"Reprinted from the Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, Vol. 40, pp. 122-131, 140-144, 1947

Atherton, Elwood

Shrode, Raymond Scott

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Some Chester outcrop and subsurface sections in southeastern Illinois.
Unusual oolite grains from the Ste. Genevieve limestone.

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(Life i44e, o<OfcXrt ^UfU)U>(STATE. OF ILLINOISDWIGHT H. GREEN, GovernorDEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATIONFRANK G. THOMPSON, DirectorDIVISION OF THESTATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYCIRCULAR NO. 144SOME CHESTER OUTCROP AND SUBSURFACE SECTIONSIN SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOISUNUSUAL OOLITE GRAINS FROM THESTE. GENEVIEVE LIMESTONERaymond S. ShrodeILLINOIS GEOLOGICALSURVEY ! IBRAR'MAY ZS 1986PRINTED HV Al THOIUTY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOISURBANA, ILLINOIS194 8Illinois Academy of Science Transactions, Vol. 40, 1947SOME CHESTER OUTCROP AND SUBSURFACE SECTIONSIN SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS 1IntroductionThis paper is intended to aidstudies of the Chester series by pre-senting electric logs of severalformations alongside the descrip-tions of corresponding cores or out-crops, and, for the basal Chester, in-soluble residue zones. For the elec-tric logs, lithologic interpretationsare shown in the central columns. Forf the Chief, lllithe cores and outcrops, the rocks aredescribed in some detail. Fine dash-ed lines extending from the electriclog to the graphic log are meant todraw attention to the similarities ofsuccession. The locations of allwells, outcrops, and cores are shownon the index map of southeasternIllinois (fig. 1). The Chester forma-tions illustrated include the Kinkaid,Degonia, Clore, Palestine, Menard,Golconda, and Renault (DowneysKEY FOR INDEX MAPByrd - Pittsburg (New Haven) coret Lakes Carbon - Tulley 2AGreat Lakes Carbon - Burris 2t south end of Illinois Central R.R. tunnelSmokey Oil - Barger 1Outcrop 5/8 mile east of Rock Quarry SchoolJarvis and Marcell - Sisk 1-BMinerva Oil - Winters 17Parkinson Quarry at SheltervilleOutcrop at Downeys BluffRosiclare Lead and Fluorspar Mining Co. - A.C. 2Fig. 1.—Locations of cores and outcrops!||||/lfflriiilr,«E.^,?V0G,cALs t3 3051 00004 6270Chester Series"•§ S » z c.§ I ° .1 IP ™iiiaiag(;iH ffl m gj I »P124 Illinois Academy of Science TransactionsBluff and Shetlerville) formations.Kinkaid Formation (Fig. 2)The Kinkaid formation in the"New Haven" core (drilled in 1913and described by Savage 2 ) is showngraphically with the correspondingportion of the electric log of a wellabout % mile to the northeast.The Kinkaid in the core is immedi-ately overlain by Pennsylvania!!,sandstone and conglomerate and isunderlain by the Degonia shown infig. 3. Outstanding features of theKinkaid in both core and electric log-are the massive upper and lowerlimestones. The intervening por-tion includes some limestone in itscentral and sandstone in its lowerpart. At the base are a few feet ofgreen, red, and purple shales.Degonia Formation (Fig. 3)The "New Haven" core and elec-tric logs of nearby wells show threesandstone beds within 100 feet belowthe Kinkaid formation. Oil geolo-gists in this area generally put theupper two beds in the Degonia for-mation, and the third bed in theClore formation, as is done here. Itis possible that when the Degoniaformation is traced in detail fromthe type locality in western Illinoisacross to this area, the bounds shownhere may be modified.Clore Formation (Fig. 3)The Clore formation in this areaconsists mainly of shale, shaly lime-stone, and sandstone. The promin-ent sandstone in the upper part isknown to oil geologists as the ' ' Cloresand." Commonly more green shaleis encountered than is reported fromthe "New Haven" core.Palestine Formation (Fig. 4)The Palestine formation in the'' New Haven ' ' core is 105 feet thickand consists of sandstone except forabout 5 feet of shale and shaly sand-stone near the top, and minor shalelaminae. The Palestine formationin southeastern Illinois generally isthinner than this, averaging about55 feet, and it usually includes alarger proportion of shale.Menard Formation (Figs. 4 and 5)There is an unconformity belowthe Palestine formation, and inmany parts of southeastern Illinoisthe Menard includes higher bedsthan are present in the "New Hav-en" core (fig. 4). The "massiveMenard" occurs between the depths2170'6" and 2205' in the core, andthe " little Menard ' ' between2214'9" and 2219'9". The "littleMenard" is often sandy in this partof the state.Few electric logs are availablenear the Menard outcrop describedby L. E. Workman3 and shown infig. 5. The formation is sufficientlyuniform, however, for the electriclog of the Smokey Oil-Barger No. 1well, about 18 miles northeast of theoutcrop, to show considerable simi-larity. Neither the upper nor thebasal portions of the formation areexposed in the outcrop. The top ofthe "massive Menard" is at 63'11"in the outcrop. In the well theMenard is underlain by shaly sand-stone of the Waltersburg formation.Separation of the basal Menardshale from underlying Waltersburgshale is usually difficult. Some geol-ogists prefer to mark the base of theMenard formation by the base of the"little Menard" limestone.Colconda Formation (Fig. 6)The Golconda formation in south-:i Field notes. L. E. Workman. State GeologicalChester Series15 HI 5pimpmam m?