Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin 

Region, Oklahoma

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1866-A
AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the current-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Survey publications released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List." Publications 

that are listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and 

Availability List" are no longer available.

Prices of reports released to the open files are given in the listing "U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports," updated monthly, which is for sale in microfiche from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 

25425, Denver, CO 80225. Reports released through the NTIS may be obtained by writing to the National Technical Information 

Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161; please include NTIS report number with inquiry.

Order U.S. Geological Survey publications by mail or over the counter from the offices given below.

BY MAIL 

Books

Professional Papers, Bulletins, Water-Supply Papers, Techniques 

of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications of general interest (such as leaflets, pamphlets, booklets), single copies of Earthquakes 

& Volcanoes, Preliminary Determination of Epicenters, and some miscellaneous reports, including some of the foregoing series that have gone 

out of print at the Superintendent of Documents, are obtainable by mail 

from

U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports

Federal Center, Box 25425

Denver, CO 80225

Subscriptions to periodicals (Earthquakes & Volcanoes and 

Preliminary Determination of Epicenters) can be obtained ONLY from 

the

Superintendent of Documents

Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402

(Check or money order must be payable to Superintendent of Documents.)

Maps

For maps, address mail orders to

U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution

Federal Center, Box 25286

Denver, CO 80225

Residents of Alaska may order maps from

Alaska Distribution Section, U.S. Geological Survey,

New Federal Building - Box 12 

101 Twelfth Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701

OVER THE COUNTER 

Books

Books of the U.S. Geological Survey are available over the 

counter at the following Geological Survey Public Inquiries Offices, all 

of which are authorized agents of the Superintendent of Documents:

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Main Interior Bldg., 2600 corridor,

18th and CSts.,NW.

DENVER, Colorado-Federal Bldg., Rm. 169,1961 Stout St.

LOS ANGELES, California-Federal Eldg., Rm. 7638,300 N.

Los Angeles St.

MENLO PARK, California-Bldg. 3 (Stop 533), Rm. 3128,

345 Middlefield Rd.

RESTON, Virginia-503 National Center, Rm. 1C402,12201

Sunrise Valley Dr.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-Federal Bldg., Rm. 8105,125

South State St.

SAN FRANCISCO, California-Customhouse, Rm. 504,555

Battery St.

SPOKANE, Washington-U.S. Courthouse, Rm. 678, West

920 Riverside Ave..

ANCHORAGE, Alaska-Rm. 101,4230 University Dr.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska-Federal Bldg, Rm. E-146, 701 C St.

Maps

Maps may be purchased over the counter at the U.S. Geological Survey offices where books are sold (all addresses in above list) and 

at the following Geological Survey offices:

 ROLLA, Missouri-1400 Independence Rd.

 DENVER, Colorado-Map Distribution, Bldg. 810, Federal 

Center

 FAIRBANKS, Alaska-New Federal Bldg., 101 Twelfth Ave.
Chapter A

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin 

Region, Oklahoma

By WILLIAM J. PERRY, JR.

A multidisciplinary approach to research studies of sedimentary 

rocks and their constituents and the evolution of sedimentary 

basins, both ancient and modern

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1866 

EVOLUTION OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS ANADARKO BASIN
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

DONALD PAUL MODEL, Secretary

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L Peck, Director

Any use of trade, product, industry, or firm names in this publication is for 

descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. 

Government.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1989

For sale by the

Books and Open-File Reports Section

U.S. Geological Survey

Federal Center

Box 25425

Denver, CO 80225

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Perry, William J., Jr. 

Tectonic evolution of the Anadarko basin region, Oklahoma.

U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 1866-A)

"A multidisciplinary approach to research studies of sedimentary rocks and 

their constituents and the evolution of sedimentary basins, both ancient and 

modern."

Bibliography: p.

Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.3:1866-A

1. Geology, Structural. 2. Geology Anadarko Basin. I. Title. II. Series. 

QE75.B9 no. 1866-A 557.3 s [551.8'09766] 88-607943 

[QE601]
CONTENTS

Abstract Al

Introduction Al

Precambrian structural events A2

Character of the southern Oklahoma aulacogen A2

Subsidence of the southern Oklahoma trough A6

Late Paleozoic tectonism A7

Age of the Wichita-Criner uplift A8 

Harrisburg trough and related features A8 

Arbuckle anticline and associated structures All 

Wrench-fault(?) tectonism A13

Summary of conclusions A15

References cited A17

FIGURES

1-4. Maps showing:

1. Location of foreland basins and uplifts associated with Ouachita fold 

belt in southern midcontinent region of North America A2

2. Inferred location and limits of southern Oklahoma aulacogen and 

generalized basement structure of Anadarko basin A3

3. Isopachs of Cambrian Timbered Hills and Upper Cambrian through 

Lower Ordovician Arbuckle Groups, Oklahoma and western 

Texas A4

4. Generalized Late Proterozoic and early Paleozoic paleotectonic rifts and 

continental margin, southeastern United States AS

5. Generalized cross section showing geology and Bouguer gravity, southern 

Oklahoma aulacogen and adjacent Anadarko basin A6

6. Diagrams showing development of southern Oklahoma aulacogen, southern 

Oklahoma trough, and Andarko basin A8

7. Correlation chart for Upper Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian rocks of 

Oklahoma A9

8. Map showing oil and gas fields and selected structural features in 

southeastern Anadarko basin region A10

9. Cross sections showing Paleozoic structural features in southern 

Oklahoma A12

10. Geologic map of northeastern Arbuckle anticline A14

11. Sketch showing contraction faults and kink folds in imbricate zone on 

northeast limb of Arbuckle anticline A15

12. Generalized tectonic map of northeastern Arbuckle anticline A16

Contents III
CONVERSION FACTORS FOR SOME SI METRIC AND U.S. UNITS OF 

MEASURE

To convert from To Multiply by_____

Feet (ft) Meters (m) 0.3048

Miles (mi) Kilometers (km) 1.609

Pounds (Ib) Kilograms (kg) 0.4536

Degrees Fahrenheit (°F) Degrees Celsius (°C) Temp "C = (temp °F-32)/1.8

IV Contents
EVOLUTION OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS-ANADARKO BASIN

Tectonic Evolution of the 

Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma

By William J. Perry, Jr.

Abstract

The Anadarko basin occupies the northern flank of the 

late Proterozoic(?) to early Paleozoic southern Oklahoma 

aulacogen. The basin began to form as an independent 

structural feature in Late Mississippian time, when the Texas 

promontory of the southern continental margin of Paleozoic 

North America first reacted to early stages of plate collision 

with Gondwana or an intervening microplate. Late Mississippian to Early Pennsylvanian structural inversion of the core of 

the southern Oklahoma aulacogen into the Wichita thrustbounded uplift involved thrust loading of the region to the 

north, which became the Anadarko basin. Late Pennsylvanian transpression, oblique to the preexisting structural grain, 

modified the basin and formed numerous thrust-cored, en 

echelon anticlines within the southeastern part of the Anadarko basin. Many of these structures are erosionally 

beheaded, flanked by synorogenic sedimentary rocks, and 

unconformably overlain by undeformed Permian rocks. 

Latest Pennsylvanian strike-slip faulting in the Arbuckle 

Mountains is enigmatic and apparently not of great 

magnitude. The basin continued to subside in Middle Permian time, probably in response to compaction of older 

rocks, and has been essentially dormant since late Paleozoic 

time.

INTRODUCTION

The Anadarko basin of the southern midcontinent 

(fig. 1) is the deepest Phanerozoic sedimentary basin 

within the North American craton. Locally it contains 

more than 12 km (40,000 ft) of Cambrian though Permian sediments (Ham and Wilson, 1967) that mostly 

were deposited in shallow-water environments. 

Subsidence rates rarely exceeded deposition rates, and

Manuscript approved for publication, November 22, 1988.

the Anadarko basin was seldom a topographic basin. The 

Anadarko basin is structurally deepest along its southern 

margin and is fault separated to the south and southeast 

from Cambrian igneous rocks exposed in the Wichita 

Mountains (Ham and others, 1964). It is one of the 

principal oil- and gas-producing basins within the North 

American craton.

The Anadarko basin region has a long and complex 

structural history that can be divided into four periods: 

(1) Precambrian crustal consolidation, (2) late Precambrian (?) to Middle Cambrian aulacogen development, 

(3) Cambrian through Early Mississippian development 

of the southern Oklahoma trough, and (4) late Paleozoic 

tectonism associated with development of the Anadarko 

basin on the northwestern flank of the trough.

The present report focuses on structural events 

related to the late Paleozoic Anadarko basin. I attempt to 

develop a broad overview of these structural events, 

based both on numerous published detailed subsurface 

studies and my own field investigations along the southeastern margin of the Anadarko basin, and to develop a 

sequence of deformation based on these structural investigations. In these efforts, I have found myself continually 

in debt to the extraordinarily astute observations and 

findings of W.E. Ham, R.E. Denison, and Ham's student, 

R.J. Dunham. Although Bob Dunham went on to make 

his reputation in carbonate studies, his landmark report 

on the geology of the northern part of the southwestern 

Arbuckle Mountains (Dunham, 1955) remains a classic.

Helpful reviews by R.E. Denison, R.O. Fay, S.E. 

