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Kentucky Geological Survey Map and Chart Kentucky Geological Survey

2017

Kentucky Stratigraphy with Stage Correlations

Stephen F. Greb
University of Kentucky, greb@uky.edu

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Repository Citation
Greb, Stephen F., "Kentucky Stratigraphy with Stage Correlations" (2017). Kentucky Geological Survey Map and Chart. 209.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/kgs_mc/209

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 MAP AND CHART 210
Kentucky Stratigraphy
KENTUCKY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
William C. Haneberg, State Geologist and Director Series XII, 2017
UNIVERSITY of KENTUCKY, Lexington
https://doi.org/10.13023/kgs.mc210.12

With Stage Correlations

Compiled by Stephen F. Greb

North American Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Central Kentucky Eastern Kentucky Million Million

American
Western Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Central Kentucky Eastern Kentucky

(Epoch)
(Epoch)

System
System

Series
Series

International European

Stage
years International years

Glacial
North
Stage

stages
Era

Era
(Mississippi Embayment) (Appalachian Basin) European

Sub-
Stage Stage (and regional
(Illinois Basin) (Cincinnati Arch)
ago Stage
(Mississippi Embayment) (Illinois Basin) (Cincinnati Arch) (Appalachian Basin) ago
substages)
Rock Units Rock Units Rock Units Rock Units Stage Rock Units Rock Units Rock Units Rock Units
Quarter- Holocene
0 0
Late Upper (Tarantian)
Tyrrhenian Rancho- Peoria loess

Holo-
cene
See Holocene-Pleistocene detail (larger scale) See Holocene-Pleistocene detail (larger scale) 

Wiscon-
nary Pleistocene ? labrean Big Bone Lick fossils Most of Kentucky’s

sinan
Roxana silt

Illinoian
2.6 Middle Loveland loess floodplain sediments

Middle
Piacenzian Piacenzian “Metropolis Fm.” (mostly less than
Pliocene Blancan Sicilian
Ohio River (alluvium) are less than
Zanclean Zanclean ? “Mounds Gravel” (Ionian) ? floodplain
10,600 years old)
10,000 years old
5.3

Quaternary
Pleistocene

Sangamonian
Irvingtonian
(Lafayette Gravel, sediments
Messinian Messinian continental deposits)
Hemphillian (alluvium) are

Cenozoic
1.0
Upper

0 to 20,000 Old Kentucky River

fluvial deposits
Tortonian Tortonian years old ?
Neogene

10 Calabrian Calabrian

Pre-Illinoian
Clarendonian ?
Miocene

Serravallian Serravallian Ohio River in its present valley ?

Early
Barstovian ?
Middle

Irvine Fm.
Langhian Langhian The “Mounds Gravel”

Previously part
Previously part

Blancan
Lower levels formed (Older down- 2.0
may be as young as stream to west)

of Pliocene
Hemingfordian Gelasian Gelasian

of Tertiary
the Early Pleistocene Mammoth Cave
Burdigalian Burdigalian Upper levels formed
Lower

20 ?
2.59
Arikareean

Aquitanian Aquitanian
23
Anahuac
Upper

Chattian Chattian Million

Oligocene

Western North Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Central Kentucky Eastern Kentucky

(Epoch)
System
International years

Series
European American

Era
Chickasawayan Stage (Mississippi Embayment) (Illinois Basin) (Cincinnati Arch) (Appalachian Basin) ago
Stage Stage Rock Units Rock Units Rock Units Rock Units
Cenozoic

30
burgian
Lower

Vicks-

Substage
Rupelian Rupelian Whitneyan 359

Maury Fm.?
360

Clegg Creek
Cone- ?

equivalent
Orellan Cleveland Shale Mbr.
wangoan

Member
Berea Ss.

New Albany Shale (in central and east-central Ky.)

