Catahoula formation of the Texas Coastal Plain: depositional systems, composition, structural development, ground-water flow history, and uranium distribution

Technical Report · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7301167· OSTI ID:7301167

Galloway, W. E.

The Catahoula Formation of the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain consists of two depositional systems--the Gueydan bedload fluvial system of the Rio Grande embayment and the Chita-Corrigan mixed load fluvial system of the Houston embayment. Both contain fluvial channel-fill, crevasse splay, floodplain, and lacustrine facies. Gueydan sands are dominated by plagioclase feldspar and volcanic rock fragments, while Chita-Corrigan sands are quartzose. Clay composition reflects alteration to montmorillonite and kaolinite of large volumes of volcanic ash. Growth faults profoundly influence trends of fluvial sand units and post-depositional ground-water flow. Consequently, fault zones may localize uranium mineralization, but faulting is not necessary for development of commercial deposits. Diagenetic features, distribution of trace uranium in fine-grained tuffaceous facies, and reconstructed ground-water flow history in the Catahoula provide the basis for interpretation of a terrigenous coastal plain uranium cycle: (1) Uranium was leached from volcanic ash soon after deposition. (2) Oxidizing uranium-enriched waters entered semiconfined aquifer sands. (3) Geometry of the flow system was determined by the aquifer system. (4) Uranium was concentrated as mineralization fronts associated with iron oxidation fronts and deposited where facies changes or faulting induced cross-stratal flow from permeable fluvial channel facies into interbedded or less permeable overbank facies. (5) Post-mineralization decrease of regional and local ground-water flux has resulted in reequilibration of the aquifer with the regionally reducing subsurface environment. (DLC)

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Bureau of Economic Geology
• OSTI ID: 7301167
• Report Number(s): GJBX-41(77)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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