An offshore, shallow-water environment was in existence during the accumulation of the major part of the Cincinnatian Series, Eden to Saluda. The upper part of the section, Saluda and Whitewater, was formed under nearshore, subtidal, and lagoonal conditions.

The average limestone, Eden to Saluda, is a biocalcirudite, an autochthonous coquinoid rock. It is coarse-grained, poorly sorted and contains approximately 38% fossil allochems which were originally deposited with ooze. The carbonate mud of the limestones has been recrystallized almost completely and many fossil allochems have undergone recrystallization as well. Coarse pseudospar forming 40% of the rock is about equal in abundance to allochems with microspar (5-30µ) forming the remaining 20%. Chemically precipitated sparry calcite is uncommon and apparently exists only in fossil cavities and under umbrellas.

Bryozoa are slightly more abundant than brachiopods through all of the units and each of these phyla exceeds echinoderms by 3 to 2 and trilobites by 3 to 1. Pelecypods, gastropods, and ostracods are minor constituents. The relative order of abundance of phyla holds through all of the formations.

Allochems average about 28% of the upper part of the series; microspar forms about 55% of the average rock and pseudospar forms about 15%. Micrite is minor but more abundant than in the lower, thicker part of the series. The major fossil phyla have the same relative order of abundance, but bryozoans exceed brachiopods by 10%. Ostracods, algal products, and coral become very conspicuous and are the only allochems in some beds. Dolomite is abundant in many beds of the upper Cincinnatian.

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