Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1972 Paleogeography, Diagenesis, and Paleohydrology of a Trinity Cretaceous Carbonate Beach Sequence, Central Texas. Richard Francis Inden Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Inden, Richard Francis, "Paleogeography, Diagenesis, and Paleohydrology of a Trinity Cretaceous Carbonate Beach Sequence, Central Texas." (1972). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2220. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2220 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]. 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University Microfilms 300 North Zaeb Road Aon Arbor, Michigan AS 106 A Xerox Education Company $: ■■i 7 2 -2 8 ,355 INDEN, Richard Francis, 1943- PALEOGEOGRAPHY, DIAGENESIS, AND PALEOHYDROLOGY OF A TRINITY CRETACEOUS CARBONATE BEACH SEQUENCE, CENTRAL TEXAS. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1972 Geology University Microfilms, A XEROXCompany, Ann Arbor, Michigan © 1972 RICHARD FRANCIS INDEN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED PALEOGEOGRAPHY, DIAGENESIS, AND PALEOHYDROLOGY OF A TRINITY CRETACEOUS CARBONATE BEACH SEQUENCE, CENTRAL TEXAS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College 1n partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1 n The Department of Geology by Richard Francis Inden B.S., University of Wisconsin, 1965 M.S., University of Illinois, 1968 May, 1972 PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have i nd i st i net print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dr. C. H. Moore suggested this prob'em and served as my committee chairman throughout Its endurance. I am in­ debted to him and to Dr. Jeffrey Hanor, Dr. D. R. Lowe, Dr. G. F. Hart, Dr. Bob F. Perkins, Dr. Ray E. Ferrell, and Paul L. Stelneck for critically reviewing the manu­ script and making many useful comments. The author gra­ ciously acknowledges the guidance of Dr. P. E. Schilling, without whom the statistical analyses could not have been done; Mr. Mac Jervey and Alice Blenvenu assisted 1n the coding and keypunching of data for the computer analysis. Thanks are due to Frank Lozo and Fred Stricklin of Shell Oil Company for their help during the early stages of field work. The Texas Bureau of Economic Geology allowed the author to sample two donated Shell Oil cores. Sue Mouledoux and Tom LeFebvre aided 1n the preparation of samples. Gratitudes also go out to John Robinson, who did much of the photographic work; C liff Duplechln, for draft­ ing of the final plates; and Bunny Thlbodaux for typing. Special thanks are due James Kennedy for preparing the final plates. Financial support was provided by the Geology De­ partment, Louisiana State University, throughout the author's residency, and by a Sigma X1 Grants-1n-A1d of Research Award. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... 1i LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT...........................................................................................................vH I INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 Purpose ........................................................................................................ 1 Study A r e a .............................................................................................. 3 Procedures ............................................................................................. 3 Regional Geological Setting ................................................... 5 MIDDLE TRINITY LITHOFACIES ........................................................... 7 Stratigraphy ......................................................................................... 7 Llthofades Analysis..................................................................... 12 Sycamore Conglomerate ................................................................ 12 Middle and Upper Hammett Shale ........................................ 18 Cow Creek Limestone ............................................ ..... 24 Hensel Sandstone .......................................................................... 44 Summary and PaleogeographlcReconstruction .... 51 CARBONATE DIAGENESIS .......................................................................... 57 G eneral ....................................................................................................... 57 Statistical Analysis ..................................................................... 59 Hammett Shale D1agenes1s ........................................................... 61 Clay Mineralogy, Diagenesis, Dolomite Injection . 61 Cow Creek Limestone D1agenes1s ............................................. 71 Grain D1agenes1s .......................................................................... 71 Intergranular D1agenes1s ................................................... 96 "Marine" Fung-Algal Caliche ................................................. 124 Summary ..............................................................................................................134 Hammett Shale .................................................................................... 134 Grain D1agenes1s ................................................................................135 Intergranular Diagenesis ............................................................ 137 Comparison with Other Beaches ............................................. 139 111 Page GENERAL DIAGENETIC-PALEOHYDROLOGIC CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR MIDDLE TRINITY T I M E .............................................................142 General Paleohydrology and D1agenet1c Environments 142 Subsea Diagenesis .......................................................................... 143 Subaerial D1agenes1s ................................................................ 144 Cow Creek Strandllne Phase ...................................................... 147 Post-Cow Creek Strandllne Phase ............................................. 152 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ...................................................... 160 REFERENCES.........................................................................................................168 APPENDIX A. Procedures ....................................................................... 183 APPENDIX B. Discussion of Significant Variations 1n the Outcrop and Outcrop by facies Interaction Analyses . ! ! . 190 APPENDIX C. Clay Mineralogy of the Hammett Shales and Carbonates . ! ! 1 ^ ^ 7~. 202 APPENDIX D, Other Dlagenetic Aspects of the Cow Creek Limestone .. I ! I ! I ! . 207 D1. Early L1th1fIcation of the Nodules and Nodular B e d s ........................................................207 D2. Grain Dolom1t1zat1on (RjE) .......................... 213 D3. The Irregular, Medial Crystal Juncture L i n e .....................................................................................217