The Catskill Delta: A regional summary of Devonian Sedimentation

The Catksill Delta consists of many lobes shed from the rising Acadia Mountains during the Devonian Period. The delta is composed of a combination of marine and non-marine sediments that accumulated along the shoreline of the Kaskaskia Sea. The book attempts to draw together the sedimentary processes which shaped the delta along the western Acadia Mountain.Chapter 1 summarizes the Acadian Orogeny, its paleogeography including the Avalonian terranes. It provides a review of orogenic events, collisions, tectophases, the Acadian foreland basin, delta complex, and a brief discussion of the Kaskaskia Sea. Chapter 2 begins the discussion of the Catskill Delta Complex, addressing the paleo-continental setting, reconstruction, and summarizes paleo-magnetic tectonic models. Chapter 3 presents the Catskill deltaic clastic deposition including the Catskill Formation, paleogeography, paleo-cllimate, and sedimentary processes. Chapter 4 presents the Catskill delta basin facies development controls including its paleogeography, paleo-climate, tectonic regime, origin of black basinal facies, and three phases belonging to a proposed climate model. Chapter 5 addresses the shallow marine and non-marine strata. Chapter 6 discusses unusual marginal marine lithofacies. Chapter 7 summarizes the quantitative interpretation of ancient river systems in the Oneonta Formation of the Catskill megafacies. The book ends with Chapter 8 discussing the Upper Devonian turbidite sequence of central and southern Appalachian Basin and contrasts it with submarine fan deposits.