Frezon, T.W. Henry, and L.M. Wilson, as well as by 

designated U.S. Geological Survey reviewers, are appreciated. During the course of my studies of Oklahoma 

geology, helpful advice was given by T.W. Amsden, 

W.G. Brown, R.E. Denison, R.N. Donovan, R.O. Fay,

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A1
NEW TENNESSEE

MEXICO

^ OKLAHOMA ARKANSAS

 EASTERN EDGE 

:OF CRETACEOUS 

ROCKS

LOUISIANA

Figure 1. Location of foreland basins and uplifts associated with Ouachita fold belt and outcrops of crystalline 

basement rocks (in black) in the southern midcontinent of North America. Area of figure 8 shown by ruled pattern. AA, 

Arbuckle anticline; HT, Hunton-Tishomingo arch; WC, Wichita-Criner arch. Modified from Denison (in press, fig. 1). 

Inset: A, Alabama promontory; M, Marathon reentrant; O, Ouachita reentrant; T, Texas promontory of prePennsylvanian continental margin. Modified from Thomas (1977).

M.C. Gilbert, K.C. Nielsen, F.A. Peterson, and J.S. 

Wickham, and by geoscientists involved in petroleum 

exploration, in particular, H.F. Gaines, T.J. Grealy, and 

M.I. Jacobson.

PRECAMBRIAN STRUCTURAL EVENTS

The oldest structural events recognized in the 

Anadarko basin region are associated with crustal 

consolidation and regional high-grade metamorphism of 

middle Proterozoic age (1.3 to 1.4 Ga) (Ham and others, 

1964; Denison, 1973; Bickford and Lewis, 1979). Dikes 

in the eastern Arbuckle Mountains emplaced during or 

shortly after this event trend N. 60° W. (Denison, 1982) 

and are the first evidence of a profound crustal grain 

(direction of crustal weakness) that affects the entire 

subsequent tectonic history of Oklahoma.

The deep Proterozoic Hardeman basin (beneath 

the Paleozoic Hollis basin shown in fig. 1) along the 

Oklahoma-Texas border south of the Wichita Mountains

is perhaps as old as 1.2 Ga and is known only by seismic 

data (Brewer and others, 1981). This basin, interpreted 

as containing 7 to 10 km of "clastic sedimentary and felsic 

volcanic rocks" (Brewer and others, 1981), may represent the first phase of crustal extension associated with 

formation of the southern Oklahoma aulacogen to the 

north.

CHARACTER OF THE SOUTHERN 

OKLAHOMA AULACOGEN

Early to Middle Cambrian rifting to the north of 

the Proterozoic Hardeman basin, in the region of the 

present Wichita and southwestern Arbuckle Mountains 

of southern Oklahoma, is represented by large volumes 

of Early Cambrian(?) basaltic and gabbroic rocks, the 

youngest suite of which has been dated at 552±7 Ma 

(Bowring and Hoppe, 1982). Erosion and subsequent 

emplacement of about 40,000 km3 of Middle Cambrian 

silicic intrusive and volcanic rocks (Gilbert, 1983)

A2 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
EXPLANATION

 Fault

 y Thrust fault, sawteeth on upthrown block 

 .r Fault having strike-slip component of displacement 

T T Inferred boundary of southern Oklahoma aulacogen

Figure 2. Inferred location and limits of southern Oklahoma aulacogen (patterned area) and generalized 

basement structure and fault pattern of Anadarko basin. Contours show generalized depth to basement in 

Anadarko basin, in thousands of feet below sea level. EA, eastern Arbuckle Mountains; MF, Meers fault; MVF, 

Mountain View fault; NEA, northeastern Arbuckle Mountains; SH, Slick Hills fault block; SWA, southwestern 

Arbuckle Mountains; WM, Wichita Mountains. Southwestern margin of aulacogen generalized from midline of 

steep Bouguer gravity gradient of Papesh (1983). Northeastern margin of aulacogen modified from Ham and 

others (1964) and Denison (1982).

followed intrusion and extrusion of mafic rocks. 

Bounding normal faults trending approximately N. 60° 

W. are inferred to have existed along the northern margin 

of the rift (Gilbert, 1982, 1987). The mafic rocks represent tholeiitic basaltic types similar in composition to 

those of the older Midcontinent rift (Gilbert, 1983). The 

Cambrian structural setting of southern Oklahoma is 

considered to be that of a failed arm (aulacogen or linear 

rift) of an inferred plate tectonic triple junction (Burke, 

1977). This inferred rift is commonly termed the 

southern Oklahoma aulacogen (fig. 2). Although Ham

and Wilson (1967, fig. 2) and Denison (1982) speculated 

that much of the Anadarko basin is underlain by intrusive 

and metamorphic rocks of Cambrian age, such rocks 

have not been penetrated by drilling within the basin, 

except in fault blocks associated with the southern and 

southeastern margin of the basin. The deep southernmost part of the basin may be underlain by continental 

crust that was somewhat thinned during the rifting phase, 

as indicated by geologic relations in the Wichita 

Mountains to the south. (See Mitchell and Landisman, 

1970.) A thin veneer of Cambrian extrusive and shallow

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A3
intrusive rocks may indeed be under this southernmost 

part of the basin.

The northern margin of the aulacogen probably is 

beneath the southern part of the Anadarko basin: the 

zone of abrupt southward thickening shown in an isopach 

map of the Cambrian through Lower Ordovician carbonate rocks (Gatewood, 1978) (fig. 3) may represent 

the paleo-hingeline along the northern margin of the 

aulacogen (fig. 3). This zone is about 32 km (20 mi) 

north-northeast of the northern margin of the Wichita 

uplift, the southern margin of the Anadarko basin (Gatewood, 1978, fig. 6). South-dipping reverse faults of the 

Wichita fault system (fig. 2) along the southern margin of 

the Anadarko basin may represent reactivated normal 

faults of late Proterozoic (?) to Cambrian age associated 

with development of the southern Oklahoma aulacogen. 

The Wichita fault zone currently exhibits more than 12 

km (40,000 ft) up-to-south vertical separation that 

developed during Pennsylvanian and Permian growth of 

the Anadarko basin (figs. 4,5). Seismic data (Brewer and 

others, 1983) and deep drilling indicate that these faults 

dip southwest and are major thrust faults having 

moderate dips (30°- 40°).

As pointed out by Hoffman and others (1974) and 

Burke (1977), the Soviet geologist Nicholas Shatski was 

the first to characterize the long linear troughs that

extend into continental cratons from marginal-fold and 

thrust belts as aulacogens. Although Shatski's (1946) 

type examples were in the U.S.S.R., he suggested the 

existence of an aulacogen in southern Oklahoma. Hoffman and others (1974, figs. 1, 2) were the first to 

document the aulacogen nature of the southern Oklahoma geosyncline of earlier workers (see Ham and 

others, 1964). As summarized by Burke (1977, 

p. 371-372):

Aulacogens were clearly distinct from other areas with 

thick sediments on cratons, and their properties generally included (a) extension from an orogen far into a 

craton with gradual diminution in size, (b) a thick 

unfolded or gently folded sedimentary sequence,

(c) location of the junction between the aulacogen and 

the orogen at a re-entrant, or deflection in the fold belt,

(d) long duration of the aulacogen as an active structure 

normally corresponding to the active period of the related 

orogen, (e) an early history of the aulacogen as a narrow 

fault-bounded graben and a later history as a broader 

superimposed basin itself sometimes involved in later 

faulting, (f) the occurrence of horst-like features within the 

aulacogen that influenced sedimentation, especially in 

the early history, (g) the occurrence of evaporites, (h) 

occurrences of igneous rocks often in a bimodal rhyolitic 

and basaltic association, the igneous rocks being commonly, but not exclusively formed at the beginning of 

the aulacogen's history, (i) a tendency to reactivation

 4,000

B^rf;;f./CV--

Figure 3. Isopach map of Cambrian Timbered Hills and Upper Cambrian through Lower Ordovician 

Arbuckle Groups, Oklahoma and western Texas. Contour interval, 1,000 and 2,000 ft; contour hachured to 

indicate closed low. Stippling represents areas in which Cambrian and Lower Ordovician rocks are deeply 

eroded or removed to basement. Screen pattern represents depocentral area of southern Oklahoma trough. 

Modified from Gatewood (1978, fig. 6).

A4 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
105°

40 C

100° 95° 85°

400 MILES

Figure 4. Generalized Late Proterozoic and early Paleozoic paleotectonic map showing rifts and paleocontinental margin, southeastern United States. Margin dashed where extent uncertain. DA, Delaware 

aulacogen; RCG, Rough Creek graben; RFR, Reelfoot rift; RT, Rome trough; SOA, southern Oklahoma 

aulacogen. Line of section A-A (fig. 5) also shown. Modified from Keller and others (1983).

marked by renewed faulting and thick sedimentation 

long after the associated orogen completed its cyclical 

development.

