KGS Home Current Research Home Article Start

Kansas Geological Survey, Current Research in Earth Sciences, Bulletin 243, part 1
Sedimentology and Ichnology of Paleozoic Estuarine and Shoreface Reservoirs, Morrow Sandstone, Lower Pennsylvanian of Southwest Kansas, USA


Table 1. Facies scheme of the lower Morrow Sandstone in the Arroyo and Gentzler fields.

FaciesDepositional ProcessSedimentary Environment
A: Fine-grained sandstones Tractive currents Fluvial channels
B: Rooted siltstones Pedogenic processes Paleosol
C: Very coarse grained to fine-grained sandstones with clay drapes Migration of subaqueous, unidirectional flow dunes and slack-water sediment fallout Upper-estuarine, bay-head delta channels
D: Parallel-laminated black shales with fading ripples Sediment fallout and low-energy tidal currents Central-estuarine bay
E: Flaser- and wavy-bedded sandstones and siltstones Tidal currents Restricted tidal flat
F: Inclined, deformed sandstones and siltstones Tidal currents, sediment downslope movement and lateral accretion Tidal channel
G: Laminated calcareous mudstones Sediment fallout Lower estuary
H: Poorly to moderately fossiliferous, planar-crossbedded sandstones Migration of subaqueous, unidirectional flow dunes Estuarine mouth
I: Highly fossiliferous, planar-crossbedded, very coarse grained to medium-grained sandstones and pebble conglomerates Migration of subaqueous, unidirectional flow dunes Upper shoreface
J: Rarely to moderately burrowed, planar-crossbedded, medium- to fine-grained sandstones Migration of subaqueous, unidirectional flow dunes Proximal middle shoreface
K: Moderately to thoroughly burrowed, rippled, fine-grained sandstones Migration of subaqueous, unidirectional flow ripples and sediment fallout Distal middle shoreface
L: Thoroughly burrowed, fine-grained to very fine grained silty sandstones with starved ripples Migration of subaqueous, unidirectional flow ripples and sediment fallout Lower shoreface
M: Thoroughly burrowed, very fine grained silty sandstones and siltstones with interbedded, normally graded sandstones Storm action and sediment fallout Offshore transition
N: Thoroughly burrowed siltstones Sediment fallout Offshore
Parallel laminated black shales Sediment fallout Shelf




Kansas Geological Survey
Web version November 9,1999
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Current/1999/buatois/table1.html
email:lbrosius@kgs.ku.edu