South Litchfield Dome (Discarded)

Location

Mainly in T8N, R5W, Montgomery County

References

Lee 1915, Easton 1942

Description

Lee (1915) mapped a structural high on the Herrin Coal Member (Pennsylvanian) centered in Section 20, T8N, R5W. Easton (1942) mentioned the dome, but his map did not confirm its presence. Remapping using additional borehole data (Nelson 1987b) indicated two or more irregular highs with slight closure in the southwestern part of T8N, R5W. This area is near the edge of the Walshville channel, a large paleochannel in which the Herrin Coal was eroded or not deposited. Coal near the channel margins may be deformed as a result of differential compaction or slumping. Naming these little upwarps as "domes" does not seem justified.