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Surface and Subsurface Paleokarst, Silurian Lockport, and Peebles Dolomites, Western Ohio

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Paleokarst

Abstract

The Lockport Dolomite in northwestern and west- central Ohio and the stratigraphically equivalent Peebles Dolomite in southwestern Ohio collectively display a variety of previously unrecognized subsurface and surface paleokarst features. The former include molds, vugs, in situ breccia with corroded clasts, collapsed strata, solution-enlarged joints, internal sediment derived partly from soil, boxwork, and caves. Surface paleokarst features at the top of these units are represented by locally developed pa- leosol and sinks. Erosional relief at the top of the Lockport/Peebles ranges from fractions of an inch (typical) up to 9 feet (2.7 m) (rare). The contact between the Lockport/Peebles and the overlying Greenfield Dolomite is typically a paraconformity in the form of a paleokarst planar erosion surface. As such, the contact can be difficult to recognize, but it is not a fades contact nor is it gradational.

Surface karstification and erosion of the Lockport and Peebles dolomites occurred prior to formation of the overlying Greenfield Dolomite. Subsurface karstification of Lockport/Peebles strata is interpreted to have occurred concomitantly with surface karstification of these units. Climatic conditions during karstification were probably semi-arid.

A Gley paleosol with hydromorphic properties occurs locally at the top of the Lockport/Peebles; it is remarkably similar to modern Gley soils. This indicates that conditions of soil formation have been similar from the Silurian to the present in spite of the dominance of land plants in post-Silurian rocks.

Formation of marine strata in the Lockport Dolomite in portions of northwestern Ohio was interrupted by (a) syndepositional faulting that led to (b) subaerial exposure of at least some fault blocks. Evidence of (a) is recorded by at least one fault, terra rossa, and scalloped and planar erosion surfaces within the Lockport, and by apparently laterally re-stricted subaerial unconformities within this unit; (b) is recorded by concentrations of caves and/or vugs and molds in rocks immediately below the unconformities. Thus, some paleokarst features within the Lockport Dolomite at some localities originated earlier than did the great majority of paleokarst features within this unit.

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Authors
  1. Charles F. Kahle
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Noel P. James

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-250, USA

    Philip W. Choquette

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Kahle, C.F. (1988). Surface and Subsurface Paleokarst, Silurian Lockport, and Peebles Dolomites, Western Ohio. In: James, N.P., Choquette, P.W. (eds) Paleokarst. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3748-8_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3748-8_12

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