--> Mississippian Paleo-Depositional Maps: A reflection of sequence stratigraphy and associated facies mosaics in the Mid-Continent

Mid-Continent Section

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Mississippian Paleo-Depositional Maps: A reflection of sequence stratigraphy and associated facies mosaics in the Mid-Continent

Abstract

Detailed outcrop analysis of Mississippian-age strata in southwestern Missouri was completed in an effort to clarify the depositional environment and associated complex facies mosaics. This study includes analyses of facies vertically and horizontally to identify geometries and vertical stacking patterns on what is interpreted as the third-, fourth-, and fifth-order scales. A hierarchy of sequence stratigraphic packages are discernible in the Lower to Middle Mississippian in the Tri-State region and have been identified by a combination of exposure horizons and vertical stacking patterns. A model derived from a sequence stratigraphic approach includes modified paleo-depositional maps that better illustrate the complex facies mosaics associated with Milankovitch-scale sea level change. The construction of a high resolution sequence stratigraphic architecture at the Jane outcrop near Jane, MO provides a datum for a more accurate interpretation of how Mississippian lithofacies fit into the sequence stratigraphic framework. This outcrop-based data was applied to the regional depositional model of Mississippian-age strata in the Mid-Continent to produce accurate paleo-depositional maps, leading to a better understanding of overall shifts in depositional facies. Determining how Mississippian lithofacies fit into the regional sequence stratigraphic framework will increase the accuracy of paleo-depositional maps used for modeling changes in facies mosaics.