Age:

Pennsylvanian

Type designation:

Type section: The name "Coxville Sandstone" was first used by Ashley (1899, p. 300-301, 385) in describing a 20-ft (6-m) sandstone exposed on the northeast side of Raccoon Creek in the NE¼ sec. 16, T. 14 N., R. 8 W., 0.5 miles (0.8 km) east of Coxville, Parke County, Indiana (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986).

History of usage:

Revised rank: Friedman (1960, p. 23-28) reduced the rank to that of member in the Linton Formation (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986).

Description:

The Coxville Sandstone Member is typically a fine- to coarse-grained thick-bedded and cross-bedded sandstone, but shale partings a few inches thick are present in some sections (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986). Thickness of the sand varies greatly and is 60 ft (18 m) 1 mile (0.6 km) southeast of the type section (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986). The sand grains are subangular to subrounded and are cemented with clay, iron oxide, or calcium carbonate (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986). The unit lies between the Seelyville Coal and Colchester Coal Members, although both coals are absent from some places and sandstone is found in their positions (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986).

The member ranges from 10 to 50 ft (3 to 15 m) in thickness in the subsurface in Sullivan, Pike, Gibson, and Posey Counties (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986).

Distribution: Where the interval between the Seelyville Coal and Colchester Coal Members is composed mostly of shale or shaly sandstone, the Coxville is not recognized (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986).

Correlations:

The Coxville Sandstone Member correlates with the Palzo and Isabel Sandstone Members of Illinois (Burger and Wier, 1970, 1986).

Regional Indiana usage:

Illinois Basin (COSUNA 11)
Supergroup: none
Group: Carbondale Group
Formation: Linton Formation
Member: Coxville Sandstone Member
Illinois Basin Margin (COSUNA 12)
Supergroup: none
Group: Carbondale Group
Formation: Linton Formation
Member: Coxville Sandstone Member

Misc/Abandoned Names:

None

Geologic Map Unit Designation:

*lcv

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:

Ashley, G. H., 1899, The coal deposits of Indiana: Indiana Department of Geology and Natural Resources Annual Report 23, p. 1–1,573.

Burger, A. M., and Wier, C. E., 1970, Coxville Sandstone 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. 40.

Burger, A. M., and Wier, C. E., 1986, Coxville Sandstone 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. 31–32.

Friedman, S. A., 1960, Channel-fill sandstones in the Middle Pennsylvanian rocks of Indiana: Indiana Geological Survey Report of Progress 23, 59 p.

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.