Faunal Distribution and Relative Abundance in a Silurian

317 Pages·2017·8.16 MB·English

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Master's Theses Graduate College
12-2012
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Jennifer L. Trout
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Trout, Jennifer L., "Faunal Distribution and Relative Abundance in a Silurian (Wenlock) Pinnacle Reef
Complex - Ray Reef, Macomb County, Michigan" (2012). Master's Theses. 110.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/110
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FAUNAL DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE IN A SILURIAN
(WENLOCK) PINNACLE REEF COMPLEX - RAY REEF,
MACOMB COUNTY, MICHIGAN

Jennifer L. Trout, M.S.

Western Michigan University, 2012

Niagaran (Silurian) reefs are important sources of hydrocarbons in the
Michigan Basin. In addition, some of these reservoirs have been used for gas storage
and may be potential CO sequestration sites.
2
Despite extensive research on Niagaran reefs, most studies concerning faunal
abundance and distribution have been qualitative studies conducted by
paleontologists with an emphasis on taxonomy, paleoecology, and evolution.
This study is the first quantitative study of relative abundance and general
distribution of fauna throughout a single Wenlock reef located in the southern trend
of the Michigan Basin. This study will build on previous work done by WMU
students and will utilize their data (e.g. core descriptions, facies analyses, whole core
analyses and sequence stratigraphic boundaries) to evaluate the distribution of fauna
in Niagaran reefs in the Michigan Basin. The purpose of this study is threefold: 1) to
quantitatively determine faunal abundance from subsurface cores of Ray Reef, 2) to
determine if the faunal abundance is variable or consistent on windward vs. leeward
margins vs. the crest of the reef, and 3) to analyze porosity/permeability data in
conjunction with faunal abundance. These objectives will be met using a
combination of core descriptions and image analysis of core slabs to capture
quantitative variations in the distribution of reef organisms. This data may provide
further insight into Niagaran pinnacle reef complex growth and development as well
as faunal influence on reservoir characteristics.
FAUNAL DISTRIBTUION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE IN A SILURIAN
(WENLOCK) PINNACLE REEF COMPLEX - RAY REEF,
MACOMB COUNTY, MICHIGAN

by

Jennifer L. Trout

A Thesis
Submitted to the
Faculty of The Graduate College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the
Degree of Master of Science
Department of Geosciences
Advisor: G. Michael Grammer, Ph.D.

Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
December 2012
Copyright by
Jennifer L. Trout
2012
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The completion of this thesis would not have been possible without the
support and encouragement of many people. Foremost among them is my advisor,
Dr. G. Michael Grammer, whose knowledge, advice, and support guided me through
this process. Dr. Grammer’s unique teaching/mentoring style and vision led me from
undergraduate work to this thesis and prepared me for future work. For this, I am
very grateful and appreciative. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr.
William Harrison III and Dr. Robb Gillespie for providing valuable feedback,
guidance, and support.
I would like to thank the Department of Geosciences, the Michigan
Geological Repository for Research and Education, and the Michigan Basin
Geological Society for financial support. I truly appreciate the help I received from
the administrative staff, especially Kathy Wright and Linda Harrison.
Without the support of my fellow students (especially Shawn McCloskey,
Marcel Robinson, Pete Feutz, Seth Workman, and Jason Asmus) I would not have
made it through the program and am grateful for their patience, advice, and
friendship.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the never ending support and
encouragement of my sister Amanda Trout and my friends Carla Chase and Michele
Anderson, without whom I would have never had a chance.
I dedicate this work to the memory of my father and mother, Gordon W. and
Patricia A. Trout, who instilled in me the value of knowledge, work, and love.

ii
Acknowledgments - Continued

Jennifer L. Trout
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................... ii
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. x
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1

First Objective: Relative Abundance and General Distribution of Fauna on a
Single Reef Complex in the Southern Pinnacle Reef Belt of the Michigan Basin ... 1

Second Objective: Influence of Wind/Current on Morphology and General
Distribution of Fauna (Reef Zonation) ..................................................................... 2

Third Objective: Influence of Wind/Current on Cementation ................................. 4

CHAPTER II: GEOLOGIC SETTING ....................................................................... 6

Regional Geologic Setting ........................................................................................ 6

