, 1962) has described the
Olean till as having a consistant ”olive” or greenish color,
it is realized that this notation is extremely subjective.
The descriptive term ”olive” (actually, olive—drab) has been
agreed to by other workers (Street, personal communication)
and in this case is considered to denote a useful disting-
uishing characteristic.

Generally color is not thought to be definitive of an
entire till unit, but it is consistant enough to be sugges-

tive for correlation within local areas. Figure 7 (in

 

70

Volume 2) shows the limit of olive till in the western
Finger Lakes region. It will be noted that this till is
confined to the area south of the Almond and Valley Heads
moraines. Exceptions to this are the tills at sites 60—63
(near Casaseraga Creek) and 61-3 (near Seneca Lake). These
were originally considered to be older, overridden deposits
when visited in the field, before a color relationship was

established.

Fabric

Wright (1957) and MacClintock (1958) have illustrated
the tendency for ice to cause the alignment of pebbles
parallel or perpendicular to the direction of glacier move—
ment. Moss and Ritter (1962, Fig. 7) Show the parallelism
of striations and fabric between the Finger Lakes and the
Catskills. North of the Valley Heads border the trend is
south—southeast, while south of the Valley Heads border the
trend is southwest. This means that the northerly trend is
almost perpendicular to the southerly trend in the Olean
drift.

The trends of Moss and Ritter suggest only two
glaciations in the eastern Finger Lakes region. Their
initial glaciation is the Olean, coming from the Adirondacks;
their second being the Valley Heads, coming from the Lake
Ontario depression. This is in agreement with the above

noted trends established by garnet ratios, and would appear

71

to preclude the presence of Almond ice in this region,
south of the Valley Heads Moraine.

Although fabric studies include more than just the
matrix of a rock unit, they are applicable only to tills.
Furthermore, in such a completely dissected area they
should be restricted to upland tills. Lowland tills and
stratified deposits tend to be channeled by pre-existing
valleys as shown by the more southerly extension of ice in
valleys than on uplands.

Though fabric studies, supported by observations on
striations underlying the drift, are probably the most in-
formative studies in this region and adjacent ones, they

can not be used to define suitable rock units.

Rock Units

 

Krumbein and Sloss (1951, p. 27) state that: "A
formation is a genetic unit and represents a response to
an environment, or a series of environments, and such en-
vironments must be limited geographically as well as tem—

” formations should be

porally.” They also state:
distinguished as much as possible on the basis of lithologic

unity " and "Formations should be established with

boundaries that may be readily traced in the field "
It is obvious that the glacial deposits of the western
Finger Lakes region fit into the first statement. They are

limited geographically by definition and most certainly

72

represent a response to particular environmets. The tem—
poral limitations are also present and are dealt with under
the section "Time Stratigraphy" below.

Many investigators have attempted to establish litho-
logic properties that are essentially uniform. From what
has been discussed, however, it is evident that all attempts
at field definition have failed and that such attempts are
either to be abandoned or criteria will have to be employed

which are not recognizable in the field.

Definitions

 

The writer has ad0pted the latter view, and therefore
will attempt to define formations on the basis of heavy
minerals. Specifically, ratios of purple garnet to red
garnet are proposed as definitive characteristics for two
formations.

The problem of a type section for Pleistocene deposits
is a complex one. The units which lie beneath the extensive
basal unconformity are too variable to be useful, while the
unconformity itself is understood. In a regressive glacial
sequence there is seldom an identifiable overlying unit,
thus the upper and lower limits of the formation are useless
concepts. Another complication is that suitable exposures
must be fresh. This means that they are being vigorously
eroded at present.

Because of the ephemeral nature of most outcrops only

a type area is designated. While garnet ratios are the

73

definitive characteristic, other pr0perties will be men—
tioned. The other properties may vary beyond the limits
to be mentioned without affecting the usefulness of the
definitions based on garnet ratios.

The writer proposes that all of the Wisconsinan
deposits of this region be called the Finger Lakes Group
(new). This includes all unconsolidated rock units above
the pre—Wisconsinan unconformity. The basal formation of
the Finger Lakes Group is the Olean Formation (redefined)
while the upper one is the Canaseraga Formation (new).

The type area for the Finger Lakes Group is the Finger
Lakes region of western New York State.

