Geology of the Mammoth Cave and NoIin River Gorge Region
with Emphasis on Hydrocarbon and Karst Resources
Part 11: Rock Asphalt Redux and Paleovalleys Anew
by
Michael T. May, Kenneth W. Kuehn and Scott Schoefernacker
< FIELD EDITION >
Joint Field Trip
September 15,2007
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Field Trip #1 - 2007 Eastern Section Meeting
Lexington, Kentucky
and
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists (KSPG)
-
Day 2 2007 Annual Field Conference
Geology of the Mammoth Cave and Nolin River Gorge Region
with Emphasis on Hydrocarbon and Karst Resources
Part 11: Rock Asphalt Redux and Paleovalleys Anew
< FIELD EDITION >
Michael T. May, PhD, PG
Department of Geography and Geology
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd #3 1066
Bowling Green, KY 42 10 1- 1066
Kenneth W. Kuehn, PhD, PG
Department of Geography and Geology
Western Kentucky University
Scott Schoefernacker
EnSafe, Inc.
5724 Summer Trees Drive
Memphis, TN 38 134
Joint Field Trip
September 15,2007
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Field Trip # 1 - 2007 Eastern Section Meeting
Lexington, Kentucky
and
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists (KSPG)
-
Day 2 2007 Annual Field Conference
Field Trip Sponsors
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Mr. Larry 'Butch' Carroll, Edmonson County Clerk
Edmonson County Government
The Citizens of Kyrock and Brownsville, Kentucky
Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University
Department of Geography and Geology, Western Kentucky University
Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists
2007 Executive Committee
President: Andrew Wulff
President Elect: David Williams
Past-President: Michael May
SecretarytTreasurer: Fred Siewers
Councilor-at-large: Kenneth Kuehn
Councilor-at-large: Richard Smath
Editor: Meg Smath
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Organizing Committee, 2007 Eastern Section Meeting
General Chair: Dave Harris
Technical Program Chairs: Jim Drahovzal, Leah Barth
Finance Chair: Tom Sparks
Exhibits Chair: Dan Wells
Sponsorship Chairs: Mike Sanders, Gil Cumbee
Field Trips: Steve Greb
Workshops: Marty Pams
Publicity: Mike Lynch
Registration: John Hickman
Webmaster: Brandon Nuttall
Judging Chair: Patrick Gooding
AudioNisual: Richard Smath, Bart Davidson
GraphicsMedia: Meg Smath, Collie Rulo
Spouse Programs: Ann Watson
Student Volunteers Coordinator: Dave Moecher
Student Job Quest Chair: Lee Avary, Dave Moecher
Meeting Coordinators: Geaunita Caylor, Gaylyn Helfenberger
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome ......................................................................................................................... 5
Acknowledgments................................................................................................... 5
Field Trip Leaders ........................................................................................................... 6
Nomination and Designation ...........................................................................................7
List of Figures ...............................................................................................................8
Introduction.....................................................................................................................
9
Stop 1: Indian Creek Asphalt Mine ............................................................................. 10
Stop 2: Kyrock Community ....................................................................................... 15
Stop 3: Mississippian-Pennsylvanian Boundary in the Brownsville Paleovalley ............ 18
Stop 4: Arthur Oil Field .......................................................................................... 19
Stop 5: Tour of the Historic Portion of Mammoth Cave .................................................22
Road Log ...............................................................................................................22
References Cited ........................................................................................................... 23
Map Section .................................................................................................................. 25
Rights and Permissions
This FIELD EDITION is for use by participants during the field conference and is for
educational purposes only. It may not be cited. duplicated or distributed; all rights remain
with the authors. AAPG and KSPG will publish the finalized. full-color version of this
document and make it available via the Internet at a future date.
Welcome
We welcome members of the Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists and the American
Association of Petroleum Geologists, students, and teachers to south central Kentucky. Our
field conference today is centered in a unique geologic area that includes world class karst
geomorphology, Mammoth Cave - the world's longest mapped cave system, a globally
significant sequence boundary and a deeply incised paleovalley at the Mississippian and
Pennsylvanian systemic boundary.
We will discuss significant geologic resources of the southern Kentucky karst including
region's hydrocarbon occurrences within stratigraphic units ranging from Devonian (Clear
Creek) through the Chesterian sandstones (Big Clifty and Hardinsburg) and up through basal
Pennsylvanian (Caseyville or KyrockIBee Spring).
Most importantly, we welcome you to step back in history as we trek along the bluff-lined
Nolin River community of Kyrock to learn how this small area of Edmonson County,
Kentucky with its 2,000 inhabitants literally helped pave the way to the future for many
places around the country and the world. We will see how the famous "Kyrock" natural rock
asphalt is once again becoming an economically viable material for the region's paving
industry.
