Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1963 Cenozoic Cyclic Deposition in the Subsurface of Central Louisiana. Louis H. Dixon Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Dixon, Louis H., "Cenozoic Cyclic Deposition in the Subsurface of Central Louisiana." (1963). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 877. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/877 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]. This dissertation has been 64—5037 microfilmed exactly as received DIXON, Louis H., 1912- CENOZOIC CYCLIC DEPOSITION IN THE SUBSURFACE OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA. Louisiana State University, Ph.D., 1963 G eology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan CENOZOIC CYCLIC DEPOSITION IN THE SUBSURFACE OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA 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 Louis H. Dixon M.A., University of Texas, 19^1 August, 1953 ARKANSAS _ LOUISIANA I y * JACKSON Lr POSIMENT S A B IN E % POSIM ENT EXPLANATION SALT DOMES r*¥W»W / V© ® . m IB t " V / V ^ T „ \° 5;¥:SSsii 0 PROVEN m >1 LA SALLE -6- INFERRED i \ PCpMENT ,vi ^ ^ l-. AREA OF THIS REPORT CHENEYVtLLEX M S S I S SI PPI EOLA PINE ^V/LLE ^ S \S S IP P I PRAIRIE ® PLATTE. //////> PALEOGENE pcwr AKROTZy/Ly^ I ’ A/% - \ s p r IU g s ' ^ ^ >0^ .v L g u l f w a r d 0 S H IFTIN G v<5 % W \\% 1 ^ neogevneo Nt£; SCALE - MILES 0 10 2 0 3 0 4 0 S© depocenters SOME MAJOR FEATURES OF BASIN CONFIGURATION RELATED TO CYCLES OF DEPOSITION FIGURE I ACKNOWLEDGMENT Dr. C. O. Durham, Jr., Department of Geology, Louisiana State University and Director of Research at the Louisiana Geological Survey, serving as Chairman of the Graduate Committee, directed this study. Many of the ideas concerning interpretations of the data, herein pre­ sented, were developed during discussions with him. Other members of the Faculty who read this report and gave constructive criticism in­ clude Drs. H. V. Andersen, A. H. Cheetham, J. C„ Ferm, E. V. Howe, J. P. Morgan and W. A. van den Bold. Dr. A. E. Sandberg gave assist­ ance in editing. Me*. E. G. Anderson gave freely of his time and as­ sistance throughout the entire project. The Louisiana State Geological Survey, under the direction of Mr. Leo W. Hough, furnished financial aid, electric logs, supplies, and technical assistance. Mr. Gerard 0. Coignet was particularly help­ ful in editing, and in supervising the drafting. Mrs. W. E. Stanfield and Mr. John D. Raybom, Jr., drafted the illustrations. Miss Frances M. Mollere and Mrs. Floyd Brister assisted in typing and proof reading. Messrs. William A. Falconer, Ralph J. Dobbins and John B. Thigpen made calculations for percent actual sand. Members of the Louisiana Depart­ ment of Conservation at Baton Rouge, Monroe and Lafayette gave access to their files. Many geologists in the oil industry were free in their discussions and where company policy permitted, opened their files of electric logs reports, and maps, and supplied descriptive paleontological and litho- logical data. Mrs. Lorna S* Proctor assisted in plotting data and in typing. Messrs. Roman J. Matranga and John B. Echols participated in many discussions throughout the work program. The interest of Dr. and Mrs. B. N. Sewell was largely responsible for the selection of the Gulf Coast as a site for graduate geological research. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgment------------------------------- iii Abstract----------- — ---------------------------- l Introduction------------------------------ if Investigations of cyclic deposition------- 4 Geographic location and extent of mapped region-------- 9 Procedure --------------------------------------- 9 Location in the Gulf Coast geosyncline------------------- 15 Cycles of deposition---------------------- l8 Facies and environments--------------------- 18 General relationships----------------------------- 18 Arenaceous facies-------------------------------- 20 Marine Invasions--------------------------------- 2 k Shaly facies----- •------------------------ — ---- 32 Stratigraphic relationships--------------- 38 Basin configuration and adjustment---------------------- Mf Basin subsidence--------- •------------------ Mi- General----------------------------- Mi- Major depocenters---------------------- k6 Cyclic rate of subsidence------------------------- M3 Basin adjustments of individual cycles---------------- 50 Growth of salt domes----------------------------------- 5k Structure--------------------------------------------- 57 Interpretations------------------------------------- 57 v Page Conclusions and recommendations--------------------- 60 References cited------------- 6l Vita--------------------------------------------- 67 vi ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1.