The Olean Formation includes all of the glacial drift
and associated glacio—fluvial deposits between the uncon—
formable contact with bedrock at the base, and the discon-
formable overlying contact with the Canaseraga Formation.
The Olean Formation is named for exposures of till and
gravel exposed near Olean, New York as described by Mac—
Clintock and Apfel in 1944.

The unstratified facies of the Olean has a clay or
clay loam matrix with a typical olive color. Till stones
are common, and may either be local or exotic, although
they are of local derivation in the type area. The till
is only Slightly calcareous as determined with 1N HCl, and
may be leached as much as 12 feet below the surface. The

definitive characteristic of the Olean Formation, in the

74

western Finger Lakes region, is the dominance of red garnet
over purple garnet. Although the ratio (purple/red) is
usually less than 1.0 it varies locally to 1.2.

The stratified facies of the Olean may be locally
important, as in the region between the Finger Lakes and
the Catskills. It is found in valley bottoms and may ex-
hibit exotic pebbles. It forms a series of discontinuous
lenses within the Olean, of which the one in the Chenango
River is probably typical. Although this type area is
outside the western Finger Lakes region, it has been well
described by Moss and Ritter. This lense phenomenon is
therefore named the Chenango member (new) of the Olean
Formation.

The upper formation in the Finger Lakes Group is the
Canaseraga Formation. The Canaseraga includes all of the
drift between the Olean (or bedrock where the Olean is
absent) and the present erosion surface. The Canaseraga
is named for exposures of till on tributaries to upper
Canaseraga Creek, in the vicinity of the village of Can-
aseraga, New York.

The unstratified facies of the Canaseraga has a
silt or silty clay matrix and is grey or blue-grey in color.
Till stones are common, and are usually more exotic than
those of the Olean Formation. The till is calcareous below
the zone of leaching, which is usually not more than 4 feet

in depth. The definitive characteristic is a dominance of

75

purple garnet over red garnet. Although the garnet ratio
(purple/red) is typically greater than 1.4, it can be as
low as 1.2.

The stratified facies of the Canaseraga forms an im-
portant part of this formation. It is usually found in
valley bottoms and tends to exhibit many exotic pebbles.

It forms a series of discontinuous lenses, of which the
ones in Goff Creek, west of Bath, New York are thought to
be typical. These discontinuous lenses are referred to as
the Goff Creek member (new) of the Canaseraga Formation.

The geographic division between the Canaseraga Forma—
tion and the Olean Formation, from which it has regressed,
is the Almond Moraine. East of Prattsburg where the Almond
system has been overridden, the Valley Heads Moraine is the
dividing line. At present, the drift north of the Valley
Heads border is included in the Canaseraga Formation
because it cannot be differentiated rock stratigraphically.
The only difference between the Canaseraga drift and Valley
Heads drift is that they are separated by a morphostrati-

graphic unit; the Valley Heads Moraine.

Correlations

 

Following the definitions established above, the
morphostratigraphic borders must be altered somewhat from
the original field correlations. Table 3 lists the garnet

ratios for the field sites; Figure 8 (in Volume 2) shows

76

the aerial distribution of red and purple garnet dominance.
The two principle changes based on heavy minerals are in
the Canisteo River valley south of Hornell (K—9) and on the
Naples—Prattsburg interfluve (J-lO).

Purple garnet is found to dominate in till samples
from sites 61—30 and 61-42 (K-9). This correlates them
with the Canaseraga Formation and necessitates the extension
of the Almond Moraine into the Canisteo valley.

The second change in interpretation is necessitated
by finding the samples at sites 60—73, 61—21, and 61—25
(K-lO) dominated by red garnet. This evidence, supplemented
by the striae direction of N 72° E at 60-74 suggests the
conclusion that this area is only vaneered with Olean drift
and that it was probably not glaciated after the Olean
glaciation. This evidence further suggests a change in the
interpretation of the Almond Moraine as discussed with

respect to the Cohocton Valley section (K-lO).

TIME STRATIGRAPHY

Theoretically a time—stratigraphic market is a dis—
tinctive deposit, desposited synchronously all over the
world. In practice, however, a time—stratigraphic marker
is any recognizable deposit which is laid down more or less
contemporaneously within a large area.

In glacial stratigraphy there is much doubt concerning
the degree of time equivalence represented by the various
deposits of a single glaciation. Depending on which
figures are adapted ikm'the rate of glacial advance (see
Flint, 1955) deposits in Canada are a few hundred to a few
thousand years older than the deposits in the United States.
Presumably, deposition could have begun beneath the ice in
Canada, long before the glacier reached the United States,
pre—dating the southerly deposits.

