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1950 Quaternary Geology of Southeast Texas. Hugh Allen Bernard Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

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Recommended Citation Bernard, Hugh Allen, "Quaternary Geology of Southeast Texas." (1950). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 7952. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/7952

This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ■^uaeehhaht geologt o i southeast texas

Dissertation

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana state University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of philosophy

in

The Departaaent of Geology

By Hugh A llen Bernard B* 3«f Louisiana state University, 1938 M. 3-t Louisiana State University, 1940 June, 1950 UMI Number: DP69330

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I

The writer la indebted particul&xly to Dr. Harold k * ? ls k , f&WKfr Professor of Geology at Louisiana state m iveratty, and to

BS% ©rover 8* Murray, Profeasor of ctratigr&phi© Geology at Louisiana

State University, for counsel and valuable time devoted to discussions, f i e l d t r i p e , and c r i t i c a l review o f th e m anuscript. Dr* H* V* Howe,

D irectorof the school of Geology.fitad Dr. 1* 3> Bussell, Dean of the

Gradis&te s^iool, Louisiana state Univerai ty, have given maeh ti$e in tnfcariaal Sis cues ion concerning pertinent problem conn© cted with this report. Sr. Bales J. LeBlene, Research Geologist, shell Oil Company,

Houston, Texas, offered much of his valuable time in Identifying and correlating the Beemt and pi eistoesne sediments encountered In bridge bearings alcaag the Heches and Sabine rivers* Dr* W. Armstrong Price,

Oemenltlng Geologist, Corpus Chrisil, Texas, offered valuable criti­ cism and furnished information which he gathered in connection with a research project conducted for the Geological society of i*aeri®4*

Mr* «T. A* Gall beau and Mr* Ihomas M iller ably assisted the w riter in the field sapping daring the summer of 1947* Mr. G* L* Cox, former graduate student at the Louisiana State University, gave th© writer invaluable assistance during a field trip In June of 1948.

Mr. H. 8* Luber, TJ. 3. Geological survey, furnished the writer with topographic naps not available for normal distribution*

Major Yorroll C* Holiday, Headquarters Pourth Army? Gap tain h* T*

McGee, D istrict war Plans Officer, eighth Haval D istrict; and Mr*

3 1 8 , n< ° , L < ? d O c / u

AO *> 4 3 4 2 5 6 Itarar B* Pi®*, XI* 3* Department of Agriculture, assisted in making available to th© w riter, photographs of & classified nature.,

Mr* 2>» G* Ayeocfe, 3ua o i l Company; Mr- Morgan J . D avis, C hief

08el«gi«% and Manager, Suable O il and R efining Company; Mr., Jmma p* taw , Bridge Bagiseer, Texas state Highway Department; Major Fioyd W*

Bough, C&ief, Geodetic Division, xj* s*, Army Map aarrie©; l&v R*. John­ ses, Aasistaa* Superintendent, Missouri Pacific lines; Mr. R. K. Klllaer,

Bivieic® Bagiaeer, Texas State Highway Department; Mr. 0. S# Kirkpatrick

C hief mmtme& 9 Missouri Pacific Lines; Mr. w. J. Lank, Div iaicaa Engin­ eer, Kansas City southern Railway Oos^any; Mr. jas&s ®* LaRue, Explora­ tion Department, Humble o il and Refining Company; Mr* G. B* Matthews, taw ed Superintendent, at. Louis-southwestern Railway Lines; Captain

W. J. Phillips, xr* S. Army Map Service; Mr. w. 1* Rochester, Chief

Engineer, Gulf, Colorado and Sente Fe Railway company; Mr. l. F* salie- bury, Chief Engineer, Kansas City southern and Louisiana aM Arkansas

Railway Company; Mr* K. V. schroeder, sun G il cos^sny; QomisaMor m l

JU smith, U. 3* Ceast and Geodetic survey; and Mr. J* G* stands, lOpo- graphie Branch, TJ. 3. Geological .Survey, furnished available established elevations m d railway profiles.

Wall log data were obtained through the courtesy of Mr, Morgan

J. Davis, Chief Geologist and Manager, Humble Oil Company; Mr. W. L.

Broadhurst, Groundwater Division, V* S. Geological survey; and Mr, R.

L# Denham, Mr. H. 1. Dele 11 an and Mr* Joe rostrora o f E xploration De­ p artm en t, Humble O il and R efining Company. Logs o f core t e s t s f o r bridge dara sites were obtained from Mr. N# R* Lent and Mr* H* L*

Lehmsan, Louisiana Apartment of Highways; and Mr. 0. R. Fields and

i l l I B * h». Itenssa. of the U. 3* Anny Engineers.

The author is particularly indebted to his brother, Captain

Parol D* Bernard, U. 3. Marine Corps, for piloting the aircraft in a flight ever southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana* He also arranged

to hare the oblique aerial photographs taktax.

The w riter gratefully acknowledges the time spent by Mr. Merlin f e r r e t , f o m e rly of th e P h illip s Petroleum Company, in d ra ftin g some

©f th e aecaaptetying erosa-aoc t ions and p ro file s * Mr. c* L* Gox, Mr*

D. V. Hebert and Mr* J* A* Guilbean assisted in locating the walls on

the structural maps*

Mr. iasies Cunningham, former state Geologist of Louisiana,

provided the altimeter used in connection with this survey* Ackaow-

lodgements are also made to Mr* G* 0* Coignet, Louisiana Geological

3arvey, for furnishing the writer with advanced copies of the geolo­

gical and structural naps of Beauregard and Allen parishes, which were

prepared by Dr. ?>‘. €. Holland. Mr. Coignet drafted the cross-section

across the Sabine River.

iv tahlb of cqhtmts

Fag© absteiot . * ...... 1

FORX??Oei)...... 5

w m o M v s im ...... 8

PHYSIOGRAPHY . .10

Introduction, • .10

Coastal M arsh...... ,13

Allarial Tailsys *• ...... 16

SatiM HiTer sad flood plain...... 16

Heches River and flood plain...... 25

iJ&gelina River and flood plain...... 2 6

gpa ternary terraces ...... 29

Introduction ...... 29

m ths& s of field mapping ...... 39

Age . . .42

Correlation and terminology...... 49

Deeeyville Terrace...... *59

prairie Terrace...... 71

Montgomery T errace ...... 81

Baatley Terrace .88

W U liana Terrace ...... - ...... 96

Piugjle bounds ...... 102

Pock Marks ...... 108 *■

v Fag© smTicauPBT ...... * . . m

Tertiary System...... I l l

ternary System «*.*.»•..«. . *.•*••* 112

Pleistocene series ...... 114

Williana flomatioa . 115

Baatley formation ...... 119

Boatgc®espy f onaatiaE u . • 122 •. . ^ Prairi© formation...... 12$ 7

Reseat series . 151

Early Reseat (?)««*.*•»...... 151

SeesyvHle bsds* . • • *«.»*«..• 151

Late Reseat . . * 154

Modem e!3r.Tlius» ...... 134

STRUCTURE ...... 135

Major structural features# ...... 135

Golf Coast GeosyncLine ...... 135

Minor structural features ...» 135

southeast Texas fracture pattern ...... 135

OrigJ* of the fracture pattern ...... 140

BIEL I0GRiipHY . . . 145 AUTOHIOG&AiOT...... l6 5

vl m u s m r c o N s

page

Geologic map of southeast Tems (in pod©t)

Ge&er&liaed surface structure of terraced surfaces of southeast Texas (in pocket)

Sfestc& m& of lower Sftfria# aiver

Synonym of formations and terraces appertaining to the Quaternary of southeast Texas ...... * 48

Geologic sections of Kewfeon s$& Grmige count lea, Texas and Beauregard and Calcasieu parishes, Louisiana * 48

Geologic section along Orange, Texas- Tooaey* Louisiana highway project « 132

Aerial view of Coastal Marsh and aabia© Pass Beach fan in southeast Jefferson Ooanty . . 15

Aerial view of Coastal Marsh, saline River floodplain and Prairie Terrace south of Orange ...... 19

Aerial view of Sabine River floodplain and Dw^yviHB and Prairie terraces north of Orange ♦ . * * ...... 19

Sketch maps and profiles showing hypothe­ tical relations between an advancing alluvial cane and the meander patterns in the swamp and marsh sections of the flood- plaias of the smaller streams along the Louiaiana-Texas coast • ...... J54 F ig aro page

5* Map of lower course of the Trinity Hirer . * * • 26

6% C*eaa-**eetion show lug h y p o th e tic a l structural relatione in an area of active delta! e sedimentation 56

7* Aerial view of Trinity Rives* floodplain, the coastwise prairie Terrace, and the fluviatile Bewsyville Terrace in the vicinity of Barton and Liberty, liberty County ...... 45

8« Tentative outline of quaternary history of southeast Texas 46

9* Aerial view of prairie and Deweyvills terraces and Sabine River floodplain in the vicinity of Deweyville, Newton county. * • * 60

1Q« Aerial view of Sabine River floodplain and the Deweyville and Prairie terraces between Orange, Texas and Toomey, La* * • • • * « 64

11* Aerial view of ssbine River floodplain and the Beweyville and Prairie terraces south of peweyville* Newton County ...***• 64

12* Aerial view of safe in© River floodplain and the Deweyvllle and prairie terraces in the vicinity of Starks, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana ...... 6 7

15* Aerial view of Angelina River floodplain and the Prairie and Montgomery terraces cast of Bevel port, Jasper county ...... 67

14* Aerial view of the live Oak Ridge (?) beach accretions cm. the Prairie Terrace in north Orange County...... 75

15* Aerial view of lawhorn Woods (Live Oak Ridge (?)) beach accretions on the Prairie Terrace near Fannett, Jefferson County...... 77

v i i i Fag® Aerial photographs showing seaward Barg in of the coastwise Montgomery Terrace, the point of contact of the coastwise and fluviatile equivalents of the Prairie Terrace* the fiaviatlle Deweyvllle Terraco eharaetariasd by the large meander sears* and the Sabine Elver floodplain ...... 80 Montgomery Terrace, 3 miles northwest of , Boa Weir* Jiawtan County* 83

Montgomery escarpment viewed from P r a ir ie T e rra c e , 1 m ile no rthw est o f Son Weir, Kenton County 83

Aerial view of seaward margin of the coastwise Montgomery Terrace, south of Buna, Jasper county 8?

Aerial view of the prairie and Montgomery terraces and outcrop of Tertiary clays, west of Bevelport, Jasper C om ty...... 87

^ A erial view of pimple mounds on th e Montgomery Terrace northeast of Buna, Jasper County. . . 89

Aerial view of the most prominent sou thorn fault (shown In Figures 43, 43 and 44), ^r, pimples and pock marks on Montgomery Terrace between Buna and K irbyville, Jasper County ...... 89

Bentley escarpment viewed from the Montgomery Terrace, 1 mile west of Mount Union, Jasper County...... 93

Pimpled Bentley Terraco, 3 miles south of Hewton, Hswton County ...... 93

Aerial view of the Bentley and Montgomery terraces oast of Bevelport, Jasper County . • 98

Aerial view of the dissected coastwise Bentley terrace north of Klrbyville, Jasper County ...... 95

iz Figure Pag©

27* Jlat^topped remnant of the williana Terrace at the junction of U. 3 * Highway 96 and Zion- Magnolia Springs road, viewed from Zion loofcouttower, Jasper County...... 103

28, Poefc-mark on the Bentley Terrace, 4 m iles so u th of Mount Union, J a sp e r County ...... 103

29* Aerial view of the Burfceville Lowland and the Zion upland, south of Jasper, Jasper County ...... 103

50. Aerial view of dendritic alignments of pimple mounds on the Montgomery Terrace, east of Buna, Jasper Coisrfcy ...... , 103

51* Aerial view of the Montgomery Terrace, 3 miles east of Kirbyville, showing pintle wm&4 aligiaents conforming with the d rain ag e ...... 107

SB* Gray, calcareous, Fleming cl^ne containing calcareous con ore t ions and weathering to blade soils, about 2 miles west of the Seehea River on B* S. Highway 190, Tyler C o u n ty ...... 112

S3. Shoals in the Neches River caused by well indurated Tertiary silts tone 3 , 4 m iles west of Mount Union, Jasper County ...... 112

34. Oxidised, gravel iferoua sands of the Williana formation occupying a pre- Williana valley cut in gray, silty clays of the Fleming formation, 2 miles north of Mayflower, Newton County ...... 116

53* Cross-bedded, fine to coarse, "corn-meal” sands of the Williana formation, 1 mile north of Bel ipse, Jasper County ...... 116

3&> Cross-bedded, gravel if orous sands of the Williana formation containing gray clay bells of Tertiary clay, near Mayflower, Newton County ...... 118

x F ig u re Pag©

3T* Gully and pot-hole erosion in graveli- ferous ©and© of tike Will lane formation outcropping in the valley of White Oak Creek, 5*5 mile© west of Newton, Newton O om ty ****... . * . * 118

38* Liaonit© nodules coft ferruginous silt- stones of the w i l l lane format ion, 3 miles nertkweat o f Hewtoa, Hew ton County ...... 120

39* Cross-bedded, gravel if crons williana sends containing petrified logs, 5 feet long, 3 miles southeast of lames town, Newton County 120

40* Mottled, lenticular sands and gravels of the Bentley formation, 1.5 miles northwest of Magnolia Springs, Casper County * 123

41* crcsa-bedded, basal, graveliferoua sands grading upward into silty , fine sands of the j&antgomery formation, 2 miles east of Angelina River near Bevelport, Casper County ...... 123

42* Residual concentrate of liioonite nodules of the Montgomery formation, 3 miles west of Bleak wood, Hasten County ...... ISC

43* Gravel if arous sands of the Montgomery formation coot a in flakes and ©lay balls of Tertiary slay, 2 miles east of Angelina River near Bevelport, Jasper County • ...... 126

44* Drainage pattern of Montgomery Terrace between C all Ju n ctio n and p.essmay ...... 137

43* Aerial view of coastwise Montgomery Terrace and the most prominent strike faults between Buna and Kirbyville, Jasper County ...... 139

x i -i. F ig u re Page

46. Prof ile south along TJ. s. Highway 00 from Call Junction to Beaamay...... 141

47. last-west , north-south, northeast* southwest, and nor thwes st-ecu theast joint seta in the Catahoula sands tons sear Texas Righsay 63, 1*7 miles scar th reat o f A ngelina River* Jasper County...... 143

4B* East-west and north-south joints sets in the indurated sands of the williana formation, 6 miles rest of Kewfcon, Sorton county ...... 143

z i i abstract

The .^uaternary of southeast Texas consists of five and possibly six alluvial sequences which ware deposited during rising sea levels as glaciers waned* Lower stream gradients caused the deposition of x progressively finer materials which grade from basal graveiiferous sands upward into finer sands* silt a and clays* Glacial waxing low* ered sea level and rejuvenated existing streams which entrenched the preceding alluvial sequence* The pleistocene history of southeast

Texas is consistent with that of Louisiana as outlined by Dr* H« U*

Pisk, Dr* R* J. Russell* and others* Pie is tocea© sequential alluvia* tioas are represented by the williana (oldest}* Bentley* isntgoxaery, and Prairie (youngest) fomations* The writer questionably recognizes two alluvial se$ieasea of Recent age* the Deweyvills beds (?) and the modern alluvium* The Recent is assumed to include that part of geolo­ gic tin during the last major rise of sea level* or that time since the lets Pleistocene glaciers comic need to wane at a rate sufficiently rapid to affect the level of the oceans*

The upper lim it of each alluvial sequence is represented phy-

Biographica l l y by a terraced* depositions! surface except fo r th e youngest which la represented by the modern floodplalna • Tim p le is­ tocene surfaces constat of four terraced* coastwise plains which p a r a lle l the coast* g&eh s u rfa c e merges with a contemporaneous flu v ia - t i l e terrace Inland along the major, transgressing streams 111c® the coastal marsh merges with the modem streams* floodplains* The Recent

1 £ sur faces are the Deweyvilie Terrace and the coastal marsh and modern fXoodplains* The Deweyville Terrace* which Is the lowest fluviatile terrace along the streams, is not represented by a coastwise equiva­ le n t* ■t Cyclic -valley cutting and filling were caused by eustatic fluctuations of quaternary sea level* Regional coastward tilting was caused by deltaic subsidence along the coast and a compensating uplift inland* Cyclic valley cutting and filling and coastward tilting are responsible for the sequenoes of fluviatile terraces {older surfaces having the higher elevations) along the stream valleys and the seaward plunging of the older coastwise surfaces under the next younger allu­ vial sequence*

The Deweyvi lie Terrace and underlying alluvial sequence (?) are described* Use terrace is characterized by numerous scars of former Neches, Sabine, and Trinity rivers, which are several times larger than those present on the older surfaces and those of its modern day successor 3 in the upstream swamp sections of the flood plains •

Available, but insufficient factual data suggest to the writer that the Deweyville Terrace and underlying sequential deposits (?) represent an incomplete cycle of alluviation. They are correlated tentatively with the "Two Creeks Interval"• Waning of late Wisconsin glaciers progressed at such a rate that the normal alluviation of the smaller streams, like the fteches, Sabine, and Trinity, could not keep pace with a relatively rapid rising sea* Therefore, the streamsf alluvial cones retreated far upstream and conditions somewhat similar to the present, domatreaza, marsh sections of the Calcasieu River, in Loulsi- ana, and the Nethes and Sabine river a, in Texas, were reproduced q M large meandera fois»&* (The smaller modern streams of southwest

Louisiana and Texas* the Calcasieu, Medhes, Sabine, etc., displace wriggling aean&ar pattern in the upstream sws^p sections of their • ■ floodplains where their gradients are about •? of a loot per air-line mile and broad sweeping meander patterns in the downstream marsh sec­ tions near tbs coast share their gradients are leas than .2 of a foot per mile* The larger modern streams like the Mississippi, in Louisi­ ana and the Bra 30s and the Colorado, in Texas, whose alluvial cones have reached the gulf and gradients axe constant, do not display a change in assnder pattern*) a minor lowering o f sea level during the

Mankato (?) g la c ia l su b stag e reju v en ated the Mochas* S abine, T rin ity , and ether rivers before they could readjust their gradients to the

Beweyville (Two Creeks interval (?)) sea level and extend their allu­ vial cones downstream, bury the marsh sections characterized by the large meanders, and build a seaward-facing dal tain plain* The Dewey- v illa Terrace and deposits (?) were entrenched, approximately $0 feet near Orange, Texas* coastward tilt during entrenchment pre­ vented the surface of the modem alluvial sequence from reaching the level of its predecessor*

The history of the Prairie (Peroim) alluvial cycle is aomswhal similar to the Deweyville and modern alluvial cycles, but was advanced further before being interrupted by post-prairie entrenchment . a r e la ­ tively rapid rifling sea during Peorian times caused the shore line to advance inland to a line extending from central Obi ca3ieu parish,

Louieiasa, west-aouthweat across north Orange County, past Boausiont an& Jefferson County, and to smith point, chambers o I a *4 I i € «

% s ! H Oi •H 1 " i i i i i i i 0 ft «* m e 2

p ** § *2 I p x •§ ■° ■a 3 1 3 & o « ft *3 H © O a 0

P© r4 M ^ 3 S £Pi 9 p^ 'd o 8 -p § © s ft •s 8 •H %-i .3 5 0 & £h g pt * a © ■P +» a s © S % s 8a 1 w © 8 8 a pi 13 p *3 S a •H a a > *h •p g S’ p« Ia M +> H a © to 8 * § % i 1© 3 3 4-4

feegun In sout&east Texas, with tfce iiope t& at nH I a ■P S ms a P. 5 c 6 9 1 a I & •*» b f 1*13 £ S s I i? n 1 ! 3 • 1 11 8 1 * 1 is represented by four terraced, coastwise plains (Prairie, Itontgomary,

B®tlsyt and Williana (youngest to oldest and lowest to highest)} which parallel the coast and rasrgo with contemporaneous, fluviatile terraces

inland along the major streams lilte tbs coastal marsh merges with tbs modern stream's flop^Oains* The early Recant is represented by tb s alluvial sequence (?) underlying tbs lowest, fluviatile Deweyville

Terrace which is characterized bylarge, rolls, meandering channels,

A coastwise equivalent of this terrace has not been recognised* The

1ate Recent i s represented by the modern alluvium which underlies tbs

present flood plains and coastal marsh*

Cyclic valley cutting and filling, caused by eustatio fluctua­

tions of qp&tsrasry sea level, and. regional coastward tilting, due to

deltaic subsidence and a compensating uplift inland, have resulted in

the preservation of the fluviatile terraces along the stream valleys

(the older terraces having the higher elevat ions)« These same proces­

ses have eans&d the seaward plunging of the older coastwise surfaces under th© n ex t younger alluvial sequence,

The processes a c tiv e along the modern stream s and coast of

southeast Texas are not unlike those which prevailed during the qua­

ternary period* The uniform!tartan principle, physiographic evidence

and available sub-surface data are relied upon in explaining the origin

of the Dewey villa Terrace, including the large meander sears, and the relationship of the Live Oak Ridge (?) beach fe a tu re s cocaiion to the

Prairie Terrace*

pock masks, or prairie ponds, bagels, buffalo wallows, hog wallows, etc*, are small depressions which are Incompletely filled 7 chan n el recsasats* P im p le s, 03? 3ndArLd.S ,

More th an &,GGO miles of road profiles and erass-sections were ecus true ted in th© field* Outcrops along the roads, railroads, and accessible streams were examined* soma auger doles, wells drilled in seareh of water by local residents, borings of oil companies, and the core tests o f dam and bridge sites added considerably to the field d ata*

The author compiled the base map from aerial photographic indexes issued by the U. 3. Department of Agriculture, topographic maps

issued by the iU S. Geological survey, am th e county road maps issued by the Texas State De^artnent of Highways* This map i s to be used w ith

caution, as the photographic indexes are not controlled mosaics* INTRODUCTION

This p^per is coacer ned with the fluviatile and dal talc plain terraces and deposits of that part of southeast Texas which includes

Jasper, Newton, end Orange counties, situated between the Sabine and

Neelies rivers# However, in order to present a clearer picture, the geology of the adjacent counties (Jefferson, Hardin, and Tyler in

M ess, end Calcasieu, Beauregard, and Vernon perishes in Louisiana) is discussed when necessary* This region is bounded on the south by

Sabine Lake and the Neches River, on the east by the Sabine River, on the west by the Neches Rivear, and on the north by the outcrop of the

Catahoula formation in the northern extremity of Jasper and Newton counties*

Horizontal control was maintained by employing the following asps and photographs;

1* Texas State Highway Department County Road Naps, scale 1

inch ecpals 1 mile, Angelina, Hardin, Jasper-New ton,

Jefferson, Liberty, Orange, Sabine, and Tyler*

8* U. 3* Geological survey quadrangles, scale 1 inch equals

1/2 mile, Bancroft, Carter Creek, iieriyville, , 31arks,

Tocmey, and Wilson Lake*

3* U- 3* Geological survey quadrangles, scale 1 inch equals

1 mile, Beaumont, Orange, Terry and jeirgate.

4. U. 3* Army Corps of laigineers quadrangles, scale 1 inch

equals 2 miles, Orange and Merryvillo.

8 9

5* U* 3* Army Map service Quadrangles, scale 1 Inch equals

1/S mile, Beaumont Bast and Lakeview*

6* Louisiana Highway Commission Quadrangles, scale 1 inch

equals 1 m ile, Mystic south and 31ark s*

?* U* S* Department of Agriculture Aerial photographic

In d ex e s, seeds 1 Inch equals i/2 mile end 1 inch equals

1 m ile, Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty,

Sewtcn, Orange, Sabine, and Tyler counties*

Tart leal control was maintained by using bench marks or sieve** tio n s established by the U* S# Coast and Geodetic survey, U. S .

Geological Survey, Ernsble oil and R efining Company, sun O il Company, and by the writer*

Most of the primary els vat ions utilized ware of the third and lo w order leveling, used in connection with extensive gravity meter surreys conducted by the Huufcle Oil and Refining Company* These eleva­ tions were established not more than 2 miles apart along all roads*

The writer used a Paulin a ltim e te r to estahLia h secondary elevations not acre thaa *3 of a mile apart dong all roads, and less than .1 of a mile apart when necessary* The altim eter was checked with all bench marks to avoid possible errors caused by variations in atmos­ p h e r ic p re ss u re ; th e tim e interval between each check seldom exceeded

3G atnates. physiography

Introduction

The physical features of Jasper, Newton, and Orange counties east be divided naturally into several subdivisions of tbs Gulf Coastal

Plain, namely, the coastal marsh, the alluvial bottoms or river flood- plains # tbs terraced del talcplains and fluviatile surfaces, the dissected terraced upland, the Buriceville lowland, and the Kisatchie

Hold o r the Catahoula Quests* The ooostal marsh includes the at or near sea level plain which parallels the shore* The a llu v ia l bottoms embrace the modern flood p la in s o f the Angelina, Ne&es, and Sabine r iv e r s and t r ib u ta r ie s * The relatively undissected deltaic plains and

fluviatile surfaces consist of 4 te rra c e s , the l a t e Recant (?) Dewey- v ille Tarrace and the pleistocene Prairie, Montgomery, and Bentley

terraces (youngest to oldest) • The terraced upland includes a higher, elder, and more dissected pleistocene d e lt a ic plain, the williana

Terrace* Tertiary outcrop areas form the Burke ville lowland and the

ateetper slope of the Catahoula cuesta.

The coastal marsh is an extremely Hat featureless plain* It

laeL tales numerous rounded lakes, beach ridges and the marsh proper*

la places the marsh partially drowns is land-Ilka remnants o f irro ^ u -

larly-shapad o u tlie r s o f the Prairie Terrace and crescent-ahaped o u t lie r s o f th e Dewey v i l l e Terrace* In Orange county the coastal marsh is separated in meet places from the lowest coastwise terrace

(Prairie) by a distinct, low seawazd-facing escarpment* The marsh

10 IX seawardly flanks the Prairie deltaic plain and extends inland up the valleys of the major stress#* where it merges with the alluvial bottoms or river f loodplains %

15© alluvial bottoms are covered by a dense growth of hardwoods*

They extend inland across the other contrasting physiographic features*

When viewed from the a ir, these flood plains are the moat distinctive

physiographic features in southeast Texas*

The terraced deltaic plains slope gulfward and strike somewhat

parallel to the ah care* They parallel each other and merge with their

cont eaporaneou s fluviatile terraces flanking the major valleys, in the

same manner that the coastal marsh borders the prairie deltaic plain

and serges upstream with, the alluvial bottoms (pi. 1).

