Sanford Formation

{{Infobox rockunit|name=Sanford Formation|region=[[North Carolina]]|caption=|type=[[Formation (stratigraphy)|Formation]]|age=[[Late Triassic]], [[Norian]]|period=Norian|otherlithology=|prilithology=[[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]], [[sandstone]], [[mudstone]]|namedfor=[[Sanford, North Carolina]]|namedby=Campbell & Kimball, 1923|image=|coordinates=|country=[[United States]]|unitof=[[Chatham Group]]|subunits=|underlies=|overlies=[[Cumnock Formation]]|thickness=|extent=|area=|map=|map_caption=}}

The '''Sanford Formation''' is a [[Late Triassic]] ([[Norian]])-age [[Formation (geology)|geologic formation]] in [[North Carolina]]. It is mainly found in the [[Sanford sub-basin]] of the [[Deep River Basin]], the southernmost of the large [[Mesozoic]] basins forming the [[Newark Supergroup]]. It is the highest unit of the [[Chatham Group]], overlying the dark lake and swamp sediments of the [[Cumnock Formation]]. The Sanford Formation is composed primarily of coarse red sediments such as [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerates]], [[sandstone]]s, and [[mudstone]]s. The conglomerate layers contain [[pebble]]s of [[schist]] and [[slate]], with the occasional large boulders of [[granite]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Campbell|first1=Marius R.|last2=Kimball|first2=Kent W.|date=1923|title=The Deep River coal field of North Carolina|url=https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Energy%20Mineral%20and%20Land%20Resources/Geological%20Survey/Bulletins_NCGS/NCGS_Bulletin_33_Deep_River_Coal_Field.pdf|journal=North Carolina Geological and Economic Survey Bulletin|volume=33|pages=1–95}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Litwin|first1=Ronald J.|last2=Ash|first2=Sidney R.|date=1993-05-03|title=Revision of the biostratigraphy of the Chatham Group (Upper Triassic), Deep River basin, North Carolina, USA|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0034-6667%2893%2990057-2|journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology|language=en|volume=77|issue=1|pages=75–95|doi=10.1016/0034-6667(93)90057-2|issn=0034-6667|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The Sanford Formation is likely equivalent to the Norian-age [[Passaic Formation]] of the [[Newark Basin]] in the northeastern United States.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Weems|first1=Robert E.|last2=Tanner|first2=Lawrence H.|last3=Lucas|first3=Spencer G.|date=2016|title=Synthesis and revision of the lithostratigraphic groups and formations in the Upper Permian?–Lower Jurassic Newark Supergroup of eastern North America|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309853816|journal=Stratigraphy|language=en|volume=13|issue=2}}</ref> The lower part of the Sanford Formation has also been closely correlated with middle layers ("Lithofacies Association II") of the [[Durham sub-basin]] of the Deep River Basin. Though Sanford-equivalent strata are less clearly differentiable in the Durham sub-basin, they are also much more fossiliferous in that area.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Huber|first1=Phillip|last2=Lucas|first2=Spencer G.|last3=Hunt|first3=Adrian P.|date=1993|title=Revised age and correlation of the Upper Triassic Chatham Group (Deep River Basin, Newark Supergroup), North Carolina|url=https://southeasterngeology.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Vol.-33-N.-4-October-1993.pdf#page=15|journal=Southeastern Geology|volume=33|issue=4|pages=171–193}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sues|first1=Hans-Dieter|last2=Olsen|first2=Paul E.|last3=Carter|first3=Joseph G.|last4=Scott|first4=Diane M.|date=2003-06-17|title=A new crocodylomorph archosaur from the Upper Triassic of North Carolina|url=https://doc.rero.ch/record/15409/files/PAL_E2760.pdf|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology|volume=23|issue=2|pages=329–343|doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2003)023[0329:ANCAFT]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=17319720 |issn=0272-4634|url-access=|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

[[Category:Norian Stage]] [[Category:Triassic geology of North Carolina]] [[Category:Conglomerate formations of the United States]] [[Category:Mudstone formations of the United States]] [[Category:Sandstone formations of the United States]]