Therefore, interglacial or intraglacial (see Leighton,
1960) deposits have become the dominant time stratigraphic
markers. As climatic conditions affect a large area contem-
poraneously, deposits are sought which are climate-sensitive.
Thus far, only lacustrine or paludal sediments offer real
hope. Antevs (1945) has shown how inorganic sediments may
be used to advantage in limited areas, however many problems

arise in counting varves, the solution of which seems to

77

78

require too much subjective interpretation. Organic sedi—
ments are a more reliable tool of the glacial stratigrapher.
The first reason for this is that pollen profiles (see
Darrah, 1961) may be obtained and correlated on a regional
basis. Secondly, radiocarbon dates may be obtained from

a sequence and from these, a finite time scale may be

established.

Radiocarbon Dates

 

Radiocarbon dates may actually be of two kinds. The
first is as noted above where a deposit of organic sediment,
usually peat, yields a date for an interglacial or intra—
glacial age. This date is then used as a limit for the
underlying or overlying deposits. The second type of date
is much rarer and for some interpretations more satisfactory.
It is obtained from organic material, usually trees, incor—
porated in glacial deposits by the overriding of a glacier.
This date is then a very close approximation of the glacial
advance. Unfortunately, none of the latter type have been

found in New York State.

Pleistocene Chronology

 

The Pleistocene Epoch has been divided by many workers
into four glacial stages (see Flint, 1957, pp. 335—341)
separated by three interglacial stages. There is little
agreement at present on the absolute chronology of the time

units, but recent finite dates suggest that the Wisconsinan

79

stage commenced about 70,000 years before present. The
names for the Pleistocene stages are listed below.
Wisconsinan stage
Sangamon interglacial stage
Illinoian stage
Yarmouthian interglacial stage
Kansan stage
Aftonian interglacial stage
Nebraskan stage

The Wisconsinan has further been subdivided into at
least five substages. Recently, Frye and Willman (1960)
have redefined the nomenclature for the classical deposits
of the Lake Michigan lobe. In Figure 9, the Frye and Will—
man classification is illustrated along with its more
familiar predecessor.

In this study the writer adopts the post—Altonian
part of this classification. The first reason is that it
represents the doctrine of the Illinois State Geological
Survey in describing the type localities for Wisconsinan
time—stratigraphic units. A second reason is that the
philos0phy behind the proposal of the Woodfordian substage
cannot help but be adopted by a worker in New York State.
Their discussion might well be about New York when they say:
”The Woodfordian substage . . . contains about 30 recognized
end moraines. Although recording in minute detail the suc—
cessive configurations of the limit of glacial ice, the

individual moraines cannot be traced with certainty across

re—entrants within the lobe. They are not adaptable to

80

Former Clossnfncouon Frye a Wlllnwut

 

 

Recent Sioge
Recent Stoqe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volderon
Moumoio _______ Two Creeks
Cory
WOOdfOI’leH
TozeweH
Iowan _______
Formdole Formdolnon
Songomon Alfonifln
Sioqe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig. 9.—-Classification of the Wisconsinan Stage
after Frye and Willman.

81

treatment as time-stratigraphic units both because of the
extremely short time Span represented by an individual
moraine and their lack of sufficient continuity."

In the Lake Erie-Ontario lobe the Altonian substage
of Frye and Willman apparently should be further subdivided.
Dreimanis (1960) reports a range of dates for the Plum
Point ”interstadial” (intraglacial substage) beds which
correlate them with the Farmdalian of Frye and Willman.
Below the Plum Point beds, in descending order is, the
Southwold drift, the Port Talbot ”interstadial” beds, and
the Dunwich drift. Recently, Dreimanis (personal communi-
cation, 1963) has discovered more ”interstadial beds”
beneath the Dunwich drift, and a basal, red till beneath
them. This lowest intraglacial deposit would presumably
be correlative with the St. Pierre ”interstadial” beds of
Terrasmae (1958).

In terms of the foregoing, the composite Wisconsinan

column adopted by the writer is listed below.

