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Stratigraphic and Hydrogeologic Framework of Part of the Coastal Plain of Texas

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Stratigraphic and Hydrogeologic Framework of Part of the Coastal Plain of Texas Report 2361 I STRAT~ RAPHIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC FRAMEr ORK OF PART OF THE COAST, L PLAIN ·OF TEXAS TEXAS DE RTMENT OF WATER RESOURCE~S July 1979 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES REPORT 236 STRATIGRAPHIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK OF PART OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF TEXAS By E. T. Baker, Jr. United States Geological Survey This report was prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey under cooperative agreement with the Texas Department of Water Resources. July 1979 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Harvey Davis, Executive Director TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD A. L. Black, Chairman John H. Garrett, Vice Chairman Milton Potts Glen E. Roney George W. McCleskey W. O. Bankston TEXAS WATER COMMISSION Felix McDonald, Chairman Dorsey B. Hardeman, Commissioner Joe R. Carroll, Commissioner Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained in this publicatiun, i.e., not obtained from other sources, is freely granted. The Department would appreciate acknowledgement. Published and distributed by the Texas Department of Water Resources Post Office Box 13087 Austin, Texas 78711 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .. INTRODUCTION 3 Acknowledgements 3 Metric Conversions 35 STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK. 35 General Features of Deposition and Correlation Problems 35 Stratigraphic Units 35 Pre-Miocene 35 Miocene. 36 Post-Miocene 38 HYDROGEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK 38 Catahoula Confining System (Restricted) . 38 Jasper Aquifer ..... 39 Burkeville Confining System 40 Evangeline Aquifer 40 Chicot Aquifer 40 SELECTED REFERENCES 42 TABLE 1. Stratigraphic and Hydrogeologic Framework of Part of the Coastal Plain of Texas ........... 4 FIGURES 1. Index Map Showing Location of Sections. 5 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Page 2-15. Stratigraphic and Hydrogeologic Sections: 2. A-A' . 7 3. B-B' 9 4. C-C' 11 5. 0-0' . 13 6. E-E' 15 7. F-F' 17 8. G-G' . 19 9. H-H' 21 10. I-I' 23 11. J-J' 25 12. K-K' . 27 13. L-L' 29 14. L'-L" 31 15. L"-L'" 33 iv STRATIGRAPHIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK OF PART OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF TEXAS By E. T. Baker, Jr. United States Geological Survey ABSTRACT The subsurface delineation of hydrogeologic units 7,600 feet (2,316 meters) below sea level, provide of Mioce'le and younger age and stratigraphic units continuity of correlation from the outcrop to the of Paleocene to Holocene age establishes an relatively deep subsurface. Sand containing water with interrelationship of these units statewide across much of less than 3,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids, the Coastal Plain of Texas. The 11 dip sections and 1 which is shown on the sections, serves as an index of strike section, which extend from the land surface to water availability of this quality. STRATIGRAPHIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK OF PART OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF TEXAS INTRODUCTION below sea level. Selected faunal occurrences, where known or inferred by correlation from nearby well logs, This report has been prepared to illustrate the are included. The extent of sand that contains water stratigraphic and hydrogeologic framework of a part of having less than 3,000 mg/l (milligrams per liter) of the Coastal Plain of Texas from the Sabine River to the dissolved sol ids was estimated from the electrical Rio Grande. It is the outgrowth of a project that has as characteristics shown by the logs. This information is its ultimate objective the construction of a digital included on all of the sections. ground-water flow model, if feasible or desirable, of at least a part of the Miocene aquifers in the Gulf Coastal Although faulting is common in the Coastal Plain Plain of Texas. The model would serve as a tool for and is complex in some areas, all faults have been planning the development of the gr~und-water supplies. omitted from the sections to maintain continuity of the Work on the project is being done by the U.S. Geological stratigraphic and hydrogeologic boundaries. The Survey in cooperation with the Texas Department of disadvantage of such omission is, of course, the Water Resources. representation of an unrealistic and simplistic picture of unbroken strata with uninterrupted boundaries. In During the course of delineating the Miocene reality, many of the faults have not only broken the aquifers, which is basic to the design and development of hydraulic continuity of the strata but more importantly the model, the scope of the study was broadened to have become barriers to fluid flow or conduits for include delineations of other hydrogeologic units, as well cross-formational flow. The sections are presented in this as delineations of stratigraphic units. As a result, units report as Figures 2-15. ranging in age from Paleocene to Holocene were delineated (Table 1). A relationship