MISCELLANEOUS REPORT NO. 6 ORDOVICIAN, SILURIAN, AND MIDDLE DEVONIAN STRATIGRAPHY IN NORTHWESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHERN INDIANA-SOME REINTERPRETATIONS by James E. Conkin, Barbara M. Conkin, and John Kubacko, Jr. .. • ' .•·"· DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 4383 FOUNTAIN SQUARE DRIVE COLUMBUS, OHIO 43224-1362 (614) 265-6576 (Voice) (614) 265-6994 {TDD) (614) 447-1918 (FAX) OHIO GEOLOGY ADVISORY COUNCIL Dr. E. Scott Bair, representing Hydrogeology Mr. Mark R. Rowland, representing Environmental Geology Dr. J. Barry Maynard, representing At-Large Citizens Dr. Lon C. Ruedisili, representing Higher Education Mr. Michael T. Puskarich, representing Coal Mr. Gary W. Sitler, representing Oil and Gas Mr. Robert A. Wilkinson, representing Industrial Minerals SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF OF THE DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ADMINISTRATION (614) 265-6576 Thomas M. Berg, MS, State Geologist and Division Chief Robert G. Van Hom, MS, Assistant State Geologist and Assistant Division Chief Michael C. Hansen, PhD, Senior Geologist, Ohio Geology Editor, and Geohazards Officer James M . Miller, BA, Fiscal Officer Sharon L. Stone, AD, Executive Secretary REGIONAL GEOLOGY SECTION (614) 265-6597 TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS SECTION (614) 265-6593 Dennis N. Hull, MS, Geologist Manager and Section Head Merrianne Hackathorn, MS, Geologist and Editor Jean M. Lesher, Typesetting and Printing Technician Paleozoic Geology and Mapping Subsection (614) 265-6473 Edward V. Kuehnle, BA, Cartographer Edward Mac Swinford, MS, Geologist Supervisor Michael R. Lester, BS, Cartographer Glenn E. Larsen, MS, Geologist Robert L. Stewart, Cartographer Gregory A. Schumacher, MS, Geologist Lisa Van Doren, BA, Cartographer Douglas L. Shrake, MS, Geologist Ernie R. Slucher, MS, Geologist PUBLICATIONS CENTER (614) 265-6605 Quaternary Geology and Mapping Subsection (614) 265-6599 Garry E. Yates, NZCS, Public Information Officer and Acting Section Head Richard R. Pavey, MS, Geologist Supervisor Inaleigh E. Eisen, Public Inquiries Assistant C. Scott Brockman, MS, Geologist Donna M. Schrappe, Public Inquiries Assistant Billie Long, Account Clerk Core Drilling Subsection (614) 265-6594 Douglas L. Crowell, MS, Geologist Supervisor MINERAL RESOURCES AND GEOCHEMISTRY SECTION Roy T. Dawson, Driller (614) 265-6602 Michael J. Mitchell, Driller David A. Stith, MS, Geologist Supervisor and Section Head Mark E. Clary, Drilling Assistant William R. Dunfee, Drilling Assistant Allan G. Axon, PhD, Geologist Richard W. Carlton, PhD, Senior Geologist SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY Norman F. Knapp, PhD, Chemical Laboratory Supervisor SECTION (614) 265-6585 Sherry L. Weisgarber, MS, Geologist and Mineral Statistician Kim E. Vorbau, BS, Geologist Ronald G. Rea, MS, Geologist Supervisor and Section Head Mark T. Baranoski, MS, Geologist LAKE ERIE GEOLOGY SECTION (419) 626-4296 James McDonald, MS, Geologist Ronald A. Riley, MS, Creologist Scudder D. Mackey, PhD, Geologist Supervisor and Section Head Lawrence H. Wickstrom, MS, Senior Geol.ogist and Computer Coordi,naJ,or Danielle A. Foye, BS, Geology Technician Angelena M. Bailey, Administrative Assistant Jonathan A. Fuller, MS, Geologist Donald E. Guy, Jr., MS, Geologist Samples and Records Dale L. Liebenthal, Operations Officer & Research Vessel Operator Garry E. Yates, NZCS, Environmental Technology Supervisor Mary Lou McGurk, Office Assistant An Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/H STATE OF OHIO George V. Voinovich, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Frances S. Buchholzer, Director DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas M. Berg, Chief MISCELLANEOUS REPORT NO. 6 ORDOVICIAN, SILURIAN, AND MIDDLE DEVONIAN STRATIGRAPHY IN NORTHWESTERN KENTUCKY ,, . AND SOUTHERN INDIANA-SOME REINTERPRETATIONS by James E. Conkin Barbara M. Conkin Department of Geography & Geosciences Jefferson Community College University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky John Kubacko, Jr. Park Aerial SuNeys Louisville, Kentucky tll. -~..., &Tl Field Trip 8 for the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America Cincinnati, Ohio October 26-29, 1992 Columbus 1992 Cover illustration: Upper part of the Louisville Limestone and lower part of the Jeffersonville Limestone exposed at Poplar Level Road and Trevilian Vay, Louisville, Kentucky (see fig. 19). Cartographic assistance: Robert L. Stewart, Edward V. Kuehnle, Lisa Van Doren, and Michael R. Lester CONTENTS Page Introduction ............................................................... 1 Field-trip stops ........................................................... 1 Paracontinuous stratigraphy and chronostratigraphy ......................... 4 Middle-Late Ordovician boundary .............