The Cretaceous age of the Vinegar Hill silica sand deposit, southern New Brunswick: evidence from palynology and paleobotany

Authors

  • Howard J. Falcon-Lang Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3J5 (Current Address: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK)
  • Robert A. Fensome Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Bedford Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada
  • D.V. Venugopal New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy, Geological Surveys Branch, P.O. Box 600l, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5H1; current address 11 Baxter Court, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 6M2, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4138/1048

Abstract

A small outcrop of quartz (silica) sand has been recognized at Vinegar Hill, near Cassidy Lake south of Sussex, New Brunswick, since the 1980s and extracted for commercial purposes. The deposit overlies Carboniferous rocks and underlies glacial deposits, and its setting is very similar to comparable, confirmed Cretaceous deposits in Nova Scotia. The age of the Vinegar Hill deposit, which appears to be of fluvial origin, has been unconfirmed until the present study. In this study, a general Mesozoic-early Tertiary age is indicated by the identity of a fossil araucarian wood specimen that occurs within the sand, and palynomorphs suggest a late Early Cretaceous, probably Albian, age. The absence of true growth rings in the wood implies a humid subtropical climate characterized by high temperatures, a conclusion consistent with a Cretaceous age because such climates are predicted for that age in the region by global paleoclimate reconstructions. The Vinegar Hill deposit represents the only known outcrop of Cretaceous strata in New Brunswick, but given its economic and scientific interest, a search for similar basins in the province would be worthwhile. RÉSUMÉ Un petit affleurement de sable quartzeux (silice) a été repéré sur la colline Vinegar, près du lac Cassidy, au sud de Sussex, Nouveau-Brunswick, au cours des années 80 et il a fait l'objet d'extraction à des fins commerciales. Le gîte recouvre des roches du Carbonifère et se trouve sous des dépôts glaciaires, dans un cadre semblable aux gîtes crétacés confirmés comparables de la Nouvelle-Écosse. L'âge du gîte de la colline Vinegar, qui semble d'origine fluviatile, n'avait pas été confirmé avant la présente étude. L'étude le situe d'une façon générale au Mésozoïque-Tertiaire inférieur en s'appuyant sur l'identité d'un spécimen de bois araucarien fossile présent à l'intérieur du sable; les palynomorphes laissent supposer qu'il remonterait à la fin du Crétacé inférieur, probablement l'Albien. L'absence de cernes réels dans le bois permet de supposer un climat subtropical humide caractérisé par des températures élevées, une conclusion qui est compatible avec un âge le situant au Crétacé parce qu'on peut déterminer la présence de tels climats dans la région à cette époque au moyen de reconstructions paléoclimatiques planétaires. Le gîte de la colline Vinegar représente le seul affleurement connu de strates du Crétacé au Nouveau-Brunswick, mais vu son intérêt économique et scientifique, il serait intéressant de rechercher des bassins semblables dans la province.

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Published

2003-01-01

How to Cite

Falcon-Lang, H. J., Fensome, R. A., & Venugopal, D. (2003). The Cretaceous age of the Vinegar Hill silica sand deposit, southern New Brunswick: evidence from palynology and paleobotany. Atlantic Geoscience, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.4138/1048

Issue

Vol. 39 No. 1 (2003)

Section

Articles

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