33.9 Hannibal
(previously part of Tertiary)

(Bradfordian) Three Lick Bed

Chautauquan
Bedford Sh.
sonian

Jackson

Ohio Shale
Jack-
Upper

Member

Chattanooga Shale (in south-central Ky.)

Chadronian

Huron Shale Mbr..

Priabonian Priabonian Fm.
?

Cassadagan
Upper
Famennian Famennian U.
“Cockfield
Duchesnean Fm.” Camp Run Middle
Bartonian Bartonian Grassy M.

New Albany Shale

New Albany Shale
“Cook 40 Mbr.
Gassaway
Jackson and Claiborne Fms.
Claiborne Fm. (Gp.)

Mountain Creek Morgan L. Mbr.

Fm.” Lower

Upper
Member Trail (of Chattanooga Sh.) 370
Middle

Uintan Member
Claibornian

“Sparta
Eocene

Lutetian Lutetian Fm.”

Upper Olentangy Shale Unnamed

(Chemungian)
Cohocton
“Tallahata Fm.”

Selmier
(“Memphis sand”)

Sweetland Creek Mbr.

K-bentonite,
Member Rhinestreet Chattanooga

Senecan
Bridgerian Dowelltown
undivided

Shale, in
Paleogene

Frasnian Frasnian ?
Member Shale Tennessee
50 (upper) (of Chattanooga Sh.)

Blocher Mbr.
Lower

Ypresian Ypresian Finger- ? ? ? ? Blocher Mbr. 380

Wasatchian lakesian ? (of New Albany Sh.)
? ? ?
Wilcox Fm.
Sabinian

Clayton Portwood Mbr.

Clarkforkian (lower)
56 Formation Taghanic ? (of New Albany Sh.)
Givetian Givetian
Mid. Upper

Portwood Mbr.
Thanetian Thanetian Duffin bed

Devonian
Tiffanian in southern Tioughniogan
Boyle Do.
Paleocene

Middle
Illinois ?
Sellersburg Ls.

Erian
Cazenovian ? Beechwood Mbr.
Selandian Selandian Porters Creek Clay 60
Midway

Marcellus Shale
Midwayan

Group

Torrejonian Silver Creek Mbr.

Clayton Grand

woodian
? 390

South-
Eifelian Eifelian
Clayton and McNairy

Tower Onondaga
Formation Jeffersonville Limestone ?
Lower

Danian Danian Puercan

Ls.

Previously Onesquethawan
Limestone
Fms. (undivided)

Dutch Creek Ss.

? 66 Tioga “B”
K-bentonite,

Clear Creek Ls.

McNairy Fm.

?
Navarroan

Owl Creek

Clear Creek Chert

“Owl Creek Fm.”
Formation Onondaga
Maastrichtian Maastrichtian Formation,
McNairy Fm. 70 in southern Clear Virginia

Esopusian
Illinois
Creek 400
? Emsian Emsian Limestone
“Coffee sand”
?
Tayloran
Campanian

Campanian

Ulsterian
Lower
(The McNairy Formation
? of western Kentucky may Backbone Limestone
“Post Creek Fm.” contain some of the ?
Oriskany
Cretaceous

80
Mesozoic

Coffee sand and Post Grassy

Creek Formation of
Pragian Siegenian Deer Knob Grassy Knob Limestone Sandstone
Gulfian

? 410
Upper

Parkian
Austinian

bordering states) Chert

Helderbergian
? ?
Santonian Santonian
(The Tuscaloosa Flat Flat Gap Helderberg
Formation in western Lochkovian Gedinnian Gap Limestone
Coniacian Coniacian Kentucky may be Limestone
younger than at its Ls.
type location) 90
Eaglefordian

Turonian Turonian ?
419
420
Ludlow Pridoli

Bailey Bailey Limestone Brownsport Fm.

