Mississippian Bioherms of Southwestern Missouri and Northwestern Arkansas
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Scholars' Mine Masters Theses Student Theses and Dissertations 1960 Mississippian bioherms of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas Arthur R. Troell Jr. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons Department: Recommended Citation Troell, Arthur R. Jr., "Mississippian bioherms of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas" (1960). Masters Theses. 5574. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/5574 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. j lL-lo 7 c.. r. l MISSISSIPPIAN BIOHERMS OF SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS BY ARTHUR R. TROELL, JR. A THESIS submitted ·to the faculty of the SCHOOL OF MINES AND METALLURGY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI in partial fulfillment of the work required for the MASTER 1960 Approved by ~~or (advisor) Q ~)~Sm~ ABSTRACT Lenticular bodies of massive limestone, flanked by thin crinoidal beds, crop out in southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. They are within the St. Joe limestone of the Lower Mississippian. Strata underlying these bodies typically are down warped, those on the flanks lapping against, finally passing completely over the limestone core. Dips away from the nreefa are commonly_around 5 degrees, but reach as much as 30 degrees. Conglomeratic detritus, originating from the core, occurs in flanking beds at their contact with it. Thin sections of these masses sho~ no more than 15 per cent of the limestone to consist of fossil remains. These are chiefly encrusting bryozoans and crinoid fragments, with occasional ostracods and brachiopods. The· matrix is microspar, its particles ranging from about three to 10 microns in diameter. A minor amount of disseminated clay was observedo Flanking beds and inter-reef limestones differ in being composed of 50 to 75 per cent fossils; the matrix is more variable and in places c~arser than in the core. The clay content, although minor, 1s apparent along partings. The lenticular cores, or bioherms, are interpreted as minor e1evatl0ns caused by entrapment of fine mud by non-calcareous plants in an environment of low energy. Reef-building calcareous organisms are virtually absento Wave and current action as a formative agent are negated by the presence of fine mud in the bioherm. Genetic interpretations of certain bioherms from different areas and varying parts of the Paleozoic and Tertiary were discussed and rejected as an explanation for these phenomena. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere thanks are due Dr. A. C. Spreng, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, for suggesting the probiem and directing its progress. Dr. Don L. Frizzell, of the same institution, offered suggestions during the course.of investigation, including the analogy of bioherms and Recent plant baffles. Acknowledgment of stimulating conversations is made to Dr. o. R. Grawe and Professor J.C. Maxwell, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Dr. Wallace B. Howe and Mr. John W. Koenig, Missouri Geological Survey, and Dr. T. K. Searight, Illinois State Normal College. Dr. R. L. Folk, University of Texas, examined some thin sections and offered ideas on recrystallization. Thanks are due Dr. T. R. Beve~idge, State Geologist, for financial assistance from the Missouri Geological Survey, and to the U.S. Geological Survey, Topographic Branch, for reproduction of some of the plates. The efforts of Messrs. Balph Harris and c. Kurt Lamber in preparation of photographs are sincerely appreciated. Finally, the writer acknowledges the assistance of his wife, Patsy, for typing and editing the manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • l PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS • • • • • • 2 GEOGRAPHY OF THE AREA • • • • • • • • • 5 Location and Size • • • • ·- 5 Culture • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 • • 6 Physiography • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • • Topography and Drainage • • • • • • • • • • • • • 8 10 GENERAL GEOLOGY • • • • • • 0 • • 0 • 0 • • • • • • 10 Stratigraphy • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • 10 Introductory Notes • 0 • .. • ·- • .. • • • • • • 0 10 Ordovician System • • • • • 0 • • • General Statement . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 Jefferson City-Cotter Dolomite • • • • 10 Other Formations of Ordovician Age • • • • • 11 Devonian System • • 0 • • • • • 13 General Statement • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 13 Sylamore Sandstone • • • • • 13 Chattanooga Shale • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 Mississippian System • • • • • • 0 • • • 16 General Statement • • • • • • • • • • • • 16 St. Joe Formation • • • • • • 17 Nomenclatural History • • • • • • • • 17 Usage in this Thesis . • • • • • • • • 19 Distribution • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 20 Thickness • 0 • • • •- Topography • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 20 Lithic Character • 0 • • • • • 21 Stratigraphic Relations • • • • • • • 23 Age and Correlation .. 