Geology of the Huron Area, South-Central Indiana
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GEOLOGY OF THE HURON AREA, SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA by HENRY H. GRAY ROBERT D. JENKINS ROBERT M. WEIDMAN Indiana Department of Conservation GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Bulletin No. 20 1960 STATE OF INDIANA HAROLD W. HANDLEY, GOVERNOR DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION E. KENNETH MARLIN, DIRECTOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY JOHN B. PATTON, STATE GEOLOGIST BLOOMINGTON __________________________________________________________________________________________ BULLETIN NO. 20 ____________________________________________________________ GEOLOGY OF THE HURON AREA, SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA BY HENRY H.GRAY ROBERT D. JENKINS ROBERT M. WEIDMAN PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA DECEMBER 1960 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ For sale by Geological Survey, Indiana Department of Conservation, Bloomington, Ind. Price $2.50 2 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY JOHN B. PATTON, State Geologist MAURICE E. BIGGS Assistant State Geologist MARY BETH FOX, Mineral Statistician Coal Section Charles E. Wier, Geologist and Head G. K. Guennel, Paleobotanist S. A. Friedman, Geologist Harold C. Hutchison, Geologist Richard C. Neavel, Coal Petrographer William C. Richardson, Geological Assistant Drafting and Photography Section William H. Moran, Chief Draftsman Robert E. Judah, Geological Artist-Draftsman Micky P. Love, Geological Draftsman John E. Peace, Senior Geological Draftsman George R. Ringer, Photographer Educational Services R. Dee Rarick, Geologist and Head Geochemistry Section R. K. Leininger, Spectrographer and Head Maynard E. Coller, Chemist Louis V. Miller, Coal Chemist, E. M. Craig, Geochemical Assistant Geology Section Robert H. Shaver, Paleontologist and Head Henry H. Gray, Head Stratigrapher William J. Wayne, Head Glacial Geologist Allan F. Schneider, Glacial Geologist Geophysics Section Maurice E. Biggs, Geophysicist and Head Robert F. Blakely, Geophysicist Charles S. Miller, Instrument Maker Albert J. Rudman, Geophysicist Joseph F. Whaley, Geophysicist Glen L. Workman, Driller Jerry B. Fox, Assistant Driller Arthur Wayne Aynes, Geophysical Assistant 3 Industrial Minerals Section Duncan J. McGregor, Geologist and Head Gary R. Gates, Geologist Seymour S. Greenberg, Petrographer Jack L. Harrison, Clay Mineralogist Ned M. Smith, Geologist Jack A. Sunderman, Geologist Petroleum Section T. A. Dawson, Geologist and Head G. L. Carpenter, Geologist Andrew J. Hreha, Geologist Stanley Keller, Geologist Arthur P. Pinsak, Geologist Howard Smith, Geologist Dan M. Sullivan, Geologist George Abbott, Geological Assistant James Cazee, Geological Assistant Phillip W. Cazee, Geological Assistant John R. Helms, Geological Assistant Publications Section Gerald S. Woodard, Editor and Head Lewis W. Nellinger, Sales and Record Clerk 5 CONTENTS Page Abstract ................................................................................. 9 Introduction ............................................................................. 9 Location and general description of area ............................................... 9 Purpose and scope of the report ......................................................11 Previous geologic work .............................................................11 Fieldwork ..........................................................................12 Acknowledgments ..................................................................12 Physiography and geographic setting ....................................................13 Erosional landforms .................................................................14 Depositional landforms .............................................................17 Economic geography ................................................................17 Unconsolidated sediments ...............................................................18 Martinsville Formation ..............................................................18 Atherton Formation .................................................................19 Windblown sand facies ..........................................................20 Outwash sand and gravel facies ..................................................20 Prospect Formation .................................................................20 Lafayette Gravel .....................................................................21 Economic evaluation of the unconsolidated sediments ................................22 Exposed sedimentary rocks ..............................................................22 Mansfield Formation ................................................................22 Upper part of the Mansfield Formation ...........................................24 Lower part of the Mansfield Formation ...........................................25 Economic evaluation of the Mansfield Formation .................................27 The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity .....................................29 Economic evaluation of the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian uncon formity .........................................................................33 Absence of Mississippian rocks younger than Glen Dean Limestone . 34 Problems of nomenclature in rocks of late Mississippian age ......................... 35 Stephensport Group ................................................................ 37 Glen Dean Limestone (restricted) ................................................ 38 Hardinsburg Formation ......................................................... 39 Golconda Limestone (restricted) ................................................ 39 Big Clifty Formation ........................................................... 40 Beech Creek Limestone ......................................................... 41 Economic evaluation of the Stephensport, Group ................................. 42 West Baden Group ................................................................ 44 Elwren Formation .............................................................. 45 Reelsville Limestone . 45 6 CONTENTS Page Exposed sedimentary rocks-Continued West Baden Group-Continued Sample Formation ................................................................ 46 Beaver Bend Limestone ........................................................... 46 Bethel Formation . ................................................................ 47 Economic evaluation of the West Baden Group ..................................... 48 Blue River Group ................................................................... 48 Paoli Limestone .................................................................. 49 Ste. Genevieve Limestone ......................................................... 50 Economic evaluation of the Blue River Group ...................................... 51 Consolidated rocks not exposed at the surface ............................................ 51 Blue River Group ................................................................... 52 Salem and Harrodsburg Limestones .................................................. 54 Borden Group ....................................................................... 54 New Albany Shale and Devonian limestones .......................................... 54 Older rocks ......................................................................... 54 Economic evaluation of the subsurface rocks ......................................... 55 Geologic history of the Huron area ....................................................... 56 Literature cited .......................................................................... 62 Appendix ............................................................................... 65 Measured sections .................................................................. 65 Well records . 73 7 ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page Plate 1. Geologic map of Huron area, south-central Indiana . In pocket 2. Mansfield Formation ................................................ 24 3. Limestone exposures ................................................ 25 Figure 1. Map of southwestern Indiana showing Huron area in relation to major physiographic units . 10 2. Topographic profiles across Huron area showing two prominent levels of stripped-surface development in rocks of the Mans field Formation . 15 3. Diagram showing named formations of Pleistocene age in Indiana . 19 4. Altitude-contour maps of the base of the Mansfield Formation and the base of the Beech Creek Limestone, Huron area. 31 TABLES Page Table 1. Relative abundance of principal rock types in the Mansfield Formation . 23 2. Relative abundance of principal sandstone types in the Mansfield 3. Localities at which mineral raw materials have been produced from the Mansfield Formation . 28 4. Observations of Mississippian-Pennsylvanian contact . 32 5. Stratigraphic names used in this report for rocks of late Mis sissippian age . 36 6. Test wells for oil and gas . 53 7. Environmental interpretations of rock types in the Mansfield Formation . 59 GEOLOGY OF THE HURON AREA, SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA BY HENRY H. GRAY, ROBERT D. JENKINS, AND ROBERT M. WEIDMAN ABSTRACT The Huron area is approximately 85 miles south-southwest of Indianapolis and includes approximately 117 square miles of area In the physiographic province known as the Crawford Upland. Nearly flat-lying sedimentary rocks of late Mississippian and early Pennsylvanian age underlie the hilltops and slopes, and unconsolidated silts, sands, and gravels, mostly of Pleistocene age, partly