of stratigraphic units to designated hydrogeologic units was thus established Acknowledgements statewide. The author wishes to express his appreciation to Eleven dip sections and 1- strike section are C. W. Holcomb (Exxon Co., USA), C. B. Phillips (Mobil included in this report. The dip sections are spaced Oil Corp.), and G. C. Hardin, Jr. (Ashland Exploration about 50 miles (80 km) apart with the most easterly one Co.) of Houston, Texas; J. G. Klatt (Mobil Oil Corp.) being near the Sabine River and the most southerly one and J. C. Wyeth (Continental Oil Co.) of Corpus Christi, being near the Hio Grande. Each dip section is about Texas; H. C. Hixson (Mobil Oil Corp.) of Denver, 100 miles (161 km) long and extends from near the Colorado; and D. C. Bebout (Bureau of Economic coastline to short distances inland from the outcrop of Geology, University of Texas at Austin), for discussing the oldest Miocene formation-the Catahoula Tuff or correlation problems. Their assistance does not Sandstone. The strike section, which is about 500 miles necessarily constitute an endorsement of the views (804 km) long (in three segments), extends from the expressed by the author in this report. The assistance of Sabine River te· the Rio Grande and joins the dip V. E. Barnes (Bureau of Economic Geology, University sections at common control points. This section is from of Texas at Austin), who provided unpublished geologic 50-75 miles (80-121 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico maps of South Texas areas; of R. H. Wallace, Jr., J. B. and is essentially parallel to the coastline. The location Wesselman, and R. E. Taylor (U.S. Geological Survey) of of the sections a1d the Catahoula outcrop are shown on Bay St. Lewis, Mississippi; of P. H. Jones (Department of Figure 1. Geology, Louisiana State University), Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who provided log data, is also appreciated. The sections extend from outcrops at the land D. G. Jorgensen (U.S. Geological Survey) of Lawrence, surface to maximum depths of 7,600 feet (2,316 m) Kansas (formerly of Houston, Texas) and W. R. Meyer - 3- Table l.--Stratigraphic and Hydrogeologic Framework of Part of the Coastal Plain of Texas Era System Series Stratigraphic Units Hydrogeologic Units Selected Faunal Markers Remarks I Holocene Alluvium H OJ ;>, Beaumont Clay ..., H Quaternary System undiffer- til t\l Pleistocene Montgomery Formation Chicot aquifer entiated on sections. ;:l I: 0- Bentlev Formation Willis Sand Pliocene Goliad Sand Evangeline aquifer Goliad Sand overlapped east of Lavaca County. Fleming Formation ~ 1'0td,I/ides nJutsolli confining Higellerillu Ilodosuria ,',n, direct,j Higenerillu humblei '!lIlr,histegi'hl "fl' Oakville Sandstone included in Oakville Sandstone Fleming Formation east of ------:: Washington County. Jasper aquifer Miocene S Upper part of u Catahoula Tuff S Catahoula Tuff b or Sandstone Catahoula Tuff designated as u or Sandstone s Discorbi" IlOlIIud,1 Catahoula Sandstone east of u r u A __ 1- •. __ T.'l ____ &..1 __ Discoruis ('rd,'elli Lavaca County. H tu.LClUUClt,.; £UL.1Uc::l\...!.UU 0 "'7 f r Catahoula Heteroslegil/a sl" N ~ a f confining Af,ngil1ulilla idiomorplw Anahuac and "Frio" Formations lzl C a system may be Oligocene in age. u ;>, e c "Frio" Formation (restricted) 'j'extul,lri<1 mississippierlsis H ""? t\l e ..-l ~ ..., Surface Subsurface Textularia warrelli Frio Clay overlapped or not H '''''' OJ Oligocene(7) Frio Clay Vicksburg Group recognized on surface east of E-< eauivalent Live Oak County. Fashing Clay Member Po Calliham Sandstone Member or Indicated members of Whitsett ;:l 0 Tordilla Sandstone Member Formation apply to south- ""'? H i\Idrgimtlind cocodensis C,:l Whitsett Dubose Member central Texas. Whitsett I: Formation Deweesville Sandstone Member Formation east of Karnes g Conquista Clay Member TexII/laria hockleyensis County may be, in part or in 7"", ,.IG ."" u Dilworth Sandstone Member Not discussed Massilinu prutti whole Oligocene in age. ...,t\l Manning Clay as hydrologic units Wellborn Sandstone in this report. Text,tlariu dibollensis Eocene Cadde11 Formation Yegua Formation Nonione/la cockfleldel1sis OJ I: Cook Mountain Formation LJiscoruis yegua(:llsis ~ !S Sparta Sand Epollides yegllaensis ..c 0 .... H Weches Formation Ceratobulimina eximia ....."C,:l Queen City Sand u Reklaw Formation Carrizo Sand Wilcox Group Paleocene Midway Group and W. M. Sandeen (U.S. Geological Survey) of Houston, Stratigraphic Units Texas, delineated the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers on the sections. Their contribution is gratefully In the discussion to follow, emphasis will be acknowledged. Geologic sections and type logs of oil placed on stratigraphic units that are designated in this fields including faunal occurrences by the Houston report as Miocene in age. Many of the correlation Geological Society (1954, 1962), the Corpus Christi problems of the Cenozoic deposits involve these units to Geological Society (1954, 1955, 1967, 1972), and the a large degree. Also the main thrust of this report is South Texas Geological Society (1962, 1967) were directed at the Miocene in keeping with the ultimate extensively utilized as aids in identifying deep subsurface objective of modeling the flow in the Miocene aquifers.
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