The lowest coast wise terrace, the Prairie, is separated from

the Montgomery, in most places, by distinct seawaid-facing scarps*

The i^onfc^mery and Bantley, both relatively undissected plains, are

separated along a hinge line which is detected chiefly by the differ­

ences in slope of these surfaces. This line of contact, where the

Bentley surface plunges under the Montgomery surface, is duplicated

In every respect in southern Jefferson county, where the surface of

the Prairie formation, better known as the Beaumont claya, dips under

the coastal marsh.

The volley walls of the larger streams are terraced with rem­

nants of depositions! surfaces, or floodplains, since uplifted and,

in many places, considerably dissected. Each vaLley terrace except

the lowest, the Deweyvllle, when traced downstream, merges with a 12 contemporaneous seaward-facing deltaic plain. Ko coastwise equivalent of this Isw et fluviabile terrace has bean re cognized. The southern­ most © atilers of the Dewey vi lie Terrace, large crescent-shaped islands la the smrsh, occur aflLaig the Heohes and Sabine valleys, where they

H are eat he to the coastal marshes. The coastwise equivalent of this surface should be present in the area immediately south of the

Prairie escarpment*

The dissected terrace upland is located north of a prominent scarp Which separates It from the relatively undisseeted terraced plains to the aouth. it is in a late youthful stage of dissection, a few relatively flat-topped remnants are situated along the divides of the. major drainage* Elevations of these flat-topped divides are comparable

to the elevations of th e highest hills of the more dissected areas*

These H ate are remnants of the oldest depositions! surface, the willi­ am* Terrace* they have a distinct gulfward slope and a strike conform­ in g approximately to those of the lower surfaces.

The Williana Terrace is separated into a northern belt and a so u th e rn b e l t by the broad BurkeviHe Lowland* This lowland has the

same s tr ik e as the underlying Blaming days mad has been traced across

Ja sp e r a id Sew to n counties end the eastern part of Tyler County near

Whs confluence sf the Angelina and Heches rivers* It is traversed by many tributary streams of the Sabine River*

The steeper slops of the Kisatehie wold or Catahoula Cuesta faces the Vickstanrg-Jaakson Vale Op Lowland on the north* This cuesta

|s the northernmost boundary of the area discussed in this paper; it

i s situated sear the northern boundary of Jasper and Newton counties. IS

The dip slope of the Catahoula formation la covered, in most places, hy

* thick blanket of sands with soma sea tiered gravels which underlie the

Mptbwra belt of th# Uliana Terrace*

tributaries of th e Nechea end Sabine rivers drain the entire region* North of th e northern belt of the tfilliana Terrace, the tribu­

taries of the Sabine and Angelina rivers floe in a northerly direction

toward the Ticksberg-Jeeicson Lowland* Coastward the sabine* a tribu­ taries flow la a southeasterly direction, and the fteehes* tributaries flew in a southwesterly direction* More than three-fourths of the area lies in the drainage basin of the Sabine River; the 3abine~Nsehe# divide

is located in the western portion of the area* in general, the drainage grain is controlled by the direction of maxims* slope of the terraced plains; however, in the areas of more youthful topography, south of the

WUliana Terrace, the drainage is controlled, i n many cases, by the

original relief of the deposit tonal surfaces and by'surface faults*

Coastal Marsh

The coastal marsh la located south of the prairie scarp (Fig.2)

end extend# to the present shore* Its greatest width is approximately

SO ailea !& southern Orange and southeastern Jefferson counties* It

B arrows to approximately 7 m iles in sou thorn end 'southwestern Jefferson

County# It Bain tains this narrow width southeastward; but eastward, in

Louisiana, the average width approaches SO m iles* The c o a sta l marsh

is a near sea-1 eval lowland underlain by loosely consolidated sedim ents

Which support a dense ©over of mar ah gras#* Numerous rounded la 1ms,

meandering tid al streams, and beach ridges along the coast are the 14 most distinguishing features in an otherwise monotonous plain* Sabine, a large te te , was piobably forced by drowning, caused by coastal sub­ sidence and a widening of the Sabine Bivor by erosion# (Eos*©, Hus se ll, McGuirtt 193&)# ffc* present coast west of the Coast Guard station near v/isemaa Late, Jefferson County, is characterised by a prominent beach ridge formed by m s end chore currents* the Clam Lake quadrangle, issued by ^te V* S*s Ars$y Map service, shove this beach ridge with a mxia&tm elevation of $ fe e t, a asaritero width of 1 * 5 miles, and a minimum width o f * 4 o f e mile* The seaward slope is steep when compared with its T«y gentle Edward slope* Bast of the Const Guard station the beach ridge diverges intend from the present shore, follows Texas Highway Ho* 8 ? to the town of Sabine Psis, end occupies the medial position of a large fan of eewatless beaah accretions (Fig* 1 }« These accretions, imediataly west o f Sabine Pass, curve inland toward the pass sad can?erg© with the single beech ridge near the Coast Guard station# A study of aerial photographs reveals that the latest accretions hare built ait into the Gulf of Mexico approximately 3 * 5 miles beyond the medial beacftw photographs Indicate that somewhat similar conditions exist on the Louisiana side of the pass* Choniera, ancient oak-covered beach ridges stranded in the raarfh, are the most conspicuous topographic features of th is coastal belt in Cameron and Vermilion parishes, Louisiana (Howe, hubcell, and

McGairt, 1 9 3 5 )* Beaches develop and migrate Inland when subsidence Figure 1. Aerial view of Coastal Marsh and Sabine Pass Beach fan in southeast Jefferson County. (1) Sabine Pass. (2) Sabine Lake. (3) Coast Guard Station. (4) Medial Beach and Texas Highway 87. (5) City of Sabine Pass. (6) Modem Beach. (7) Intra-coastal Waterway.

M VJ1 16

predomina ^es ever sedi ss at at ion; and an advance or the shore lino toward the gulf, net beaches, occurs when sedimentation predominat ©a oyer subsidence* The combined effects of continued coastal subsidence with alternations between depoaition and ware erosion resulting from Pangea la the direction of Mississippi River dlsparge is responsible for stranding eh enters in the sea marsh (Howe, Russell, and iicouirt, 1935)*

The abacnee of cheaters Immediately west of the Sab ina pass beach fm is attributed to the great distance from the effect of Mississippi

Hirer sediments and the locations of the alluvial cones of the streams of southwest Louisiana snd southeast Texas*

Alluvial Valleys

The alluvial valleya, covered with a dense growth of vegetation and underlain by recent fluviatile deposits, are broad more or less flat-bettomed floodplains located Within well-defined valley walls*

They include the floodplains of the 3abine, Hedies, and Angelina rivers and their tributaries*

3ebiae River and flood plain - The floodplain of the Sabine

River occupies the extreme eastern parts of Jasper, Orange, and newton

counties, Texas, and the adjacent portions of Calcasieu, Beauregard,

Vernon parishes, Louisiana (PI* 3) • The average width of the flood- plain is about 3 miles* The greatest width, near Orange, is almost 5 m iles* The flo o d p la in narrow s to a minimum w idth of about 1*2 m iles where it is crossed by the Burk evil le-Loeavi 11© highway* It occupies

an area of ap pjroxlmataly 130 scjiare miles In Orange and Hew ton counties* 1 7

In the areas where the floodplain is bounded by the Deweyville Terrace,

1** vbiiay w&l is m i acre than £0 feet M$*$ in others* where it is bordered by Tertiary roe Isa, covered by terrace deposits* its valley wall is much higher* At a dista&ee of approximately 4«5 miles south** east of the Buifceville fire tower* the western valley wall* capped, by

^rsreliXarous smds of the willlanea formation* is about 130 feet high*

The absence of accurate topographic maps* the In&cees&ability of the Sabine River bottoms* and the insufficiency of subsurface data* prevent a detailed study of its floodplain physiography* However, available aerial photographs reveal a generalized account of its phy­ siographic history*

The Sabine is a sinuous, meander ing stresa, swinging in great ares fro® one valley wall to the other* The river is actively widen­ ing its valley at several localities where it impinges against pleis­ tocene or Tertiary se&isBnts*

Use river’s width varies from 200 to 1*000 feet* The greatest width occurs dowastresa from its confluence with Old River (south) *

It la about 1*000 feat wide at 14 stream-milea, near Oranges 400-430 feat wide at 37 stressa-miles* immediately south of its junction with

Old River (South) about 4 airline mile a north of Orange* At the junction with old -Uvea* (south) the stream enters the Harrows (veatch*

19Qg) na in tains a width between 200 and 300 feet* The Head of the

Harrows is located near Dewayville, about 30 miloa upstream* East of the Harrows is Old River (south), an abandoned roach of the pa bine

(Fig* 5) about 400 feet wide* which is obstructed by a raft several ^ 1 8 m iles 1st length (Yeateh, 1902)* Abo's® the to© ad o f the Mm m m , th e average 1* 300 fw t, sad 1a some places It Is nearly 500 feet wide* Hit Sobiao enters a reach about 3 airline miles north o f th e B u rk ev ills^ eea v ille highway hrIds® aM m m to about 200 feet*

fhe width of the ssender h a l t is la keeping with the channel

{gaffer eon* 1008)% Downstream from the narrows# the meander b e l t Is about 1*3 miles wide; upstream it averages *7 miles {PI* 3}*

The greatest stream and meander belt w idths c o r r e la te with that part of the aabine TaHey es&ayed by th e coastal marsh and t&at part of

th e Sabine iHver a ffe c te d by the tides* north of Its confluence with

Old Hlvor (south), the stream is not affected by the tides, mad Its floodpl&in is densely wooded*

According to the Sabine River profiles issued by the U* 3*

Eng in ear Office, Galveston, Texas, in 1940, the depth ranges between

7 and 35 feet below average bank stage* The greatest depth lias

between Orange and Sabine Lake* The river s&oals to 7 fast at Its south, as approximate depth of $® feet is maintained bstween Orange and the mouth of t&e Marrows* Between the he ad of the Harrows and

bob. v e ir th e d ep th ranges between IB and 18 feet* TJpstream from Bon

T,eix to Toledo, Sswtsn County, the depth plogresaively increases to

34 f e e t .

£he stage difference of the Sabine R iv er between average bank

and high water is from 3 to 10 feet, the minimum difference being a t

its south* Upstream tbs stage difference seems to vary with the depth

of the stream* y igores for low water stage are not available* PAAI/Ifc T£tWAC£ £Coaj4k"*«J• \ ^

L (fH^TAC J HW" ...... A'* fltu&R APO pi.OA-0. .3^

SA&lNE LAKE

,,. ■ - ' /, L v- —' 1 '..'• • * ]ft«ur© £• Aerialv taw of the Coastal Marsh, SaMm ttwrnt flood plain aad Prairie Terrace smith of Orange.

/ i ’•... - . 7 £ Sa*<»t » • 3> 1 7 . 4 TfM/H*- • .. "W d ...... SABi/vc Aiven ff/fr ktti &»&' La ■ \ J r O'rf rt<**,p F to o O PLA/# PMiAic teaaacs ) '

. *, \ .

fig u r e 3 . serial view of the Sabine River flood plain and the Dewey Till© and p r a ir ie terraces north o£ Grango. The average airline gradient of the Sabine River, calculated for average bank stage, from Toledo Bond, in northeast Hew ton county to Sabine Lake is *7 of a foot per mile* Along the last 25 Mies below Old Hirer (southj, its gradient is only *16 of a foot per mile.

Xjsaediately north of the marsh section of the Sabine, its gradient is greater than *? of a foot per mile*

Axcept for the lower six miles, the marsh section of the Sabine

Hiver exhibits a meandering pattern with a few cut-offs and oxbow lakes near orange* In the swamp section north of Big Bayou and old Hiver

(South), the sabine clearly exhibits a some#iat braided pattern (Pi* 5)*

South of lion >©irt Hew ton county, this network pattern is clearly displayed. Old Biver (north), Middle River, Big slough, Alligator

Lake, Cutoff Bayou, cross Bayou, old Hiver (south), Big Bayou, and

Sabine Hiver form a coarse-grained anastomosing network* North of

Bon Weir a network p a tte r n i s not ap p aren t, b u t numerous oxbow lak es characterize 1dm floodplain.

The relationship of Old River (South) and that part of the

Sabine Hiver lying west of it indicates that the river has shifted from one coarse and then to the other* It appears that its prescat channel was abandoned and the river water was forced to flow east, impinged against its eastern valley wall, and developed the straight reach of Old River (South) (Fig* 3)* Following the development of the raft in Old River (South), the river shifted back to its present channel, the Harrows, which was partially Choked during the occupancy of Old River (sou%)« 2 1

Darby (1816) mentioned that the sab ine diverted it a waters around a raft 1*5 miles la length between Belgrade and Starke* Y@at<&

(1902) repear ted that this raft was removed in 1837, but reformed before

1840 n ear B elgrade* where the U, s , - Texas boundary survey found a ref t £ miles in length* a straight reach of the sabin© is noted between

Belgrade and Boa weir* Seaton County* old River (north), an abandoned* meander Sag a c t i o n o f the Sabine, lies to the east* This reach and abandoned segment asp be directly related to the rafts mentioned by

Darby and Veatch, or may be related to structural uplift, as this area lies along the strike of the Bancroft structure located east of

M erryville, Beauregard Parish,

The meandering course of the Sabine Biver above and below Old

River (south) is attributed to the effective stage difference of the river which involves a ratio between actual stage difference and the volume of water in a channel (Russel, 1936}* a large ratio Is neces­ sary for meandering to develop, The maxinaim stage difference along the most downstream reach of the river, the last 3 miles below the

Intraeoastal Waterway, is about 5 feet* and it appears that the effective stage difference is too small to permit meandering. r|he stage difference greater then 5 feet and a smaller cross-sectional area above the Intraeoastal Waterway produces a sufficient effective stage difference to cause meaniering.

Matthes (1941) reports that 5 variables appear to be the basic fee tore of river meandering; they are: (1) valley slope (a change j always produces a change In pattern}; (2) bed load; (3) discharge (seasonal stream flow variations - a close correlation exists between discharge and bed load movement); (4} bed resistance; and (5) tra n s ­ verse oscillation (like a sinuous highway during flood stage, the wataer is flat daring low stages)* He states that channel width is sot a controlling factor in stream meandering* The 3abine*3 thalweg is steeper and its average and flood stage gradients are smaller downstream than upstream from its confluence with Old Hiver (south)•

13® smaller slope* plus the tidal effect and other factors may be responsible for the larger meanders in the marsh section* However* the larger meanders of the Sabine, Heches, Calcasieu* and many other rivers of the Texas and Louisiana coast correlate with the greater stream widths occurring in the marsh sections.

In general, tbs alluvial plain of the s&bine Hiver Is a flat monotonous surface divisible into two sections, the densely wooded swamp section upstream from the confluence with old Hiver (south) , and the downstream coastal marsh section covered with marsh vegetation.

If the swamp section is viewed In detail* it consists of an intricate maasm or network of abend cued channels, oxbow lakes, and braided erevass channels• Prominent, broad, natural levees and back swaxqps, which are characteristic of aggrading atrooms carrying large s ilt and clay loads, are lacking* 0 ecu pane© patterns, {Russell, 1939a), are absent in the floodplain as the natural levees ere only narrow, very low, sandy ridges easily destroyed by subsequent erosion* The 2-foot contours On the Orange quadrangle do not show natural levees* Rivers entrained with sand and very little silt and day loads develop BOM WEIR 0 /* ^ MERRVVILLE

BELGRADE a

LOWER SABINE RIVER VALLEY

MARSH SECTION

SWAM P SECT ION

:*.\o o UPLANDS

SABINE RIVER INTRACOASTAL CANAL BIG BAYOU old r iv e r C^o u t h ) CROSS BAYOU CUTOFF BAYOU ALLIGATOR LAKE BIG SLOUGH OLD RIVER (NORTH) (MIDDLE RIVER HEAD OF THE NARROWS THE NARROWS

□ STARKS deweyville

5cole in Miles

NIBLELLS BLUFF

rj

ORANGE

m

SABINE LAKE PLATE NO. 3 inconspicuous B a tu m i le v e e s and commonly d is p la y e f f e c ts o f b ra id in g m (ibis se ll, 1939a).

The network pattern of the swamp section and its relationsfaip with the marsh section indicate that a broad, low con® of alluvium is advancing gradually toward the gulf (Pi. 3, Fig. 4). This relation­ ship is si jailer in many respects to other coastal streams such as the

££ermenta&, the Calcasieu, the Hedies, the Trinity, and to other streams with comparable drainage areas. Larger stream transporting large loads, like the Brazos, the Goloxado, and the Rio Grand®, are not drowsed with sea marsh in their lower courses, but have extended their alluvial cones across the coastal marsh, the marginal lagoons and Into the Gulf of Texico. The march of alluvium of the Trinity River has reached Galveston Bay, and an active delta has almost coi^letely shut off Turtle Bay from the northern arm of Gtlveston Bay. sufficient maps and photographs of this region are not available, but the Anahuac quadrangle (j?3g. 5) shows Old River and Lost River, an abandoned cut­ o f f w ith m approximate radius of 1*4 miles, and adjacent meanders of the present Trinity River with a radius of only .4 of a mil©. It appears that this abandoned cut-off is a scar of a former marsh section of the Trinity River which is partially covered by an alluvial con© advancing dowo-stateam. The Colorado nivsr recently has extended its delta across Matagorda Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about 6 miles; however this rapid gro?rth was accomplished after the

•flatlet® removal of a raft in 1930 (Geeks, 1945a). 8 4

UPLANDS MAP OF FLOODPLAIN

.7 plus of afoot per mib slope of alluvial cone L e s s than .2. of tj foot

Toe of diluvial cotjc

LONGITUDINAL PROFILE OF FLOODPLAIN STAGE I

UPLANDS MAP OF FLOODPLAIN

Marsh Section Swamp Section LONGITUDINAL PROFILE Buried meanders OF FLOODPLAIN

STAGE 2 Figure 4* sketch maps and profiles showing hypothetical relations between an advancing alluvial cone and the nBander patterns in the swamp and marsh sections of the floodplains of the smaller streams along the Louisiana-Texas coast. The alluvial cone advances downstream «nd buries the marsh section characterized by large meanders, contrasting meander belt widths are lacking on the larger streams which carry large sediment loads and, consequently, have extended their alluvial cones to the coast. 2 5

Seches Biver and floo&plain» - Th© Neehes River beads la Van

Zandt, smith* and Henderson counties, Texas, and flows southeastward

to the northwestern corner of Jasper County. From this point it con**

tim es in a sou th~ scut he ast direction to Sabine Lake.

The river meanders in a floodplain averaging two miles in

width. 13a© greatest floodplain width, approximately 4 miles, occurs

in the marsh section of Its valley south of Beaumont* It narrows to

about .6 of a mile near Rockland, where it crosses the Catahoula

foxsation in the northwest pan-handle section of Jasper county* not

shown on the geologic map* The floodplain is defined by relatively

steep valley walls between 10 and 140 feet high* The lowest valley

walls are formed by the Dewey ville Terrace material© and the highest

wall consists of jftemirg ©lit© and clay©, capped by the bands of the

* * Bentley formation at the Town Bluff dam site in Tyler County.

The river*© greatest width Is 1,200 feet near its Junction

with Sabine Lake, it narrows to less than 100 feet where it leaves

Jasper County, a minimum w idth o f 500 f e e t is m aintained upstream

to Beaumont, Jefferson County, fron which point to its confluence with

pine island Bayou it is not less than 400 feet wide* From this tri­

butary to the parallel of Buna, Jasper County, its width is between

ISO and 300 feet. Further upstream its width varies between 100 and

500 feet, seldom reaching the latter figure*

The larger meanders of the Hedies River occur in the marsh

section of its valley south of Beaumont; the smaller meander® are

confined to the swamp section upstream. The last 10 strenm-miles to 7 '|V : ' .>■ u ■ ^*vVvV., j-*'-'. - vt t .'/'"O i,:v' £***!.-■ A^Vi t*1 ► • \>‘>*'} v*- « V' 11 ’\ * - " - -Nv W * "i > i ' . 'r <- . \{.L 1 *. ■***?*&,-■ a *■'■: ' r -.svrtdg.-IrAaOi'■'.^vas >>34 C van*, I. ah & AV '■*- l

a v o i O' o.A'ir^; M° M d h u sfeF * a l ‘ft r * .; ■t'.A '•A-.JWhrSO * »• . / ^ , Nv . 'v * v*V »!•/)* <. ' t I.' ■ v • 4 'A V'^ 1 V\fc ^ J vsJ.'-o*■ P • t" -■•■•■•■ < ,'vA'^ 1* ‘Vv ,V /■ ' >'■' L 'A “ if -4 IMPINQ '%A . - v A v ■' » .:/ '-'v ^Y i nj l’ ' 1 A' C '1 ■r ;■:> .^vCl ■** y - «-.v .' ,■ -

y X a ^ 1,CAJ&/'tot I . . V * - J *- V. ' > ,.< !■ (•. ’ ‘t ’V'.'VW'vV “VVs''*1 '''V'Vj i ; * * ‘ * ^ ^ fUlis ville* '+iAf • yv Y*r^‘Ein ititin ee M aye s. 4/ Pnp.30 ” 1 ■ '>'V3» tor 66Hfc« rtRfir, — vir S+ore ' ** LMULU^Mi FERRY Pel^A&rvLfxMc'y iijTA' flOV.Qf -* / i? * ’Jbr^O'lQ'h'ijh ff .7 ' T' -V /? T t P a ? 4' S , 3

L Y C r ^ ^ \ \ . |r- ^ /V\Yp^r ' L i i w r e n w i I'xn / - •' * >\ ■ i f \ J.

ip a n y / i o

ANAJl

LOWER COURSE OF THE TRINITY RIVER

(From Anahuac Quadrangle)

Scale in miles 3 4

Il^taro b 27

$abi»© lake m i a straight reach. It meanders in a b a it approximately

1*5 miles aid® upstream fxem t h is reach to Beaumont. From Bean went to

Pine Inland Bayou I t s meander belt is *6 of a m ile wide and fu rth er

tqgstreaa it is apt ewer «6 of a a i l s ,

The Meries Hirer prefile, issued by the U. 0* Engines office,

Galveston, Texas, dhows an average air line gradient of ,7 of a foot

per mile from Rockland to 3abine Lake. in the tidal section below

Beaumont its grad lent is aero far average bank stage and less than

*1 of a fbot per mile for high water stage#

A stage difference of less than 5 feat does not permit meander­

ing In the Sabine Lake reach of the Heehes; however, a stags difference

greater than 5 feet is sufficient to allow meandering up stream* The

Sachas River, like the Sabine, changes from a wriggling meander pattern

to large sweeping meanders near the alluvial front or cone where the

abrupt change in gradient oceans*

Several reaches of considerable distances exist along the

Beebes sixer north o f the parallel of Kir byvilla, Jasper County, ihe

meet prominent cons le ts o f a s e r i e s o f rea ch es along a SO stream-mil©

stretdi between the Airbyvills parallel and Town Bluff, Tyler county.

1% is possible that these more or less straight at retches of the river

ere censed by the observed sad reported shoals along this section.

Several abode, produced by the outer© pa of well indurated, gray,

micaceous siltstcaes of the Blounts Creek member (?) Heming formation

(7) (Fisk, 1940; Welch, 1942), were observed along the most downstream

part of this section near the ferry landing west of tlount Union, Jasper Gmaaty (3*ig* 93}« L ocal fiskexsosn r e p o rt th a t s im ila r ahoala e x is t several miles up and downstream. Doerir^ (1333) mentioned the occur* wece of these beds in the banks of the Laches Hiver and pointed out that it is possible that they stay be part of the f©athor*edge of m overlapped Pliocene section occurring between the /illia and the

Flaming formations* He questionably correlated these deposits with the Goliad section of south Texas*

somewhat similar reaches exist along the Sabine Hiver south­ east of Bu riser ill® , Uewton county, where these beds should outcrop, if projected along the approximate strike of the late Tertiary section.

The other most prominent reaches of the Meches Hiver occur where it crosses the outcrop of the Catahoula formation in the vicin­ ity of Bcekl&M, Jasper County*

The floodplain of the Leches ia very much like that of the

Sabine River; however, a prominent network of abandoned channels is obscure, pew abandoned charnels, not moz© then 3 to 8 streem-miles in length, and numerous cutoffs are the most notable floodplain features visible on aerial photographs, its alluvial cone has advanced to a position near Beaumont and coincides with the point of change in gradient and increase in meander radius.

Angelina River and floodplain.- The Angelina Hiver heads in

Sm ith, Husk, and Cherokee counties; flows in a southeasterly direction to Jasper County; then flows south-southwest to its junction with the

Beehes River west of Jasper* Its average width is approximately 100 fast in Jasper County. Ita floo dp lain is narrow, especially whore it 2®

Grosses the Catahoula formation* Most of its courtso ia 'Jasper County eoaeists of sore or lass straight readies across ihf Catahoula forma­ tion, hut it develops a jasaMerir^ pattern north of tli© county line idiers it crosses the Vicksburg-JacJcson Lowland, and just before It joins the Roches Hiver*

>£ia ternary terra cos

Introduction*- There are six alluvial surfaces of quaternary age in southeast Texas* The youngest Includes the modern river flood- plain a and the coastal sarsh; the others are terraces which are elevated above the flood plains and coastal marsh* They are separated from each ether usually by prominent escarpments* Each surface, except the second youngest, consists of fluvlatlle and coastal plain equivalents*

A coastwise equivalent of the second youngest flu via til© surface has net been » cognized* The coastwise surfaces are arranged in belts approximately parallel to the shore; the younger surfaces lie nearer the ee&st* 3aeh coastwise surface merges with Its contemporaneous flu via tile equivalent dong the streams* Two of these surfaces are considered Recent, four are considered Pleistocene* They ares

Recent Late Recent Modern floodplains Early Recent (?) Deweyvilie Terrace

Pleistocene Prairie Terrace Montgomery T errace Bentley Terrace Will in a Terrace

The word surface, as used in this paper, refers to a depoal* 3 0 tien&l or an alluvial surface. Terrace or terraced surface are used to refer t® uplifted end/or t i l t e d a llu v ia l surfaces whlch have been en^

trenched bp atyeama* T errace m a te r ia ls and terrace deposits include

the alluvial deposits directly underlying a terrace or a dissected

te rra c e *

Approximately 800 papers are concerned primarily with pleis­

tocene deposits of the Atlantic and G ulf c o a sta l p la in s* woodward and

Gueoo (1041) H at the most invariant papers published up to 1040 in a

table shearing the geo chronic synonymy of the pleistocene formations and

terraces of this coastal area*

She e a r l i e s t record ed description o f these strata of coastal

Texas is that of Boomer (1846)* He states that the only solid ro ck

(Tertiary) in the Houston, sen Felipe, Austin, coluohus, Gonzales,

and Sega in area is a coarse calcareous sandstone* His description

of the Pleistocene deposits follows;

"•••T he su r fa c e la everywhere a th id c diluvium of loose m aterials eons Is ting either of a fertile vegetable mould, or of rounded pieces of hydrate of iren - as over the barren section between sen F e lip e and Columbus o r sand and gravel as near Gonzales and. e ls coh ere*”

Tfngnffflriffln aathere, since Roemer's time, hare described river

te r r a c e s seaward-facing, terraced plains in Texas and Louisiana.

