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Certain Disconformities and Lithology of the Vicksburg Stage of Southeastern United States

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Certain Disconformities and Lithology of the Vicksburg Stage of Southeastern United States Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1955 Certain Disconformities and Lithology of the Vicksburg Stage of Southeastern United States. Edmond Charles Tonti Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Tonti, Edmond Charles, "Certain Disconformities and Lithology of the Vicksburg Stage of Southeastern United States." (1955). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 113. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/113 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]. CERTAIN DISCONFORMITIES AND LITHOLOGY OF THE VICKSBURG STAGE OF SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES A 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 Department of Geology by Edmond Charles Tonti B. S*, University of Notre Dame, 1951 M. S., Louisiana State University, 1953 May, 1955 EXAMINATION AND THESIS REPORT Candidate: E. C. T onti Major Field: Geology Title of Thesis: Certain Disconformities and Lithology of the Vicksburg Stage of Southeastern United States Approved: Major Professor and Cha! Graduate School EXAMINING COMMITTEE: — d Jj. 0.0. j)‘ Date of Examination: 7ha*/a. /9SS /TJU.. PIKE SUIttM Addendum Evidence gathered since the completion and acceptance of this dissertation indicates that the disconformity separating the Hennessey Bayou member and the Byram forma­ tion is located lower in the type Byram section than previously thought* (High water at the type section has made accurate determinations impossible before this datej Therefore, the names Hennessey Bayou and Byram are virtually aynonomous and the writer wishes to withdraw his proposal of the name Hennessey Bayou member as a valid stratigraphic unit* ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Field work for this dissertation was done in part during the tenure of a Humble Oil Company Fellowship and under the direction of Dr. G. E. Murray. The writer wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Dr. Murray for his tireless efforts in assisting the many phases of work necessary for the completion of this study. Special thanks are extended to Professor C. 0. Durham for his many helpful suggestions and criticisms of both the field work and manuscript. The writer gratefully acknowledges the field assistance and paleontological work of Mr. P. J. Delaney. A general note of gratitude is extended to all those students and faculty members who have aided this study in any manner. 0 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS. .............. .............. iii LIST OF FIGURES.......................... v LIST OF PLATES................................. vii ABSTRACT....................................... viii INTRODUCTION................................... 1 HISTORY.............................. 4 STRATIGRAPHY The Forest Hill Formation............. 11 The Red Bluff Formation .......... 15 The Red Bluff-Forest Hill Problem......... 17 The Mint Spring Formation....... 23 The Marianna Formation*.......... 26 The Glendon Formation. ............... 31 Horsebone Lithology............. 41 The Byram Formation........... 45 The Bucatunna Formation........ 52 The Commercial Bentonite of Central Mississippi ....... 57 The Catahoula, Chickasawhay, and Suwannee Formations......... 64 iii PAGE PALEONTOLOGY................................... 67 Vicksburgian Pectinidae........ 70 SEDIMENTARY CYCLES IN THE VICKSBURGIAN........... 72 CLASSIFICATION AND CONCLUSIONS................... 79 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................... 66 APPENDIX Localities.................... .'........... 96 BIOGRAPHY....................................... 101+ iv LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1 - Disconformable Forest Hill - Mint Spring contact at Brandon quarry, Brandon, Rankin County, Miss, — -- Ilf 2 - Disconformable Forest Hill - Mint Spring contact along country road 5 miles east of Waynesboro, Wayne County, Miss, — -------- — Ilf s 3 - Red Bluff type locality, Hiwannee Station, Wayne County, Miss. — ----------------- --- 16 If - Limestone facies of Red Bluff (above tracks) at St. Stephens quarry, Washington County, Alabama -------- 16 5 - Mint Spring type locality along Mint Spring Bayou at Vicksburg, Miss. — --- — 25 6 - Marianna type locality, along Hwy. 90 at Chipola River bridge, Marianna, Jackson County, Florida---------- - -— — — ----- 30 4 7 - Marianna limestone at St. Stephens quarry, Washington County, Alabama — — --------- 