Paleogene Calcareous Nannoplankton Biostratigraphy: Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee

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Paleogene Calcareous Nannoplankton Biostratigraphy: Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee PALEOGENE CALCAREOUS NANNOPLANKTON BIOSTRATIGRAPHY: MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE William G. Siesser BULLETIN 125 MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES BUREAU OF GEOLOGY ALVINR. BICKER, JR. Bureau Director Jackson, Mississippi 1983 MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF GEOLOGY Suggested cataloging data by the Bureau of Geology Siesser, William G. Paleogene calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy: Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. (Mississippi. Bureau of Geology. Bulletin, 125) 1. Plankton, Fossil. 2. Micropaleontology - Tertiary. 3. Micropaleontology - Mississip pi. 4. Micropaleontology - Alabama. 5. Micropaleontology - Tennessee. I. Title. II. Series. QE129.A2no.125 557.62 [QE 719] 562.0976 COVER: Calcareous nannoplankton from the lower Yazoo Formation at Riverside Park in Jackson, Mississippi (sample M4b; MGS locality 2). Clockwise, starting with the specimen at top, the species are: (1) Coccolithus pelagicus, (2) Discoaster saipanensis, (3) Bramlet- teius serraculoides, and (4) Holodiscolithus macroporus. Scale is approximately 1 cm =2 jam. PALEOGENE CALCAREOUS NANNOPLANKTON BIOSTRATIGRAPHY MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Commissioners Jolly McCarty, Chairman Pascagoula Robert Anderson Corinth Charlie Huffstatler Tupelo Gladys Slayden Holly Springs Jim Carraway Bassfield Alva Temple Columbus Robert C. Travis Jackson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Charlie L. Blalock BUREAU OF GEOLOGY Administrative Alvin R. Bicker, Jr Director Michael B.E. Bograd Administrative Geologist Jean Inman Administrative Assistant Norma B. Shows Geological Aide L. Michele Morphis Clerk Typist Danielle Johnson Secretary Carolyn Woodley Librarian Environmental Geology Surface Geology Curtis W. Stover Section Chief David T. Dockery, III Section Chief David Booth Geologist Robert K. Merrill Geologist Michael C. Seal Geologist Charles M. Smith Geologist Stuart Patterson Geological Aide Mining and Reclamation Eugene Whalen GeologicalAide William A. Gilliland Administrator Catherine F. Sims Geologist Robin L. Borden Agronomist Groundwater Geology Charles E. Clevenger, P,E Engineer James J. Sims, Jr Geologist Dorothy F. Polen Secretary Peter Clark Electrical Logging Tech. Mineral Lease Division John Kellis Director Subsurface Geology Edwin E. Luper Section Chief Gary Michael Meadows Geologist Robert Ervin Gen. Service Emp. MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF GEOLOGY LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Mississippi Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Geology Mr. Jolly McCarty, Chairman, and Members of the Commission Department of Natural Resources Commissioners: The Bureau of Geology is pleased to transmit to you Bulletin 125, entitled "Paleogene Calcareous Nan noplankton Biostratigraphy: Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee", by William G. Siesser. This bulletin reports on the fossilcalcareous nannoplanktonfoundin various Paleogeneformations of Mis sissippi,Alabama,and Tennessee. Modern calcareous nannoplankton are minute, flagellate algae that are cov eredwith calcareousplates during at least onestage in their lifecycles. These algae live in the surface waters of oceansaround the world.Their calcareousplates occurin the sea-floor sediments of most marine environments, with the exception of the deepest ocean regions where calcium carbonate goes into solution. Fossil calcareous nannoplankton are of great value to chronostratigraphy because of their world-widedistribution. In this work, these minute fossils are identified and illustrated from Paleogene formations in Mississippi. These formations are then assigned to the previously definedNP zones of Martini (1971), an internationally recognized zonation that dividesthe Paleogene into 25biostratigraphic units (NP1-NP25). This zonationallows stratigraphic units and associated geologic events in Mississippi to becorrelated withother units and events ofequivalent age on a world-widebasis. Such correlations are of great importance to Mississippi's geologic industries who utilize this type of data in their exploration of the State's mineral resources. The author of this publication, Dr. Siesser, is Chairman of the Department of Geology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Siesser's paper was recommended to me for publication by David T. Dockery,III and MichaelB. E. Bograd, whoreviewed the abstract for submission as a paper to be given at the GulfCoast Association of Geological Societies' 1983 convention in Jackson, Mississippi. The lithostratigraphic nomenclature in this work is not entirely the same as that used by this Bureau. Respectfully submitted, Alvin R. Bicker, Jr. Director and State Geologist ARB,Jr:ds PALEOGENE CALCAREOUS NANNOPLANKTON BIOSTRATIGRAPHY 5 CONTENTS Page Abstract 9 Introduction 9 Calcareous Nannoplankton Biostratigraphy 