Portland Brownstone Quarry -- Portland, Connecticut.
[in progress, at this point this is an "online file drawer"]
All images and text copyright Peter M. LeTourneau, unless otherwise
attached to publication authority. Images and text may not be
used without specific permission of the author.
[Portions of this material previously published in Olsen, P.E., Whiteside, J., LeTourneau, P.M., Huber, P. (2005) Jurassic cyclostratigraphy and paleontology of the Hartford basin.
In McHone, N.W. and Peterson, M.J. (eds.) Guidebook for fieldtrips in
Connecticut - New England Intercollegiate Geologic Conference, Yale
University, New Haven. State Geological and Natural History Survey of
Connecticut, Guidebook No. 8 Trip A-4, pp. 55-106]
Batrachopus
prints, manus and pes. Linguiod ripples.
Otozooum tracks
from quarry, Wesleyan Collection
(pes is tiny imprint next to manus)
I have been exploring the Portland Brownstone Quarry for many years,
but only recently was it possible to gain relatively unrestricted
access to the quarry lake. The Town of Portland acquired the land
as open space and recently leased the site to a private concern for use
as a scuba training facility. In addition, a small quarry
operation has been established on the north end of the quarry, further
improving access to these remarkable rocks.
The quarry lies within the Portland Formation and is located
stratigraphically in a zone of lacustrine, fluvial, and alluvial fan
rocks. Located less than 2 km from the existing trace of the eastern
border fault of the basin, and on the edge of the Crow Hill fan
complex, the brownstone contains several enigmatic features that I have
long puzzled over. I recently discovered several aeolian
intervals within the quarry complex, including features I identify as
"coppice dunes".
