--> Abstract: Google Earth Workflow and Mississippian Outcrop Inventory in the West-Central Ozark Plateau, Arkansas, by John Gist and Christopher Liner; #90176 (2013)

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Google Earth Workflow and Mississippian Outcrop Inventory in the West-Central Ozark Plateau, Arkansas

John Gist and Christopher Liner

Work on the Mississippian section by the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville has been ongoing since the 1940s. Numerous works (published and unpublished) detailing the depositional history, structure, and sequence stratigraphy are available for reference. The goal of this investigation is to synthesize previous work and locate previously undocumented outcrops in the west-central Ozark Plateau to enhance our understanding of the Mississippian section as an unconventional oil reservoir. Fayetteville, Arkansas, is located on the escarpment between the Boston Mountains and the Salem Plateau where the shallow occurrence of Mississippian age rock allows for access to outcrops. This region is part of the North Arkansas Structural Platform, contains evidence of several transgression/regression cycles and has occurrences of minor deformation and faulting. Coordinates of known and published outcrops have been extracted from graduate theses and guide books, then located on Google Earth. The majority of previous data was located from reported township and range then plotted using several features of Google Earth while also assigning a GPS location to each outcrop. Initial GPS data was obtained using the iPhone Geolocation app. Wherever possible, stratigraphic interval, formation thickness, and other information is captured in the Google Earth info box for quick reference. Systematic driving reconnaissance of the region was undertaken, several undocumented outcrops have been added to our Mississippian inventory, and recent agreements have granted access to key quarries in the area. The compilation of this previous and newly developed data will be the foundation for a regional mapping program currently underway and the University of Arkansas. 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90176©AAPG Mid-Continent Meeting, Wichita, Kansas, October 12-15, 2013