Virtually all these features are present in the 

southern Oklahoma aulacogen; this region, however, has 

been so structurally modified since aulacogen development in Early to Middle Cambrian time that the position 

of the older extension faults can only be inferred 

(Gilbert, 1983,1987). To consider the present Anadarko 

basin as synonymous with the southern Oklahoma aulacogen leads to a variety of problems that are outlined 

here and will become evident as the complex structural 

history of southern Oklahoma is summarized in this 

report: (1) The keel of the southern Oklahoma aulacogen, as characterized by its thick bimodal igneous suite of 

Cambrian age, is now exposed in the Wichita and southwestern Arbuckle Mountains, south and southeast of the 

Anadarko basin, respectively. (2) The Anadarko basin is 

a successor basin that formed during late Paleozoic plate 

collision (Kluth, 1986); only its southern and deepest part 

is possibly coincident with the southern Oklahoma aulacogen (figs. 2, 3). (3) The southern Oklahoma geosyncline of Ham and others (1964), represented by more 

than 3.35 km (11,000 ft) of Cambrian through Early

Devonian (primarily Ordovician) carbonate rocks in the 

southwestern Arbuckle Mountains and northern flank of 

the Wichita Mountains (Ham, 1973), overlies the thick 

igneous extrusive and intrusive complex of the older 

aulacogen. The Anadarko basin represents only the 

northern flank of this older trough, the southern Oklahoma trough of this report.

The aulacogen phase began during earliest Cambrian (or late Proterozoic) time when inferred rifts or 

failed arms of triple junctions extended into the North 

American craton (fig. 4) during rifting associated with 

the opening of the proto-Atlantic Ocean (Burke and 

Dewey, 1973). Vast amounts of bimodal igneous rocks 

were intruded (gabbros and granites) and extruded 

(basalts and rhyolites) along the axis of the southern 

Oklahoma aulacogen (Ham and others, 1964; Gilbert, 

1982, 1983). In the Wichita Mountains these include, 

from oldest to youngest, the Glen Mountains Layered 

Complex (more than 525 Ma and possibly as old as 730 

Ma), the Roosevelt gabbros (552 ±7 Ma), the undated 

Navajoe Mountain Basalt-Spilite Group, and the Carlton 

Rhyolite Group (525 ±25 Ma), which forms the volcanic 

cover of the Wichita Granite Group of the same age 

(usage and dates from Gilbert (1982) and Bowring and 

Hoppe (1982)). Gilbert (1987, p. 152) summarized the

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A5
100 200 300 KM

EXPLANATION

Paleozoic sedimentary rocks

Proterozoic sedimentary rocks 

Cambrian gabbro 

Upper crustal rocks 

Lower crustal rocks

Contact Dashed where inferred; queried

where relations uncertain 

Fault Dashed where inferred; arrow shows

direction of movement

Figure 5. Generalized cross section showing geology 

and Bouguer gravity of southern Oklahoma aulacogen 

(region of gravity high) and adjacent Anadarko basin to 

the north. Line of section shown in figure 4. Modified from 

Keller and others (1983, fig. 7).

structural and petrologic evidence that suggested the 

"bimodal igneous suite making up the Wichita Mountains was emplaced in a rift environment at surface to 

shallow crustal levels, accompanied by seismicity" and 

probably by normal faulting.

SUBSIDENCE OF THE SOUTHERN 

OKLAHOMA TROUGH

At the close of the rifting phase, the aulacogen 

began to cool and subside, as elegantly modeled by 

Feinstein (1981), and form the southern Oklahoma 

trough (fig. 3) (southern Oklahoma geosyncline of 

earlier workers; Ham, 1973). The axis of this trough 

extended northwestward from the paleocontinental 

margin (fig. 4) southeast of the present Ardmore basin, 

through the Ardmore basin and southwestern Arbuckle 

Mountains, to the vicinity of the present-day Wichita 

Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma and into the 

northern Panhandle of Texas (figs. 2, 3), coaxial with the 

southern Oklahoma aulacogen. More than 3.3 km 

(11,000 ft) of Cambrian through Lower Devonian 

primarily carbonate rocks were deposited over the axis of

the aulacogen in the region of the Wichita and southwestern Arbuckle Mountains (Ham, 1973).

Sedimentary rocks of the Upper Cambrian 

Timbered Hills Group (Honey Creek Formation and 

underlying Reagan Sandstone) unconformably overlie 

rift volcanic rocks within the southern Oklahoma trough, 

represented by the Carlton Rhyolite in the Wichita 

Mountains and equivalent Colbert Porphyry in the 

southwestern Arbuckle Mountains. Buried hills of rhyolite are surrounded by thicker aprons of Reagan 

Sandstone, which is locally absent over the crests of these 

features (Ham, 1973; Donovan, 1982), and more than 

137 m (450 ft) of depositional relief is in the 

southwestern Arbuckle Mountains (Ham, 1973). In the 

northeastern Wichita Mountains, the Carlton Rhyolite is 

unconformably overlain by the Honey Creek Formation 

to the south and the Reagan Sandstone to the north, 

which represent depositional onlap of about 60 m (200 ft) 

of strata (Donovan, 1982). The lower part of the Reagan 

is locally conglomeratic and the upper part glauconitic. 

These and other features indicate a nonmarine to marine 

transition within the Reagan (Gilbert and Donovan, 

1984, p. 45-54). A transition upward from marine glauconitic quartz arenite to sandy limestone marks the 

Reagan-Honey Creek contact in the Wichita Mountains 

(Gilbert and Donovan, 1984). An incomplete section of 

Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate rocks (Honey 

Creek Formation and overlying Upper Cambrian and 

Lower Ordovician Arbuckle Group) is about 1,600 m 

(5,200 ft) thick in this area (Donovan, 1984, fig. 1). More 

than 2,000 m (6,700 ft) of Arbuckle Group alone is in the 

southwestern Arbuckle Mountains, all of which was 

deposited in a shallow-water marine environment (Ham, 

1973). In contrast, less than 650 m (2,100 ft) of Arbuckle 

Group is on the adjacent Texas shelf and less than 915 m 

(3,000 ft) is on the craton in central Oklahoma (Ham, 

1973, fig. 3). The configuration of the basal unconformity 

in the area studied by Donovan and his students (Gilbert 

and Donovan, 1984) and the relative thickness of the 

various formations of the Arbuckle Group in the 

northeastern Wichita Mountains as compared to the 

southwestern Arbuckle Mountains suggest that the 

former area was slightly south of the axis of the southern 

Oklahoma trough. This position is consistent with a 

generalized isopach map of the combined Arbuckle and 

Timbered Hills Groups (Gatewood, 1978) (fig. 3). The 

isopach map suggests that the southern Oklahoma 

trough has been overridden in part by fault blocks of the 

south-dipping Wichita fault system. Donovan's (1984) 

observations were made within the Slick Hills fault block 

(fig. 2), between the Meers and Mountain View faults of 

this system.

The Arbuckle is unconformably overlain by the 

Middle Ordovician Simpson Group, which also achieves 

its maximum thickness (more than 700 m, 2,300 ft) on

A6 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
the southern flank of the southwestern Arbuckle 

Mountains (Ham, 1973). Amsden (1975, panel 6) 

showed a variable thickness of Silurian and Lower Devonian Hunton Group across the Anadarko basin; the 

Hunton is generally 75-170 m (250-560 ft) thick in the 

Anadarko basin but thickens dramatically southwestward 

toward the Wichita fault zone to as much as 400 m 

(1,300 ft). The hingeline of Hunton thickening in the 

western Anadarko basin is about 32 km (20 mi) northnortheast of the Wichita fault zone, in about the same 

position shown by Gatewood (1978) for the Cambrian 

and Ordovician carbonate rocks. R.E. Denison (written 

commun., 1988) pointed out, however, that no wells in 

this area penetrate the Cambrian and Ordovician isopached interval and that Gatewood's isopach contours 

for the deep Anadarko basin are mostly inferred. In the 

southeastern Anadarko basin, the depocenter is between 

the southwestern Arbuckle Mountains and the Wichita 

fault system (Amsden, 1975). The occurrence of almost 

610 m (2,000 ft) of Hunton Group in frontal hanging-wall 

fault blocks of the Wichita fault system suggests that the 

depocenter of the southern Oklahoma trough in Hunton 

time was coincident in part with the Wichita uplift (fig. 

3).

The overlying Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian Woodford Shale, a black shale considered to be 

an important hydrocarbon source rock in the region 

(Webster, 1980), is from less than 15 to about 45 m 

(50-150 ft) thick throughout most of the Anadarko basin 

(Cardott and Lambert, 1985). It thickens dramatically, 

however, to more than 215 m (700 ft) in hanging-wall 

fault blocks of the frontal Wichita fault system at the 

southern margin of the Anadarko basin (Cardott and 

Lambert, 1985, fig. 2, modified from Amsden, 1975). 

Southward thinning of the Woodford within these fault 

blocks indicates that the depocenter during Woodford 

time was later obscured (overridden) by thrusting of the 

Wichita fault system. Vitrinite reflectance values of 

0.47-0.48 (Cardott and Lambert, 1985) for samples from 

these hanging-wall fault blocks strongly suggest that 

these rocks were never buried more than 2 km (1.2 mi) 

for as long as 1 m.y. (Cardott and Lambert, 1985, fig. 6). 

(See burial history discussion in Perry and others, 1983.) 

This depth provides a probable constraint on the maximum thickness of Mississippian rocks deposited above 

the Woodford prior to structural inversion of the core of 

the southern Oklahoma aulacogen into the Wichita uplift 

in Morrowan (Early Pennsylvanian) time.

A decreasing rate of subsidence with time, from the 

Cambrian into the Early Mississippian, is ably shown by 

Feinstein (1981, figs. 2, 3, 5-8) for the southern Oklahoma trough. He concluded that this subsidence history 

in general supports the concept that thermally controlled 

isostatic subsidence was the chief mechanism in the 

developing geometry of the southern Oklahoma trough.

