THE UNIVERSITY UF UKL4HUMA GRADUATE COLLEGE GEOLOGY OF PAWNEE COUNTY. OKLAHOMA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree o f DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY PAUL BENNETT GRËIG, JR. Norman, Oklahoma 1957 GEOLOGY OF PAWNEE COUNTY, OKLAHOMA APPROVED BY Q J k ü jL V (fj/l l Æ ^ i g â é T l à f ACKNÜWLEDGMTS The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Dr. Carl C, Branson, who suggested and supervised this investigation, to Dr, William E, Ham, Dr. Frank A. Melton, Dr. George G. Huffman, Dr. P h ilip A. Ghenowith, and Mr. A rthur W, McCray, who read the manu­ script and offered their constructive criticism, and to Dr. Louise Jordan of the Oklahoma Geological Survey, who provided valuable as­ sistance in subsurface correlation and nomenclature. Thanks are due also to the Oklahoma G eological Survey, which i ; ■supplied the aerial photographs and provided financial assistance for Ipart of the field work, and to the Standard Oil Company of Texas, which I through its Fellowship in Geology, facilitated the early completion of it he academic and field work requisite to this report, i I i Special mention should be made of the kindness and cooperation : Ishown to the author fay all the residents of Pawnee County with whom he had occasion to associate during the course of the field work. The author is especially indebted to his wife, Jean, without jwhose assistance, encouragement, and understanding this thesis would never have been written: i n TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGfffiNTS .......................................................................................... i i i LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................... ix LIST W ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................................. x Chapter I . INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 Scope and Purpose of the Report 1 Location of the Area . ........................................................ 1 Previous Investigations ... 3 Present Investigation ............................................................ 6 Preparation ......................................................................... 6 Field Procedure ....................................... ...... 8 Laboratory Procedure .................................................... 8 Physiography of the Area ............................................... 9 General Statem ent .............................................. 9 Topography and Drainage ................................................ 9 Clim ate .................................................................................. H Accessibility of the Area .................................................... 11 I I . SURFACE STRATIGRAPHY ............................................................ 13 General Statement ................................................ ..... 13 Pennsylvanian System .............................................. 13 iv Page Missouri Series . ................................................................ • 13 Wann formation ............................................................ 16 Barnsdall formation .................................................... 20 Okesa sandstone member . ................................... 21 Tallant formation ........................................................ 22 Bigheart sandstone member , 24 Hevard sandstone member 25 Virgil Series ............................................................................. 27 Douglas-Shawnee group .................................................... 29 Vamoosa form ation ........................................................ 31 Cbeshewalla sandstone member .......................... 32 Wynona sandstone member ....................................... 34 Kannaka shale member ........................................... 35 Elgin sandstone .................................................... 36 Pawhuska formation .................................................... 43 Lecompton lim estone .............................. 45 Turkey Run limestone ........................................... 49 Wabaunsee group ............................................................ • 54 Severy shale ....... ............................... 57 Bird Creek limestone ........ 59 Hallett shale ............................................................ 61 Wakarusa limestone ................................................... 66 Auburn shale ................................................................ 68 Emporia limestone .................................................... • 69 Reading limestone member ............................... < 70 V -age Harveyville shale member .......................... 72 Elmont limestone member .......... 74 Gano sh ale ................................................................. 77 Wood Siding formation ................................................ 78 "Grayborse" limestone member .......................... 79 Pony Greek sh ale member . ................................... 83 Brownville limestone member ........ 86 Permian System .............................................................................. 90 Wolfcamp S e rie s ............................................... .... 91 Admire group .......................................................................... 94 Admire shale ................................................................. 94 Council Grove group ........................................................ 98 Foraker limestone ........................................... 99 Americas limestone member ................................... 100 Hughes Creek shale member ................................... 104 Long Creek lim estone member ........ 106 Johnson shale ................................................................. 109 Bed Eagle limestone .................................................... I l l Boca shale ......... ... 115 Neva lim estone ............................................................. 122 Eskridge shale ............................................................. 128 Cottonwood limestone ................................................ 130 Garrison shale ............................................................. 134 Chase group .............................................................................. 136 Wreford limestone ..... 136 v i Page Matfield shale ................................................................. 142 Fort Riley limestone .................................................... 144 Doyle sh ale . ................................................................. 150 Winfield limestone ........................................................ 152 Q uaternary System 155 I I I , SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY ..................................................................... 160 General Statement 160 Cambro-Ordovician .............................................................................. 161 Ordovician System .............................................................................. 162 Mississippian System ..................................................................... 163 Pennsylvanian System ............................................. 164 Des Moines S e r i e s ..................................................................... 164; I Missouri S eries .................................. 165; Virgil S eries .............................................................................. 167 j Permian System ....... 167 Wolfcamp S eries ....................................................... 1671 IV, STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY .............................................................................. 1691 Surface S tructure .............................. 169; F au ltin g ...................................................................................... 169 Folding .............................................................................. 173 Subsurface Structure ..................................................................... 174 V, GEOLOGIC HISTORY ........................................................................... 177' VI. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY ................................................................................... 183 Water Resources . 183 Snrfacp wa+.mr__ , - - -___ 183 v i i Page Subsurface water ................................................................ 184 Sand and Gravel ...................................................................... 184 Shale and C la y ............................................................... , . 185 Limestone ........ 185 Building S to ne .................................. 187 C o a l .................................................................................................. 188 Copper ..................... 189 Radioactive Minerals .... ....... 190 Oil and Gas ................................................................................. 191 I V II. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................. 199 I BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................... 203 APPENDIX............................................................................................................... 213 A,Insoluble residue analysis of key limestones ..... 214 B. Register of fossil collecting sites .................................... 218 , C. Composite fossil range chart