Cruise Ohio’s Silurian Southern Seas
Geology of the Oakes Quarry Park
When: Thursday, September 19, 2013 @ 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Meet at Dock #1 (Oakes Quarry Parking Area)
1267 E. Xenia Dr. (Ohio Route 235 and I-675)
Fairborn, OH 45324 (Greene County)
Fairborn Parks and Rec Program Coordinator - Mindy Weaver at weaver@ci.fairborn.oh.us
Greg Schumacher, a senior geologist from the Ohio Geological Survey lead a walk through the unique geological features exposed in Oakes Quarry Park to over twenty-four OCVN's from the SW RiverLands and Wood County Chapters on Thursday morning, September 19th. Several other Greene County Master Gardeners also attended. The day started off with rain and continued for most of the morning. Luckily, Fairborn Fire Station #2 was located nearby and the program was moved indoors to allow the soaked OCVN's a chance to dry out. Greg shifted to a classroom environment and discussed the following topics that would be examined later in the morning when returning to the quarry:
· Why was the limestone of the Oakes Quarry mined?
· There are cracks in the quarry floor... How does this relate to the building of the ancestral Appalachian Mountains?
· What sea level changes occurred as the limestone beds of the Brassfield Formation were being deposited?
· What evidence supports that a tropical sea covered Ohio some 435 million years ago?
· What do the types of fossils tell us about the climate during the Silurian Period?
· Why are there no rocks in the Oakes Quarry that contain coal, dinosaur fossils, or giant fossil sharks?
· What evidence supports that glaciers moved across the Oakes Quarry many thousands of years ago?
· In what direction did the ice flow and what did the glaciers leave behind?
After the rain stopped around 11:00 AM, the group drove back to the Oakes Quarry to walk and examine the unique geological concepts and features in person. The group was given a chance to collect fossils and hike to the top of the quarry high wall to examine the glacial striations and grooves present.
It turned out to be a GREAT Day to walk in the Quarry! Several of the participants met later at a local restaurant in Fairborn for additional discussions and fellowship. Kudos go to Lori Parratt from Wood County, who got up at 5:30 AM for the three hour drive down from Bowling Green. Lori was able to take home some interesting specimens of Silurian marine fossils (corals, crinoid stems, and crinoid bases) from the quarry.
For more information regarding quarry and fossil photos...... see attached links and publications.
OAKES Quarry information:
http://www.beavercreekwetlands.org/documents/maplocations/BCWA_Broch_Oakes_Web.pdf
A visit to Oakes Quarry Park - Virginia Museum of Natural History:
http://vmnhpaleontology.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/oakes-quarry-park/
Dry Dredgers Field Trip
October 24, 2009
Oakes Quarry Park, Ohio
http://drydredgers.org/trip200910p1.htm
Open-File Report 2012-1
GEOLOGY OF THE DAYTON REGION IN CORE
AND OUTCROP—A WORKSHOP AND FIELD TRIP
FOR CITIZENS, ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATORS,
GEOLOGISTS, AND EDUCATORS
By
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/10/pdf/OpenFileReports/OFR_2012-1.pdf