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Home , Delaware Limestone, Dundee Limestone, Mucrospirifer, Silica Formation, Sylvania Sandstone

Middle () of Northwest Ohio - Description and Road Log1

MARK J. CAMP AND CRAIG B. HATFIELD, Department of Geology, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606

ABSTRACT. Middle Devonian marine strata are examined in this field trip to the former Medusa South-South Quarry (now the property of the France Stone Company) at the famous Silica locality of Lucas County in northwest Ohio. The formations exposed are the , Silica Formation, and Ten Mile Creek Dolomite. Lithologies and profuse content of the Silica Formation suggest an open marine depositional setting contiguous with seas in Ontario and New York. Biostratigraphy indicates correlation of the Silica Formation with part of the Hamilton Group of New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia; with the Plum Brook Shale of north-central Ohio; with the of ; and, with the Hungry Hollow Formation of southwestern Ontario.

OHIO J. SCI. 91 (1): 27-34, 1991

INTRODUCTION to the France Stone West Quarry; a site called the Medusa This field trip provides an opportunity to examine one of South-South Quarry - the destination of this field trip. This the best known and most profusely fossiliferous of Middle quarry is now the property of the France Stone Company. Devonian exposures. Tens of thousands of people have collected from the Silica Formation since quarrying FIELD TRIP ROAD LOG began at Silica, OH, in the 1920s (Kesling and Chilman Assembly point for the trip will be in the parking lot of 1975). Emphasis will be on identifying the most fossiliferous the Secor Inn at 1-475 and Secor Road in Toledo, OH. A bus stratigraphic horizons and on providing adequate time for will depart from this location at 8:00 AM, Saturday, 20 April fossil collecting. Secondary emphasis will be on primary and 1991, for the quarry. diagenetic lithologic features and their relations to faunal assemblages, the sequence of depositional environments Cumulative Mileage recorded, and on interregional correlations. The shale and carbonate units exposed record exclu- 0.0 mi (0.0 km) Leave Secor Inn. sively marine deposition on what is now the northwestern Turn right on Secor Road and pro- flank of the Findlay Arch. These formations are truncated ceed to intersection of Monroe by erosion southeastward and regionally dip very gently Street. northwestward into the subsurface of the Michigan Basin. 0.3 mi (0.4 km) Turn left on Monroe Street, stay in Exposures examined on this trip, however, are on the left lane. Lucas County Monocline, a local north-south trending 0.6 mi (0.9 km) Bear left on Sylvania Avenue at flexure nearly restricted to Lucas County, OH, and on traffic light. which dips average approximately 6° due west (Fig. 1). 2.6 mi (4.2 km) University of Toledo Stranahan Ar- This area of Lucas County has been a center of the stone boretum on right. industry since the turn of the century. Quarries were 3.0 mi (4.8 km) Bridge over Ten Mile Creek (Ot- excavated in sandstone, limestone, and shale formations tawa River). by a succession of companies including the Toledo Stone 4.8 mi (7.7 km) This wide sand belt represents and Glass Company, Sandusky Cement Company, Medusa beach deposits of glacial lakes Portland Cement Company, and France Stone Company. Warren, Wayne, and Lundy, all an- Erosion of the Lucas County Monocline has exposed a cestral to present-day Lake Erie. succession of different Devonian lithologies in close 6.3 mi (10.1 km) Bridge over Ten Mile Creek. Far- proximity to one another (See Fig. 1). Quarrying was ther upstream is the type location concentrated where the glacial overburden was thin. of the Ten Mile Creek Dolomite, a Although all the quarries have features of geologic unit we will see in the Medusa interest, the best known sites are the former quarries of the South-South Quarry. Medusa Portland Cement Company, located west of 6.6 mi (10.6 km) To the left, behind the trees, is what Centennial Road (Fig. 2). The Medusa South Quarry, remains of the abandoned quarry located just north of the excavation visited on this field of the Toledo Stone & Glass Com- trip, was the original site from which the well known Silica pany. The was fauna was collected. In later years, quarrying proceeded quarried from this site and used by along strike, north of Brint Road, to the Medusa North and the early glass factories of Toledo. North-north quarries. The north quarries were abandoned The Sylvania Sandstone is the old- around 1970 and excavations began on property adjacent est Devonian strata exposed in northwestern Ohio. Manuscript received 6 August 1990 and in revised form 5 November 6.7 mi (10.7 km) Bridge over quarry roadway. To 1990 (#90-24). the south and north are quarries 28 SILICA SHALE VOL. 91

