Palynological evidence for late Cretaceous, Paleocene, and early and middle Eocene ages for strata in the kaolin belt, central Georgia

Abstract

Falynomorphs of Late Cretaceous (Maestrichtian), Paleocene, Paleocene or early Eocene (Wilcox), and middle Eocene (Claiborne) ages have been found in lignitic and carbonaceous clays and silts in the Tuscaloosa Formation, as used in central and east-central Georgia. The occurrence of palynomorphs of Maestrichtian (Navarro) age above thick kaolin deposits at one locality and a suite of Claiborne age fossils below a thick deposit at another locality establish that kaolins of both Late Cretaceous and middle Eocene or younger ages are present. However, the recognition of the Paleocene and middle Eocene beds in the Tuscaloosa Formation of several authors indicates that part of it is much younger than previously thought. The palynomorphs and other characteristics of the carbonaceous materials of Cretaceous and middle Eocene ages indicate freshwater accumulation. The beds of Paleocene age contain both terrestrial and marine forms indicating deposition in marine swamps or estuaries. These findings and the range in ages support the conclusion that the deptositional history of the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary formations in Georgia is complex.