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

Geologic units in Lauderdale county, Mississippi

Wilcox formation (Eocene) at surface, covers 76 % of this area

Wilcox formation - Irregularly bedded fine to coarse sand, more or less lignitic clay and lignite; includes bauxite bearing Fearn Springs sand member at base.

Lithology: clay or mud; sand; coal

Midway Group; Naheola Formation (Paleocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Naheola Formation - (Midway Group), The Naheola Formation is restricted to western AL and pinches out in western Butler County. Descriptions of the members of the formation follow in descending order. Coal Bluff Marl Member - glauconitic sand, thin-bedded silty clay, and sandy fossiliferous marl; Oak Hill Member - laminated silt, clay, and fine sand; contains a prominent bed of lignite near the top. The Coal Bluff Marl Member in Sumter County and in parts of Marengo County is mostly cross-bedded fine to coarse sand that is indistinguishable from the overlying lower beds of the Nanafalia Formation. Therefore, in these areas, the contact between the two is mapped at the top of the Oak Hill Member of the Naheola.

Lithology: sand; clay or mud; silt; coal

Kosciusko formation (Eocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Kosciusko formation - (Claiborne group), irregularly bedded sand, clay, and some quartzite.

Lithology: sand; clay or mud; quartzite

Wilcox Group; Nanafalia Formation (Paleocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Nanafalia Formation - (Wilcox Group), Members of the Nanafalia Formation follow in descending order. Grampian Hills Member - medium-gray massive clay, claystone, sandy fossiliferous clay, and fossiliferous fine sand. "Ostrea thirsae beds" - glauconitic, abundantly fossiliferous, quartzose fine to medium sand. Gravel Creek Sand Member - pale-yellowish-orange to moderate-reddish-brown micaceous cross-bedded fine to very coarse sand containing gravel and clay pebbles in some exposures. Gravel Creek Member is absent locally and near the base may contain thin beds of lignite. Updip deposits in northern Henry County and southern Barbour County include beds of alternating medium-gray and white clay, carbonaceous clay, white and grayish-yellow fine to coarse sand and lenses of bauxite and bauxitic clay. Sand beds commonly are cross-bedded, gravelly, and contain numerous clay pebbles. The sequence of beds is often obscured by weathering and the collapse of beds into sinkholes in the underlying Clayton Formation.

Lithology: clay or mud; claystone; sand; gravel; coal

Naheola formation (Paleocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Naheola formation - (Midway group) - Fine to coarse micaceous sand, kaolin, and bauxitic clay.

Lithology: sand; clay or mud

Wilcox Group; Tuscahoma Sand (Paleocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Tuscahoma Sand - (Wilcox Group), Light-gray to light-olive-gray laminated and thin-bedded carbonaceous silt and clay interbedded with fine sand; thin lignite beds occur locally. Lower part of the formation includes beds of fossiliferous, glauconitic fine quartz sand containing speroidal sandstone concretions, gravel and clay pebbles.

Lithology: clay or mud; silt; sand; coal; sandstone; gravel

Alluvial, coastal and low terrace deposits (Holocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Alluvial, coastal and low terrace deposits - Varicolored fine to coarse quartz sand containing clay lenses and gravel in places. Gravel composed of quartz and chert pebbles and assorted metmorphic and igneous rock fragments in streams near the Piedmont. In areas of the Valley and Ridge province gravel composed of angular to subrounded chert, quartz, and quartzite pebbles. Coastal deposits include fine to medium quartz sand with shell fragments and accessory heavy minerals along Gulf beaches and fine to medium quartz sand, silt, clay, peat, mud and ooze in the Mississippi Sound, Little Lagoon, bays, lakes, streams, and estuaries.

Lithology: beach sand; alluvium

Cook Mountain formation (Eocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Cook Mountain formation - (Claiborne group), Southeast of Pearl River, marl, limestone, glauconitic sand, and chocolate-colored clay; northwest of Pearl River, predominantly chocolate-colored clay with some glauconitic sand.

Lithology: clay or mud; sand; limestone

Porters Creek formation (Paleocene) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Porters Creek formation - (Midway group), Dark-gray clay, north of Clay County contains slightly glauconitic, micaceous sand lenses.

Lithology: clay or mud; sand

Zilpha formation and Winona formation (Eocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Zilpha formation and Winona formation - (Claiborne group), Zilpha clay, chocolate-colored clay containing some glauconitic sand, not recognized north of Yalobusha River; Winona sand, highly glauconitic sand, more or less clayey.

Lithology: sand; clay or mud

Tallahatta formation and Neshoba sand (Eocene) at surface, covers 17 % of this area

Tallahatta formation and Neshoba sand - (Claiborne group), Southeast of Pearl River predominantly more or less glauconitic claystone and clay with lenses of sand and some sandstone; highly cross-bedded sand at base; northwest of Pearl river predominantly sand, locally glauconitic, containing claystone and clay lenses and abundant clay stringers; Neshoba sand, sparingly glauconitic fairly coarse sand not recognized southeast of Newton County or north of Yalobusha River.

Lithology: claystone; clay or mud; sand; sandstone