Wisconsinan stage

Valderan substage

Two Creek intraglacial substage
Woodfordian substage

Farmdalian intraglacial substage
Southwold? substage

Port Talbot intraglacial substage
Dunwich? substage

St. Pierre intraglacial substage
Basal Wisconsinan substage

Sangamon interglacial stage

82

Time—Stratigraphic Correlations

 

The Olean Formation

 

The lower limit for the Olean Formation is the
Sangamon interglacial stage. Frye and Willman place this
stage at 50,000 to 70,000 years before present. As the St.
Pierre beds date at 66,000 and there is apparently Wiscon-
sinan drift beneath this, the lower limit of 70,000 is
accepted here. Thus, the Olean is at least 70,000 years
old.

The upper limit for the Olean Formation may be a
finite date of 64,900 :_l500 years (GRN 3213) as reported
by Muller (personal communication), from the Otto intra-
glacial site. The Olean till is reported by Dreimanis
(1960) to underly the Otto peat. There is also a possi—
bility that Olean Formation overlies the Otto peat as
reported earlier by MacClintock and Apfel (1944). Drei—
manis, however, feels that the overlying gravel is
associated with the peat rather than with subsequent
glaciation.

Lewis (1959) has shown that the basal unit at Gowanda,
New York is also Olean. This unit incorporates shells that
have been dated at greater than 35,000 years. If a finite
date should be obtained which is correlative with the Otto
intraglacial; then the Olean would also be equated to the
Southwold drift of Dreimanis. This relationship is depicted

in Figure 10.

83

 

 

 

 

  
  
   
  
    

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGE SUBSTAGE NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE
Z
9
'2:
Valderan Absent 2
CC
0
LL.
r ll,OOO
Fl2,OOO Two Creeks. Lake lroquous _/
Umdenhtted
Recessionat Moraines g
Woodfordian Valley Heads Moraine <1
Arkport Moraine E
Almond Moraine (f)
-22,000 2t
4 O.
Farmdalian ? '0 8
—28,000 -r Ci
0
(f)
2 'lfi
Southwold? Olean at Gowando. X
2 <1'
__I
9
t...
<[
e44,ooo E E
Port Talbot ? CD (9
n47,500 LL 2
LL
‘2
<1
El"
Dunwtch? At: 1
sen O
~64,800
P66,OOO St. Pierre Otto Peot ,H)
Bosot *7
Wisconsmon Olean ot Otto
1.70,000 ———-
Fig. lO.--Diagramatic representation of the

Wisconsinan Column for New York State.

 

84

The Canaseraga Formation

 

The Canaseraga drift also has only limiting dates,
from neighboring areas. The only finite lower limit in
New York State is the previously mentioned 64,900 years.

If the inference drawn by White (1960) is correct that the
Kent till of northeastern Ohio is equivalent to the Cary
Moraine in Illinois, then this gives a much younger limit
to the Canaseraga.

The Kent Moraine in Ohio has been assigned to Cary
time by MacClintock and Apfel (1944), MacClintock (1954),
and White, §t_al, (1957). It has been assigned to early
Cary by Muller (1957, 1964) and Shepps, §t_g;, (1959). The
New York equivalent (Almond) would also be Cary or early
Cary.

The Almond Moraine (as well as the Arkport and Valley
Heads Moraines) is superposed on the Canaseraga Formation.
Indeed, thelhhmnmlMoraine appears to be the southern limit
of this formation. Thus the entire Canaseraga appears to
have been deposited during Cary time.

Subsequent to the aforementioned assignments, Frye
and Willman re-evaluated the type area. According to these
authors, the term Cary merely denotes a morphostratigraphic
unit of Woodfordian age. Thus the lower limit becomes
22,000 years.

The upper limit for the Canaseraga drift is any date

for Lake Iroquois (Hough, 1958; Fairchild 1932a). Lake

85

Iroquois wasthe pre—Ontario lake in the Lake Ontario basin
and as such is the latest glacial event to affect western
New York. According to Karrow, et_al,(l96l) Lake Iroquois
must have been in existence during latest Woodfordian and
Two Creeks time. This would place an upper limit of about
12,500 years on the deposition of the Canaseraga Formation.
Another significant date is 14,000 :_350 for the
upper limit of the Kent till in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
This date is from basal peat and marl in a Kent kettle.
This dates the recession of the Woodfordian glacier from the
Kent Moraine and therefore probably from the Almond Moraine
also.
The age of the Valley Heads and Arkport Moraines is
uncertain, however, the Valley Heads was assigned to Cary
by Flint (1957), Holmes (1952), and MacClintock and Apfel
(1944). It has been assigned to late Cary by Muller (1957),
White, et_al, (1957), and White (1960). This positions it
as another recessional Woodfordian deposit, younger than

the Almond Moraine.