Bow ever , cmly the most important contributions to the geology of the

Quaternary of southeast Texas and the neighboring parts of Louisiana

will be mentioned* The writer considers that Barton, Dcussen, and

B earing made the greatest contributions to the geology of Jasper,

Sewta x , and Orange c o u n tie s, Texas. 31

Barton (1930b) Introdueed the concept of deltaic origin of the coastwise terraces from a study of soil naps of Jefferson, Liberty, and Harris counties* Deussen (1914, 1924) pointed out that the streams of the Coastal plains of Texas ore bordered by terraces vfoieh range in

from early Pleistocene to Recent* He states that sons of t&sae

are to be correlated with the seaward facing terraces and, like them,

record successive uplifts in the later history of the coastal Plains*

Others appear to be local and are not related to erustal movements*

However, B ill and Tsughn (1896, 1908) described 7 terraces al

Colorado Hiver below the uppermost terrace gravels, called the Uvalde

(Bill, 1691), They stated that the width of all the terraces increases

southward and theoretically fan out into the marginal sea deposits*

ddfesr authors have noticed a similar correlation, especially with the

latest Pleistocene surface* Doer lag (1963) called attention to the

fact that the plains of the post-Fleming are due to the presence of

depositions! si?faces which had an original slope comparable to that

of the present streams end, afterward, were tilted coastward because of a transfer of sediments from the eroded landward block to the loaded seaward block,

Fisk (1938a, 1939a, 1940) recognized five principal d©posi­

tional surfaces of inter glacial a gas and applied the names Uliana,

Bentley, itoutgansry, Prairie, and Recent to to successively younger

and lower surfaces* He demonstrated that the fluviatil© surfaces of

the Coastal Plain slope seaward (the greater slopes correlate w ith

tbs higher swfl older surfaces) and i®rge with contemporaneous b e lts 3 2

« f deltaic plains approximately parallel to the modern coast* Fisk explained that ecstatic raising and lowering of sea level caused cyclic alluvial drowning and entrenchment of streams and resulted

In tie formation of th e p r in c ip a l d epos it io n a l surfaces* Continued structural savoM ats, epeirogenic uplift and seaward tilting caused the fluviatile surfaces to he preserved as terraces along the streams*

Seaward tiltin g aad isos tat ic downdrag adjacent to the area of geosyaelinal subsidence are responsible for the coastward plunging o f older deltaic plains under deposits of yomgsr aga*

3ubse<|aent to ?isk*s (1933a) report on the detailed mapping of these terraces in Grant and LaSalle Parishes, Flak (1938bt 1939a,

1940t 1944, 1948a, 1943b), Bollaai(1943), Huaer (1939), Murray (1948),

WaLdh (1 9 4 3 ), Woodward and Queno (1941), and o th e rs have continuously mapped these terraces over most of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi*

The w r ite r was interested In establishing an independent terrace

seq u en ce In Newton, Jasper, and Grange counties without continuous

tracing of the te r r a c e s from Louisiana; ttierefora, he began his work

in southeast Texas with little knowledge of the Pleistocene geology

across the Sabine River* A subsequent cheek with the surface geology o f Galeasieu, Beauregard, and Vernon parishes, as mapped by Fisk (1939a,

1943a), Holland (1943), and welch (1942), show an amazing correlation.

The aerial extent of thaw deposits conforms, and the structural maps o f th e o r ig in a l surfaces indicate a remaikable harmony in elevations aad attitude* The P rairie, Montgomery, Bentley, and iyillisna terraces of 5 3 southeast Texas represent relie depositions! surfaces of d e f in ite sedimentary formations* Fisk (1938a) describ ed these deposits as meafeers of the pleistocene series of Grant and LaSalle parishes, fallow in £ Russell* a suggestion in 1940, pisk (1940) elev ated these terraced deposits to the rank of formations* Available logs of borings and outcrops of these formations in southeast Texas support the observations of Fisk and others that each terrace is underlain by a separate stratigraphic unit, grading from frequently g rav e l!- ferous, basal sands upward into finer sands, silts and clays* seaward, th ese fo rm a tio n s grade down dip into finer materials, and interfiziger with brackish and marine water deposits* Howe, Bussell, and McGuirt

(1955) employed oxidized zones in mapping the top of the sub-surface

Fie is to oesse deposits in Cameron and Vermilion parishes, Louisiana*

F rin k (1941) showed that it might be possible to trace the b asal g r a v e llf arcus beds from tbs outcrop of each formation into the sub­ surface for cons i dear & Is distances* Keeker (1949) correlated th ese fosaations in the subsurface of Bast Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana*

Gravel ifearous and oxidized zones were employed in his correlations*

Accurate subsurface mapping, using carefully logged borings of these repeated sequences of gravels, sands, silts, and clays should be possible, once a thorough knowledge of the recent fluviat 11©, d o !ta lc , coastal marsh, and off-shore sediments is gained*

yiak (1948a) included in his report a contoured map o f a pr©-

Beeent topography buried by the coastal marsh deposits of Cameron

Parish, Louisiana* This map shows a ty p ic a l branch yjork or d en d ritic stream pattern, a distinct youthful stage of d is soot ion, and a relief of 195 feet developed on the buried deposits of prairie age* The p re -

Itsse&t Sabine or Neches valley baa a minimum depth of 220 feet below ass level seer the mouth of Sabine pass, and another troach, possibly e f Sabine origin, has a minimum d epth o f 124 f e e t along th e Cameron coast *out 8 miles east of Sabine Pass (Pish, 1948a, 1948b)* 'ihe mlnlMBR depth of the divides of this drovmed topography is about 25 feet soar tbs shore#

Bet la g s f o r th e proposed Orange-Toomey highway, Calcasieu

P e r is h , shoe the pxe-Beeaat Sabine trench to be ever 110 feet below see level about 2*5 alias n o rth o f Orange (Mr# aufus 1* LeBXa&e, personal comssaaieation)• The post-Deweyville trench (?) is spproxi* astaly 50 feet below sea level (pi* 6), The maximum depth of th e

Sabina Hiver channel a t this Grossing is 18 feet below sea level*

The th ic k n e s s o f tbs alluvium averages about 40 feet for considerable distastes upatreea* Therefore, the 3abine River, like many other streams of tbs Coastal plains is flowing on a bed of its own alluvium, and nowhere sear tits coast is the river bed below its pre-Recant channel* The M ississippi Hiver is flowing over a bed of its own alluvium which is, in p la c e s , over 200 feet deeper than the bed of the river (flak, 1944)*

The a llu v ia l seq uence o f the Sabine and Nechos rivers is similar to that of the M ississippi Hiver and the pleistocene formations* It grades from a basal gravel if erous sand upward into fine sands, silts, r ~ei c la y s with much organic material* This alluvial drowning of the 35 pra-Heeeat valley la attributed to the re c e n t rise of sea level caused by the retre&t of the last continental glaciers (Fisk, 1938a)# Tbs

lower stre®a gradient a, accompanying rising see levels, decreased the

c a p a c ity of the streams, and progressively finer materials were deposit

ted#

A future lee advance, lowering sea laved, would rejuvenate

existing streams end leave terraced remnants of the present flood-

p la in a as mosttma&ta to t h e i r form er e x iste n c o . P ro g ressiv e landward

uplift aad coastal subs Men ce, followed by alluvial drowning, account

for ths greater seaward slope of the older depositions! surfaces, the greater elevations of the older fluviat lie terraces in the area of

costinued uplift, aad the seaward plunging of the older deltaic plains

aatar younger deposits in the area of coastal subsidence# Landward

uplift prevents the successive alluvial surfaces from reaching the

level of its predecessor# Coastward subsidence allows the deposit!anal

surfaces to converge seaward and results Izl the older terraces plunging

under successively yoimgar deposits*

kustatie fluctuations of sea level, and an accompanying Lund*

ward uplift and seaward subsldoiee, are the most logical factors used

is explaining the relationships between the flood plains, terraces,

asfi their llthologic sequences.

A regional study of th© structural features of these terraces

by Fisk (1939a) revealed two major structural regions associated with

each uaternary unit# They consist of a landward opeiro genic region

of uplift and a seaward geo synclinal rogion of subsidence. They are 01 CT> ^ J_evel. o ■ m' O .0 O m' o ■ . 'o' • . 1 REGION ZONE OF UPLIFT I I FLOODPLAIN I Uplifted Fluvial Terrace Fluvial Uplifted

EROSION UPLIFT TILTING MARGIN EPEIROGENIC EPEIROGENIC 1 EPEIROGENIC • « • 'O'. * • , « f _ . • 1 * O ZONE UPLIFT OF ZONE AND FRACTURING » TRANSITION TRANSITION ZONE •/.' -) <- ^ ^ *-,*• /.-'v?** ZONE ZONE OF FLEXING * PROMINENT PROMINENT OF .ZONE TERRACE AND MARGIN f lo w GEOSYNCLINAL » » # t a l ______S

c r u DELTAIC SEQUENCE DELTAIC . SEQUENCE SUB —r S e a «^ ^ , Peltoic Plom Peltoic o . .

o o' •' SEDIMENTATION- «■ «■ v v - • -. •• • * o . o- • ’ • o- . o AND AND DEPOSITION •.-r ’ ‘ C W e’:. *.’■>/> EARLIER " - DELTAIC SEQUENCE o ® Leve GEOSYNCLINAL GEOSYNCLINAL REGION ------ZONE OF ACTIVE DOWNWARPING ACTIVE ZONE OF Sea Sea

figure 6. cross-section showing hypothetical structural rela­ tions in an area of active deltaic sedim entation, (Modified after Jj'isk 1939, 1944) separated by two intermediate or marginal belts where terrace flexing is prominent (Fig* 6)* The intermediate belts., the ©peirogeaie and geo synclinal margins* exhibit transi tional conditions between uplift and subsidence* which are indicated by greater terrace slopes*

In the area of Jasper, Newton, and Orange counties, the coasts ward slopes of the * U liana, Bentley, and Montgomery terraces are mare pronounced in their seaward or geo synclinal margins* These over- steepened margins are the result of down&rag due to active subsidence or downwarping of the geosyncline under sedimentary overload (Bussell,

1936)* a sdeepened margin of the prairie surface is not present in this area, and it appears that the absence of this steeper slope supports the thesis that the smaller streams of the Gulf Coast, the

Neemes, 3abine, and Trinity, have not had sufficient time to extend their alluvial cones seaward and overload the shore zone with deltaic sedim ents*

Inland, the slopes of the older terraces flatten and approach th© gradient of the Be cent floodplain* In the v ic in g of Fletcher,

Kardin county, the Montgomery Terrace, near its aone of isos tat ic subsidence, is not over 35 fee t above the present floodplain* About

7 miles north, at a point approximately northeast of Silsbee, Bardin

County, the Montgomery Terrace is 65 feet above the floodplain*

The latter location lias between th© goosynclinal and ©peirogenic m argins o f the fctontgomery Terrace* Th® rat© of th e downstream convergence of th© Montgomery surface with th© Recant floodplain

in the geosyndinal mar gin between Hatcher and ails bee is greater 3 6 than 4 f e e t p e r m ile . In th© v i c i n i t y o f Beach Grove, Ja sp e r Gtaunty,

S miles upstream from the gilshee locality, the Krontgoitery Terrace is approximately 115 feet above the present floodplain# The rate of downslope convergence in the epeiregenic margin between Beach

Grove and silsbee is about 1*6 feet per mile*

Fisk (1939a) explains that the terrace surfaces flatten and their gradients approximate that of the floodplain further inland, and this relationship calls for the recognition of an ©peirogsnie region where isotatie uplift rather than seaward tilting has been the dominant deformations! factor* The parallelism of the Prairie Terrace with the floodplain supports epeiorgeaic uplift* The epeirogenle regions of the older surfaces are located further inland* Murray

(1948) recognized the fact &at the terrace slopes of Desoto and led

River parishes, Louisiana, located north, of this area, are uniform and vary only with the size of the parent stream*

Inland, Tertiary sediments are exposed, in most eases, below the graveliferous sands of the Pleistocene foimations and at the bass of the scarp separating successive terraces* Seaward, in the direc­ tion of regional tilt and formational thickening, the Tertiary exposures become thinner and finally disappear as the terrace surfaces merge*

The older and higher fluviatll© terraces are wider than the younger and lower terraces and the present flood plains along any cross-valley profile* However, any given terrace, like the floodplains, if traced from its fluviatile to its coastwise equivalent, bo comes progressively wider until the coastwise contemporary occupies the entire inter-stream areas* Lvidence in southeast 'Texas supports the thesis of Vernon

(19&) that this relationship may he explained by the progressive extension of strean base levels* His explanation follows:

%** if the factors controlling stream base levels occur progressively downgradient, and if every stream flood- plain narrows headword, then each stream terrace would be narrower than the older cues along any given valley cros s-eeetion* » fha Pieistocene deltaic plains have advanced progressively seaward,

intem pted by eustatie fluctuations of sea level and local advances end retreats of the shore line, which are caused by continued coastal subsidence and lateral shifting of deltaic sedimentation. Doe ring

(193b) pointed out that the Initial slopes of the older floodplains

ware very sim ilar to those of the present time and have since been

tilted seaward* Deusssn (1914) recognized that the sabine, Heches,

cod other rivers of the Gulf coast developed cm Tertiary rooks and were subsequently extended across the quaternary terrain.

Methods of yield tapping* - The criteria used in different

tiating and mapping the terraces in Jasper, newton, and Orange counties, are: (1) escarpments, (2) slope or structure of the original surface,

(3) elevation of terraces above the Hoodplaina, (4) vortical inter­ vals between the terraces, (5) degree of dissection, (6) drainage

pattern, (?) relic deposit!onal features, (8) culture, (9) vegetation,

and (10) weathering and soil development.

Differentiation of terraces in the field on the basis of lithology and degree of weathering is not very reliable in southeast Itoas as aH of the alluvial sequences are similar and are more or less e a s ily weathered, dependlug upon local conditions. However# soil differences are more apparent on the younger surfaces* weathering has been employed with success in mapping oxidised Prairie soils below the Coastal la&rshes of south L ouisiana (Heeler, 1949; Howe# B u sse ll, and MeGuirt, 1935; Fisk# 1948a, 1948b). subsurface napping of these repeated lith ologic sequences should be possible if numerous carefully-logged barings are employed (F rin k , 1941; Hecker, 1949),

Escarpments and escarpment dopes are one of the best criterion for differstiating the terraces* However, in many instances, subse­ quent dissection of terrace surfaces and the inaccessibility of certain areas require the ea^loymsnt of other criteria* Yet escarpments mist be found before the boundaries can be definitely established; there­ fore# they are extremely useful during the initial stages of terrace mapping.

As soon as escarpments ere located and the terraces can be traced for considerable distances# the slope of the surface can be determined and saployed in correlating equivalent surfaces separated by erosion. This method is extremely useful in correlating the fluvia- tU s and deltaic plain equivalents and is the only reliable criterion for determining the hinge line or coastwise boundary of the geo syn­ c lin a l margin o f m older plain with the next younger coastwise surface* This method is not useful in the epeirogenic region because vertical uplift and not regional tilting is the major dofonnational factor. Th© terraces are parallel, more or less# with the flood plains. ffcm slope of th© geo synclinal margin may prove useful in subsurface correlation*

Elevation and heights o f the terraces above th© flood pla in s are very useful after reconnaissance work has revealed the general terrace sequence and structure* These c r i t e r i a are used to th© b e st advantage in the opeirogenic region whore isos tat lc uplift has been the major deformations! factor*

older surfaces have suffered the greatest degree of dis- ssetSoa because of their g r e a te r a g e , slopet and elevation* Th© yomager terraces near the major drainage lines have suffered consid­ erable dissection; however, t h e i r d iv id e s are usually large, flat- tepped areas* The d a l tale plain of the Prairie Terrace and the fluviatile Dsweyville Terrace have suffered little or no dissection over large areas*

Drainage patterns are extremely useful* Major drainage lines are eeanon to a ll tezraees; sm a lle r and younger broach-work streaiaa are almost confined to individual terraces (Fisk, 1938a}* numerous small tributaries head near terrace boundaries* Relie depositions! features are the predominant topographic f 033ns cm the lower surfaces*

Zn come places, drainage lines have not yet developed and these features exert the controlling influence cm drainage*

Depositlonal forms, ©specially relic stream courses, are eessoon on the prairie and Deweyvill© terraces; they arc not very apparent on the isontgomery and Bentley terraces and have not been recognized on th© 4U liana Terrace* The abandoned me aider a of th©

A Deweyville Tarrac© contrast greatly with those o f th® present flo o d -

***** and the Prairie Terrace (Fig. ?). Although most of th® Dewey*

▼ill© Terras© is inaccessible, i t s very large and conspicuous meander sears, revealed on aerial photographs and accurate maps, were used in eetliaisg its geographic distribution*

■■i.' $& *!*** r e v e a le d m aerial photograph*, Is useful in te rra c e cwpgtpg* Para* « » absent a* the flood plains and are uncommon on the ,• - el-- ' Dow^^CPai The location of fa ms and homesites are controlled to a Ifpgs eggtant by drainage* distribution o f so ils and local water aipyfrti^ gwtadly obtained fisa jM Uc* wells* sandy so U s character* iso He» Qaatwraqpy d

^ ^^eetatiea in t « | helpful n mapping tbs lower surfaces* in

OONMiw th» Prairie Terrace vegetation consists of prairie grasses <. *-•■ - or piOft aoeilande} the Dewey Till© Terrace vegetation consists usually of piae jnft hardwoods; and the floodplain vegetation consists of a

▼wry & m m growth o f haz& woo da* Bifferm oas between th® veg etatio n of the floedplains and the Deweyv ill© Terrace are distinguishable on until) jfeetogvafiMu

Age* - The principal terrace sttrfaces and their associated depositsWBere believed to be ua ternary in age by most modern terrace students; however, the age of the deposits underlying the oldest t e r r a c e su r fa c e has not been definitely established by satisfactory Figure 7* Aerial view of Trinity hivsr Hood plain, the coastwise Prairie Terrace, and the fluviatile Deweyville Terrace in the vicinity of Dayton and liberty, Liberty County, hate the sise of the river scare on the Dewsyville Terrace and similarity of patterns of the modern Trinity Hivar and the fossil course on the Prairie Terrace in the east and north-central parts of the photograph. See Fig. 15. paleontelogle evidence (Fig* 8)* numerous a u th o r s, Influenced by

McGee (1890b) and Chamberlain and Sal isb u ry (1891), have classified

the older graveliferous sands, uaconformably overlying the p lio c e n e ,

Miocene, and eM er form t ions and underlying definite pleistocene deposits, as Pliocene. Many writers have mapped weathered red and

teem sends of elder fo u n t tions for these d ep o sits*

She m m f o r assigning a Pliocene age to tbs older sands

sad gravels do not seam logical. 33ie greater elevations, greater

die sectic s, greater degree of weathering, and larger percentage of

gravels are tec principal reasons for assigning the oldest terrace

and deposits to the pliocene. Matson (1916) placed his high level

C iiresells (W U liana, itentley, and Montgomery) sands and gravels in

tee Pliocene bee ease of the above reaso n s and because he found

Plieem e leaves, identified by Bariy (1916), in deposits at Lamberts

S ta tic s , a few miles sooth of the type locality of the Citronelle

texnatico* However, Flak (1988a) and Hoy (1939) called attention

to tte fact that tee lea fleering deposits at Lamberts station

are brought up to tee surface by a fa u lt and are overlain un conform­

ably by the so-called Gitrcnelle formation.

If the Goliad gravels and sends of south Texas are equivalent

to tee w illiaaa forum ti cm of southeast Texas, it becomes necessary

to consider the fragmentary vertebrate remains found in the Goliad

(Pluamer, 1988)* Bis consider at ions of the paleontology and correla­

tion of the Goliad formation follow: 4 5

n..*The vertebrate fossils include bird bones, horse teeth, a rhinooeraa, and a camel* Msfty of these remains axe water-worn end indicate that the fossil© say hare been redeposited from the Oakville or Lagsrte formation; so the presence of a Miocene or Pliocene tooth is not necessarily significant of th e age o f th e bad© in which i t i s found* Teeth that are associated with bones in place In the eaad are thought to be diagnostic* The jaw of a large rhinoceraa and teeth of a small horse hare been collected by Alexander Deussen and identified by Gilmore (Personal contain i eat ion from Alexander Dsusaen to L* H* Sellar&s, July 1938*) As Telooeras cf» T* foaatgeg (Cope) and Bipgarlon ingenum (Leidy) * All specimens hare come from the lower conglom erate member o f th e G oliad on Medio Creek about seven and one-half miles north ten degrees Mat of Baeville, Bee GPuaty* These forms are regarded as Pliocene In age**

It appears to the w riter that the fragmentary vertebrate remains found in the ecaglcraerates are not conclusive evidence for assigning a pliocene age to these deposits*

In considering the age of the sub surface equivalents of these fluviatile and coastwise deposits, Howe (1933) stated;

*#©at of the M ississippi, Howe and Moresi have shown that pliocene end younger gravels ifcich may be referred to the citioneLle (?) extend to a depth of 3,300 feet In wells drilled on the sides of Jefferson Island, in Iberia parish* t l m t p o rtio n of these gravel deposits in south Louisiana should be referred to the pliocene, and what to the pleistocene is s till very difficult to determine* The w riter, however, is under the impression that moot of the beds Matson referred to as the Citronelle in his well correlation should in reality be referred to the Pleis toeane*

"Like the previously discussed Miocene, the Citronelle (?) gravel horizon tends to become marine in the extreme southern part of Louisiana, end in the salt-dene section of 3outhv#est Louisiana, between th® lin e of th© southern p a c if ic R ailroad and the O o M O K 0 w p I I ^ Q * © © «3 * M • H* (?3 *5 & O 9 ? 3 i§ t M M M

Figure Q 4?

Gulf, it is not uncommon to encounter bods of Hang la cuneata within the horizon which carries the gravels# An many of the ovarlying pleistocene and Recent sediments of the lower Mississippi del to adjacent to the present shore line of th© Gulf of Mexico are likewise fossiliferous, some difficulty is encountered in drawing a sharp line between the pleistocene and th® Pliocene."

Se pointed cut that Miss Maury identified Pleistocene fossils obtained

fro® depths at sore than 3,000 f e e t in walls drilled in Terrebonne

Parish, Louis!am , and stated that this account would be found in

Harris (1910)*

The following is quoted from Howe (1936):

***** Whether the Louisiana gravel horlsons are wholly o r In part Pleistocene, or are really pliocene in age h a s n o t been determined by satisfactory paleontologic ev id en ce# I t is c e r ta in , however* that beneath the g r a v e ls and above the Rang la johnao n i are fully 2,000 feet of sediments in southwest era Lou is iana that esnncrt be elder them pliocene* These gravels were c a lle d th e "Lafayette" In older literature, but since 1917 have in most eases been colled by a rather in c lu s iv e name " C itronell© "* These gravel-bearing b ed s are reported commonly in wells of southwestern Louisiana to depths that rai&e from 800 feet to more than 1,400 feet below the surface, and are overlain by a veneer of clays that is seldom more than 200 feet thick*

the region of the lower Mississippi delta the situation is Bosasihat more complex* Gravels are re­ ported in we U s immediately south of Hew Orleans to depths around 4,000 feet, and Rangla Johnson! occurs at depths between 6,300 feet and 6,800 feet* •

The pleistocene age of those terraces and underlying deposits

meet reasonable, as t bo fluvi at lie equivalents of the coastwise

sed im en ts clearly reflect ecstatic raising and lowering of pleistocene

eea l e v e l s (Fisk, 1938a)* R u sse ll (1949) placed the Pleistocene- pliocene boundary at the base of the formation deposited vtien the first major ice advene© began. He stated that the oldest pleisto- c e im i nland is the alluvial deposit underlying th© first terrace forced during tbs first major ice retreat• line te rra c e m a te ria ls of the Gulf Coastal Plain rest un conformably on pliocene (?) to

Paleozoic fonsetions• Nowhere else in the Upper Cretaceous or tertiary are such complicated unco nf ormabl© r e la tio n s known* The

QaaterMry represents a distinct departure from the normal climatic, and, in part, deposi tional pattern o f th is area* This relationship

Strongly suggests that the gravel, send, s i l t , and clay deposits directly underlying the terraces are quaternary in age*

The age of the Deweyvllle is in doubt for the same reasons as its origin ; however, the author is Inclined to regard its age as early Recent* Barton (1930b) believed that the large meander scars

SB the Deweyville Terrace were developed in the late pleistocene or early Recant times, because he thought that they were indicative of p lu v ia l conditions which existed during the waxing of the latest

Pleistocene ice. However, he (1930a) classified the terraces i&tich lie about midway between the lowest bottom lards and the normal level of the Coastal Plains in the area of the Beaumont (prairie

(?)) formation as early Recant in age* Fisk (1948a) considered the age o f the large sears along the Sabine Hiver in Calcasieu parish m Recent* Russell (1940, 1948) regards the Recent as that part

geologic tins during which the last major rise in sea level

Occurred, but In 1940 he pointed out that nearly all geologists SYNONYMY OF FORMATIONS AND TERRACES APPERTAINING! TO THE QUATERNARY OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS

r o e m e r HILGARD DUMBLE PENROSE Me 6 EE DUMBLE HARRI5*VEATCH HILL*VAUGHN HAYES+KENNEDY DEU3 SEN MATSON DUMBLE BARTON PLUMMER PRICE DOERING H0WE*0THER5 SHULER BARTON FISK VERNON WELCH HOLLAND 1 8 4 6 1869, 1881 1890 J890 1891 1894 1899 1898. m i 1903 1914- 1916.1917 1918 19 3 0 * I9 3 £ 1933 a 1935 1935 1935 1936 li938o.l939a.04O, 1942 1942 1943 l944,l948o,fc

h LATE MOD E R N F L 0 0 D P L A V N, C 0 A S T L M A AND A L U V u M z: RECENT u

< I S C/> cl s" o s U Lii ? 3 ui r g £ in “ U! u/ J h 2 > < s S -i a G > ' a a; CL DEWEYVILLE 3-O ^i 3«- 5 § ift W J H «• c£ UJ 2 J £ ^ O e c < H r -r M O ^ I§ m ui u-a: U- s 1*7 tr s „ 3 £l b- to p T ■x:. 1 > *-«d 231 < < i % * S | » n —I oogcSp ; cF s Z 90 a i z z i- i. a’i O g o PRAIRIE o O LLl q i s * " £ in c“- o « S ^ til Q S z I t n a c £ 0 LU UJ H * £ < < * c | o —t— ST - CD i £ £ < O 4 Z i MONTGOMERY Z 1 — .9 IJ 3 ^ o -OiS2 3! u.^ >< Ui I a 2 u 3 s ° I- 5- ♦t'l JfLL !£2 ^ci 2 > ' p E a. cn o a § S ±g _l 13 cu u , | s i BENTLEY 3 a *2 S r » h 3| X Ui « . ^ H H O I is | ■2? a! 4> Wi Ld CC CD 1— 07 a 4_ l s ; l _ i si H / 'ITT'

' RECENT FLOOD PLAINS PRAIRIE

0 FT.- 0 FT.' 'I 1

ORANGE CO. NEWTON CO.

