Carbonate platform facies and new stratigraphic nomenclature of the Morrowan Series (Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian), northeastern Oklahoma

Research Article| March 01, 1977 Carbonate platform facies and new stratigraphic nomenclature of the Morrowan Series (Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian), northeastern Oklahoma PATRICK K. SUTHERLAND; PATRICK K. SUTHERLAND 1School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar THOMAS W. HENRY THOMAS W. HENRY 2U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1977) 88 (3): 425–440. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1977)88<425:CPFANS>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation PATRICK K. SUTHERLAND, THOMAS W. HENRY; Carbonate platform facies and new stratigraphic nomenclature of the Morrowan Series (Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian), northeastern Oklahoma. GSA Bulletin 1977;; 88 (3): 425–440. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1977)88<425:CPFANS>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Marine carbonates dominate the Morrowan Series in northeastern Oklahoma and contain abundant megafossils in beds that correlate with sparsely fossiliferous strata in the type area of the series in Arkansas. Greatly refined biotic zonations are feasible for brachiopods, coelenterates, and pelmatozoans, all sparsely represented in northwestern Arkansas. The type area should be extended 64 km (40 mi) westward to include this highly fossiliferous facies.A regional unconformity within the Morrowan Series in northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas occurs at the base of the Dye Shale Member (Bloyd Shale) in Arkansas and separates the Sausbee Formation from the overlying McCully Formation (both new names) in Oklahoma. The Sausbee Formation (Lower Pennsylvanian) is divided into the Braggs and Brewer Bend Limestone Members (both new names), correlating eastward with the Hale Formation plus the Brentwood Limestone and Woolsey Members of the Bloyd Shale. The McCully Formation (lower Middle Pennsylvanian) includes the Chisum Quarry, shale “A,” Greenleaf Lake Limestone, and shale “B” members (all new names) and correlates with the Dye Shale Member and possibly the Kessler Limestone and Trace Creek Shale Members (upper Bloyd Shale) in Arkansas.The Sausbee Formation represents marine transgression across an irregularly eroded surface cut into Mississippian strata, followed by widespread, shallow, open-marine carbonate deposition (Braggs Member). The shelf subsequently shoaled, and a widespread carbonate mudbank developed (Brewer Bend Limestone Member). This regressive cycle terminated with regional emergence of the shelf and limited erosion.The McCully Formation was subsequently deposited on the resubmerged shelf, with periodic, widespread influxes of terrigenous mud from the northeast (shale “A” and shale “B” members), which prevented normal carbonate deposition except in limited areas (Chisum Quarry and Greenleaf Lake Limestone Members).Morrowan to Atokan deposition was continuous in Arkansas and easternmost Oklahoma, but a regional tilting to the south in the area west of Tenkiller Reservoir produced subareal erosion of the post-Morrowan surface in that area. Fluviatile and deltaic complexes of early Atokan age were deposited on the erosional surface and were derived from the northwest, in contrast to a predominantly northeastern terrigenous source during the time of deposition of the Morrowan series. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.