•.............................. 6 Ordovician metabentonites .................................................. 9 Silurian of the field-trip area ..•......•.............•....•.............. 14 Laure 1-Waldron paracont inuous boundary ............................... 14 Waldron-Louisville disconformity .......•....•..•....•...••........... 17 Louisville Limestone ........................................... ; .... 17 Lithostratigraphy of the Louisville Limestone .........•......... 17 Big Rock Member .....•...................................... 1 7 Shanks Quarry Member ....................................... 21 Cross Hill Member .......................................... 21 Macrofossils of the Louisville Limestone ..•...•.......••...•.... 25 Big Rock Member ............................................ 25 Shanks Quarry Member ..................•.....•........••.... 25 Cross Hill Member .•..................•..•.........•........ 26 Microfossils of the Louisville Limestone ......•.........•....•.. 26 The nature of the Louisville-Jeffersonville paraconformity ................ 27 Determination of the Louisville-Jeffersonville boundary by means of agglutinate Foraminifera .•...•.....•.•...•.........•.....•.....•.......... 31 Lower and Middle Devonian of the field-trip area ..•..•.•........•••...•... 32 Paracontinuities and bone beds .....•......•..•.........•.....•....... 33 Metabentoni tes .......•••..•.....•....••....•...•.....••........•...•• 33 Kawkawlin Metabentonite .............•................•.......... 34 Onondaga Indian Nation Metabentonite .••.....••...•••...•...••... 37 Lake Chelan Metabentonite ...............•.....•.....•.....•..... 37 Tioga Metabentonite (restricted) •••........•....•.....•....•.... 38 Summary ..........................•...........................•.....•...... 3 8 Acknowledgments ..•.....•....•.....••.•...•.•....•..•••...••...••.•....•... 40 References cited ............•.......•.......•.......•.....•....••...•..... 40 FIGURES 1. Field-trip stops in northwestern Kentucky and southern Indiana ........ 2 2. Stratigraphic units of the field-trip area ••....•.•.....•..••......... 3 3. Orders of paracontinuities ..•.•.......•.......................•....... 5 4. Cynthiana lithofacies and Cynthiana-Eden paracontinuity ...•......••... 6 5. Counties in Kentucky where Parapodolithus sardesoni has been found .... 7 6. Measured section at Liter's quarry (Stop 1) .•......••...•.•••........• 8 7. Measured section at Stop 2 along U.S. Highway 127N ..•.•••....•.....•• 10 8. Measured section at Stop 2 at Dead Horse Road quarry .•.........•..... 11 9. Measured stratotype section of Sleepy Hollow Metabentonite at Stop 4 .............................................................. 12 10. Correlation of eastern North American Ordovician metabentonites ....•• 13 11. Measured section at Stop 5, Jefferson County quarry ...•.............. 15 12. Silurian section in the Nugent quarry (Stop 8) .••.•••....••.....••••. 16 13. Units of Louisville Limestone ....•...............•............•...... 18 iii 14. Composite stratotype section of Louisville Limestone in the Cherokee Park area ................................................... 19 15. Measured stratotype section of Big Rock Member ....................... 20 16. Measured stratotype section of Shanks Quarry Member .................. 22 17. Measured stratotype section of Cross Hill Member ..................... 23 18. Measured section at Bickel Lane quarry ............................... 24 19. Measured section at Poplar Level Road and Trevilian Way .............. 28 20. Measured section at Stop 9, Prospect Hill ............................ 29 21. Measured section in Scott County quarry ....................•......... 30 22. Paracontinuous stratigraphic correlation of late Early and Middle Devonian ............................................................. 32 23. Stratigraphic positions and identities of Devonian metabentonites .... 34 24. Measured Devonian section in the Nugent quarry (Stop 8) .............. 35 25. Measured Devonian section in the Tuscola Stone Company quarry ........ 36 PLATES 1. Exposures in Liter's quarry (Stop 1) and specimens of Parapodolithus sardesoni from Bridgeport 2. Exposures a~ Stop 2 along U.S. Hwy 127N and abandoned Dead Horse Road quarry 3. Exposures of Brannon and Woodburn limestones at Stop 4 4. Pyroclastic mineral euhedra from metabentonites at Stop 2 and Stop 4 5. Exposures in and fossils from the Jefferson County quarry (Stop 5) 6. Exposures in the Jefferson County quarry (Stop 5) 7. Exposures of the Middle Silurian section and the Louisville- Jeffersonville paraconformity in the Nugent quarry (Stop 8) 8. Exposures at stratotypes of Shanks Quarry Member (Stop GA), Cross Hill Member (Stop 6B), and Big Rock Member (Stop 7) of Louisville Limestone 9. Exposures in roadcut on U.S. Hwy 42 at Prospect Hill (Stop 9) 10. Exposures of Louisville, Jeffersonville,