Jacques Cousteau Reserve, New Jersey

Geology

The Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary is located on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, created over the last 170-200 million years by depositional and erosional processes. As a result of multiple sea level changes between the last 135 to 5 million years before present, the Atlantic Coastal Plain became overlain with layers of unconsolidated, permeable silts, sands, clays, greensands and marls. There are at least 15 geologic formations of Cretaceous and Tertiary age strata beneath this coastal plain, beginning with the Raritan formation at the base and ending with the Kirkwood and Cohansey formations on top. The lowest beds originate from continental deposits of the Lower Cretaceous Age. These are overlain by deposits of both continental and marine origin (Upper Cretaceous Age), dating from 65-136 million years ago. All these formations tilt eastward toward the ocean, the Cohansey at the rate of about 10 feet per mile. Nearly all of the formations contain fossils of marine animals.

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