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Joint Orientations of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks in northeastern Ohio

Woodley, Treston Christopher
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1682979735690951

Abstract Details

2023, Master of Science, University of Akron, Geology.
Rocks develop cracks (joints) to relieve internal stresses as they are depressurized. Joints increase the permeability in rocks, which affects fluid and contaminant flow in the formation. There are three possible causes of joint formation in Northeastern Ohio: tectonics, glaciation, and valley relief. The thoroughly jointed formations exposed in NE Ohio are part of the Appalachian Plateau which has experienced unloading stresses due to the Alleghanian Orogeny (315-270 mya), a more recent series of glaciation events in the Pleistocene (700,000-14,000 years ago) and valley formation by erosion. I measured joint orientations in formations exposed in Northeastern Ohio that were deposited before and during the Alleghanian Orogeny to determine if their orientations reflect stresses during the Alleghanian Orogeny, the Pleistocene ice age, or valley unloading processes. Joint spacing was also measured to determine if a relationship exists between lithology and the joint spacing. I measured joints in the Olmsted siltstone bed of the Ohio Shale (n=131), Cleveland Member of Ohio Shale (n=131), Bedford Shale (n=209), Berea Sandstone (n=137), Orangeville Shale Member (n=27), Sharpsville Sandstone Member (n=203), and the Meadville Shale Member (n=203). I also analyzed measurements of joint orientations in coal seams, the Ohio Shale, the Black Hand Sandstone Member and Sharon Sandstone from previous studies by Ver Steeg (1942), Miller (1996), Filiano (2014), Ritter (2016), and Rieman (2017). The data suggests that the joints in all formations were predominantly formed due to tectonics during the main stage of the Alleghanian Orogeny based on the orientation of the primary joint set, which was oriented parallel to maximum compression direction during this event.
Caleb Holyoke, III (Advisor)
Molly Witter-Shelleman (Committee Member)
Ira Sasowsky (Committee Member)
134 p.
Geology
Joints; Alleghanian Orogeny; Tectonics; Glaciation; Olmsted siltstone bed; Cleveland Black Shale; Bedford Shale; Berea Sandstone; Orangeville Shale Member; Sharpsville Sandstone Member; Meadville Shale Member; Black Hand Sandstone Member; Sharon Sandstone

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Woodley, T. C. (2023). Joint Orientations of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks in northeastern Ohio [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1682979735690951

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Woodley, Treston. Joint Orientations of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks in northeastern Ohio. 2023. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1682979735690951.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Woodley, Treston. "Joint Orientations of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks in northeastern Ohio." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1682979735690951

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1682979735690951
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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.