Geology of Fairfield County, Ohio
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This dissertation has been 61—5134 microfilmed exactly as received WOLFE, Edward Winslow, 1936- GEOLOGY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1961 Geology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan GEOLOGY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Edward Winslow Wolfe, B. A. The Ohio State University 1961 Approved by Department of Geology ! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks are due Mr. R. J. Bernhagen, State Geologist, who suggest ed the need for an investigation of the geology of Fairfield County. The writer is particularly indebted to Dr. Aurele La Rooque who di rected the investigation and guided the writer throughout the prepara tion of this report. Many others gave freely of their time in dis cussing with the writer the geology of Fairfield County. Among these, special thanks are due Dr. Jane L. Forsyth of the Ohio Division of Geological Survey, Mr. George J. Franklin, who is presently completing a report on the geology of Licking County, and the writer's colleagues in the Department of Geology at the College of Wooster. The writer thanks several members of the Ohio Division of Geological Survey, in cluding Miss Pauline Smyth, Mr. Karl V. Hoover, and Mr. Harold J. Flint, for their valuable assistance. Most helpful, too, was the as sistance of Mr. Jon S. Galehouse during the summer of i960. The field work was sponsored and financed by the Ohio Division of Geological Survey. Additional financial aid, in the form of a William H. Wilson award, granted by the College of Wooster, is deeply appreci ated. Free access was granted to the files of the Ohio Division of Geo logical Survey, as well as to those of the Ohio Division of Water. The two organizations participated, during the summer of 1959, in map ping the locations of most of the water wells drilled in Fairfield County. Finally, the writer is greatly indebted to his wife, Ruth Wolfe, ii ill who typed the manuscript and expedited the completion of the report hy her constant encouragement throughout its preparation. CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION......................................... 1 Purpose and Scope of Investigation. ..... .......... 1 Location and Extent of A r e a ............. 1 Method of Investigation ............................. 2 Previous Investigations ............................. 5 STRATIGRAPHY......................................... 8 General Statement.................................. 8 Devonian System .................................... 10 Ohio shale.................................... 10 Definition................................. 10 Distribution ............................... 10 Lithology.................................. 11 Thickness........ II Stratigraphic relations...................... 12 Age....................................... 13 Mississippian System. 15 General Statement................................ 15 Kinderhook Series.............................. 16 Bedford shale ................................ 16 Definition .................... ....... 16 Distribution................. 16 Lithology.................................. 17 Thickness.............................. 19 Stratigraphic relations...................... 21 iv Page Age....................................... 23 Berea sandstone............................... 2li Definition................................. 2U Distribution . ........................... 2U Lithology.................................. 2£ Thickness............ ^ .................... 2f> Stratigraphic relations. ............. 27 Age....................................... 30 Sunbury shale ................................ 30 Definition...................... 30 Distribution......................... 30 Lithology................. 31 Thickness............ 31 Stratigraphic relations. ....... 32 Age....................................... 33 Kinderhook and Osage Series..................... 3k Cuyahoga formation............................. 3k Definition................................. 3k Distribution............. 3k Lithology.................................. Thickness. ... ..... 3$ Stratigraphic relations...................... 35 Age....................................... 1(2 Subdivisions............................... Id* General statement........................ l(ll v Page Raccoon member........................... U8 Definition........................... U8 Distribution......................... 50 Lithology............................. 52 Thickness............... 65 Stratigraphic relations................. 69 Age.................................. 72 Black Hand m e m b e r ........................ 73 Definition....................... 73 Distribution......................... 7U Lithology............................. 76 Thickness............................. 9h Stratigraphic relations................. 91 Age..................... 112 Cuyahoga formation, undifferentiated........ 112 Definition ......... 112 Distribution ....................... 113 Lithology............................. 113 Thickness............................. 115 Stratigraphic relations................. 116 Age.................................. 118 Osage Series .................................... 119 Logan formation................ 119 Definition................................ 119 F a c i e s .............................. 120 vi Page Age....................................... 122 Subdivisions............................... 122 Berne member............................. 122 Definition........................... 122 Distribution .......................... 12U Lithology............................. 125 Thickness........ 129 Stratigraphic relations................. 132 Age.................................. 139 Byer member ....... ................. 139 Definition........................... 139 Distribution .................. lliO Lithology............................. IliO Thickness...................... liil Stratigraphic relations................. llUi Age.................................. llUi Allensville member........................ ll|5 Definition........................... lU5 Distribution .......... ll±5 Lithology............................. Iii6 Thickness................. lU9 Stratigraphic relations.......... lU9 Age.................................. 190 Vinton member ........ 150 Definition........................... 1J>0 vii Page Distribution.......................... 150 Lithology. • ........................ l5l Thickness............................. 15U Stratigraphic relations................. 155 Age.................................. 157 "Rushville" member........................ 157 Meramec Series ...................... 158 Maxville limestone............................. 158 Pennsylvanian System................................. 159 Pottsville group............................... 159 Definition ..................... ....... 159 Distribution .................. l6l Lithology.......... l6l Thickness........ 162 Stratigraphic relations...................... 163 Quaternary System .................................. 16U STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY.................................... 167 General Statement.................................. 167 Structure Contour Maps. .......................... 167 Top of Black Hand Member .......................... 167 Top of Byer Member .......... 173 GEOMORPHOLOGY........................ 176 Drainage........ 176 Relief............................................. 178 Physiographic Subdivisions........................... 178 viii Page General Statement................................ 178 Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau.......... 179 Till Plains..................................... 180 Glaciated Allegheny Plateau........................ l8l Erosion Surfaces.................................... 181 Pre-Illinoian Drainage............................... 187 Drainage Reversals.................................. 188 Hocking River Reversal........................... 188 Clear Creek Reversal............................. 190 Rush Creek Reversals............................. 191 Amey Run Reversal......................... 192 Constructional Landforms.......... 192 Original Extent of the Black Hand ..................... 192 GEOLOGIC HISTORY ...................................... 196 Precambrian Time.................................... 196 Cambrian to Devonian Periods.......... 197 Mississippian Period. .............. ....... 201 Bedford Time .................................... 201 Berea T i m e ...................................... 202 Sunbury Time .................................... 203 Cuyahoga Time................................... 20li Raccoon deposition......................... 20U Black Hand deposition............. 205 Logan T i m e ...................... 218 Berne deposition............................... 218 ix Page Eyer, Allensville, and Vinton deposition.......... 220 Post-Logan Events........................ 221 Post-Mississippian Time ............................. 222 Pottsville Deposition............................. 222 Later Pennsylvanian and Early Permian Times.......... 222 Later Permian, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Times.......... 222 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY ...................................... 22l* Building Stone...................................... 2 2it Raccoon Member ................... ............. 221; Black Hand Member................................. 22it S h a l e ............... ............................. 226 Bedford Shale...................................