Prairie (Coastwise) DEWEYVILLE TERRACE Prairie (Fluviatlle) 100 WITH LARGE RIVER SCARS

PRAIRIE PRAIRIE IEPALRIE MONTGOMERY " BENTLEY o f t .- OMI. 20 25 30 35 45

50 0

4 0 0

30 0 - 1 NOTE : Bentley (Coastwise) LcJsi 4 0 m iles 200 not pamll=l to dip. Montgomery (Coastwise)

100 MONTGOMERY TERTIARY TERTIARY TERTIARY

OFT 50 60 70 76 80

300-1 &/ GEOLOGIC SECTIONS |j OF NEWT ON,ANP CHANGE COUNTIES, M ontgom ery TEXAS AND BEAMREGAHI) AND CALCASIEU 100 PAW S ME S|, LOU is j AW A TERTIARY

OFT: OFT. OMI. PLATE no . 5 49

recognise that pany minor oseillaticns occurred between glacial

maxima and minima* If the time during the last major rise of

sea level is Eecsnt, then the Deweyville Terrace and underlying

deposits should be of Hecent age, for it appears to be the result

of a minor oscilla.ti.cn of sea level since the last glacial maxima

(see p. 69, 131-134* PI* 6). In the vicinity of liberty, Texas,

the vertical interval between the Deweyville and the Prairie

terraces is 20 feet greater than the interval between the modem

floodplains and the Deweyville Terrace* Barton (1930a) found that

his early decent terrace is 2 0 feet nearer the modem floodplain of

the ban Jacinto Biver than the normal elevation of the Coastal

. Plains i n the v ic in ity o f Bumble, Harris County, Texas* The Dewey­

v ille surface has been relatively untouched by subsequent erosion,

even where it is adjacent to the larger through flowing streams*

Correlation and terminology* - A brief review of the

terminology and correlation of the terraces of this area seems im­

practical without considering strati graphic terminology; therefore,

the author has mentioned all names used in describing the terraces

and the alluvial sequences underlying the terraces* He has res­

tricted his discussion more or less to those terms already applied

to the Pleistocene terraces and deposits of this area and the

isnedLabe vicinity, for he realizes that a long-distance correlation

with those of other regions is very difficult without continuous

tracing of their outcrops* (PI. 4)* 5 0

Hilgsrd (1869a, 1869b) included these deposit® la the Orange sand asfl Port Hudson group* The southern lim its of tbs Orange send*

CDmiati&g of asMs end gravels, extended but little south of the

Grand Gulf group* where it is overlain by those beds of the Port

Hudson @srap* Be stated that the Orange Seed appears on all hill

tops and that he had traced Its charact© ilstie development across

the Sabine River as far south as the Colorado River* a map aecom~

p sy ii^ his 1081 xepcErt shows the outcrop area of the Port Hudson

including the coastwise equivalents of the Bentley* Montgomery* and

Prairie terraces, ®*e contact of the Port Hudson group with the

coastal marshes is but a few miles north of Sabine Labs*

Because of so much confusion concerning the different names

applied to the elder gravel If evens saz&s of the Atlantic and Gulf

coast el regions and because of the accepted rule of forming names from

type localities, Le Conte, Hilgerd* H ill, Lougividgs* McGee, and

Safford agreed to discard the noass not having priority* such as

Orange sand, Appose tox, and others* and adopt the nase ’♦Lafayette”

(Sil&aid, 1891). Lafayette wee selected because Hilgard had used

this tern in his field notes before he adopted the nans Grange sand*

first used by Swffbrd {1856), for older beds in west Tennessee that

bear a close resemblance and were presumed to be identical ih age.

McGee (1890b) mapped the williana and part of the Bentley as

tbs Lafayette and Included pert of the Bentley and younger terraces

in his Coluafcia. format ion* The Colunfcia formation, was firs t applied

by Townsend (1885) to loam, elsy* sand, and gravel deposits occurring

in and near Washington* D* C* 51

Basfcle <1890) used the s&ibs coast Clays for blue, yollow, red, aad mottled clays with calcareou a concretions izasBdiately bordering the Gnlf shore, and the Fayette for ell the strata below the coast

Qlays aad above the uppermost fosslliferous Tertiary* He mentioned also that large deposits of gravel drift overlie these beds* m

1903, he extended the Reynoea of Penrose (1890) into Texas to include a calcareous conglomerate, i&ich he believed to grade eastward into the Qrenge Send* He described the fquua beds, consisting of gravels, sands, and days forcing the second bottoms and occurring unco nform- ably shore the Heyaosa or Orange Sand and unconfonnably below the

Coast Clays* He mentioned that the Coast clays were the westward extension of the port Hudson of Hilgard, that they formed a wide belt between the Hsynosa and the saady coastal strip, and stretched inland for way mil as along the river channels .

Hayes and Kennedy (1903) mapped the inland part of the Mont* gosery, the Bentley, and the williana as the Lafayette; the seaward part c£ the isontgomery and the inland part of the prairie as the

ColuB&la Sands; the seaward part of the Prairie as the Beaumont; and the present river alluvium aid the coastal mtrsh deposits as the

Port Hudson* The series of browi, blue, and yellow'days, currying nodules of limestone in places and weathering to a black soil, and brown and blue sands with gre& quantities of wood and recant shells,

25-400 fast thick, were described as the Beaumont bods from its greatest development in the neighborhood of that city*

Deussen (1914) described th® Li sale gravel and sand from its 52 development at Liasie, whe&toa county, Texas. Th© I is sis, as mapped by Beusaen in Jasper, Newton, and Orange counties, includes th©

Williana, Bentley, Montgomery, and the inland part of the Prairie.

His map shoes the Beaumont days occupying th© same area mapped as

Beaumont by Hayes and Kennedy. He mentioned that th© Lissie and

the Beaumont are represented inland along the stream valleys by

th e lo w e s t and the middle of three pleistocene ter rases, th© lowest

terrace grading into the upper part of the Lissie gravel and into

the Beansont day, and th© middle terrace grading into the lower

Lissie gravel* Deassen correlated the lowest terrace with the

Depot Group of terraces and the middle terrace with the Capital

Terrace described along the Valley of the Colorado River by H ill

and Vaughn (1808, 1902}« The lowest terrace is probably equiva­

lent to the prairie and the Deweyville, and the middle terrace to

the Montgomery of Jasper and Newton counties. He did not mention

the occurrence of his highest pleistocene terrace in this area, but

stated that its position was about 200-225 feet above the level of

the adjacent streams west of the Yegua-Cook Mountain boundary,

Deusaan correlated the highest terrace with the Asylum Group of

tsrraces of H ill and Vaughn (1898, 1902).

Mat sen (1916) redeserlbed the high level gravels, sands,

and clays containing ilioeane leaf fossils as the Citronolle &rm&-

ticn for exposures near Citnonaile, Alabama. Berry (1911) discovered

that the type locality of the Lafayette, in Lafayette county,

M ississippi, consisted of oxidised beds bearing fossil leaves of 53

J&cestt age* Matson explained that Pliocene alluviation formed a broad p la in , which was p a r t i a l l y eroded l a t e r , w hile a t th® aairie tim e th© margin of the f oxmation was pushed seaward and three suc­

cessively lower plains were built, each successive addition being

represented in the stream valleys* Matson*® C itro n o lle was mapped

in Jasper m & Row ton counties where It included the Williana and a

l«t® » p a r t o f th e B e n tle y . Hedescribed his Pleistocene as a series

©f terraced deposits, th e St* slmo, Port Hickey, Hamsond, and

Pensacola, in descending carder of age, shieh include part of the

Bentley, Montgomery, and Prairie.

In 1 9 1 8 , Durable d e sc r ib e d the gravels and sands outcropping

between the Fleming and Coast Clays a s the Lafayette, but his map

s h o r n the Lafayette occupying the p o s itio n o f the Columbia fo Bastion

of tteSee* He stated that the Pleistocene o f east Texas included the

river deposits of the inland belt, belonging to th e Columbia, and

forming the second hot tarns, and their coastward continuation, the

Coast Clays or Port Hudson, which Kennedy called the Beaumont days*

He described also the first, second, and third bottom terraces, so

ce auoa to th e Trinity River from Houston County southward, as cut

terraces in the Port I&dacxu

Barton (1930a, 1930b) described the delta!e nature of the

low er coastwise surfaces and mapped these deposits as Llssie and

Beaumont* H ie L i sa le included the /Uliana. He realized that the

BeatffiKfflt extended inland, but he Included a ll of the Montgomery and

Bentley in addition to tbs inland p a rt o f th e Prairie in its outcrop

area* 54

Plummer (1932) e le v a te d th e name o f th e c itr o n e lle to th© rank

°f & group to include two divisions of beds, regarded as Pliocene in age, ho tween the Lagarto ©lay below and the Lise is sand above* The base of the group was considered to be marked by a bed of gravel or coarse sand and Its upper lim it by a discordance in dip and a slight change in texture to the erorlylag Liaaie. He placed the Goliad sands and gravels of south Texas in the lower division and the

"Unnamed Pliocene (V) sand" of east Texas, previously mapped and described as the citronelle formation by Matson, in the upper division#

He correlated his upper division of the eastern Gulf coast with the

Uvalde of Hill* Plussasr (1932) proposed the name Houston Group to include Pleistocene strata occurring above Jbia Citronelle Group and below tbs ascent deposits, and outcropping in the flat coastal plain of tbs Gulf between the Hockley escarpment or equivalent rolling ridge land on the north and the beach and wind-blown sands that occur along the present shore* Hie Houston Group included the Beaumont clay end the liasie sand format ions* The Lissie was restricted to include those deposits outcropping between the Hockley escarpment and the Seauaout plain* Si is area includes the Bentley, Montgomery, and a large part of the Prairie* The usage of the term Beaumont agrees with that of Hayes and Kennedy (1903)*

T h erefo re, D oering (1935) proposed the name v ill is for a depositions! plain and underlying formation of sand and gravelly scad, or the "Onaaaed plioeen©(?) sand” of Pluwsoer, occurring at, or near, the base of the post-Fleming formations (post-Lagarto (?)) in southeast Texas and south Louisiana* He selected the deposits

8Jp089fi In and near the town of Willis* In i&mtgpnary County, Texas, as the type locality* The scales of Doerin£*s sop and phya iographic diagram are tee smell to eesapare the areal distribution of the Willis with the Willisaa* The outcrop area of his villia is essentially that of the willfema; however* it appears that it includes part of the Bentley* Doering restricted th© Lissie to include a surface formation in a halt of fla t plains shout 25 miles wide extending along the coastal side of the Willis hilly belt, and smaller tongues extending into the interior along the river valleys* He stated that the Lissie stream terraces possibly merge with an old erosion surface marked by such deposits as the Uvalde gravels of south Texas* Th®

Beauamt of Bayes and Kennedy was extended to include the coastwise sendy phase In northern Orange and southern Jasper and Newton counties* its inland equivalent was mapped as the lowest stream terrace along the valleys* Dosring's Lissie includes most of the

Bentley end all of the Montgomery terrace. The Prairie terrace was rapped as the Beaumont plain*

Barton (1936) recognised four plains In southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana* They are: (1) younger deltaic Beaumont plain

(Prairie (?)), (2) the Oakdale plain, Louisiana, partly the oldest pre-BeaiHaontH.iasssippi valley terrace (&ont goner y), (3) the partly young, partly mature, probably nan-deltaic Lissie plain (Bentley

(?))» (4) the inner belt of laa ture plains, east to south, willle,

Goliad* Alice mad-crack, and Duval Caliche plains ( .11 liana (?)). Bo or lag (1955) recognized that the clay bed in which M&fceon feumd Piiocene fo ssils might be peart o f a n older fanaation, since the contact with the overlying gravels and sand called the citronelle is irregular* F ish (1938a) and Roy (1939) called attention to the fact that the beds containing the pliocene plant fossils were faulted and nsccufGrfiably overlain by the gravels and sands of th© citronelle fo r a a tio n *

The W U lia n a , Bentley, Montgomery, and Prairie terraces and their underlying sequences of alluvial deposits, called members, war© described by Fisk (1938a) in connection with his report on the

G eology of Grant aai LaSalle parishes, Louisiana* Fisk (1939a) pub­ lished maps showing the generalized areal extent and structure of these terraces* In 1940 he r a ise d the rank of these nembers to format ien s because they were sapped fo r cons id e ra b le d is ta n e e s.

3d eh (1942), Holland (1943) , and Fisk (1938a, 1938b , 1940, 1948a) continuously traeed these terraces and formations from their type localities to the Sabine River in Vernon, Beauregard, and Calcasieu parishes, Louisiana*

The asaes .illia n a , Bentley, lio&tgcmary, and Prairie are employed to refer to these terraces and underlying formations because most o f the other names have been either too inclusive, too restrictive, or misused so much that their original meaning has been lo st* 71th few except Ions, the names applied to the

Pleistocene deposits have to b© qualified by the name of the author employing the name and, in some cases, the date of th© author’s 5?

publication, suoh as Deussen^s Lis si©, Barton *3 Lissie (1930a),

Barton*a Lissie (1936), Doering*a lissie, ©to. it is not th® writes?*© intention to discard th© name L illis, but in order to avoid

farther cofusion, th© naa® willisna Is employed until continuous

detailed treeing of the outcrops between the type localities is

completed end demonstrates that the L illis and m iiann are equiva-

lent* Ifes original description of the Beaumont by Hayes and Kennedy

(1903) is too restrictive and It has been used, more or less, to

refer to the clay sections of that part of the Prairie flanking

th© Gulf; however, it lets bean used also for deposit© as old as th©

Bentley*

Barton (1930a) recognised a set of terraces (Deweyville (?))

along the San lactate and Brazos rivers about midway between the

general level of the lowest bottom lands and the level of the Coastal

Prairies in the area of the Beanmmt formation (Prairie (?}), but he

did net mention a correlation of the large meanders with the lowest

terrace (PI. 4)*

, Price (1933b) described two terraces along th© downstream

p a r t o f th e Buses© River* Use upper, corpus Christi Terrace occurs

at Corpus flhrlsti, Texas at an elevation of 20-25 feet and has a

slo p e Gt 2*16 feet pot mile, the lower, Angel it a Terrace (Deweyville

(?}} is present.at Ang©lita-3iding at an elevation of 15-25 feet,

and has a slope of 2*5 per mile. It seems improbable that the lower

+n& young*'* s u rfa c e should have the g re a te r slop© u n less i t was

caused by a local structure. He mentioned that the higher terrace 58 seems to have broader meanders than the present Kueoos River and

©greed with Bar ton* a thesis of heavier rainfall and greater run­ off is explaining their origin* However, his map of the type locality of the Angel its Terrace seems to reveal that the large soars occur os the Asgelita Terrace* Price (personal correspondence, dated sop tenter M 9 1949} informed the author that th© "big meanders* say have developed both is Montgomery and Prairie times, that they m m e probably forasd every time something gave the river double th© usual rua-off, asd that this should happen for each Pleistocene cyclic ©vest is which anomalous pluvial conditions existed. He believes that the Corpus Christi Terrace is a fluviatile equivalent of the Prairie Terrace.

Vcmon (1942) sacognised a 10-20-foot fluvial surface and a eonteaporaneous 3-30-foot coastwise surface in western Florida and correlated the 10-20-foot surface with the high-leval floodplain© of Leuisisa&* It seem that this surface, the lowest of five - sitional surfaces or terraces recognized by Vernon, Is equivalent to the Deweyville Terrace*

Welch (1942) noted that a recent war Department map of th©

Sabine River floodplain shows areas sli#itly highor than the flood- plain, bat lower than the Prairie Terrace* He did not attempt to explain the origin of these areas, but mentioned that some appeared to be low levees of the Sabine while others may ho remnants of the

P r a ir ie T errace* I t ap p ears th a t v.'olch mapped moat o f th© Deweyville

Terrace as prairie, for he mentioned that th© best preserved remnants 59 of the larger scars occur on the prairie surface near the confluence o f the Sabine Kiver and Anacoeo Creek in southwest Ye man Parish,

H olland (1943) recognized a surface (Do^ey villa) appioxima tely

10 feet above the Sabine Biver floodplain and 10 feet lower than the

P r a ir ie far race, bat stated that i t was only local and was a remnant of a recent fa n of Anaeoco Creak. He sapped a large part of the

BeweyviHe as Prairie* l a s o u th e a s t Allen parish* he recognized a anb-prahrie level approximately 30 feet below the level of the

P rairS* m m tm m end 1© feet a tore the fioodplain of Bayou Nezpique,

a tributary of the Slenasntau aivear; however , he explained its origin

as a result of secant regional uplift*

atoBgville Tsrraea* «* The m m Deweyv i l l e is proposed for a

terraced depositions! (7) sis* face typically dev sloped in and around

the to o n of Deweyville m m l e t * 30 degrees and 18 minutes north,

Long* 03 degrees and 45 minutes west, on the west bank of the Sabine

Hiver in southeast Bewton Coxaty, Texas (pigs. 9 and 11). This t e r ­

race is well developed on the Louisiana side of thetvalley east of

DewayvtHe, where it is crossed by Louisiana Highway Bo, 7 between

the esearpsent of the Prairie Terrace immediately west of stasks,

Calcasieu parish and the present floodplaln of the 3abin© Biver (Fig.IB).

The general level of the Deweyville Terrace is approxim ately midway

between the level of the present floodplaln and the next higher

Prairie Terrace in Jasper, How ton, and Orange counties* In th®

vicinity of staves it is approxi ately 10 feet above the sabine liiver bottoms and 10 feet below the prairie Terrace. The elevations of the

Ocweyvlll© Terrace are shown on P la te 2 , Figure 9* serial vievf of Prairie and Deweyville terraces and S a b in a H iver flo o d p la in in th e v ic in ity o f D ew eyville, Newton County. Mote th e d iffe re n c e in size of the meander belts of the fossil channels on the Deweyville Terrace and the modern floodplain.

a o 61

!S*e original relief of the surface is almost equal to its height above the present f loodplains of the Neches and Sabine rivers

is Jasper* Hew ton, and Orange counties, as flood water backs up into

the incompletely filled channel scars which are coinaan to the terrace-

Maps, issued by the Goxpa of j&iginears, Galveston, Texast of the area

subject to msxixattm flood water of the Sabine and Kechea rivers, show

that this surface stands well above the highest high-water level and only the well-defined ehennel sears are flooded*

This terrace is weU developed and is separated usually from

the surfaces above and below by well-defined scarps* However, in

aoffie p laces, i t is very difficult to distinguish between the Dewey­

ville Terrace and the floodplain and between the Deweyville and the

Protirie terraces* it is usually covered with a dense growth of

hardwoods and pines* Only a very small part of this sparsely popu­

lated surface is devoted to agriculture*

The Deweyville Terrace has the greatest distribution of all

the fluvlat He terraces along the valley walls of the Sabine and

Bc^feas r i v e r 3 in southeast Texas, and it is present usually on

either side o f the river floodplains, and in places is well develped

on both sides (Pi* 1)« widths of over 4 mil os are comaion along one

sid e of a major stream* This terrace is present along the major

tributaries of tto Sabine and Heches rivers, but it is very difficult

t© distlB@iiah. A coastwise equivalent of the Dovioyvllle Terraco has

not been recognized in the area south of the coastwise Prairie in

Orange County, th e noIghboring part of Jefferson County, and Calcasieu p a r is h , Louisiana. 62

Tb© Deweyville Terrace is characterized by v© ry large a ad con­ spicuous meander scars on the surface (Figs* 7, 9, and 16)* These large scars were first Mentioned by Barton (1930b), who stated the photographs reveal:

*«**aa ancient Neck os River and 3abine River ^hich, like the former Brasses and Trinity rivers, were v a ry saaeh larger than their present'-day successors, the vide sweeping ms and era and broad * aband oned channels of the former Sleehes and Sabine rivers are revealed most beautifully in an extensive unpublished aerial photographic map made by Tobin in connection with oil company work and contrast strongly with the narrow wriggling course of the present Keches and Trinity riveie**—The ancient Neches and Sabine rivers therefore must hare been very large rivers* The rainfall in the Gulf Coast must have been very much heavier in late Pleistocene and early Recent times then it is at p re s e n t."

The ssssnder belts of these ancient rivers are approx irately 4.5 miles vide, while the meander belts of the present streams in the swamp section of the floodplain sad the abandoned courses of the Sabine and Neches rivers cm the prairie end Montgomery terraces average only m l of a mile. Welch (1942) noted these large scars, but believed that they were on the Prairie Terrace. The author believes that this relationship exists between corresponding meander belts along

of the streams of the Gulf Coast, which are associated with these soars* The average width of the me and ©r bait of the

M ississippi Elver in Louisiana and Mississippi is approximately

• oU S s* This surface with the large meander scars is common not only to the Sabine and Hecfaes rivers but is most conspicuous along the 6 3

Trinity Hiver, especially in it a lower reaches at and near Liberty, in Liberty couaty* Sraall-ac&lo aerial photographic maps, observed in the office of the Suable O H company, show well-preserved» large aaender roars along the downstream pert lone of the 3m Jacinto and

S » «8 rivara of Texas and the Pearl Biver of Mississippi and Louis­

iana* Ifttii aapi did net repeal large conspicuous mean tiers on the

Braasa* goXmfto, Calcasieu, and Mermentau rivers; however large*

seals photographs aay reveal large soars in small suspicious areas along the Calcasieu Hirer* Photographic indexes, issued by the U*3.

Department of Agriculture, scale 2 inches equals 1 mile, show a few large sears and numerous large arcuate scarps cut in older materials

along the Brasses and Colorado rivers* I&tthea (1941) wrote:

"Some instances have come to the w riter's attention, notably the Brazos Hiver above Mineral wells, Texas, where the evidences are obvious that the meanders were created by as earlier stream differing appreciably in size and general characteristics from the present one* Different climatic conditions affecting rainfall, differences is sediment-load, and even a difference in size of drainage area may readily account for this*** .

The small number of these large meander scars and the presence of num­

erous arcuate scarps with large radii of curvature along the Brazos

s^aA Colorado rivers suggest that the larger scars so common to the

lowest f luvl&tila terrace of Texas rivers may have been buried partly

by alluvial eons material of the streams which had readjusted its meanders to a smaller radius of curvature* 64

itj InrlHLM ^

Figure 10. Aerial view of Sab ice River floodplain and tbs Deweyville and* p r a ir ie te rra c e s between Orange, Texas and Tooiney, 3La*

fUAiKit teahace

£ AO l A/e (\/veH Ft-ooo Pl/HH

Figure 11. Aerial yiew of sabine River floodplain and tho Deweyville end Prairie terraces south of Deweyville, Newton comity* 65

Cba®ges ia meander bait widths are caramon to the smaller, modern streams like tbs Sab ins, Keches, Calcasieu, and Meiraentau, but not tbs larger, modern streams like the Brazos and Colorado, whose alluvial ccaaes bare reached the Gulf {pig. 4) . to change in ncander bolt widths of these streams seems to oc cur near the most downstream part of the alluvial cones, or the most upstream points of the streams which are affected someshat by tides* The meanders with the

M ailer radii of curvature always occur in the sw&rrip seetioEB up-

-««r\ strain# The ratio of tbs widths of the meander belt of the upstream swesp section o f th e 3 abine River to its downstream marsh section is approximately 1 j s* The r a t io -of the m ender b e lt w idths of th e corresponding s e c tio n s of the Calcasieu is approximately 1 ; 6 *

The ratio of the present meanders of the Hedies, Sabine and Trinity rifgfti and their relie courses on the Prairie and 1,'ontgcenery terraces to their abandoned courses cm the Deweyville Terrace is approximately

1 « *»

It seems reasonable that the early waning of the Wisconsin Ice progressed at such a rapid rate that the normal alleviation of the valleys of Texas rivers, entrenched during the preceding glacial mttiw, co u ld act keep pace with a rapidly rising sea; therefore, the allaviad cones retreated far Inland, leaving the downstream sections of the rivers to be filled only with locally derived sediments and materials flashed downstream during maximum floods* Thus, conditions somewhat like those of the present downstream section of tho Cslcssiflu

Biver ware repno&ueed, and large meanders developed, larger rivers 66 li& e the Br&stos and Colorado* draining larger areas and carrying larger loads, were capable of extending their alluvial cones seaward more rapidly than the sisal lor rivers; therefore, most of the larger meanders ware covered before this alluvial cycle was interrupted by rejuvenation*

Beesase of th e large scare mentioned by Fatthe 3 along th©

Braaos River* as far upstream as Mineral Wells, Texas® and because large sears along the Sabin s River revealed on available photographs, occur as far upstream as Sabine Parish® Louisiana, It la possible t h a t their origin may b© attributed to a much g r e a te r p re c ip ita tio n erasing anomalous pluvial conditions during late pleistocene or early Recent, as suggested by Barton and Pat the s. An increased drainage area® suggested by Matthes® does not seem logical, as these sears are coaraoa to many widely separated rivers along the coast and as th e meanders foiroed by the heches, Sabine B and Trinity rivers during the Montgomery* Prairie* and present times are identical*

The Deweyville Terrace is more pronounced west of the Baches

River; i t apparently disappears in south-central Louisiana and reappears east ct the Mississippi along the Pearl River* This terrace is very prominent at Liberty* where it lies approximately

16 f e e t above the floodplain of th e T rin ity River and 40 fe e t b e l o w the prairie Terrace, and is separated from these two surfaces by well-defined scarps• It i s possible t h a t some of th© ’’high-level'* floodp la ins in centred and north Louisiana, mentioned by Fisk (1938a,

1940,1944) and Murrey (1948), are equivalent to tho Deweyville Terrace* 6 ?

