Age:

Pennsylvanian

Type designation:

Type locality: The name "Fairbanks Coal Member" was proposed by Wier in unpublished manuscripts and was first published by Wier in 1970. He designated a type locality in the SW¼SE¼ sec. 8, T. 9 N., R. 10 W., 1.25 miles (2.0 km) northwest of Fairbanks in Sullivan County, Indiana (Wier, 1970, 1986).

Description:

The Fairbanks Coal Member is a bright-banded coal ranging from 1 to 4 ft (0.3 to 1.2 m) in thickness and containing numerous thin shale partings (Wier, 1970, 1986). Stratigraphically, this coal lies 30 to 40 ft (9 to 12 m) above the Carthage Limestone Member in the Fairbanks type area (Wier, 1970, 1986).

Distribution: The Fairbanks is not generally recognized in other areas of the state, although a thin coal has been reported at this general stratigraphic level in some places in Posey and Gibson Counties (Wier, 1970, 1986).

Regional Indiana usage:

Illinois Basin (COSUNA 11)
Supergroup: none
Group: McLeansboro Group
Formation: Bond Formation
Member: Fairbanks Coal Member

Misc/Abandoned Names:

None

Geologic Map Unit Designation:

*bf

Note: Hansen (1991, p. 52) in Suggestions to authors of the reports of the United States Geological Survey noted that letter symbols for map units are considered to be unique to each geologic map and that adjacent maps do not necessarily need to use the same symbols for the same map unit. Therefore, map unit abbreviations in the Indiana Geologic Names Information System should be regarded simply as recommendations.

COSUNA areas and regional terminology

Names for geologic units vary across Indiana. The Midwestern Basin and Arches Region COSUNA chart (Shaver, 1984) was developed to strategically document such variations in terminology. The geologic map (below left) is derived from this chart and provides an index to the five defined COSUNA regions in Indiana. The regions are generally based on regional bedrock outcrop patterns and major structural features in Indiana. (Click the maps below to view more detailed maps of COSUNA regions and major structural features in Indiana.)

COSUNA areas and numbers that approximate regional bedrock outcrop patterns and major structural features in Indiana.

Major tectonic features that affect bedrock geology in Indiana.

References:

Hansen, W. R., 1991, Suggestions to authors of the reports of the United States Geological Survey (7^th ed.): Washington, D.C., U.S. Geological Survey, 289 p.

Shaver, R. H., coordinator, 1984, Midwestern basin and arches region–correlation of stratigraphic units in North America (COSUNA): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Correlation Chart Series.

Wier, C. E., 1970, Fairbanks Coal Member, in Shaver, R. H., Burger, A. M., Gates, G. R., Gray, H. H., Hutchison, H. C., Keller, S. J., Patton, J. B., Rexroad, C. B., Smith, N. M., Wayne, W. J., and Wier, C. E., Compendium of rock-unit stratigraphy in Indiana: Indiana Geological Survey Bulletin 43, p. 54.

Wier, C. E., 1986, Fairbanks Coal Member, in Shaver, R. H., Ault, C. H., Burger, A. M., Carr, D. D., Droste, J. B., Eggert, D. L., Gray, H. H., Harper, Denver, Hasenmueller, N. R., Hasenmueller, W. A., Horowitz, A. S., Hutchison, H. C., Keith, B. D., Keller, S. J., Patton, J. B., Rexroad, C. B., and Wier, C. E., Compendium of Paleozoic rock-unit stratigraphy in Indiana–a revision: Indiana Geological Survey Bulletin 59, p. 45.