FIGURE 1. Outcrop belts of formations in field trip area. Modified from Ehlers, Stumm, and Kesling (1951).

exposing strata of the Middle De- STRATIGRAPHY vonian which This quarry exposes, in stratigraphic order, the Dundee overlie the Sylvania Sandstone, but Limestone, Silica Formation, and Ten Mile Creek Dolo- are older than the strata exposed in mite. The Silica Formation, which is predominantly shale, the Medusa South-South Quarry averages about 55 ft (17 m) in thickness here and, with the just west of this site. overlying Ten Mile Creek Dolomite (38 ft or 11.5 m thick), represents the Middle Devonian in 6.8 mi (10.9 km) Centennial Road intersection. To northwest Ohio. the south, down this road, are the On east-west trending quarry walls, the 6° westward dip remanents of the village of Silica. of the Lucas County Monocline is clearly discernible. This dip results in the exposure of several Middle Devonian 7.1 mi (11.4) km) STOP. Medusa South-South Quarry. formations in a small area surrounding this quarry (Fig. 2). OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE M. J. CAMP AND C. B. HATFIELD 29

FIGURE 2. Map of quarries and exposed units near Silica, OH. Modified from Kesling and Chilman (1975). The Dundee Formation is 61 ft (18.6 m) thick and has 1985). The overlying Silica Formation and Ten Mile Creek been correlated with the of the lower Dolomite are correlative with the Plum Brook Shale and Hamilton Group of New York and Pennsylvania and with , respectively, of north-central Ohio the of north-central Ohio on the (Sparling 1985); with the Bell Shale and Traverse Lime- opposite (southeast) side of the Findlay Arch (Sparling stone, respectively, of the southern peninsula of Michigan 30 SILICA SHALE VOL. 91

