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Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state > Alabama Geology

Geologic units in Jackson county, Alabama

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Unnamed (upper part of Knox Group), including Newala Formation, Mascot Dolomite, Kingsport Formation, Longview Dolomite, and Chepultepec Dolomite (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

(Onc) Unnamed (upper part of the Knox Group), including the (On) Newala Formation; (Oma) Mascot Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded cherty dolomite; mottled (red and green) dolomite characteristic; interbeds of bluish-gray limestone in upper part; chert-matrix quartz sandstone at base. Erosional unconformity at top. Thickness 350 to 800 feet; (Ok) Kingsport Formation - Gray, fine-grained, sparingly cherty dolomite with basal dense, gray limestone sequence. Thickness about 250 feet. and (Olc) Unnamed (middle part of the Knox Group), including (Olv) Longview Dolomite - Siliceous, gray, fine-grained, medium-bedded dolomite; interbeds of gray limestone in upper part. Thickness about 300 feet; (Oc) Chepultepec Dolomite - Light-gray, fine-grained, well-bedded dolomite, moderately cherty; fine-grained limestone locally in upper part; quartz sandstone beds at base. Average thickness about 800 feet.

Lithology: dolostone (dolomite); limestone; sandstone

Pennington Formation (Mississippian) at surface, covers 10 % of this area

Pennington Formation - Medium-gray shale, containing interbedded limestone, dolomite, argillaceous sandstone, dusky-red and grayish-olive mudstone, and minor shaly coal. Mainly restricted to eastern part of Interior Low Plateaus province and where less than 100 feet thick the formation is included in the Bangor Limestone.

Lithology: shale; limestone; dolostone (dolomite); sandstone; mudstone; mixed clastic/coal

Stones River Group; Lebanon Limestone (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Stones River Group; Lebanon Limestone - Thin-bedded, gray limestone with calcareous shale partings. Thickness 80 to 100 feet.

Lithology: limestone; shale

Mississippian undifferentiated (Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Mississippian undifferentiated: Includes Pennington Shale, Bangor Limestone (except in Floyd County), Hartselle Sandstone, Golconda Formation, Gasper Limestone, Ste. Genevieve Limestone and St. Louis Limestone

Lithology: limestone; shale; sandstone

Stones River Groups undifferentiated in part (Ordovician) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Stones River Groups undifferentiated in part - medium to dark-gray thick to thin-bedded limestone, argillaceous in part, locally very fossiliferous. Contains a zone of bentonite and bentonitic shale near the top. Mapped seperately from the Nashville Group only in Jackson County.

Lithology: limestone; bentonite; shale

Lookout Sandstone; Sewanee Sandstone (Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lookout Sandstone; Sewanee Sandstone

Lithology: conglomerate; sandstone

Ordovician [units] including Richmond Group (which includes Mannie Shale, Fernvale Limestone, Sequatchie Formation, and Arnheim Formation), the Maysville Group (which includes Leipers Formation), the Eden Group (which includes Inman Formation), and the Nashville Group (which includes Catheys Formation) (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Ordovician [units] including Richmond Group (which includes Mannie Shale - Olive-gray shale. Thickness 0 to 20 feet; Fernvale Limestone - Massive, coarsely crystalline, gray limestone with varicolored grains. Thickness 0 to 50 feet; Sequatchie Formation - Olive-gray and greenish-gray shale, mudstone, and argillaceous limestone; dolomitic, laminated, and sandy. Thickness 0 to 100 feet; and Arnheim Formation Nodular, shaly, gray limestone. Thickness 0 to 20 feet; the Maysville Group (which includes Leipers Formation - Nodular, shaly limestone; fine- to coarse-grained limestone; and phosphatic calcarenite locally. Thickness 0 to 150 feet); the Eden Group (which includes the Inman Formation - Thin-bedded to laminated, fine-grained, gray limestone with shale partings. Thickness 0 to 50 feet); and the Nashville Group (which includes Catheys Formation - Nodular, shaly limestone; fine- to coarse-grained limestone; phosphatic calcarenite; and light-gray cryptograined limestone. Thickness 50 to 175 feet.)