Stability Ratios

 

Previously, the writer has suggested that heavy
minerals could be used as a time—stratigraphic indicator
(Connally, 1960). He used ratios of unstable minerals
(Hornblende, Hypersthene, and Monoclinic pyroxene) to stable

minerals (all garnet) to characterize deposits having a common

86

provenance but differing in age. These were termed
stability ratios. It was found that younger deposits had
higher ratios and the inference is that they have retained
more unstable material due to their youth. Independent
physical evidence (Connally, 1960, Plates 8 and 9) sug—
gests that the instability is due to intrastratal solution.

During the present study the writer has again com—
puted stability ratios for hornblende, hypersthene, and
monoclinic pyroxene for the Canaseraga Formation. The
purpose is to compare values from the proximal sides of the
various moraines in order to examine the age relationships.
These values are recorded in Table 4.

No laterally consistant variations are indicated for
any of the stability ratios computed. A similar decrease
in the ratios is again noted for any given north-south
traverse. However, the ratios vary from one point to
another along each of the three moraines. Although this
is not thought to invalidate any of the writer's previous
conclusions, it does refute the suggestion that stability
ratios might be used as a tool in time—stratigraphic

correlation.

87

TABLE 4.-—Stability ratios for hornblende, hypersthene,
and monoclinic pyroxene.

 

Sample Hornblende Hypersthene Monoclinic Pyroxene

 

Number Garnet Garnet Garnet
60-l7a 2.02 0.76 0.29
60-17b 0.40 0.12 0.05
60-23 1.42 0.63 0.23
60—24 1.39 0.39 0.19
60-30 1.45 0.38 0.14
60-32 2.33 0.54 0.37
60-37 1.13 0.21 0.26
60—41 0.83 0.27 0.27
60-45-I 0.78 0.35 0.49
60—45—II 1.07 0.23 0.33
60—46-1 2.12 0.67 0.62
60-46-2 1.75 0.68 0.32
60-56 1.39 0.5 0.14
60—57—1 1.49 0.39 0.23
60-57-2 1.41 0.45 0.24
60-61 2.23 0.36 0.48
60—63 1.41 0.45 0.24
60—72 0.63 0.24 0.21
60-75—1 1.54 0.15 0.15
60-75—2 1.00 0.29 0.00
61-5 0.52 0.08 0.22
61—8—2 0.96 0.23 0.20
61—9 0.43 0.15 0.13
61-10 0.90 0.32 0.20
61—11 1.04 0.32 0.24
61-14 0.74 0.11 0.15
61-18 0.5 0.19 0.08
61—19 0.85 0.25 0.22
61-20—1 1.30 0.27 0.18
61-20—2 1.16 0.27 0.21
61-23 0.47 0.09 0.08
61—27 0.66 0.13 0.16
61—28 1.26 0.61 0.30
61—29 0.45 0.16 0.06
61-30 1.21 0.42 0.26
61—39-1 1.40 0.20 0.12
61—39-2 0.85 0.-4 0.11
61—42 0.65 0.20 0.08
61-45—1 1.10 0.33 0.10
61-45-2 0.67 0.22 0.10
61-49 0.90 0.22 0.12
61-50 1.48 0.42 0.19
61—55—1 0.70 0.30 0.18
61—55—2 0.87 0.21 0.17
61—58 0.63 0.15 0.13

 

CONCLUSIONS

The name ”Binghamton" should be restricted to,
and used as, a rock—stratigraphic term. It
should be used to designate the magnafacies

in the drift in which lenses of bright, valley-
fill, gravel are present.

The name Almond should be adopted for the
morphostratigraphic equivalent of the old
”Binghamton Moraine” in the western Finger
Lakes region.

There are three morphostratigraphic units

in the western Finger Lakes region; the

Almond Moraine, the Arkport Marine, and the
Valley Heads Moranie. These moraines trend
East—West across the region.

The Almond Moraine is the oldest. It is
quasi—continuous from the Genesee River to
the vicinity of Bath, New York and is the
southernmost moraine in this region.

The Arkport Moraine is intermediate in age

and position. It is continuous from Bennett
Creek, near Canaseraga, to the Cohocton River.

It cannot be traced east or west of these points

88

89

This moraine could be either an advance phase
of the Valley Heads glaciation or a reces—
sional phase of the Almond. No evidence has
been found to favor either alternative.

