Mississippian Depositional History of the Texas Panhandle: A Reappraisal

Recent lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic studies of subsurface Mississippian rocks in the Texas Panhandle suggest that previous interpretations of the sequence and timing of depositional events in the area require revision.

During the Early Mississippian period (Kinderhookian to Osagean), deposition in the area was limited to the northeastern Panhandle (Anadarko Basin), while the Texas Arch, a Devonian structure, remained positive, preventing sediment accumulation in the rest of the area. It wasn't until the Meramecian stage that a significant inundation occurred in the southern Panhandle. Shallow platform conditions developed in the submerged area around the Texas Arch, with carbonate buildups forming locally on the outer ramp along the previous margin of the Arch. This marine transgression corresponds to the drowning of platform margins across the midcontinent region. The Texas Arch intermittently controlled deposition until the end of the Mississippian Period.