Light-pink to gray, medium- to coarse-grained, locally porphyritic, variably lineated and foliated alaskitic gneiss, composed of microcline, quartz, albite or oligoclase, and minor magnetite, and locally biotite and muscovite. Lineation formed by rods of quartz. Locally contains quartz-sillimanite nodules.
Medium- to dark-gray, medium-grained gneiss or schist composed of quartz, andesine, biotite, garnet, and sillimanite, locally kyanite, muscovite, or K-feldspar, interlayered with locally mappable units and thinner layers of rusty-weathering graphitic pyrrhotitic two-mica schist, amphibolite, and calc-silicate rock.
Light-pink to gray, tan-weathering, fine- to medium-grained, rarely porphyritic, well-foliated (not lineated) granitic gneiss, composed of microcline, quartz, oligoclase (or albite), biotite, and magnetite, minor muscovite, and local garnet. Sterling Plutonic Suite is here restricted to the Hope Valley terrane. (The Hope Valley together with the Esmond-Dedham terrane make up the Avalon superterrane of this report.) The Ponaganset Gneiss and the Ten Rod Granite Gneiss lie within the Esmond-Dedham terrane and are therefore removed from the Sterling. The Ponaganset is interpreted as an intensely deformed phase of the Esmond Plutonic Suite. The Sterling, as defined here, includes only the Hope Valley Alaskite Gneiss and the Potter Hill Granite Gneiss. These rocks intrude the Plainfield Formation and the Waterford Group in southeastern CT and western Rhode Island and are Late Proterozoic in age. The gneiss of the Potter Hill is mainly weathered, deeply stained, somewhat crumbly, and generally slabby. Contains xenoliths of the Plainfield Formation. Is distinguished from Hope Valley by its higher biotite content (Skehan and Rast, 1990).
Interlayered light-gray, thin-bedded quartzite, in places with feldspar, mica, graphite, or pyrite, light- to medium-gray gneiss composed of quartz, oligoclase, and biotite (rarely microcline), medium- to dark-gray schist composed of quartz, oligoclase, biotite, sillimanite, and garnet, dark-gray or green gneiss composed of plagioclase, quartz, biotite, and hornblende (commonly with diopside), amphibolite, diopsite-bearing quartzite, and calc-silicate rock. In places contains quartz-sillimanite nodules.
Interlayered dark-gray, medium- to coarse-grained schist, composed of andesine, quartz, biotite, and local K-feldspar, and greenish-gray, fine- to medium-grained calc-silicate rock, composed of labradorite, quartz, biotite, actinolite, hornblende, and diopside, and locally scapolite. Local lenses of graphitic two-mica schist.
(May be equivalent in part to Monson Gneiss) - Interlayered (but layers commonly lenticular to indistinct) light- to dark-gray, fine- to medium-grained gneiss, composed of plagioclase, quartz, and biotite, with hornblende in some layers and microcline in others; local layers of amphibolite. Rope Ferry described as locally massive, gray-colored, lenticularly layered hornblende-biotite-quartz-plagioclase gneiss. Thickness varies; averages 1,130 m. U-Pb analysis of zircon and sphene from the Rope Ferry yields a 620+/-3 Ma age. Protolith consisted primarily of mafic metavolcanic rocks. Unconformably underlies Potter Hill Granite Gneiss of Sterling Plutonic Suite (Skehan and Rast, 1990).
Gray, rusty-weathering, medium- to coarse-grained, interlayered schist and gneiss, composed of oligoclase, quartz, K-feldspar, and biotite, and commonly garnet, sillimanite, graphite, and pyrrhotite. K-feldspar partly as augen 1 to 3 cm across. Minor layers and lenses of hornblende- and pyroxene-bearing gneiss, amphibolite, and calc-silicate rock.