The Valley Heads Moraine is the youngest
moraine and is continuous from the Genesee
River to Seneca Lake.‘-East of Bath the
Valley Heads glacier evidently overrode the
Almond deposits. In this area the Valley
Heads Moraine is the southernmost.

On the basis of distinctive ratios of purple
garnet to red garnet, the glacial drift can
be divided into two formations. The older
formation, termed the Olean, exhibits ratios
that are usually 1.2 or less. The younger
formation, termed the Canaseraga, exhibits
ratios that are usually 1.4 or higher.

The provenance of the Olean Formation is in
the central Adirondacks, as indicated by the
presence of appreciable amounts of red garnet.
Thus, the Olean glaciation may have originated
in the Adirondack Mountains, or been abetted
by ice from this region. In any case, it had
the Adirondacks as a disbursing center.

In the area occupied by Olean drift, the valleys

are filled with gravel lenses. These form a

 

10.

ll.

12.

90

sequence of discontinuous lenses in the Olean
Formation and are named the Chenango member
of the formation.

The provenancefor the Canaseraga Formation is
probably north of Ottawa and Montreal. The
glacier is presumed to have traversed the St.
Lawrence lowland and moved into western New
York State via the Lake Ontario depression.
The Canaseraga Formation has a discontinuous
sequence of lenses similar to the Olean form-
ation. These are named the Goff Creek member
of the Canaseraga Formation.

Although "stability ratios" may be related to
the age of drift deposits, they do not appear

to be useful in correlation.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY

The Prattsburg valley, and the adjacent upland,
should be studied in detail. The many morainic
ridges that loop across this valley should be
correlated with their equivalents in the Keuka
Lake valley to the east and the Naples valley
to the west. In this manner it will be
possible to locate the exact point at which
the Valley Heads glacier overrode the Almond
Moraine.

The upper Canisteo River valley, west of
Hornell, should also be studied in detail.

In this study an attempt should be made to
establish the age relations for the abundance
of water—laid drift present. It should be
possible to differentiate between Almond and
Pre—Almond deposits, thus positioning the
Almond Moraine more definitely.

A trend surface analysis Should be made for
the heavy minerals in both the Olean and

the Canaserage Formations. In this study
”flow lines" might be established more
definitely and local sources of contamination

detected.

91

92

As an extension of the present aerial
study, the southern tier of quadrangles
should be mapped in order to locate any
other Olean morainic segments which may

be present.

As another extension of this study, the
more northerly quadrangles should be
investigated in order to depict the reces—

sional history of the Valley Heads glacier.

 

REFERENCES CITED

Anteus, Ernst. 1945. Correlation of Wisconsin glacial
maxima. Am. Jour. Sci., v. 2 3A, p. 1—39.

Broughton, John G., D. W. Fisher, Y. W. Isachsen, and
L. V. Rickard. 1962. The Geology of New York State.
N. Y. State Museum and Science Service, Geol. Survey,
Map & Chart Ser. No. 5, 42 p.

Chamberlin, T. C. 1883. Terminal moraine of the second
glacial epoch. U.S.G.S., Third Ann. Rpt.

Coates, Donald R. 1963. General geology of south—
central New York. N.Y.S.G.A. Guidebook,pp. 19—35.

 

Connally, G. Gordon. 1959. Heavy minerals in the drift
of western New York. Unpublished M.S. thesis, U. of
Rochester, 72 p.

. 1960. Heavy minerals in the drift of western
New York, Roch. Ac. of Sci., Proc., v. 10, pp. 241-
278.

. 1961. The glacial geology of the western
Finger Lakes region, New York, Progress Report I.
Ms. Rpt. to N. Y. State Museum & Sci. Service, 35 p.

1962. The glacial geology of the western
Finger Lakes region, New York, Progress Report II.
Ms. Rpt. to N. Y. State Museum & Sci. Service. 35 p.

Darrah, William C. 1960. Principles of Paleobotony.
2nd. ed., Ronald Press, New York, 259 p.

Denny, Charles S. 1956. Wisconsin drifts in the Elmira
Region, New York and their possible equivalents in
New England. Am. Jour. Sci., v. 254, pp. 82-93.

DeVries, H. A. and A. Dreimanis. 1960. Finite radio—
carbon dates of the Port Talbot deposits in southern
Ontario. Sci., v. 131, pp. 1738—1739.

Dreimanis, Aleksis. 1960. Pre—classical Wisconsin in the
eastern portion of the Great Lakes Region, North ‘
America. Int. Geol. Congress, XXI Session, Part IV, 1
pp. 108—119.