Throughout Cambrian to Mississippian time, a 

passive continental margin existed outward from the 

trough (Nicholas and Rozendal, 1975; Keller and others, 

1983). Throughout Mississippian time, both the protoAtlantic Ocean and the ocean to the south were closing 

(Thomas, 1977, 1985). By Late Mississippian time, the 

effects of this closing began to be felt in southern 

Oklahoma (Denison, in press). The era of a relatively 

simple southern Oklahoma trough ended as the WichitaCriner and Hunton-Tishomingo arches (fig. 1) became 

positive features (Tomlinson and McBee, 1959; Ham and 

others, 1964; Ham and Wilson, 1967), synchronous with 

the initial phase of the Ouachita orogeny. A schematic 

diagram showing the evolution of the southern Oklahoma aulacogen into trough and the subsequent structural inversion of trough into Wichita uplift clarifies 

inferred structural relations (fig. 6).

LATE PALEOZOIC TECTONISM

In Late Mississippian (probably Chesterian) time, 

a fourth phase of tectonism began: growth of the 

asymmetric Anadarko basin in central and western Oklahoma on the northern flank of the Cambrian rift during 

structural inversion of the rift. Structural events during 

this phase are a subject of extraordinary controversy. 

Basically two schools of thought are represented: (1) this 

phase consists primarily of wrench-fault tectonics 

(Tanner, 1967; Wickham, 1978; Harding, 1985), or (2) 

the phase consists primarily of compressional tectonics 

(Dott, 1934; Denison, 1982; Brewer and others, 1983; 

Petersen, 1983; Brown, 1984). Recent advocates of both 

schools relate late Paleozoic tectonism in Oklahoma to a 

major plate collision between the North American plate 

and either Gondwana or an intervening microplate that 

resulted in the Ouachita orogeny and the development of 

the ancestral Rocky Mountains (Kluth, 1986). Mild tectonism occurred again during the Quaternary, with displacements on the Meers fault (fig. 2) along the southern 

margin of the basin (Donovan and others, 1983; Crone 

and Luza, 1986).

Although the exact position of the pre-Ouachita 

continental margin is still in question (Kruger and Keller, 

1986), its approximate configuration has been known for 

some time (Nicholas and Rozendal, 1975; Thomas, 

1977). Three major promontories of North America, 

the Mexico, Texas, and Alabama promontories, extended 

to the south and were separated by the Marathon and 

Ouachita embayments (figs. 1, 4). Thomas (1985, 

fig. 5C) indicated an arc-continent collision orogen in 

Late Mississippian time concurrent with early Alleghanian orogenic activity in the central Appalachians. 

Early Pennsylvanian compressional events in southern 

Oklahoma (Harlton, 1956; Hicks, 1956; Mullen, 

1956; Neustadt, 1956; Parker, 1956; Rutledge, 1956;

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A7
SOUTH

A

NORTH

BASALT FLOWS, NONMARINE BASIN FILL

T T T

-560-540 Ma

GABBROIC INTRUSIONS

B

-550-520 Ma GRANITIC INTRUSIONS AND

RHYOLITE AND 

IGNIMBRITE EXTRUSIONS

ARBUCKLETO 

HUNTON DEPOSITION

-520-400 Ma

COOLING AND COLLAPSE 

OF EARLIER RIFT

INITIATION OF SYNTECTONIC 

SEDIMENTATION

WICHITA FAULT 

SYSTEM

-300-250 Ma

REVERSE MOVEMENT ON 

OLDER NORMAL FAULTS

Figure 6. Sequence of development of southern Oklahoma aulacogen (A, B) (modified from Gilbert, 1983), 

southern Oklahoma trough (C), and Anadarko basin 

north of Wichita fault system (D). Same area occupies 

each view.

Westheimer and Schweers, 1956; Latham, 1970) suggest 

that similar events may have taken place at this time 

along the southern tip of the Texas promontory, events 

that jammed Texas northeastward into probably preweakened crust beneath the southern Oklahoma aulacogen and successor trough.

The relative ages of upper Paleozoic rocks in 

southern Oklahoma have been known for some time 

(Tomlinson, 1929; Elias, 1956; Harlton, 1956; Westheimer, 1956). Numerous subsurface oil field studies 

edited by Hicks and others (1956) benefited from this 

carefully developed biostratigraphic framework, such

that the relative timing of deformation in southern and 

central Oklahoma and many of the subsurface structural 

patterns have been known for more than 40 years. 

Recently, the age of Upper Mississippian and Lower 

Pennsylvanian rocks in southern Oklahoma and the 

position of the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary 

has been better defined (Lane and Straka, 1974; Lane, 

1977; Sutherland, 1979; Morris and Sutherland, 1984) 

(% 7).

Age of the Wichita-Criner Uplift

Perhaps the first evidence of late Paleozoic tectonism in southern Oklahoma is the abrupt pinching out of 

upper Chesterian (uppermost Mississippian) and lower 

Morrowan (lowest Pennsylvanian) Springer sandstones 

southwestward in the western Ardmore basin near the 

northeast flank of the Criner Hills (fig. 8) (Tomlinson 

and McBee, 1959) (age of Springer Formation from 

Morris and Sutherland, 1984). By early late Morrowan 

time (fig. 7), the Jolliff Limestone Member of the Golf 

Course Formation of the Dornick Hills Group was 

deposited in the Ardmore basin and southwestern 

Arbuckle Mountains. This member, commonly termed 

the "Jolliff conglomerate" south of Ardmore, there 

contains cobbles and pebbles derived chiefly from the 

Meramecian and older Mississippian Sycamore Limestone and Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian 

Woodford Shale, both of which are stratigraphically 

more than 1,370 m (4,500 ft) below the Jolliff farther 

north in the Ardmore basin (Tomlinson and McBee, 

1959, p. 14-15). The composition and size of Jolliff 

clasts and clasts in the conglomerate of the younger 

Morrowan Otterville Limestone Member of the Golf 

Course Formation are evidence of a source area in the 

vicinity of the Criner Hills (fig. 8). A broad positive area 

extending from the Criner Hills southward into Texas 

was envisioned by Tomlinson and McBee (1959, p. 14). 

Harlton (1956) recognized that this uplift extended northwestward toward and included the Wichita Mountains, 

and he defined the Harrisburg trough as a narrow 

syncline developed during Morrowan to Desmoinesian 

time in front of (immediately northeast of) this uplift. 

Tomlinson and McBee (1959) later termed this uplift the 

Wichita-Criner arch.

Harrisburg Trough and Related Features

The Harrisburg trough of Harlton (1956) is west, 

south, and southeast of the Velma and associated oil 

fields (fig. 8). Subsequent work summarized by Jacobson 

(1984) indicates that Harlton (1956) misplaced the 

northeast-bounding fault of the Wichita-Criner uplift in

AS Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
C/)

0)

CO

ARDMORE BASIN AND

SOUTHWESTERN ARBUCKLE

MOUNTAINS,OKLAHOMA

NORTHEAST 

ARBUCKLE 

MOUNTAINS, 

OKLAHOMA

CD 

Q.

c/)

CD 

Q.

Q_ 

Q_

CO 

(/)

CO 

CO

c

CO

o

5

C/3

0)

x: 

CJ

O 

DC 

O

O

z

DC 

O 

Q

O 

DC 

O

U

Z

a

CQ 

O

z

< z

§£

£l

(3 H

50

shale

Bostwick Member

shale

terville Limestone Memiber

shale ^ Gene Autry 

"^ < Shale

Jolliff Limestone V" Member 

member /________

WAPANUCKA 

FORMATION

Upper Primrose 

Sandstone Member

shale

shale

Lower Primrose 

Sandstone Member

shale

shale

Lake Ardmore 

Sandstone Member

UNION

VALLEY

FORMATION

 ?-

shale

Target Limestone Lentil

shale

Overbrook Sandstone Member 

shale

Rod Club Sandstone Member

RHODA CREEK 

FORMATION

shale

Red Oak Hollow Member

" ' f ^- "^ i ,,I.,M. -..-mrai.,.. "^

shale

DELAWARE CREEK SHALE

SYCAMORE LIMESTONE 

(upper)

7 , , , , , ?