£Illinois Academy of Science TransactionsChester Seriesmm WilliNonviAiaoj aavN3[AiIllinois Academy of Science Transactionshi teJlHli 1Chester Series 129eastern Illinois typically includes atthe top dark gray, red, and greenshales with thin, brown, sublitho-graphic dolomite. The bulk of theformation consists of a zone which isdominantly limestone, underlain bya zone which is dominantly shale. Atthe base is the ' ' Barlow limestone, ''with sometimes a few feet of basalshale. The "Barlow" is a thin ex-tensive bed, often mapped to showsubsurface structure. In the sec-tions illustrated, most of the uppershale zone was eroded before deposi-tion of the Hardinsburg formation.The "Barlow limestone" is shown inthe electric log at the base of theGolconda. Samples show that in thiswell the "Barlow" is immediatelyunderlain by dark gray silty shaleand sandstone of the Cypress forma-tion. The lower part of the Gol-conda is not exposed in the outcropsection described by L. E. AVork-man. 3The electric log is from a well lo-cated about 17 miles north of theoutcrop.Renault (Downeys Bluff andShetlerville) Formation(Figs. 7 and 8)The lower part of the Chester inHardin County has been called theRenault formation. Frank Tippie 4correlates the upper part of the Re-nault with the basal Paint Creek ofwestern Illinois, and has proposedthe name "Downeys Bluff" for thismember of the Paint Creek, based onthe type section shown in fig. 8 andlocated at Downeys Bluff in NWV4,SEi/4, sec. 5, T. 13 S., R. 8 E. TheTippie. Sub urfaee Stratigraphy ofLower Chester Formations in Parts of Illinoisand Western Kentucky. 111. State Geol. Survey,unpublished manuscript.remainder of the Renault is here re-ferred to as the Shetlerville mem-ber.The Downeys Bluff and Shetler-ville are illustrated by an electric log(fig. 7), the outcrop section at Shet-lerville 6 (fig. 7), Tippie 's type sec-tion for the Downeys Bluff4 (fig. 8),and the core 6 (fig. 8) from which hedescribes insoluble residue zones ofthe Renault formation. 7 Tippiesubdivides the Renault into fivezones, A to E, based on insolubleresidues. These zones are shown forthe core and approximated for theelectric log and two outcrop sections.In the electric log (fig. 7) it is im-practicable to pick the contact of theShetlerville on the underlyingLevias member of the Ste. Genevieveformation, so the position of thiscontact is estimated. In the Parkin-son quarry section (fig. 7), the sub-lithographic limestone at 15 to 18.5feet is correlated with the sublitho-graphic limestone at depth 223.8 feetin the core (fig. 8), and therefore isplaced in the C zone of the Shetler-ville formation.AcknowledgmentsMr. A. H. Cronk, Superintendent,Rosiclare Lead and Fluorspar Min-ing Company, Rosiclare, Illinois, hasgiven permission to describe thelithology of part of the core from theRosiclare Lead and Fluorspar Min-ing Company—A. C. No. 2 diamonddrill hole. Thanks are extended tovarious members of the Illinois StateGeological Survey for their help.5cf . Lexicon "f Ceoloedr Names of the U. S.,U. S. G. S. Bull. 896, p. 1985.,; Described by F. E. Tippie, Technical files,Slate (icolo!;-io;d Survey. I'lbana, 111.7 F. E. Tippie. Insoluble Residues of the Leviasand Renault formations in Hardin ('ountv, Illinois:Trans., Illinois Stale Acad. Sci., Vol. 36, No. 2,December 1943, p. 155..A*YIllinois Academy of Science Transactions| | | | Ej *| »§ • If 3 || |||s|1 1 § I II 1 .1 il I Hi Iflfll°" ° ° -I- s('luster Seriesii -I iIu 002 I o o I oaI< I ^IIIllinois Academy of Science Transactions, Vol. 40, 1947UNUSUAL OOLITE GRAINS FROM THESTE. GENEVIEVE LIMESTONE*RAYMOND S. SHRODEIllinois State Geological Survey, UrbanaIn connection with other studies ofIllinois limestone resources it wasnoted that a massive bed of oolite,G to 8 feet thick, in the upper part ofthe Ste. Genevieve formation in thequarry at Anna, Illinois, containedoolite grains and other grains of un-usual character as compared to thecommon Ste. Genevieve type oolitegrains, which are characterized byrounded centers, mostly of undeter-minable origin surrounded by one ormore annular calcite deposits. Pic-tures of a number of these unusualgrains are included. No attempt ismade to interpret the origin of thegrains themselves, or their broadersignificance in relation to the modeof formation or subsequent historyof the Ste. Genevieve formation, be-cause the data now available are in-adequate, but some interesting pos-sibilities are self-evident from thepictures (figs. 1-6).The specimens studied were pre-pared by sawing and grinding aplane surface on each, and etchingthe surface with dilute hydrochloricacid. This produced a semi-polishedfinish which revealed well the tex-tural details of the specimens. Insol-uble impurities projected above thesurfaces of the specimens. Thefigures shown are made from photo-micrographs taken by reflected lightat magnifications of 12 to 30X, ex-cept as otherwise noted.The unusual grains observed mavbe classified into five