STATE OF OHIO Bob Taft, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Samuel W. Speck, Director DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas M. Berg, Chief Baranoski, Schumacher, Watts, Carlton, and El-Saiti—SUBSURFACE GEOLOGY OF THE SERPENT MOUND DISTURBANCE, THE SERPENT OF GEOLOGY Carlton, and El-Saiti—SUBSURFACE Watts, Baranoski, Schumacher, ADAMS, HIGHLAND, AND PIKE COUNTIES, OHIO—Ohio Division of Geological Survey Report of Investigations 146 of Investigations OHIO—Ohio Division of Geological Survey Report AND PIKE COUNTIES, HIGHLAND, ADAMS, Report of Investigations No. 146 SUBSURFACE GEOLOGY OF THE SERPENT MOUND DISTURBANCE, ADAMS, HIGHLAND, AND PIKE COUNTIES, OHIO by Mark T. Baranoski, Gregory A. Schumacher, Doyle R. Watts, Richard W. Carlton, and Belgasem M. El-Saiti Columbus 2003 DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 4383 FOUNTAIN SQUARE DRIVE COLUMBUS, OHIO 43224-1362 (614) 265-6576 (614) 447-1918 (FAX) e-mail: [email protected] World Wide Web: http://www.ohiodnr.com/geosurvey/ OHIO GEOLOGY ADVISORY COUNCIL Ms. F. Lynn Kantner, representing At-Large Citizens Mr. David A. Wilder, representing Coal Mr. C. Robert Lennertz, representing Environmental Geology Dr. Mark R. Boardman, representing Higher Education Dr. Robert W. Ritzi, Jr., representing Hydrogeology Mr. Garry L. Getz, representing Industrial Minerals Mr. William M. Rike, representing Oil and Gas SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF OF THE DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ADMINISTRATION (614) 265-6988 Thomas M. Berg, MS, State Geologist and Division Chief Dennis N. Hull, MS, Assistant State Geologist and Assistant Division Chief Betty R. Lewis, Fiscal Offi cer James M. Patterson, Account Clerk Sharon L. Stone, AD, Administrative Assistant GEOLOGIC MAPPING GROUP (614) 265-6473 COAL & INDUSTRIAL MINERALS GROUP (614) 265-6594 Edward Mac Swinford, MS, Geologist Supervisor Douglas L. Crowell, MS, Geologist Supervisor Richard R. Pavey, MS, Surfi cial Mapping Administrator Charles E. Banks, MS, Geologist/GIS Specialist C. Scott Brockman, MS, Geologist Ronald G. Rea, MS, Geologist and Sample Repository Man- Glenn E. Larsen, MS, Geologist ager Gregory A. Schumacher, MS, Geologist Mark E. Wolfe, BS, Geologist Douglas L. Shrake, MS, Geologist Kim E. Vorbau, BS, Geologist PETROLEUM GEOLOGY GROUP (614) 265-6598 LAKE ERIE GEOLOGY GROUP (419) 626-4296, Lawrence H. Wickstrom, MS, Geologist Supervisor (419) 626-8767 (FAX) Mark T. Baranoski, MS, Geologist James McDonald, MS, Geologist Constance J. Livchak, MS, Geologist Supervisor Ronald A. Riley, MS, Geologist Jonathan A. Fuller, MS, Geologist Ernie R. Slucher, MS, Geologist Donald E. Guy, Jr., MS, Geologist Joseph G. Wells, MS, Database Administrator CARTOGRAPHY & EDITING GROUP (614) 265-6593 GEOLOGIC RECORDS CENTER (614) 265-6585 Edward V. Kuehnle, BA, Cartographer Supervisor Garry E. Yates, NZCS, Supervisor Donovan M. Powers, BA, GIMS Specialist Madge R. Fitak, BS, Offi ce Assistant Lisa Van Doren, BA, Electronic Designer Sharon E. Lundy, Offi ce Assistant An Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/H recycled paper vi STATE OF OHIO Bob Taft, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Samuel W. Speck, Director DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas M. Berg, Chief Report of Investigations No. 146 SUBSURFACE GEOLOGY OF THE SERPENT MOUND DISTURBANCE, ADAMS, HIGHLAND, AND PIKE COUNTIES, OHIO by Mark T. Baranoski Ohio Division of Geological Survey Gregory A. Schumacher Ohio Division of Geological Survey Doyle R. Watts Wright State University (formerly at University of Glasgow) Richard W. Carlton Ohio Division of Geological Survey (now retired) and Belgasem M. El-Saiti Gar Younis University, Bengazi, Libya (formerly at University of Glasgow) Columbus 2003 i Front cover: Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite false-color Back cover: Aerial view of the Serpent Mound effi gy, Adams image taken in September 1994 showing the circular Serpent County, Ohio. Photo by Tom Root. Reproduced with the permis- Mound disturbance and the Plum Run Quarry Fault adjacent to sion of the Ohio Historical Society. the western limit of the Appalachian Plateaus in southern Ohio (see interpretation opposite). Image area covers approximately 888 square km (343 square miles). Image spectral bands are bands 2, 3, and 4, which determine relative intensities of blue, green, and red, respectively. The bands range in wavelength between 0.52 and 0.60 micrometers, 0.63 and 0.69 micrometers, and 0.76 and 0.90 micrometers, respectively. Reddish-orange hues generally indicate deciduous tree cover on rugged topographic relief. Light-blue to purple hues indicate highly refl ective sur- faces such as roads, manmade features, and water bodies. Image processing provided by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Real Estate and Land Management. ii Western edge of the Appalachian Plateaus escarpment Boundary fault zone of the Serpent Mound disturbance Plum Run Quarry Fault INTERPRETATION OF FRONT-COVER IMAGE iii CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................ 3 Previous work ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Regional geologic setting ...................................................................................................................... 6 Precambrian geology ......................................................................................................................... 6 Paleozoic folding and faulting ........................................................................................................... 6 Paleozoic stratigraphy ....................................................................................................................... 9 Core and oil and gas well data ............................................................................................................. 11 Core examination procedures and terminology ............................................................................... 11 Data beyond boundary of the Serpent Mound disturbance ............................................................ 12 Data within the boundary of the Serpent Mound disturbance ....................................................... 13 Megascopic description of core DGS 3274 .................................................................................... 16 Petrography of core DGS 3274 ...................................................................................................... 20 Geochemistry of core DGS 3274 .................................................................................................... 21 Megascopic description of core DGS 3275 .................................................................................... 21 Geophysical data ................................................................................................................................... 24 Seismic refl ection profi les and reprocessing .................................................................................... 24 Gravity data ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Magnetic data .................................................................................................................................... 31 Paleomagnetic data ........................................................................................................................... 33 Origin of the Serpent Mound disturbance ........................................................................................... 34 Discussion .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 37 References cited .................................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix A.—Glossary ......................................................................................................................... 46 Appendix B.—Generalized descriptions of lithostratigraphic units .................................................. 48 Appendix C.—Checklist used in describing cores ............................................................................... 54 Appendix D.—Selected megascopic descriptions of thin sections and samples from cores DGS 3274 and DGS 3275 .................................................................................................................................... 56 FIGURES 1. Location of structural zones of the Serpent Mound disturbance ................................................. 2 2. Comparison between the geologic maps of Foerste and Lamborn and Bownocker .................... 7 3. Location of selected basement features in Ohio ............................................................................ 8 4. Regional structural features .........................................................................................................