Washington Formation

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Washington Formation
Stratigraphic range: Permian
Bituminous coal (Washington Coal, Upper Pennsylvanian; Narrows Run South roadcut, near Powhatan Point, Ohio, USA) 2.jpg
Bituminous coal (Washington Coal, Upper Pennsylvanian; Ohio)
Type Formation
Unit of Dunkard Group [1]
Sub-unitsUpper Washington

Jollytown coal
Hundred sandstone
Upper Marietta
Washington “A” coal
Middle Washington
Lower Washington
Lower Marietta
Washington (No. 12) coal
Little Washington coal
Mannington sandstone
Waynesburg “A” coal
Waynesburg Sandstone
Elm Grove limestone

Cassville

Contents


Underlies Greene Formation
Overlies Waynesburg Formation
Lithology
Primary limestone, sandstone, coal
Other shale
Location
Region Ohio and West Virginia
Country United States

The Washington Formation is a coal, sandstone, and limestone geologic formation located in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. [1] It dates back to the Lower Permian period, with its base at or near the Permian/Carboniferous boundary. [2] [3] The Washington formation and the Dunkard Group as a whole was deposited at a time when the continents were in the process of forming the "Super Continent" Pangaea as well as a gradual drop in sea levels. [4] The result during this period was coals being thinner and impure with high ash content. The limestones found with in the formation are exclusively freshwater deposits.

Paleofauna

The Paleo fauna of the Washington formation is considered similar to that of the Texas red beds, sharing many taxa of fish and tetrapods with the red beds. Some of the taxa listed suggest an Artinskian age [5]


Fishes

Orthacanthus

Xenacanthus

Ectosteorhachis

Dipnoa


Amphibians

Eryops


Trimerorhacis

Zatrachys

Diploceraspis

Acheloma

Synapsids

Edaphosaurus boanerges

Dimetrodon limbatus


Ophiacodon retroversus


Diadectomorpha

Diadectes

References

  1. 1 2 Berryhill, Henry L. Jr.; Swanson, Vernon E. (1962). "Geological Survey research 1962; Short papers in geology and hydrology" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper. 450-C: 43–46. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  2. Wayne Martin, Bernard Henniger (1965). "The Hockingport and Waynesburg Sandstones (Pennsylvanian and Permian) of the Dunkard Group: ABSTRACT" . AAPG Bulletin. 49. doi: 10.1306/a66335b4-16c0-11d7-8645000102c1865d . ISSN   0149-1423.
  3. M. A. Rendina, Wayne D. Martin (1985). "Provenance of Selected Sandstones and Mud Rocks of Dunkard Group (Upper Pennsylvanian-Permian) in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania: ABSTRACT" . AAPG Bulletin. 69. doi: 10.1306/94885417-1704-11d7-8645000102c1865d . ISSN   0149-1423.
  4. Haq, Bilal U.; Schutter, Stephen R. (2008-10-03). "A Chronology of Paleozoic Sea-Level Changes" . Science. 322 (5898): 64–68. doi:10.1126/science.1161648. ISSN   0036-8075.
  5. Lucas, Spencer https://www.academia.edu/143288150/Vertebrate_biostratigraphy_and_biochronology_of_the_upper_Paleozoic_Dunkard_Group.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); External link in |first= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)