Upper and Middle Mississippian Formations of Southern Indiana

Abstract

This field trip was organized to observe and discuss outcrop of Upper and Middle Mississippian age in Indiana. These formations are of special economic interest because the greater part of petroleum, agricultural limestone, road metal, and building stone in Indiana is produced from this rock series. The stratigraphy of the Indiana Chester formations is emphasized because of the wide divergence of opinion held upon their correlation with the subsurface formations of the Illinois Basin and the outcrops of similar age in the states surrounding the basin. The problems of time correlation by fossil evidence and of lithologic correlation by sedimentation units will be discussed. We hope that discussion combined with actual field examples of the Indiana section will provide a better understanding of the Chester correlation problems to all conference members. This opportunity to become better acquainted and to exchange ideas is the most important part of the program.