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank numerous people who have made this field trip and guidebook possible
including the support of the KSPG and the Eastern Section of AAPG. Mr. Larry 'Butch'
Carroll, owner of the former Carmichael home at Kyrock, was our host for the luncheon. He
and Jim Ashley of Edmonson County have enthusiastically revealed to us the geologic
wonders and history of these lands just west of Mammoth Cave National Park. We also
acknowledge the guidance of Nancy Baird of the Kentucky Library at Western Kentucky
University for uncovering many wonderful Kyrock publications from the early 1900s.
Special thanks to the Executive Committee of KSPG and Drew Andrews, chairperson for the
KSPG Distinguished Geologic Sites program, for supporting the nomination of the Kyrock
area. Dr. Rick Toomey contributed mightily as our expert guide for the Mammoth Cave
portion of the trip. Dr. Chris Groves and Pat Kambesis provided information on protecting
karst resources near the Arthur Oil Field outside Mammoth Cave National Park. Nathan
Rinehart provided expert graphical support for several maps in the road log portion of the
field guide.
Field Trip Leaders
Dr. Michael T. May is a Professor of Geology at Western Kentucky University specializing
in sedimentary geology, low-temperature geochemistry and environmental geology. Prior to
starting his career at WKU in 1996, he worked for two environmental consulting companies
in the greater Kansas City area and two major petroleum companies in Houston and Midland,
Texas. He earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1992, specializing in subsurface and
outcrop characterization of ancient fluvial systems. He has published a wide variety of topics
in environmental and sedimentary geology journals over the past decade. His current
research interests include mapping the Mississippian-Pennsylvanianunconformity in
Kentucky, the origin of terra rossa soils common in karst areas, as well as sedimentary
petrology. In 2004, he was honored with the annual award for outstanding public service in
the Ogden College of Science and Engineering at WKU.
Dr. Kenneth W. Kuehn is a Professor of Geology at Western Kentucky University where he
has been employed since 1984. He earned his Ph.D. from Penn State University in 1981
emphasizing regional geology, coal science, and geostatistics. He has consulted widely for
government and industry in aspects of coal, petroleum, and other natural resources. Active in
research and publication, Dr. Kuehn endeavors to integrate classroom, laboratory and field
experiences. In 2002 he was named a WKU Distinguished Professor for his long-term
contributions to teaching, research, public service, and contributions to the geology
profession.
Dr. Rickard S. Toomey III has been the Director of the Mammoth Cave International
Center for Science and Learning (MCICSL) since 2005. The MCICSL is a cooperative
project of WKU and Mammoth Cave National Park to increase research at the park and
improve integration of research and education. Prior to coming to Mammoth Cave, he was
the Science and Research Manager and Cave Resource Specialist for Arizona State Parks and
a geology curator at the Illinois State Museum. He earned his Ph.D. from The University of
Texas at Austin in 1993 specializing in Quaternary vertebrate paleoecology and cave
paleontology. Recently his research has focused on cave microclimates and the resource
management issues in developed caves. He is also working with a research group seeking to
use remote sensing techniques to identify possible caves on Mars.
Nomination and Designation of the Kyrock Area
as
KSPG Distinguished Geologic Site #4
The history and culture of the Kyrock area in Edmonson County are intimately tied to
geologic resources. The area once supported several vibrant mining communities and was
home to more than 2,000 people. The Kentucky Rock Asphalt mined here provided a
durable, nonskid road surface for the expanding world of the automobile in the early 206
century and, in its heyday, brought much acclaim to the Commonwealth. Citizens of
Havana, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and other famous and not-so-famous locales boasted of
having their streets paved with this outstanding natural material that was dependable, safe,
and aesthetically pleasing.
The asphalt riches of Kyrock were recognized in the mid-lgn century by State Geologist
David Dale Owen who also understood the area's geologic significance as a place to view the
region's great Carboniferous unconformity. He was so moved by the picturesque beauty and
geology of the area that he sketched "Dismal Rock," a nearly 200-ft high bluff of sandstone
and conglomerate resting unconformably above Archimedes-bearing limestone along the
Nolin River. This famous pen and ink drawing served as frontispiece of his book, "Report of
the geological survey in Kentucky made during the years 1854 and 1855."
Since then, the area has been the subject of almost continuous study by geologists who
recognize it as an excellent place to study fluvial sedimentology, sequence boundaries, and
related paleochannels. The community of Kyrock rests in what has become well known in
the literature as the Brownsville Paleovalley, a deep Pennsylvanian incision into the
underlying Mississippian Chester Series.
Today, the Kyrock area affords the visitor a step back in time to the early days of asphalt
mining but it is also undergoing renewed exploration and development of its hydrocarbon
resources. Moreover, current restoration of the Kyrock mining engineer's house, the
Carmichael Estate, by Edmonson County Clerk Larry Carroll is assuring the important
history here will be preserved and promoted for visitors in the greater Mammoth Cave area
for years to come. There is strong interest from the local community and county leaders for
ensuring continued support for educating the public about this historically and geologically
distinguished area.
The site was nominated by Michael May after his visiting the Carmichael house. The 2007
Executive Committee of the Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists, under the
leadership of Andrew Wulff, President, has accepted the nomination of Kyrock, Kentucky as
Distinguished Geologic Site #4.