Lithology: shale ; limestone

Lookout Sandstone; Gizzard Formation (Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lookout Sandstone; Gizzard Formation

Lithology: shale; sandstone; coal

Bangor Limestone and Hartselle Formation (Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Bangor Limestone - Dark brownish-gray limestone, thick-bedded. Thickness 100 to 250 feet; and Hartselle Formation - Thin-bedded, fine-grained sandstone and greenish-gray shale interbedded with coarse limestone. Thickness 0 to 60 feet.

Lithology: limestone; sandstone; shale

Gizzard Group including Warren Point Sandstone and Raccoon Mountain Formation (Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Gizzard Group - Sandstone, conglomeratic sandstone, siltstone, shale, and minor coal. Thickness 100 to 200 feet. Includes Warren Point Sandstone - Gray to brown sandstone and minor conglomeratic sandstone. Thickness 60 to 160 feet; Raccoon Mountain Formation - Siltstone, sandstone, shale, and minor coal. Thickness 0 to 65 feet.

Lithology: sandstone; shale; siltstone; coal

Fort Payne Chert (Mississippian) at surface, covers 1.0 % of this area

Fort Payne Chert - Very light to light-olive-gray, thin to thick-bedded fine to coarse-grained bioclastic (abundant pelmatozoans) limestone containing abundant nodules, lenses and beds of light to dark-grey chert. Upper part of formation locally consists of light-bluish-gray laminated siltstone containing vugs lined or filled with quartz and scattered throughout the formation are interbeds of medium to greenish-gray shale, shaly limestone and siltstone. Commonly present below the Fort Payne is a light-olive-gray claystone or shale (Maury Formation) which is mapped with the Fort Payne. The apparent thickness of the Fort Payne in this province varies due to differnetial dissolution of carbonate in the formation.

Lithology: limestone; chert; siltstone; shale; claystone

Stones River Group; Carters Limestone (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Stones River Group; Carters Limestone - Fine-grained, yellowish-brown limestone; thin-bedded in upper part; thicker bedded and very slightly cherty with scattered mottlings of magnesian limestone in lower part. Contains thin bentonite beds. Thickness 50 to 100 feet.

Lithology: limestone; bentonite

Nashville and Stones River Groups undifferentiated (Ordovician) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Nashville and Stones River Groups undifferentiated - medium to dark-gray fossiliferous limestone, argillaceous in part; yellowish-gray laminated silty limestone in upper part. Contains one or more thin beds of bentonite and bentonitic shale.

Lithology: limestone; bentonite; shale

Red Mountain Formation (Silurian) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Red Mountain Formation - Interbedded yellowish-gray to moderate-red sandstone, siltstone and shale; greenish-gray to moderate-red fossiliferous partly silty and sandy limestone; few thin hematitic beds.

Lithology: sandstone; shale; siltstone; limestone

Nashville Group (Ordovician) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Nashville Group - medium- to dark-gray argillaceous and fossiliferous limestone overlain by yellowish-gray laminated silty limestone. Mapped seperately from the Stone River Group only in Jackson County.

Lithology: limestone

Leipers Limestone (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Leipers Limestone - Leipers Limestone -- medium to dark-gray thin to medium-bedded fossiliferous limestone containing interbeds of thin argillaceous limestone. Mapped in Sequatchie Valley. Inman Formation -- interbedded greenish-gray or moderate to dusky-red shale and light-gray peloidal limestone. Mapped in Sequatchie Valley.

