Possibility of Mississippi Valley -Type Mineral
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POSSIBILITY OF MISSISSIPPI /' -- VALLEY -TYPE MINERAL DEPOSITS IN INDIANA Special Report 21 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY JOHN B. PATTON, State Geologist MA URICE E. BIGGS, Assistant State Geologist MARY BETH FOX, Mineral Statistician COAL AND INDUSTRIAL MINERALS SECTION GEOLOG Y SECTION DONALD D. CARR, Geologist and Head ROBERT H. SHAVER, Paleontologist and Head CURTIS H. AULT, Geologist and Associate Head HENRY H. GRAY, Head Stratigrapher DONALD L. EGGERT, Geologist N. K. BLEUER, Glacial Geologist GORDON S. FRASER, Geologist EDWIN J. HARTKE, Environmental Geologist DENVER HARPER, Geologist JOHN R. HILL, Glacial Geologist NANCY R. HASENMUELLER, Geologist CARL B. REXROAD, Paleontologist WALTER A. HASENMUELLER, Geologist NELSON R. SHAFFER, Geologist GEOPHYSICS SECTION PAUL IRWIN, Geological Assistant MA URICE E. BIGGS, Geophysicist and Head ROBERT F. BLAKELY, Geophysicist JOSEPH F. WHALEY, Geophysicist DRAFTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION SAMUEL L. RIDDLE, Driller WILLIAM H. MORAN, Chief Draftsman and Head THOMAS CHITWOOD, Geophysical Assistant RICHARD T. HILL, Geological Draftsman ROG ER L. PURCELL, Senior Geological Draftsman PETROLEUM SECTION GEORGE R. RINGER, Photographer G. L. CARPENTER, Geologist and Head WILBUR E. STALIONS, Artist-Draftsman ANDREW J. HREHA, Geologist BRIAN D. KEITH, Geologist EDUCATIONAL SERVICES SECTION STANLEY J. KELLER, Geologist R. DEE RARICK, Geologist and Head DAN M. SULLIVAN, Geologist JAMES T. CAZEE, Geological Assistant GEOCHEMISTRY SECTION SHERRY CAZEE, Geological Assistant R. K. LEININGER, Geochemist and Head WILLIAM E. HAMM, Geological Assistant LOUIS V. MILLER, Coal Chemist MARGARET V. GOLDE, Instrumental Analyst PUBLICATIONS SECTION JOSEPH G. HAILER, Geocnemist/Analyst GERALD S. WOODARD, Editor and Head JESSE A. HARDIN, Electronics Technician PAT GERTH, Sales and Records Cler~ Possibility of Mississippi Valley-Type Mineral Deposits in Indiana By NELSON R. SHAFFER DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SPECIAL REPORT 21 PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA : .1 981 ST ATE OF INDIAN A Robert D. Orr, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES James M. Ridenour, Director GEOLOGICAL SURVEY John B. Patton, State Geologist For sale by Geological Survey, Bloomington, Ind. 47405 Price $2.00 Contents Page Page Abstract ..... ..1 Previously reported mineral occurrences .. 24 Introduction .. · ..1 Sample collecting and study .......... 27 Geologic setting .2 Mineral locations . .. .. 29 Stratigraphy .... .8 Sphalerite and galena . .. 29 Precambrian .... ...... .8 Fluorite and barite ... .. 36 Cambrian and Cambro-Ordovician . 8 Analysis ......... .. 39 Ordovician · .. 9 Information from samples · ..... 40 Silurian .... · .10 Conclusions ... 44 Devonian · .10 Acknowledgments . · ..... 44 Mississippian · .22 Literature cited ...... · ..... 44 PennsyIvanian · .24 Summary .... · .24 IIIustrations Page Figure 1 Map of the midwestern United States showing areas with Mississippi Valley-type mineral deposits . .2 2 Diagrams illustrating recent theory of origin of Mississippi Valley-type ores (A) and possible trapping structures for oil or ore fluids (B) . 3 3 Map of Indiana showing bedrock geology . 4 4 Map showing structural framework and cryptoexplosion features in Indiana and nearby states ............ 5 5 Map of Indiana showing tectonic features and faults . 6 6 Rock units in which minerals have been found and generalized strati graphic column of Indiana showing major rock units mentioned in the text .................. ............. .... 11 7 Maps of Indiana showing generalized contours on the Precambrian sur face inferred from geophysicaJI measurements (A) and structure con tours on the Precambrian surface and elevations of Precambrian rocks in wells (B) . .12-13 8 Maps of Indiana showing structure contours on top of the Knox Dolo mite (A) and thickness of the Knox Dolomite in Indiana (B) .14-15 9 Maps of Indiana showing thickness of the Black River Limestone (A); contours on top of the Trenton Limestone (B); thickness of the Trenton Limestone (C); and thickness of the dolomite facies of the Trenton Limestone (D) ................... 16 10 Map of Indiana showing thickness and outcrop of Silurian rocks . 18 11 Map of Indiana showing locations of reefs 19 12 Maps of Indiana showing structure contours on top of the Muscatatuck Group (A) and thickness of the Muscatatuck Group (B) ...... .20-21 Illustrations Page Figure 13 Map of Indiana showing distribution of gypsum and anhydrite 22 14 Lithologic strip logs that allowed a rapid survey of samples 27 15 Map of Indiana showing extent of drilling and thickness of sedimentary rocks ....................................... 