About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 69 (1985)

Issue: 9. (September)

First Page: 1433

Last Page: 1433

Title: Sedimentology of Mississippian Price Delta in Southeastern West Virginia: ABSTRACT

Author(s): Thomas W. Bjerstedt, Thomas W. Kammer

Article Type: Meeting abstract

Abstract:

The Price (Pocono) delta in southeastern West Virginia is the final westward prograding sequence of the Acadian clastic wedge. A 256-m section exposed near Caldwell provides an excellent reference section. The Price delta was composed of a subaqueous delta platform rimmed by shoreface sands. Protected from marine processes on the platform, distributary channel and mouth-bar systems in a shoal-water deltaic complex built rapidly westward into the foreland basin waters approximately 100 m deep.

The Appalachian basin was oxygen-deficient during Early Mississippian (Kinderhookian) time. Dark, Sunbury-type silt-shale lithosomes recur in the stratigraphic sequence and mark transgressive periods of decreasing clastic influx and an increased rate of basin subsidence, which brought dysaerobic prodeltaic facies onto the delta slope and front.

Prodeltaic facies contain phosphate pebbles in commonly laminated, dark silt-shales. At the toe of slope, turbidites in BC and BCE sequences occur. Distal tempestites occur on the upper delta slope. Fine-grained sands on the shoreface delta front contain siderite/quartz pebble pavements from storm events. The delta platform edge is marked by a sandbar system. Back-bar sheet sands on the delta platform contain an abundant fauna in shelly lags. The inner platform contains flaser bedded, dark shales, silts and fine-grained sands in interdistributary bays, mouth bars, low-energy beaches, and mud flats.

Distributary channels on the delta plain contain mud/coal clast and siderite pebble conglomerates and coaly stringers in large-scale, trough cross-bedded, medium-grained sands. Maccrady red beds of the coastal plain cap the deltaic sequence.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 1433------------

Copyright 1997 American Association of Petroleum Geologists