Subcrop Geologic Map of Cretaceous/Tertiary Section, Jackson Purchase Region, Western Kentucky
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DESCRIPTION OF MAPPED UNITS—Adapted from Martin (2004) and Martin and others (2007). EXPLANATION GEOLOGIC SETTING SUBCROP GEOLOGIC MAP (CRETACEOUS/TERTIARY) JACKSON FORMATION—Sand, silt, clay, and clay. Sand, fine- to coarse-grained, poorly to well-sorted, angular to well- The Jackson Purchase Region of western Kentucky is located in the northeastern part of the Mississippi Embayment. Rocks JACKSON PURCHASE REGION, WESTERN KY Tj rounded quartz; silty, clayey, cherty, micaceous, contains heavy minerals; also contains granules and pebbles of quartz and sediments exposed in this region range in age from Devonian to Holocene. The Mississippi Embayment, an area known as and subangular to subrounded pebbles and cobbles of clay; very thin- to thick-bedded and sometimes poorly bedded or Contact Unconformity contact the Jackson Purchase in Kentucky, is a broad, south-plunging syncline whose axis coincides with the Mississippi River. Deeper USGS STATEMAP Deliverable massive, commonly crossbedded; unconsolidated, but locally cemented with iron oxide. Silt, fine- to medium-grained, Paleozoic rocks dip northward toward the Illinois Basin, whereas most Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary formations strike parallel Series XII, 2009 consists of angular to subrounded quartz grains, clayey, sandy, micaceous, and carbonaceous; laminated to thin-bedded Approximate contact Unconformity concealed to the margin of the embayment and dip uniformly toward the embayment axis. This map displays the the subcrop geology of the Version 1.0 to massive, and commonly interbedded with sand or clay. Clay, silty and sandy, slightly lignitic, composed dominantly area below the mapped Quaternary/Tertiary section along the top of the Cretaceous/Tertiary unconformity. of kaolinite, with some illite, montmorillonite, and mixed-layer clay; thin- to thick-bedded, thinly laminated in places; Inferred contact Bedrock topographic contour (Jackson Purchase) contains leaf imprints, and locally contains fragments of lignitized wood; occurs as very thin to thick beds and lenses. Structure contour (Mississippi Plateau) Distribution of Jackson age sediments is irregular and thickness is variable. The distribution pattern suggests an irregular Concealed contact PRODEDURE erosional surface between rocks of Claiborne and Jackson age. Index contour (200 foot) Fault This map was generated from edited portions of the original compilation of fifty-five 1:24,000-scale Digitally Vectorized CLAIBORNE FORMATION—Sand, silt, and clay. Sand, silty and clayey, fine-to medium-grained, commonly very coarse Geologic Quadrangle (DVGQ) maps from the Murray, Paducah, Sikeston, and Cape Girardeau 30 x 60 minute quadrangles. The Tc and granular near contact with underlying unit, well to poorly-sorted, angular to subrounded quartz, chert, opaque Inferred fault State boundary original dataset was compiled and published by Steven L. Martin (2000a,b, 2004) and Martin and others (2007). In addition to Y minerals, and rare small fragments of rod-like kaolinite crystals; crossbedded at places; local indurated zones cemented the Jackson Region, the new map includes a portion of the Mississippi Plateau east of the Tennessee River along the eastern map R by iron oxide or secondary silica near lower contact; disseminated angular to well-rounded clay pebbles and cobbles at County lines border. The map illustrates faults, bedrock topography, and structure contours from the original geologic maps along with newly A I A IS Concealed fault D N L T some horizons, and lenses of clay breccia and clay gravel in sand near base of unit. Silt, variably sandy and clayey, mapped (inferred) formation areas. The compilation dataset was edited for this contract deliverable by mapping the exposed and E A T A P O D P P R S N O O laminated, thin-to massive-bedded; commonly interbedded with sand and clay; locally micaceous. Clay, variably sandy concealed bedrock contacts, approximating their subsurface extent where covered by Quaternary sediments and not mapped, and M A J R E L O B T T E and silty, kaolinitic, carbonaceous, and rarely lignitic; thin to thick-bedded; occurs in laminae, thin beds, and beds and excluding all mapped Quaternary