0 • • • • • • • • • 23 Reeds Spring Formation • • • • • 24 24 Structure . 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26 INTERBIOHERMAL LITHOLOGY • • • 0 • 0 • • • • 0 • • • • 26 General Notes • 0 • • 0 • 0 • • • • • • • • • • Section Northwest of_ Noel, McDonald County, Missouri. 26 26 Location • • 0 0 • • • • • • • 0 • • • • • • • 0 26 Description • 0 0 • • • 0 .. • • • • • • • Petrography • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 29 Introductory Notes • • • • • • • • • • 0 • 29 Petrogr.aphy of Units 3 and 4 • • • • 0 31 ·Petrography of Units 6 and 7 • • • • • • 37 Section at Powell, .McDonald County, Missouri • • 39 Location . • 0 • 0 • 0 • • • • • ,o • 0 • • • • • 39 Description • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 Petrography • 0 0 • • • • • • • • • 41 Section in Roaring River State Park, Barry County, Missouri •••••••••••••••••••• • • 44 Location •••••••••••••••••••. 44 Description • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 44 Petrography • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 47 Petrography of Units 4. and 5 ••••••• . 47 Petrography of Units 8, 9, and 11 ••••• . 49 BIOHERMAL LITHOLOGIC FACIES AND ASSOCIATED SEDIMENTS • • 53 General Notes • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • 53 Bioherms Exposed Near Pineville, McDonald County, Missouri • • • • • • • • • • • •. • • • .• • • • • • • 56 General Notes • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 56 Stratigraphic and Structural Relation$ •••• o • 56 Petrography of the Core Facies •••••••••• 60 Petrography of the Substrata •• . ••••••••• 65 Petrography of the Bioherm Flanking and Upper En.closing Beds • •. • • • •. • • • • • o • • . • • • • 67 Bioherms Exposed in the Vicinity of Elkhurst, McDonald County, Missouri •••••••••••••• 69 Eocation. o ••• ~ ••••••••••••••• 69 Stratigraphic and Structural Relations •••••• 69 Petrography of the Core Facies •••••••••• 71 Petrography of the Slabby Limestones which - Underli.e the Core • o. • • • • • • • . .. .. • • • • • 73 Bioherms Exposed at Noel, McDonald County, .Missouri • 74 Location • -.. • . • • • • • • • o • • • • • • .. • • • 7 4 Structural and Stratigr~phic Relations •••••• 74 Petrography of . the Core Facies •••••••••• 77 Petrography of the S-µ.bstra-t;;a • • • • . • • • • • • • 78 Bi.oherms 1.n . the Vi.cinity of Elk Spri.ngs, McDonald, County, Mi.ssouri • • •. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79 Location. o •••••••• o •••••••••• 79 Structural and Stratigraphic Relations 4 ••••• 79 Petr.ography of the Core Facies •••••••••• 80 I f RESUME OF STRATIGRAPHIC AND LITHOLOGIC FEATURES OF BIOHERMAL AND INTERBIOHERMAL FACIES •••••••• 0 • 87 Interbiohermal Facies •. • • • • • _• . • • • • • • • • • 87 · Regional Aspects • • • .- • • • • • • • • • • • • • 87 Structural and Stratigraph~c Relations. • ••• 87 Lithologic Features ••••••••••••••• 87 Biohermal Fac1es and Associated Sediments •••••• 88 Structural and Stratigraphic Relations o • o ••• 88 Li thologlc Features • • • • • • . • • .. • o • • • • • 90 THEORIES OF ORIGIN • • • 0 0 o O o o O 0 0 O O O o e • • 92 Unconformities Caused by Submarine Erosion . .• . 0 . 92 Crinoidal Bioherms 0 • 0 0 0 .. .. .... • 0 • 0 • • • • 93 B~yozoan Bioherms 0 0 • • • .. • 6 0 • 0 • 0 . • • • • 94 Algal Bioherms • • • 0 • 0 0 • • • 0 • • 0 0 0 0 • . 95 ORIGIN OF THE BIOHERMS • • • 97 Florida Bay Structures • • • 97 Interbiohe rmal Deposit$on . • • • • • 100 Deposition o:f the Bioherms • • • 102 CONCLUSIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. 106 A~PENDIX • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 107 BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 113 VITA • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 116 LIST OF PLATES Page PLATE I. Bioherm Location Map • •· . • • . • • 9 PLATE II. Generalized Stratigraphic Column •• . •• 12 PLATE. III. Photomicrographs of Interbiohermal Strata • 52 A. Crinoidal Limestone from Roaring River State Park B. Crinoid and Bryozoan Fragments in Thin Section-from Noel C. Crinoid and Bryozoan Fragments with Microspar Matrix as seen in Thin Section from Noel PLATE I_V. Bioherms and.Associated Sediments Northeast of Noel, Missouri •••••••••••• ~ 81 A. Photograph of Crinoidal Limestones B. Photograph of Bioherm PLATE V. Bioherms at Noel and Northwest of Noel, Missouri ••• 0 • • • . 0 • • • • • 82 A. Photograph of Core at Noel B. Photograph of Beds Lapping Against Core PLATE VI. Bioherms North of Havenhurst and South of Powell, Missouri •••••••••• . •. 83 A. Photograph of Massive Core B. Photograph of Bioherm and Flanking Strata PLATE VII. Sketches of Representative Bioherms· of Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas ••