During Silurian time, the Indiana part of the Wabash Platform was a shallow-water area between the proto-Illinois and proto- Michigan Basins and a site of growth of hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of reefs. Today, most reefs of northern Indiana are dolomite, but some are dolomitic limestone, and a few are limestone of high purity in deposits that can be mined by openpit methods. Four of the five generations of reefs of Silurian age in the Great Lakes area have been recognized in northern Indiana. All known limestone reefs are restricted to an area of six countries in north-central Indiana, although no apparent depositional environment as revealed from study of surrounding inter-reef rocks has been found to account for any restriction. Dolomitization is more likely related to the textures and lithologies of the individual reefs.-from Authors
Additional publication details
Publication type:
Article
Publication Subtype:
Journal Article
Title:
Search for high-calcium limestone in Silurian reefs of northern Indiana.