(Previously Upper)

Tuscaloosa Fm. none Pridoli Salina

Limestone Decatur Ls. ?
Dolomite
? Cayugan Lobelville Mbr.
Cenomanian Cenomanian Ludfordian Bob Member
Ludlow Moccasin Moccasin Beech River Mbr.
Gorstian Springs Fm. Dixon Ls.
Springs Lockport
Lego Ls. Louisville Ls.
100.5 Homerian
Lock- Fm. Dolomite
Wenlock

Waldron Sh.
Silurian

(Previously

portian
Middle)

430
Paleozoic

Niagaran
Wenlock St. Clair St. Clair Laurel Do. Bisher Do. Keefer Ss.
Unconformity (Triassic, Jurassic, and Lower to Middle Cretaceous strata are absent in Kentucky)

Clintonian
Sheinwoodian Limestone Limestone Osgood Fm.

Crab Orchard Fm.

Rose Hill Sh.

Estill Shale Mbr.

Alger Shale
Crab Orchard Fm. of Crab Orchard Fm.

Changhsingian
252 ? ? ? ? Lee Creek Mbr. Waco Ls. Mbr.
Llandovery

Llandovery
Telychian
(Previously Lower)

Lulbegrud Sh. Mbr.

Lopingian

Drowning
Elliott County kimberlite

Oldham Ls. Mbr. ?

? ? Sexton Creek Ls. Brassfield Do. Plum Creek Sh. Mbr. Creek Fm.
Wuchiapingian
Ochoan Aeronian Alexandrian 440
Tuscarora
Rhuddanian Brassfield Do.
Tatarian
Upper

Brassfield Mbr. Sandstone

260 Belfast Mbr. (of Brassfield Do.) of Drowning Creek Fm.

Hirnantian Gamachian Bull Fork Fm. Drakes Fm. 444

Capitanian
Cincinnatian

Western
Guadalupian

Guadalupian

Grant Lake Ls.

Kentucky Ashgillian Cumber-
Drakes Fm. Fairview
Fm.

“U. Ordovician”
Fluorspar Richmondian Bull Fork Fm. Juniata Fm.

undivided in
subsurface
land Fm.
District Katian Maquoketa Shale Grant Lake Ls. Ashlock Fm.
Mud Cave
Maysvillian (Millbrig)
Wordian dikes (Ordovician VI) Leipers Fm. Calloway Ck. Fm. Garrard Slt.
Martins- 450
Upper

Edenian Clays Clays Kope Fm. Clays Ferry or Kope Fm. K-bentonite
burg Fm.
Caradocian

Ferry Ferry Fm. Pt. Pleasant tongue

Western ?
Shermanian
Kimmswick Ls.
Turinian fieldian
Chat-
Mohawkian

Fm.
Kentucky
Kirkfieldian Lexington Ls. Lexington Ls. Trenton Ls.
Roadian Kazanian Rocklandian
High Tyrone Ls./Oregon Fm. High
Fluorspar Plattin Ls. Plattin Ls. High Bridge Group
Elliott Sandbian Black Bridge Bridge
previously Champlainian Series

Riveran Camp (Black River Group)

District Gp.
Permian

Group Nelson Gp.

County (Ordovician V) Pecatonica Ls. Pecatonica Ls.
igneous Wells ? ?
igneous Wells Creek Wells Creek
Chazyan

Joachim and Joachim Do.

Leonardian intrusions Dutchtown Fms. Creek
Dolomite Pencil Cave
Kungurian Kungurian intrusion undivided Dutchtown Fm. Dolomite Dolomite 460 (Deicke)
Whiterockian

Llanviran
Middle

? St. Peter Ss. ? St. Peter Ss. St. Peter Ss. ? St. Peter Ss. K-bentonite
Ordovician

280 Darriwilian
Middle

?
unnamed
Cisuralian

Everton Do.
Dapingian
Wolfcampian

Artinskian Artinskian

Waverly Arch
(Ord. III)
Arenig

Rangerian Black Rock Mbr.

Near Tennessee: Near Tennessee:
470
Mascot Do. Mascot Do.
toean Sunwaptan Skullrockian sonian Cassinian
hillsian

Kingsport Do. Kingsport Do.

