USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

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

Geologic units in Cherokee county, Oklahoma

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Terrace Deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Pleistocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

WOODWARD- Lenticular and interfingering deposits of light-tan to gray gravel, sand, silt, clay, and volcanic ash. Sand dunes are common in many places. Thickness ranges up to 150 feet and averages about 60 feet. ENID- Sand, silt, clay, and gravel. Maximum thickness, about 75 feet (23 m) along major streams. TULSA- Fine gravel, sand, silt, and clay. CLINTON- Stream-laid deposits of sand, silt, clay, gravel, and volcanic ash; thickness ranges from 0 to about 120 feet. OKLAHOMA CITY- Lenticular beds of sand, silt, clay, and gravel. Thickness ranges from a few feet to about 100 feet and probably averages about 50 feet along major streams. FORT SMITH- Gravel, sand, silt, and clay. LAWTON- Sand, clay, and gravel as much as 75 feet (23 m) in Tillman County, ranging from 5 to 50 feet (2 to 15 m) elsewhere. ARDMORE-SHERMAN- Gravel, sand, silt, clay, and volcanic ash; thickness, about 5 to 50 feet; at various levels, as high as 160 feet above present flood plains. McALESTER TEXARKANA- Gravel, sand, silt, clay, and volcanic ash; several levels 20 to 160 feet or more above present flood plains, with each level containing deposits that average 20 to 30 feet in thickness, some windblown sand on top; may include colluvial wash down sides of hills

Lithology: sand; gravel; volcanic ash

Alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Holocene) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

WOODWARD- Lenticular and interfingering deposits of gravel, sand, silt, and clay. Generally light-tan to gray. Thickness along major streams ranges up to 100 feet and probably averages 40 feet; along minor streams the thickness ranges up to 45 feet and probably averages 20 feet. ENID- Sand, silt, clay, and locally gravel. Maximum thickness ranges from 30 to 80 feet (9 to 24 m) along major streams and from 0 to 60 feet (0 to 18 m) along minor streams. TULSA- Gravel, sand, silt, and clay. TULSA- Gravel, sand, silt, and clay. OKLAHOMA CITY- Sand, silt, clay, and lenticular beds of gravel. Thickness ranges from about 30 to 100 feet and probably averages about 50 feet along major streams. Along minor streams, thickness ranges from a few feet to about 50 feet and probably averages about 25 feet. LAWTON- Sand, clay, and gravel as much as 50 feet (15 m) thick; Shown only along major streams and tributaries . ARDMORE-SHERMAN- Gravel, sand, silt, and clay, including low terraces; thickness, about 25 to 100 feet. McALESTER TEXARKANA- Gravel, sand, silt, and clay, including low terraces about 30 feet above channels; thickness, about 50 feet along Little River and 110 feet along Red River

Lithology: alluvium

Keokuk and Reeds Spring Formations and St. Joe Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian-Early) at surface, covers 49 % of this area

TULSA- "Keokuk Formation," chert and limestone. "Reeds Spring Formation," chert and limestone. "St. Joe Group," limestone and shale. FORT SMITH- Mkr "Keokuk Formation," chert; "Reeds Spring Formation," chert and limestone; and "St. Joe 'Group,'" limestone and marlstone.

Lithology: chert; limestone; shale; carbonate

Pitkin + Fayetteville + Hindsville + Moorefield Formations (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian-Late) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

FORT SMITH- Mp "Pitkin Formation," limestone; "Fayetteville Formation," shale and limestone; "Hindsville Formation," limestone and shale; and "Moorefield Formation," limestone.

Lithology: limestone; shale

Pitkin + Fayetteville + Batesville + Hindsville + Moorefield Formations (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian-Late) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

TULSA- "Pitkin Formation," limestone. "Fayetteville Formation," shale and thin limestone "Batesville Formation," fine-grained sandstone "Hindsville Formation," limestone and shale "Moorefield Formation," limestone, shale, and siltstone.