Sand Branch Member

Delaware Creek 

member

Ahlosa Member

Figure 7. Correlation chart for Upper Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian rocks 

of Oklahoma. Modified from Morris and Sutherland (1984).

the Velma area. As redefined by Jacobson (1984, 

p. 127), that part of Harlton's Harrisburg trough west 

of, south of, and including the West Velma field (fig. 8) is 

"a syncline composed of Pennsylvanian-aged sediments

located on both the Wichita uplift and within the Ardmore Basin." In that area, a sequence of deformation can 

be readily established (fig. 9). This West Velma block 

was uplifted by thrusting and deeply incised by erosion

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A9
SOUTHEASTERN 

ANADARKO

r"' IPX,

J \ I x--\| ^

Thrust or reverse fault; dashed where inferred, 

sawteeth on upthrown block

Fault having strike-slip component of displacement; 

dashed where inferred

Fault downthrown (D) and upthrown (U) 

blocks indicated

Figure 8. Oil and gas fields (dashed outlines) and selected structural features in southeastern Anadarko basin region 

and adjacent areas to the south. AT, Arbuckle thrust; LC, Lake Classen area, southwest of Davis. Oil and gas field 

outlines from Hicks (1956, fig. 1). Subcrop trace of Arbuckle thrust (AT) from Brown (1984, fig. 5); Harrisburg trough 

region modified from Hartton (1956, fig. 1); selected structural features from Hicks (1971), Brown (1984), and Jacobson 

(1984, figs. 1, 4); northeast subcrop margin of Viola Limestone and associated faults northwest of Davis from Hicks 

(1971, fig. 40). Northeast of subcrop margin, Ordovician Bromide Formation and older rocks lie unconformably beneath 

Upper Pennsylvanian and younger rocks. Line of section B-B' (fig. 9) and area of figures 10 and 12 (diagonal ruled 

pattern) also shown. Hachures mark boundaries of southwest Arbuckle Mountains and Criner Hills.

during Atokan or early Desmoinesian time. The Velma 

fault, a listric thrust of very Late Pennsylvanian to Early 

Permian age (post-Cisco Group) has dip-slip displacement of more than 2.9 km (1.8 mi). If the Deese/ 

Hoxbar contact is assumed originally to have been 

horizontal, then backstripping indicates the pre-Hoxbar

Formation (pre-Missourian) structural configuration of 

the area (fig. 9B ). According to Jacobson (1984), Morrowan sediments have been completely stripped from this 

area. As much as 850 m (2,800 ft) of Atokan sediments 

occupies a paleovalley on the hanging wall of the West 

Velma fault along the margin of the uplift (Jacobson,

A10 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
1984, fig. 6). The restored structural configuration at the 

close of Desmoinesian time (top of Deese Formation) 

shows approximately 1,500 m (5,000 ft) of structural 

relief on the West Velma fault (fig. 9B). Unconformable 

relations and hanging-wall versus footwall thicknesses 

indicate that most of the displacement on this fault 

occurred during Atokan or very early Desmoinesian time 

and that only about 450 m (1,500 ft) of structural relief 

developed during the later part of early Desmoinesian 

time. Northeast of the West Velma fault, the Velma 

anticline developed prior to or during Atokan or very 

early Desmoinesian time and apparently controlled the 

position of the younger Velma thrust fault.

In the Velma area, chert conglomerates first occur 

in the basal Bostwick Conglomerate Member of the 

Atokan Lake Murray Formation; pebbles of the conglomerate are composed of Upper Devonian and Lower 

Mississippian Woodford chert (Harlton, 1956). In the 

western Anadarko basin, upper Morrowan chert 

conglomerates are abundant near the Wichita-Amarillo 

mountain front, where they form deep elusive traps for 

natural gas (Shelby, 1980). Near the mountain front in 

this area, more than 3 km (10,000 ft) of Atokan or very 

early Desmoinesian through Permian granite wash, 

arkose derived from erosion of igneous rocks in the 

Wichita Mountains, overlies these chert conglomerates. 

Such arkose is absent southeast of the Anadarko basin 

(Tomlinson and McBee, 1959, fig. 7). The Morrowan to 

lower Desmoinesian rocks of the Harrisburg trough and 

its western extension adjacent to and beneath the Wichita 

mountain front represent sedimentary debris from the 

unroofing of the Wichita-Criner arch (fig. 1) and date 

the inception and possibly the main period of structural 

growth of this uplift.

Subsurface studies of oil and gas fields southwest 

and west of Ardmore on the uplift (Westheimer and 

Schweers, 1956; Mullen, 1956; Neustadt, 1956; Latham, 

1970) clearly indicate that folding and reverse faulting 

along the Wichita-Criner uplift in this region had 

essentially ended by Desmoinesian (early Middle Pennsylvanian) time. Basement crystalline rocks were exposed 

in the higher parts of the Wichitas by late Morrowan or 

earliest Desmoinesian time (or perhaps earlier, Evans, 

1979). These subsurface studies, as well as the later 

COCORP (Consortium for Continental Reflection 

Profiling) seismic lines across the Wichitas (Brewer 

and others, 1983) and recent structural investigations 

(McConnell, 1986, 1987), also show that this deformation resulted primarily from northeast-directed 

basement-involved thrusting. Concurrent left-reverse slip 

is inferred for east-west-trending fault segments (fig. 2).

A series of well-constrained subsurface studies of 

the major anticlinal oil fields along the southeastern 

margin of the Anadarko basin and adjoining areas of the 

Ardmore basin (Harlton, 1956; Hicks, 1956; Hoard,

1956; Parker, 1956; Rutledge, 1956; Walker, 1956) 

indicates that deformation proceeded from southwest to 

northeast: the footwall rocks of the Wichita thrust system 

in this region were first folded in Atokan or very early 

Desmoinesian time. These early anticlines were erosionally beheaded and overlain or flanked by later Desmoinesian sediments. The main episode of deformation north 

of the Harrisburg trough occurred during Late Pennsylvanian to Permian time. These anticlines trend mostly 

N. 45°-55° W.; they generally are asymmetric, have steep 

northeastern limbs, and are bounded on the northeast by 

reverse faults that dip southwest. Seismic data (Jacobson, 

1984) indicate that these reverse faults are listric and 

flatten southwestward with depth. The trend and style of 

these faults indicate that the direction of maximum 

compression was northeast-southwest in the southeastern part of the Anadarko basin during Pennsylvanian 

time. North of the Sholom Alechem and Tussy fields 

(fig. 8), the south-dipping Arbuckle thrust of Brown 

(1984) trends east-west and probably is a compartmental 

fault having left-reverse slip. It bounds a region to the 

south that exhibits significant northeast-southwest 

shortening on thrusts that appear to merge northward 

into but do not cross the Arbuckle fault. Thus, the 

Arbuckle fault forms the northern structural domain 

boundary of a region of Late Pennsylvanian to Permian 

transpressional tectonism.

Arbuckle Anticline and Associated 

Structures

Northeast of the Harrisburg trough and Anadarko 

foredeep, both of which developed during the main phase 

of Wichita-Criner thrusting, a forebulge developed in the 

region of the Hunton-Tishomingo uplift and northern 

flank of the Arbuckle anticline (fig. 1). Subdued uplift 

began in this region in late Morrowan time and extended 

through early Desmoinesian time with little, if any, 

evidence of compressive tectonism (Ham, 1954; Dunham, 1955; Sutherland, 1984; R.O. Fay, written commun., 1987). In the Tussy field (fig. 8), immediately west 

of the southwestern Arbuckle Mountains, the Desmoinesian Deese Formation rests unconformably on Morrowan (?) lower part of the Dornick Hills Group (Hoard, 

1956). In the Lake Classen area (fig. 8), on the northern 

flank of the Arbuckle anticline, the Deese rests unconformably on Mississippian Delaware Creek Shale and the 

entire Goddard and Springer Formations and Dornick 

Hills Group are absent (Dunham, 1955, Hart, 1974). 

Farther to the northeast, the Deese has been removed by 

subsequent erosion and the middle Virgilian Ada 

Formation rests directly on Ordovician rocks (Hart, 

1974).

The main period of deformation in the Tussy field 

is post-Ada and pre-Vanoss (Hoard, 1956); that is, late

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A11
SOUTHWEST NORTHEAST 

B'

WICHITA-CRINER UPLIFT

=^V^ PMs j-s_ -L-z_-

C~ ~_ _~^- IP Ms 

MOws VELMA 

ANTICLINE

4 KILOMETERS

4 MILES

1 MILE

Arbuckle 

Group

Carlton 

Rhyolite

SEISMIC 

REFLECTION 

HORIZONS

Permian

 "--=^ Hoxbar

Deese

Atoka 

Springer

Viola

Figure 9 (above and facing page). Cross sections showing Paleozoic structural features in area of Velma fault and 

Wichita-Criner uplift, a, post-Cisco (late Virgilian to Early Permian) erosion surface. Initial phase of deformation was 

pre-Desmoinesian, probably Atokan, and present-day structural relief developed during late Virgilian to Early Permian time, b, 

equivalent point on sections A and B. A, Present-day section; modified from Jacobson (1984, fig. 5). Location of drill holes 

(vertical lines) also shown. B, Section restored (backstripped) to structural configuration at close of Deese (Desmoinesian) time. 

C, Seismic reflection profile (Jacobson, 1984, fig. 5a). Line of section shown in figure 8.

middle Virgilian. The dominant structural trends (structure contours and anticlinal axes) within the Tussy field 

range from north-south to N. 30° W. (Hoard, 1956, 

fig. 3), and two sets of crosscutting faults exist, rightseparation faults that trend from about N. 40° E. to

east-west, and apparent dip-slip faults that trend northnorthwest. The folds and faults within the area of the 

Tussy field are quite similar to the second-order faulted 

folds and faults to the east that are exposed on the 

northern flank of the Arbuckle anticline. Of these

A12 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
EXPLANATION

Permian rocks, undivided

PC Cisco Group (Upper Pennsylvanian)

Ph Hoxbar Formation (Upper Pennsylvanian)

Pd Deese Formation (Middle Pennsylvanian)

Pa Atoka Formation (Middle Pennsylvanian)

n Springer Formation (Lower Pennsylvanian 

and Upper Mississippian)

Caney Shale (Upper Mississippian) of subsurface 

usage (probably equivalent to Goddard and 

Delaware Creek Shales of Hart (1974)

Woodford Shale (Lower Mississippian and Upper 

Devonian), Hunton Group (Devonian and 

Silurian), and Sylvan Shale (Upper Ordovician), 

undivided

Viola Limestone (Upper and Middle Ordovician)

Simpson Group (Middle Ordovician)

Arbuckle (Lower Ordovician and Upper Cambrian) 

and Timbered Hills (Upper Cambrian) Groups, 

undivided

Carlton Rhyolite (Middle Cambrian)

structures mapped by Dunham (1955) in the Lake Classen area, I examined the Russell anticline (fig. 10) in 

some detail.

