IF. A. Verwiebe — Berea Formation. 



43 



Art. VI. — The Berea Formation of Ohio and \Pennsyl- 

 vania ; by Walter A. Verwiebe. 



[Paper read before Section E, A. A. A. S.. at its 68th meeting.] 



One of the most important formations of Ohio geology, not 

 only for economic reasons, but also for stratigraphic reasons, 

 is undoubtedly the Berea sandstone. It has long been known 

 as the source of some of the finest building stone as well as 

 most of the abrasive stone in the United States. As a reservoir 

 of oil and gas it has brought many millions to the common- 

 wealth of Ohio and adjacent states. Its stratigraphic impor- 

 tance consists in the fact that it is the first prominent and per- 

 sistent" sandstone horizon above the Devonian limestones, and 

 thus serves as an excellent and reliable datum plane. Further- 

 more evidence is accumulating that its irregular base and 

 thickness are due to a disconformity with the subjacent 

 Bedford ; and this diastrophic break corroborated by strong 

 evidence of a faunal break, point to the conclusion that the 

 Berea is the basal formation of the Carboniferous system. 



The following table of formations in Ohio and Pennsylvania 

 will give the reader a perspective of its stratigraphic position. 

 (The Roman numerals are the ones used in fig. 1.) 



Ohio. 



Logan 



& 



Black Hand* 



Pennsylvania. 

 Pottsville 



. . I I (unconformity) 



IV Shenano-o shale 



Cuyahoga 

 Sunbury 



Berea 



Bedford 



& 

 Ohio 



HI 



II 



VI 



Shenango sandstone 



Meadville 



Sliarpsville 



Orangeville 



Cony 



Cwssevvago 



Riceville 



Venango 



Chemung 



Burgoon (Butts) 



[-Oil Lake group (White) 



J 



1 



}>Cone\vango (Butts) 



i 

 J 



* Hyde considers the Black Hand a local facies of the Cuyahoga. See his 

 " Stratigraphy of the Waverly Formations of Central and Southern Ohio," 

 Jour, of Geol., vol. xxiii, p. 655 ff., 1915. 



