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Briar Hill Coal Member

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Lithostratigraphy: Carbondale Formation >>Briar Hill Coal Member
Chronostratigraphy: Paleozoic Erathem >>Pennsylvanian Subsystem >>Desmoinesian Series
Allostratigraphy: Absaroka Sequence


Primary source

Nelson, W.J., P.H. Heckel and J.M. Obrad, 2022, Pennsylvanian Subsystem in Illinois: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin (in press).

Contributing author(s)

W.J. Nelson

Name

Original description

Discussing Owen’s (1857) Coal No. 10, Glenn (1912, p. 38) remarked, “It is known at Dekoven [Union County, Kentucky] as the Briar Hill coal.” Lee (1916, p. 32–33) later expanded on Glenn’s description. First to use the name in Illinois was Butts (1925, p. 47, 65–66), who also designated the seam as No. 5½ because it resides between the No. 5 (Springfield) and No. 6 (Herrin) coals. Cady (1952) amended the number to 5A.

Derivation

Lee (1916, p. 33) wrote that the name was derived from “the first mine on this bed being situated near a conspicuous briar patch on the hill north of Sturgis road in the environs of Dekoven.”

Other names

A.M. Burger and C.E. Wier (in Shaver et al. 1970, p. 27–28) named the Bucktown (Vb) Coal Member for a village in Sullivan County, Indiana, and located (but did not describe) the type section. The Indiana Geological Survey has consistently used Bucktown since. Because the Briar Hill and Bucktown are the same bed, the name Bucktown should be abandoned.

History/background

See above.

Type section

None. Mines that formerly worked this seam near Dekoven, Kentucky, were sealed long ago.

Reference section(1)

Core photograph of Briar Hill Coal Member showing coal thickness and layering in Kentucky borehole WKUG-9 (Figure 4-67)
Figure 4-67. Graphic log based on core from Kentucky Geological Survey borehole WKUG-9 drilled in Carter section 17-P-19, Union County, Kentucky. This is the reference section for the Briar Hill Coal. © University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Reference location

Core from Kentucky Geological Survey borehole WKUG-9 is hereby offered as a principal reference section for the Briar Hill Coal. The hole was drilled in Carter section 17-P-19 in Union County, which is approximately 15 mi (24 km) north of Dekoven and close to the common corner of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. As logged in WKUG-9, the Briar Hill is 1.69 ft (51.5 cm) thick and lies in the depth interval of 566.6 to 568.3 ft (172.7 to 172.3 m; Figure 4-67). The coal is composed of alternating layers of clairain and durain, with a few pyrite lenses and laminae and two laminae of claystone near the top. Overlying the coal is gray shale, and underlying it is sandstone that has root traces.

Reference author(s)

This report.

Reference status

Logs of WKUG-9 are on file with the Kentucky Geological Survey, and core is archived at the Kentucky Geological Survey core facility in Lexington.

Reference section(2)

Core photograph showing Briar Hill Coal Member position within McCormick borehole in Gallatin County (Figure 4-61)
Figure 4-61. Logs of ISGS McCormick No. 1 borehole in sec. 21, T 8 S, R 8 E, Gallatin County, Illinois, the reference sections for Canton Shale, Briar Hill Coal, and Big Creek Shale. © University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Reference location

The ISGS #1 McCormick core serves as a second reference section for the Briar Hill Coal. This hole was drilled in Section 21, T8S, R8E, Gallatin County, Illinois (ISGS county no. 25246). The Briar Hill is 1.5 ft (45 cm) thick in the McCormick core and occurs in the depth interval of 323.5 to 325.0 ft (98.6 to 99.1 m; Figure 4-61).

Reference author(s)

Present report.

Reference status

Logs from this hole, including typed core descriptions and gamma-ray and resistivity logs, are on file with the ISGS Geological Samples Library and can be accessed via the ISGS website. Core is archived at the ISGS Geological Samples Library in Champaign under storage number C-15339.

