# Passaic Formation

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Passaic Formation Stratigraphic range: Late Triassic, 219–201.7 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Exposure of Passaic Formation sandstone on Goffle Hill in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Type Geological formation Unit of Newark Supergroup Underlies Orange Mountain Basalt Overlies Lockatong Formation Thickness maximum of over 19,685 feet (6,000 m)[1] Lithology Primary Siltstone, Mudstone, Shale Other Sandstone, Conglomerate Location Region Newark Basin of Eastern North America Rift Basins Extent ~200 miles (320 km) in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Type section Named for Passaic, New Jersey[1] Named by Paul E. Olsen, 1980[1]

The **Passaic Formation** is a mapped bedrock unit in [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey), and [New York](/source/New_York_(state)). It was previously known as the Brunswick Formation since it was first described in the vicinity of [New Brunswick, New Jersey](/source/New_Brunswick%2C_New_Jersey). It is now named for the city of [Passaic, New Jersey](/source/Passaic%2C_New_Jersey), which is near where its type section was described by paleontologist [Paul E. Olsen](/source/Paul_E._Olsen).[1]

## Description

The Passaic is defined as a reddish-brown [shale](/source/Shale), [siltstone](/source/Siltstone) and [mudstone](/source/Mudstone) with a few green and brown shale interbeds; red and dark-gray interbedded [argillites](/source/Argillite) near the base.[2] In New Jersey, there are [conglomerate](/source/Conglomerate_(geology)) and [sandstone](/source/Sandstone) beds within the formation.

### Depositional environment

The Passaic is mostly shallow lakes, playa, and alluvial fan deposits resulting from the rifting of [Pangea](/source/Pangea). The red color is often evidence that the sediments were deposited in arid conditions.[3] The Passaic Formation overlies the [Lockatong Formation](/source/Lockatong_Formation) deep lake sediment cycles, which were deposited during wetter climatic cycles during the Late Triassic.[3] These sediments came from the northwest and contain clasts from Appalachian formations.

### Fossils

- *[Clepsysaurus](/source/Clepsysaurus)*

- *[Hypsognathus fenneri](/source/Hypsognathus)* [4]

## Age

The Passaic is Late Triassic with an astronomically calibrated age of 219 to 201.7 million years ago (Ma) and is about 13,000 ft (~4 km) thick in the basin depocenter. It conformably overlies the [Lockatong Formation](/source/Lockatong_Formation) (darker, generally gray shales and mudrocks) and is overlain by the first Watching(Orange Mountain Formation) basalt. The Triassic/Jurassic boundary and correlated by pollen is located in the uppermost part of the formation, ~ 2 precessional cycles (~10–12 m) below the Orange Mountain Basalt. There are numerous [diabase](/source/Diabase) intrusions into the Passaic with local [contact metamorphic](/source/Metamorphic_rock) rocks.[5]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Olsen_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Olsen_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Olsen_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Olsen_1-3) Olsen, P.E., 1980. The Latest Triassic and Early Jurassic Formations of the Newark Basin (Eastern North America, Newark Supergroup): Stratigraphy, Structure, and Correlation. *New Jersey Academy of Science Bulletin*, v. 25, no. 2, p. 25-51.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Berg, T.M., Edmunds, W.E., Geyer, A.R. and others, compilers, (1980). Geologic Map of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Map 1, scale 1:250,000.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-multiple_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-multiple_3-1) Faill, R.T., (2004). The Birdsboro Basin. *Pennsylvania Geology* V. 34 n. 4.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Sues, Hans-Dieter; Olsen, Paul E.; Scott, Diane M.; Spencer, Patrick S. (2000-06-27). ["Cranial osteology of Hypsognathus fenneri, a latest Triassic procolophonid reptile from the Newark Supergroup of eastern North America"](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282000%29020%5B0275%3ACOOHFA%5D2.0.CO%3B2). *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*. **20** (2): 275–284. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020\[0275:COOHFA\]2.0.CO;2](https://doi.org/10.1671%2F0272-4634%282000%29020%5B0275%3ACOOHFA%5D2.0.CO%3B2). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0272-4634](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0272-4634). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [17669446](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:17669446).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Berg, T.M., et al., (1983). Stratigraphic Correlation Chart of Pennsylvania: G75, Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

## See also

- [Geology of Pennsylvania](/source/Geology_of_Pennsylvania)

- [Geology of New Jersey](/source/Geology_of_New_Jersey)

v t e Geology of the Newark Basin Geologic Formations Newark Supergroup Jurassic Orange Mountain Basalt Feltville Formation Preakness Basalt Towaco Formation Hook Mountain Basalt Boonton Formation Triassic Doswell Formation Stockton Formation Lockatong Formation Passaic Formation Traprock Ridges Basalt Watchung Mountains Campgaw Mountain Preakness Range Goffle Hill Newark Mountains Watchung Outliers Ladentown Union Hill New Germantown/Oldwick Prospect Hill Sand Brook Jacksonwald Diabase Palisades Sill Hudson River Palisades High Tor Hook Mountain Clausland Mountain Tallman Mountain Snake Hill Other Intrusions Cushetunk Mountain Sourland Mountain Rocky Hill Ridge Mount Gilboa Bowman's Hill Solebury Mountain Buckingham Mountain Jericho Mountain Haycock Mountain Millers Point Faults Ramapo Fault Hopewell Fault Flemington Fault Chalfont Fault Eastern North America Rift Basins • Geology portal

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