St Clair Limestone (geologic formation) explained

St. Clair Limestone
Type:FormationMember – Illinois and Missouri
Age:Silurian
SheinwoodianHomerian
~
Period:Silurian
Prilithology:Limestone
Otherlithology:Dolomite
Namedfor:St. Clair spring, Independence County, Arkansas[1]
Namedby:Richard Alexander Fullerton Penrose Jr. 1891
Region:
Country:United States
Unitof:Bainbridge GroupHunton Megagroup
Underlies:Lafferty Limestone in Arkansas and Moccasin Springs Formation in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri
Overlies:Brassfield Limestone in Arkansas and Sexton Creek Limestone in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri

The St. Clair Limestone is a geologic unit in Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It is classified as a Geologic Member in Indiana and Missouri. It dates back to the Middle of Silurian period. It is high density, high magnesium dolomitic limestone.[2] It was originally classified as a marble in Oklahoma due to the fact that it would hold a high polish, hence Marble City. It is sold in slabs and as tiles, in a similar manner as marble would be.[3] This unit has many economic uses in Arkansas and Oklahoma. It is used as a construction material, manufacture of quicklime, and manganese deposits are mined as well.[4] The St Clair is designated as a member of the Bainbridge Group in the State of Indiana.[5] In Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma it is part of the Hunton Megagroup. The St. Clair is the Basal member of the Niagaran Series, making it part of the Tippecanoe sequence. Throughout most of the Southern extent the unit is roughly 10 to 20' thick. Moving northward it thickens to approximately 80 to 100' thick in the Illinois Basin. At its northernmost reaches where it grades in to the Joliet and Racine Formations it is about 150' thick.

Appearance

The St. Clair is composed of course calcite grains to fine grains. It may contain partings of claystone or Mudstone. It can range in color from light-gray to chocolate brown, or even or purplish-black. Beds of pink crinoid remains are also found with in this unit, mostly toward the base.

Physical characteristics

Imperial Metric
Absorption by weightASTM C970.5%0.5%
DensityASTM C97168 lb/ft32 691.10 kg/m3
Compressive strengthASTM C17015 889Psi109.55MPa
Modulus of ruptureASTM C99972Psi6.70MPa
[6]

Paleofauna

Brachiopods[7]

A. marginata

A. thomasi

A. erugata

B. barrandei

B. americanus

B. elongatus

D. parva

D. bilobella

D. nanella

E. acutolineatus acutolineatus

E. acutolineatus pentagonus

H. havliceki

H. costatula arkansana

H. pygmaea

H. splendens

K. vaningeni

L. (Opikella) dissiticostella

M. clairensis

N. clairensis

N. raritas

O. angustata

O. lenta

O. (Eilotreta) miseri

O. multiplicata

O. (Lissotreta) plicata

O. clairensis

O. infrequens

P. lepida

P. juvenis

P. praecipta

P. arctoimbricata

P. arkansana

S. glomerata

V. arkansana

Conodonts[8]

A. inornatus

A. unicostatus

A. triangularis

B. flexa

B. inclinata

C. carnulus

C. carnus

C. delicatus

C. flexuosus

D. mehli

D. posterocostatus>

D. procerus

D. kentuckyensis

D. homocurvatus

H. staurognathoides

H. equidentata

L. egregia

L. silurica

N. costatus

N. excavatus

N. multiformis

N. subcarnus

O. inclinatus

O. gaertneri

O. inclinata

O. media

O. ziegleri

P. multicostatus

P. trigonius

P. gracilis

P. simplex

P. unicostatus

P. extensus

P. amorphognathoides

S. ranuliformis

S. rhenanus

S. wolfordi

T. brassfieldensis

T. carinata

T. exacta

T. variflexa

Trilobites[9]

C. phollikodes

C. prolixus

C. kyphora

D. howelli

D. ptyktorhion

D. anaglyptus

D. corycoeus

D. longifrons

D. altirostris

E. egani

E. fontana

H. butorus

H. spinulocervix

L. (Dipharangus) xeo

P. vaningeni

R. niagarensis

S. glaber

S. lagena

S. oarion

S. scutula

See also

Notes and References

  1. Penrose Jr.. R.A.F.. Manganese: its uses, ores, and deposits. Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Arkansas for 1890. 1891. 1. 101–102, 112–114, 124–128, 166–203, 214–215.
  2. Schrenk. Steven. September 2017. The Grey American Limestone that Acts Like a Marble. The Slippery Rock Gazette. 36, 37.
  3. Web site: Saint Clair Limestone - Grey Limestone - StoneContact.com . 2023-12-19 . www.stonecontact.com.
  4. Web site: Ham . W.E. . Dott . R.H. . Burwell . A.L. . Oakes . M.C. . 1943 . GEOLOGY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ST. CLAIR LIMESTONE NEAR MARBLE CITY OKLAHOMA . 18 December 2023 . Oklahoma Geological Survey.
  5. Willman . H. B. . Atherton . Elwood . 1975 . Handbook of Illinois Stratigraphy: Illinois State Geological Survey . Handbook of Illinois Stratigraphy: Illinois State Geological Survey . Bulletin 95 . 261.
  6. News: Saint Clair Linear Polycor Natural Stone North America Limestone. Polycor. 2017-10-13. en-US.
  7. Amsden. Thomas W.. Articulate Brachiopods of the St. Clair Limestone (Silurian), Arkansas, and the Clarita Formation (Silurian), Oklahoma. Memoir (The Paleontological Society). 1968. 1. i–117. 1315506.
  8. Craig . William . 1968 . The stratigraphy and conodont paleontology of Ordovician and Silurian strata, Batesville district, Independence and Izard counties, Arkansas . PhD . The University of Texas.
  9. Holloway. David J.. Middle Silurian trilobites from Arkansas and Oklahoma, USA., Part I. Palaeontographica Abteilung A. January 1980. 170. 1–85.