Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T07:27:03.648Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Sedimentary Framework of the Southern Basin of Lake George, New York

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

D.R. Hutchinson
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
W.M. Ferrebee
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
H.J. Knebel
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
R.J. Wold
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
Y.W. Isachsen
Affiliation:
New York State Geological Survey, Museum and Science Service, New York State Education Department, Albany, New York 12234

Abstract

Information from 240 km of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles has been analyzed to show the bathymetric and subsurface configuration of southern Lake George in the southeastern corner of the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Three units have been identified and sampled in 13 piston cores as long as 7 m and 4 grab samples; they are glacial drift, glaciolacustrine nonorganic clay, and Holocene lake mud rich in organic material. Three deep bedrock basins controlled glacial, glaciolacustrine, and postglacial deposition within the lake. Glaciolacustrine clay is more than 30 m thick in these basins but is generally absent in water depths less than 20 m. An unconformity separates glaciolacustrine clay from overlying Holocene mud in water depths less than 30 m, but the contact is conformable and transitional in deeper water. The unconformity may have originated from subaqueous or subaerial erosion during a low stage of lake level which probably occurred between 10,000 and 700 yr B.P. Holocene lake mud is thin to absent in the shallower waters separating the three basins, but reaches 15-m thickness near the entrance to The Narrows. A new radiocarbon date of 6950 ± 60 yr B.P. was obtained from a wood fragment which was found in the Holocene lake mud. We found no clear evidence of postglacial tectonic disturbances of the lake sediments although recent releveling profiles suggest that the Adirondack Mountains are undergoing contemporary uplift.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chadwick, G.H. (1928). Ice evacuation stages at Glens Falls, New York Geological Survey of America Bulletin 39, 901-922 Google Scholar
Chapman, D.H. Late-glacial and postglacial history of the Champlain Valley American Journal of Science 5th Ser. 34, (1937). 89-124 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connally, G.G. (1967). Glacial geology of the Brandon-Ticonderoga region, Vermont Geological Society of America, Special Papers 115, 255-256 Google Scholar
Connally, G.G. (1973). Surficial geology of the Glens Falls region, New York New York State Museum and Science Service, Map and Chart Series No. 23 1: 48000 Google Scholar
Connally, G.G. Sirkin, L.A. Deglacial history of the Lake Champlain-Lake George lowland Barnett, S.G.(1969). Guidebook to Field Excursions New York State Geological Association, 41st Annual Meeting Google Scholar
Connally, G.G. Sirkin, L.A. (1971). Luzerne readvance near Glens Falls, New York Geological Society of America Bulletin 82, 989-1008 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin, T.M. (1977). Late-Wisconsin marine environments of the Champlain Valley (New York, Quebec) Quaternary Research 7, 238-253 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Del Prete, A. (1972). Postglacial diatom changes in Lake George, New York Unpublished Ph.D. thesis Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, N.Y Google Scholar
Denny, C.S. (1974).Pleistocene Geology of the Northeast Adirondack Region, New York United States, Geological Survey, Professional Papers 786 Google Scholar
Elson, J.A. (1969). Radiocarbon dates, Mya arenaria phase of the Champlain Sea Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 6, 367-372 Google Scholar
Hills, A. (1965). The Precambrian geology of the Glens Falls and Fort Ann quadrangles, southeastern Adirondack Mountains, New York Unpublished Ph.D. thesis Yale University New Haven, Conn 1:24000 Google Scholar
Isachsen, Y.W. 1975). Possible evidence for contem porary doming of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, and suggested implications for regional tectonics and seismicity Tectonophysics 29, (169-181 Google Scholar
Isachsen, Y.W. (1976).Contemporary doming of the Adirondack Mountains, New York Transactions of the American Geophysical Union EOS 57, 325 (abstract) Google Scholar
Kemp, J.F. (1901). Notes on the physiography of Lake George Science 14, 774 Google Scholar
LaFleur, R.G. (1965). Glacial geology of the Troy, N.Y., quadrangle New York State Museum and Science Service, Map and Chart Series No. 7 1: 31680 Google Scholar
Lake George Power Squadron (1949).Chart of Lake George, 1948, Hydrographic Survey American Map Company, Inc New York 1:33000 Google Scholar
McConnell, C.L. (1965).Geology of the southwest quarter of the Bolton Landing quadrangle New York State Geological Survey-New York State Museum and Science Service, Honorarium Report Google Scholar
Mott, R.J. (1968). A radiocarbon-dated marine algal bed of the Champlain Sea episode near Ottawa, Ontario Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 5, 319-324 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newland, D.H. Vaughan, H. (1942). Guide to the geology of the Lake George region New York State Museum Handbook 19 Google Scholar
New York State Electric and Gas Corporation (1978). Environmental Report: NYSE&G 1 and 2 Stuyvesant Nuclear Station Vol. 11, 2.5B-1-2.5B-8 Part II Google Scholar
Pierce, A.C. (1972). Estimating changes in aquatic secondary production over postglacial time Unpublished Ph.D. thesis State University of New York Albany Google Scholar
Schoettle, M. Friedman, G.M. 1971). Fresh water iron-manganese nodules in Lake George, New York Geological Society of America Bulletin 82, (101-110 Google Scholar
Schoettle, M. Friedman, G.M. (1973). Organic carbon in sediments of Lake George, New York: Relation to morphology of lake bottom, grain size of sediments and man's activities Geological Society of America Bulletin 84, 191-198 Google Scholar
Schoettle, M. Friedman, G.M. (1974). Effect of man's activities on distribution of trace elements in sub-bottom sediments of Lake George, New York Sedimentology 21, 473-478 Google Scholar
Schoettle, M. Friedman, G.M. (1975). Sediment study, Lake George, New York: Trace metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, Zn), organic carbon, man's activities IX Congres International de sedimentologie Nice, France 119-129 Google Scholar
Scott, J.T. (1966). Hydrography and morphometry of Lake George south of “The Narrows.” Langmuir Circulations and Internal Waves in Lake George Atmospheric Sciences Research Center Publication 42 State University of New York Albany 35-42 Google Scholar
Sherman, R.J. (1945). Lake George: Complete report of the New York State joint legislative committee on Lake George water conditions Legislative Document 67 Google Scholar
Stewart, D.P. Glacial geology of Vermont Vermont Geological Survey Bulletin (1961). 19 Google Scholar
Wagner, W.P. The late Pleistocene of the Champlain Valley, Vermont Barnett, S.G. (1969). Guidebook to Field Excursions New York State Geological Association, 41 st Annual Meeting 65-80 Google Scholar
Wagner, W.P. Ice margins and water levels in northwestern Vermont Doolan, B.L. Stanley, R.S. (1972). Guidebook for Field Trips in Vermont New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, 64th Annual Meeting 319-342 Google Scholar
Williams, S.L. Interrelationships of diatom species in plankton, periphyton, and underlying sediments Diatom Population Changes in Lake George (N.Y.) 125-148 OWRR Contract 14-31-0001-3387, Final Report Google Scholar
Wold, R.J. Isachsen, Y.W. Geraghty, E.P. Hutchinson, D.R. (1977). Seismic reflection profiles of Lake George, Adirondack Mountains, New York, as a guide to the neotectonic history of the region Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 9, 1233 (abstract) Google Scholar
Woodworth, J.B. (1905). Ancient water levels of the Champlain and Hudson Valleys New York State Museum Bulletin 84 Google Scholar
Wright, G.F. (1895). Glacial phenomena between Lake Champlain, Lake George, and Hudson River Science 2, 673-678 CrossRefGoogle Scholar