Coal Geology of the Paleocene-Eocene Calvert Bluff Formation (Wilcox Group) and the Eocene Manning Formation (Jackson Group) in east-central Texas

Field Trip Guidebook for The Society for Organic Petrology
Twelfth Annual Meeting, The Woodlands, Texas
August 30, 1995

Edited by P.D. Warwick and S.S. Crowley

U.S. Department of Interior
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-595

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards and stratigraphic nomenclature. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.G.S.

CONTENTS

Introduction: Coal Geology of the Paleocene-Eocene Calvert Bluff Formation (Wilcox Group) and the Eocene Manning Formation (Jackson Group) in east-central Texas: 1995 Field Trip for The Society for Organic Petrology
Peter D. Warwick and Sharon S. Crowley

• Overview
• Acknowledgements
• Itinerary
• References Cited

Chapter 1.: Depositional environments and stratigraphy of late Eocene sediments, east-central Texas
Thomas E. Yance

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Late Eocene Stratigraphic Units of the Brazos River Valley
  • Caddell Formation
  • Manning Formation
  • Whitsett Formation
• Late Eocene Sequence Stratigraphy and Radiometric Dates
  • Environments of Deposition
  • Greens Prairie Section
  • Lake Somerville Spillway Section
• Conclusions
• References Cited

Chapter 2.: Petrography and geochemistry of selected lignite beds in the Gibbons Creek Mine (Manning Formation, Jackson Group, Paleocene) of east-central Texas
Peter D. Warwick, Sharon S. Crowley, Leslie F. Ruppert, and James Pontolillo

• Abstract
• Introduction
  • Previous Investigations
  • Acknowledgements
• Methods
• Results
  • Sedimentological Characteristics
  • Geochemical and Physical Characteristics
  • Organic Petrology
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Discussion
• Conclusions
• References Cited
• Appendix I : Measured Section and Sample Intervals

Chapter 3.: Palynology and paleoecology of lignites from the Manning Formation (Jackson Group) outcrop in the Lake Somerville Spillway
A. Raymond, M.K. Phillips, and J.A. Gennett

• Abstract
• Introduction
  • Acknowledgements
• Methods
• Results
  • Lower seam profiles
  • Middle seam profiles
  • Upper seam profiles
• Discussion
  • Patterns of floral dominance in the Lake Somerville Lignites
  • Affinities and paleoecological interpretation of dominant Taxa
    • Laevigatosporites and Cicatricosisporites
    • Momipites coryloides, Arecipites columellus, and Liliacidites
    • Nyssa and Rhoipites angustus
    • Cupuliferoipollenites, C. liblarensis, and Siltaria cf. S. scabriextima
    • Caprifoliipites tantulus
    • Ailanthipites berryi
    • Palynoflora of the claystone layers and lenses
• Conclusions
  • Floral paleoecology: Lake Somerville lignites & detrital sediments
• References Cited

Chapter 4.: Geology and depositional setting of the lower Calvert Bluff Formation (Wilcox Group) in the Calvert Mine area, east-central Texas
Mark Middleton and James A. Luppens

• Abstract
• Introduction
  • Regional Geology
    • Physiography
    • Stratigraphy
      1. Midway Group
      2. Wilcox Group
      3. Claiborne Group
      4. Quaternary Deposits
    • Structure
• Geologic Character of the Calvert mine
  • Physiography of the mine area
  • Stratigraphy of the mine area
    • Simsboro Formation
    • Calvert Bluff Formation
    • Quaternary Deposits
  • Geologic hazards
• References Cited

Chapter 5.: The Origin and Distribution of HAPs elements in relation to Maceral Composition of the A1 Lignite Bed (Paleocene, Calvert Bluff Formation, Wilcox Group), Calvert Mine area, East-Central Texas
Sharon S. Crowley, Peter D. Warwick, Leslie F. Ruppert, and James Pontolillo

• Abstract
• Introduction
  • Geologic Background
  • Previous Work
• Acknowledgements
• Methodology
  • Description of samples
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Maceral Analysis
• Results
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Maceral Analysis
• Discussion
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Maceral Analysis
  • Comparison of the Distribution of HAPs Elements to Petrographic Facies
• Conclusions
• References Cited