93 l

94

Dreimanis, Alekeis, G. H. Reavely, R. J. B. Cook, K. S.
Knox, and F. J. Moretti. 1957. Heavy mineral
studies in the tills of Ontario and adjacent areas.
Jour. Sed. Pet., v. 27, pp. 135-142.

Fairchild, H. L. 1932a. Closing stage of New York glacial
gigtory. Geol. Soc. America, Bull., v. 43, pp. 600-
2 .

. 1932b. New York moraines, Geol. Soc. America,
Bull., v. 43, pp. 627-662.

 

Flint, R. F. 1955. Rates of advance and retreat of the
late—Wisconsin ice sheet. Am. Jour. Sci., v. 253,

pp. 249-255.

. 1957. Glacial and Pleistocene Geology. John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 551 p.

 

 

Frye, John C. and H. B. Willman. 1960. Classification
of the Wisconsinan Stage in the Lake Michigan glacial
lobe. 111. State Geol. Survey Circ. 285, 16 p.

Glacial map of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
Geol. Soc. Amer., 1959.

Gravenor, C. P. and W. O. Kupsch. 1959. Ice-disintegration
features in western Canada. Jour. Geol., v. 67,

pp. 46—62.

Holmes, 0. D. 1952. Drift dispersion in west-central New
York. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., v. 63, pp. 993—1010.

. 1960. Evolution of till—stone shapes, central
New York. Geol. Soc. America, Bull., v. 71., pp.

1645-1660.

 

Horberg, Leland and R. C. Anderson. 1956. Bedrock top—
ography and Pleistocene glacial lobes in central
United States. Jour. Geol., v. 64, pp. 101-116.

Hough, Jack L. 1958. Geology of the Great Lakes. U. of
I11. Press, Urbana, 111., 313 p.

 

Karrow, Paul F., J. R. Clark, and J. Terasmae. 1961. The
age of Lake Iroquois and Lake Ontario. Jour. Geol.,

v. 69, pp. 659—667.

Krumbein, W. G. and F. J. Pettijohn. 1938. Manual of
Sedimentary Petrographi. Appleton—Century Co., Inc.
New York. 529 p. ..

 

 

95

Krumbein, W. G. and L. L. Sloss. 1963. Stratigraphy and
Sedimentation. 2d. ed., W. H. Freeman and Co., San
Francisco, 660 p.

 

 

Lawler, Thomas. 1962. A field study of local magnetic
disturbances from glacial drift in Michigan. M. S.
thesis, Michigan State U.

Leighton, M. M. and J. A. Brophy. 1961. Illinoian
glaciation in Illinois. Jour. Geol., v. 69, pp. 1-31.

Leverett, Frank. 1902. Glacial formations and drainage
features of the Erie and Ohio basins. U. S. Geol.
Survey, Mon. 41, 802 p.

Lewis, D. W. 1960. Heavy mineral content of tills in
western New York. Compass, V. 37, pp. 162—173.

Lewis, H. C. 1884. Report on the terminal moraine across
Pennsylvania and western New York. Second Geol.
Survey of Penna., Rpt. Z.

MacClintock, Paul. 1954. Leaching of glacial gravels in
eastern North America. Geol. Soc. America, Bull.,

v. 65, pp. 369—384.

1958. Glacial Geology of the St. Lawrence
Seaway and power projects. New York State Museum
& Science Service, Bull., 26 p.

 

and E. T. Apfel. 1944. Correlation of the drifts
of theSalamancaIkrfimmrant, New York. Geol. Soc.
America, Bull., v. 55, pp. 1143—1164.

 

Merritt, R. S. and E. H. Muller. 1959. Depth of leaching
in relation to carbonate content of till in central
New York. Am. Jour. Sci., v. 257, pp. 465-480.

Millar, C. E., L. M. Turk, and H. D. Foth. 1958. Soil
Science. 3rd. ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New
York, 526 p.

Moss, John H. and Dale F. Ritter. 1962. New evidence
regarding the Binghamton substage in the region
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Muller, Ernest H. 1957. Glacial Geology of western and
central New York. Ms. Rpt. to State Geologist, N.
Y. State Sci. Service.

96
Muller, Ernest H. 1964. Pleistocene geology of Chautauqua
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Pettijohn, F. J. 1957. Sedimentary Rocks. 2d. ed., Harper
Brothers, New York, 739 p.

