# Middlesex Formation

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Geologic formation in the United States

Middlesex Formation Stratigraphic range: Frasnian Type Formation Unit of Sonyea Group Underlies Cashaqua Shale or Pulteney shale Overlies Genesee Group Thickness 6–75 feet (23 m) Lithology Primary Black Shale Location Region Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia Country United States Type section Named for Town of Middlesex, NY

The **Middlesex Formation** is a carbon rich black shale [geologic formation](/source/Formation_(stratigraphy)) found in the [Appalachian Basin](/source/Appalachian_Basin). It represents one of several transgressive events (rising sea levels) during the [Late Devonian](/source/Late_Devonian).[1]

## Description

The Middlesex is a laminated, dark grey to black formation comprising [mudstone](/source/Mudstone) and [siltstone](/source/Siltstone). It developed in an [anoxic](/source/Anoxic_waters) environment. Further evidence of this is the lack of [bioturbation](/source/Bioturbation). There are also sparse sand and silt layers, suggesting that they were single event deposits.[2]

v t e Chronostratigraphy of New York Ph Pz D Upper Famennian Conewango Group Cattaraugus Formation Oswayo Formation Conneaut Group Ellicott Formation Chadokin Formation Whitesville Formation Canadaway Group Gowanda Formation Dunkirk Formation Caneadea Formation Wellsville Formation Westfield Shale Panama Conglomerate Perrysburg Formation Frasnian West Falls Group/Java Group Hanover Formation Wiscoy Formation Angola Formation Nunda Formation Rhinestreet Formation Sonyea Group Cashaqua Shale Middlesex Shale Genesee Group West River Shale Penn Yan Formation Geneseo Shale Ithaca Formation Oneonta Formation Middle Givetian Tully Limestone Hamilton Group Ashokan Formation Manorkill Formation Moscow Formation/Portland Point Formation Cooperstown Formation Ludlowville Formation/Skaneateles Formation/Panther Mountain Formation Eifelian Hamilton Group Marcellus Shale Mount Marion Formation Onondaga Limestone Tioga Bentonites Lower Emsian Tristates Group Bois Blanc Formation/Schoharie Formation Esopus Formation Oriskany Sandstone/Glenerie Formation S Pridoli Bertie Formation Ludlow Ludfordian Salina Group Gorstian Salina Group Wenlock Homerian Salina Group Sheinwoodian Irondequoit Formation O Upper Katian Denley Formation Hillier Formation Indian Castle Shale Rust Formation Steuben Formation Sugar River Formation Sandbian Trenton Limestone Group Kings Falls Formation Black River Group Lowville Formation Napanee Formation Selby Formation Sugar River Formation Black River Group