(Cooper and Warthin 1943); and, with the upper Hamilton numerals (Fig. 3) for convenience in interpreting deposi- Group of New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The tional environments. The following interpretations are Silica Formation also correlates with the Hungry Hollow condensed from Nussmann (1961) and from Kesling and Formation of southwestern Ontario (Mitchell 1967). Chilman (1975). Stewart (1927) named the Silica Formation for the After the interval of strong wave agitation and relatively nearby village of Silica, OH, shortly after quarrying had clear waters recorded by the biofragmental limestones of initially exposed these rocks. Ehlers et al. (1951) redefined sequence I, greater supply of terrigenous mud increased both basal and top contacts of the formation, and Nussmann turbidity and decreased coral abundance and diversity, (1961) and Huffman (1978) interpreted depositional and thus producing the more argillaceous sequence II. As early diagenetic environments by Silica lithologies and supply of terrigenous mud increased, abundance of their associated faunal assemblages. concavo-convex and also in- Nussmann (1961) developed the generalized stratigraphic creased at the expense of corals and ramose bryozoans. column used in this field guide (Fig. 3)- The following Eventually, extreme turbidity and soft bottom conditions descriptions refer to the numbered units of this section. (units 9 through 13) greatly diminished faunal diversity. The Silica Formation rests conformably or with a Sequence III repeats the succession of sequence II paraconformity on medium- to thick-bedded, light gray, exclusive of the shale above the Mucrospirifer zone. very fossiliferous Dundee Limestone. Brachiopods are the In sequence IV, the stratigraphic succession of argilla- most common fossils in the Dundee, and Productella and ceous limestone interrupted by a smothered bottom assem- Cyrtina are the most abundant of these. blage and succeeded by a Mucrospirifer zone, is once again The lower parts of the overlying Silica Formation repeated. As in sequence II, the Mucrospirifer zone is (units 1, 2, 3, and 5A) are biofragmental limestones transitional to a thick and relatively unfossiliferous shale. consisting primarily of fragments and sec- Sequence V records a return to argillaceous limestone ondarily of both tabulate and rugose corals. These units which includes some fish bone fragments. Contact of apparently record deposition in shallow, clear, and fairly sequence V with the overlying Ten Mile Creek Dolomite turbulent water. is disconformable. Units 4, 5B, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17A, and 19 through 27 Correlation of each lithology with particular fossil taxa are argillaceous limestones, most of which are character- is apparent in the Silica Formation and apparently records ized by concavo-convex brachiopods, massive and ramose restriction of many taxa to narrow ranges of turbidity, bryozoa, and crinoid fragments. Exceptionally rich fossil turbulence, and bottom conditions. assemblages (the "smothered bottom" assemblages of Pyritization of bryozoans, brachiopods, and worm Nussmann [1961]) are present at abrupt transitions from tubes is particularly characteristic of units 7 through 11, argillaceous limestone to overyling calcareous shale. These which constitute a very abundantly fossiliferous interval. very densely distributed fossils are the same fauna as in the Abundance of benthonic fossils dictates that bottom underlying argillaceous limestone but exhibit a higher waters were well aerated during deposition of this inter- percentage of whole specimens than the argillaceous val. After deposition, sulfate-reducing conditions developed limestones. Such smothered bottom assemblages are at in the sediment, leading to pyrite formation. Pyritization the following transitions: 5B-6, 6-7, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, preceded sediment compaction as evidenced by and 26-27. undeformed, heavily pyritized specimens of Paraspirifer Units 7, 9, 11, 14, 17B, and 18 are calcareous shales, in unit 9, whereas unpyritized Paraspirifer specimens in which are dark gray, carbon-rich, and locally pyritic. this unit are flattened and deformed. These calcareous shale units differ from one another in faunal content, and abundant Mucrospirifer are particu- SECTION larly characteristic of units 7, 8, 15, and 17B. Unit 11 The following is a generalized lithologic and faunal contains abundant Devonochonetes, and unit 18 is virtu- description of each of the numbered units (Fig. 3) of the ally unfossiliferous. Phacops is common in units 7 and 9 Silica Formation. It was taken with modification from and, to a lesser extent, in unit 11. Kesling and Chilman (1975) and represents a composite of The Silica Formation has yielded an abundant and sections in the old South and North quarries of the Medusa diverse fauna including 40 cnidarian species, 40 species of Portland Cement Company. These quarries are now bryozoans, 63 species of brachiopods, 21 species of inaccessible, but the same stratigraphy is present in the bivalves, 7 species of gastropods, 6 species of cephalo- Medusa South-South Quarry. pods, 3 species of annelids, 6 species of trilobites, 4 species of malacostracans, 2 species of blastoids, 19 species of crinoids, 4 species of stelleroids, 1 edrioasteroid Ten Mile Creek Dolomite species, and a number of fish species. The microfauna is Thickness also well established; however, the 112 ostracod species ft, in (cm) are by far the most prevalent taxonomic group (Kesling Ten Mile Creek Dolomite (base of and Chilman 1978). unit) Limestone, dolomitic, grainy to crys- DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT talline, brownish-gray to drab, These numbered units have been combined by somewhat laminated, in 2—4 in (5- Nussmann (1961) into sequences represented by Roman 10 cm) thick beds. 1 ft 4 in (40.6 cm) OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE M. J. CAMP AND C. B. HATFIELD 31

TEN MILE CREEK DOLOMITE

Bioclastic Limestone Lithotope

"Normal" Argillaceous Limestone Lithotope

Crypotostomate-crinoidal Argillaceous Limestone Lithotope

"Mucrospiriferid transition" Lithotope

Shale Lithotope Proper

"Smothered botton" Assemblage Silic a Formatio n

1 meter

DUNDEE LIMESTONE

FIGURE 3. Generalized stratigraphic column for field trip area. Modified from Nussmann (1961).

