Geology topics

M.V. Marcher

Publications and source records attributed to M.V. Marcher.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1983

Preliminary appraisal of the hydrology of the Stigler area, Haskell County, Oklahoma

Bed rock in the Stigler area of southeastern Oklahoma consists principally of shale, siltstone, and sandstone of the McAlester, Savanna, and Boggy Formations of Pennsylvanian age. These rocks have been folded to form the Stigler syncline on the north and the Antioch anticline on the south. An area of several square miles is underlain by terrace deposits, mostly sandy silt, as much as 25 feet thick. Alluvium along the streams is 5 to 10 feet thick and consists mainly of sandy silt. Neither the terrace deposits nor the alluvium are hydrologically significant. Water in the bedrock is under artesian conditions. Well depths range from 34 to 235 feet and average 95 feet. The water level in most wells is less than 30 feet below the land surface. Because the rocks have minimal permeability, well yields probably are less than 5 gallons per minute. Much of the area is provided with water by a rural water district. Based on specific-conductance measurements, dissolved-solids concentrations in ground water are estimated to range from 200 to 2,500 milligrams per liter. Nor relationship between variations in specific conductance and well depth, geographic distribution, or geologic formation is apparent. Streams in the area are ephemeral and extended periods of no flow can be expected. During much of the period of record, streamflow in Taloka Creek was maintained by water pumped from an active coal mine. Water upstream from the mine area had a mean dissolved-solids concentration of 72 milligrams per liter whereas water downstream from the mine area had a mean concentration of 1,323 milligrams per liter. At times, downstream concentrations of some toxic metals exceeded the standards for drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Samples of water collected from Taloka Creek since mining ceased did not have excessive concentrations of toxic metals. Maximum suspended-sediment discharge of Taloka Creek was about 1,660 tons per day. Silt-clay particles (diameters less than 0.062 millimeter) were the dominant grain size. Observed and measured effects of surface mining for coal on the hydrologic system include (1) creation of additional water storage in the surface mine pond, (2) disruption of drainage in an area of about 1 square mile, and (3) increased mineralization of water in Taloka Creek. Other possible effects include (4) changes in permeability and storage of water in mine spoil, (5) minor changes in streamflow and runoff characteristics, and (6) temporary increase in the sediment load of Taloka Creek.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1983

Preliminary appraisal of the hydrology of the Rock Island area, Le Flore County, Oklahoma

Bed rock in the Rock Island area of northeastern Le Flore County in southeastern Oklahoma consists of shale, siltstone, and sandstone of the McAlester, Hartshorne, and Atoka Formations of Pennsylvanian age. The area is on the south flank of the Backbone anticline; the rocks dip to the south at 5o-45o. Alluvium along James Fork consists of sandy and clayey silt and may be as much as 30 feet thick. Water in bedrock is under artesian conditions. The depth to water in most wells is less than 20 feet below the surface; a few wells flow. Yields of most wells probably are less than 5 gallons per minute. Water from nine wells was a sodium carbonate or sodium mixed anion type; dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 294 to 1,250 milligrams per liter. No relationship between variations in chemistry of ground water and well depth, geographic distribution, or geologic formation is apparent. James Fork has flow most of the time and discharge exceeds 25 cubic feet per second about one-half the time. The mean dissolved-solids concentration in James Fork water ranged from 224 milligrams per liter near Williams, Oklahoma, to 332 milligrams per liter near Hackett, Arkansas. Water in James Fork is a calcium magnesium sulfate type about 75 percent of the time. Maximum suspended sediment discharge was 2,720 tons per day. Silt-clay particles (diameters less than 0.062 millimeter) are the dominant sediment size. Potential hydrologic effects of surface mining for coal include: (1) Creation of additional water storage in surface-mine ponds, (2) changes in rock permeability and ground-water storage, (3) changes in runoff and streamflow characteristics, (4) changes in drainage patterns, and (5) changes in the chemical quality and sediment load of James Fork. Although mining may increase the quantities of sediment and dissolved minerals added to James Fork, detection of these increases would be difficult because the potentially mineable area is very small in proportion to the total area of the basin.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1983

Preliminary appraisal of the hydrology of the Red Oak area, Latimer County, Oklahoma