Deformation of the western Arbuckles is tightly 

constrained as late Pennsylvanian in age, and subsequent 

subdued uplift occurred in Permian or post-Permian 

time (Dunham, 1955). This timing requires a complex 

sequence of deformation (Perry, 1987) to have occurred 

in a short period of time: (1) Compression trending N. 

35°-60° E., associated with the Arbuckle thrust of Brown 

(1984), produced mesoscopic folds and contraction faults 

on the northeast limb of the Arbuckle anticline in the 

Lake Classen area (figs. 10, 11). (2) These mesoscopic 

structures were then rotated to or past the vertical within 

enveloping Ordovician to Mississippian strata. (3) Several kilometers of erosion occurred such that the inferred 

Ada-equivalent (middle Virgilian) Collings Ranch Conglomerate rests on steeply dipping Ordovician rocks. 

Phases 1, 2, and 3 may have closely overlapped in time. 

Left-reverse slip on the Arbuckle thrust north of the 

Arbuckle anticline (fig. 8) is indicated by en echelon 

anticlines and synclines on the hanging wall (upper plate) 

of this thrust west of Lake Classen (fig. 12). Complementary structures on the adjacent footwall are 

unknown. (4) About 4.3 km (2.7 mi) of left slip 

developed on the Washita Valley fault, synchronous in 

part with deposition of the Collings Ranch Conglomerate 

(fig. 12). The array of very Late Pennsylvanian strike-slip 

faults in this area indicates that the compression 

direction had rotated to about N. 70°-75° E. during final 

phases of deformation (fig. 10). Deformation of the 

Arbuckle anticline was essentially completed by latest 

Pennsylvanian (late Virgilian Vanoss) time (Dunham, 

1955).

Less than 1.5 km (5,000 ft) and generally less than 

0.9 km (3,000 ft) of post-Virgilian cover exists in the 

Anadarko basin as shown by many authors (for example, 

Hill and Clark, 1980, figs. 2-5). This amount of basin fill 

can be explained by post-tectonic subsidence during 

compaction of the thick Pennsylvanian sequence. The 

Anadarko basin has been essentially dormant since 

Early Permian time. Subdued modest reactivation of 

older basin faults may have occurred during the Jurassic 

and Cretaceous, and minor Holocene movement has 

occurred on the Meers fault (Crone and Luza, 1986) and 

possibly other faults within the basin.

Wrench-Fault(?) Tectonism

Southern Oklahoma has been considered a major 

wrench-fault province by many workers (for example, 

Tanner, 1967; Walper, 1977; Carter, 1979; Booth, 1981; 

Haas, 1981; Axtmann, 1983). A left-lateral offset of more 

than 64 km (40 mi) along the Washita Valley fault was 

proposed by Tanner (1967), based on his isopach map of 

the basal sand of the Oil Creek Formation (Middle 

Ordovician Simpson Group). Using dipmeter-corrected 

thicknesses, Brown (1984) showed, however, that no 

significant lateral offset of this sand is required. Carter 

(1979) drew an isopach map for the Hunton Group on 

both sides of the Washita Valley fault and concluded 

from this map that 32 km (20 mi) of left slip occurred 

along the Washita Valley fault. Based on his career-long 

study of the Hunton Group, Amsden (1975; oral commun., 1985) vigorously disagreed with Carter's conclusion and saw no evidence of large-scale lateral slip. 

My independent analysis of offset along the Washita

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A13
T. 1 N. R. 1 W.| R. 1 E. R. 2 E

EXPLANATION

| Qa 1 Quaternary alluvium 

HPv Vanoss Formation (Upper Pennsylvanian)

0 1 2 KILOMETERS 

| ' ( ' ,

0 1 2 MILES

[MDSuj 

|0mu | 

|0 u I

-«.-- D

Ceilings Ranch Conglomerate (Upper Pennsylvanian) 

Deese Formation (Middle Pennsylvanian) 

Mississippian-Devonian-Silurian rocks, undivided 

Ordovician rocks, Upper and Middle, undivided

Arbuckle (Lower Ordovician and Upper Cambrian) 

and Timbered Hills (Upper Cambrian) Groups, 

undivided

Colbert Porphyry (Cambrian)

Strike-slip fault dashed where inferred; arrows indicate apparent relative movement. D, downthrown 

side; U, upthrown side

Thrust fault, sawteeth on upthrown block

Generalized strike and dip of beds 

Overturned beds 

Lake Classen

Interstate Highway 7-35

Figure 10. Geologic map of northeastern Arbuckle anticline. Narrow black arrows indicate Late Pennsylvanian 

maximum compression directions obtained from slip lines on mesoscopic contraction faults; slip lines rotated to 

bedding flat about the strike of bedding. Broad stippled arrows indicate inferred maximum compression directions 

during later strike-slip deformation. Location of area shown in figure 8. a, location of area of figure 11. Modified from 

Ham and McKinley (1954).

A14 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
SOUTH

Bromide 

Formation

o>

c V

O C

.28

Y^

lillf'K.'-M ib

Bromide 

Formation ""' .' /./'/

NORTH

Viola Limestone

20 FEET

Figure 11. Sketch showing contraction faults and kink folds in imbricate zone on northeast limb of Arbuckle 

anticline; stratigraphic top of bed to right. Contraction faults are inferred to have formed as uplimb thrusts in 

beds dipping gently to northeast before limb rotated to vertical. West side of Interstate Highway 35, Murray 

County, Oklahoma. Location of area shown in figure 10. Pyrite zone provides excellent marker at base of Viola 

Limestone. Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 are distinctive informal units in upper Bromide Formation that allow extent of 

offset along fault at left to be determined.

Valley fault (fig. 12) (4.3 km (2.7 mi) of left separation), 

based on offset of anticlinal and synclinal axes as interpreted from mapping by Ham and McKinley (1954), 

agrees closely with that of Ham (1951; approximately 4.8 

km or 3 mi) and removes this fault from the megashear 

category. Based on Ham and McKinley, dip-slip downto-northeast separation is 0.8-0.9 km (2,500-3,000 ft) in 

the map area (fig. 10).

Strike-slip faults having a few to tens of meters 

displacement are common on the western Arbuckle 

anticline. My observations indicate that these faults dip 

more than 60°; many are almost vertical. Several strands 

of the Washita Valley fault exposed along Interstate 

Highway 1-35 also are almost vertical. Crosscutting 

relationships indicate that these faults postdate the 

second-order anticlines and synclines of Late Pennsylvanian age in the Lake Classen area mapped by Dunham 

(1955) and that they offset and dismember both mapand outcrop-scale folds. The character of gouge 

associated with these faults indicates that little erosion 

occurred subsequent to their development. The gouge 

commonly is poorly consolidated, contains abundant 

breccia, and is iron oxide stained; the staining indicates 

the fault gouge was in communication with vadose 

ground water. Contraction faults in the same area 

commonly exhibit calcite-fiber growth on slickenside 

steps and fault surfaces. Calcite-filled extension fractures 

(calcite veins) indicative of natural hydraulic fracturing

are geometrically and spatially associated with these 

contraction faults. Both fiber growth and calcite veins 

suggest strongly that these faults formed at depth. If the 

strike-slip faults had not been observed to die out upward 

into the Upper Pennsylvanian Collings Ranch Conglomerate and northward into the upper Virgilian 

(uppermost Pennsylvanian) Vanoss Formation, it would 

be easy to suspect that these faults were post-Paleozoic in 

age.

Wiltse's (1978) wrench-fault analysis of the 

Southwest Davis oil field on the Russell anticline (fig. 10) 

suffers from the underlying assumption that the Washita 

Valley fault and Russell anticline formed at the same 

time. My analysis (Perry, 1987, unpub. data) indicates 

that this is not the case. The growth of the Russell 

anticline and other en echelon folds is related to leftreverse motion on the older Arbuckle thrust (phase 1, 

above). The Washita Valley fault (phase 4) cut diagonally 

across the Arbuckle anticline and second-order Russell 

anticline subsequent to compressional deformation 

(leading to thrust uplift and erosion) associated with 

movement on the Arbuckle thrust.