Figure IS* Aerial view or the sabine Piiver floodplain and the Dessyville and prairie terraeea Ixl the vicinity o f Starks, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana

F igure 13# A e rial view of the Angelina Biver floodplaln and the p r a i r i e and lent gome ry terraces east of Bevel p o rt, Jasper County# i£r. X* X* Wang, Louisiana State University, (personal comnunication)

informed the writer that the Flatwoods Terrace (Fergus, 1935) lies

approx in»t el y 10-15 feet above the Ouaehita River floodplain and

5*15 feet helm the Prairie Terrace in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana*

Fish (1944) referred to this surface as & dissected alluvial fan

("high-levalw floodplain) of the Ouachita River* He at a teas

"The Ouachita River developed an extensive alluvial fan north of Monroe, . La* Scars on its surface indicate its meandering character during the A stages (Recent). Since Aj_ stage, vh© *, - Ouachita has deeply entrenched • its old floodplain as the result of fat It tag along the active Catahoula Lake fault system**..**

Its absence in south-central Louisiana may be explained by more active

downwarping along the Louisiana coast and the M ississippi jffiabcymnt

and burial by recent alluvium* Leverett (1951) attributed the decline

is attitude of the Pensacola shore line when traced westward from

ilorida toward the Mississippi River to subsidence caused by the sir weight of recent deltaic sediments* He was uncertain whether the

Pensacola sea stood above the level of that part of the Gulf coast,

tentatively correlated it with a SO fbot shore line and attendant

off- shore bar in the vicinity of corpus Christ!, Texas* This surface

is not recognized in south Louisiana adjacent to the area where the

coastal marsh maintains ita greatest width* The Calcasieu and

i&an&ntan rivers in this region are affected by tides much further

‘tniqnrt than most of the other smaller streams along the Gulf Coast* A satisfactory ©apian at ion of the origin of the Dewey villa

including the large meanders, is not possible at this tin®, boes&se sufficient information on the deposits underlying this surface is s o t svsilablB and the relationships of these deposits with those tad or the Prairie terrace and modem floodplain are not fully recog-

Sisat* Betailed inf 033 a ation on this lowest terrace along all the etosr rivers where i t occurs should, be helpful in interpreting its history and explaining th e la r g e meanders*

A mincer fluctuation of sea level during early Recent, accost paaied by landward u p l i f t and seawaid athsidenee; a recent landward uplift and seaward tilt; & change of runoff; a change in sediment** load; a rise of sea level (suggested by Fisk, personal communication); or a lowering ©f sea level &c compelled by marginal sub aid sit ce are air possible hypotheses ifcieh may explain the origin of the Deweyville

Terrace*

The writer is inclined to favor the first explanation, a minor fluctuation of sea level during late pleistocene or early Recent, for available subsurface information on the m aterials occupying the post*

Prairie Sabine trench suggests that there are two alluvial sequences

Of eoarae to fine elastics above the oxidised Prairie formation (recog­ nized by Mr# Rufus J* LeBlanc, perscnal communication}* Also, the

grarellfcrous of the latest sequence of alluvial deposits, which occur issued! a taLy below the floodplain of the sabine River near

Orange, lie a t a minimum depth of 60 feet below sea level, ■while the affr^wmn d epth o f the Sab in© River is only 18 f e e t below se a le v e l ( p i , 6)« This latest sequence appears to occupy a fla t-bottomed valley cut by a meandering stream during a minor lowering of sea level following

Be«*yville alleviation* The abaence of a coastwise equivalent of the HeweyvHle Terrace and a geo synclinal margin of the Prairie

Terrace seems logical* The duration of the Deweyville ^rcle of allnviatlon appears 1© have been very short* waning of late Wiscon­ sin glaciers progreased at such a rats that normal alluviation of the smeller streams, like the Nechea, Sabina, and Trinity, could not keep pees with a relatively rapid rising sea* Therefore, the stresses allu v ia cones retreated far inland and conditions somev&at sim ilar to the present downstream, marsh sections of the Cal casiea

Hirer, in Louis lea a and the Neehea and Sabine rivers, in 'Texas were reproduced and large meanders formed* a minor lowering of sea 1 evel daring the Mankato (?) glacial, substage rejuvenated the Neelies, sabine,

Trinity, and other rivers before they could readjust their gradients to the Deweyville (Two creeks Interval (?)) sea level, extend their alluvial cones downstream, bury the marsh sections characterised by the large meanders, and build a seaward-facing deltaic plain*

A coastwise deltaic plain of Deweyville age may be present near the Brazos and Colorado rivers as a study of aerial photographs isdieatea that the alluvial cones of these rivers buried most of the

Deweyville Terrace characterized by the large meanders*

Probable landward, uplift during entrenchment of the Deweyville

Terrace prevented the surface of the modern alluvial sequence frcm reaching the level of its predeeessor» The Deweyville sea level may h®*© stood approximately 10 feet higher than modern sea level (R« 1.

Ruasall, personal commssaieation). if this is the ease, then promi­ nent shore line features should be present along the 10 Ibot contour , o r th ey have been downwayped and covered by marsh d ep o sits*

Prairie Terrace* - The name prairie Terrace was proposed by

Flak (1930a) for a terraced depositions! surface typically developed near He&*, 0reat PariA , and Bebo school, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana.

The aaiae Prairie woe aeleoted by Fisk because of its geographical significance to local residents who refer red to this surface as the

"Prairies*, aieh as the Catahoula Prairie, Bolloway Prairie, and

JpjraUes Prairie* This terrace was conti isiously traced from its type localities to the Sabine Riv^ in Vernon, Beauregard, and Calca­ sieu perigee, Louisiam by Fisk (1938a, 1939a, 1940, 1948a), Holland

(1943), and Welch (1942)*

The Prairie Terrace is approximately 10 feet higher than the

DewBytll le Terrace in southern Orange County and from 10 to 20 feet above the Deweyville alcaag the Neches and Sabine rivers in northern

and Hewton eouaties* I t is se p arated from th e D eweyville and

Ssatgpmary surfaces by usually well-defined escarpments (Figs. 18, 19) *

The elevatic? of the Prairie Terrace is given on the structural map

(PI* 2) based on contours drawn through points of equal elevation of the Mg hast p a r ts o f the comparatively uneroded terrace remnants.

35» rate of downstreaa convergence of these two terraces in southeast

Tessas is approximately 0*2 of a foot per airltne-iaile, while the 753 r a t e of convergence of the Dewey vi 11© and modern flood plains is approximately 0*12 of a foot per airline-mile* The strike of the

terrace is approximately parallel with the present shore line and ita average slope is approximately 1*3 feet per mile*

M ia aorface with a maximum original relief of approximately 10 feet has been relatively untouched by subsequent erosion* except for tie narrow marginal area near its escarpment*

The major drainage pattern is dendritic and consequent to the regional slope of the terrace, but the minor drainage directions are controlled by the original depositions! forms such as relic channels, related natural levees, back-ewsaps or interlevee areas, and relic beach ridges* Anderson Gully, a former channel of the Ke«hes River, rejuvenated in its downstreeci section near the seaward scarp of the

Prairie Terrace, controls part of the local drainage In southwest

Orange Oounty (Pi* 1)* A gully is working headward along this incom­ pletely filled channel; however upstream from the gully head and between tbs Kansas City southern and southern Pacific Bailway tracks

the local drainage Is directed away from Anderson Gully by its low natural levees* live Oak Ridge (?) (Pig. 14) (Price, personal corres­ pondence, dated September 24, 1949), a relic beach ridge, located north of the Kansas City Southern Railway tracks in northern Orange

Comty, pond a the local drainage which is diverted laterally along the strike of the ridge and toward the Neohes River* The depositions! forms control the direction of many streams and aid considerably in 73 differentiatlag the Prsirie from the Montgomery and Deweyville terraces.

The surface underlies grass-covered prairies where typical backswamp inter levee c la y s occur, such as the area southwest of

Beaumont in Jefferson County; it I s covered with pines and hardwoods

•here fine beach or fluviatiie sands occur* Lawhorn ,/oods, located west of Fsnnett, Jefferson County, occupies an area of arcuate beach ridges of very fin e sand, which is isolated by the surrounding prairies underlain by calcareous interlevee backswanp clays of the Trinity

R iver d e lt a (B arton 1930a, 1930b) of Prairie age (Fig* 1 5 ) , woodlands are s o re cobekhi i s northern Orange and southern Newton and Jasper

M is t i e s where the clay facies are replaced by a sandy facies.

The terrace surface is characterized by depositions! features such as relic channels; associated, low, natural levees; interlevee backsw«aps; and a prominent beach ridge, Live Oak Ridge {?).

The meander belts of the channel rannants on the Prairie

Terrace duplicate those of the modern Neehea and Sabine rivers in their upstream swamp sections (Figs* 7, 15, 16). it is obvious that the

Bechea, Sabine, and Trinity rivers of Prairie tines were very similar to the modern streams in the upstream sweep sections of their vaLleys*

The fossil distributaries, reconstructed from abandoned channel segments and isolated meander scars, may be traced from the southern- nost extension of the terrace inland, where the coastwise and fluviatiie sections of the prairie Terrace merge. These courses pass through gaps across the Live Oak Ridge (?) which lies near the medial strike line of the coastwise section of the Prairie Terrace. 74

Live Oak Rldg© {?), sandy beach ridges with a northeasterly alignment across iK>rth©rn Orange and so; the as tern Hewton count lea* la approximately 10 feet higher than the surrounding leysl of the prairi©

Terr*©©* Price (personal correspondence* dated September &4, 1949) informed the w riter teat he sapped Live Oak Ridge from its type locality te Ifiatagorda County* Be pointed out that smith point on

Galveston Bay, & lev ridg© from this point to the northeast corner of CteaateBra tee sandy feature sear Fannett, a sandy ridge in north BeaSBont, and a tew sandy ridge am th of Houston River, Calca­ sieu pariah* Louisiana, era alidad in a northeasterly direction*

Thes© features teas the continuation o f Live Oak Sldg© in southeast

Texas sad southeast Louisiana. Mr. Rufus J.LeHeno (personal comm- ication) informed tea writer teat Pleistocene beach accretions occur on the aaigi«»na ianedlately northo f c-dveaton island* The beach ridge of anfteara Groig© Couaty falls iathe aligaiaent of the Live Gak Ridges v>f pries.

This alignment of beach ridges, crossed by fossil distribu­ taries of tee Trinity, Keehes, and Sabine rivers is duplicated along tee modem coast; however It presents an early stage of development.

The relationships of the Calcasieu, Sabine, Trinity, and Colorado rivers with the modem coastal marshes, estuaries, and beaches represent the early evolutionary stages of advancing alluvial cones which buried the coastal marries, bays, and lagoons, broke through the Live Oak Ridge, and formed a seaward, deltaic plain during lat©

Prairie times. Figure 14. Aerial view of the Hire Oak Ridge (?) beach accretions m Prairie Terrace in north Orange County. Mote fossil channel sears of Sabine or Meches river on the Prairie Terrace in the southeast and north-central parts of the photo* graph. Mote the Deweyville Terrace which parallels the Meehes River in the southwest com er. Calcasieu River represents the initial stags. Its alluvial cob © baa to be extended downstream to bury a large section of its valley, characterized by laige meanders, and the coastal marsh be­ fogs building a del tale plain beyond the modern beach. Tbs Sabine and Ne&es rivers represent the next stage of developneat. Their alluvial cones have yet to cover small downstream sections of the rivers, character 1 zed by tbs large meanders, and th e coastal marsh b e fo r e building a del talc plain beyond the modem beach * The

Trinity River, representing the next s ta g e , has extended its a llu v ia l ecu© a c r o s s the section of the river characterised by the large meanders and has built a small delta in Galveston Bay (F ig. 5}♦

The alluvial cone of the Color ado River has covered the downstream

seetio* characterized by tbs large meanders, and a subdelta of it s presently active, principal distributary has bean extended recently across Matagorda Bey to Matagorda Peninsula; how ever, a large section

of the Wy remains to be filled w ith a llu v iu m . The alluvium o f Cany

Creek, an abandoned, principal distributary o f the Colorado River, has filled the eastern end of Matagorda Bay.

The. coastwise Prairie Terrace extends 9 miles north and 15 miles south of the Live Oak Ridge (?) in Jasper, Newton and 0 rang a

counties. In Liberty Comity it extends approximately 25 miles north of the ridge alignment, where theap ex of the Trinity delta (Barton,

1930b) of prairie times is near the city of Liberty. In Jefferson

County the abandoned courses of the Trinity River are traced for a dlatemce of approximately 14 miles south of the Lawhorn /oods sandy Figure 15* Aerial view of Lawhom woods (live Oak iiidge (?)) beach accretions on the Prairie Terrace near Fannett, Jefferson County. Note the channel scars of the Trinity Kiver encompassing the beach accretions• The ciaamel scars in the western part of the photograph are continuous with those in Figure 7* Cee Figure 1«

-a <3 area to the seaward margin of the Lrai rie, where it dips under th© coastal marshes.

It saecs likely that deltaic alleviation could not keep pace with & relatively rapid pis© of sea level during the late prairie times therefore, the shove line advanced inland to the alignment of the Live

Oak Ridge features before the alluvial cones of the Leches, sabine, and Trinity rivers were extended beyond this northeast-southwest line to the qppvoximte position of the present coast,

Fisk (1948b) showed that the upper part of the Prairie forma­ tio n a t th e proposed Calcasieu Lock site, in southwest Louisiana e o n a ia ts o f an upper sequence of Red River fluviatiie sediments,

2G-35 feat thick, overlying a 20-35 foot section of Red River sedi­ ments interstratified with slightly brackish to brackish-marine sedi­ ments i&ieh over lie older deltaic plain ^deposits of fresh water origin* Fisk (1948a) stated;

"Hear the end of the Peorian (Prairie) in ter glacial stage sea level had risen to its present standing position* The shoreline of Louisiana was far inland of its present posi­ tion, being In general north of a line between Lake Pone ha train on the east and Lake Charles on the west* By this time the Mississippi and Red rivere were already beginning to build their deltaic plains beyond the margins of this east-west line*

"7;ith sea level no longer rising, the iced River and the Mississippi River rapidly built their alluvial deposits into the Gulf as a part of this deltaic plain."

Be traced the abandoned Red River courses on the prairie terrace from southern Lvaagellne parish southwest to Kackberry Island, west 79 -

ef Calcasieu Lake is northern Cameron Pariah, wki« th© Prairie dips under the coastal marshes of Louisiana*

the Prairie Terrace is conveniently subdivided into several

sections* the coastwise or deltaic plain section and the fluviatiie

sections of the Neches and sab in© rivers*

The coastwise section extends from the southern part o f Orange

County, Acre it is separated fxem the co a sta l marsh fey a w ell defined

escarpment (Fig* 2), to the seaward facing escarpment o f th e Montgomery

Terreee 16* 19) located approximately 6 m iles south o f Buna*

Jasp er eomaty- it is usually bounded on the east and west by the

Deweyville Terrace; however, in sobs places, it is bounded by th©

leches e? Sabine rivers or their flood plains* The Sabine River im­

pinges a g a in st the Prairie Terrace near Orange and the Neches River

fringes against i t at Bvadale, where it is crossed by the ailshe©-*

Bona hi^way*

The fluviatiie equivalent along the Sabine Hiver upstream

from the point where it marges with the coastwise equivalent to Bon

weir averages between 3 and 4 miles wide (Fig* 16). it is bounded

by the Deweyville Terrace os the river side and th© escarpment of

the Montgomery Terrace on th© west (Fig* 18). Only small remnants

of this terrace oeeur rarth of Bon ?/eir, the best preserved remnant

being south of

Remnants oc cur as upstream continuations of the Sab in© River

terrace along the larger tributaries of the Sabine. They occur

upstream along Trout Creek near Kirbyville, along Big Cow Creek as Figure 16. Aerial photographs showing seaward margin o f th e coastwise Montgomery Terrace, the point of contact of the coastwise and fluviatiie equivalent s of the Prairie Terrace, the fluviatiie Deweyville Terrace characterised fcy the large meander scars, and the Safaine River floodplain. Note that the meander scars cm the Prairie Terrace are similar to those of the wod&rn floodplain. 82 f«r upstream eg Jamestown, along Caney Greek in the v ic in ity of wewton,

8Ja^ a&®»S L ittle Oow Greek, Deer Greek, and McGrawa Greek near

W iergate and Burkevill©♦ Th© slope of these terrace remnants is a&sh greater than the slope of the Sabine R i v e r terrace*

The Meches River terrace is very veil developed between Bona and Svadsle, but only small remnants occur in th® northern part of

Jasper County. Small remnants rare traced upstream along th® major tributaries of the Hechss River* The terrace is well developed along the Angelina River near Bevelport and east of Bean’s place on

Taras Highly Me* 63. Small reignants occur along Big Greek and sandy

Greek southwest of Jasper*

HcntgBfflgry T e rrace* - The name Liontgoiaery whs proposed by

Fisk (1938®} for a terraced depositions! surface typically developed along th e Red n iv a r in th e so u th e rn o u ts k ir ts of the town o f Mont* gesosry, Grant Pariah, Louisiana* Fisk (1938a, 1939a, 1940, 1948a),

Holland (1943), and velch (1942) continuously mapped this terrace from its type locality westward to the Sabine River In Beauregard and

Yea®on p a rish e s*

The Montgomery Terrace (Fig. 17) is well developed In Jasper and How ton counties, where it occupies an area of about 300 square miles. It is approximately 40 fset higher than the prairie Terrace sear Buns, Jasper County, south of Buna, and in the area of th© geo synclinal marc in °f the Montgomery Terrace, the vertical interval between these terraces rep idly diminishes to approximately 10 feet in a distance of six miles {PI* £}. Hear the function of the Neelies

Kid Angelina rivers in Jasper County, where the Montgomery and Prairie terraces are well preserved, and especially near Bevdport, the vertical interval between them is $>pr©ximately 85 feet* The rate of downstream convergence of these two terrace® in the epeirogenie margin of the Montgomery Terrace is approximately 1*3 feet per mil©» The elevations af the Montgomery Terrace are given on the structural map l?1.2) using contours drawn tbxw & i points of eciual elevation of the highest parts of comparatively uneroded terrace reman ta# The regional strike is approximately parallel with that of the prairie and it® average slope, not Including the geo synclinal margin, is about 3*4

feet per mile*

The Montgomery end Prairie terraces in juxtaposition are

separated by well-defined escarpments (pi* 5}* The seawaid facing margin of the Montgomery Terrace, approximately six mile® southeast of Buna, is dissected end consists of a line of low hills which lie about 10 feet above the Prairie (Fig* 19)* Inland, where the prairie

grades into its fluviatiie equivalent, these surfaces are separated by a prominent eseaipmsnt (pig* 18)* Th® scarp separating the

Prairie Terrace of the Sabine River and th® coastwise equivalent of

the Montgomery Terrace is very prominent along a north-south line

from 6 mile® east of Buna to the vicinity of Bon v/oir, Newton Oomty*

It is easily distinguished on aerial photographs and on maps, as the drainage patterns developed on the i/ontgomery and Fra it* 1© surface® are very different (pi* 1). Nany minor stream® head near this margin. S3

Figure 17, l^tgcsaery Terrace 3 miles northwest of Bon W©irt Sewten Gooaty*

Figure 18# McotgoirBry escarpment viewed fr o m Prairie Terrace 1 mile northwest of Bon 7 / e i r , Newton County, Berth of Buna the scarp aQ>arafcing tbs coastwise Monfcaomery from the

H uviatile equivalent of the Pr&irie along the Neches Riv® is dis­ sected considerably« Mev ar thele ss, it is very prominent in so in© places, especially 6,5 miles west of Call Junction, Jasper County, . where it is approximately 55 feet hig&, This margin of the Mont-

gpmery a& iblts a branch-work drainage pattern where many small streams head, The drainage on the lower Prairie Terrace is con-

trolled to a large extent by abandoned meandering courses of the

Seehea River (PI, 1),

The coastwise Montgomery is distinguished from the coastwise

Bentley by a change in elope. Their fluviatile equivalents diverge

inland along the Hedies and sahine river valleys, and are separated

by prominent escarpment a (Fig, 23) • The elope of the Bentley is about

5,0 feet per mile, while that of tbs Montgomery is 3*4 feet per mile,

titere the terraces are well developed in west Jasper and southeast

Tyler counties* The rate of downslope convergence of these surfaces

la approximately Z*Z feet per mile In the epeirogenic region of the

Bentley Terrace, The slope of the Bentley increases In its goo syn­

clinal sargin near Fletcher, Tyler County, and west of Kirhyville,

Jasper County, before the terrace plunges under the r.ontgomery

Terrace materials near the 135 foot con -our (PI* 2}. North and east of Eirbyvi 11© the contact is obscured by die nation, but the change

in slope and elevations of tbs terraces are apparent*

The in* joy drain a gs pattern of tbs Hontgpmery Terrace is

coat ro lle d by the regional slope of tbs surface, but many large tributaries are costrolled by a sat of strike faults which average

H 80 &eg. s (Figs* 82, 44}* “She down thrown blocks, which arc to the scfetgt and are rotated or tilted toward the north, control the northerly drainage of some minor tributaries such as the headwaters o f a western branch o f Big Cypress Creek 6*5 m iles n o rth of Buna*

She drainer approaches a rectangular pattern between call junction and Buna, where it is influenced by the regional slop® of the terrace, d ip fr a c tu r e s (?}, the strifes f a ilt a , and the northward tilt of the downthrows UodW* in some places smaller streams are arcuate and

■com to he controlled by relie asander scars of the Meshes and sab in© r iv e r s (F ig - SQL)* 'Si© terrace Is untouched relatively by erosion

except along its marginal escarpment, on small isolated fluviatile

remnants, sad along major tributaries which have out deep valleys

in the esrtasfre coastwise equivalent between Buna and Kirbvvllle*

Tfee su r fa c e retains mich of i t s original flatness south and east of

K irbyvilla, and it® monotaay is interrupted only by pimple mounds, occasional poek marks, failt scarps, and the valleys of tbs larger

creeks (Fig. 22).

fh® s u r fa c e is characterized usually by isolated grass-

covered prairies sad cutover pine woodlands; however, in some poorly

accessible areas, it is covered with a dense gray th of pine and under­

brush. Occasional pock-marks, covered with thick growths of hard­ woods and/or swamp grasses and surrounded by prairies or cut-over pine lands, are u s e fu l landmarks or check points in determining th® exact geographic position of oblique aerial photographs south of 86

k §all Junction, Jasper County (Jig. ss). Pimple mounds are saare ^ m neon ©a the Montgomery terrace than say other terrace aM are an ally aligned la rows fallowing the divides of concentrated afceetwaafc «S& w y m all streams rfiicfc have t reached the surface

(Figs. ai and 31)* Fisple aouad alignments always follow the direction of greatest elope end ooBooaly display a dendritic pattern

(Fig. 3§J^ m at of the original constructional tea®, such as *. * • a- ■ ^ seanl earing dtiasaelS and austral levees, have bees obliterated. m swt are radially symmetrical with re je c t to a point (with the innermost pimples having the same radius of curvature as the meanders of the modern Sabine and Hedies rivers) suggest that abandoned channels and natural levees formerly characterized this surface and testify as to its deltaic origin* gelch (19&£) pointed out that pimples were aligned in rows In the direction of the hack slope of natural levees of abandoned meanders on the Bentley and Montgomery terraces. He noted that the pimples were pxeMtly aroeioaal in origin. This relational ip may be ob­ served on large-sealfl aerial photographs of the Montgomery Terrace about 8 mile* northeast of Buna* Pimples are also useful in tracing failt scarps, m they are aligned in rows at right angles to the teats {Tig* 45)#

The Montgomery Terrace in southeast Texas is conveniently subdivided into a coastwise deltaic plain and fluviatile equivalents ef the Sabine and Hashes rivers (pi. 1). The coastwise equivalent extends for a distance of approximately SS miles in a north-south 87

Figaro 19. Aerial view of the seaward znargin of tbs coast­ wise mtgesaery Terrace, south of Buna, Jasper Comity.

WONTSOM

ccars ' p«A/« le

7 ~ f M

figure 20* Aerial view of the i^rairie. and lion tannery terraces and outcrop of Tertiary clays east of Bevel port, Jasper County, direction from its seavsxl facing oaasrpasnt 6 smiles am th of m m to its con tost with the Beat ley Terraee north of Kirbyylll©« its width increases from 0 miles m m Bunn to over S3 miles near

Sirbyvillft*

Hast of tbs fluviatile spiral® at dong the sabine River valley in Hewton County boo boss destroyed by subsequent erosion, aod coly o few t«py small isolated remnants occur northeast of

Barlsevilla*

The fluviatile remnant along tbs Beebes River west of

Jasper and sear Bewdport, Jasper County, is well developed and covers as area of approximately 14 square miles (Pig* 30}* It oeeupiee a belt about 7 miles long and S miles wide, which parallels the Neemes and Angelina rivers and is separated from the Prairie end

Bentley terraces by prominent escarpments. 1*110 other small remnants* each covering an ares of approximately 5 square stiles* occur south­ east of Beach Grove and west of Mount union in Jasper county*

Small remnants occur along the larger tributaries m t o v m r apetressa coatiaafttloBs of the fluviatile terraces along tin© iethes aa& Sabine rivers* The best preserved remnants occur dong peer and little Co* creeks in the vicinity of BurteBVille, Newton County. Two

«n*n feyt prominent remnants occur along Bear Creek In north Jasper

County. **•■

B en tley T errace* - The name Bentley was proposed by lisle

(193da) for a terraced depositions! surface Which is well developed FIgvre SU Aerial view of pimple mounds ©a Moatgos»ry Terrace nortfeeast of Burn, Jasper County.