v t e Chronostratigraphy of Pennsylvania Ph Pz P Cisuralian Dunkard Group Greene Formation Windy Gap Limestone Windy Gap Coal Gilmore Limestone Nineveh Sandstone Nineveh Coal Nineveh Limestone Fish Creek Sandstone Claysville Limestone Dunkard Coal Prosperity Limestone Tenmile Coal Donley Limestone Upper Washington Coal Rockport Member Washington Formation Upper Washington Limestone Member Jollytown Limestone Member Jollytown Coal Middle Washington Limestone Member Washington Coal Lower Washington Limestone Member C ⁋ Gzhelian Dunkard Group Waynesburg Formation Upper Waynesburg Member Little Washington Coal Waynesburg“B” coal Middle Waynesburg Member Waynesburg“A” coal Lower Waynesburg Member Monongahela Group Uniontown Formation Waynesburg coal "No. 11 Coal" Gilboy Sandstone Member Little Waynesburg Coal Waynesburg Limestone Member Uniontown Sanstone Member Annabelle Shale Member Uniontown Coal "No. 10 Coal" Uniontown Limestone Member "Great Lime" Fulton Shale Member Pittsburgh Formation Benwood Limestone Upper Sewickley Coal Upper Sewickley Sandstone Member Sewickley Coal "Meigis Creek" "No. 9 Coal" Lower Sewickley Sandstone Member Sewickley Limestone Member Cedarville Sanstone Member Redstone-Pomeroy coal "No 8a. Coal" Westone Sanstone Member Pittsburgh coal seam "No. 8 Coal" Kasimovian Conemaugh Group Casselman Formation Upper Pittsburgh Limestone Member Little Pittsburgh coal seam Lower Pittsburgh Limestone Member Connellsville Member Morgantown Member Birmingham Member Glenshaw Formation Ames Limestone Pittsburgh Red Beds Upper Bakerstown coal Upper Saltsburg Sandstone Member Woods Run Limestone Member Lower Saltsburg Sandstone Member Pine Creek Limestone Member Buffalo Sandstone Member Bush Creek Limestone Member Mahoning Formation Bush Creek Coal Upper Mahoning Sandstone Member Mahoning Coal "No. 7a Coal" Lower Mahoning Sandstone Member Moscovian Allegheny Group Freeport Formation Upper Freeport Coal "No. 7 Coal" Upper Freeport Limestone Member Butler Sandstone Member Lower Freeport Coal "No. 6a Coal" Upper Freeport Limestone Member Freeport Sandstone Member Kittanning Formation Upper Kittanning Coal Johnstone Limestone Member Middle Kittanning Coal "No. 6 Coal" Lower Kittanning Coal "No. 5 Coal" Kittanning Sandstone Member Clarian Formation Clarian Coal "No. 4a Coal" Vanport Limestone Member Brookville Coal "No. 4 Coal" Brookville Member Pottsville Group Beaver River Formation Homewood Sandstone Member "1st Salt Sand" Mercer Formation Upper Mercer Limestone Member Upper Mercer Coal Lower Mercer Limestone Member Lower Mercer Coal "No. 3 Coal" Bashkirian Pottsville Group Connoquenessing Formation Upper Connoquenessing Sandstone Member "2nd Salt Sand" Quakertown Coal "No. 2 Coal" Quakertown Fire Clay Quakertown Shale Lower Connoquenessing Sandstone Member Sharon Formation Sharon Shale Member Sharon Coal "No. 1 Coal" Sharon Sandstone M Serpukhovian Shenango Formation Mauch Chunk Group Bluestone Formation Princeton Formation Hinton Formation Maxton Sandstone Bluefield Formation "Little Lime" Viséan Greenbrier Limestone "Big Lime" Loyalhanna Formation Tournaisian Cuyahoga Formation Pocono Group Burgoon Formation "Big Injun Sandstone" Sunbury Shale Berea Sandstone Bedford Shale Rockwell Formation D Upper Famennian Brallier Formation Lock Haven Formation Riceville Formation Oswayo Formation Bedford Shale Cussewago Formation Venango Group Woodcock Sandstone, Salamanca Sandstone, Panama Sandston Chadakoin Formation Bradford Group Upper Warren, Lower Warren, Speechely Stray, Speechely, Balltown A, Balltown B, Balltown C, Sheffield, First Bradford, Second Bradford, Third Bradford, Kane Elk Group 1st Elk Sand, 2nd Elk Sand, 3rd Elk Sand, 4th Elk Sand, 5th Elk Sand Ohio Shale Cleveland Shale Chagrin Formation Huron Shale Java Formation Rockwell Formation Huntley Mountain Formation Hampshire Formation Catskill Group Duncannon Member Sherman Creek Member Irish Valley Member Frasnian Catskill Group Sherman Creek Member Irish Valley Member Brallier Formation Lock Haven Formation West Falls Group Angola Formation Rhinestreet Shale Sonyea Group Cashaqua Shale Middlesex Shale Genesee Group / Harrell Shale West River Shale Penn Yan Formation Burket Shale / Geneseo Shale Knapp Conglomerate Murrysville Sandstone Middle Givetian Tully Limestone Hamilton Group Moscow Formation Ludlow Formation Skaneateles Formation Tichnor Formation Mahantango Formation Eifelian Hamilton Group Marcellus Formation Onondaga Limestone Seneca Moorehouse Nedrow Edgecliff Huntersville Chert Bobs Ridge Sandstone Member Needmore Shale Lower Emsian Huntersville Chert, Needmore Shale, Bois Blanc Formation Oriskany Formation Helderberg Group (geology) Pragian Helderberg Group (geology) Lochkovian Helderberg Group (geology) Keyser Formation Manlius Limestone S Pridoli Bass Islands Formation Akron Formation Salina Group Bertie Formation Ludlow Ludfordian Salina Group Camillus Formation Gorstian Salina Group Syracuse Formation Wenlock Homerian Salina Group Vernon Formation Lockport Group Guelph Formation Eramosa Formation Goat Island Formation Gasport Formation Llandovery Clinton Group Rochester Shale Irondequoit Formation Rose Hill Formation "Red Clinton" Medina Group Tuscarora Formation O Upper Queenston Formation Reedsville Formation Utica Shale Trenton Group Black River Group Loyalsburg Formation Middle Wells Creek Formation Knox Supergroup Beekmantown Group: Bellefonte Formation Lower Knox Supergroup Beekmantown Group Axeman Formation Nittany Formation Stonehenge Formation Є Furongian Knox Supergroup Gatesburgh Formation Warrior Formation Series 2 Stage 4 Kinzers Formation Potsdam Formation Pleasant Hill Formation Waynesboro Formation Tomstown Formation Antietam Formation pЄ Grenville Complex