Silica Formation (Pholidostrophia and oth- Berkey Member (of Mitchell) ers) and Ten Mile Creek 27c. Limestone, very argillaceous, species (Atrypa and rugose blue-gray, dolomitized. As corals) as well as marcasite 7-11 in much as 3 in (7.6 cm) of concretions. (17.8-27.9 cm) uppermost part belonging 27b. Limestone, very argillaceous probably to Ten Mile Creek in lower part, less so near Dolomite, containing mix- top, blue-gray, some small ture of Silica species marcasite concretions. Mas- 32 SILICA SHALE VOL. 91

sive bryozoa and Stropb- ules and comminuted fish odonta. 6-8 in (15.2-20.3 cm) bones; basal surface pre- 27a. Limestone, argillaceous, mas- serving casts of trails from sive, dark-blue gray, some uppermost surface of un- small marcasite concretions, derlying unit. Abundant massive bryozoa and 14-16 in Leiorhynchus kelloggi, Strophodonta. (35.5-40.6 cm) Mucrospirifer, and Stroph- 26. Limestone, very argillaceous, odonta; some massive dark blue-gray, some small bryozoa. 7 in (17.8 cm) marcasite concretions. Abundant Pholidostrophia Disconformity and Strophodonta. 3 in (7.6 cm) 18B. Shale, calcareous, dark-gray, 25. Limestone, massive, argilla- carbonaceous, strong ceous, dark blue-gray. petroliferous odor on fresh Massive bryozoa and surface; weathering into Strophodonta; basal 6 in light-gray angular frag- (15.2 cm) with abundant 10-11 in ments; some pyrite noted Streblotrypa. (25.4-27.9 cm) on weathered surfaces. 24B. Limestone, extremely argilla- Fossils scarce except where ceous, weathering into an- Aulocystis bioherm is de- gular fragments, gray. Fos- veloped in North Quarry in sils rare except for abundant unit 18A. 21 ft (640 cm) Mucrospirifer at base. 6 in (15.2 cm) 18A. Shale, calcareous, gray to dark- 24A. Limestone, very argillaceous, gray, similar to unit 18B. gray, containing scattered One or more argillaceous marcasite. Abundant mas- limestone lenses may be sive bryozoa and Mucro- present near base. Abun- spirifer; pyritized concen- dant Aulocystis, Mucro- trations of Streblotrypa at spirifer, and "Spheno- top and base. 4 in (10.2 cm) phragmus," an Aulocystis 23. Limestone, massive, argilla- thicket or bioherm well ceous, dark-gray but lighter developed in north end of than underlying unit, many North Quarry, where marcasite concretions; Camarotoechia and nu- grading into units below merous pelecypods also 9 in-10 ft 3 in and above but harder than occur in both 18A and 18B. (22.8-312 cm) either. Leiorhynchus kelloggi 17. Limestone, massive and argil- abundant, Mucrospirifer laceous at base, becoming common. in (20.3 cm) very argillaceous at top, 22. Limestone, massive, argilla- dark-gray. Very abundant ceous, dark-gray, some "Atnbocoelia umbonata;" marcasite concretions. Leiorhynchus, Mucro- Devonochonetes, spirifer, and Rhipidomella Leiorhynchus kelloggi, fairly common. 11 in (27.9 cm) Mucrospirifer, and massive 16. Limestone, massive, slightly bryozoa characteristic. 4 in (10.2 cm) argillaceous, gray, weather- 21. Limestone, massive, slightly ing olive-gray, grading into argillaceous, dark-gray, overlying unit but sharply many marcasite concre- separated from underlying tions, harder than units shale; concentrically banded below and above. Numer- marcasite concretions. ous Aulocystis, Mucro- Abundant Devonochonetes, spirifer, Strophodonta, and Mucrospirifer, and massive massive bryozoa present. 5 in (12.7 cm) bryozoa; fauna concentrated 6-12 in 20. Limestone, argillaceous, dark- near base. (15.2-30.5 cm) gray. Strophodonta and mas- sive bryozoa; few auloporoids (South Quarry only). 3 in (7.6 cm) Disconformity (?) 19. Limestone, massive, slightly 15. Shale, calcareous, gray. argillaceous, hard. Base Abundant Devonochonetes 5-7 in containing phosphate nod- and Mucrospirifer. (12.7-17.8 cm) OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE M. J. CAMP AND C. B. HATFIELD 33