28 16 Map of Indiana showing locations and stratigraphic distribution of sphalerite and galena occurrences ............... 33 17 Examples of surface occurrences of sphalerite, fluorite, and barite . 34 18 Map of Indiana showing locations and stratigraphic distribution of fluorite and barite shows . 38 Tables Page Table 1 Generalized stratigraphy of Indiana showing approximate thickness of rock units mentioned in the text, petroleum and mineral shows, and ore potential . ........ .23-24 2 Previously reported occurrences of sphalerite, barite, and fluorite in Indiana ............................. .25-26 3 Sphalerite and galena occurrences in subsurface samples and surface exposures in Indiana . .30-32 4 Fluorite occurrences in subsurface samples and surface exposures in Indiana ......................... 37 5 Distribution of subsurface shows in Indiana and sample density 39 6 Fluid-inclusion measurements on sphalerite, fluorite, barite, and quartz from Indiana . 41 7 Minor elements in sphalerite samples from Indiana . .42-43 Possibility of lVlississippi Valley-Type Mineral Deposits in Indiana ~ By NELSON R. SHAFFER Abstract section, especially in northern Indiana where The midwestern United States is recognized as the rocks had been extensively dolomitized. a lead-zinc metallogenetic province because of In northern Indiana many minerals occur in its low-temperature Mississippi Valley-type the dolomitized reef facies of the Silurian ore deposits. These deposits are found in System and in the overlying Devonian Paleozoic dolomitic host rocks, commonly on limestones. In southern and southwestern the flanks of structurally high areas far from Indiana sphalerite and fluorite occur in the areas of igneous activity. They have simple Salem and Ste. Genevieve Limestones. Pre mineralogies, mostly sphalerite, fluorite, liminary information from fluid inclusions in galena, or barite, that are believed to have sphalerite samples indicates that some speci formed at low temperatures (700 to 200°C) mens formed at temperatures within the range from concentrated brines. One commonly reported for Mississippi Valley-type deposits. ac.:::epted ex.planation of the origin and Favorable geology, ore minerals in minor characteristics of Mississippi Valley-type amounts, and tentative evidence that ore-type deposits is that they were the natural fluids passed through suitable host rocks consequence of basin development when indicate that undiscovered Mississippi Valley sedimentary connate waters, the metal type ore deposits possibly exist in Indiana. bearing brines, migrated updip from the basin and precipitated ore minerals on encountering Introduction sources of reduced sulfur. The midwestern United States is generally Indiana lies within a structural framework recognized as a lead-zinc metallogenetic and contains many geologic features that province because of many lead-zinc ore appear suitable for the development of deposits. These deposits, collectively called Mississippi Valley-type deposits. A structural Mississippi Valley-type, have similar geologic ly high area, the Kankakee and Cincinnati characteristics and, according to many geolo Arches, crosses Indiana from northwest to gists, a similar origin in the Midwest. Deposits southeast and separates the Michigan and of this type occur in southeastern Missouri, illinois Basins. Potential-ore host rock occurs the lllinois-Kentucky fluorite district, the in the Knox Dolomite (Cambro-Ordovician); tn-state region of Oklahoma, Kansas, and the Black River and Trenton Limestones Missouri, the upper Mississippi Valley, eastern (Ordovician); the Salamonie Dolomite, the and central Tennessee (fig. 1), and foreign Louisville Limestone, and the Wabash Forma countries. tion (Silurian); the Muscatatuck Group Common features of these deposits, as (Devonian); and the Sanders and Blue River summarized by Oble (1959, 1970), Snyder Groups (Mississippian). Unconformities are at (1968), Heyl and others (1974), and many the top of the Knox, the Trenton, and the others, include: (1) occurrence in shallow Wabash. Many occurrences of sphalerite, water carbonate rocks of Paleozoic age, fluorite, barite, and galena in Indiana had mostly in dolomitized areas; (2) location on already been noted, and more than 90 new :flanks of structurally high areas, mostly far ones were found during this study. Most new from igneous or tectonically active areas; (3) occurrences were in the Black River-Trenton simple mineralogy of sphalerite, galena, 1 2 PO SSIBILITY OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY-TYPE MINERAL DEPOSITS IN INDIANA or syngenetic pyrite (Ohle, 1977). Not all workers agree with this explanation o (for example, Ohle, 1977), but it is plausible, I and metal-rich subsurface brin es do occur o (Billings and others, 1969; Carpenter and OHI O others, 1974). This and other theories on the