Guide leaflet, geological science field trip, Charleston area, Coles and Clark counties : Oakland, Toledo, Casey, and Kansas quadrangles

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ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
GEOLOGY AND BOTANY FIELD TKIP

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April 29, 1961

COLES AND CLARK COUNTIES

OAKLAND, TOLEDO, CASEY,
AND KANSAS QUADRANGLES

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LEADERS

Edgar Odom
Hiram Thut
George Ekblaw
Kenneth Clegg

M. L. Thompson
Jack Simon
Robert Evers

Guide leaflet and map prepared by
ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, URBANA

Guide Leaflet No. 61

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Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2012 with funding from

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

http://archive.org/details/guideleaflet61om

Illinois Academy of Science
CHARLESTON FIELD TRIP

0.0 0.0 Caravan assembles at parking lot of Eastern Illinois University Gymnasium
and Science Building, heading north.

0.2 0.2 TRAFFIC LIGHT. Obey signal. Turn right on Lincoln Street.

0.2 0.4 TRAFFIC LIGHT. Obey signal. Continue straight ahead.

0.6 1.0 TRAFFIC LIGHT. Obey signal. Junction Lincoln Street and Highway 130.
Turn left on Highway 130. Charleston Community High School on left.

0.9 1.9 STOP. Junction Highway 16. Turn right (east).

0.9 2.8 Top of kame at south end of esker that trends along west side of the
Embarrass River.

0.5 3.3 Slow. Turn left (north).

0.3 3.6 Slow. Railroad. EXTREME CAUTION.

0.3 3.9 The house on the left is located on top of a kame.

0.2 4.1 Low esker on right.

0.1 4.2 T-road east.

0.2 4.4 Crossing small esker.

0.4 4.8 Slow. Turn right (east).

0.8 5.6 T-road north. Continue straight ahead.

0.1 5.7 T-road south. Continue ahead.

0.4 6.1 Crossing esker.

0.1 6.2 Descending into Embarrass River Valley.

0.1 6.3 Limestone quarry and sand and gravel pit on right.

0.0 6.3 Bridge over Embarrass River.

0.1 6.4 Millersville limestone exposed in abandoned pit on left.

0.5 6.9 STOP 1. Humphrey's Quarry.

The following section of Pleistocene glacial deposits and Pennsylvanian

2 -

bedrock exposed in the northeast wall of the quarry is:

Sand and gravel concentrated along esker on

the upland near valley
Till, oxidized, leached, and jointed in upper

part, lower part gray, calcareous
Sand and gravel, brown, oxidized
Till, gray, calcareous
Till, silt and fine sand, dark gray to black,

locally peaty
Till, gray, calcareous; irregular bottom surface

Gravel, oxidized and iron stained, containing
armored till balls

Soil, (Sangaaonian) , colluvial (till wash

material), sandy, humic
Till (Illinoian), calcareous with sand lenses

Feet

20t

10-

•15

5+

10-

■15

2-

• 3

10+

5-15

2%
2%

Limestone (Livingston), light gray, fossiliferous 3- 4
Shale, green with limestone lenses and nodules,

fossiliferous 5- 8

Limestone, gray, massively bedded, fossiliferous 6

Shale, green 1

Shale, black %- 1

Limestone, dark gray, crinoidal, massively bedded 5- 6

This exposure of Pleistocene Epoch, or Epoch of Ice Ages, and of
Pennsylvanian Period deposits is unequalled anywhere else in this area.
The Pleistocene sequence contains records of two stages of glaciation,
the Illinoian and Wisconsinan; the development of an interglacial soil,
the Sangamonian; and oscillations of the glaciers during the Shelbyville
substage of the Wisconsinan.

The Pleistocene Epoch is our most recent division of geologic time
and is believed to have been less than one million years in length. Four
stages of glaciation occurred in the northern hemisphere during this
epoch. The area of Illinois glaciated during each stage is shown on the
accompanying diagram in the order of age. Note that the Charleston re-
gion was glaciated during the three youngest stages. There is no record
of Kansan glaciation at this stop, but Kansan deposits have been identi-
fied a few miles to the south.

Approximately eight miles to the south is the Shelbyville end mor-
aine, the terminal moraine of the last, or Wisconsinan, stage in Illinois.
The Shelbyville is triple-crested in this area. The south portion of
Charleston is located in the inner crest, and Fox Ridge State Park is
located on the outer crest. The three crests and the sequence exposed at
this stop suggest that the Shelbyville end moraine was not formed during
one stand of the ice. Instead, there appears to have been two withdrawals
and readvances of the ice corresponding to the middle and inner crests.
The peaty zone and the stratified sand and gravel separating the Shelby-
ville till support these events and relationships.

- 3 -

The sand and gravel resting on Che Sangamon soil is thought to be
pro-She lbyville outwash deposited in advance of the Shelbyville glacia-
tion.

On the upland on the east and west sides of the Embarrass River are
sinuous ridges composed of stratified drift (sand and gravel) called
eskers. The most common mode of origin of eskers appears to have been in
tunnels in or at the base of the glacier during the late phase of de-
glaciation. The sinuous characteristic of the eskers developed here is
quite typical. Some eskers have tributaries resembling a stream pattern.

The Millersville (Livingston) Limestone is the uppermost named mem-
ber of the Bond Formation, McLeansboro Group of Pennsylvanian Strata in
Illinois. It is correlatable with the Livingston Limestone of eastern
Illinois and Indiana, and with the LaSalle Limestone of northern Illinois.

At its type outcrop in Sec. 28, T. IN., R. 1 W. , Christian County,
only about 16 feet of the lower part are exposed. In drill holes in
western Coles County it is as much as 50 feet thick, characterized by a
7 or 8 foot upper bench, separated by about 6 feet of shale from a thick-
er lower part. Towards the south part of Illinois it tends to become
shaly and silty and may be represented by two or more thin benches of
limestone separated by shale and siltstone.

The limestone is very fossiliferous. The spoil banks are the best
collecting spots.

0.4 7.3 Turn right (south).

0.2 7.5 The stable about a quarter of a mile to the right is located on an esker.

0.2 7.7 EXTREME CAUTION. Railroad. STOP. Highway 16, turn right.

0.5 8.2 Descending into Embarrass River Valley.

0.3 8.5 Bridge over Embarrass River.

1.7 10.2 T-road north.

0.5 10.7 Again crossing kame.

0.9 11.6 Slow. Junction Highway 130. Turn left on 130.

0.3 11.9 Inner margin of third ridge of the Shelbyville moraine.

0.6 12.5 TRAFFIC LIGHT. Obey signal. Continue straight ahead.

0.8 13.3 Outer margin of innermost third ridge of the Shelbyville moraine.

0.9 14.2 Turn left on Highway 130.

0.3 14.5 Beginning descent into Embarrass Valley.

0.3 14.8 Excellent view of Embarrass Valley on the right.

0.4 15.2 Bridge over Embarrass River.

1.3 16.5 Beginning ascent of the back slope of the middle ridge of the Shelbyville

moraine .

0.1 16.6 Slow. Turn left on Hutton-Westfield Road.

0.7 17.3 Oak and hickory grove on the right.

0.7 18.0 Turn left on road to Westfield. For the next four miles our route will
be on, or just south of, the middle ridge of the Shelbyville moraine.

1.4 19.4 Crest of the second ridge of the Shelbyville moraine.

1.1 20.5 Crossroad.

1.3 21.8 The outer slope of the second crest of the Shelbyville moraine affords a
good view of the outer ridge to the south. The point of the outer ridge
to the south is at an inter lobate angle.

1.0 22.8 Back-slope of the outer crest of the Shelbyville end moraine to the right,

0.5 23.3 Turn left.

0.1 23.4 STOP 2. Kame on outer crest of Shelbyville end moraine. Excellent view
of frontal slope to the south.

From this point the general crest (760 feet) of the Shelbyville end
moraine stands about 120 feet above the outwash plain to the south. The
small kame situated here on the crest is approximately 20 feet (780+)
above the general crest of the outer ridge. At this location the moraine
marks a re-entrant angle in the margin of the glacier.

Approximately one mile to the north the middle crest of the moraine
stands out boldly. The average elevation of the middle crest is also
approximately 760 feet. Here where the outer ridge makes a re-entrant
angle, the middle ridge has overridden the back slope of the outer ridge.
The inner or third crest is located approximately one and one-half miles
north of the middle crest but cannot be seen from this point.

0.1 23.5 Turn right. Second crest of the Shelbyville moraine stands out prominent-
ly to the north.

0.6 24.1 Entering Westfield.