William M. Andrews, Jr., Chairman
KSPG Distinguished Geologic Sites Program
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure
1. Physiographic Regions of Kentucky ........................................................................9
2. Historical and Modem views of Tunnels (Adits) at Lndian Creek Quarry ................ 11
3. Tar Seeps in Underground Room and Pillar Mine at Indian Creek Quarry .............. 12
4. Processed and Stockpiled KY Rock Asphalt - Indian Creek and Kyrock ................ 12
5. Locomotives and Dinkies in Asphalt Quarries ........................................................ 13
6. Loading Shovels in Asphalt Quarries...................................................................... 14
7. Tar Seeps along Bedding Surfaces in Kyrock Sandstone......................................... 15
8. Liesegang Banding in Kyrock Sandstone ................................................................ 15
9. Kyrock Harbor, or Canal, with Loaded Barges........................................................ 17
10.Dismal Rock from Nolin Dam ................................................................................ 18
11. Cross Section of Brownsville Paleovalley at Kyrock (Pigeon Creek) Area .............. 19
12. Cross Sections of Brownsville Paleovalley in Several GQs..................................... 20
13 Caseyville Fill Comparison between Brownsville & Madisonville Paleovalleys ......21
MAP SECTION
M1. Area Map of Field Trip
M2. Planned Stops in the Vicinity of Kyrock and Mammoth Cave
M3. Geologic Map of the Field Trip Area
M4. Historical Aerial Photograph (1920s) of Kyrock and Vicinity
M5. Topographic Map of Kyrock and Vicinity
M6. Hydrogeologic Map of the Arthur Oil Field Area
Plate 1. Stratigraphic cross section of Brownsville Paleovalley (Schoefernacker. 2006)
Introduction
The historical and geologic significance of
the Kyrock area will be the focus of our
lunch time discussion. The area is being
designated a Distinguished Geologic Site
by the Kentucky Society of Professional
Geologists, only the fourth to be named by
the Society since the program began in
1997. Our discussion will be on natural
rock asphalt and the special communities
that sprang up around the numerous
quarries and mines - operations that until
recently have remained silent for five
decades. Today's market conditions have
brought a resurging interest (and economic
viability) in the rock asphalt and
associated heavy oils.
Our field trip today focuses on the
stratigraphy and economic geology of an
area of Edmonson County west of
Mammoth Cave National Park near the
communities of Lindseyville, Sweeden,
and Kyrock, Kentucky. This area was
once the hub for large-scale production of
a high quality natural asphalt paving
material known around the nation and
world as "Kyrock" (Kentucky Rock). We
will visit the basal Pennsylvanian strata
exposed at the Nolin Reservoir and Dam
and discuss the cyclic nature of the
siliciclastic and carbonate units of the
Chester Series beneath the prePennsylvanian unconformity. An active
oilfield adjacent to Mammoth Cave
National Park will be examined in the
context of protecting our valuable karst
resources and we will complete our day at
the Park with a guided tour of a portion of
Mammoth Cave.
Through the day we will traverse along the
boundary between the Mammoth Cave
Plateau (Chester Uplands) and the Western
Kentucky Coalfield, two of the major
geomorphic regions in this portion of the
state (Figure 1).
W A N D Ct(LRT 24
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~ N T U C WGEUOWXL
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ILLUSTRATED PHYSIOGRAPHIC
DIAGRAM OF KEN'I'UCKY
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Figure 1. Physiographic Regions of Kentucky (modified from KY Geological Suwey)
9
Note:
The final six pages of this
guidebook have been placed in a special
map section so you can refer to them
throughout the day. Thefirst is a general
road map showing the area covered by our
travels. Second is an aerial photograph
indicating the locations of our stops.
Third is a geologic map of the field trip
area. Fourth is an historical oblique aerial
photo of the Kyrock area and fiSth is an
accompanying topographic map. Sixth is a
hydrogeologic map of the area around
Arthur Oil Field
STOP 1. Indian Creek Asphalt Mine
Reynolds Raw Materials in a joint venture
with Glass Construction of Glasgow,
Kentucky and Hart County Stone
Company reopened the Indian Creek Mine
in August 2007. The natural Kyrock from
the mine is combined (up to 30%) with hot
mix asphalt in creating a non-skid
pavement that exceeds federal highway
standards. This is an economic way to
extend supplies of expensive refined
petroleum asphalt
reduce costs by
using resources within a relatively short
haul distance from highway construction
sites.
The old working face and several tunnels
are preserved today (Figure 2a and 2b) and
closer examination reveals why this site
was initially opened decades ago.
Operators proceeded with mining along
tar-saturated beds up to 15 - 20 feet (4.6 to
6.0 meters) thick (Figure 3a). Tar seeps
are visible on many of the supports in
these room-and-pillar workings (Figure
3b).
