International Journal of

ELSEVIER International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66

Geologic framework for the coal-bearing rocks of

the Central Appalachian Basin
D.R. Chesnut 1
Kentucky Geological Survey, 228 Mining and Mineral Resources Building, University of' Kentucky, Lexington,
KY 40506-0107, USA

Accepted 14 February 1996

Abstract

Coal production has been an important economic factor in the Central Appalachian Basin.
However, regional stratigraphic and structural relationships of the coal-bearing rocks of the basin
have been poorly understood due to numerous separate nomenclatural schemes employed by
various states. In order to estimate coal resources and understand mechanisms controlling the
distribution of coal within the basin, a reliable geologic framework is necessary. Seven detailed
cross sections across the Central Appalachian Basin were constructed in order to examine the
stratigraphic and structural framework of the coal-bearing rocks in the basin. The cross sections
were based on more than 1000 oil and gas well logs, measured sections, and borehole information
from Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
The cross sections revealed three main points discussed here: southeast thickening of the
Pennsylvanian strata, unconformable northwestward onlapping relationship of Lower Pennsylva-
nian strata over underlying Lower Pennsylvanian and Mississippian strata and regional continuity
of beds. The cross sections, geologic mapping, coal-resource studies, extensive new highway
exposures and the occurrence of tonstein beds indicate that many coal beds and marine strata are
laterally extensive, albeit locally variable across the basin. Certain quartzose sandstone bodies are',
also extensive over large areas of the basin.
Existing stratigraphic nomenclature schemes obscured the geologic framework of the basin, so
a new unified nomenclature scheme was devised to better describe stratigraphic features of the
basin. The new stratigraphic nomenclature, now only formalized for Kentucky, was based on key
stratigraphic units that proved to be extensive across the basin. Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian
rocks are now recognized as the Breathitt Group (the Breathitt Formation was elevated to group
rank). The Breathitt Group was subdivided into eight coal-beating formations by relatively thick
marine strata, and, in the lower part of the Breathitt Group, by quartzose sandstone formations~

1 E-mail: chesnut@kgs.mm.uky.edu

0166-5162/96/$15.00 Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

PH S0166-51 62(96)0001 l - 0
56 D.R. Chesnut / International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66

The new coal-bearing units are formally ranked as formations and, in ascending order, are the
Pocahontas, Bottom Creek, Alvy Creek, Grundy, Pikeville, Hyden, Four Corners and Princess
Formations. The quartzose sandstone units are also formally ranked as formations and are, in
ascending order, the Warren Point, Sewanee, Bee Rock and Corbin Sandstones. The sandstone
formations were previously recognized units in some states, but have been extended (formally in
Kentucky) across the basin. The key stratigraphic marine units are formally ranked as members,
and are, in ascending order, the Betsie Shale Member, the Kendrick Shale Member, Magoffin
Member and Stoney Fork Member.

1. Introduction

The Central Appalachian Basin (Fig. 1) is one of the most important coal-producing
regions in the world. Coal has been produced from this region for more than 200 years.
Key to understanding the tectonic, eustatic and other controls on distribution of the
coal-beating rocks is the development of a usable stratigraphic framework that accu-
rately reflects present knowledge of the coal-bearing strata. This paper presents a

c----7
Post-Paleozoic ~ Mississippian
Permian ~ Pre-Mississippian
L~ Pennsylvanian

0 100 200 300 400 500 Miles

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800Kilometers

Fig. 1. Location of Central Appalachian Basin.

 D.R. Chesnut/ International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66 57

framework developed for the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field within the basin using data
from the coal field and surrounding areas. The framework can be used as a basis for the
development of a unified nomenclature for the Carboniferous rocks of the basin.
Mississippian strata in the basin are reasonably easy to correlate. At the surface,
Mississippian units can be identified by unique visual characteristics (e.g., texture,
bedding, color). In the subsurface, geophysical signatures (e.g., in gamma ray logs) can
be used to identify these units.
The Pennsylvanian coal-beating strata, however, consist of alternating coals, shales,
siltstones and sandstones, which vary vertically and laterally. Nevertheless, studies
suggest that some patterns, based on certain extensive beds, can be discerned from the
coal-beating rocks of the basin. The joint Kentucky-U.S. Geological Survey Geologic
Mapping Program and related investigations indicated that the major coal beds (or
zones) and certain marine strata can be traced at the surface across the Eastern Kentucky
Coal Field (Chesnut, 199l; Rice and Hiett, 1994). Recent studies by state geological
surveys in Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia also demonstrated lateral continuity
of certain key beds at the surface in those states (e.g., Mitchell et al., 1982; Rice et al.,
1987; Blake et al., 1994). If key stratigraphic beds can be mapped at the surface, then
perhaps an overall framework for the surface and subsurface coal-beating rocks can be
developed for the basin, based on similar key beds throughout the section. This paper
presents results of the search for such a framework.

1.1. Methodology

In the early 1980's the Kentucky Geological Survey initiated a project to examine in
detail the surface and subsurface distribution of Carboniferous rocks across the Central
Appalachian Basin. The project, which will continue through this decade, was designed
not only to investigate the distribution of coal resources, but to detect any regional fabric
for these rocks that could be discerned across the basin.
A series of cross sections (Fig. 2) was constructed from a variety of data types,
including surface mapping from the geologic quadrangle maps, industry and government
borehole descriptions, measured sections and oil and gas logs. Most of the coal industry
boreholes were drilled on the mountains and did not extend below the valley floors (i.e.,
they were above drainage). Oil and gas wells were drilled in the valley floors and
extended below the coal-bearing rocks. Wherever gamma-ray and density logs were
available, they were used to construct the cross sections (Figs. 3 and 4). The cross
sections were oriented parallel to strike and dip of the Pennsylvanian rocks (i.e., to
thickness trends, not present structural trends). The Grundy dip section, with 141
subsurface logs, averaged one well for every 2.5 km; other sections averaged a little less
because scattered areas lack drill records. Over 1000 well records were used to construct
the seven original cross sections; the Booneville, Catlettsburg, Grundy, Harlan, Hazard,
Lake City and Pineville sections are based on 82, 91, 141, 172, 293, 51 and 229
subsurface logs, respectively. The detailed cross sections, too large to include here, are
reproduced in Chesnut (1992). Two newly-constructed sections will be published (by the
Kentucky Geological Survey in 1997) in an analysis of coal-bearing strata along the
western edge of the coal field.
58 D.R. Chesnut / International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66

~ ~ ~i i

~<
 D.R. Chesnut/ lnternational Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66 59

2. Analysis of cross sections

After construction of the cross sections, a usable stratigraphic framework had to be

developed that reflected the distribution of rock bodies in the basin. The stratigraphic
framework for the Mississippian strata was relatively straightforward, and is not
discussed here. The stratigraphic framework of the Pennsylvanian rocks is the theme of
this paper.

2.1. Stratigraphic nomenclature and framework

Initial stratigraphic analysis of the cross sections generated in this investigation

revealed that no existing stratigraphic nomenclature was useful for describing the
Pennsylvanian rocks across the entire Central Appalachian Basin because the existing
nomenclatures (1) were not based on regional key stratigraphic markers, (2) involved
units too large or too small to be useful regionally or (3) did not discriminate regionally
important lithologic units (Fig. 5). The nomenclature used by each state had limitations
when applied to the rocks of adjacent states. In order to meaningfully describe and
illustrate the Pennsylvanian strata on a regional scale, a new stratigraphic nomenclature
was developed. This scheme is shown in Fig. 6.
The derived nomenclature scheme was presented to the Kentucky Stratigraphic
Nomenclature Committee in 1990 and accepted by the committee for formalization in
Kentucky. Type sections and reference sections are provided in Chesnut (1992), which
also gives a full description of the stratigraphic framework of the basin. Basically, the
Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian coal-bearing rocks consist of series of shales, silt-
stones, immature sandstones, and coals that are punctuated or interrupted by either thick
marine shales or thick quartzose sandstone lenses. The entire sequence of Lower and
Middle Pennsylvanian coal-bearing rocks in Kentucky was elevated from Breathitt
Formation to Breathitt Group (Fig. 6). The Group was found to be divided episodically
into eight coal-bearing series by widespread (i.e., basin scale) marine strata. Each of the
eight series with its attendant basal marine strata was named and ranked as a formation
after type areas in Kentucky and Virginia. In ascending order, these are the Pocahontas,
Bottom Creek, Alvy Creek, Grundy, Pikeville, Hyden, Four Comers and Princess
Formations (the Pocahontas was previously adopted by Virginia and West Virginia). The
quartzose sandstone bodies were formally ranked as sandstone formations in Chesnut
(1992), a variety of existing terminology from Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia was
extended throughout the basin. These quartzose sandstone formations (formerly, Lee
Formation) are, in ascending order, the Warren Point, Sewanee, Bee Rock and Corbin
Sandstone Formations. Some of these sandstone formations are further divided into
sandstone members. All the sandstone formations are separated at some place in the
basin by the coal-bearing formations previously mentioned.

Fig. 2. Cross sections through the Central Appalachian Basin. Datum is the base of the Pikeville Formation.
Detailed cross sections are found in Chesnut (1992). A - A ' , Lake City Dip Section; B - B ' , Booneville Dip
Section; C - C ' , Grundy Dip Section; D - D ' , Catlettsburg Dip Section; E - E ' , Hazard Strike Section; F-F',
Pineville Strike Section; G-G', Harlan Strike Section.
60 D.R. Chesnut / Imernational Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66

Bell Co, Perry Co. Harlan Co.

46654 47823 29758

GR FD GR GR FD

feet meters l it saebe

200 f 50
300 -t_ 100

Betsie Shale Member

v
Harlan Co.
29758 /f
o° ~ /
Bell Co." Perry Co.
46654 f 47823
f VA
TN
20 miles
20 km

Bee Rock Sandstone I

 D.R. Chesnut/ International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66 61

2.2. Sequence relationships

Although laterally extensive, the sandstone and coal-beating formations do not occur
everywhere in the basin. The lower formations only occur in the deeper part of the basin
(to the southeast, where the Pennsylvanian section thickens), and succeeding formations
appear to overlap and onlap older Mississippian and Pennsylvanian rocks to the
northwest toward the edge of the basin (Figs. 2, 6). Two sequences of rocks were
recognized regionally: one sequence was the lowermost Lower Pennsylvanian Pocahon-
tas Formation and the underlying Mississippian strata, and the second was the overlying
onlapping sequence composed of Lower and lower Middle Pennsylvanian formations
including the Warren Point Sandstone, Bottom Creek Formation, Sewanee Sandstone.
Alvy Creek Formation, Bee Rock Sandstone, Grundy Formation, Corbin Sandstone and
Pikeville Formation. The relationship between the two sequences is unconformable. The
details of this relationship are described in Chesnut (1988, 1992)).

2.3. Widespread beds

Previously accepted models for the coal-bearing rocks held that individual strati-
graphic units could not be correlated over large distances because they were deposited in
deltaic environments (e.g., Ferm, 1979). Autocyclic processes such as delta switching
were regarded to be so pervasive throughout the Pennsylvanian that none of the beds
could be traced beyond a few kilometers. However, geologic mapping, coal mining, the
extensive occurrence of tonsteins in coal beds, the study of marine strata and the cross
sections seemingly refuted the conjecture that the coal-bearing strata were non-extensive
and uncorrelatable (the effects of autocyclic processes can be recognized in the basin,
but they generally occur within packages of strata bound by these extensive beds).
Two mechanisms can explain extensive development of the Pennsylvanian strata of
the basin: tectonic and eustatic controls. Tankard (1986) suggested tectonic mechanisms
to explain the transgressive-regressive cycles observed in the strata. He suggested that
thrust-block emplacement caused these foreland basin-scale features. Pennsylvanian
glaciation in the Southern Hemisphere and consequent glacio-eustatic control over
coastal sedimentation of the Central Appalachian Basin has been proposed by Chesnut
(1994) among others. A coastal setting, including environments such as a shallow sea, a
series of small deltas, tidal flats and estuaries, a coastal plain, fluvial channels and
alluvial plains, is envisaged for deposition of the coal-bearing rocks of the Central
Appalachian Basin (Chesnut, 1994). Sea-level changes on the order of several tens of
meters (and perhaps more than 100 m) would have had drastic effects on Pennsylvanian
coastal settings Transgressions, whether of eustatic or tectonic origin, would have