Black-

290 Floian Smithville Fm. ?

previously Canadian Series

“upper Knox”
? “upper Longview Do. Longview Do.
(Arenigian, Powell Do. Knox” ?

Sakmarian Sakmarian Ordovician II)

Cotter Dolomite
undivided
?
Beekmantown Gp.
Lower

Tulean

Shakopee
Lower

Stairsian Jeffer-

?
Ibexian

Jefferson City Do. Dolomite ?

Asselian Asselian Mauzy Fm. Roubidoux Do.
?
480
Knox Supergroup
Knox Supergroup

Tremadocian Beek-
Demingian

? ?
Beekmantown
Gasconadian

299 Tremadocian

tepec Do.
tepec Do.

(Gasconadian, Gasconade Do. Oneota Do. mantown

Chepul-
Chepul-

Knox Group
Conemaugh and 300 Ordovician I) Dolomite
Autunian Gunter Ss. Gunter Ss. Dolomite
Gzehlian Knox Group
McLeansboro Gp.

Virgilian Mattoon Fm. Monongehala

Upper

? ?
Paleozoic

?
C Fms. (undivided) ? ?
? ?
485
Steph-

Eminence
ealeauan

? Bond Fm. Rose Run Ss. Rose Run Ss.

anian

B ? Stage10
Tremp-

Kasimovian A Conemaugh Dolomite

? Missourian Patoka Fm. Copper Copper Copper
Merioneth

Canta-
Formation
Furongian
Upper Carboniferous

Potosi Dolomite
Pennsylvanian

brian
Ridge 490
Upper

?
Shelburn Fm. Ridge Ridge
(D) Asturian Desmoinesian Princess Jiangshanian Dolomite
previously St. Croixan Series

Carbondale Fm.
Dolomite Dolomite
Franconian

Ar/Ar
old Westphalian

Millardan

? Formation 310 Elvins Fm.

Middle

Raccoon Creek Group

Moscovian
Bolsovian

Fire Clay
Step-

(C) ? Four coal

Tradewater Corners Paibian Maynardsville Ls.
Atokan Formation U-Pb
tonstein
Eau Claire Eau Claire Eau Claire Conasauga Group
Formation
Breathitt Gp.

International position Grundy Fm. Lower Formation Formation Formation Nolichucky Shale
Dresbachian

Marjumian

? Traditional
(B) Duck- Corbin Ss. Hyden Fm. U-Pb Banner ? Guzhangian
U.S. position mantian Pikeville Fm. 500
? Livingston Cgl. coal
(A) Langsettian Caseyville Fm.
?
? ? ? Maryville
Co

Bee Rock Ss. tonstein ? Mount Mount Mount

Series 3

? “Basal Ss.”
Lower

Bashkirian Ls.
St. David’s

Yeadonian
nas

Alvy Creek Fm. 320 Drumian Simon Ss. Simon Ss. Simon Ss.
Middle

(C) Marsdenian
Morrowan Sewanee Ss. and Bottom Creek Fm. No units subdivided
aug
Lincolnian

?
none

Kinderscoutian
Namurian

Warren Point Ss. in the deeper part of Rogersville Sh.

aS

(B) Alportian
azan
Top-

Chokierian 323 the Rough Creek

h.

Rutledge Ls.
Degonia Fm. Grove Slade Mbrs. (NE Ky.)
Paragon Fm. Stage 5 Graben above the Pumpkin
Buffalo Pine Mountain and
Clore Ls. Church Sh. Reelfoot Arkose Valley Sh.
Chesterian

In SE-SC Ky. Poppin Rock Mbr.

Carter
Upper

(A) near Virginia ?

Elviran Palestine Fm. Kinkaid Ls. Wallow Fm. Maddox Br. Mbr.
Caves Delamaran
Pennington Fm. Ramey Creek Mbr. 510
Cambrian

Serpukhovian Menard Ls.