Lithology: limestone; shale; sandstone; siltstone

Bloyd and Hale Formations (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian-Early) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

TULSA- "Bloyd Formation," limestone and shale. "Hale Formation," limestone and sandstone. FORT SMITH- IPbh "Bloyd Formation," shale and limestone; and "Hale Formation," limestone and sandstone.

Lithology: limestone; shale; sandstone

Chattanooga + Fernvale + Fite + Tyner + Burgen + Cotter Formations (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Ordovician-Early Ordovician-Middle(?) Ordovician-Late(?) Silurian(?) Devonian(?) Carboniferous Mississippian-Early(?) Mississippian-Middle(?) Mississippian-Late) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

TULSA- "Chattanooga Formation," shale and minor sandstone. "Fernvale Formation," limestone. "Fite Formation," limestone "Tyner Formation," shale and dolomite "Burgen Sandstone," sandstone and minor dolomite and shale. "Cotter Formation," dolomite and minor sandstone.

Lithology: shale; limestone; dolostone (dolomite); sandstone

Atoka, Bloyd and Hale Formations Undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian-Early Pennsylvanian-Middle) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

FORT SMITH- IPu Undifferentiated. Atoka, Bloyd, and Hale Formations. IPat "Atoka Formation," shale and sandstone, IPbh "Bloyd Formation," shale and limestone; and "Hale Formation," limestone and sandstone.

Lithology: shale; sandstone; limestone

Undifferentiated, Mississisippian, Devonian, Silurian, and Ordovician (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Ordovician-Early Ordovician-Middle(?) Ordovician-Late(?) Silurian(?) Devonian(?) Carboniferous Mississippian-Early(?) Mississippian-Middle(?) Mississippian-Late) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

FORT SMITH- Mississisippian, Devonian, Silurian, and Ordovician Rocks, Undifferentiated Mississippian and Devonian. "Chattanooga Shale," shale. Devonian. "Sallisaw Formation," limestone, sandstone, and chert; and "Frisco Formation," limestone. Silurian. "Quarry Mountain Formation," limestone; "Tenkiller Formation," limestone; and "Blackgum Formation," limestone and dolomite. Ordovician. "Sylvan Shale," shale; "Fernvale Limestone," limestone; "Fite Limestone," limestone; "Tyner Formation," shale, sandstone, dolomite, and limestone; "Burgen Sandstone," sandstone and minor shales and limestones; and "Cotter Dolomite," dolomite.

Lithology: limestone; shale; sandstone; dolostone (dolomite); chert

McAlester and Hartshorne Formations (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian-Middle) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

TULSA- "McAlester and Hartshorne Formations", shale and some sandstone and coal. FORT SMITH- IPmh "McAlester" and "Hartshorne Formations" (undifferentiated), shale, sandstone, and coal.

Lithology: shale; sandstone; coal

Atoka Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian-Middle) at surface, covers 22 % of this area

TULSA- IPat "Atoka Formation," shale, siltstone, sandstone, and thin limestone. FORT SMITH- IPat "Atoka Formation," shale and sandstone. ARDMORE-SHERMAN- Shale, dark-gray, and sandstone, buff to white, fine- to coarse-grained, with some chert conglomerates; thickness, 800 to 3,000 feet. McALESTER TEXARKANA- Shale, gray to tan, illitic, chloritic, with many sandstones, fine- to coarse-grained, quartzose, micaceous, well- to poorly sorted; "Fanshawe" and "Red Oak Sandstones" in middle and "Spiro Sandstone" at base; thickness, 3,000 to 10,000 feet, increasing southeastward in subsurface, south of growth faults.

Lithology: shale; sandstone; siltstone; limestone; conglomerate

Mississippian Rocks above Chattanooga Shale Undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

FORT SMITH- Mu- Undifferentiated Mississippian Rocks above Chattanooga Shale. Includes: Pitkin, Fayetteville, Hindsville, Moorefield, Keokuk and Reeds Spring Formations, and St. Joe Group.

Lithology: limestone; shale; chert; carbonate