Sediment Transport and Dispersal in the Appalachian Basin, Observations From the Rock Record and Flume Experiments

Abstract

The middle to upper Devonian Ohio Shale is an organic rich mudstone succession that was deposited in the Appalachian Basin. Observation from three complete drill-cores of the Ohio Shale from the eastern and central part of Kentucky reveals abundant sedimentary features that indicate deposition from currents in a relatively shallow marine environment. The drill-core from the eastern part of the basin contains ripples made of siltstone and fine sandstone because of their proximity to the source of the sediments. In the distal part of the basin most of the laminae are made of fine grained siltstone and reworked tasmanites cysts. In the absence of heterogeneity black shales look massive and featureless. However, color variation and the presence of heterogeneity can help in distinguishing sedimentary features that indicate deposition from currents. These observations support the recent models that have been proposed for the distribution and transport of the sediments in the Appalachian Basin. Flume experiments using a mixture of silt and clays were conducted to produce laminated shales in a controlled environment to explain the mechanisms that can generate laminated shales similar to the ones observed in the Devonian rocks in the Appalachian Basin.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90323 ©2018 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 20-23, 2018