F ig u re ZZ* Aerial view of most prominent southern fault (skews. in TigtafrB 44*45 and 4 6 ), pim ples, and po.ok marks on Montgomery Terrace between Buna and Kirbyville, Jasper County* along the Red River in and near the town of Bentley, Grant Parish*

Louisiana* Fisk (1938a, 1933a, 1940), Holland {1943)* and welsh

{1H 2) traced the fluviatile and deltaic plain units of this surface

from its Vp® locality at Baitlsy west and south-west across Grant,

Rapides, Allen, Beauregard, and Vernon parishes to the Sabine River,

Welch traced its fluviatile equivalent up the Sabine River in Vernon

P a ris h .

Although the Bentley Terrace is well developed and very jSxteasiTe east of the Sabine River and west of the Redhes River, it

covers f e v e r square M ies in Jasper and Newton counties than any

otter terrace. Tha strite of the Bentley Terrace is oast-northeast

and its average slope in the area of its epeirogenic margin is about

5.0 feet per mile. The elevations of this terrace are given on the

structural asp using contours drawn through points of equal elevation

of the highest parts of the comparatively uaeroded surface (PI* g).

The contact of the coastwise equivalents of the Bentley and

Montgomery terraces is sim ilar to the gentle plunge of the Prairie

Terrace under the coastal Marsh in south Jefferson County, The

Bentley Terrace passes under the Montgpmery Terrace materials near

the 13$ foot ccntour in southeast Tyler and central Jasper and Newton

cooties. The hinge line or contact is recognized by the differences

in slope of these surfaces# inland the coastwise deltaic plain of

the Bentley Terrace merges with its fluviatile equivalents along the

m & e 8 nras Sabine rivers in the area of its geosynclinal margin and

diverges rapidly from the Montgomery Terrace in a distance of 7 miles. 91 until the Bentley Terrace lies about 40 feet higher than the Mont- gaaory Terrace (Fig* S3)* This relationship is almost identical with that of the Prairie and Montgomery terraces in the area of the geosynelinal margin of the Montgomery near Buna* Approximately

Ig M iss further Inland along the Nechea and Sabine rivers end in to epeirogenic margin of the Bentleyf the vertical interval between those terraces increases gradually to eh out 75 feet* This difference

in elevafc ion was measured on the fluviatile rem ants near Bevelport, whioh is located near the confluence of the Angelina and Nechea rivers* and east of Burke villa along the Sabine River (Fig* 25).

Saleh (1942) found the same vertical interval along the equivalent strike line of the Bentley near Burr Farry, Vernon Pariah* The rate of downslope convergence of tose surfaces is approximately 3*8 feet per ails in the epeirogenic margin of the Bentley Terrace*

The escarpment separating the Montgomery and Bentley terraces

Is dissected considerably* especially along the sob ins River In Newton

County. However* sobb prominent scarps occur along t o Neohes River

at Mount union where i t ia about 40 feet high (Fig* 23)* and 4 miles

M at of the A^alin* River near Bevelport where subsequent erosion

has lowered it to approximately 60 feet*

The coastwise equivalents of the Bentley and williana ore

separated by a dissected but prominent seaward feeing escarpment which

Barton (1950a) refeired to as to Iiockley acaip (Pi. 5). The normal

elevation of the B e n tle y at the base of the scarp is about 810 feet, b a t in embaymearfco o f tlm scarp it increases to almost 350 feet, where Figure 23* Bentley escarpment viewed from Montgomery Terrace 1 Bile west o f Mount union, Jasper County*

Figure 84. Pimpled Bait ley Terrace 3 miles south of Newton, Newton County* 9 3 alluvial fans were constructed at the mouths of streams which were c u ttin g ▼ •13079 into the \Y Uliana Terrace and underlying Fleming formation during Bentley alleviation. The normal elevation of the reconstructed surface of the willisna Terraco at th© crest of the sca rp averages 350 ffeei* The escarpment is preserved host at Eclipse,

Ja sp e r County, where it is approximately 50 feet high* welch (1942) ffcund a& eroded seaward facing scarp about 50 feet h i# separating the Bentley w ith an elevation ©f 310 feet and the williana with an e le v a tio n of 240 feet about 3 miles north of Rosepine, In southern

VCraon Parish* Inland along the stream valleys the vertical interval between these surfaces increases vary much,as the regional rate of d o w islo p e convergence is approximately 10 feet per mile*

The escarpments separating the Bentley fluviatile terraces ef tbs Sabine and Neches rivers from the coastwise equivalent of the Williana Terrace have been dissected very much. Northeast of

Bevel port the subdued remnants of the williana sands and gravels h are a maximum elevation of 425 feet, while the Bentley Terrace,

5 miles distent, has an elevation of 270 feet. The normal elevation of the williana Terrace at this locality should be about 475 feet and the original scarp should have been about 200 feet high* The jgffno difference in elevation of these reconstructed surfaces on

the equivalent lii» of strike occur near th© sablne River in north­ east Newton county. Northeast of th© Burkerville f ir e tower, near

tbs Sabine River, tbs difference in elevations of these te rra c e s is approximately 100 feet* y/eleh (1942) found a 100-foot ©scaxpment 94

separating the Williana and Bant ley surfaces on Louisiana highway

He* 81, Yernon Parish, which is near the same line of stri.Ua as the

area northeast of the Burke Till© fire tower»

The Bentley Terrace is drained by a well developed branch

work with many avail tributaries heading near its contact with the

&>nt@3jsezy and along the Hockley scarp* a few streams have arcuate

courses raft suggest that they have been established along former

meandering cha&nala which are not apparent on the terrace In south­

east Texas* However, welch (1942) reported that meander scars occur

on both the coastwise and fluviatile equivalents of the Bentley

Terrace In Vernon parish*

A few pintle mounds and numerous pock marks (Fig* 28) occur

on the best preserved remnants of the Bentley Terrace. The surface

is usually characterized by cut-over pine woodlands end is devoted

to agriculture in messy places, such as the vicinity of i*jou»t Union*

The Bentley Terrace is conveniently subdivided into a coastwise and

Sabine and Hedies River fluviatile equivalents. The coastwise

equivalent is preserved in a belt 2 to 8 miles wide and 30 miles

long extending across Jasper and Hewton counties from Mount union,

east-north east between Ben ielr and Kewton, to the 3abin© River

(Fig* 26)* It extends from its inner margin at the base of th©

Hockley Scarp, located about 6 miles north of Kirbyville, coast­

ward where it plunges beneath th© I'ontgomary Terrace materials near

the 135-foot contour located about 2 miles north of Kirbyville*

This line of contact extends in a northeasterly direction across 9 5

Figure 25. Aerial Tie* of the Bentley and Montgomery terraces east of Berelport, Jasper County*

Figure 26. Aerial vie* of the dissected coastwise Bentley terrace north of K irbyrille, Jasper County. 96 the area* The beat preserved remants of the Sabine River fluviatile equivalent occur along Beef Road east of Indian Greek in northeast

Hewtoa County, well preserved fluviatile remnants of the Ifeches

River occur in and north of Magiolia springs, Jasper County, and vest of Jasper along the BevaLport road, small remnants occur along a few large tributaries as upstream continuations of th© terraces of the Roches and Sabine rivers*

WUliana Terrace* - m m williana was proposed by Fisk

3* 3. Highway He* 167 one Ails south of the town of williana, Grant

Parish, Louisima* The W illiam Terrace was traced westward across

Grant, Rapides, and Vemon parishes to the Sabine River by Fisk

(1996ft, 1939a, 1940} and WeLch (1948).

Although the williana Terrace and materials are extensive in aorthem Jasper and Mewton counties, they have suffered a greater degree of dissection by a branch work system then any other surface*

The materials of this terrace form divides between the streams which hare cut deep valleys into it* There are only a few widely-scattered, nor© or leas flat-topped, remnants which represent the original surface, and which the writer used in constructing the structure asp of the terrace, creep and sheet erosion have transferred so ranch of the williana silt, sand, and gravel deposits to lower ©leva- ticos that the contours o f original surface are usually higher than the hills capped by these materials* This mass-moved material blankets many of the underlying Tertiary rocks which would be exposed 97 normally on the lower slopes and makes it difficult to measure the thickness of the $ Uliana deposits on hillsides.

The regional strike of the Williana Terrace conforms approxi­ mately to those of th© other terraces (Pi. 2) * hut the average slope is about 15 feet per mile. The down si op© convergence with the

Bentley Terrace is about 10 feet per mile* which suggests that the seaward tilt of the williana must not have been less than 11 feet per mile before completion of the Bentley cycle of alluviation* if a foot per mile slope is allowed XOr the original Bentley flood plain.

The degree of dissection makes it difficult to recognize a steepened geo synclinal margin sim ilar to those of the Bentley aid Montgomery terraces; however much of the Williana terrane may lie within its geo synclinal margin.

The maxiuaam elevations of the williana Terrace are 250 feet at its seaward margin and 590 feet near its landward margin in

Ja sp e r and Hewton c o u n tie s. The w illia n a Terrace commands higher elevations in southeast Texas than the Catahoula sandstone, sim ilar elevations aid slopes of this higlilevel terrace have not been re­ ported so soar the Louisiana and Texas coast except in southwest

M ississippi. The naxinaim relief is almost 500 feet between the highest elevation located 5 miles west of the Mayflower fire tower and the Sab ins niver flood plains in northern Newton County*

Approximately 300 feet of relief within a distance of 5 miles were measured in northwest Newton county* some streams* such as Doer

Creek* have cut valleys ever 150 feet deep. 98

The williana Terrace is separated from the Bentley Terrace on the south by the prominent seaward-facing Hockley scarp, described and sapped from south Texas into Louisiana by Barton (1930a), (see p .92 ).

Barton*s description of its extent is as follows;

•The Hockley scarp is one of the most striking physiographic feature of coastal so u th e a st Texas* I t is a d e f in ite , some­ what composite seaward-facing scarp which can be traced from south Texas, north of Eagle Late, south of Sealey, past the Hockley s a l t dome and Tombal 1, so u th of Conroe, past Cleveland, barren, and Kirby- ville and eastward into Louisiana*”

He aentioned that the elevations at the foot of the scarp are 160-175 feet and at the crest are 200-210 feet. The only scarp near Kirbyville whichfits Barton*a description is located 6 miles north with elevations of 250 fast at the crest and 210 feet at the foot.

Barton offered 4 possible explanations of Its origin; (1) a n cien t shore line of a Pleistocene sea, (2) flexure scarp racking the p o s it io n of a deep-seated fault, (3) uplifted flexure shore line scarp,

(4) any one of the first 3 partly buried by alluvium* He favored the flexure origin* If this scarp was censed by deep -seated faulting, i t a n s t h are formed before Bentley alluviation, as a flexure of this magnitude does not show up on the fluviatile Bentley Terrace which c ro sse s it* At. present there is no available evidence an hand to prove or disprove its origin by deep-seated faulting. Evidence sup­ p o r tin g the shore line origin has not been recognized in the field.

The writer believes that the scarphas resulted from headward, erosion mnA partial burial of the lower eroded slopes during Bentley alluviation. 99

The scarp is embayed east of the town of Newton and in southern Vernon

Parish; however this does not disprove its origin by faulting*

The comparatively high elevations and steep slopes of the fUliana in southeast Texas are very similar to those of the Uliana in southwest M ississippi and the neighboring part of Louisiana *

Hassell (1940) end Fisk (1944) stated that the williana Terrace attains elevations over 300 feet in southwest Mississippi and slopes to the north and vary steeply to the south along the Mobile-Tunica Flexure described by ^owe (1936) • Howe pointed out that the relatively great relief, high elevations so sear the coast, and the strong down-flexing of Tcsrtisery beds toward tbs lower delta region are not surprising,

•for it would afford partial compensation for the tremendous downwarp of the lower delta region necessitated by Mississippi sedimentation*0

Flak (1944} stated that the relationship of the deep basins of :$iater- nary deltaic sediments, attaining a maximum ttiickness of 4,000 feet near Hew Orleans, with the structural feature in southern Mississippi strongly suggests isostatic adjustment*

The high elevations, steep slope, and strong relief of the i i' W illian a Terrace in northern Jasper and Newton counties within a distance o f 74 miles from the coastal Marsh also suggest down-flexing and isOBtatie adjustment and require thick accumulations of early r Bentley and older sediments nearer the coast« The elevations and s lo p e s of the Bentley and younger terraces ere not as great as those of the Vf ill lane Terrace* Murray (1948) reports a 560-foot basal elevation of a remnant of the Sabine River v/illiana Terrace in Desoto 100 / / Pariah* Unfo r tunat&ly , the sub-surface thicknesses of th© Bentley and fttlli&na sediments Insoirfchem Jasper and Newton co unties and Orange

County are not known at the present tire* Frink (1941) shows a l tSOO- plu&*£&ot thick lens of Bentley sediments in central and western Beau- regard Parish, La*f which is in the down si ope of th© Williana Terrace ia northern Jasper and Newton counties* The hi^i-level williana Tar- wmsm9 flanking the Angel ina-Caldwell flexure and Sabine U plift on the south, and situated between the MissIasi ppi- EmbayHBat on the east and the Northeast Texas SyncLine on the west may have resulted from de­ layed isoetatic adjustments caused by the greatly thickened Tertiary beds nearer the coast* subsidence of the williana and early Bentley sediments caused isos tat ic uplift and seaward flexing of the Williana further inicod*

Because the coastwise williana Terrace diverges from the fluvia­ tile Beatley Terrace along the Sabine and Neches rivers a t a rate of 10 feet per mile, the differences in elevations between these surfaces in Bsr&era Jasper and Hewton count lea is approximately 200 feet, (see p*

Exposures of ths Tertiary beds are common at the base of the Wil- IJasa eearp inland, but seaward, as these surfaces approach each other in elevation, the exposures of the Tertiary become less common and out­ crop only occasionally in deep sfcr©«a valleys crossing the Hodcley scaxp* The williana Terrace in Jasper and Newton counties is represen­ ted only by its coastwise equivalent* It is probably deltaic in origin as it is radearlain by river-deposited sediments* Also, its belt-Ilk© distribution la «iatii«r to that of the coastwise, deltaic equivalents of the younger terraces* 2/lurray (1948) recognized a fluviatile remnant of the iilliana Terrace along the Sabine River In Desoto parish, La* The williana Terrace is separated into two bolted uplands which tre n d e a s t—n o rth e a st and w est—southw est* Thoy a re se p a rate d by a broad 101 lowland which is underlain predominately toy clays of th© Fleming form - ttcm. (PI* Th© landward bolt is called th© Mayflower Upland from its typical development in the vicinity of Hay flower and the Mayflower fire tower in northeast Keeton County* The seaward belt is referred to as the Zion Upland because it is typically developed at and imme­ diately south of Zion Hill in Jasper County (Fig* £9)* Zion fire tower

is located on Zion H ill (Fig* £7}* The lowland is called th© Burke -

▼Uls Lowland; it is typically developed immediately south of Burke- ville, Hewton county* Its width varies between 4 and 10 miles* The

Zion and Mayflower uploads are £-9 miles wide and 40-300 feet higher

than the Burkeville Lowland* The belted upland remnants of the nil-

liana Terrace extend across Jasper and Hewton counties and are bordered

usually by the fluviatile surfaces of the younger terraces end toy

Tertiary sediments exposed along the Sabine and Heches rivers* Hear

Armstrong* s Lake, Hewton County, the flood plain flanks a steep bluff

of williana Terrace smtserials overlying Tertiary sediments* The bluff

Is approximately 250 feet h i# and offers an excellent view across the

Sabine River floodplain and much of southwest Vernon Parish*

The Zion and Mayflower uplands and the Burkeville Lowland are

approximately parallel to the regional strike of th© underlying forma­

tions* They are drained mainly toy the major tributaries of the Sabine

Blver, which are consequent to the regional slope of the williana Ter­

ras© • Wright Big creeks, tributaries of the Hechea River, drain only the extreme western parts of the Burkeville lowland and th e May­

flower Upland* The Williana silts, sands, and gravels cap pine the zion and Mayflower uplands are u&confonrsably underlain by Tertiary silts and sands, while th© Burkevllie lowland is underlain by tonacecus and usually calcareous Tertiary clays (Fig* 32)*

There is no apparent evidence of stream capture or of this lovdaad's having been formed by strike streams. Th© nature of th©

Tertiary sediments underlyiz^ the highly permeable Tilliana Terrace materials seawa significant in explaining th© origin of the Burke-

v i l l e Lowland*, It is generally recognized that high level pleisto­

cene sands and gravels are not widely distributed over older

formations which consist predominately of impermeable days, vzhile

the areal extent of these deposits is usually large if the underlying

materials consist of permeable silts and sands* Comparatively little

headword erosion of the high level sands and gravels arc to be ex­

pected if the underlying materials are permeable and permit continuous

downward per eolation of ground water. Headward erosion should progress

moss rapidly i f the underlying materials consist of impervious clays

which d ir e c t ground w ater l a t e r a l ly and cause numerous springs and

spring zones to develop near the contact exposed along deep valleys*

I t ap p ears that the williana Terrace materials were formerly contin­

uous over the area occupied by the Buikeville Lowland and have been

removed since by headward erosion of the tributaries of the He oh03

end sabine r iv e r s *

Pim ple mounds

Fimple mounds, also known as prafri© mounds, natural mounds,

^■nA residual soil hillocks, are very low, more or less circular, and 103

Figure 27* Flat-topped remnant of the williana Terrace at Junction of U. 3« Highway 96 and 2ion-Ma®aolia Springs road* Tinned from Zion lookout tower, Jasper County*

Figure 28. pock-mark on the Bentley Terrace 4 miles south of Mount Union, Jasper County* 104 sometimes elongate in ground plan* They ar© very common along the

QuXf Coast of Louisiana end Texas and occur in many other states*

They are present in the outcrop areas of quaternary and Tertiary deposits of Louisiana* tut are most plentiful, on the late Pleistocene terraces ©f southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas* They are numbered T> by the thousands cm the Montgomery Terrace in Jasper and Hewton counties

(Fig* 4S); they occur in fewer numbers cm the other terraces*

Tbs average diameter of the circular mounds is §0 to 60 foot* bat they do vary from 3s*a than 40 to over 130 feat in diameter* som partially connected or elongate mounds, also described as wiimaature" mounds, sac over 500 feet long and seldom over 75 feet wide* The height ©f mounds varies from almost nothing to as much as 0 feet; the average height Is between 2 and 3 feet* They are most common on gaatly sloping outcrops of silty or sandy materials* Pimple mounds are absent oa the deltaic clay deposits but are very numerous on fine beach sands near Femnett, Jefferson County.

Much has been m d t t s i about pimple mounds and their origin.

Holland (1943) gives a reasonably detailed summary of the theories of origin and presets evidence which supports the fluvial erosion theory, but does not discredit other reasonable theories* Murray

(1948} compiled e table of the theories of origin from Holland’s sm saary smd listed additional evidence found in Desoto and Rad River parishes, Louisiana, concerning the genesis of pimple mounds* Murray adhered to the fluvial erosion theory for most of the mounds in Desoto and Red R iv e r parishes, end added that clump vegetation le a contribu- 105

61/RKC VILLC LOWLANO

F ig are 29+ Aerial view of the Burk eyilie Lowland and the 24aa Upland south of Jasper* Jasper County.

Figure 30* Aerial view of den tritie alienmonts of pimple ara&a the yontgomery Terrace east of Buna, Jasper County. 106 tiag factor in m saf casta* More re c e n tly K rin itsk y 41949) concluded:

* Important modes of origin of pimple mounds are processes for sand dunes along beaches, send mound® on accretion topography formed by meandering streams, and alluvial mounds deposited from glacial outwash*"

Most of the mounds in Jasper and Newton counties occur in aligammts which branch commonly and display a dendritic pattern

(Figs* SO, 31 and 45)* Branch work patterns are not noticeable on broad* very gently sloping surfaces on which sheet erosion seems to

predominate; however, mound alignments in the general direction of

slope era usually apparent, a very striking dendritic pattern of

pimple mound alignments occurring on drainage divides is revealed on

analler surfaces with slightly greater and diversified direction® of

slope, which axe drained by concentrated sheet-wash and very small

streams* The alignment of mounds in the direction of maxima slope

o f as torsi levees strongly support® the erosion theory (welch* 194g) *

Evidence in southeast Texas concerning the origin of pimple

mounts does act ecu form with grintsky’s eonclusio ib • He baLievea that

the alignments of pimple s along narrow, accretion ridge® and towheads

of alluviating streams a«d relic beaches observed on aerial photographs

are conclusive evidence supporting his hypotheses of origin* However,

these reasonably narrow depositions! forms acting as drainage divides

control the direction of i n i t i a l d rain ag e and th e p o sitio n o f mounds

cans ad by flu vial erosion*

I3any geologists believe that clump vegetation is an important

factor in the origin of pimple mounds; however, no apparent relationship

between the distribution of clump vegetation and mounds lias boon 1 0 ?

F igu re 31* Aerl&l view of Montgonery Terrace, 5 miles east of Boom, lasper County, shoving pimple mound, alignments conforming with the drainage* Approximate scale 2 inches equals 1 mile, north is up# 108 observed by the writer,

15® pimple mound patterns observed in Jasper and Hewton corn ties strongly support the fluvial erosion theory of origin for the mounds In southeast Texas*

Pock marks

Pock marks are small, somewhat circular, shallow depressions

?&ieh are common on the depos 1 tionai surfaces of Louisiana and Texas*

13»y have been c a lle d "lac runds% buffalo wallows, hog wallows, and prairis ponds* Fisk (1940) used the terms, pocks or pock marks, to refer to these rounded lakes or depressions which he explained as incompletely filled remnants of abandoned meanders ox* channels on the

Prairie Terrace sear Msrksville, Louisiana, They are very coisaon on the seated 9 * 3 ear red Prairie Terrace of south Louisiana* The jt* .

Sgrtinville uadraagle, issued by the Mississippi River Commission,

1930, shovsr many examples of a ll evolutionary stages in th? development of pock marks* Hilgard (1874) referred to these features as Bay Galls, which support a dense growth of vegetation or thickets and were frequented by bears, panthers, and wildcats* Holland (1943) used the term bagel for similar topographic features in Allen and Beauregard perishes* Features resembl ing pock marks, observed on aerial photo­ graphs only, are vary common on the Live Oak nidge (?) beach accretions o f Smith Point, Chambers County*

reek marks are coiranon on the Prairie, Montgomery, and Bentley te r r a c e s of southeast Texas, and frequently support a dense growth of 109 hardwoods and/or swamp grasses. They are apparent when viewed in the field (Fie* 28) and an aerial photographs (Fig# 22) of the open prairies or the surrounding cut-over pine woodlands of the Montgomory and Bentley surfaces* Aerial photographs of the prairies of south

Texas, near the Brazos and Colorado rivers, reveal sim ilar depressions which are almost as coEiaan as the pimples of southeast Texas*

The diameter of pock marks determined from aerial photographs

©f so u th e a st Texas vary from le s s than 100 f e e t to more than 700 fe e t and average approximately 400 feet. The bottoms are more or less flat and the sides are relatively steep. The depth varies from a few inches to over 3 feet and averages approximately 2 feet.

Many hypotheses have been advocated to explain the origin of pock narks. They have been explained as incompletely filled depres­ sions of meendering channels of an alluvial plain, buffalo wallows,

hog wallows, gas blow-outs, etc. Bailey (1823) believed that the depressions and pimple mounds, observed in Colorado County, Texas»

ware closely related. He eaplained that pimple mounds were formed by

an upward flow of ground water and then reverted to sinks or depres­

sions when the flow of water stopped, a . : .i *. Patrick informed Bailey

that a pimple mound 20 feet in diameter had formed beneath hia bouse

between 1905 and 1922. Bailey stated that evory gradation between a sink and a mound can be observed in lir. Patrick’s pasture.

The pock marks of Jasper and Mevvton counties definitely appear

to be incompletely filled channel remnants and. inter-lovoo areas os

they are associated with typically fluviatile silts and sonds and 110 occur on deltaic plain surfaces characterized by abandoned ineander iag

channels. However, they do not correlate with visible, relie channels

on the Bentley and H-ontgpr©ry terraces* STSUTIQiUEOT

T2MIARY TSjm Si

The tiiocene Catahoula and Fleming formations outcrop and also underlie the quaternary deposits in the northern parts of Jasper and

Seaton couatie*** These form at io n s, including members t ware not mapped a s time did Hot permit a detailed eraminatian of all outcropsj

however, these strata appear to be th® westward continuations of

those mapped in Strides and Yeraon pariah&B, Louisiana, by Fisk

(1940) and w elch In general, the Oatahoula formation out­

crops on the northern flank of the Mayflower Upland and the pie ring

outcrops in the broad Burke vilie Lowland, in the deeper valleys cut

in to th e Mayflower and Zim uploads, and in that part of the Bentley

formation which lies near the base of the Hockley scarp* Tertiary

exposures occur commonly a t th e base of the scarp s se p aratin g th e

Pleistocene fluviatile terraces; but they become less common taid

disappear in the coastward direction from the Hockley scarp*

The Catahoula f onaatiea consists of lenticular, thlck~to-

thia-bedded, w e ll to poorly eamaated* gray siltstonos and sand atones

inter stratified w ith poorly consolidated grey clays* The resistant

beds shape the topography of th e Xisatchie wold (Mayflower Upland),

but are over lain In nest places by the. gravel if erous sands of the

Will tana forratiau

The Filling foraoticm consists of lenticular, thick-to thin-

bedded, usually poorly consolidated, gray oi It stones, cat careoua

clays and a few sandstones* The subdivisions or members, described

1 1 1 112

Figure 32* Gray, calcareous* Fleming days containing calcareous concretions and weathering to black soils about a m iles west of Keches Hirer on U* S. Highway 180* Tyler County.

