Shelf to basin transition in Middle Ordovician carbonates in Alabama Appalachians

Conference · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5353635

Benson, D J

In the Alabama valley and ridge, Middle Ordovician carbonates are exposed in two northeast-southwest-trending outcrop belts separated by the Helena fault. Northwest to southeast transits across these outcrop belts illustrate a well-defined shallow to deep water transition. West of the Helena fault, the Middle Ordovician is represented by a transgressive-regressive sequence of peritidal and shallow subtidal carbonates of the Chickamauga Limestone, deposited in tidal-flat, low-energy open-shelf, and high-energy shoal environments. Tidal-flat deposits consist of peloidal and intraclastic wackestones and packstones containing abundant exposure indicators. These grade into light-colored, skeletal wackestones and packstones containing a diverse faunal assemblage rich in algae, indicating deposition in a shallow, low-energy, open-shelf setting. High energy shoal deposition is represented by a 20-80 ft thick sequence of cross-bedded skeletal grainstone. Included within the grainstone are pods of bryozoan-sponge-algal bafflestone and bindstone that represent small mud-rich bioherms. East of the Helena fault, the Middle Ordovician series consists of deeper water carbonates of the Lenoir and Little Oak Limestones and graptolitic shales of the Athens Formation. The Lenoir and Little Oak are composed of dark-colored, even-bedded, skeletal wackestones which, with the exception of scattered Nuia, lack algae, indicating deposition in the deeper part of the photic zone. These wackestones grade southeastward into very finely laminated, argillaceous mudstones and calcareous shales of the Athens Formation. The Athens is dark colored, organic-rich, lacking in bottom-dwelling fauna, and contains common synsedimentary slump structures suggesting deposition in an anoxic, lower slop environment.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Alabama, University
• OSTI ID: 5353635
• Report Number(s): CONF-860624-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 70:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALABAMA
CARBONATE ROCKS
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
FEDERAL REGION IV
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
NORTH AMERICA
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
ORIGIN
PALEOZOIC ERA
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
USA