and Quaternary/Tertiary surface units (i.e., Qal–alluvium, Ql–loess, QTc/QTg–continental M lenses several feet thick, commonly interbedded with silt and sand. Marked erosional unconformity at base. deposits and gravel). Additional subsurface contact information was inferred from available U.S. Geological Survey map data R H (Olive, 1980). O W E H A H R O T C A E T I L N T T L S R D WILCOX FORMATION—Sand, clay, and silt. Sand, silty and clayey, very fine- to very coarse-grained, well- to poorly- A R E A U C S E N S C E D S U T T E A A C E S IT V Y R Tw B H A D L R L T R E A P W A A P A I G V sorted, angular to well-rounded quartz, chert, and sparse heavy minerals; also contains angular to well-rounded grains, 89º L P E Y C I 37º 15' C R pebbles, and boulders of silty clay derived from nearby slightly older clay bodies; thin- to thick-bedded, locally C E crossbedded, and cemented by iron oxide or secondary silica to form indurated layers; commonly argillaceous, locally L E L T F E I F L V A G M T I IL I micaceous and carbonaceous. A distinctive lithology in this unit is a “sawdust sand”, which occurs as discontinuous A L E R N R A Y K V C E A U H 37º 15' D A B O B W IC L S V G T lenses and is composed of quartz, clay, and chert grains, and sparse to moderately abundant kaolinite crystals. Clay, N L L S N W A E E M E N I IN L V M Y IE M O B O S R silty and sandy, massive to thin-bedded; carbonaceous, rarely lignitic, pyritic, and micaceous; occurs as lenses L R I P B B interbedded with sand and silt. Silt, clayey and sandy, commonly thinly laminated and thin to thick-bedded, and KENTUCKY E N F T F S O N intergrades with clay; micaceous, and carbonaceous. I E T S L Mu L G R Y Y N G K W U C R I E IN A V IN IC H L B N M O L IN N T IL A R K E L W U R F P L D A O A M A C T R E T O F I S K S H A A D N PORTERS CREEK CLAY—Clay and sand. Clay, sandy and silty, micaceous, glauconitic in lower part of unit, sparse iron- E H R E O I F Tp W A sulfide nodules and grains, and carbonized and pyritized wood; consists of quartz and clay minerals (calcium F montmorillonite, illite, kaolinite, clinoptilolite, and gypsum). Sand, clayey, very fine- to medium-grained, quartz, sparse QUADRANGLE LOCATIONS F N N N L D D O O O O IN L T dark minerals, and rare fragments of lignitized plant material; micaceous, glauconitic in lower part of unit, argillaceous; N T T L Y R W A K N IE G E E G L I B N O A L U F I S T C N IS Y K X I I K S occurs as thin beds in lower part and is dominant in upper part. Clastic dikes occur locally. O C D M H A IR E H E M R D S E U A K U Y F R R C O R TKcm ID E R T A T D CLAYTON AND McNAIRY FORMATIONS—The Clayton and McNairy Formations are combined for mapping purposes I D S D N D C A A R A N L N T TKcm M E A R A E E R E A because of the general concealment of the contact and because of lithologic similarities of the formations. The Clayton H B E U M C I L A F E Y A R T B K K Y L L ) T W D T C A H E B I N E Y D E U U A N I A L U V N E A W R IN E L C C Z E Formation is poorly to moderately consolidated, poorly exposed, and consists of sand, clay and silt. The disconformity N O H O H T W L C N Y V R E L S A L O A O T B U V N H R N C M R Y R R L U N A at the base of the Clayton Formation is widespread in the Mississippian Embayment. The McNairy Formation is poorly to C G M O H C moderately consolidated and poorly exposed, and consists of sand, clay, and gravel. An erosional unconformity occurs ( C at the base of the McNairy Formation. Clastic dikes occur locally. CLAYTON FORMATION— Sand, clay, and silt, interbedded. Sand, variably clayey and silty, very fine-to medium-grained, well sorted, quartz and dark heavy minerals; micaceous, glauconitic, and carbonaceous; locally, tightly cemented by ferruginous material. Clay, silty and sandy, contains blebs of fine angular micaceous quartz sand; lignitic, and glauconitic; thinly laminated to thin-bedded and occurs as lenses. Silt, clayey, well-sorted, very fine-grained, quartz and dark heavy minerals; micaceous and locally carbonaceous. McNAIRY FORMATION—Sand, clay, and gravel. Sand, silty and clayey, fine to medium-grained, well-sorted, quartz and Km S sparse dark heavy minerals; contains irregular patches of chert pebbles and granules near base, and clay blebs and U streaks; locally micaceous; thin- to thick-bedded, and locally well-cemented with iron oxide.