Reedsville Formation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reedsville FormationStratigraphic range: Late Ordovician |
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Outcrop of Reedsville Formation on south side of U.S. Route 522, Blacklog Gap, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.
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| Type | sedimentary |
| Unit of | Chickamauga Group (TN only) |
| Underlies | Bald Eagle Formation and Juniata Formation |
| Overlies | Antes Gap Shale, Trenton Limestone in TN and Utica Shale in WV |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | shale |
| Other | sandstone |
| Location | |
| Region | Appalachian Mountains |
| Extent | Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Reedsville, Pennsylvania |
| Named by | E. O. Ulrich |
The Reedsville Formation is a type of rock found in several states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. It also stretches underground into Ohio. This rock formation formed a very long time ago, during the Ordovician Period.
It is often found next to, and just below, a taller, cliff-forming rock called the Bald Eagle Formation in the Appalachian Mountains. On geology maps, you might see it shortened to Or.
Contents
What is the Reedsville Formation?
The Reedsville Formation is made up of different kinds of sedimentary rocks. These include olive-gray to dark-gray siltstone, shale, and fine-grained sandstone.
In parts of Central Pennsylvania, the very bottom of the Reedsville Formation includes a black, chalky rock layer called the Antes Shale.
Where was it named?
The Reedsville Formation gets its name from Reedsville, Pennsylvania. This is the place where geologists first studied and described this rock layer.
How old is this rock?
Scientists have figured out that the Reedsville Formation is from the Upper Ordovician Period. This means it is very old, dating back hundreds of millions of years!
It sits directly on top of another rock layer called the Coburn Formation. It is also found right below the Bald Eagle Formation.
What is the Reedsville Formation used for?
People sometimes dig up the Reedsville Formation from local borrow pits. These pits are places where earth materials are taken from the ground. The rock is then used for building roads or as general fill material.
What fossils are found in the Reedsville Formation?
Fossils are the remains or traces of ancient life. In the Reedsville Formation, scientists have found fossils of creatures that lived in the ancient oceans.
One type of fossil found here is Kinoceras. This was a type of Cephalopod, which are sea creatures related to modern-day squids and octopuses. You might also find parts of brachiopods and bryozoans. These were small, shelled sea animals that lived on the ocean floor.