Interlayered (but layers locally indistinct) light- to dark-gray, medium-grained gneiss, composed of plagioclase, quartz, and biotite; sillimanite, garnet, hornblende, or microcline in certain layers; in upper part locally contains quartz-sillimanite nodules or thin layers of quartzite, amphibolite, or calc-silicate rock.
Medium- to dark-gray, commonly greenish, medium-grained, well-layered gneiss, composed of hornblende, andesine, biotite, and epidote, commonly with quartz or garnet, interlayered with amphibolite.
New London consists of a layered facies and a massive facies. Layered facies described as alternating layers of light-colored biotite-quartz-plagioclase gneiss and amphibolite. Massive facies described as a granodiorite gneiss with a uniform texture, grain size, and color. Contains shiny black biotite plates and distinctive magnetite grains. New London consists of a layered facies and a massive facies. Layered facies described as alternating layers of light-colored biotite-quartz-plagioclase gneiss and amphibolite. Massive facies described as a granodiorite gneiss with a uniform texture, grain size, and color. Contains shiny black biotite plates and distinctive magnetite grains (Skehan and Rast, 1990).
(May be equivalent in part to Monson Gneiss) - Interlayered part (but layers locally distinct) of Waterford Group, light to dark, generally medium grained gneiss, composed of plagioclase, quartz, and biotite, with hornblende in some layers and microcline in others. Some layers of amphibolite. Usage of Waterford Group follows Goldsmith (1980; 1985). Described as a sequence of metavolcanic and metaplutonic plagioclase gneisses and amphibolites that unconformably overlies the Plainfield Formation in the Hope Valley terrane. (Hope Valley and Esmond-Dedham terranes compose the Avalon superterrane of this report.) Thickness is variable; ranges to 3,100 m. Subdivided (ascending) into Mamacoke Formation with its upper Cohanzie Member (first used?), New London Gneiss, and Rope Ferry Gneiss. Age is Late Proterozoic based on U-Pb analyses of zircon and sphene in the Rope Ferry Gneiss (620+/-3 Ma, Wintsch and Aleinikoff, 1987) (Skehan and Rast, 1990).
(May be equivalent to Ayer Granite of Massachusetts) - Light-gray, medium-grained, variably foliated, locally strongly lineated gneiss, composed of quartz, oligoclase, microcline, and biotite, locally also muscovite, or epidote, and generally with megacrysts 1 to 2 cm long of either or both feldspars.
Gray to silvery, locally rusty, fine- to medium-grained schist, composed of quartz, muscovite, biotite, staurolite, and oligoclase, locally with kyanite or sillimanite; interlayered, especially below and to the west, with quartz-oligoclase-biotite schist and granofels and locally with quartzite.
Plainfield Formation - Interlayered light-gray, thin-bedded quartzite, in places with feldspar, mica, graphite, or pyrite, light- to medium-gray gneiss composed of quartz, oligoclase, and biotite (rarely microcline), medium- to dark-gray schist composed of quartz, oligoclase, biotite, sillimanite, and garnet, dark-gray or green gneiss composed of plagioclase, quartz, biotite, and hornblende (commonly with diopside), amphibolite, diopsite-bearing quartzite, and calc-silicate rock. In places contains quartz-sillimanite nodules. Potter Hill Granite Gneiss - Light-pink to gray, tan-weathering, fine- to medium-grained, rarely porphyritic, well-foliated (not lineated) granitic gneiss, composed of microcline, quartz, oligoclase (or albite), biotite, and magnetite, minor muscovite, and local garnet. Narragansett Pier Granite - Pink to red, medium- to coarse-grained (commonly pegmatitic), generally massive (not gneissic) granite, composed of microcline, oligoclase, quartz, and biotite, and accessory muscovite and magnetite. Considerable associated pegmatite.
Medium- to dark-gray, fine- to medium-grained schist, composed of quartz, oligoclase, biotite, and muscovite, some layers with garnet, staurolite, and kyanite or garnet and sillimanite, local epidote, or K-feldspar; some layers of rusty-weathering graphitic, pyrrhotitic, two-mica schist.
