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National Geologic Map Database
Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Westwood Granite*
  • Modifications:
    • Overview
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • New England province

Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Westwood Granite
  • Modifications:
    • Areal extent
    • Geochronologic dating
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • New England province
Publication:

Thompson, M.D., and Hermes, O.D., 1990, Ash-flow stratigraphy in the Mattapan Volcanic Complex, greater Boston, Massachusetts, IN Socci, A.D., Skehan, J.W., and Smith, G.W., eds., Geology of the composite Avalon terrane of southern New England: Geological Society of America Special Paper, 245, p. 85-95.


Summary:

Westwood Granite intrudes the High Rock and Twin Pine Tuffs (new names) of Mattapan Volcanic Complex in Needham, Westwood, and the east side of the Stony Brook Reservation. Intrusion near Stony Brook Reservation previously mapped by Zen (1983) as Dedham Granite. Westwood was dated by Zartman and Naylor (1984) at 579+/-23 Ma and Mattapan was dated at 603+/-3 Ma by Kaye and Zartman (1980). Dedham, on the other hand, at 630+/-15 Ma is older than the Mattapan and could not be intrusive.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Reston GNULEX).


Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Westwood Granite*
  • Modifications:
    • Overview
    • Geochronologic dating
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • New England province
Publication:

Wones, D.R., and Goldsmith, Richard, 1991, Intrusive rocks of eastern Massachusetts, Chapter I, IN Hatch, N.L., Jr., ed., The bedrock geology of Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1366-E-J, p. I1-I61.


Summary:

Proterozoic Z Westwood Granite forms small lenses of light-colored granite intruding Proterozoic Z Dedham Granite and older rocks. Occurs within Dedham batholith. Some rocks resembling Westwood, such as those exposed in Plymouth quarries near Weymouth, have been mapped as part of Dedham Granite on MA State Geologic Map (Zen and others, 1983). Extensive intrusion breccias occur at contacts of Westwood with older mafic rocks. Contacts with Dedham are commonly abrupt; dikes of Westwood cut Dedham and rare inclusions of Dedham are found within Westwood (Chute, 1966). No reports of cobbles of Westwood within Roxbury Conglomerate; therefore, it is possible that Westwood is intrusive equivalent of Mattapan Complex that underlies Roxbury and that Westwood was not exposed to erosion at time of deposition of Roxbury. Also may be an intrusive equivalent of Lynn Volcanic Complex. A somewhat questionable Rb/Sr whole-rock age of 579 +/-28 Ma (Fairbairn and others, 1967) obtained from Westwood indicates it may be younger than Dedham and may be about same age as Mattapan.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Reston GNULEX).


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