Bed rock in the Red Oak area consists of shale, siltstone, and sandstone of the McAlester and Savanna Formations of Pennsylvanian age. Water in bedrock occurs in bedding planes, joints, and fractures and is confined. The potentiometric surface generally is less than 20 feet below the land surface. Wells yield enough water for domestic and stock use, but larger amounts of ground water are not available. Ground water commonly is a sodium or mixed cation carbonate/bicarbonate type with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 321 to 714 milligrams per liter. Although variable in quality, ground water generally is suitable for domestic use. No relationship between water chemistry and well depth or location is apparent. Brazil Creek, the principal stream in the area, has no flow 15 percent of the time, and flow is less than 1 cubic foot per second about 25 percent of the time. Water in Brazil Creek is a mixed cation carbonate/bicarbonate type. Dissolved-solids concentrations in Brazil Creek upstream from areas of old and recent mining ranged from 31 to 99 milligrams per liter with a mean of 58 milligrams per liter, whereas concentrations downstream from the mine areas ranged from 49 to 596 milligrams per liter with a mean of 132 milligrams per liter. Water in Brazil and Rock Creeks had concentrations of cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury that exceeded maximum contaminant levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at least once during the 1979-81 water years. Maximum suspended-sediment discharge, in tons per day, was 2,500 for Brazil Creek and 3,318 for Rock Creek. Silt-clay particles (diameters less than 0.062 millimeter) were the dominant sediment size. A significant hydrologic effect of surface mining is creation of additional water storage in mine ponds; one such pond supplies water for the town of Red Oak. Other effects or potential effects of surface mining include changes in rock permeability and ground-water storage, changes in drainage patterns, and changes in the chemical quality and sediment loads of streams.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1962

Tuscaloosa formation in Tennessee

Late Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Formation occurs as discontinuous remnants that cap many of the ridges in the Western Highland Rim. Typically the formation consists of well-rounded, poorly sorted chert gravel which is trimodal in size distribution. The gravel fraction (mode 15 to 40+ mm) consists of Devonian and Mississippian chert and a small percentage of sandstone pebbles. The medium sand fraction (mode 0.5 mm) consists mainly of angular to well-rounded chert grains developed by attrition during transport. Well-rounded and frosted quartz grains also are present. The fine fraction (mode 0.15 mm) consists of clay, authi-genic (?) mica, and quartz. At its eastern limit the Tuscaloosa is locally well sorted and contains quartz pebbles and a large proportion of quartz sand. Also present in the same area are well-sorted, heavy-mineral-bearing sands and bimodal (0.04, 0.2 mm) siltstone, which contains sand-sized pellet aggregates and fragmentary plant fossils. The finest fraction (less than 0.044 mm) of both eastern and western facies of the Tuscaloosa consists of 60-80 per cent quartz, 5-30 per cent kaolin, and 5-30 per cent montmorillonite, all of which are present in Devonian and Mississippian bedrock. Minor exotic constituents include volcanic(?) glass and heavy minerals. The Mississippian chert gravel in the Tuscaloosa is of local origin, but the Devonian chert was transported from a western source. Other components from a western source are sandstone pebbles and frosted sand grains, both of which probably were derived from Cambrian or Ordovician formations that cropped out on the Pascola arch, an eastward-sloping extension of the Ozark dome. Quartz pebbles, heavy minerals, and some of the angular quartz sand present at the eastern edge of the Tuscaloosa may have been derived from Pennsylvanian sandstone and conglomerates that cropped out north and south of the Pascola arch. Most of the Tuscaloosa Formation is believed to be of nonmarine origin, deposited on the eastward-sloping flank of the Pascola arch. The eastern facies of the Tuscaloosa is believed to be partly marine in origin, the exotic components having been swept in by longshore currents. During deposition of the Tuscaloosa , the Ozark dome and the Cincinnati arch were connected by the Pascola arch, which is now deeply buried beneath the Mississippi Embayment, At that time the Pascola arch stood structurally about 3000 feet higher than at present, and its structural shape and dimensions were comparable to the present Nashville dome. During deposition of the Tuscaloosa the Nashville dome was structurally about 1000 feet lower than at present, and its crest probably was submerged beneath the sea.

Tennessee↗