 

Plumley, William J. 1948. Black Hills terrace gravels: a
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97

Woodrow, Donald L. and R. C. Nugent. 1963. Facies and the
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S
E
C
I
D
m
P
P
A

98

APPENDIX I
A DESCRIPTION OF THE FIELD
SITES CITED IN THE TEXT
Each field site is identified by a combination of
numbers and letters. The first set of numbers indicates
the field site number as cited (described on page 13
The second set refers to the map grid number (described
in Figure 4) preceded by the ninth 0f the map in which
the Site is located. The last set is the approximate
elevation of the field Site.
For the sake of brevity, common symbols for feet
and inches are used. In addition, all numbers are given

by digits.

60-32; SW, J-9; 1480

 

There is 0.5' of firm, brown, calcareous till on
bedrock. The till contains a great deal of ”bright”
gravel and either lies on, or incorporates, lacustrine
sediment which is found at the base of the till. The
till caps a bench of Chemung—type sandstone which crops
out in the adjacent roadcut. This lithology evidently
caused the resistance of the ledge. In places the till

has been washed away and prominant striae are revealed

99

 

100

60-63; NE, K-8; 1500

A cutbank in Slader Creek exposes a till with
”bright" gravel. The till is apparently north of the
Almond border but is not the characteristic blue color.
The color is the olive of the pre-Almond drift seen at
other sites south of the Almond Moraine. The till is
stoney, firm and calcareous with a silty clay matrix.
At one point it grades up into an oxidized zone which is
overlain by calcareous alluvium. This may be a truncated
paleosol. The sample was taken from beneath the oxidized

zone.

60-73; C, K-lO; 13OO

 

A gravel pit in kame-type outwash is apparently
the terminus of the Valley Heads Moraine in the Fivemile
Creek valley. At this time (July, 1960) I have an
inkling that this is pre—Valley Heads. The sample is from
the base of a 50‘ face which reveals sand and gravel which
is almost rhythamically bedded. The lithology of the

gravel is Olean and the bedding is from the east.

60-74, NC, K-lO; L1800

 

This is an abandoned quarry in a flat potato field.
The cap rock, beneath the soil, is a polished and striated
siltstone. The striae trend N 720 E and are well exposed.

There are two prominant joint sets at N 840 E and N 120 W.

101

61-3; NW, K-12; 1260

 

A gravel pit, 1/2 mile E. of North Beaver Dams
School reveals a 12' face of unoxidized, calcareous,
gravel over olive, silty clay, gravelly till. The till
appears to be oxidized immediately below the gravel and
blends into olive at the base. This is tentatively
interpreted as the Valley Heads terminus overlying Olean

till.

61-6; NC, K-ll; 1440

 

Striae are observed on a polished, ripple marked,
siltstone which trend N 150 E, parallel to the Keuka Lake

valley.

61—7, 0, K-11, 1420

 

Two observations were made, about 60' apart. Both

recorded striae trending N 20° E.

61-11; SC, K-12; 1300

 

A roadside ditch exposes a loam till. The till
is bluish-purple, stoney (”bright”) and leached for almost
5'. It is calcareous for 2' above bedrock, where it was
sampled. A fabric determined from a few stones gives a
direction of N 450 E, indicating deposition from the

Catherine Creek lobation.

102

61-21; NW, K-lO; 1300

 

This is a gravel pit on the Tenmile Creek valley
wall. The pit is Olean in every respect and is probably
a kame terrace remnant. The sample is unleached at about
15' beneath a stripped surface but there are leached

pebbles at this depth.

61-25; C, k-10; 1320

 

This is an active gravel pit with a 60' face. The
gravel is foreset and "bright” but it is imbedded in an
oxidized sand. The bedding is from N 165° E and the

sample is from a 15' sand lense.

61—30; SC, K-9; 1500

 

A cutbank on Cunningham Creek Shows 2-3' of blue,
silty clay till. The till is very stoney with limestone
present in sub—Binghamton (less than ”bright") proportions.
The till is firm and fresh. The upper 8” is oxidized to
yellow brown below which the blue is mottled with olive.

The till is overlain by 6H of finely laminated sand.

61-42; SC, K-9 1400

 

A gravel pit reveals bright, kame-type gravels with

the bedding obscured.

 

Room USE ONLY ”7 ‘4"

 

 

 

   

M'llllllllllillillllfillfllllllllllflllll'“