Light-gray, glassy, generally thin bedded quartzite, also feldspathic and micaceous quartzite containing quartz-sillimanite nodules.
Dark, medium- to coarse-grained, mainly massive gabbro, composed of labradorite, augite, and opaques, generally with hornblende, locally hypersthene, or olivine or both.
Dark, speckled, coarse-grained, massive but locally sheared gabbro, composed of hornblende, labradorite, and opaques. Some bodies contain biotite, and quartz; some smaller ones are nearly pure hornblende with local augite.
Light- to medium-gray, fine- to medium-grained, porphyritic, well-foliated (not lineated) granitic gneiss, composed of microcline (much of it as megacrysts up to 4 cm long), quartz, oligoclase, biotite and magnetite. Sterling Plutonic Suite is here restricted to the Hope Valley terrane. (The Hope Valley together with the Esmond-Dedham terrane make up the Avalon superterrane of this report.) The Ponaganset Gneiss and the Ten Rod Granite Gneiss lie within the Esmond-Dedham terrane and are therefore removed from the Sterling. The Ponaganset is interpreted as an intensely deformed phase of the Esmond Plutonic Suite. The Sterling, as defined here, includes only the Hope Valley Alaskite Gneiss and the Potter Hill Granite Gneiss. These rocks intrude the Plainfield Formation and the Waterford Group in southeastern CT and western Rhode Island and are Late Proterozoic in age. The gneiss of the Potter Hill is mainly weathered, deeply stained, somewhat crumbly, and generally slabby. Contains xenoliths of the Plainfield Formation. Is distinguished from Hope Valley by its higher biotite content (Skehan and Rast, 1990).
Light-gray, medium-grained, layered to massive calc-silicate gneiss, composed of andesine, quartz, hornblende or actinolite, epidote, and commonly diopside, biotite, and scapolite; some layers are calcitic.
Light-pink to gray., medium- to coarse-grained, generally porphyritic, well-lineated and locally foliated granitic gneiss, composed of microcline, quartz, albite or orthoclase, biotite, hornblende, and magnetite. Megacrysts of microcline up to 3 cm long; lineation formed by splotches of biotite or by rods or quartz.
Medium- to dark-gray, streaked or speckled, medium-grained diorite and quartz diorite, gneissic where sheared near contact, composed of plagioclase, hornblende, and biotite, and locally quartz and relic pyroxene.
Mylonite, blastomylonite, and blastomylonitic gneiss, composed of intensely granulated quartz, plagioclase, biotite, and epidote, in places with hornblende or microcline and commonly with secondary minerals. In places has later been silicified (compare unit Jsi)..
Medium-gray (weathers with red spots of hematite), medium-grained, foliated gneiss composed of microperthite, quartz, albite, aegerine-augite, and magnetite; rare riebeckite.
Light- to medium-gray, fine- to medium-grained gneiss, composed of plagioclase, quartz, biotite, and muscovite, commonly with K-feldspar.
White to black, streaked, medium-grained, foliated or sheared gneiss, composed of plagioclase, biotite, quartz, and generally hornblende.
Gray to reddish, medium-grained, generally massive granite, like Pn but with more biotite and locally hornblende.
Pink to red, medium- to coarse-grained (commonly pegmatitic), generally massive (not gneissic) granite, composed of microcline, oligoclase, quartz, and biotite, and accessory muscovite and magnetite. Considerable associated pegmatite.
Light-gray, pink-weathering, fine-grained, massive, aplitic granite, composed of oligoclase or albite, quartz, and K-feldspar, with minor biotite and accessory muscovite, magnetite, allanite, and sphene.