Stratigraphic relationships

The Briar Hill directly overlies the Canton Shale or Vermilionville Sandstone Member and underlies the Big Creek Shale Member, as revised in this report.

Extent and thickness

No maps of the Briar Hill are known...

Measured section showing Briar Hill Coal Member within stratigraphic succession in LaSalle County (Figure 4-63)
Figure 4-63. Klein Bridge and Greenhouse sections of Willman and Payne (1942), the reference sections for the Vermilionville Sandstone Member. These sections also illustrate the presence of the Energy Shale Member above the Herrin Coal in northern Illinois. Data from Willman and Payne (1942, p. 295). © University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Exposure showing Briar Hill Coal Member relationship to underlying sandstone units (Figure 4-64)
Figure 4-64. Reference section for the Vermilionville Sandstone Member. Data from Wanless (1957, p. 207, geologic section 44). Location is a ravine in E1/₂ SE1/₄, sec. 8, T 6 N, R 3 E, Fulton County, Illinois. © University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Regional distribution or section illustrating Briar Hill Coal Member thickness variation (Figure 4-68)
Figure 4-68. Diagram modified from Willman and Payne (1942) illustrating the relationship of Spring Lake Coal to adjacent units. Copyright © 1942 University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Isolated outcrops of the Briar Hill occur outside the Fairfield Basin...

Lithology

The Briar Hill is bright-banded coal...

Core(s)

Photograph(s)

Contacts

Contacts of the Briar Hill Coal with the underlying Canton Member and overlying Big Creek Member normally are abrupt.

Well log characteristics

Typical for coal.

Fossils

Kosanke (1950, p. 74) discussed fossil spores...

Age and correlation

The Briar Hill may be correlative with the Alvis Coal Bed...

Environments of deposition

The Briar Hill apparently reflects an intermediate regression...

Economic importance

The Briar Hill has been mined...

Remarks

References

  • Butts, C., 1925, Geology and mineral resources of the Equality-Shawneetown area: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin 47, 76 p., 2 pls.
  • Cady, G.H., 1952, Minable coal reserves of Illinois: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin 78, 138 p., 8 pls.
  • Glenn, L.C., 1912, A geological reconnaissance of the Tradewater River region, with special reference to the coal beds: Kentucky Geological Survey, Bulletin 17, 75 p.
  • Kosanke, R.M., 1950, Pennsylvanian spores of Illinois and their use in correlation: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin 74, 128 p., 2 pls.
  • Lee, W., 1916, Geology of the Kentucky part of the Shawneetown Quadrangle: Kentucky Geological Survey, Series 4, Bulletin 4, Part 2, 73 p.
  • Owen, D.D., 1856, Report on the geological survey in Kentucky made during the years 1854 and 1855: Kentucky Geological Survey, Series 1, v. 1, p. 3–148.
  • Peppers, R.A., 1970, Correlation and palynology of coals in the Carbondale and Spoon Formations (Pennsylvanian) of the northeastern part of the Illinois Basin: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin 93, 173 p.
  • Shaver, R.H., Ann M. Burger, G.R. Gates, H.H. Gray, H.C. Hutchison, S.J. Keller, J.B. Patton, C.B. Rexroad, N.M. Smith, W.J. Wayne, and C.E. Wier, 1970, Compendium of rock-unit stratigraphy in Indiana: Indiana Geological Survey, Bulletin 43, 229 p., 1 pl.
  • Wanless, H.R., 1957, Geology and mineral resources of the Beardstown, Glasford, Havana, and Vermont Quadrangles: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin 82, 233 p.
  • Willman, H.B., and J.N. Payne, 1942, Geology and mineral resources of the Marseilles, Ottawa, and Streator Quadrangles: Illinois State Geological Survey, Bulletin 66, 388 p., 29 pls.

ISGS Codes

ISGS Code and Symbol
Stratigraphic Code Geo Unit Designation

2730

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