Leitchfield Tygarts Creek Mbr., Ss. Pennington Fm./Gp. ?
?
Waltersburg Fm.
Bangor Ls. ?
Cincinnati Arch

Fm. Holly Fork Mbr.,

Stage 4
Grenville Front

Vienna Ls. Armstrong Hill Mbr., “Bramwell Mbr.” “Bluestone

Hombergian Hartselle Fm. & Cave Br. Bed Rome
Tar Springs Ss. “Pride Sh. Mbr.” Fm.” Shady Do.
? Dyeran Reelfoot Arkose
Waucoban

Golconda Fm. Fm.

Series 2

Mill Knob Mbr.

Glen Dean Ls. Girkin Mont- Ls. Mbr.
Kidder “Little Stone
Gasperian Hardinsburg Ss.
Paint Creek Ls. Warix
Gap Mbr.” “Hinton ? “Basal Sandstone”
Renault Ls. Renault Ls. Paoli Ls. Fm. eagle Ste. Gen. Run Mbr.
Fm.”
Genevievian Gol- Haney Ls. Ls. “Stony Gap Mbr.”
Ste. Genevieve Ls.
Monte-
Ls. Mbr. Ste. Gen. Ls. Mbr.
Big Clifty Ss.
conda St. Louis Ls. St. Louis Ls. Stage 3
Slade Fm.

Fm. Beech Creek Ls.

Newman Ls. zuman Rough Creek Graben Rome Trough
mecian

Cypress Ss. Burnside Mbr.

Mera-

Salem Ls.
Lower Carboniferous

(Slade Fm.) or
Reelsville Ls.
Salem Ls. Salem-
previously Valmeyeran
Middle

Paint St. Louis Mbr. ? 520

Mississippian

Warsaw Fms.

Sample Ss.
Visean Visean Creek
Ls. Beaver Bend Ls.
Warsaw Fms.
Harrods-
(Newman Ls.)

Bethel Ss. (undivided) burg Ls.

Salem-

Renfro Mbr. 340

Borden Formation

Aux Vases Ss. Warsaw Fm.

previously Dinantian

?
Lower

(of Slade
Muldraugh Fort Payne Fm.
Stage 2
Caerfai

or Borden Fm.)
Member
Fort Payne Formation
Osagean

(Chert) or
(Borden Fm.) ? ?
? Maccrady Fm.
Floyds
Terreneuvian

“reef ls.” (Ft. Payne Fm.) Nada Mbr. (on Pine Mountain)
Fort Payne Fm.

? Knob bed Nancy

Cowbell Mbr.
unnamed

Mbr.
New Providence Sh. New
Providence 530
? Shale Mbr.
? Farmers Mbr.
Rockford Ls. ?
Tournaisian

(Borden
Tournaisian

? 350
Henley bed

Fm.)
Rockford Ls. ? Rockford Ls. ?
Lower

? ? ? Grainger
Fortunian
hookian
Kinder-

Jacobs Formation
New Providence

Chapel Jacobs Chapel bed

Albany Shale

“Maury Sh.”
Hannibal Sh.

Shale (part)

(on Pine Mountain)

Mbr., New

equivalent
equivalent

bed
?
?
Hannibal Sh. Falling
Mbr., New Run Sunbury Shale 540
Albany Sh. bed
? ?
359 541
Gassaway Member,
Chattanooga Shale Precambrian Unconformity Change in time scale
Era System
System
Explanation 541
This stratigraphic chart shows correlations of Kentucky rock units scaled to the International Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Central Kentucky Eastern Kentucky Ediacaran 600
(Mississippi Embayment) (Illinois Basin) (Cincinnati Arch) (Appalachian Basin) 635
Neoproterozoic

Commission on Stratigraphy time scale (Gradstein and others, 2012; Cohen and others, 2013).
Grenville Front

Explanation Covington
700
Rock-unit names for four general geologic regions of the commonwealth are provided: the
39°
Alluvium
Cryogenian
Mississippi Embayment, Illinois Basin, Cincinnati Arch, and Appalachian Basin. Rock-unit
North

Neogene, Paleogene,
and Cretaceous
Pennsylvanian
?
800
names and correlations are updated from data collected for the Correlation of Stratigraphic 0 50 mi
Middle Run Fm.