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** KIRCHGASSER, WILLIAM T.; OVER, D. JEFFREY (9 December 2023). ["FRASNIAN (UPPER DEVONIAN) STRATA OF THE GENESEE RIVER VALLEY, WESTERN NEW YORK STATE"](https://ottohmuller.com/nysga2ge/Files/1994/NYSGA%201994%20A5%20-%20Frasnian%20(Upper%20Devonian)%20Strata%20of%20the%20Genesee%20River%20Valley,.pdf) (PDF). *Otto's Website*. Retrieved 9 December 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Schieber, J. (1999-07-01). ["Distribution and deposition of mudstone facies in the Upper Devonian Sonyea Group of New York"](https://dx.doi.org/10.2110/jsr.69.909). *Journal of Sedimentary Research*. **69** (4): 909–925. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2110/jsr.69.909](https://doi.org/10.2110%2Fjsr.69.909). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1527-1404](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1527-1404).

- ["Cashaqua and Middlesex Shales"](https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=NYDs%3B4). USGS. Retrieved 2015-09-17.

- Bergin, M. J. (1964). ["Bedrock Geology of the Penn Yan and Keuka Park Quadrangles New York"](https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1161G). *Geological Survey Bulletin* (1161-G). USGS. Retrieved 22 September 2015.

- ["Middlesex Shale Formation – Sonyea Group"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150923144159/https://macrostrat.org/unit_info.php?name_id=4156). Shanan E. Peters & Noel A. Heim. Archived from [the original](https://macrostrat.org/unit_info.php?name_id=4156) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-09-17.

- Schieber, J. (1999). ["Distribution and deposition of mudstone facies in the Upper Devonian Sonyea Group of New York"](http://www.shale-mudstone-research-schieber.indiana.edu/sonyea-shales.htm). *Journal of Sedimentary Research*. **69** (4). SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology: 909–925. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2110/jsr.69.909](https://doi.org/10.2110%2Fjsr.69.909). Retrieved 22 September 2015.

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Earth sciences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Earth_sciences)
- [Devonian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Devonian)
- [Paleontology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Paleontology)

v t e Devonian Period Lower/Early Devonian Middle Devonian Upper/Late Devonian Lochkovian Pragian Emsian Eifelian Givetian Frasnian Famennian

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