Masters Theses

Abstract

"The nature and lateral variation of a host rock limestone in the Tri-State zinc-lead district were petrographically studied within a single horizon, the M bed. This bed is a massive crinoidal limestone in the Tri- State district of southwestern Missouri, northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas and is a part of the Mississippian Keokuk Formation.

One hundred and twenty specimens from this bed were collected underground from six pull drifts in five mines: West Side, Grace B, Big John, Little Greenback, and Mudd Mines. The specimens were collected at regular intervals, usually ten to twenty feet, beginning at the edge of an ore body and progressing away from the zone of mineralization and ore. Ninety-four thin sections prepared from the limestone specimens were described and classified according to Folk's classification of carbonate rocks. The M bed limestone consists of the following varieties: crinoidal biosparite, crinoidal biomicrite, and crinoidal biomicrosparite.

The fair degree of sorting, presence of microcrystalline calcite, and the abundance of crinoids indicate that the sedimentary environment of deposition of the M bed limestone was a warm, shallow, and widespread sea favorable for the growth of organisms, especially crinoids.

The M bed limestone distant from ore bodies consists predominantly of allochems, mainly crinoids, while microcrystalline calcite, sparry calcite and microspar are much less abundant constituents. Toward ore bodies, the constituents of the M bed limestone change. The allochem content progressively decreases, while the sparry calcite content increases. The gradual change in limestone composition toward the margin of ore bodies usually begins at a distance of 40 to 80 feet from the ore bodies. The writer believes this change to be caused by the solutions which ernplaced the ores. Microcrystalline calcite and micro spar exhibit no significant lateral variations.

Preliminary petrographic study of other beds in the Keokuk and Warsaw formations suggest that E, K, and Obed limestones are similar to M bed limestone, while G-H bed limestone is fine grained and consists predominantly of microcrystalline calcite"-- Abstract, pp. ii, iii

Advisor(s)

Hagni, Richard D.

Committee Member(s)

Spreng, Alfred C., 1923-1999
Zenor, Hughes M., 1908-2001
Vaughn, George E., jr., 1925-1997

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Degree Name

M.S. in Geology

Publisher

University of Missouri at Rolla

Publication Date

1964

Pagination

vi, 95 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 92-94)

Rights

© 1964 Adnan A. Saadallah, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 1677

Print OCLC #

5963544

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