— Map of Louisiana, showing some major features of basin configuration related to cycles of deposition---------------------- Frontispiece 2.--Depositional provinces of Gulf of Mexico and surface geology of northwestern Gulf Coastal Plain (after Lowman, 19^9)----------- 5 3.--North-south cross-section showing facies in the Sparta and Cockfield (Yegua) cycles (after Lowman, 19^9)------------------ 7 — Generalized distribution and thickness of the Sparta arenaceous facies-------------- 8 5.--Generalized distribution and thickness of the Wilcox arenaceous facies -------------- 12 6.--Generalized distribution and thickness of the Cockfield arenaceous facies--------------- lh 7.— Creole Bluff near Montgomery, Grant Parish, (modified after Stenzel, 1939)--------------- 30 Where found Plate I.--Central Louisiana Cenozoic cycles of deposition] composite log and strati- graphic column------ In envelope II.--Axes of posiraents and negaments during successive Cenozoic cycles of deposition in Central Louisiana, and comparison of trends of isopachous contours of cycles on the southeast flank of the Sabine posiment " " III.— Isopachous map of the Sparta cycle of deposition, also showing percent are­ naceous facies " " IV.--Comparison of the generalized isopachous map of the arenaceous facies, with percent sand of the Sparta cycle of deposition " " vii Where found Plate V.— Generalized distribution and thickness of the upper and lower shaly facies of the Sparta cycle of deposition--------------- In envelope VI.— Generalized distribution and thickness of the upper and lower shaly facies of the Cockfield cycle of deposition -------- " " VII.— Structure map of Central Louisiana contoured on the Cane River marl---------------" " VIII.--Structure map of Central Louisiana contoured on the basal Vicksburg marl---------- " " IX.— North-south stratigraphic section from La Salle posiment to Opelousas gas field -- " " X.— North-south stratigraphic section east of the La Salle arch, showing lithoiogic gradations within Wilcox cycle of deposition---------------------------------- 11' 11 XI.— East-west structural section from Sabine uplift across La Salle arch------ ------ XII.— East-west stratigraphic section, showing thinning in the Cane River Formation over the southern end of the La Salle arch---------- " XIII.— East-west stratigraphic sections on east flank of La Salle posiment, showing basal Catahoula arenaceous facies replacing Vicksburg marl and shale — " XIV.— North-south stratigraphic section showing equivalency of basal Catahoula arenaceous „ facies and Vicksburg calcareous and shaly facies— — ----------------------- XV.— Stratigraphic section at Port Barre salt dome, St. Landry Parish, indicating inferred fringing reef in Cook Mountain marl v i i i ABSTRACT Cenozoic sediments on the northwestern margin of the Gulf Coast geosyncline characteristically comprise thick clastic deposits that range from an inland continental arenaceous facies, through a transi­ tional shoreline facies, into shallow marine shale offshore# They are separated in cyclic repetition over regions of varying extent by thin marine calcareous beds# In this study, made primarily by the use of electric logs, five major cyclic units that comprise essentially the sub-surface Paleogene across Central Louisiana were investigated. The base of the oldest cycle is established at the top of the undifferentiated uppermost Cretaceous-lowermost Paleocene calcareous sequence. In ascending order they are herein named the Paleocene-lower Eocene Wilcox cycle, which was terminated by deposition of the Cane River marl; the mid-Eoeene Sparta cycle, terminated by deposition of the Cook Mountain marl; the mid-Eocene Cockfield cycle, terminated by deposition of the Moodys Branch marl; the upper Eocene-Oligocene Forest Hill cycle, terminated by deposition of the Vicksburg marl and limestone; and the Catahoula cycle, terminated by the Anahuac Formation. This latest cycle extends into the Neogene, and cannot be separated readily from subsequent deposits within the study region. Maximum thicknesses of the individual cycles range from over 7*000 feet in the Wilcox cycle to slightly over 1,000 feet in the Forest Hill cycle. The Sparta cycle and Cockfield cycle each comprises slightly 1 2 less than 2,000