The Navesink Formation is a 66 to 70
mya greensand
glauconitic
Glauconite is an iron potassium phyllosilicate (mica group) mineral of characteristic green color which is very friable and has very low weathering resistance.
It crystallizes with a monoclinic geometry. Its name is derived from the Greek () me ...
marl and sand
geological formation
A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...
in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. It is known for its
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
period fossil shell beds and dinosaur bones.
Description
The Navesink Formation, named after
Navesink, New Jersey
Navesink (, ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located on the northernmost stretch of the Jersey Shore in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Mount Laurel Formation
The Mount Laurel Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation located in New Jersey and Delaware. Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur d ...]
and under the
Red Bank Formation. There is a 5 mya gap between the Navesink and Mount Laurel Formations.
The Navesink varies in depth from to across its range from
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.
The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...
to
Pennsville.
The Navesink has the highest
radon gas
Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through ...
potential of the New Jersey geologic
formations.
Sites
There are several locations where the Navesink Formation is visible including
Poricy Park in
Middletown, New Jersey
Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 67,106, making it the most-populous municipality in the county and the state's 16th ...
which has several exposures along Poricy Brook. There is also exposure in Big Brook Park in Marlboro, NJ.
Paleofauna
*
References
{{Reflist
Cretaceous geology of New Jersey
Maastrichtian Stage of North America