groups: (1)oolite grains with recognizable fos-sils as centers; (2) compound oolitegrains; (3) grains composed ofoolite rock; (4) oolite grains withclear crystalline calcite centers ; and(5) partial or disrupted grains. Thenumber of photomicrographs shownfor each type of grains is not neces-sarily proportional to the numbersoccurring in the samples studied.Heinz Lowenstam of the Surveystaff identified the fossils.Description of FiguresFigure 1 is a photomicrograph oftypical Ste. Genevieve oolite takenat a magnification of 10X. Somegrains have large dark calcite cen-ters surrounded by a single ring ofcalcite. Others have smaller centerswith one or more annular depositsaround the center. The dark areasbetween the grains are also clearcrystalline calcite in this figure andother figures which follow.Figure 2 shows grains of the typethat have fossils as centers. In theupper left is an oolite grain com-posed of a foraminifera, possibly en-dothyra, surrounded by a single ringof calcite. In the lower left is agrain whose center is an arm plateof a crinoid having two annular de-posits around it. Grains with crin-oid arm plate centers are generallyabundant in the Ste. Genevieve ool-ite. The grain in the upper rightshows a longitudinal cross-section ofa minute gastropod surrounded by aOolite Grains from Ste. Genevieve LimestoneFig. 1.—Typical Ste. Genevieve oolite.Fig. 2.—Oolites with recognizable fossil centers.142 Illinois Academy of Science Transactions9p*wFig. 3.—Oolites with recognizable fossil centers.single thick calcite ring. The grainat the lower right is a fossil, not posi-tively identified, but possibly a lon-gitudinal section of a crinoid stemshowing a residual central canal.Note the thinness of the calcite ringaround this fossil. This last photo-micrograph has a magnification of12X as compared to 30X for theother grains shown.Figure No. 3 shows more grainswith fossil centers. In the upperleft is a cross-sectioned coral with asingle calcite ring. A transversecross section of a brachiopod with asingle thin white calcite ring isshown in the lower left. The interiorof the brachiopod contains othersmaller oolite grains. In the upperright is another brachiopod in longi-tudinal cross section surrounded bya thick deposit of calcite, as is like-wise a piece of crinoid stem in thelower right, which is displayed inlongitudinal cross section. All grainsshown have a magnification of 30X.Figure No. 4 shows in the upperleft a compound oolite grain havingtwo well defined centers surroundedby annular calcite deposits. A thirdcenter appears on the right side ofthe grain. The outermost thin cal-cite ring surrounds this third centeras well as the rest of the compositegrain. The other grains shown inthe figure are oolite rock. They haveno annular deposits around themand appear to have been derivedfrom a consolidated oolite which wasbeing eroded at the time the bedfrom which these specimens camewas deposited. The oolite grainswithin the fragments of oolite rockare of the type previously describedas usual for the Ste. Genevieve for-mation. The photomicrographs inOolite Grains from Ste. Genevieve Limestone 143-$'m^rnf^\Fig. 4.—Compound oolite grain and grains of oolite rock.Fig. 5.—Compound oolite grain and grains with clear crystalline calcite centers.Illinois Academy of Science TransactionsFig. 6.—Partial grains and disrupted grains.this figure have a magnification of12X, excepting the upper left whichhas 30X.Figure No. 5 shows in the upperleft another compound grain with 3centers, all enclosed by a calcite ring.The remainder of the figure illus-trates oolite grains with clear calcitecenters, which in the photomicro-graphs are dark gray or nearlyblack. The grain in the lower left isone whose center is only half crystal-line calcite. The grain in the upperright appears to have had a brachio-pod, shown in longitudinal cross sec-tion, as its center. The white calciteenvelope on the concave side of theshell is of unusual thickness. Thegrain in the lower right is of interestbecause of its angular outline. Thephotomicrographs in this figure havea magnification of 12X.Figure No. 6 shows the disruptedand partial grain type. In the lowerleft disruption of the exterior por-tion of the grain is evident, probablyas a result of the growth of crystal-line calcite, indicated by the darkarea. The same phenomenon isshown in the grain at the lower rightand in the upper left, Also in theupper left there appears the whitecalcite envelope of an oolite grainwhich has been broken and deformedand whose center is no longer evi-dent. Partial grains, which appearto be the result of the solution ofone grain at its contact with another,are well shown on the left side of thelower left picture. In the upperright picture, a series of two partialgrains are shown. In the wholegram projecting silica casts ashadow on the surface. The photo-micrographs in this figure have amagnification of 25X with the ex-ception of the upper right which has10X.

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Some Chester outcrop and subsurface sections in southeastern Illinois. Unusual oolite grains from the Ste. Genevieve limestone.

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