Regional Stratigraphy ............................................................................................... 9

Changes in Sea Level and Climate During the Silurian ......................................... 11

Wind Direction on Reefs in the Michigan Basin During the Silurian .................... 14

Sequence Stratigraphy Boundaries ......................................................................... 19

CHAPTER III: PREVIOUS WORK ......................................................................... 21

General Overview of Michigan Basin Studies of the Silurian ................................ 21

Ancient Analogs ...................................................................................................... 23

Qualitative Studies of Faunal Relative Abundance and Distribution Outside
of the Michigan Basin and During Other Time Intervals .................................. 23

iv
Table of Contents - Continued

Hydraulic Energy and Reef Framebuilding Morphology ............................... 23

Water Depth and Reef Zonation in Western Canadian Devonian Reef
Complexes....................................................................................................... 26

Hydraulic Energy, Faunal Morphology and Zonation, and Early Submarine
Cementation in a Middle to Upper Devonian Iberg Reef, Germany .............. 27

Previous Qualitative Studies of Michigan Basin Silurian Reef Faunal Relative
Abundance and General Distribution...................................................................... 29

Previous Quantitative Studies of Relative Abundance and General Distribution
of Fauna .................................................................................................................. 29

Thornton Reef Complex (Thornton, Illinois) ..................................................... 30

Southeastern Wisconsin Quarries ....................................................................... 31

Michigan Basin Southern Pinnacle Reef Belt (Macomb County, Michigan) ..... 33

Reed North Quarry (Fairborn, Ohio) .................................................................. 33

Previous Studies of Michigan Basin Pinnacle Reefs Using Sequence
Stratigraphy ............................................................................................................. 34

Ray Reef.............................................................................................................. 34

A Study Comparing Silurian Pinnacle Reefs from the Northern and
Southern Trends .................................................................................................. 35

Modern Analogs ...................................................................................................... 35

CHAPTER IV: MATERIALS AND METHODS ..................................................... 36

Materials ................................................................................................................. 36

Methods................................................................................................................... 38
v
Table of Contents - Continued

Framework Density ............................................................................................. 38

Diversity .............................................................................................................. 39

Distribution and Composition of Reef-Building Assemblages .......................... 40

Description of Various Quantitative Methods Used in Modern Reef Ecology
Studies ..................................................................................................................... 40

Quantitative Methods Used in Paleoecology Studies of Fossil Reefs .................... 42

Skeletal Mineralogy and Diagenesis ....................................................................... 44

Cements................................................................................................................... 48

Reservoir Characteristics ........................................................................................ 60

Evaluation of Porosity......................................................................................... 60

Procedure ................................................................................................................ 60

Limitations of this Study ......................................................................................... 63

Dolomitization ........................................................................................................ 63

Limitations with Core Data ..................................................................................... 63

Limitations of Analogs ........................................................................................... 64

CHAPTER V: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................ 66

Relative Abundance ................................................................................................ 68

Framework Density ................................................................................................. 69

Diversity .................................................................................................................. 73

vi
Table of Contents - Continued

Distribution and Composition of Reef-Building Assemblages .............................. 75

Distribution and Community Replacement vs. Succession ................................ 76

Community Replacement ................................................................................... 78

Cementation ........................................................................................................ 80

Comparisons with Ancient Analogs ....................................................................... 80

Modern Analog – Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO), Bahamas .................................. 83

Similarities between TOTO, Bahamas and the Silurian Michigan Basin Reefs
and Margins ............................................................................................................ 83

Reservoir Characteristics ........................................................................................ 84

Analysis of Core Up to Sequence Boundary 2 (SB2) ......................................... 89

Analysis of Core from Sequence Boundary 2 (SB2) to Sequence Boundary
3 (SB3) ................................................................................................................ 93

Analysis of Core Above Sequence Boundary 3 (SB3) or between SB3 and
Sequence Boundary 4 (SB4) ............................................................................. 101

CHAPTER VI: POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS AND FUTURE WORK ............. 105

Potential Applications ........................................................................................... 105

Future Work .......................................................................................................... 110

CHAPTER VII: CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................... 112

Major Findings ...................................................................................................... 112

Relative Abundance .......................................................................................... 112
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