I have studied syntectonic veins from shales and coarse calcareous sands of the Ordovician Womble Shale, Benton uplift, Arkansas. All veins are composed of calcite with minor quartz and trace feldspar and dolomite or high-Mg calcite in the coarser veins. All host lithologies have a pressure-solution cleavage, more closely spaced in the fine-grained shale beds. The vein internal fabrics are coarsely to finely fibered, with a strong host-rock grain size control on fiber width. The finest fibers are in veins with shale host and the coarsest in the coarse-grained calcareous sandstone. Fiber aspect ratio is inversely proportional to host grain size; more equant vein grains are found in the veins hosted in the coarse host fraction. Within one outcrop, the δ13C and δ18O compositions of the host lithologies range from 1.5 to -3.0 per mil and 7.5 to -14.0 per mil (VPDB), respectively. By contrast, the δ18O composition of the veins is remarkably constant (-13.5 per mil) among veins of starkly different fabrics. This composition is identical to that of the coarse calcareous sandstone lithology in the outcrop. No cathodoluminescence or stable isotope zoning was observed in the veins. In addition, there were no gradients in Ca or Si in the vicinity of the veins, suggesting either that the host did not contribute these elements or that diffusion was not the rate-limiting step to vein formation. In any case, the wide variety of veins was probably formed from meter-scale migration of fluid derived from local calcite-rich layers in calcareous sandstone.

This study is a statistical analysis of the sandstone distribution within the Arkansas Jackfork Group which is a passive margin fan complex. Passive margin fan systems are typically associated with long fluvial transport, fed by deltas, wide shelf, efficient basin transport, that result in a bypassing system. Passive margin fans are generally fine-grained, mud rich, and well sorted. These fans can be separated into three units (upper, middle, and lower fan) based on their location within the fan and how the sediments are deposited. Five outcrops from the Arkansas Jackfork Group have been chosen for this study and each were divided into different facies dependent on sandstone percentages in certain bed sets. The amount of sandstone for each facies was calculated and a statistical approximation for each outcrop was determined. Sandstone distribution curves were made for each outcrop to show a graphic representation of how the sandstone is dispersed. After analyzing different upper, middle, and lower fan outcrops, it is clear there is an obvious change in the sandstone percentage and distribution. The upper fan deposit has an overall sandstone percentage of approximately 77.5% and is deposited in beds that are mainly amalgamated; 10-30m thick. Sandstone is deposited moderately even and is quite concentrated throughout the exposure. The middle fan outcrops contain approximately 72.6% sandstone and show similar patterns, except that the amalgamated sandstone beds are not as thick, 5-15m and contain more shale in between layers. As expected the lower fan outcrop is completely different in both sandstone percentage and distribution. The lower fan has approximately 65.4% sandstone. The distribution of sandstone is more concentrated in each of the individual units, or systems, but the overall complex has two systems separated by a massive marine shale bed, 33.5 m, that contains virtually no sand.

I have studied syntectonic veins from shales and coarse calcareous sands of the Ordovician Womble Shale, Benton uplift, Arkansas. All veins are composed of calcite with minor quartz and trace feldspar and dolomite or high-Mg calcite in the coarser veins. All host lithologies have a pressure-solution cleavage, more closely spaced in the fine-grained shale beds. The vein internal fabrics are coarsely to finely fibered, with a strong host-rock grain size control on fiber width. The finest fibers are in veins with shale host and the coarsest in the coarse-grained calcareous sandstone. Fiber aspect ratio is inversely proportional to host grain size; more equant vein grains are found in the veins hosted in the coarse host fraction. Within one outcrop, the δ13C and δ18O compositions of the host lithologies range from 1.5 to -3.0 per mil and 7.5 to -14.0 per mil (VPDB), respectively. By contrast, the δ18O composition of the veins is remarkably constant (-13.5 per mil) among veins of starkly different fabrics. This composition is identical to that of the coarse calcareous sandstone lithology in the outcrop. No cathodoluminescence or stable isotope zoning was observed in the veins. In addition, there were no gradients in Ca or Si in the vicinity of the veins, suggesting either that the host did not contribute these elements or that diffusion was not the rate-limiting step to vein formation. In any case, the wide variety of veins was probably formed from meter-scale migration of fluid derived from local calcite-rich layers in calcareous sandstone.