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Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state > Pennsylvania Geology

Geologic units in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania

Bellefonte Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Bellefonte Formation - Medium-gray, brownish-weathering, medium-bedded dolomite and minor sandstone; very fine grained Tea Creek Member above, and crystalline Coffee Run Member below.

Lithology: dolostone (dolomite); sandstone

Tuscarora Formation (Silurian) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Tuscarora Formation - Light- to medium-gray quartzite and quartzitic sandstone and minor interbedded shale and siltstone, locally conglomeratic in lower part; includes (to the northwest) interbedded red and non-red sandstone (Castanea Member) at top; east of Harrisburg, equivalent to Minsi and Weiders Members of Shawangunk Formation.

Lithology: quartzite; sandstone; shale; siltstone; conglomerate

Keyser and Tonoloway Formations, undivided (Devonian and Silurian) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Keyser and Tonoloway Formations, undivided - In descending order: Keyser Formation--medium-gray, crystalline to nodular, fossiliferous limestone; upper part laminated and mud-cracked; not present east of Harrisburg; passes into lower Coeymans, Rondout, and Decker Formations in the east. Tonoloway Formation--medium-gray, laminated, mud-cracked limestone containing some medium-dark- or olive-gray shale interbeds; lower part passes into Wills Creek Formation east and south; passes into Bossardville and Poxono Island beds in the east.

Lithology: limestone; shale

Bloomsburg and Mifflintown Formations, undivided (Silurian) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Bloomsburg and Mifflintown Formations, undivided - Includes, in descending order, the Bloomsburg Formation (Sb) and the Mifflintown Formation--interbedded dark-gray shale and medium-gray fossiliferous limestone; equivalent to "McKenzie" and "Rochester" of earlier workers; not present east of Harrisburg.

Lithology: shale; siltstone; sandstone; limestone; mudstone

Trimmers Rock Formation (Devonian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Trimmers Rock Formation - Olive-gray siltstone and shale, characterized by graded bedding; marine fossils; some very fine grained sandstone in northeast; black shale of Harrell Formation at base in Susquehanna Valley.

Lithology: siltstone; shale; sandstone; black shale

Axemann Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Axemann Formation - Medium-gray fossiliferous limestone.

Lithology: limestone

Clinton Group (Silurian) at surface, covers 10 % of this area

Clinton Group - Predominantly Rose Hill Formation--light-olive-gray to brownish-gray, fossiliferous shale; locally, limestone occurs near top; includes dark-reddish-gray, very fine to coarse-grained, ferruginous sandstone; east of Harrisburg, equivalent to Lizard Creek Member of Shawangunk Formation. Above Rose Hill is Keefer Formation--light- to dark-gray, fossiliferous sandstone, hematitic, oolitic sandstone, and shale; not recognized east of Harrisburg.

Lithology: shale; sandstone; limestone

Reedsville Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers 10 % of this area

Reedsville Formation - Olive-gray to dark-gray shale, siltstone, and fine-grained, thin-bedded sandstone having graded bedding; upper sandstone is very fossiliferous; includes Antes Formation (black calcareous shale) at base along Nittany Arch.

Lithology: shale; siltstone; sandstone; black shale

Hamilton Group (Devonian) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Hamilton Group - Includes, in descending order, the Mahantango (Dmh) and Marcellus (Dmr) Formations.

Lithology: black shale; shale; siltstone; limestone; sandstone; bentonite

Benner Formation through Loysburg Formation, undivided (Ordovician) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Benner Formation through Loysburg Formation, undivided - In descending order: Benner Formation--light- to dark-gray, thick-bedded limestone (calcilutite); includes chemically pure Valentine Member (Obv) at top, and, below, the less pure Valley View Member, which contains metabentonite beds--all laterally equivalent to impure limestones of Oak Hall Member; Stover Member at base is dark-gray limestone (calcilutite) having dolomite streaks; Benner is called "Linden Hall" by some workers. Snyder Formation--light- to medium-gray limestone, laminated to medium-bedded; has mud cracks, oolites, and dolomitic layers. Hatter Formation--medium-gray, fossiliferous, argillaceous limestone, laminated and dolomitic. Loysburg Formation--light- to medium-gray, medium-bedded limestone (Clover Member) overlying laminated, alternating limestone, dolomitic limestone, and dolomite (Milroy ["tiger-striped"] Member).

Lithology: limestone; dolostone (dolomite); metavolcanic rock

Coburn Formation through Nealmont Formation, undivided (Ordovician) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Coburn Formation through Nealmont Formation, undivided - In descending order: Coburn Formation--medium-gray to very dark gray, very fossiliferous limestone and shaly limestone; Salona Formation--very dark gray to black, nonfossiliferous shaly limestone and calcareous shale containing metabentonite beds; Nealmont Formation--medium-gray fossiliferous limestone (calcarenite--Rodman Member) overlying thin-bedded shaly limestone (calcilutite--Center Hall Member).

Lithology: limestone; shale; metavolcanic rock; calcarenite

Onondaga and Old Port Formations, undivided (Devonian) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Onondaga and Old Port Formations, undivided - Includes, in descending order, the Onondaga Formation (Don), Ridgeley Member of Old Port Formation (Dor), and Shriver, Mandata, Corriganville, and New Creek Members of Old Port Formation, undivided (Dosn).

Lithology: shale; sandstone; limestone; chert; shale; siltstone; bentonite

Juniata Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Juniata Formation - Grayish-red, very fine to medium-grained, crossbedded sandstone, and grayish-red siltstone and shale; merges with underlying Bald Eagle Formation to the south; not present east of Susquehanna River, except at Spitzenberg Hill area (Berks County).

Lithology: sandstone; shale; siltstone

Wills Creek Formation (Silurian) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Wills Creek Formation - Variegated gray, grayish-red, yellowish-gray and greenish-gray, interbedded calcareous shale, siltstone, shaly limestone, and dolomite; passes into Bloomsburg Formation in the southeast; not present east of Harrisburg.

Lithology: shale; siltstone; limestone; dolostone (dolomite)

Bald Eagle Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Bald Eagle Formation - Gray to olive-gray and grayish-red, fine- to coarse-grained, crossbedded sandstone, siltstone, and shale; some conglomerate (Lost Run Member); not present east of Susquehanna River, except at Spitzenberg Hill area (Berks County).

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; shale; conglomerate