The finished asphalt product is produced
by pulverizing and grinding asphaltbearing boulders. This granulated material
is stockpiled and later transported to a mix
plant via truck. In contrast to this modem
mode of transport, the bulk of the material
mined or quarried from these hills in the
early days was transported by river barge
from the Nolin River to the Green, Ohio
and Mississippi Rivers (Figures 4a and
4b). Much of the rock asphalt was hauled
to the processing areas in 'dinkies' along a
narrow gauge railroad (Figures 5a and 5b.)
which exemplifies the large investment in
infrastructure here.
Track-mounted
shovels were used to load the trains but in
later years they loaded directly into haul
trucks (Figures 6a and 6b) replacing the
trains at Indian Creek and other locations.
Controls on
emplacement
oil
migration
and
The Indian Creek Mine permits close-up
examination of several conditions that
controlled oil migration through the Lower
Pennsylvanian Caseyville Formation
(Kyrock Sandstone). Potter and Pryor
(1979) noted complexities associated with
oil migration and suggested that a
borehole exploration program and detailed
mapping of the subsurface would be the
most effective way for mine operators to
determine their asphalt resources due to
the laterally discontinuous nature of the
beds. Numerous quarries and mines in the
region began activity in rich deposits that
were presumed to be laterally continuous,
but which abruptly pinched-out into barren
sandstone or conglomerate or where in
contact with other lithologies particularly
along the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian
unconformity. Additional controls include
bedding planes (Figure 7) and other
sedimentary structures, scours and
reactivation surfaces, fracture patterns, and
the distribution of authigenic or diagenetic
minerals (Figure 8).
Figure 2a. Adits at Indian Creek Quany. Note multiple tracks along high wall.
Early 1900s (after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library).
Figure 2b. Indian Creek Quarry in 2007. Note adits, rock asphalt boulders and
processed material (dark) in foreground.
11
Figure 3a. Sandstone pillar in underground
mine at Indian Creek Quarry.
Figure 3b. Asphalt seeps from pillars in
underground workings at Indian Creek Quarry.
Figure 4a. Pulverized Kyrock material ready
for loading onto trucks. Indian Creek Quarry,
August 2007.
Figure 4b. Large stockpile of processed Kyrock
material at Kyrock. Nolin River in background.
Note tracked crane and locomotive to right of
pile. Early 1900s view (courtesy Kentucky
Library).
Figure 5a. Dinkies being loaded by steam shovel. (after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library).
Figure 5b. Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company's 17 locomotives used to haul materials to processing area.
Early 1900s (after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library).
13
Figure 6a. Shovels moved along rail tracks for loading dinkies. Early 1900s.
(after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library)
Figure 6b. Haul truck being loaded in the last few years of major operations during 1950s.
(after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library).
14
form at the junction of two distinctive
lithologies or, alternatively, when a fluid is
introduced into the rock and the fluid is
not in equilibrium with it.
STOP 2. Kyrock Community
Figure 7. Seeps along bedding surfaces of the
Kyrock Sandstone. Rock is two feet (0.6 m)
high. Indian Creek Quarry.
Figure 8. Liesegang banding in Kyrock
Sandstone. Note asphalt in center and lighter
surrounding area. Keys for scale.
When sandstones are cemented by
limonite, hematite or other Fe-oxides
(sesquioxides) the reservoir can become
sealed
or
partitioned
affecting
hydrocarbon emplacement.
Chemical
(diagenetic) reaction fronts are not
necessarily coincident with primary or
secondary structures in the rock which can
result in oddly-shaped asphaltic bodies
that are difficult to map or predict. Some
of the iron cementation takes the form of
oscillatory liesegang banding (e.g.
Ortoleva, 1994, p. 17) that is thought to
The community of Kyrock, Kentucky, and
the surrounding area was the center of
asphalt mining such that the town and the
product were known by the same name,
"Kyrock" (which is short for Kentucky
Rock). The area, which also included the
towns of Ridgedale and Woodside, once
had an estimated population of two
thousand residents and was completely
beholden to the Kentucky Rock Asphalt
Company. During the mining years these
were distinct and vibrant communities. In
an aerial photograph taken during the
1920s, we can see these villages, a canal
connecting to the Nolin River, a bridge,
quarry, roads, homes, and many other
buildings (see photo in map section). A
topographic map of the photograph area,
rotated into the same orientation for
comparison, is also available in the map
section.
It had long been known and chronicled
that the Kyrock area held an abundance of
viscous bitumen or asphalt (e.g., Weller,
1927, p. 199-215) and that the extracted
product was "the ideal road surfacing
material.. ." (Richardson, 1924, p. 155).
The asphalt resources according to
Richardson were "ample to hard surface
every road in the State of Kentucky." The
Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company
operated an open pit quarry and a mill at
Kyrock in contrast to the room-and-pillar
operation at the Indian Creek Quarry. The
open cut worked at Kyrock required 20 to
40 feet (18.2 to 36.5 meters) of stripping
to reach economic rock asphalt with a
range of 6.5 to 8 percent bitumen content
(Weller, 1927, p. 2 11).
Richardson (ibid) estimated the length of
the working face to be one mile (1600
meters) in length (Note quarry location on
photo in map section). He also noted that
the "ore" was being hauled to the "largest
and best equipped asphalt mill in the
state." Approximately 516 of the quarried
material was considered waste (ibid) and
the mill could process up to 1200 tons of
finished product per day.
Transporting the Kyrock via barge from
the canal (Figures 9a and 9b) down the
lower reaches of the Nolin River to the
Green River at Brownsville was made
possible by the construction in 1906-07 of
Lock and Dam No. 6 on Green River to
create a sufficiently deep navigational
pool. (Rick Toomey, Mammoth Cave
National Park, pers. commun., 2007). The
National Park Service favors a freeflowing river and because the dam is in
disrepair, it may be demolished in the
future.
Economic Resurgence
The quarries and mines in the Bee Spring
Quadrangle contributed more than 50
percent of the annual state production of
rock asphalt during the heyday from 19251930. More than 300,000 tons were
extracted during that time (Gildersleeve,
1968). Similarly, the area immediately
surrounding
Kyrock
(Brownsville
Quadrangle) was worked heavily from
1890 to 1958, producing an estimated
1,000,000 tons of rock asphalt
(Gildersleeve, 1965).
Recently, Reynolds Raw Materials
(www.kyrock.net, accessed Sept 2007)
estimated an astounding 300,000,000 tons
remaining reserve in the region.
According to Noger (1984), a 67,000 acre
region surrounding Kyrock contains inplace resources of 520 million barrels.
McGrain (1976) previously estimated 10
to 15 gallons of bitumen equivalent per ton
of rock asphalt.
As noted on the Reynolds website, the
economic significance of the Kyrock
material is that the bitumen coats very
angular grains (angularity of up to 48
degrees). The angular sandstone grains
provide an excellent non-skid, Class A,
polish resistant aggregate which is the
most valuable portion of asphalt surface
mixes. The future looks bright for the area
because Reynolds holds 60,000 acres of
mineral and mining deeds at a time when
reopening the mines can be profitable.
MegaWest Energy Corp, an independent
unconventional oil and gas company
headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
initiated an eight-well exploratory
program in August 2007. They intend to
test several stratigraphic intervals over
their 29,800 acres of lease where they hold
a 62.5 percent working interest in the
(www.ri~zone.com"shallow rights."
MegaWest:
Early Kentucky Results
Encouraging).
The primary target in this area (including
Edmonson County) is the Big Clifty
sandstone (Chesterian). The Kentucky
Geological Survey estimates that the Big
Clifty alone contains 2.1 billion barrels of
oil equivalent in place. Study of drill
cuttings suggests three pay zones with two
of the wells showing hydrocarbon zones
ranging from 77 to 85 feet (23 to 26
meters) in thickness. The company has
working interest in shallow rights which
includes tar sand formations to the base of
the Beech Creek Limestone. The shallow
rights specifically include sandstones
Figure 9a. Loading barges in the Kyrock harbor. Main quarry is behind steam stacks out of view. Early
1900s (after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library).
Figure 9b. Barge loaded with Kyrock material in canal o r harbor. Nolin River in center to left
background. Early 1900s (after Meredith, 1977; courtesy Kentucky Library).
17
(quartz arenites) of the Caseyville (basal
Pennsylvanian)
and
Mississippian
(Chesterian) aged Tar Springs (part of
Leitchfield Formation), Hardinsburg, and
An additional 37.5%
the Big Clifty.
working interest includes the "deep rights"
which may also prove to be economic.
STOP 3. (time permitting;) MississippianPennsylvanian Systemic Boundary in the
Brownsville Paleovalley (Nolin Reservoir
and Dismal Rock)
Sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys studied
for more than 150 years in the Eastern
Interior (or Illinois) Basin have been
thought by many workers to be indicative
of
the
Mississippian-Pennsylvanian
Systemic boundary (e.g. Owen, 1856;
Burroughs, 1923; Siever, 1951; Wanless,
1955; Potter and Desborough, 1965;
Bristol and Howard, 1971; Pryor and
1989c;
Potter,
1979;
Greb,
Schoefernacker, 2006). In the vicinity of
subKyrock
specifically,
the
Pennsylvanian paleovalley is known as the
Brownsville Paleovalley (e.g. Bristol and
Howard, 1971; Sedimentation Seminar
1978; Pryor and Potter, 1979) and
regionally the Brownsville is combined
with the Drakesboro paleovalley and is
referred to as the Rochester Paleovalley
(e.g., Greb et al., 1992). Other large
southwest-trending paleovalleys include
the Madisonville and the Evansville
(Bristol and Howard, 1971; Droste and
Keller, 1990) which are located north and
northwest of Kyrock, respectively.
It is the Kyrock vicinity, however, where
the best outcrops of paleovalley strata are
exposed due in part to the incisement of
the Nolin River forming a series of gorges
and palisades. The most well known bluff
in the river gorge is called Dismal Rock
and is observable from Nolin Reservoir
Dam (Figure 10). From this vantage point
at the dam it is interesting to note that the
Nolin River roughly parallels the deepest
part of the sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalley
that is filled with nearly 200 feet of
conglomerate or pebbly sandstone and
sandstone. Pryor and Potter (1979) assert
that the Brownsville Paleovalley, which
includes the Nolin River Gorge and
Dismal Rock, has the most spectacular of
all paleovalley outcrops in the entire
Illinois Basin.
Dam.
The Brownsville paleovalley in Edmonson
County was recorded by Owen (1856) as
"remarkable" and he noted more than 150
feet of pebbly sandstone and conglomerate
were resting directly on "Archimedes
Limestone" there. The valley fill marking
the
systemic
boundary
between
Mississippian and Pennsylvanian rocks
specifically at Dismal Rock near Nolin
River Dam has long been recognized as
highly significant and has been revisited
through the years (e.g. Miller, 1910,
Weller, 1927; Pryor and Potter, 1979).
The unconformity is regionally significant
because it demarcates the boundary
between the famous Kaskaskia and
Absoroka cratonic sequences of Sloss
( 1963).
These sequences developed
during two global eustatic supercycles
postulated by Vail and others (1977).
Major Features and Facies
Brownsville Paleovalley Fill
of
the
Numerous cross sections have been
constructed over the years to show the
geometry and orientation of the
spectacular Brownsville Paleovalley.
These progressed from simple sections
with limited subsurface control that relied
heavily on outcrop mapping along the
tributaries of Nolin River such as Pine
Creek, Pigeon Creek and Dismal Creek in
the Kyrock area as shown in Figure 11
according to Weller (1927) to outcrop and
Figure 11. Cross section of Weller (1927) in the
Brownsville Paleovalley at Kyrock (Pigeon Cr.)
area. Numbers 1-6 on left represent Chesterian
strata. No. 7 is the basal Pennsylvanian.
core studies as shown in Figure 12 (after
Sedimentation Seminar, 1978; Pryor and
A recent study by
Potter, 1979).
Schoefernacker (2006) integrated outcrop
information with an expanded subsurface
data set that included cores, mud logs,
drill-cutting logs, and geophysical logs
(Plate 1 in map section).
The paleovalley is about 200 feet (61 m)
deep and approximately three miles (5 krn)
wide with a stepped or terraced profile and
is traceable for more than 50 miles (83
krn) (Sedimentation Seminar, 1978).
Pebbly sandstones and conglomerates
comprise the incised valley fill and they
generally fine upward. In contrast, there
are fewer coarse-grained or pebbly
sandstones in the paleo-upland (interfluve)
areas. As shown in Figure 13, the
paleovalley fill replaces the Chesterian
siliciclastic and carbonate units in this area
and elsewhere in the Illinois Basin.
Local Stratigraphic Nomenclature
Brownsville Paleovalley
of
On the regional geologic map (in map
section), the incised valley fill deposits are
assigned to the Caseyville Formation (the
Pottsville sandstone of Weller, 1927), or
basal Pennsylvanian. The Caseyville is
the formally recognized unit associated
with the Brownsville and other
paleovalleys in this part of the Illinois
Basin. The Caseyville is locally referred
to as the Kyrock Sandstone or the Bee
Spring Sandstone (left side of Figure 13).
These sandstones have been broken out as
two separate units wherever the Nolin
Coal is present. Both units are asphalt
bearing in the Kyrock-Nolin area.
STOP 4. (time permitting) Oil Field at
Arthur, Kentucky
The Arthur Oil Field can be observed
along Highway 70 adjacent to the southern
boundary of Mammoth Cave National
Park as a series of tank batteries and pump
jacks. Development of this field created a
small oil boom in the mid 1990s. In 1993,
Edmonson County produced only 23,600
barrels of oil. By 1995 production peaked
at 128,600 barrels per year thanks mainly
to the Arthur field coming on line. By
1999, production had declined to 35,200
barrels. The oil production from the
Arthur field is fiom the Devonian Clear
Creek Formation at about 1200 feet depth.
In January 1997 a ruptured well fitting
resulted in the release of about 10 barrels
of crude oil into Mammoth Cave National
40
39
A t 0320 16
04
I
Bee Spring
Nolin
Glen Dean
Limestone
Hardinsburg
Sandstone
Haney
Limestone
Figure 12. Cross section of Brownsville Paleovalley in several geologic quadrangles (after Sedimentation Seminar, 1978).
Figure 13. Upper Chester and Pennsylvanian Caseyville units; a comparison between the Brownsville and Madisonville
Paleovalleys (after Greb et al., 1992).
Park. A quick response prevented the oil
from sinking into the primary karst aquifer
but this accidental spill elucidated the
potential threat posed by oil production on
a karst terrain. Dye tracer studies strongly
indicated that a much better understanding
of the surface and near-surface
stratigraphy was needed to guard against
future threats (Ek et al., 1999).
The Chesterian section exposed near the
Arthur Field is a complex of migration
pathways because fluid flow alternates
between the surface and the subsurface
depending on lithology. The relatively
low permeability siliciclastic units support
surface flow whereas carbonate units
characteristically have karst aquifers.
Water flow near the drilled wells, tank
batteries and pipelines of the Arthur field
is mainly through the karstified Glen Dean
Limestone. Water then discharges as
springs onto the underlying Hardinsburg
Sandstone where surface streams are
typical. Subsequently, water continues
downward again through the karst
associated with the Haney Limestone,
Girkin Limestone, and Ste. Genevieve
Limestone finally discharging at springs
on the Green River. (See hydrogeologic
map of Arthur area in map section).
The National Park Service and Western
Kentucky University have cooperated in
the development of a geographic
information system (GIs) data base
containing
information
of
the
hydrogeology, oil-well location data, karst
features, access roads, and, most
importantly, surface and subsurface flow
routes adjacent to producing leases. This
database has been distributed to pertinent
agencies and emergency response
personnel, including a summary map to
direct emergency response personnel and
to plan and coordinate future efforts
should an accidental spill recur. Thus,
karst resources including the numerous
endangered and threatened species
associated with these fragile ecosystems
can be better protected.
STOP 5. Tour of the Historic Portion of
Mammoth Cave
After returning to the Mammoth Cave
National Park Visitor's Center, we will
spend a few minutes there to examine
maps and literature.
Our day will
conclude with a guided tour of Mammoth
Cave led by Dr. Rick Toomey of the
Mammoth Cave International Center for
Science and Learning.
ROAD LOG
From Exit 53'1-65 to the Visitors'
Center at Mammoth Cave National
Park:
Mileage
Interval Total
0.0 0.0 Turn West onto KY 70 at the
top of the exit ramp.
3.5
3.5 KY 70 turns left here; follow
signs. Continue on KY 70 to Sloan's
Crossing
4.4
7.9 KY 70 turns left at Sloan's
Crossing. Bear right and follow signs onto
the South Entrance Road toward the
Visitor's Center.
3.3
11.2 Arrive at Visitor's Center
Parking Lot.
The group will meet in the Visitor's
Center Parking Lot in Mammoth Cave
National Park at 9:OOam CDT and
begin the field trip from there.
Mileage
Interval Total
0.0 Depart the Visitor's Center
0.0
parking lot heading south on the
entrance road.
3.3
3.3 Intersection at Sloan's
Crossing. Turn right (west) onto KY 70.
3.3
left.
6.6 Pass Cedar Sink Road on
Mileage
Interval Total
1.4 18.5 STOP 2. Entrance Road to
Indian Creek Mine
0.5 19.0 Sign marking the community
of Sweeden.
0.6
19.6 Turn right onto Kyrock Road.
1.1
20.7 Pull off in field at left.
STOP 3. The Church Hill and Ridgedale
8.4 Pass KY 2325, Silent Grove
Road, on left
1.8
2.3 10.7 STOP 1. Tank battery at
Arthur Oil Field (We may stop here on
our return to Mammoth Cave instead,
depending on time.)
2.4 13.1 Intersection of KY 70 and
KY 259. Continue north through
Brownsville, the county seat of Edmonson
County.
1.4 14.5 Cross the bridge at Green
River.
1.1 15.6 KY 70 west splits to the left;
continue straight (north) on KY 259.
1.5 17.1 Sign marking the community
of Lindseyville.
1.7 22.4 Intersection with KY 728;
turn right (east).
1.2 23.6 Enter Nolin Lake Recreation
Area. Pull off the road on right into
parking area just ahead of the dam.
STOP 4. Dismal Rock and the
Brownsville Paleovalley.
Turn around and head back (west) on KY
728.
25.7 Intersection with KY 259.
2.1
Turn left (south) and retrace our route
back to the Visitor's Center at Mammoth
Cave National Park.
End of Road Log
References Cited
Bristol, H.M., and Howard, R.H., 1971, Paleogeographic map of the sub-Pennsylvanian
Chesterian (Upper Mississippian) surface in the Illinois Basin: Illinois Geological
Survey, Circular No. 458, University of Illinois, Champaign, 16 p.
Burroughs, W.G., 1923, A Pottsville filled channel in the Mississippian: Kentucky
Geological Survey, ser. 6, v. 10, p. 115-126.
Droste, J.B., and Keller, S.J., 1989, Development of the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian
unconformity in Indiana: Indiana Geological Survey, Occasional Paper 55, Indiana
University, Bloomington, 11 p.
Ek, D., Groves, C., Glennon, A., Curry, B. and Meiman, J., 1999, Threats to Surface and
Karst Groundwater of Mammoth Cave National Park from the Arthur Oil Field,
Kentucky: National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Abstracts, p. 5 1
Gildersleeve, B. , 1965, Geology of the Brownsville, Kentucky Quadrangle: USGS GQ-411.
Gildersleeve, B. , 1968, Geology of the Bee Spring Quadrangle, Edmonson and Grayson
Counties, Kentucky: USGS GQ-757.
Greb, S.F., 1989c, Structural controls on the formation of the sub-Absaroka unconformity in
the U.S. Eastern Interior Basin: Geology, v. 17, p. 889-892.
Greb, S.F., Williams, D.A., and Williamson, A.D., 1992, Geology and Stratigraphy of the
Western Kentucky Coal Field: Kentucky Geological Survey, Bulletin 2, Series XI,
University of Kentucky, Lexington, 77 p.
Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, Western Kentucky University, 2002, Surface and
Subsurface Flow Routes in the Vicinity of the Arthur Oil Field (unpublished map);
prepared for the Division of Science & Resource Management - Mammoth Cave
National Park.
McGrain, P., 1976, Tar Sands (Rock Asphalt) of Kentucky - A Review. Kentucky
Geological Survey, Series X, Report of Investigations 19, 16p.
Noger, M.C., 1984, Tar-sand Resources of Western Kentucky, Reprint 45, Series XI, 1999,
Kentucky Geological Survey, 27p.
Ortoleva, P.J., 1994, Geochemical Self-Organization: Oxford Monographs on Geology and
Geophysics No. 23, Oxford University Press, 4 1 1 p.
Owen, D.D., 1856, Report of the Geological Survey in Kentucky made in the years 1854 and
1855: Kentucky Geological Survey, ser. 1, v. 1, p. 3- 148.
Potter, P.E., and Desborough, G.A., 1965, Pre-Pennsylvanian Evansville Paleovalley and
Caseyville (Pennsylvanian) sedimentation in the Illinois Basin: Illinois Geological
Survey, Circular 384, University of Illinois, Champaign, 16 p.
Pryor, W.A. and Potter, P.E., 1979, Sedimentology of a paleovalley fill: Pennsylvanian
Kyrock Sandstone in Edmonson and Hart Counties, Kentucky in J.E. Palmer and R.R.
Dutcher (Eds.), Depositional and structural history of the Pennsylvanian System of
the Illinois Basin, Part 2: Invited Papers: Illinois State Geological Survey Guidebook
Series 15a (Field Trip 9 for Ninth International Congress of Carbonate Stratigraphy
and Geology) p.49-62.
Richardson, C.H., 1924, The Road Materials of Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey,
Frankfort, 209 p.
Schoefernacker, S.R., 2006, Spatial characteristics of paleochannels in association with the
Mississippian/Pennsylvanian Systemic Boundary in Western and South-Central
Kentucky: Unpublished M.S. Thesis, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green,
Kentucky, 121 p.
Sedimentation Seminar (H.N. Fisk Laboratory of Sedimentology, Univ. of Cincinnati), 1978,
Sedimentology of the Kyrock Sandstone (Pennsylvanian) in the Brownsville
Paleovalley, Edmonson and Hart Counties, Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey,
Series X, Report of Investigations No. 2 1,24 p.
Siever, R. 1951, The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity in southern Illinois:
American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 35, p. 452-581.
Sloss, L.L., 1963, Sequences in the cratonic interior of North America: Geological Society
of America Bulletin, v. 74, p. 93- 114.
Vail, P.R., Mitchum, R.M., and Thompson, S., 111, 1977, Seismic stratigraphy and global
changes in sea level in Payton, C.E., (Ed), Seismic Stratigraphy-Applicationsto
hydrocarbon exploration: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 26,
p. 83-98.
Wanless, H.R., 1955, Pennsylvanian rocks of Eastern Interior Basin: American Association
of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 39, no. 9, p. 1753-1820.
Weller, J.M.,1927, The Geology of Edmonson County: Kentucky Geological Survey,
Frankfort, 246 p.
-Roads
11111
C m t y Boundaries
,-
0 1 2 3 4Miles
Mammoth Cave Park Boundary
S
MI. Area Map of Field Trip
Roadf
7
g
t
d
Plannl
i
Mamn
re Park E
-
M2. Planned Stops in the Vicinity of Kyrock and Mammoth Cave National Park
[
j Mammoth Cave-$ygy$#
Park Boundary
Geologic Units
.,-?kT
*- +&
5"
2iseyville Formation
,eitchfidd Formation
u
Olen Dean Limestone
) Hardinsburg Sandstone
Haney Limestone Member
Big Clifty Sandstone Member
3te. Genevieve Lim&omjj;.
M3. Geologic Map of the Field Trip Area
1I
1116. Hydrogeolqis Map of the Arthur Oil Fkld Arm, Edmmmn County, Kentwky
Plate I (After Schoefernacker, 2006)
Stratigraphic Cross Section
Datum B/Haney Limestone
I
Limestone
Shale
Pca-Caseyville Sandstone
Mh-Hardinsburg Sandstone
Mlv-Vienna Limestone
Mgh-Hancy Limestone
Sandstone