Lithology: limestone

Devonian-Missisippian undivided (Devonian-Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Devonian-Missisippian undivided (DMu): Includes Fort Payne Chert, Chattanooga Shale in Dade Co.; Fort Payne Chert at top, Chattanooga Shale in middle and Armuchee Shale at bottom in all areas except Polk Co. and Dade Co.; Fort Payne Chert, and Armuchee Chert in Polk Co. CHATTANOOGA Shale (Dc)

Lithology: shale ; chert

Monteagle Limestone (Mississippian) at surface, covers 22 % of this area

Monteagle Limestone - Light-gray oolitic limestone containing interbedded argillaceous, bioclastic, or dolomitic limestone, dolomite, and medium-gray shale.

Lithology: limestone; dolostone (dolomite); shale

Bangor Limestone (Mississippian) at surface, covers 13 % of this area

Bangor Limestone - Medium-gray bioclastic and oolitic limestone, containing interbeds of dusky-red and olive-green mudstone in the upper part.

Lithology: limestone; mudstone

St. Louis Limestone and Warsaw Limestone (Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

St. Louis Limestone - Residuum of nodules and blocks of chert in sandy clay. (Originally grayish-brown, medium-bedded limestone.) Maximum preserved thickness about 50 feet. Warsaw Limestone - Residuum of porous chert blocks in sandy clay. (Originally gray, medium- to coarse-grained, thick- bedded limestone.) Thickness about 60 feet.

Lithology: clay or mud; chert

Stones River Group; Pierce Limestone and Murfreesboro Limestone (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Stones River Group; Pierce Limestone - Gray, thin-bedded limestone with shale partings. Thickness 25 feet; and Murfreesboro Limestone - Thick-bedded, dark-gray, fine-grained limestone, with mottlings of magnesian limestone; somewhat cherty in upper part. Maximum exposed thickness 70 feet.

Lithology: limestone; shale

Pottsville Formation (Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 35 % of this area

Pottsville Formation - Light-gray thin to thick-bedded quartzose sandstone and conglomerate containing interbedded dark-gray shale, siltstone, and coal. Mapped on Lookout Mountain, Blount and Chandler Mountains, and Sand Mountain northeats of Blount County, and on the mountains of Jackson, Marshall and Madison Counties north and west of the TN river.

Lithology: sandstone; conglomerate; shale; siltstone; coal

Nashville Group; Bigby-Cannon Limestone and Hermitage Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Nashville Group - Bigby-Cannon Limestone - Brownish-gray phosphatic calcarenite and light-gray to brownish-gray, cryptograined to medium- grained, even-bedded limestone. Thickness 50 to 125 feet; and Hermitage Formation - Thin-bedded to laminated, sandy and argillaceous limestone with shale; nodular shaly limestone; coquina; and phosphatic calcarenite. Thickness 50 to 100 feet.

Lithology: calcarenite; limestone; shale; coquina

Pennington Formation (Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Pennington Formation - Highly variegated clay shale, distinctive; contains siltstone and locally gray, fine-grained sandstone. Thickness 400 to 700 feet.

Lithology: shale; siltstone; sandstone

Silurian Formations, including Decatur Limestone, Brownsport Group (Lobelville Formation, Bob Limestone, Beech River Formation), Wayne Group (Dixon Formation, Lego Formation, Waldron Shale, Laurel Limestone, Osgood Formation) and Brassfield Limestone (Silurian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Silurian Formations - A complete section of Silurian formations is not common because of pre-Chattanooga and/or pre- Cretaceous erosion. Where preserved, Silurian formations are remarkably uniform in thickness and are characteristically light olive-gray to greenish-gray with variable reddish-brown color in some area;. Decatur Limestone - Thick-bedded, medium- to coarse-grained limestone, gray with reddish-brown grains. Thickness 0 to 70 feet; Brownsport Group which includes 1) Lobelville Formation - Shale with thin beds of limestone. Thickness 0 to 40 feet; 2) Bob Limestone - Thick-bedded, medium-grained limestone, locally oolitic. Thickness 0 to 25 feet; and 3) Beech River Formation - Shale with thin beds of limestone. Thickness 0 to 60 feet; Wayne Group which includes: 1) Dixon Formation - Green and reddish-brown argillaceous limestone, shale, and mudstone. Thickness 0 to 40 feet; 2) Lego Limestone - Even-bedded, olive-gray limestone with scattered reddish-brown grains. Thickness 0 to 30 feet; 3) Waldron Shale - Greenish-gray fossiliferous shale. Thickness 0 to 5 feet; 4) Laurel Limestone - Even-bedded, gray limestone with scattered reddish-brown grains. Thickness 0 to 30 feet; 5) Osgood Formation - Greenish- and reddish-gray shale and argillaceous limestone. Thickness 0 to 15 feet.; and Brassfield Limestone - Thin-bedded cherty limestone, locally glauconitic. Thickness 0 to 20 feet.

