The Geology of the Thayer Area Emphasizing the Stratigraphy of the Cotter and the Jefferson City Formations

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The Geology of the Thayer Area Emphasizing the Stratigraphy of the Cotter and the Jefferson City Formations Scholars' Mine Masters Theses Student Theses and Dissertations 1968 The geology of the Thayer area emphasizing the stratigraphy of the Cotter and the Jefferson City formations William Jesse Hedden Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons Department: Recommended Citation Hedden, William Jesse, "The geology of the Thayer area emphasizing the stratigraphy of the Cotter and the Jefferson City formations" (1968). Masters Theses. 7092. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/7092 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]. THE GEOLOGY OF THE THAYER AREA EMPHASIZING THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE COTTER AND nlE JEFFERSON CITY FORMATIONS ! ' BY Q 1f :) WILLIAM JESSE HEDDEN , \ 1~ A THESIS submitted to the faculty of THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI •• ROLLA in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN GEOLOGY Rolla, Missouri 1968 (advisor)_...,...,......... _____.._....._.~'"--..._ t4cb<B - ~ ii THE GEOLOGY OF THE THAYER AREA EMPHAS IZ ING THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE CO'li'ER AND ntE JEFFERSON CITY FORMATIONS BY WILLIAM JESSE HEDDEN ABSTRACT Detailed geologic mapping of the Cotter-Jefferson City formational contact in the Thayer, Missouri area demonstrates the feasibility of using this contact. This mapping also de­ lineates significant faulting in the area. The stratigraphy of the Cotter and Jefferson City f orma­ t ions in the Thayer area has been studied to find a mappable contact between the two formations. The contact was mapped in t his area by using marker beds, the stratigraphic positions of which were determined by applying insoluble residue techniques to outcrop sections. Because the insoluble residue zones of the Cotter and Jefferson City formations are recognizable through­ out the state of Missouri in the subsurface, mapping the con- tact between the formations should be possible anywhere within their outcrop area by applying the method described in this report. Mapping has revealed three distinct zones of block faulting with vertical displacements as great as 350 feet. The faults were mapped using a combinat ion of structural control and air­ photo lineations, because the fault traces cannot usually be seen in the field. The faulting may be a southeastward extension of the Graydon Springs fault zone, or it may be part of a suspected east-west trending fault zone of regional extent. M&nmoth Spring, the second largest spring in the Ozarks, rises along a fault surface and near the intersection of two fault zones. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABS TRA.CT. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ii TABLE OF CONTENTS••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• iii LIST OF FIGURES••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• vi LIST OF PLATES•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• vii I. INTRODUCTION ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 A. Description of Problem and Objectives •••••• 1 B. Location and General Description of Area ••• 2 c. Method of Investigation •••••••••••••••••••• 4 D. Previous Work•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7 E. Acknowledgments •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 12 II. PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY••••••••••••••••••••• 14 A. Regional Physiography •••••••••••••••••••••• 14 B. Drainage••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 14 c. Topography and Relief•••••••••••••••••••••• 16 D. General Description of Bedrock and Soil •••• 17 E. Climate•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 17 F. Vegetation••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 18 G. Camnunities and Industry••••··~···••••••••• 18 H. Transportation••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 19 III. STRATIGRAPHY ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20 A. Introduction ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20 B. Precambrian Rocks (Subsurface Data) •••••••• 21 c. Cambrian System•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 21 1. Introduction••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 21 2. Lamotte Formation•••••••••••••••••••••• 22 3. Bonneterre Formation••••••••••••••••••• 22 4. Davis Formation•••••••••••••••••••••••• 22 5. Derby-Doerun Formation ••••••••••••••••• 22 6. Potosi Formation ••••••••••••••••••••••• 23 7. Eminence Formation ••••••••••••••••••••• 23 D. Ordovician System•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 1. Gasconade Formation (Subsurface Data) •• 24 2. Roubidoux Formation •••••••••••••••••••• 26 a. Introduction••••••••••••••••••••••• 26 b. Nomenclatural History •••••••••••••• 26 c. Distribution and Outcrops •••••••••• 27 d. Thickness •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 31 e. Lithology •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 33 Dolomites •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34 Sandstones•••••••••••••••~••••••••• 35 Cherts ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 36 iv f. Marker Horizons and Insoluble Residue Zones. 37 g. Paleontology •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 39 h. Topographic Expression •••••••••••••••••••••• 39 i. Type Area Section Comparison •••••••••••••••• 40 j. Regional Correlations ••••••••••••••••••••••• 41 k. Stratigraphic Relations ••••••••••••••••••••• 42 3. Jefferson City Formation •••••••••••••••••••••••• 43 a. Introduction•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 43 b. Nomenclatural History ••••••••••••••••••••••• 44 c. Distribution and Outcrops ••••••••••••••••••• 45 d. Thickness••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 e. Lithology••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 48 Dolomites ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 48 Cherts•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 51 Sandstones•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 56 f. Marker Horizons••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 56 Field Marker Horizons ••••••••••••••••••••••• 56 Subsurface Marker Horizons •••••••••••••••••• 61 g. Insoluble Residue Zones ••••••••••••••••••••• 62 h. Paleontology •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 65 i. Local Correlations •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 65 j. Topographic Expression•••••••••••••••••••••• 66 k. Type Section Comparison ••••••••••••••••••••• 67 1. Regional Correlations ••••••••••••••••••••••• 68 m. Stratigraphic Relations••••••••••••••••••••• 69 4. Cotter Formation•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 70 a. Introduction•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 70 b. Nomenclatural History••••••••••••••••••••••• 71 c. Distribution and Outcrops ••••••••••••••••••• 73 d. Thickness ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 74 e. Lithology••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 75 Dolomites ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 75 Cherts•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 77 Sandstones•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 78 Southerly Facies Changes•••••••••••••••••••• 79 f. Marker Horizons ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 81 g. Insoluble Residue Zones ••••••••••••••••••••• 90 h. Paleontology •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 92 i. Local Correlations •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 93 j. Topographic Expression •••••••••••••••••••••• 96 k. Regional Correlations ••••••••••••••••••••••• 96 1. Stratigraphic Relations ••••••••••••••••••••• 98 E. Mississippian (or Cretaceous) System •••••••••••••••• 99 F. Recent Fossil Vertebrate Remains •••••••••••••••••••• 100 IV. STRUCnJRE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 101 A. Faulting•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 101 B. Folding••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 105 v v. SOLUTION PHENOMENA••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 107 A. Introduction ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 107 B. Malillloth Spring••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 108 c. Grand Gulf••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 112 o. Sinkhole Plain••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 119 E. Other Solution Features•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 122 VI. RESOURCES•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 124 A. Iron ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 124 B. Dol0tni te ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 125 c. Surface Water•••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••••• 125 o. Ground-Water••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 126 VII. GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS•••••••••••••••••••••• 127 A. Rugged Terrain••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 127 B. Residuum••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 127 1. Introduction ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 127 2. Foundations•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 128 3. Slope StabilitY•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 128 4. Excavation••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 129 5. Reservoir Leakage•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 129 6. Aquifer Recharge••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 129 c. Solution Cavities•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130 1. Introduction••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130 2. Sinkholes•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130 a. Introduction••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130 b. Aquifer Recharge••••••••••••••••••••••••• 131 c. Aquifer Pollution •••••••••••••••••••••••• 131 d. Reservoir Leakage•••••••••••••••••••••••• 132 e. Sinkholes and Surface Drainage ••••••••••• 133 3. Caves•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 133 4. Springs•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 134 D. Cutters and Pinnacles•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 134 1. Introduction ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 134 2. Depth to Bedrock••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 136 3. Isolated Boulders--Slide Hazard •••••••••••••• 136 4. Foundations •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 137 5. Excavations•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 137 E. Aggregate•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 137 VIII. GEOLOGIC HISTORY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 139 IX. CONCLUSIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 143 x. BIBLIOGRAPHY•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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