0.2 24.3 Turn left.

0.1 24.4 STOP 3. Lunch. Westfield High School. Discussion of Major Structural
Features (features shown in the accompanying illustration).

0.1 24.5 Turn right.

0.1 24.6 STOP. Turn left.

0.2 24.8 Turn right, Westfield Business District.

MAJOR STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE CHARLESTON AREA

DOUGLAS

COLES

Mattoon

EDGAR

^H

# Marshall

CUMBERLAND

CLARK

JASPER

CRAWFARD

0.5 25.3 STOP. Highway 49. Continue ahead.

0.2 25.5 Note gravelly nature of till.

0.1 25.6 Kame on right.

0.6 26.2 Note kame on right with steep slope on the north side.

0.2 26.4 T-road north.

0.5 26.9 Terrace on north side of road.

0.3 27.2 STOP 4. Exposure of Shelbyville Till and Peorian Loess, and Discussion
of Sub-glacial Channel.

The section exposed is as follows:

Peorian loess 3- 4 feet

Shelbyville till with pockets of gravel containing
large boulders (ITote colluvium on north side of
exposure where surface slopes toward valley.) 10-15 feet

The valley of the North Fork of the Embarrass River and its tribu-
taries served as a sub-glacial channel when the Shelbyville glacier stood
at the position of the outer crest of the moraine. The sub-glacial chan-
nel drained water that collected on the sub-glacial floor near the margin
of the ice. It also served as an outlet for post-glacial drainage when
the ice margin stood at the position of the second crest.

The approximate pattern of the sub-glacial drainage system is shown
on the topographic map by the distribution of the present streams. Note
that the present tributaries do not cross the middle crest of the moraine
and that two of the major tributaries trend east-west along the back slope
of the moraine. Fine gravel and sand are present along the valley.

0.3 27.5 T-road north.

0.1 27.6 Bridge over North Fork of the Embarrass River.

0.1 27.7 Exposure of gravelly Shelbyville till.

0.2 27.9 Exposure of gravelly Shelbyville till.

0.1 28.0 Note the swell and swale nature of the topography.

0.5 28.5 Gravelly till on right.

0.1 28.6 Crest of the outer ridge of the Shelbyville. Two low kames on right side
side of road.

0.2 28.8 T-road north.

0.3 29.1 Note the gentle descent of the slope to the south.

0.5 29.6 Crossroad. Margin of frontal slope of Shelbyville moraine.

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0.4 30.0 The Shelbyville moraine trends to the northeast at this point.

0.8 30.8 Section along highway west of Doyle's Creek (auxiliary stop if time is
available) :

Peorian loess . . . brownish yellow, 3 feet
Farmdale loess . . . chocolate colored, 15 inches
Illinoian till . . . deeply leached and oxidized with

gravel concentrate at top

0.2 31.0 Bridge over Doyle's Creek.

0.9 31.9 Note Sycamore trees on right. Sycamores are more or less confined to the
valleys in this region.

0.7 32.6 Slope of the Illinoian till plain in this region is to the south. This
might possibly be the result of a fine sheet of outwash from the Shelby-
ville moraine to the north.

0.5 33.1 Shelbyville moraine stands out boldly on left (north).

0.1 33.2 Note very gentle relief of the Illinoian till plain in this vicinity.

0.2 33.4 CAUTION. Crossroad.

2.2 35.6 Glacial till exposed on right and left. Note extreme slumping in the
banks of the road cut.

0.1 35.7 Bridge over Mill Creek.

0.4 36.1 Turn left. Village of Dolson just ahead.

0.3 36.4 Turn right (east).

0.5 36.9 Note extreme flatness of Illinoian till plain.

1.2 38.1 Turn left.

0.0 38.1 Note outcrop of Pennsylvanian sandstone in ditch on left.

0.4 38.5 STOP 5. Rocky Branch Hollow

Along the course of Rocky Branch is an excellent exposure of a
sandstone cutting into an underlying cyclothem. In the small tributary
west of the road, an incomplete cyclothem consisting of sandstone, clay
shale (underclay), coal (4"), dark gray to black soft shale, and black
sheety shale is exposed. In addition, the basal sandstone of an over-
lying cyclothem is exposed. Crossing to the east side of the road, the
upper sandstone is observed cutting into the basal sandstone of the lower
cyclothem, entirely cutting out the intervening members.

The lower sandstone is fine grained and very micaceous, while the
upper sandstone is medium to coarse grained, massive and contains only
scattered amounts of mica. The contact between the lower and upper sand-
stone is irregular and numerous coaly streaks occur near the contact. A
pebble conglomerate is present in some places at the base of the upper
sandstone which reaches a thickness of more than 50 feet in the area.

- 7 -

The Rocky Branch outcrops occur nearly on the axis of the Marshall -
Sidell Syncline. The coal (correlation unknown) is believed to occur
about 50 feet above the Livingston Limestone. The Livingston outcrops
about three miles to the west and to the east in the vicinity of Marshall

STAGES OF GLACIATION IN ILLINOIS

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NEBRASKAN

KANSAN

ILLINOIAN

WIXONSINAN

Generalized Section of Upper Pennsylvanian
RoclCs- in Southeastern.. Illinois

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From Illinois State Geological
Survey Report of Investigation
214, "Classification of the
Pennsylvanian Strata of 111."
1960.

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Woodbury Is.

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Effingham Is

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Shumvvay Is.
Omega Is.

Livingston Is,

TILL PLAINS SECTION,

CENTRAL
LOWLAND
PROVINCE

GREAT LAKE

SECTION

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0^l\Lake\
t©, Vplain

CENTRAL

LOWLAND

PROVINCE

INTERIOR
LOW

PLATEAUS
PROVINCE

ILLINOIS STATC GCOLOCICAL SU*VCY

COASTAL PLAIN
PROVINCE

PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS OF ILLINOIS

(Reprinted from Illinois State Geological Survey Report of
Investigations 129, "Physiographic Divisions of Illinois, "
by M. M. Leighton, George E. Ekblaw, and Leland Horberg)

(10M-5-59) a*j|efc2

GEOLOGIC MAP OF ILLINOIS

showing

BEDROCK BELOW

THE GLACIAL DRIFT

1961

Tertiary
(Pliocene omitted)

Pennsylvanian
(Above No. 6 Coal)

Pennsylvanian
(Below No. 6 Coal)

Mississippian
(Middle and Lower)

Silurian and Devonian

ILLINOIS STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, U/9BANA

31954-2VjM-3-61

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Shale, gray, sandy at top ; contains marine fossils and ironstone
concretions especially in lower part.

Limestone ; contains marine fossils.

Shale, black, hard, laminated ; contains large spheroidal concre-
tions ("Niggerheads") and marine fossils.
Limestone; contains marine fossils.

Shale, gray; pyritie nodules and ironstone concretions common at
base ; plant fossils locally common at base ; marine fossils rare.

Coal ; locally contains clay or shale partings.

Underclay, mostly medium to light gray except dark gray at top ;
upper part noncalcareous, lower part calcareous.

Limestone, argillaceous; occurs in nodules or discontinuous beds;
usually nonfossiliferous.

Shale, gray, sandy.

Sandstone, fine-grained, micaceous, and siltstone, argillaceous ;
variable from massive to thin-bedded; usually with an uneven
lower surface.

AN IDEALLY COMPLETE CYCLOTHEM

(Keprinted from Fig. 42, Bulletin No. 66, Geology and Mineral Resources of the Marseilles,
Ottawa, and Streator Quadrangles, by H. B. Willman and J. Norman Payne)

(95932-5M-4-59)

S* MARGIN OF

' WISCONSIN

SCALE

0 i 10 16 20 Ml

ILLINOIS STATC SCOLOSICAL SUHVlr

12962-10M-3-60

GLACIAL MAP OF NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS

GEORGE E. EKBLAW
.*■*... Revised 1960

Plate

COMMON TYPES of ILLINOIS FOSSILS

Cup coral

GRAPTOLITE

Lithostrotion
CORALS

Honeycomb coral

CRINOID

PENTREMITE

Archimedes

Fenestella

Branching

BRYOZOA

Lingula

Orbiculoideo

Spiriferoid

BRACHIOPODS

Pentameroid

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Plate 2

Common Types of Illinois Fossils

"Clam" "Scallop"

PELECYPODS

Coiled cone
(Nautilus)

Straight cone

CEPHALOPODS

Low - spired

High- spired

Flat - spired
GASTROPODS

Bumastus

Calymene
(coiled )

OSTRACODS
(greatly enlarged)

Calymene
(flat)

TRILOBITES

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