Lithology: limestone; shale; mudstone

Sequatchie Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Sequatchie Formation - Grayish-red, grayish-green, and yellowish-gray thin-bedded calcareous shale and calcareous mudstone containing interbedded fossiliferous limestone, and medium-gray to moderate-red partly sandy and glauconitic, medium to coarse-grained bioclastic limestone.

Lithology: shale; mudstone; limestone

Stones River Group; Ridley Limestone (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Stones River Group; Ridley Limestone - Thick-bedded, brownish-gray limestone, fine-grained, with minor mottlings of magnesian limestone; slightly cherty. Thickness 90 to 150 feet.

Lithology: limestone

Fort Payne Formation (Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Fort Payne Formation - Bedded chert, calcareous and dolomitic, somewhat crinoidal; and minor shale. Thin green shale (Maury) at base. Average thickness about 200 feet.

Lithology: chert; shale

Monteagle Limestone (Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Monteagle Limestone - Fragmental and oolitic limestone, light-gray; and fine-grained, brownish-gray limestone. Thickness 180 to 350 feet.

Lithology: limestone

Knox Group undifferentiated (Ordovician-Cambrian) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Knox Group undifferentiated - Light-gray to light-brown locally sandy dolomite, dolomitic limestone, and limestone; characterized by abundant light-colored chert.

Lithology: dolostone (dolomite); limestone; chert

Inman Formation (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Inman Formation - interbedded greenish-gray or moderate to dusky-red shale and light-gray peloidal limestone. Mapped in Sequatchie Valley.

Lithology: shale; limestone

Tuscumbia Limestone (Mississippian) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Tuscumbia Limestone - Light-gray limestone, partly oolitic near top; fine to very coarse-grained bioclastic crinoidal limestone common; light-gray chert nodules and concretions are scattered throughout and are abundant locally. The apparent thickness of the formation in this province varies due to differential dissolution of the carbonate in the unit.

Lithology: limestone; chert

Tuscumbia Limestone and Fort Payne Chert undivided (Mississippian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Tuscumbia Limestone and Fort Payne Chert undivided - Tuscumbia Limestone -- light-gray partly oolitic limestone; very coarse bioclastic crinoidal limestone common; light-gray chert nodules and concretions locally abundant. Fort Payne Chert -- very light to light-olive-gray, thin to thick-bedded fine to coarse-grained bioclastic (abundant pelmatozoans) limestone containing abundant nodules, lenses and beds of light to dark-grey chert. Upper part of formation locally consists of light-bluish-gray laminated siltstone containing vugs lined or filled with quartz and scattered throughout the formation are interbeds of medium to greenish-gray shale, shaly limestone and siltstone. Lenses of dark-gray siliceous shale occur locally at the base of the Fort Payne in Wills Valley. Commonly present below the Fort Payne is a ligh-olive-gray claystone or shale (Maury Formation) which is mapped with the Fort Payne. The Tuscumbia and Fort Payne are undifferentiated in Murphrees and Wills Valleys.

Lithology: limestone; chert; siltstone; shale; claystone