11 Taxonomic Notes 15 Stratigraphy 17 Clayton Formation 17 Lithostratigraphy 17 Biostratigraphy 18 Porters Creek Formation 22 Lithostratigraphy 22 Biostratigraphy 22 Naheola Formation and Betheden Formation 23 Lithostratigraphy 23 Biostratigraphy 24 Nanafalia Formation and Salt Mountain Limestone 24 Lithostratigraphy 24 Biostratigraphy 25 Tuscahoma Sand 25 Lithostratigraphy 25 Biostratigraphy 27 Hatchetigbee Formation 27 Lithostratigraphy 27 Biostratigraphy 28 Tallahatta Formation 28 Lithostratigraphy 28 Biostratigraphy 28 Lisbon Formation, Winona Greensand, Zilpha Clay, Kosciusko Formation and Cook Mountain Formation 32 Lithostratigraphy 32 Biostratigraphy 32 Gosport Sand 33 Lithostratigraphy 33 Biostratigraphy 33 Moodys Branch Formation 36 Lithostratigraphy 36 Biostratigraphy 36 Yazoo Formation and Crystal River Formation 37 Lithostratigraphy 37 Biostratigraphy 39 Red Bluff Formation, Forest Hill Formation, and Bumpnose Limestone 43 Lithostratigraphy 43 Biostratigraphy 43 Marianna Limestone and Mint Spring Formation 46 Lithostratigraphy 46 Biostratigraphy 46 Glendon Limestone, Byram Formation, and Bucatunna Formation 46 Lithostratigraphy 46 Biostratigraphy 47 Chickasawhay Limestone 47 Lithostratigraphy 47 Biostratigraphy 48 Paynes Hammock Formation 50 Lithostratigraphy 50 Biostratigraphy 50 Acknowledgments 52 References Cited 53 Appendix I. Nannoplankton-Bearing Localities 58 MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF GEOLOGY FIGURES Generalized geologicmap showing distribution of the 18. Archusa Marl Mbr. of the Cook Mountain Fm. Dobys Midwayan, Sabinian, Claibornian, Jacksonian, Vicks- Bluff on the Chickasawhay River south of Quitman, burgian, and Chickasawhayan stages in Alabama, Clarke County, Mississippi (MGS locality 26) 32 Mississippi, and Tennessee (modified from AAPG Geological Highway Maps, Southeastern and Mid- 19. Potterchitto Mbr. of Cook Mountain Fm., Newton Atlantic Regions) 10 County, Mississippi. (Locality M3, MGS locality 65). .. .32 Collection localities of samples containing calcareous 20. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Lisbon Fm 34 nannoplankton fossils 11 21. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Cook Mountain Fm. ...35 Calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphic zonations previously applied to Paleogene formations in the 22. Abundantly fossiliferous layer of middle Gosport eastern Gulf Coastal Plain. Epochs, ages, time scale Sand, Little Stave Creek, Clarke County, Alabama. .. .35 and foraminiferal zonations adapted from Vail et al. (1977) 13 23. Gosport Sand underlying Moodys Branch Fm. End of hammer handle atbase of shell bed marks the contact Correlation chart of Paleogene lithostratigraphic between the two formations. St. Stephens Bluffon the units in the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain, largely fol Tombigbee River, Washington County, Alabama 36 lowing Copeland (1968) and Toulmin (1977) 17 24. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Gosport Sand 37 Pine Barren Mbr. (Turritella rock) of Clayton Fm., Wilcox County, Alabama 18 25. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Moodys Branch Fm. ...38 McBryde Mbr. of Clayton Fm. exposed in ditch 26. North Twistwood Creek Clay Mbr. of Yazoo Fm. (white outcrops), overlain by Porters Creek Fm., But Choctaw County, Alabama 39 ler County, Alabama 18 27. Pachuta Marl Mbr. of Yazoo Fm. (A); Shubuta Clay Calcareous nannoplankton in the Clayton Fm. Phase- Mbr. of Yazoo Fm. (B); Red Bluff Fm., carbonate contrast illumination indicated by upper-case letters; fades (Bumpnose Limestone equivalent) (C); Red cross polarized by lower case. Sample numbers are in Bluff Fm., shale fades (D); and Marianna Limestone parentheses 21 (E). Ink lines mark approximate contacts. Quarry at St. Stephens, Washington County, Alabama 39 8. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Porters Creek Fm 23 28. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Yazoo Fm 40 9. Coal Bluff Mbr. of Naheola Fm., overlain by Nanafalia Fm. End of hammer on contact. Nanafalia 29. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Yazoo Fm. (con't). .. .41 Landing on Tombigbee River, Alabama 24 30. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Crystal River Fm. ...44 10. Ostrea thirsae beds, Nanafalia Fm., Wilcox County, Alabama 24 31. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Red Bluff Fm 45 11. Salt Mountain Limestone. Near Jackson, Clarke 32. Mint Spring Fm. Mississippi River bank at Vicks- County, Alabama 25 burg, Warren County, Mississippi (Locality M15, MGS locality 107) 46 12. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Nanafalia Fm 26 33. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Marianna Lime 13. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Salt Mountain stone 47 Limestone 27 34. Calcareous nannoplankton in the Mint Spring Fm. ...48 14. Hatchetigbee Fm. with the Bashi Mbr. exposed in lower part of ravines. Behind the Red Hot Truck Stop 35. Glendon Limestone. Hammer in center of uppermost on east side of Interstate 20 at Meridian, Mississippi ledge for scale. Mississippi River bluff at Vicksburg, (MGS
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