30 6 - Glendon type locality, Glendon Station, Clark County, Alabama-------- -- — — -- --- — — 37' 9 - Glendon limestone beneath Miss. River bridge at Vicksburg, Mississippi — — -- ----- — — - 36 10 - Glendon limestone at Brandon quarry, Brandon, Rankin County, Mississippi — -- 36 11 - Penecontemporaneous folding in Glendon limestone in railroad cut 3 miles north of Waynesboro, Wayne County, Mississippi — — — 40 12 - Close-up views of typical MHorseboneM lithology of Marianna formation (?) at Salt Mountain, 4 miles southeast of Jackson, Clark County, Alabama — --- — — ---- — — — — 4-3 v FIGURE PAGE 13 - Byram type locality along Pearl River at Byram, Hinds County, Mississippi ---- — go lif - Type locality of Hennessey Bayou Member, 3 miles south of Vicksburg, Miss, ------ -— -- 51 15 - Disconformable Hennessey Bayou-Byram contact at Hennessey Bayou type locality, --------- 51 16 - Erosional remnants of the Byram formation beneath lower Bucatunna disconformity, 1 mile south of Lorena, Smith County, Miss, — 62 17 - Disconformable Hennessey Bayou - Byram contact in bentonite strip mine 3 miles southwest of Bums, Smith County, Mississippi-------- 63 16 - Commercial bentonite bed in strip mine 3 miles southwest of Burns, Smith County, Mississippi------------------------------ 63 19 - Disconformable Catahoula-Bucatunna contact along Hwy. 60, 12 miles west of Jackson, Mississippi — -------- 65 20 - Disconformable Chickasawhay-Bucatunna contact on Hwy. 17, 1 1/2 miles north of Millry, Alabama -- — ----------- 65 21 - Disconformable Suwannee-Glendon contact on Hwy. 167, 3 miles north of Marianna, Florida - 66 vi LIST OF PLATES PLATE PAGE I - Detailed Composite Sections of Vicksburg Inside back Stage in Mississippi, Alabama and cover Western Florida II - Generalized Lithologic Facies of Vicksburg Inside back Stage cover III - Detailed Sections Showing Stratigraphic Relations of Red Bluff and Forest Hill Formations in Western Alabama----------- 22 IV - Diagram Showing Correlation between Glendon Type Section and Reference Section ------ 36 V - Diagrammatic Sketch of Railroad Cut Showing Slump Structure in Glendon Formation----- 39 VI - Diagrammatic Sketch from Salt Mountain Showing Random Development of *'HorseboneH Lithology beneath Disconformity — ----- — 44 VII - Type Section of Hennessey Bayou Member, Bucatunna Formation — — — -- -— ------ -- 49 VIII - Generalized Cross-Section Showing Common Miscorrelations within Vicksburg Stage of Mississippi and Alabama — --- — -- ------- 56 IX - Generalized Cross-Section of Bentonite Strip Mines in Smith County, Mississippi — 61 X - Range Chart of Vicksburgian Pectinidae — - 69 XI - Diagrammatic Cross-Section Showing Maximum Truncation and or Facies Thinning of Formational Units to the East — — — 76 XII - Correlation Chart ——— —— — ——— —— 65 vii ABSTRACT A 3tratigraphic investigation of the Vicksburgian deposits was conducted in Mississippi, Alabama, and Western Florida. Correlation of formational units was exacted by- detailed lithologic analysis along strike. Two sedimentary cycles were indentified. A distinct disconformity marks the upper and lower boundary of each unit. The lowermost cycle extends from a disconformity at the base of the Mint Springs-Marianna formation to a simi­ lar break at the top of the Byram formation (this report). The uppermost cycle contains the Bucatunna marl and clay facies extending to a disconformity at the base of the overlying Catahoula and Chickasawhay formations. In each case, the cycle contains a lower transgressive and an upper regressive unit. The term Vicksburg Stage is sug­ gested to include at least those deposits mentioned and whatever variable, but equivalent facies might be deter­ mined elsewhere. The name Glendon is redefined and applied to the alternating crystalline limes and marls located, in part, stratigraphically above the type section. A reference type section is proposed at St. Stephens Quarry, St. Stephens, Alabama. The typical "Horsebone” lithology is viii shown to be an extremely variable weathering phenomenon which may develop on any limestone beds immediately be­ neath the lower Bucatunna disconformity. The name Hennessey Bayou member is proposed for the lower Bucatunna transgressive unit heretofore included within the Byram formation. Exposures on Hennessey Bayou, 3 miles south of Vicksburg, Mississippi, are considered exemplary of this member. Field data indicates that the commercial bentonite deposits of central Mississippi are located in the lower­ most Bucatunna clays immediately above the marine Hennessey Bayou unit• INTRODUCTION The marine limes and marls of the Vicksburg Group are one of the best
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