Fig. 3. Examplesof geophysicallogs showing key stratigraphicmarine zones (members).GR, gammaray log;
FD, formationdensity log. In the gamma ray logs, higher radioactivity is to the right; shales, being higher in
radioactive minerals and organic content, are indicated on the right side of the GR curve. Sandstones generally
occur on the left side. On formationdensity logs, lower density is to the left. Coal, being the least dense rock
in the Carboniferous, shows as a strong peak to the left on the density logs. Numbersat the top of the logs are
Kentucky oil and gas permit numbers.
62 D.R. Chesnut / International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66

Bell Co. Pike Co.

37711 11251
GR GR

MagoffinMember

feet meters Betsie ShaleMember

-°

200 -~- 50

300 -~_ 100

° wv if Bee Rock
Sandstone

Bell Co.
37711 o S
TN
PikeCo.

f-J VA
Sewanee
Sandstone

/" ~ Point ["

1I

unconformity " ~

Pennington
Group

Fig. 4. Examples of geophysical logs (gamma ray logs) showing key stratigraphic quartzose sandstone
formations. In the gamma ray logs, higher radioactivity is to the right. Shales, being higher in radioactive
minerals and organic content, are indicated on the right side of the curve. Sandstones generally occur on the
left side; quartzose sandstones show up on the extreme left of the gamma ray log. The massive quartzose
sandstone formations (named) are distinctive in these logs. Numbers at the top of the logs are Kentucky oil and
gas permit numbers.
D.R. Chesnut / lnternational Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66 63

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64 D.R. Chesnut / lnternational Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66

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 D.R. Chesnut / International Journal of Coal Geology 31 (1996) 55-66 65

extended inland for several hundreds of kilometers in such lowland settings. Other
workers have recently recognized glacio-eustatic control over the coal-bearing rocks of
this basin, and applied sequence-stratigraphic concepts to the strata (Aitken and Flint,
1995).

3. Conclusions

Analysis of surface and subsurface cross sections of the Carboniferous rocks across
the Central Appalachian Basin shows a distribution of rock bodies that can be best
described by a new nomenclature. Accordingly, a new stratigraphic nomenclature was
developed (and formalized for Kentucky). The new terminology, if used basinwide,
would simplify basin nomenclature by reducing stratigraphic names by 34 from the total
presently used for the coal-bearing rocks by Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West
Virginia.
The Breathitt Group, composed of alternating coals, shales, siltstones and sandstones,
is subdivided into eight formations either by extensive quartzose sandstone formations
or by even more extensive marine members. These marine members are generally
composed of coarsening-upward sequences of shale, siltstone, and sandstone. The
Breathitt Group thickens to the southeast toward the axis of the Appalachian Basin. The
upper seven formations of the Breathitt onlap and overlap the Pocahontas Formation
(lowest formation of the Breathitt Group) and underlying Mississippian strata to the
northwest. This relationship is unconformable over most of the basin, but has been
reported to be conformable along the axis of the basin in parts of Virginia and West
Virginia (e.g,, Englund, 1979).
The Breathitt Group contains many strata that are aerally extensive across the basin,
indicating basin- or larger-scale control over their deposition. Autocyclic processes such
as delta switching did not control distribution of these extensive strata (although
autocyclic controls can be recognized within strata packages bounded by these extensive
beds). Basin-scale tectonic mechanisms or eustatic controls better explain these features.

References

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A case study from the Upper Carboniferous Breathitt Group, eastern Kentucky, USA. Sedimentology,42:
3-30.
Blake, B.M., Jr., Keiser, A.F. and Rice, C.L., 1994. Revised stratigraphy and nomenclature for the Middle
Pennsylvanian Kanawha Formation in southwestern West Virginia. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap., 294:
41-53.
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Chesnut, D.R., Jr., 1992. Stratigraphic and Structural Framework of the Carboniferous Rocks of the Central
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