Figure 33* shoals in Nechos Hiver caused by well indurated Tertiary ailtafcoaes, 4 miles west of Mount Union, laspca* Qoimty. 115

» napped by Fisk (IMG) aM ■?©1 ch (1948), appear to fee mapp&bl© in

J a sp e r an 1 Keaton counties as the distribution of outcrops suggest that the formation consists of 1st ©rat rat if led, reasonably continuous, thick, gray, calcareous clay sections and gray s ilt stone and sand steal© s e c tio n s * The clays usually oca tain calcareous nodules and weather to b la c k soils (Fig* 32)* They resemble the pleistocene deltaic clay sections near Beaumont and ^>pear to have been deposited in an ea r iron ms nt not unlike that of a modern delta where flu via tile and b rack ish water sediments are deposited* The lenticular and cross- bedded siltstcnes and sandstones aae typical f luvi&tile sediments*

Tbs thick day and siltstaae sections have been the controlling factors is the development of the Duikeville Lowland and Sion apd Mayflower uplands (see p. 100-102).

Th© aeawardmost outcrop of the Flying (?) consists of thin- bedded, well indurated, gray, sandy s ilt stones which form shoals in

the Heches itiver (Fig* 33) west of 14ount Union, Jasper comity*

Doe ring (1935) qflaestionshly eorrelated these beds with the Goliad of

Texas* The w riter tentatively correlates these bads with the Blounts

Creek member of the Fleming format ion (Fiek, 1940) as these outcrops conform with the line of strike of this member in Vernon Farish,

Louisiana (wel

mTKRKARY S1BTSM

The quaternary system cone 1st a of five and possibly six terraced sequences of sediments deposited during rising sea levels as glaciers waned (Fig* 6); consequently, each sequence grades torn beaal graveliferou* sedimonts upward into sands, silts, and clays*

Laweaping of sea level during glacial waxing explains the entrenchment of sequences deposited durii^ the preceding glacial waning* £ach

sequence, deposited as valley and deltaic plain alluvium is repre­

sented physiographies!ly by an alluvial plain or a terraced alluvial

plain which is uplifted inland, but seawardly plunges under succes­

sively younger deposits {PI* 5)* quaternary oscillations of sea

level, accompanied by seaward tilt of the Gulf coastal Plain (jiak,

1938a), is the most reasonable explanation of the terraced fluvia-

tile sequences in the area of uplift and the seaward plunging of

equivalent deltaic sequences under those of younger age in the zcne

of coastal subsidence* Fisk (1938a) recognized 5 principal deposi-

tionel plains and equivalent underlying sequences of coarse to fine

alluvium ifcich he correlated with the interglacial stages, The sixth

sequence (?}, topographically represented by a fluviatile terrace,

was probably foimed during a minor fluctuation of sea level since

the l a s t g la c ia l maxima*

The Quaternary sediments unconformably overlie the Tertiary

in the inland area of uplift but conformably overlie older materials

In the seaward area of coastal subsidence*

Pleistocene series

The Pleistocene sentences of sediments consisting of the

Wllliana, Bentley, Montgomery, and Prairie format ions were described

by Fisk (1938a) as members, each corresponding to an overlying alluvial 115 surface, in 1940, he elevated these membera to the rank of formation®, the areal distribution of the Pleistocene formations in Jasper, Newton, and Grange count las la shown on the accompanying geologic map {Pi. 1).

The correlation, terminology, and age of these formations are dis­ cussed under Quaternary terraces (Pi* 4)*

Willlaaa ftWhUflftt - The William formation, the oldest of the Pleistocene series, unco af or mably overlies the Catahoula and

Fleming form tions of northern Jasper and Newton counties, a reaso n ­ ably level erosion surface of the Tertiary formations was buried completely by Willisna sediment®. The Tertiary divides are covered by approximately 40 feet of sands and gravels • The eroeicnal uncon­ formity (Fig* 32) is displaced best in road cuts a few miles north of

Mayflower, along Texas Highway No* 96* The maximum thickness measured vest of Mayflower is about 150 feet*

Fisk (1933a) and welch (1942) recognized three phases of the

Wllliana foraat±eh# a based eosrae gravelly phase, a central sandy phase, and aa upper silty clay phase in Grant, Lagalle and Veinon pari ah©s, LouJslsna* Doer log (1935) described the Willis formation thlcft is essentially the equivalent of the will iana in Jasper and

Newton counties* He d iv id ed the W illis in to th re e zrembers, a lower gravel if erocis member and two upper sandy members, the central sa n d y phase being ferru g in o u s* Welch (1942), f o rtu n a te ly , was perm itted to log about 100 geophysical borings that penetrated the Wllliana; therefore, he was able to make a detailed subsurface investigation of 1 1 6

Figure 34. Oxidized, gravel if erous sands cf tbs .7 i l l iana fanstion occupying a pre-v/illiana vet ley cut in gray, silty clays of the Fleming formation two miles north of Mey flower, Newton. Oet&riQr*

Figure 35* Cressledded, fine to coarse, "com-meal" sands of the jilliana form ation 1 m ile north of Eclipse, Jasper County. 11 ? these deposits cover log approximately 2 townships. He stated;

"There is considerable transition laterally a* w e ll m vertically* sand and gravel m y occu r la leases vaybher© in the section or m y be ab sen t al together s fc«rev«vit is rare in the upper part off the sectiont which usually eons ists off clay and sandy d ay, and occurs eossaonly in the lower half of the fforauticn* frequently at the base* Gravel was reworded at the base o f the formation in 41 oat of 99 geophysical bar lags that penetrated the i l l i a j a u

"The central or sandy phase normally ashes up at least half Of the ffarsaticBJ* m c la y was recorded la the williana in the lower half of any of the geophysical, borings......

The lithology of the v/ill iana format ion observed in southeast

fsm Is cons is tent with '/el ch's description, except the percentage

of graved is very small*, sands predominate and the upper clayey phase

Is generally lacking or teas been eroded sway* Gravel la most cor/non

near its inland margin and is rare near its seaward margin where sands

predominate. Only two small gravel pita were observed, one located

near Graham, Jasper County, and the other located north of Dryburg,

Jasper County. Local lenses of well indurated ferruginous conglomer­

ate, each approximately 10 facet thick, occur near Horton fire tower,

Jasper county, and 4 miles east of Graham. Gravel lenses arc seldom

over a few inches thick sad near the base frequently contain gray and

blaieh-gray clay belle and flakes derived from the underlying Tertiary ■* formations (Fig. 36)* The basal aaada locally contain a small percen­

te r off reworked bentonitic days which give the sands a "corn-meal­

like" texture. He aid eats refer to those "corn-r&al" sands as n soap­

stone" (Fig. 35). 3maLl ferrugincfus concretions are usually numerous ne

Figure 36. Cross-bedded, graveliferous sands of tbs will iana containing gray el ay balls of fertiary clay near Mayflower, Newton Oounty.

Figure 37* Gully and fcot-hole erosion in graveliferous sands of the Will iana formation outcropping in valley of White Oak Creek 8*9 mileo west o f Kewton, Bewbon Co unty* 119 in the surf ace-weathered zone of Hue sands and silts, especially near its seaward margin* In some places, concretions are so numerous that they are served up and used as road met el (Fig. 38),

The gravel, usually small end seldom over an incth in diameter, consists predominately of yellow chert* Quartz and quarlzite pebbles are common* Reworked siliceous Paleozoie fossils are rare, petri­ fied wood fragments are common in the gravel if erous sands (Fig* 39) hut large logs and stumps are more common in the sandy phase of the forma tioa*

The ,illiana formation is typically cross-bedded (Fig* 35); however, it is thickly bedded and somewhat massive in places* It is red-hrom, yellow-brow®, orange-brown, and brown in color* Mottling

is common* Purple colors, probably caused by a mixture of green ferrous-fearric silicates and red hematite (Hager, 1928), locally occur sear its contact with the underlying Fleming days* Quartz sends which are usually stained with brownish ferruginous material

are leached commonly on the su rfa c e in the n o rth e rn outcrop area*

Good exposures of the Williana occur in road cuts on the

Magnolia 3prings-Zion road, south of Zion Lookout on U* S. Highway

Ho* 96, northwest of Heston on U. 3* Hi^fway Ho. 190, north of

Jasper on XJ. 3. Highway Ho* 96, on Horton Lookout-Graham road, near

Mayflower cn Texas Midway Ho* 87, and on Mayflower-nryburg road.

Bentley formation. - The Bentley formation consists of a

coastwise deltaic facies which conformably ovei^lea the ill iana seaward and an Inland fluviatile facies which occupies a volley cut 120

p i i p i w

w m m l

Figure 38. Limanite nodules and ferruginous silt at ones of tb e W ill iana formation 3 miles southwest of Kewton, Nswton county.

Figure 39. Cross-bedded, gravel iferous \*llliana sands contain­ ing petrified logs, S feet long, 3 miles southeast of Jarres town, Keeton County. through the w ill iana formation and unconformably overlie a the Tertiary formations, its contact with the Tertiary sediments is displayed

Vest along the valleys of the Heehes River tributaries which have out through the Beatley sediments near and north of Magnolia Springs aid north-northeast of science Hall near U. S* Highway No. 190 in Jasper

Gouaty* its con tact may be observed on the steep bluff facing the

Town Bluff dam site on the Nechea River in Tyler County, where the

Fleming sediments are capped by approximately 40 feet of Bentley sands which are slightly gravel if erous at the base*

The thickness of the fluvlatile section along the Heckes Hiver varies from 10 to 50 feet and averages approximately 40 feet# The

thicknessof the deltaic equivalent is not known at the present time.

fal«h (1942) noted that several geophysical borings show a coastwise

thickness of 65-90 feet o f Bentley deposits in an aLluvl&Lly drowned

pest-fllliana valley cut into Tertiary sediu»nts in southeast Vernon

Pariah* Jjpink (1941} shows the Bentley to be 500 feet thick in southern Yernon Parish, which thickens to 1,500 feet in central and

west Beoiregsrd Parish* Holland (1945) records a 200 foot thickness

of Bentley along the northern margin of Beauregard parish and states

that it thickens to 1,500 feet along the western margin*

Fisk (1958a) recognized a basal gravel if erous sand phase, a

central sandy phase, and an upper silty cl ay phase of the Bentley

in Grant and LaSalle Parishes, Louisiana, /elch (1942) noted that

the Bentley formation consists of coarse materials near the base, becoming finer toward the top. 128

The Bentley formation in Jasper and Newton counties consists usually of basal gravelif arous sands (Fig* 4 0 ) # iie hg r a d eupward into fines* saads, silts, and silty clays* Gravel lenses ere not always present near tbs base and may occur in small lenses in the central sandy phase* ge&racr materials predominate in tbs fluvia- tile facies and finer materials in tbs coastwisedeltaie facies*

Good exposures of tbs deltaic materials are generally absent, but tbs s nr face materials are usually fine a m uds/silts and silty clays* liman ite so doles are cossaon in tbs weathered fine sands* silts and days* The Bentley sediments are similar to those of the will iana, from which much material was probably derived* They are differen­ tiated only by their elevations*

The format ion is usually crosa-bedded and colored various shades of brown. Red-browna are more common in the coarser .materials, while yellow-browns are more common in the finer materials* settling is sot ladling*

The b e st exposures o f th e B entley form at ion may be observed in the vicinity of Magnolia Springs and west of Jasper, Jasper

Ooiaty, and in Town Bluff, Tyler County* Good exposures are not common along the coastwise belt and along the Sabine River.

Montgomery formation* • The outcrop of the Montgomery foima- tion in southeast Texas is very extensive and ranks second in areal distribution of the Pleistocene formations, Its deltaic equivalent is very wide-spread in southern Jasper and Newton counties, but its

H uvlatile equivalent is well developed only along the Machos River 123

Figure 40* Mottled, lenticular sand a and gravels of the Beatlay fbmatioa 1*5 miles mrt&west of Magiolia springs, Jasper County*

Figure 41* Cross^bedded basal gravel if erous sands grading ujraard Into silty fins sands of the Montgomery form ation 2 m iles e ast ©f tbs Angelina River sear Bevel port, Jasper county* see Figure 43. after Bevel po rt and Beach Gvove and v e st of Mount Union in Ja sp e r County*

Use fluviatile equivalent unconforfl&bly overlies the Tertiary formations in postHBsatley vaLleyg and the deltaic equivalent can* formally overlies the Bsitley deposits nearer the coast* The contact with the underlying gray clays and silts of the Fleming formation may be observed best north of science Hall near U. s. Hi#iway I|o* 190 and along the Beach Grove-Bevelport road in Jasper County* Its dovnstrean contact with the Tertiary is alluvially drowned by the sediments underlying the Beweyville Terrace west of Mount union* tbs contact of the coastwise Montgomery v&th older materials is not revealed along the escarpment facing the Prairie Terrace and is presumed to be burled*

Good exposures of the fluviat lie equivalent of the Montgomery formation are coarser near the base and finer near the top* In the vicinity of Bevel port, gravel if erous sands are common near the base of the formation and grade upward into fine sands and silty clays

(Figs* 41, 43)* Little gravel was observed in the downstream sec* tions of the f luviatile equivalent and no gravel is present in the outcrops of the deltaic equivalent* The coastwise Montgomery is »*r decidedly coarser near its landward margin than near Its seaward-margin#

Ferruginous sends and clays with numerous limonite nodules in the f weathered zones near the surface are common in the vicinity of

Urbyvill© (Fig. 42)* Silty clays which weather to a buff or a chocolate-brown color and usually contain limonite nodules are common between Call and the seawazd margin of the Montgomery* These clays 1 2 5 are occasionally calcareous and cloaely resemble th© del taic clays of

the Prairie and Fleming formations* The covering soils are usually

sandy and loamy In texture end brownish-^ray in color*

The thickness of the fluviatileseeticna along the Indies

Hirer Tories between 10 and 50 feet and arsarifeea approximately 35

feet* The remnants along the Sabine Hirer are not exteaaive and

bare been eroded conaidere&ly, The thickness of the c o a s t- wise

del ta l e equ& JL m t is not knees.* but is o w 40 fe e t between Kirby-

r i l l e and Buaa* Frink (1941) shows a thickness of 500 feet'for the

MontgasBry in southeast Beauregard Parish and 1,000 feet in northeast

Calcasieu Parish* He projected the 500 and 1,000-fo o t isopsehs of

the Montgomery southwest across C alcasieu P ariah to the Sabine Hirer

near Orange* Holland (1943) states th a t the Mantgpio&ry does not

exceed a thickness of 3©0 o r 4 0 0 feet in southern Beauregard P a rish .

In general, the Montgomery formation consists of fin ex*

materials and is less oxidized than the BeatLey and b ill iana, but is

distinguished only by difference* in elevation and slope. The mator-

ials of the Lk>ntgoiasry ere sim ilar to that of the Bentley and yUliana

as much of it was derived f rest these format ions • Gross-bedding is

eemasn in the fluviat ile materials* The nature of the bedding was

not observed in the deltaic materials due to the lack of good out-

crops * The coarser materials are usually weathered rod-brown, while

the finer materials are weathered brown, yellow-brown, buff, and gray.

Mottlin g is eosraaxu

Good exposures of this formation may bo ob3erred between ISO

figure 42* Residual eon centra te of limonite nodules of the Ifcntgoaery for motion, 3 miles west of B1 oakwood, Her/ton county*

figure 43* Grey ©1 if erous sands of the I'on t^pmery formation contain Inc flakes and el ay halls of Tertiary clay* 2 miles east of Angelina River near Bevel port, Jasper County. 137 •

Bevel port and. Beech Grove , west of Mount union, northwest of Buna along the old Kirbyvi 11© road (Do©ping, 19 3 5 ), e ast of Buna along; th e escarp-* seat facing the Prairie Terrace, between Kirbyville and Bleakwood, and north o f Bon weir*

Prairie fjpastttoi* * The prairie formation has the most exten- sire'outcrop o f the Pleistocene formations in Louisiana and southeast

Texas* However, good exposures are uncommon and only badly weathered sect lens o ccu r in need c u ts and along streams in Jasper, Newton, aid

Orange counties. Its unoonf armable cent act with the underlying Ter­ tiary formations is alluvially drowned by sediments underlying the younger faces along the Hedies, Sabine, and Angelina rivers, but any be observed along a few la r g e tributaries such as Deer creek near

B a r k e r !l i e . The P r a ir ie d e p o s its rest conformably on the Mont gome in­ teraction near Hie coast itiere subsidence has been the dominant dsfo rational factor*

The texture of the Prairie sediments is decidedly finer grained than tbs older Pleistocene formations. The coarser materials occur s ta r the base o f the formation and grade upward into finer sends, s i l t s , and clays. G ravel if erous seals were obsesrysd only in outcrops of fluviatil© remnants which parallel the major tributaries of the

Beebes, 3a bine, and Angelina rivers. Clays be cone mare coebjioh in th© thickened, down-dip, coastwise sections in southern Orange comity where blue clay beds, over 200 f e e t th ick are reported commonly above usually grav el iferous sands vhieh lie a t an average depth o f 700 feet below sea level. T hick-to thin-bedded, coarse to fine sands, 128 usually described as white in color, are common* Croiaack and Living­ ston (1942b) published the logs of 86 shallow wells, 9-32 feet deep, drilled in northern Jefferson county, which record sections consisting predomina haly of black to brown surface soils, yellow—gray 9 yellow - brown, reddish-brown, chocolate—brown, and brown clays and some biown and gray sands* Occasional pebble-sized calcareous concretions ware recorded in tb s c la y s near China and Voth* Calcareous concre­ tises, like those which occur in back-swamp clays, are common in the fre

The coastwise sediments of the Prairie formation in southeast

XBases are not unlike the materials laid down near the site of a river delta (Barton, 1900b}* Bumble (1890) used the name coast Cloys in referring to the deltaic clays near the coast* His description follow s:

"Immediately bordering the Gulf shore, and forming the underlying slope, *••«• we find a series of bed® of clays, and sandy days, blue, yellow, red, and often mottled, which frequently appear black upon the sur­ face, from the combination of vegetable matter with the lime of calcereous nodules which are found scattered through them. These days are massive, containing small crystals of gypsum in places, and are often x m

so compact that bluffs of from 15-30 feet in height are often found dchg the streams and hay shores..*.."*

Hayes and Kennedy {1903) referred to the upper and seaward section of

the P r a ir ie as th e Beaumont clays * The lower and inland sec tio n of

the Prairie formation was referred to as the upper part of the

Columbia lands. Their description follows:

"OverlyiBg the Columbia as defined is a series of yellow, gray, blue, brown, and black clays with brown sands* These beds sometimes are thinly stratified or lammina ted, but frequently massive* The laBEiinated beds are usually inter strati­ fied with thin beds of blue or grayish-* Whits sand* The clays carry core ider able quantities of calcareous nodules irregu­ larly distributed, in many places shells of Pleistocene or Recent age, and great quantities of decaying wood in the form of tree trunks, bark and leaves* Among these the cypress appears as the most prominent, and among the invertebrate fauna found Barg la cuneata (Gray) and an undetermined oyster are the prevailing fOIHB."

They stated that these deposits resemble the Frio clays (Fleming clays

{?)) and se ctiC E is a s much a s 400 f e e t th ic k were recorded in many

w e lls near Beaumont• Barton (1930b) very clearly pointed out the

deltaic character of these deposits in southeast Texas* H© stated:

*The seaward edge of the Beaumont for­ mation at the surface is marine cr braekioh- water, although in general the Beaumont beds at the surface are deltaic sediments (of the Trinity River) laid down above sea level*"

Bearing (1933) described the deltaic nature of these coaatwis© dopo-

•its as follows; 130

*The Beaumont is generally described as a clay formation, but it contains also much sandy material• An in d uaivo description would list days, limy clays, smdy clays, clayey sands, and fine sands. The lima is present in small and large nodules, in shell beds, and disseminated through the clays • The distribution of the sandy areas has been sham by Barton to be related to the distributary ridges by means of which the formation was deposited* Tbs coarser materials are on, or near, the ridges, while the finer materials are at a die* tsnee, or between the ridges* The cal­ careous sediments were probably deposited in coastal marshes which extended up between the ridges as do those on the present Mississippi delta* Sons large sandy areas occur near Beaumont. The north half of Orange County, Texas, is a sandy Besimont plain, while the southern part is covered by the typical heavy black soils weathered from the clay phase of the formation

Richards (19B9), in his report on the marine Pleistocene of Texas, s ta te d ;

"The majority of fossils referrable to the Beaumont in southeast Texas indi­ cate brackish water conditions not unlike a modern delta."

Detailed borings examined by jfisk (1948b) in comection with an investigation of the proposed Calcasieu lock site, in southwest

Louisiana, revealed that the upper part of the prairie formation

consists of an upper section of Hed River fluviatlle sediments,

26-25 feet thick, overlying a section of intorstratifled Red River sediments and brackish to marine sediments, 20-25 feet thick, which overlie older deltaic plain deposits predominately of fresh water origin. 131

The ioaxlsmm thic& nesa of tb s P r a ir ie form ation, in south and eoitisreet Jasper County, is 250 feet, as basal gravels are recorded betw een depths of 85 and 290 feet aad more commonly at depths between

1£Q and ISO fe e t i a 7 of 26 wells drilled below 900 feet. The section

above the g ra v e l i f orans sands c o n s is ts piedomina te ly o f san d s, however

intsretrat if le d beds of clays are comnon near the top* Logs of water

w ell* drilled in south Orange County record sands and gravels at

alevatlcns between 130 and 746 f e e t below sea level* The average

recorded depth is approximately 700 feet* The section above the

gggfel consists predominately of Hue clays with some inter stratified

send beta, a correlation of the graveliferous sections in south and

southw est Jasper and south Orange counties seems reasonable* The

differences in elevations of the gravels of these two areas, 20 miles

apart in the directi on of dip, agree closely with an approximate 35-

£wt per mile d ip measured at & depth near 800 feet on a dip section

a cro ss so u th Jasper and north Orange counties*

Recent series

Barly Recent (?)

Deweyvllie beda(?)* * The relationships of the materials

underlying tbB Deweyvllie Terrace with those underlying the Prairie

Terrace modern flood plains are not understood fully at the present

time as only a few accurately logged borings through all of these

deposits a re available where they occur in Juxtaposition* Only a few

eta&low borings Tier© located on the Deweyvillo Terraco* 132

However, approximately 140 accurately logged borings, furnished

by the Louisiana Highway Commission, 5-110 feet deep and spaced about

500 feat apart along several lines across the Sabine River valley near

Orange, show 2 alluvial sequences of coarse to fine sedimenta lower Deweyvilie sequence (?) said an upper modern alluvial sequence, secupying a post-prairie trench (PI. 6 } • Mr. Rufus J. LeBlane (per­ sonal eomsaxaieatien) informed the writer that the stiff, blue and

green days and gray, fine sand (top to bottom) sequence which lies below the base of gravel if erous sands, depth approx imately 60 feet, does not resemble the Prairie sediments, but the Recent in sections nearer the coast.

Borings along a line across the Sab ins River valley near

Deweyvllie, Hewton County and S ta rk s, C alcasieu P a ris h , Louisiana

indicate that the sediments underlying the Prairie, Deweyvllie

and modern flood pin in surfaces are different. The sections follows

( 1 ) Borixg located on Prairie Terrace west of Dewey villa, .approximate elevation 30 feet.

0 -1 ft. Top soil 1-10 ft. Subsoil and vary stiff, brownish-gray, 3 andy c la y with carbonaceous material and limcaiite streaks * 10-12 ft. Very stiff, gray clay con­ taining limonite streaks* 12-16 ft. Very stiff, gray, silty clay containing liman it© s tre a k s .

(2) Boring located on Prairie Terrace west of Starks. Approximate elevation 26 f e e t #

0 -1 ft. Top soil 1 - 6 ft. subsoil and very stiff, gray, sandy clay and brown lenses of silt. PRAIRIE TERRACE

- 0 - 10 20 h 30 40 50 - 60 - 70

100 110

ORGANIC MATTER SANDY LOAM VICINITY MAP CROSS SECTION A - A 1 FINE SAND RECENT ORANGE - TOOMEY HIGH

T oomei - HORIZONTAL SCALE - FEET 200 O 200 400 600

PLEISTOCENE

ORANGE r .j . Le b l a n c H. A. BERNARD

DRAWN BY G. O. COIGNET

PLATE 6 1 3 3

6 ft. Very hard, packed, gray, silty sand. Unable to p e n e tra te .

(3) Boring located an Doweyville Terrace west of Bew^yviUe. Ulevation approximately 20 f e e t.

0 -1 f t . Top s o i l 1 - 2 ft. subsoil and mottled reddish- brown, sandy clay. 2-31 ft. Loose* bxom, fine sand and streaks of limonit©.

(4) Boring located on Deweyville Terrace west of Stages. Ulevation approximately 30 feet.

0 -1 ft. Top soil 1 -9 ft. Subsoil and soft, gray, sandy clay and few th in le n se s o f brown silt. 9-12 ft. Unconsolidated, blue-gray, clayey sand. 12 ft. Unconsolidated (quick-sand), g ray , medium sand* Unable to p e n e tra te .

(5) Louisiana Highway Commission boring loeated on flood plain west of Starks . Ulevaticn lb feet.

0-13 ft. Packed* gray-brown, sandy clay. 13-16 ft. Packed, gray-brown, fine sand. 16-37 f t . Packed, gray, fin e to medium sand and traces of pea gravel and cla y . 37-42 ft. packed, gray, fine to medium sand end driftwood and traces of c la y . 43-49 ft. packed, bluish-gray, fin© sand and traces of driftwood. 4 9 -5 3 f t . packed, gray, fine to medium sand and traces of pea gravel and. clay* 53-55 ft. Packed, bluish-gray, silty clay.

