Black shale studies in Kentucky. Quarterly report, October--December 1977

During this quarter, most efforts were devoted to completing collection of field data from black-shale sections in order to meet a scheduled milestone at the end of December. Fourteen sections were described and measured, 12 from the outcrop belt on the eastern flank of the Cincinnati and two from the Pine Mountain outcrop belt. Five of Linda Provo's seven radioactive units were traced along the outcrop belts where possible. At the southern end of each outcrop belt, the units became increasingly difficult to differentiate, due to marked thinning on approaching the Cincinnati Arch. This thinning is evident from north to south in that successive basal units drop out southward. In northern parts of the outcrop belt, the basal unit in the black shale is unit 5, but in the southernmost section, unit 3 is the basal unit. Both units 5 and 4 have pinched out in the intervening distance. Work is also continuing on the petrographic study of core material and on the well-log inventory. Initial examination and point counting is nearly complete. Microfacies are being identified in the core, but all interpretations are preliminary. The well-log inventory for two more counties, Powell and Wolfe, were completed and the inventory for Magoffin has been started. An isopach map of unit 1 (Cleveland Shale Mbr.) from the northeastern part of the state, where the inventory is complete, has also been started. A study of the clay-mineral stratigraphy from selected cores and outcrops has also been started in conjunction with the geochemical group. Abstracts of reports containing project data and information on new techniques are included. (JRD