Mississippian
scale Louisville Frankfort
Ashland
Middle 850
Units of North America project (Patchen and others, 1984; Shaver, 1984), which was the last Devonian
Owensboro 38° Run Fm.
Silurian Lexington 900
comprehensive correlation of Kentucky’s rock-unit stratigraphy. Data on Quaternary sedi- Ordovician Tonian
?
mentary units are also included. This update is in response to changes to some of Kentucky’s
Fault
Pikeville
Grenville 1,000
bedrock nomenclature, correlations of units, and changes in the geologic time scale (series and Paducah
London
Metamorphic
stage correlations and dates) since the COSUNA charts were published. The age of most units Bowling Green
37°

Stenian East Continent Rift Basin Province 1,100

shown is relative and based on stratigraphic correlation. Numeric ages and correlations are
Grenville crust

Hopkinsville
(metamorphic and
Mesoproterozoic

subject to change, which is why periodic updates are needed to stratigraphic charts. More 89° 88° 87° 86° 85° 84°
Middlesboro
83° 82°
igneous crust) 1,200
information concerning individual rock units, geologic time, and references can be found at
Elev. (ft)
the Kentucky Geological Survey website (www.uky.edu/KGS). Neogene,
Mississippian Devonian
Mississippian +3,000 Ectasian 1,300
Paleogene, and Devonian Pennsylvanian
Elev. Pennsylvanian Silurian Silurian
Cretaceous
(ft)
Granite-Rhyolite crust

References Cited 0 Ordovician 0

1,400
Ordovician
Cambrian Eastern Granite-
Cohen, K.M., Finney, S.C., Gibbard, P.L., and Fan, J.-X., 2013, The ICS international chronostratigraphic Ordovician
Rhyolite Province
chart: Episodes, v. 36, no. 3, p. 199–204. –5,000
Cambrian Precambrian –5,000 Calymmian 1,500
(igneous crust)
Surface and generalized subsurface distribution of rock-unit systems in Kentucky.
Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J., Schmitz, M.A., and Ogg, G., 2012, A geologic time scale 2012: International Commis-
Regions shown on map correspond to regions on stratigraphic chart.
sion on Stratigraphy, www.stratigraphy.org [accessed 12/2014]. 1,600
Patchen, D.G., Avary, K.L., and Erwin, R.B., coords., 1984, Southern Appalachian Region: American Associa-
tion of Petroleum Geologists, COSUNA Project, 1 sheet. Legend Abbreviations for Formal Unit Names Explanation of Symbols
Shaver, R.H., coord., 1984, Midwest Basins and Arches Region: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Formal unit names are capitalized Cgl. Conglomerate Mbr. Member
Unconformable contact
COSUNA Project, 1 sheet. Do. Dolomite Sh. Shale Missing time Absolute age
“Unit Names” in quotation marks are formal units (from erosion or nondeposition) Conformable contact (line shows error range)
from bordering states that occur, or may occur, in Fm. Formation Slt. Siltstone
Kentucky, but are not officially recognized in Kentucky Gp. Group Ss. Sandstone Significant named bed Correlation that may be
Statement of Benefit to Kentucky. This stratigraphic chart helps to show Condensed section Uncertain contact younger (up arrow) or older
Informal unit names are lowercase Ls. Limestone
the rock units and their ages occurring in different parts of Kentucky. It (little deposition over
(age or correlation uncertain) (down arrow) than shown
very long time)
also helps with correlations of units into other states and countries. Italicized unit names are significant beds or the equivalents of units that were not officially mapped in a region