Logs of accurately logged borings, furnished by the U. 3,

Corps of Urcineers, GaLveston, Texas, drilled along a line across the

Keches Hiver valley near the Town Bluff dam sit© (Dari "B”) show a 1M sim ilar difference between the sediments under the floo&plain and the

Dewey ville Terrace; however, only one shallow boring was located on the DeweyviHe Terrace*

The lower sequence encountered in borings located on the flood plain m ar Orange and the slightly weathered sands, silts, and days underlying the Deweyvilie Terrace questionably represent a

Demyville cycle of alluviaticm and are as signed tentatively to the late Recent, see pages 48, 4 9 .

late Recent

Modern alluvium. - The aLluvium underlying the mod era flood- plains Appears to occupy a post-Dewsyville trench (?) which is approxi­ mately 60 feet deep m ar Graxge and averages about 40 foot deep upstream dong the Kechee and Sabine rivers* The closely spaced borings across the Sabine River valley sear Grange and across the

Neches River valley near the Town Bluff dam site reveal flat-bottomed valleys which may have been cut by meandering stream as base level ves gradually lowered (Vatthes, 1941)*

Progressively finer materials, grading from basal, usually gravel iferous, sands upward Into finer sands, silts, days, and organic clays containing much driftwood, wore deposited during the last rise of sea level* The beds are lenticular and are seldom over

30 feet thick; occasionally they are over 1,600 foet long* lateral gradations from coarse to fine sediments are common, but coarser m a t e r i a .la predominate sear the bottom and finer materials near the topcf the section (pi. 6 ). STRUCTURE

Major structural features

Gulf Coastal GeoapolioB» - Southeast Texas is located on the northern flank of the coastal tread lag Gulf coastal Geosymdiae

(Barton, Hit a, and H ickey, 1 9 3 3 ). The structural me® of Texas, using subsurface co n to u rs m T e r tia r y format lone, shows southward dipping moaedllnaL structures on this flank, Dips are steeper in the northern parte of Jasper and Hewton counties, in northern Orange and southeast

Bewtea M ust lea, and from so u th orange County to the coast, FlaV

tern lag of the dip is prominent in so u th e rn Jasper and newton counties

and in central Orange County along the Amelia field - Orange f i e l d

tread, Tbs surface structure of the pleistocene formations, discussed

fu lly under the corresponding terraces, conforms gene rally with the

structure of the underlying Tertiary formations.

Minor structural features

Bflutheaat Texas fracture p a tte r n , - The su rfa c e f ra c tu r e

pattern observed in Jasper and Hewton counties consists of predom-

iaent east-west and lass prominent ncrtheast-scuthweat, northwest-

southeast, north-south sets of fractures (Barton, 1933b; Fisk,

U t i l s

A e r ia l photographs most clearly reveal a prominent sat of

^ppxeatimate strike faults (Fisk, personal communication), averaging

135 136

N 80 dog. b» oa the Montgomery Terrace between Buna and Kirbyvlll®,

Ja sp er County (lies. 8 S and 45). Profiles of the cornparativcly ua- eroded terrace surface along u. 3. Highway 96 show several fault

blocks which are downthrosm to the south and tilted or rotated

toward the n orth (Fig. 46). a maxisiia throw of 1? feet was measured

on the displaced surface of the terrace near the scarp of the north

fa u lt * The Greet of this scarp where it Grosses the highway la 7

feat higher than the average elevation of the highest points on the

te r r a c e in th e immediate vicinity* The dips of the faults could not

be determined and are presumed to be in the direction of the down*

thrown blocks as tension or gravity faults are character is tie of the

G ulf Qoastal area. P r o file s suggest th a t soma f a u l ts are down thrown

toward the north.

Additional evidence of east-west fail ting and fracturing I s

manifested in anomalous drainage dir actions, pimple mound alignments,

end prominent east-w est fractures observed in outcrops of the Catahoula

and W illlana formations, straight drainage lines at the base of the

scarps and at right angles to the regional slope of the terrace can

be traced for distances over 3 miles (Fig. 44). Many alignments of

straight draineg e l i n e s ean be traced for distances over 6 m ile s.

Opposing tributaries of a stream follow fractures or faults (Barton,

1933b) mod usually intersect the main stream at right angles. The

d ir e c t io n s o f many m in stream s are controlled either by the regional

s lo p e o f the terrace o r by possible dip fractures similar to those

o b s e r v e d in the outcrops a t the Catahoula and Gillian a formations. Fa LjL t S CALL JUNCTION

BE.55MAV

BUNA

DRAINAGE PATTERN 0 F SCALE MONTGOMERY1 TFRRAC E BE TWEEN CALL JUNCTION MONTGOMERY b'CAfU AND AND CONTAU WilH j MAY PRAIRIE TERRACE

FIGURE 44 im

A taidcmcy toward the developmemt of a rectangular drainage pattern la evident south of Call Junction, Jasper County and Gall, Newton

Goua^* Elinor drainage patterns, consequent to the slop© of the northward tilted fault blocks, are very striking when coinparcd with the major drainage directions which are eon trolls d by the southward slop® «T the terrace (Figs* 44 and 45)* Pimple mounds which developed on the fault scarps occur in alignments normal to the trend of the scarp* This set of ©ast~west faults and fractures con- forms with the scat prominent eaat-weat fracture set observed in the * C atahoula sandstone (Fig* 4?) near Texas Highway 65 and about 1*7 m ile s n orth w est o f th e Angelina River, Jasper County, and in the w e ll in & irated vf U lia n a sands (Fig* 48) about 4 miles west of Newton,

Sew ton Oomty*

The f a u l t s between K irb y v ille and Buna l i e hi a zcne which

In dudes sim ilar faults that usually flank the oil fields of Beauregard

Parish, Louisiana on the north (unpublished information furnished by the Louisiana Geological Survey) • several of the oil fields of southeast Tyler and northwest Hardin counties are elongated in an east-west direction and occur In alignment with the strike of several surface faults observed in Jasper and Newton counties* These fa til ts are parallel to the east*west slkhart Graben-Hnt or prise set of faults which Barton (1906b) referred to as the Anderson County-Cher Okae

County faults*

Many other lines of drainage in Jasper and Newton ocunties appear to conform with the northeast-southwest (diagonal), northwest- so u th ea st (diagonal), and north-south (dip) sets of fractures observed 'J S l DEPT OF AGRICUL1

figure 45* Aerial view of coastwise Montgomery Terrace and the most prominent strike faults between Buna and Kirbyville, Jasper County, Note the dendritic alignment of pimple mounds along the streams in southwest part of photograph, the aligimeni of pimples at right angles to the fault scarps, and the northward drainage in the west-central part of the photograph. See Fig. 22. UO in the outcrops of the Catahoula awl ivillieaaa formations*' The nor th- south and northwest—sou theast drainage lines are more prominent; however, they conform more or loss with the regional slope, therefor® making it difficult to differentiate between consequent and subsequent stream s*

Barton (1935b) observed numerous surface fractures trending in nor th—sou th r northeast-southwest, and north wo st-aoutke&st lines in sou th Texas xshere the re g io n a l sfcrilss of the T e rtia ry changes from, a north-south to a northeast-southwest direction* Only % northwest- so u th e a st fracture lines were mentioned* He noted that moat of the fr a c tu r e s seemingly dip eastward or southeastward* Fisk (1944) recognized a prominent system of northwest-southeast and northeasts southwest faults and f r a c tu r e s and a leas prominent east-west and north-eouth system in th e central Gulf Coastal plains* The promi­ nent system o f Fisk ap p ears to correlate with the embayed structure of th e -Mesoaoie and Cenozoic formations of the M ississippi Embayficmt*

O r ig in o f the fracture p a tte rn * - The o rig in o f the fra c tu re pattern of the Gulf Coastal Plain remains within the realm of speculaticm* The possible fundamental causes of fracturing have been discussed by Barton and Fisk. Both man recognized a correlation between the s u rfa c e f ra c tu r e p a tte rn and p o ssib le raovoE©nts along o ld b a seeen t fractures, and m ovem ents involving Conozole sediments in the M ississippi l£nbaymsnt and tbs Gulf Coastal Geosyncline*

B a r t o n (1933b) states; MONTGOMERY TERRACE SSE

CALL JUNCTION SEE FIGURES 44- AND 45 BE SSMAY J X NORTH FAULT FAULT i

- I 0 0

- 50

i i i 0 FT. O M 3 4 5 8

PROFILE SOUTH ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 96 FROM

CALL JUNCTION TO BF SSMAY MILL

FIGURE . 40 142

"The underlying cause of the fracturing presumably is shearing along ancient fractures in th e basem ent, allh o u g h ten sio n i n th e dir** action perpendicular to the strifes of the formations may hare aided in the formation of the north-south series of fractures*

"Hie tension which, should be produced in the Tertiary sediments by their unsupported front at the edge of the continental shelf, at first was thought by the writer to be the prinaxy cense of the fracturing* Further study indicates that such tension is not the primary cense of the fracturing* rih© dose parallelism, end possible connection, of the fracturing with the trends in the basement and in the deep-seated pie-Upper Cretaceous fornations had not been recognized* Fractures which are pro diced by that gulfward tension should tend to parallel the mean a trite of the vertical prism of unconsolidated sedi­ m ents. The scan s tr ik e o f th e aed io an ts within the area o?ec which the fractures can be recognized... .has an appreciable curva­ ture. a corresponding curvature of the strike of the north-south series of fractures has not been recognized...."

Fisk (1944) stated:

"The parallelism of the fracture system in the central Gulf coastal Plain to the mapped systems of faulting within the Interior High­ lands (the Appalachians on the east and the Ozark-Ouacfcita mass on the west) and to faulting of the adjacent coastal plain areas is indicated •••«•The fractures are also aligned parallel with the submarine outlines of the deep portion of the Gulf of Mexico as defined by the angu­ larity of the continents! slope below the 100 fathom line* feet that the fault system of the Central Gulf Coastal Plain is but part of the fracture pattern of the entire southern United states is direct evidence that all faulting m the region has been controlled by weakness in the earth9s crust which antedates the formation of any single fracture...* 1 4 3

Figure 47, Esst**west, north-south, n© rtheast -sout hwe s t, northweet-sou theast joint sots in Catahoula sandstone' near Texas Highway 65, 1*7 miles northwest of Angelina Hirer, Jasper county* Sere* driver handle points to magnetic north*

Figure 48* Bast-west and north-south Joints sots in in d u r a te d eeaads o f ;t i l l lama formation, 0 miles west of newton, Newton Couaigr* Compass and n o te booh a re on a 1-n lin e * M 4

WA direct correlation ceai be dram between the warping of the fracture patters and the gradual change in trend of the axes of successive deltaic accumulations in the Central Gulf Coastal Plato* The trend of the axes of the deltaic messes d ia g o n a lly cross the re c ta n g le s formed, by the inter section of the two principal fracture sets* The fault sane a trend ap proxima tely 33 50 deg* K (and at right angles) within the Missis­ sippi tmbayEBnt area and are warped to N 35 deg* 2 near the coastline 4 The tre n d o f tb s axes of successive deltaic masses makes a comparable angular shift between the southern lim it of the M ississip p i Embayment and the p resen t a x is of the Gulf Coast GeosyndLine* * * • • The fracture pattern appears, therefore, to be directly related to the distribution of the Mesozoic end Cenacle sediments end may result from the release of stresses set up in the earth’s crust as thick masses of deltaic sediments accumulated*'*

The east-west (strike) fractures and rotated faalt blocks in

Jasper and Newton counties and the generalized correlation of the prominent fracture directions of Barton .and Fisk with corresponding

changes in regional strike of the late Mesozoic and Genozoic forma­

tions suggests that tensile and/or shearing stresses are the icsne-

diate causes of fracturing* The writer is inclined to favor deltaic

subsidence as tbs fundamental cause. Torsion caused by lateral

shifting of deltas and unequal loading of the shore zone may be

responsible for the fractures diagonal to the regional strike of

the Cenozoie formations* The dip fractures may be extension frac­

tures caused by a gulf ward flowage of sediments* Differential

compaction between sandy and clayey deposits could be an additional

cause* BIHLKMJHAl’Hr

A^eam. o. i. (XKO.) Oilaad gaa fields of the upper Cretaceous and fyrfctaary ffraaaatlona of the weatera Quit ^e'aatt If *s. "Geol. Survey Bull, 184, p. $1*64. —

Adkins, W. S . and Ariek, m. B* (1930) Geology of Bell Co. , Texas, Unlv* Texas Ball* 3015, 92 pages.

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(1930b) peltalc coastal plain of southeastern Texas, Geol. goe. \ jjL mill. vol. 41, p. 359*382. ”

(19«fca) The Iberian structural axis. Jour. Geol. vol. 16, p* 236*242.

145 146

Barton, B, c* (193Sh) sorface fracture system of south Texas* Am. assoc * pat. Geoi* f ^ :'^7 ^vrrprimmmr ------——*

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(1931) seven coastal terraces in the coastal southeastern states, Jour. *ash. Aeed. 3 c i. v o l. 21, p . 503-

(1936) Geology of the coastal plain of south Carolina, TJ* 3® Geol® survey Bull* 867, 196 pages.

(1937) Ifee pleistocene Horry clay and pmlico formation Bear Myrtle Beach, 3. C., v/aah.' Acad. sciT volV 'W, p. 1-5* ~

(1941) Two shore lines or 3 even (?), d la cuss ion, ijtt* Jour. SeF. 5th ser* voi® 239, p. 457 and 458.

_ _ (1943) Geology of the coastal plain of Georgia, U* 3- Gool- Survey Bull® 941,121 pages®

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— klvingstcn, Pean (1948) orange county, ^sass*# Water Walla* 0* S. Geol*-'survey, p. 1*48* " r— r-.-„ — ,. -: ^rvr-n-,

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C ross, h. K. (1937} PI© is tocone-Pliocene omniary problem (abstract), Geol* See* AmV Proc. 1936, p* 895.

Bellas petroleum Geologists* (1941) Geology of Dallas Co*, Texas. Field asd Lab. * vol* 10 , p* 1 -1S4* ------

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______(1953} Guidebook of the western united states, part y*, the S.P* lines, H*0. to I.. a * , D• 3. Geo 1. "iurvey 345, 304 pages. 1 5 0

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(1894) The Caaoaoic deposits of Texas, Jour. Geol. vol* 2, p. 549-567.

(1905) Geology of south wee tern Texas, Trans, m . I n s t. Min* ! £ £ . vol. 33, p. 915-937.

(1918) The geology of east Texas, Univ. Texas Mil* 1869, 388 v pages*

Dunbar, C. P. (1933) A H at of aoae of the available publioations dealing with.- the geology and mineral^ resources of ’lou'iallSa~rtfi^4 ralatW ^ areas, La. Dept. Gonserv. M il. vol. 22, p. 235-269*

Farnsworth, P. J. (1906) On the origin of small mounds of ths lower M ississippi valley and Texa^, n3ciQncQ, vol. 815,"' p. S83-5&4T'"

Fenaemn, fi. M. (1906) Oil fields of the Texas-Lou Islam Gulf coastal p lain * U. 3. Geol. iurvey B ill. 282, 146 pages’!

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F isk , a. H* (1938te) gl»iatocaB» exposures in western Florida Parises of ' Mttiaiasa. La. feegt* Conserv* Geol. l&liV’ vol*- 12, p * 5-25,

■■■ (1939a) Depositions! terrae® slopes in Louisiana, Four# Gec©orpli. vol* 2 , p. 181-200. 1 l 'i

(1939b) Igneous and laetarnorphlc rooks f rora the pleistocene of central Louisiana. Jim r* ^asdrpetjpoio^v vol, 92 P* 20~g7.

(1940) c-ecassy of Avoyelles and Hep ides Parishes, Louisiana, La* Dept. Oonserv. Bull. vol. IS, 24© p a ^ r’^ —

^ ^ (1944) Geological investigation of the alluvial vaL ley of the lower M ississippi Rtvesr» m ss. River' ’pom,," l i i & n i m i . 78 pages*

(1948a) Geological investigation, of the lower Mermentau river baa in and adjacent areas ^'c^st^L ouisiaB a* fejgeoZTliiBg *1 River Oosu, Vicksburg, 41 pages*

(1948b) Geological investigation of Calcasieu lodealte, Mimeo., Miss* River

Flint, 3* F. <1940) pleistocene features of the Atlantic coastal plain, m+ 30or. Sei. 5th. aer. vol. '38, p* 75V-785V ' ' ' """" ~~ ....." " ""r'1’

(1941) Pleistocene atraaaiines; a re Joinder, discussion, m * Jour* 3d • && ser* vol. 39, p* 459-462. -

(1947) Glacial geology and tbs Pleistocene epoch, John viley a3T Sons, Inc., Hew York/ s^ ' pages.

Frisk, J. v. (1941) 3ubaurface pleistocene cf Louis laaa. La. Dept, con­ es rv* Gaol* Ball. W l. 19, p. 367<*419.

Hager, D. a* (1928) Facto ib affecting the color of sedimentary rocks, A*a. Aasoc* pet* Gaol* Bull* vol. 12, p. 901*938.

Banner, £* J* (1939) Amalia oil field, Jefferson County, Xtexaa, Bull. Ajn* A&soc • Pet. Goo 1. vol. 23, p. 1635-1665. ^ 1 5 2

Harper, Lewi© {1857} prelirajinary report on tfra geology agriculture oT Mlaglsalppii, E* Barlcg&alB. state P rin ts T 1 ' 1 1111 u

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(1904) Underground watera of sou-them Louisi&ta* U. 8. Geol* Survey water Supply Paper l&L, 98 pagsc.

■ (1910) Oil and gaa in Louisiana* U. 3 * Gaol* survey B u ll* 429* p. 164-172C

and Pachecho, J. a * a * (1902) subterranean Patera of Louisiana, La* St. Sxp. sta*, Geol* and Agri* spec* Kept* ho. 6 , p . 195-252,

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______(1866a) On the Hua ternary fogaatlona of the state of Miaalg~ slppl* A?n* your* 3ci •, 2nd serV voi. 42,^ p. 311-325 *

(1866b) Remarks on the d rift of the western and southern states and its ablation to the glacier and iceberg theories. Aib. lour. Sal* 2nd ser. vol. 42, p. 343-347* 1 5 3

Kilgard, S. w* (1869a) Preliminary report ©& the geological reconnais­ sance of Louisiana* Office of pe Bow*s rang Orleans, 15 pages.

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— (1871) On the geological history of the Gulf of Mexico, #a» Jour* sci* 3rd ser. vol* 2, p* 301*404, — —-

^ » (1873} supploiaeiitary and final report on a geological recon­ naissance of the state of Louisiana, picayune. Hew Orfec^s* 44r p ag es.

- .. (1881) The later tertiary of the Gulf of m x Ico, m * Jo u r, Sol* 3rd scar* vol* 22, p*. 58-6£.'

(1891) Orange sand, Lagrange and Appomattox, Jm* Geol, vol. 8, p. 129-131.

(1905) The prairie mounds of Louisiana, science vol* 81, p . 551—55E*

H ill, a* T* (1891) Sotea o f the geology of the Southwest, jmu Geol. vol. 7 , p* 366-370.

(1898) Hie deep artesian boring at Goitre 3 ton, Tezaa, m * Jour* Sol* 3 ser • vol. 44, p. 406-409.

(1901) Geography end geology of the Black and Grand Prairies, Texas with detailed descriptions o f the Cretaceous foiKiatlons and special references to artesIan waters, uV S* Geol* survey, 21st Inn. Kept, pt* 7, 666 pages.

(1906) On th e o rig in of the agnail mounds o f loffer M ississip p i valley and Terns, 3<&ence vol. 2$, p. 704-706. ^ ^

_____ and Yaughn, T* W* (1898) Geology of the Edwards plateau and nlo Grande plain adjacent to Austin and sen Antonio, with special reference to the undeigr'cmid water a, uT 3.' Geol.' survey l$Hi Ann* Kept., pt. 2, p. 193-322* ~~ £54

B U I, h . %* and Yangbit, T* w* (19G2) Description of the Austin , $ ss m * 3. G*©X* survey aeoiritias, Austin m ’io noV m h h s, i. H. (190?) Some topographic features fogged at the time of o ar 1&quf&og_ aM th e o rig in o f mounds in tlxe'Q ulf ooaat S lour* Sci* 4th ser. vol, 23, p. 821~2§6. ‘

Holland, is. 0. (1943) P^siography of Beauregard and Alien Parishes, unpublished dlaaSSttW r& i St.'itoi?; ------“ -----

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(1871) second annual report of tbs geological survey of Louisiana to tire General Assembly« Bound and distributed with La. St. Oniv. Ann. Kept . for 1870, p. 1-35,

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Xenaedy, w illiaa (1899) a s e c tio n from T errell* Kaufman county, to Sabine Pass on the Gulf of Geoi'*'siiwSriuit Rept*, p* 45, 62-64, 119*

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(1*43) Marine topography of cap© May formation. Jour. Geol* to T, 51, p* 138-140* ~ itacGee, a. J. (1888) 53iree fostations of the Middle Atlantic slope, m * Jour* sci* 3rd sar• vol. 35, p. 367-388. ’ 1

- — ( l 8**a ) tEite southern extension of Appomattox fo m at io n , m * lour. 3ei. 3rd ser. vol* 40, p* 15-41* — ,

___ (1890b) The Lafayette fozBiatioa, 0. 3 * Geol. survey 12th Ann. Rept*, p* 347-521.

(1891a) The Appomattox formation in the Mississippi embaysient (abatract), Geol* 3 0 c . Ara. v o l, 2 , p . 2 - 6 *

____ (1891b) Neocene and pleistocene ccntlnent Lwoments, An. Geol* vol. 8, p. 234-235.

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Path is, R. w. (1944) Heavy minerals of the Colorado river terraces of Tesaa, Jour, sed* petrology vol. 14, p. 86-&3. ~

Watson, G. 0. (1916) The pliocene Qitronelio formation of the Gulf coastal plain, U• s* Geol* survey prof • Paper 98 (l)Y p. T^7-192.

.. (1917} Louisiana days* U# 3. Geol* jurvay liull • 660, p. 147-158. 157 G*. H. (1941) Ifeaic aspects of atream-meandar s. Trans# Geo- phys io a l Tfa$m+ p* 532-636* ......

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(1936) Y egetat io n and s o i l laounda# Geagr. Rev. v o l. E5, p. 4 3 0 -4 3 3 # ------

M etc alf, a . 3T. (1940) Deposition of Lias!® and Bsaa?Bop.t fonaations of \ Gulf coast car Teastg, Assoc* pet* Geol.Bull# toIV ^S:," p#69S ~700.

^ f e3f» b* (*. (1939) Stratigraphy and historical Geology of Gulf coastal / plains in vicinity of Harris Qo#, Texas» Am. As bog . Pet. Geol# Ball# vol* 23, p. 145-211.

M ississippi River Ofiwaaisaion (1949a) Geological investigation of gravel depOBita in the loser Mississippi valley and adjacent uplaals, Miss. River Com., Vicksburg, 58 pages#

(1949b) The entrenched valley of the lower Red River, Mias# River Com#, 49 pages. iiorr&y, G. 3* (1947) Qenozoic deposits of the Gulf coastal plain# &m* Assoc* pet* Geol. Bull. vol. 31, p. 1825—1850•"" 1,11

(1948) Geology of Desoto and Red River parishes# La. Gcaiserv. Bull. vol. 25, £02 pages#

and Thomas, 3. P. (1945) Mldway-Wilcox surface stratigraphy v of^bafr*™* u p l i f t , L o u isian a a n d ''T e x a s ', m * ^floeT pot.' Geol* . B ill. vol. 29, p. 45-70.

Pattillo, L. G. Jr. (1940) River tar races in the Carrollton area# Dallas fe r 9 a 1 yield and Laboratory vol# 8, p. 27-32.

P e n ro se, H * a . P # J r . ( 1 8 9 0 ) a preliminary r e p o r t on tho Geology of t h e Golf Tertiary of Texas from Red River to the Rio Grande, Ann. i i e p t . &t Geol* purvey of Texas fo r 1 8 8 9 „ p. 5 - 1 0 1 „ ^iper, o, T* (1905) The basalt monads of the Columbia lava, Geianee vol, S I, p* 884*4125*

Plummer, F. E. (1932) The geology of Tezas, pert 3* Cenogolc ays tenia in Texas, tailv. Texas Bull* 3232, p. 519-808. ‘

Prioe, *». a . (1930) Physiography of corpus Christi area, Texas, (abstract) Pan-Am. Geol* vol. 53, p. 216*

______(1932) DlsaaaiBated o il in pleistocene water sends or corpus Christ! area., Texas# aeu a s s o c Pet7 'Geol« liuil." vol. 16, ?."'S8&^08V ------

_ _ (1935a) Heynosa problem of south Texas, aM the origin of caliche* An* Assoc . P e t. G eol. Bull# v o l, i ,7l p* 48G'-522.

____ (1933b) Role of diastrophism in topography of Corpus Chris ti area* Texas* Atn. Assoc. Pet, Geol. Ball* vol, 17, p. 907-962.

(1934) L ls a ie form ation and Beaumont d a y in south Texas (disoussicn), Ala* a s s o c . Pet. Geol. Bull, vol* 18, p. 948-959.

(1936) Role of diaatrophlsm in topography of Corpus Christ! a^ea* South^Texaa; Gulf coast oil Fie Ms, ilia. assoc . pot. Geol., p. 205-250.

(1938a) pleistocene physiography or the northwestern Gulf of coastal plain (abstract) , Geol. soe'.' iijiu proc. for 1937, p . 104*

(1936b) Geology of t he Bio Grande d e lta , Texas and Mexico* Interpreted by geoaiarphology and so ils '("g T b str^coil end Gas J o u r . v o l . 36,p. 71.

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HXigh a * Bernard, the fourth child ot #1111# I. Bernard, sr* end Mary S&aer B ernard, waa bom on November 11, 1914 in Hew

Iberia, Louisiana* He received his elementary, grammar, and high school education from Hew Iberia schools. Me became inter- ested in geology while attending the Southwestern Louisiana

In s til is and transferred to the Louisiana state University from whiel he received a B.3., 1938 and M.S., 1940 in geology. His studies were continued at the University of Texas until 1941 when he accented a teaching position as Instructor in Geology at

Southwestern Louisiana Institute. He served in the united states

Havy during the second world war and returned to southwestern in

1946. From 1947 until the present time he ecu tinned the work required for a degree of Doctor of philosophy in geology at the

Louisiana State University.

He is a member of the American Association of petroleum

Geologists, the Geological and Mining societies of American

Universities, Phi Kappa Phi, and southwestern Louisiana Institute

Honor Society.

165 EXAMINATION AND THESIS REPORT

Candidate:

Major Field: (jjTdJ.a6y

Title of Thesis: (pa j-r&g^yy 0£ Sovr/zf/t*7~

Approved:

M ajor Professor and Chat

of thq Graduate School

EXAMINING COMMITTEE:

Date of Examination: