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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  surface 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Cretacic 
  beds 
  is 
  

   much 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Lower 
  Cretacic, 
  and 
  they 
  also 
  dip 
  under 
  the 
  

   still 
  later 
  formations 
  of 
  the 
  Coastal 
  plain 
  (see 
  figure 
  22). 
  The 
  

   thickness 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Cretacic 
  is 
  never 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  

   feet. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  22 
  Diagrammatic 
  section 
  through 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  slope, 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  

   latitude 
  of 
  northern 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  showing 
  the 
  structures 
  and 
  relations 
  of 
  the 
  

   various 
  physiographic 
  provinces 
  as 
  they 
  now 
  exist. 
  

  

  A 
  toB 
  = 
  Folded 
  Paleozoic 
  strata 
  of 
  the 
  Appalachian 
  mountains, 
  with 
  hard 
  

   strata 
  standing 
  out 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  ridges. 
  

  

  B 
  to 
  C 
  = 
  Piedmont 
  plateau 
  consisting 
  of 
  highly 
  folded 
  and 
  metamorphosed 
  

   rocks 
  of 
  Precambrian 
  and 
  early 
  Paleozoic 
  ages. 
  

  

  C 
  to 
  E 
  — 
  Triassic 
  strata 
  showing 
  tilting 
  and 
  faulting 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  

   mode 
  of 
  occurrence 
  of 
  an 
  igneous 
  rock 
  sheet 
  (D) 
  which 
  outcrops 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  

   low 
  ridge. 
  

  

  Eto 
  H 
  = 
  Coastal 
  plain, 
  consisting 
  of 
  comparatively 
  thin 
  sheets 
  of 
  uncon- 
  

   solidated 
  sediments. 
  

  

  Eto 
  F= 
  Cretacic 
  beds 
  (upper 
  and 
  lower). 
  

  

  F 
  to 
  G'= 
  Tertiary 
  beds. 
  

  

  Gto 
  H 
  = 
  Quaternary 
  beds 
  

  

  H 
  -— 
  Present 
  coast 
  line. 
  

  

  The 
  dotted 
  line 
  represents 
  the 
  peneplain 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  (except 
  

   for 
  the 
  tilting) 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  Cretacic 
  period. 
  

  

  To 
  summarize: 
  The 
  Cretacic 
  period 
  opened 
  with 
  slight 
  subsi- 
  

   dence 
  of 
  the 
  Coastal 
  plain 
  region, 
  including 
  southeastern 
  New 
  York, 
  

   to 
  produce 
  low-lying 
  flats 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  nonmarine 
  Potomac 
  sedi- 
  

   ments 
  were 
  deposited. 
  Then 
  came 
  a 
  slight 
  re 
  elevation 
  {accom- 
  

   panied 
  by 
  erosion) 
  followed 
  by 
  subsidence 
  of 
  the 
  Coastal 
  plain 
  

   region 
  enough 
  to 
  allow 
  encroachment 
  of 
  the 
  shallow 
  sea 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  Upper 
  Cretaceous 
  sediments 
  were 
  accumulated. 
  

  

  LIFE 
  OF 
  THE 
  MESOZOIC 
  

  

  The 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  Mesozoic 
  is 
  but 
  scantily 
  represented 
  within 
  New 
  

   York 
  State 
  because 
  rocks 
  of 
  that 
  age 
  are 
  so 
  poorly 
  exposed. 
  The 
  

   Mesozoic 
  era 
  is 
  commonly 
  referred 
  to 
  as 
  the 
  " 
  Age 
  of 
  Reptiles 
  " 
  

   because 
  animals 
  of 
  that 
  class 
  then 
  reached 
  their 
  culmination 
  of 
  

  

  