14B. Limestone, very argillaceous, Helopora inexpectata, and dark-gray. Very abundant Sulcoretepora deissi. 4-6 in (10.2-15.2 cm) Rhipidomella and Stropho- 9B. Shale, calcareous, blue-gray, donta. 3 in (7.6 cm) abundant marcasite con- 14A. Limestone, massive, argilla- cretions. Devonochonetes, ceous, light- to dark-gray. Mediospirifer audaculus, Massive bryozoa, Proto- Phacops rana milleri, and leptostrophia, and Stroph- Rhinocaris ehlersi charac- odonta common. Base of teristic. 6 ft 10 in (208.3 cm) unit preserving casts of trails 9A. Limestone, argillaceous at base and burrows from upper- to very argillaceous at top, most surface of underlying 1 ft 9 in-2 ft 2 in blue-gray, abundant marca- unit. (53.3-66.0 cm) site concretions, weathering to sticky clay when wet. Very Disconformity fossiliferous, producing most Brint Road Member (of Mitchell) of the common Silica species; 13. Shale, calcareous, dark-gray. Mucrospirifer prolificus, Where unit 12 is developed Phacops rana milleri, and as a limestone lens (as in Paraspirifer bownockeri part of South Quarry), shale common. 8 in (20.3 cm) contains many crinoids and 8A. Limestone, massive argilla- blastoids, including Arthro- ceous, blue-gray, abundant acantha carpenteri, Gil- marcasite concretions, rela- bertsocrinusohioensis, and tively hard. All fossils Euryocrinus laddii; Streb- strongly pyritized. Mucro- lotrypa anomala, Sulcore- spirifer prolificus and 8-12 in tepora deissi, and other Strophodonta abundant. (20.3-30.5 cm) cryptostomatous bryozoa 7C. Shale, calcareous, blue-gray. very abundant. At other Many fossils "worn by wave places, where unit 12 is action before burial. Best represented by shale, top developed in north end of of unit contains commi- North Quarry. Megastrophia nuted echinoderm col- and Strophodonta abundant. 2-3 in (5.1-7.6 cm) umnals and concentrations 0.25-1.25 in 7B. Shale, calcareous, blue-gray. of bryozoa. (0.63-3.2 cm) Devonochonetes and 12. Limestone, argillaceous, light- Mucrospirifer prolificus gray, usually consisting of abundant. 10 in (25.4 cm) several lenses (North 7A. Shale, calcareous, blue-gray, Quarry); in many parts of with occasional argillaceous South Quarry absent or limestone lens. Contains represented by shale. much water-worn fossil Streblotrypa anomala, debris. Large Atrypa abun- Sulcoretepora deissi, and dant in lower 1 ft; other cryptostomatous Devonochonetes, Fistulip- bryozoa very abundant ora vesiculata, Mega- (North Quarry and lime- strophia, Mucrospirifer stone lens in South Quarry). 3-12 in (7.6-30.5 cm) prolificus, Pholidostrophia, 11. Shale, calcareous, gray, many Protoleptostrophia, Stropho- marcasite concretions, donta, and many other weathering into angular species abundant; Cystiphyl- fragments. Devonochonetes loides americanum, Helio- phyllum halli, and Hetero- and Styliolina fissurella phrentis simplex found at abundant; some ostracods; base. Hercostrophia robusta few Paraspirifer valves and 1 ft 7 in-2 ft 2 in and Pleurodictyum {Proc- fragments of Rhinocaris. (48.3-65.9 cm) terid) cornu restricted to this 10. Limestone, argillaceous, gray, unit. 18 in (45.7 cm) in North Quarry consisting of 1 to 3 lenses. Abundant bryozoa, including Disconformity Acantboclema ohioense, "Blue limestone" of older reports Streblotrypa anomala, 6. Limestone, argillaceous, blue- 34 SILICA SHALE VOL. 91

gray, very argillaceous at and Gosselettia triquetra top and base. Atrypa and present. 1 ft 4 in (40.6 cm) Strophodonta abundant; "Spinocyrtia euryteines" Disconformity abundant at top of unit; Dundee Limestone (top of unit) Athyris, Lophonychia Limestone, light bluish-gray cordata, Mucrospirifer, in beds 4-12 in (10.2-30.5 Schizophoria ferronensis, cm) thick, highly fossilifer- and tetracorals less com- ous. Most characteristic fos- mon; Platyceras and sil of unit Productellaspinu- trepostomatous bryozoa icosta; Cyrtina abundant in present. lft (30.5 cm) lower and upper parts; 5B. Limestone, massive, argilla- Brevispirifer lucasensis, an ceous, blue-gray, crystalline. excellent guide fossil, "Spinocyrtia euryteines," present; Atrypa costata, Strophodonta, and massive other brachiopods, Hexa- bryozoa common. 1 ft 3 in (35.1 cm) gonaria, Favosites, and 5 A. Limestone, massive, slightly bryozoa present. (152 cm) argillaceous, blue-gray; composed of bands of bra- chiopod debris. Cyrtina, Heterophrentis, and other ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We thank the administration of the France Stone Company for granting us permission to enter their property and for tetracorals abundant. 2 ft 9 in (83.7 cm) assistance in planning this field excursion. Appreciation is also extended 4. Limestone, very argillaceous, to William A. Kneller of the Department of Geology, University of blue-gray, weathering to Toledo, for his help in the preliminary planning. clay. Fossils rare. 2-4 in (5.0-10.2 cm) 3. Limestone, massive, bioclastic, blue-gray weathering to LITERATURE CITED brown. Atrypa, Cyrtina, Cooper, G. A. and A. S. Warthin 1943 Traverse rocks of the Thunder Hexagonaria anna, Hexa- Bay region, Michigan. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull. 7: 571-595. gonaria tabulata, and Ehlers, G. M., E. C. Stumm, and R. V. Kesling 1951 Devonian rocks of southeastern Michigan and northwestern Ohio. Field trip guide- Strophodonta abundant; book for Geol. Soc. Amer. Detroit, MI, meeting. 40 p. numerous simple rugose Huffman, M. E. 1978 Stratigraphy and paleoecology of the Silica corals, tabulate corals, and 12-14 in Formation (Middle Devonian) of Lucas County, Ohio. Univ. of spiriferid brachiopods. (30.5-38.1 cm) Toledo Thesis, Toledo, OH. 50 p. Kesling, R. V. and R. B. Chilman 1975 Strata and megafossils of the 2. Limestone, massive, bioclastic, Middle Devonian Silica Formation. Univ. Mich. Mus. Paleont. Papers blue-gray weathering to on Paleontology. No. 8. 408 p. brownish-gray. Abundant 1978 Ostracods of the Middle Devonian Silica Devonochonetes coronatus Formation. Univ. Mich. Mus. Paleont. Papers on Paleontology, No. 18. 266 p. near base; Favosites and 10-14 in Mitchell, S. W. 1967 Stratigraphy of the Silica Formation of Ohio and Hexagonaria common. (25.4-38.1 cm) the Hungry Hollow Formation of Ontario, with paleogeographic 1. Limestone, massive, bioclastic, interpretation. Papers Mich. Acad. Sci. Arts and Letters. 52: 175-196. Nussmann, D. G. 1961 Ecology and pyritization of the Silica Formation, blue-gray. Abundant Atrypa, Middle Devonian, of Lucas County, Ohio. Univ. of Mich. Thesis, Ann Devonochonetes coronatus, Arbor, MI. 144 p. Megastrophia, Sparling, D. R. 1985 Correlation of the subsurface Lower and Middle Protoleptostrophia, Devonian of the Lake Erie region: alternative interpretation and reply. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 96: 1213-1220. Strophodonta, and Tropido- Stewart, G. A. 1927 Fauna of the Silica Shale of Lucas County. Geol. leptus carinatus; Paracyclas Surv. Ohio 4th ser. Bull. 32. 76 p.