Dark-gray, coarse-grained, porphyritic, well-foliated gneiss, composed of oligoclase, quartz, microcline (mostly as megacrysts up to 8 cm long), biotite, magnetite, and generally hornblende; also garnet and muscovite where hornblende is absent. Sterling Plutonic Suite is here restricted to the Hope Valley terrane. (The Hope Valley together with the Esmond-Dedham terrane make up the Avalon superterrane of this report.) The Ponaganset Gneiss and the Ten Rod Granite Gneiss lie within the Esmond-Dedham terrane and are therefore removed from the Sterling. Ponaganset lies east of the Hope Valley shear zone and extends from RI into MA. [Apparently does not occur in CT.] Predominantly granite, ranges to tonalite. Gray to light gray, some pink, generally medium- to coarse-grained, but ranges from fine-grained to porphyritic. Alkali K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, and biotite are major minerals. The Ponaganset is interpreted as an intensely deformed phase of the Esmond Plutonic Suite. Strong lineation is defined by elongate aggregates of quartz and feldspar and trains of biotite and hornblende. Age is Late Proterozoic based on correlation with Northbridge Gneiss (MA), which has been dated at 557+/-4 Ma by Zartman and Naylor (1984) (Skehan and Rast, 1990).
Preston Gabbro - Dark, medium- to coarse-grained, mainly massive gabbro, composed of labradorite, augite, and opaques, generally with hornblende, locally hypersthene, or olivine or both. Quinebaug Formation - Medium- to dark-gray, commonly greenish, medium-grained, well-layered gneiss, composed of hornblende, andesine, biotite, and epidote, commonly with quartz or garnet, interlayered with amphibolite.
Gray, rusty-weathering, medium- to coarse-grained, interlayered schist and gneiss, composed of oligoclase, quartz, K-feldspar, and biotite, and commonly garnet, sillimanite, graphite, and pyrrhotite. K-feldspar partly as augen 1 to 3 cm across. Minor layers and lenses of hornblende- and pyroxene-bearing gneiss, amphibolite, and calc-silicate rock.
Quartzite, generally micaceous, interlayered with mica schist.
Close network of quartz veins and veinlets cutting each other and older rock, which is mostly replaced by very fine grained quartz. In places, incompletely replaced rock shows strongly mylonitic texture.
Pale pink to gray, medium-grained granite gneiss, commonly with small porphyroclasts of microcline/orthoclase. Similar to alaskite gneiss, but with more than 3% dark minerals. Composition is granite with generally less than 3% dark minerals. Compositions range from quartz monzonite to granite. Composed of sodic plagioclase, quartz, microcline, biotite, opaque minerals; minor muscovite common, garnet more rare; accessory apatite and zircon; sphene present in some rocks; secondary chlorite. Typically is compositionally homogeneous, with strong foliation and locally well-developed lineation defined by major minerals. Includes some rock mapped formerly as Ten Rod Granite Gneiss, Hope Valley Alaskite Gneiss, Potter Hill Granite Gneiss, and Scituate Granite Gneiss.
Pale pink, orange, or gray, fine- to medium-grained granite gneiss, rarely with porphyroclasts of microcline/orthoclase. Composition is granite with generally less than 3% dark minerals. Composed of sodic plagioclase, quartz, microcline/orthoclase, minor biotite, and opaque minerals; minor muscovite (in part secondary), and rare garnet and sphene in some rocks; accessory apatite and zircon; secondary chlorite. Varies from massive to layered. Strongly foliated and locally well lineated. Includes most rock mapped formerly as Hope Valley Alaskite Gneiss.
Dark-gray to greenish-gray (weathers brown or gray), medium- to fine-grained, commonly porphyritic, generally massive with well-developed columnar jointing, grading from basalt near contacts to fine-grained gabbro in the interior, composed of plagioclase and pyroxene with accessory opaques and locally devitrified glass, quartz, or olivine.
Pale-tan to gray, fine-grained quartzite, and pale- to medium-gray quartz-mica schist. Quartzite is massive to layered (bedded?). Includes Plainfield Formation and some rock mapped formerly as Blackstone Series.