FIGURES

Introduction

• Figure 1. Generalized stratigraphic section of lower Tertiary rocks exposed in eastern Texas
• Figure 2. Location of the Gibbons Creek mine, Lake Somerville spillway, and the Calvert mine

Chapter 1

• Figure 1. Location of stratigraphic sections and drill holes
• Figure 2. Late Eocene stratigraphic section in Brazos County, Texas
• Figure 3. Model of a representative cycle of deposition in the Manning Formation, Brazos River Valley area
• Figure 4. Stratigraphic section : Greens Prairie cycle, lower Manning Formation
• Figure 5. Stratigraphic section of the Lake Somerville spillway section, upper Manning Formation

Chapter 2

• Figure 1. Index map showing locations of the Gibbons Creek mine and the Lake Somerville spillway
• Figure 2. Generalized regional stratigraphy and detailed stratigraphic section of the lignite-bearing interval of the Manning Formation
• Figure 3. Detailed stratigraphic section of the 3500 and 4500 lignite beds
• Figure 4. Bar graphs showing concentrations of ash, total sulfur, Btu, and forms of sulfur for the 3500 and 4500 sample sets
• Figure 5. Bar graphs of major petrographic constituents for the 3500 and 4500 sample sets
• Figure 6. Bar graphs showing the distribution of trace element concentrations for 12 potential HAPs
• Figure 7a. R-mode dendrogram of trace element, oxide, and ash-yield data
• Figure 7b. Q-mode dendrogram of petrographic data
• Figure 8. Photomicrograph of a siliceous sponge spicule from the 3500 bed

Chapter 3

• Figure 1a. Palynomorph profile of 20 common taxa from the lower seam and overlying marine sandstone
• Figure 1b. Palynomorph profile of 20 common species from the lower seam
• Figure 2a. Palynomorph profile of 20 common taxa from the middle seam and overlying marine sandstone
• Figure 2b. Palynomorph profile of 20 common grains from the middle seam
• Figure 2c. Palynomorph profile of 20 common taxa from a replicate sample of the upper burrowed layer, the variable claystone and the underlying lignite of the middle seam
• Figure 2d. Palynomorph profile of 20 common taxa from a replicate sample of the upper burrowed layer, the variable claystone and the underlying lignite of the middle seam
• Figure 3. Palynomorph profile of 20 common taxa from the upper seam

Chapter 4

• Figure 1. Regional tectonic setting of the East Texas Basin
• Figure 2. Generalized stratigraphic section of the Calvert mine area
• Figure 3. Surficial geologic map of the Calvert mine area
• Figure 4. Cross section A - A' and B - B' in the Calvert mine area

Chapter 5

• Figure 1. Location of the Calvert mine in east-central Texas
• Figure 2. Stratigraphic position of the Calvert mine lignites within the generalized section of the coal-bearing intervals of eastern Texas
• Figure 3. Stratigraphic location of lignite and shaley coal channel samples A1 bed, Calvert mine
• Figure 4. Distribution of HAPs trace elements in lignite and shaley coal samples
• Figure 5. R-mode dendrogram of chemical analytical data and ash yield
• Figure 6. Distribution of maceral varieties that show the greatest variation throughout the channeled section

TABLES

Chapter 2

• Table 1. Proximate, trace element, & major oxide data: Gibbons Creek lignite deposit
• Table 2. Sources of chemical data used in this study
• Table 3. Petrographic data for the 3500 and 4500 lignite beds

Chapter 5

• Table 1. Chemical analyses for lignite and shaley coal samples, A1 bed, Calvert mine
• Table 2. Correlation coefficients for HAPs elements
• Table 3. Petrographic data for 7 lignite samples, A1 bed, Calvert mine
• Table 4. Comparison of weighted averages of HAPs elements for samples from the A1 bed, Calvert mine to mean levels reported by Tewalt (1986) for Wilcox Group lignites

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