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

The tectonic history of the Anadarko basin is 

complex and cannot be considered independently from

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A15
EXPLANATION

Upper Pennsylvanian Collings Ranch 

Conglomerate

Anticline, showing plunge direction

 " jf^-. Syncline, showing plunge direction 

~"V"^ Thrust fault, sawteeth on upthrown block

 -^^ Strike-slip fault

2 KILOMETERS

I I I

0 1 2 MILES

Figure 12. Generalized tectonic map of northeastern Arbuckle anticline showing anticline-syncline pair 

offset by left-stepping Washita Valley fault. Apparent offset of anticline (A-A) is 4.8 km (3 mi); apparent 

offset of syncline (B-B 1 ) 3.7 km (2.3 mi). Difference in offset is attributed to straight-line projections 

(dotted) of anticline and syncline to fault southward beneath Collings Ranch Conglomerate to Washita 

Valley fault and northward through complexly deformed rocks along the southern margin of the Washita 

Valley fault from known positions as indicated by strike and dip symbols and formation contacts on 

geologic map of Ham and McKinley (1954). Left-slip separation on Washita Valley fault is therefore 

estimated as 4.26±0.56 km (2.65±0.35 mi). Location of area shown in figure 8; geology of area shown 

in figure 10. Adapted from geologic map of Ham and McKinley (1954).

that of adjoining parts of the southern North American 

midcontinent. The dominant structural grain in the basin 

is inherited from Precambrian events. Both the adjacent 

Wichita-Criner arch to the south and Arbuckle anticline 

to the southeast are cored by Cambrian igneous rocks of 

a major seaward-opening rift, the southern Oklahoma 

aulacogen. The aulacogen narrowed westward into the 

craton and probably terminated in the central part of the 

northern Panhandle of Texas. Cambrian igneous rocks 

may underlie the deepest part of the Anadarko basin.

The Anadarko basin developed in latest Mississippian 

through Pennsylvanian time, primarily north of the aulacogen, during structural inversion of the core of the 

central and western part of the aulacogen. The structural 

development of the basin is yoked to left-reverse, 

transpressional tectonism in the Wichita thrust system 

and subsequent Arbuckle thrust system. Strike-slip 

faulting in the southwestern Arbuckle Mountains postdated oblique compression and the major phases of basin 

development.

A16 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
REFERENCES CITED

Amsden, T.W., 1975, Hunton Group (Late Ordovician, Silurian, and Early Devonian) in the Anadarko Basin of 

Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geological Survey Bulletin 121, 

214 p.

Axtmann, T.C., 1983, Structural mechanisms and oil accumulation along the Mountain View-Wayne fault, southcentral Oklahoma: Shale Shaker, v. 34, p. 1-22.

Bickford, M.E., and Lewis, R.D., 1979, U-Pb geochronology of 

exposed basement rocks in Oklahoma: Geological 

Society of America Bulletin, v. 90, p. 540-544.

Booth, S.L., 1981, Structural analysis of portions of the Washita 

Valley fault, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: Shale 

Shaker, v. 31, p. 107-120.

Bowring, S.A., and Hoppe, W.J., 1982, U-Pb zircon ages from 

the Mt. Sheridan Gabbro: Oklahoma Geological Survey 

Guidebook 21, p. 54-59.

Brewer, J.A., Brown, L.D., Steiner, D., Oliver, J.E., and 

Kaufman, S., 1981, Proterozoic basin in the southern 

Midcontinent of the United States revealed by COCORP 

deep seismic profiling: Geology, v. 9, p. 569-575.

Brewer, J.A., Good, R., Oliver, J.E., Brown, L.D., and 

Kaufman, S., 1983, COCORP profiling across the 

Southern Oklahoma aulacogen; overthrusting of the 

Wichita Mountains and compression within the Anadarko Basin: Geology, v. 11, p. 109-114.

Brown, W.G., 1984, Washita Valley fault system; a new look at 

an old fault: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists Mid-continent Regional Meeting, Oklahoma 

City, 1981, Technical Proceedings; Oklahoma City Geological Society, p. 68-80.

Burke, K., 1977, Aulacogens and continental breakup: Annual 

Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 5, p. 371-396.

Burke, K., and Dewey, J.F., 1973, Plume-generated triple 

junctions; key indicators in applying plate tectonics to 

older rocks: Journal of Geology, v. 81, p. 406-433.

Cardott, B.J., and Lambert, M.W., 1985, Thermal maturation 

by vitrinite reflectance of Woodford Shale, Anadarko 

basin, Oklahoma: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists Bulletin, v. 69, no. 11, p. 1982-1998.

Carter, D.W., 1979, A study of strike-slip movement along the 

Washita Valley fault, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: 

Shale Shaker, v. 30, p. 80-108.

Crone, A.J., and Luza, K.V., 1986, Holocene deformation 

associated with the Meers fault, southwestern Oklahoma Fragments of an aulacogen?: Geological Society of 

America Annual Meeting, 1986, Guidebook for Field 

Trip 12; Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook 24, 

p. 68-74.

Denison, R.E., 1973, Basement rocks of the Arbuckle Mountains, in Regional geology of the Arbuckle Mountains: 

Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, 1973, 

Guidebook for Field Trip 5; Oklahoma Geological 

Survey Special Publication 73-3, p. 43-46.

____ 1982, Geologic cross section from the Arbuckle 

Mountains to the Muenster Arch in southern Oklahoma 

and Texas: Geological Society of America Map and 

Chart Series MC-28R, 8 p.

___ in press, Foreland structure adjacent to the Ouachita 

foldbelt, in Hatcher, R.D., Jr., Thomas, W.A., and Viele, 

G.W., eds., The geology of North America, v. F-2, The 

Appalachian and Ouachita regions: Geological Society of 

America Bulletin.

Donovan, R.N., 1982, Geology of the Blue Creek Canyon area, 

in Gilbert, M.C., ed., Geology of the eastern Wichita 

Mountains, southwestern Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook 21, p. 65-77.

____ 1984, The geology of the Blue Creek Canyon area, in 

Gilbert, M.C., and Donovan, R.N., compilers, Recent 

developments in the Wichita Mountains: Geological Society of America, South-central Section, Annual Meeting, Richardson, Tex., 18th, Guidebook to Field Trip 1, 

p. 40-101.

Donovan, R.N., Gilbert, M.C., Luza, K.V., Marcini, D., and 

Sanderson, D.J., 1983, Possible Quaternary movement 

on the Meers fault, southwestern Oklahoma: Oklahoma 

Geology Notes, v. 43, no. 5, p. 124-133.

Dott, R.H., 1934, Overthrusting in Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: American Association of Petroleum Geologists 

Bulletin, v. 18, p. 567-602.

Dunham, R.T., 1955, Pennsylvanian conglomerates, structure 

and erogenic history of Lake Classen area, Arbuckle 

Mountains, Oklahoma: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 39, p. 1-30.

Elias, M.K., 1956, Upper Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian formations of south-central Oklahoma, in Hicks, 

I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., 

and Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of southern 

Oklahoma, volume 1: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 56-134.

Evans, J.L., 1979, Major structural and stratigraphic features of 

the Anadarko basin, in Hyne, N.J., Pennsylvanian 

sandstones of the Mid-continent: Tulsa Geological 

Society Special Publication 1, p. 97-113.

Feinstein, S., 1981, Subsidence and thermal history of southern 

Oklahoma aulacogen; implications for petroleum exploration: American Association of Petroleum Geologists 

Bulletin, v. 65, p. 2521-2533.

Gatewood, L.E., 1978, Stratigraphic trap possibilities in the 

Arbuckle Group; general relationships: Shale Shaker, 

v. 28, no. 10, p. 219-227.

Gilbert, M.C., 1982, Geologic setting of the eastern Wichita 

Mountains with a brief discussion of unresolved 

problems, in Geology of the eastern Wichita Mountains: 

Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook 21, p. 1-30.

____ 1983, Timing and chemistry of igneous events 

associated with the Southern Oklahoma aulacogen, in 

Morgan, P., and Baker, B.H., eds., Processes of continental rifting: Tectonophysics, v. 94, p. 439-455. 

1987, Petrographic and structural evidence from the

igneous suite in the Wichita Mountains bearing on the 

Cambrian tectonic style of the Southern Oklahoma aulacogen: Geological Society of America Abstracts with 

Programs, v. 19, no. 3, p. 152.

Gilbert, M.C., and Donovan, R.N., compilers, 1982, Geology of 

the eastern Wichita Mountains, southwestern Oklahoma: 

Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook 21, 160 p.

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A17
___ 1984, Recent developments in the Wichita Mountains: 

Geological Society of America, South-central Section, 

Annual Meeting, Richardson, Tex., 18th, Guidebook to 

Field Trip 1, 101 p.

Haas, E.A., 1981, Structural analysis of a portion of the Reagan 

fault zone, Murray County, Oklahoma: Shale Shaker, 

v. 31, p. 93-105.

Ham, W.E., 1951, Structural geology of the southern Arbuckle 

Mountains: Tulsa Geological Society of Digest, v. 19, 

p. 68-71.

____ 1954, Collings Ranch Conglomerate, Late Pennsylvanian, in Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: American 

Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 38, 

p. 2035-2045.

____ 1973, Regional geology of the Arbuckle Mountains, 

Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geological Survey Special 

Publication 73-3, 56 p.

Ham, W.E., Denison, R.E., and Merritt, C.A., 1964, Basement 

rocks and structural evolution of southern Oklahoma: 

Oklahoma Geological Survey Bulletin 95, 302 p.

Ham, W.E., and McKinley, M.E., 1954, Geologic map and 

sections of the Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geological Survey, 1 sheet, scale 1:72,000.

Ham, W.E., and Wilson, J.L., 1967, Paleozoic epeirogeny and 

orogeny in the central United States: American Journal 

of Science, v. 265, p. 332-407.

Harding, T.P., 1985, Seismic characteristics and identification 

of negative flower structures, positive flower structures, 

and positive structural inversion: American Association 

of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 69, p. 582-600.

Harlton, B.H., 1956, The Harrisburg trough, in Hicks, I.C., 

Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., and 

Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of southern Oklahoma, volume 1: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists, p. 135-143.

Hart, D.L., Jr., 1974, Reconnaisance of the water resources of 

the Ardmore and Sherman Quadrangles, southern Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geological Survey Hydrologic Atlas 3, 

Map HA-3, 4 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Hicks, I.C., 1956, Geology of the southwest Velma field, 

Stephens County, Oklahoma, in Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, 

J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., and Selk, E.L., 

eds., Petroleum geology of southern Oklahoma, volume 

1: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 

p. 244-259.

___ 1971, Southern Oklahoma folded belt, in Cram, I.H., 

ed., Future petroleum provinces of the United States; 

their geology and potential: American Association of 

Petroleum Geologists Memoir 15, v. 2, p. 1070-1077.

Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., 

and Selk, E.L., eds., 1956, Petroleum geology of southern 

Oklahoma; a symposium sponsored by the Ardmore 

Geological Society, volume 1: American Association of 

Petroleum Geologists, 402 p.

Hill, G.W., Jr., and Clark, R.H., 1980, The Anadarko Basin, a 

regional petroleum accumulation; a model for future 

exploration and development: Shale Shaker, v. 31, 

p. 36-49.

Hoard, J.L., 1956, Tussy sector of Tatums field, Carter and 

Garvin Counties, Oklahoma, in Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, 

J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., and Selk, E.L., 

eds., Petroleum geology of southern Oklahoma, volume 

1: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 

p. 186-206.

Hoffman, P., Dewey, J.F., and Burke, K., 1974, Aulacogens and 

their genetic relations to geosynclines, with a Proterozoic 

example from Great Slave Lake, Canada, in Dott, R.J., 

Jr., and Shaver, R.H., eds., Modern and ancient geosynclinal sedimentation: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 19, p. 38-55.

Jacobson, M.I., 1984, The Harrisburg trough, Stephens County, 

Oklahoma; an update: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Mid-continent Regional Meeting, Oklahoma City, 1981, Technical Proceedings; Oklahoma City 

Geological Society, p. 127-137.

Keller, G.R., Lidiak, E.G., Hinze, W.J., and Braile, L.W., 1983, 

The role of rifting in the tectonic development of the 

midcontinent, U.S.A., in Morgan, P., and Baker, B.H., 

eds., Processes of continental rifting: Tectonophysics, 

v. 94, p. 391-412.

Kluth, C.F., 1986, Plate tectonics of the ancestral Rocky 

Mountains, in Peterson, J.A., ed., Paleotectonics and 

sedimentation in the Rocky Mountains region, United 

States: American Association of Petroleum Geologists 

Memoir 41, p. 353-369.

Kruger, J.M., and Keller, G.R., 1986, Interpretation of crustal 

structure from regional gravity anomalies, Ouachita 

Mountains area and adjacent Gulf coastal plain: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 70, 

no. 6, p. 667-689.

Lane, H.R., 1977, Morrowan (Early Pennsylvanian) conodonts 

of northwestern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma: 

Oklahoma Geological Survey Guidebook 18, p. 177-180.

Lane, H.R., and Straka, J.J., 1974, Late Mississippian and early 

Pennsylvanian conodonts, Arkansas and Oklahoma: 

Geological Society of America Special Paper 152, 144 p.

Latham, J.W., 1970, Petroleum geology of Healdton Field, 

Carter County, Oklahoma, in Halbouty, M.T., ed., 

Geology of giant petroleum fields: American Association 

of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 14, p. 255-276.

McConnell, D.A., 1986, Pennsylvanian foreland deformation of 

Wichita uplift, southwest Oklahoma [abs.]: American 

Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 70, 

p. 618.

___ 1987, Determination of offset across the frontal fault 

zone, Wichita uplift: Geological Society of America 

Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, p. 174.

Mitchell, B.J., and Landisman, M., 1970, Interpretation of a 

crustal section across Oklahoma: Geological Society of 

America Bulletin, v. 81, p. 2647-2656.

Morris, R.C., and Sutherland, P.K., 1984, The MississippianPennsylvanian boundary in the Ouachita Mountains, 

Arbuckle Mountains and Ardmore Basin, Arkansas and 

Oklahoma, in Sutherland, P.K., and Manger, W.L., eds.,

A18 Evolution of Sedimentary Basins Anadarko Basin
Biostratigraphy: International Congress of Stratigraphy and Carboniferous Geology, Washington and 

Champaign-Urbana, 111., 9th, Compte Rendu 10-199, 

v. 2, p. 357-368.

Mullen, W.L., 1956, The Hewitt field, in Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., and Selk, 

E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of southern Oklahoma, 

volume 1: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 154-161.

Neustadt, W., Jr., 1956, West Hewitt field, Carter County, 

Oklahoma, in Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, 

C.W., Putman, D.M., and Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum 

geology of southern Oklahoma, volume 1: American 

Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 162-175.

Nicholas, R.L., and Rozendal, R.A., 1975, Subsurface positive 

features within Ouachita foldbelt in Texas and their 

relation to Paleozoic cratonic margin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 59, no. 2, 

p. 193-216.

Papesh, H., 1983, A regional geophysical study of the southern 

Oklahoma aulacogen: El Paso, Texas, University of 

Texas M.S. thesis, 68 p.

Parker, E.G., 1956, Camp field, Carter County, Oklahoma, in 

Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, 

D.M., and Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of 

southern Oklahoma, volume 1: American Association of 

Petroleum Geologists, p. 174-185.

Perry, W.J., Jr., 1987, Structural development of the southeastern margin of the Anadarko basin: Geological 

Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, 

p. 176.

Perry, W.J., Jr., Wardlaw, B.R., Bostick, N.H., and Maughan, 

E.K., 1983, Structure, burial history, and petroleum 

potential of frontal thrust belt and adjacent foreland, 

southwest Montana: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists Bulletin, v. 67, p. 725-743.

Petersen, F.A., 1983, Foreland detachment structures, in Lowell, J.D., and Gries, Robbie, eds., Rocky Mountain 

foreland basins and uplifts: Rocky Mountain Association 

of Geologists Guidebook, p. 65-77.

Rutledge, R.B., 1956, The Velma oil field, Stephens County, 

Oklahoma, in Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, 

C.W., Putman, D.M., and Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum 

geology of southern Oklahoma, volume 1: American 

Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 260-281.

Shatski, N.S., 1946, The great Donets basin and the Wichita 

system; comparative tectonics of ancient platforms: Akademiya Nauk SSSR Izvestiya, Seriya Geologicheskaya, 

v. 6, p. 57-90.

Shelby, J.M., 1980, Geologic and economic significance of the 

Upper Morrow chert conglomerate reservoir of the 

Anadarko Basin: Journal of Petroleum Technology, 

v. 32, no. 3, p. 489-495.

Sutherland, P.K., 1979, Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian 

stratigraphy, in The Mississppian and Pennsylvanian 

(Carboniferous) Systems in the United States, Oklahoma: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

1110-R, p. R9-R18.

____ 1984, Unroofing of the Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, during the time of folding: Geological Society of 

America Abstracts with Programs, v. 16, no. 2, p. 115.

Tanner, J.H., 1967, Wrench fault movement along the Washita 

Valley fault, Arbuckle Mountains area, Oklahoma: 

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 

v. 51, p. 126-134.

Thomas, W.A., 1977, Evolution of the Appalachian-Ouachita 

salients and recesses from reentrants and promontories 

in the continental margin: American Journal of Science, 

v. 277, p. 1233-1278.

____ 1985, The Appalachian-Ouachita connection; Paleozoic 

erogenic belt at the southern margin of North America: 

Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Science, v. 13, 

p. 175-199.

Tomlinson, C.W., 1929, The Pennsylvanian System in the 

Ardmore Basin: Oklahoma Geological Survey Bulletin 

46, 79 p.

Tomlinson, C.W., and McBee, W., Jr., 1959, Pennsylvanian 

sediments and orogenies of Ardmore District, Oklahoma, in Petroleum geology of southern Oklahoma, 

volume 2: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists, p. 3-52.

Walker, K.F., 1956, Wildcat Jim Field, Carter County, Oklahoma, in Hicks, I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., 

Putman, D.M., and Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of 

southern Oklahoma, volume 1: American Association of 

Petroleum Geologists, p. 207-220.

Walper, J.L., 1977, Paleozoic tectonics of the southern margin 

of North America: Gulf Coast Association of Geological 

Societies Transactions, v. 27, p. 230-239.

Webster, R.E., 1980, Evolution of S. Oklahoma aulacogen: Oil 

and Gas Journal, v. 78, no. 7, p. 150-172.

Westheimer, J.M., 1956, The Goddard Formation, in Hicks, 

I.C., Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., 

and Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of southern 

Oklahoma, volume 1: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 392-396.

Westheimer, J.M., and Schweers, P.P., 1956, Southwest Lone 

Grove Field, Carter County, Oklahoma, in Hicks, I.C., 

Westheimer, J., Tomlinson, C.W., Putman, D.M., and 

Selk, E.L., eds., Petroleum geology of southern Oklahoma, volume 1: American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists, p. 144-153.

Wickham, J.S., 1978, The southern Oklahoma aulacogen, in 

Structural style of the Arbuckle region: Geological 

Society of America South-central Section, Field Trip 

Guidebook 3, p. 8-41.

Wiltse, E.W., 1978, Surface and subsurface study of Southwest 

Davis oil field, Murray County, Oklahoma, in Ham, 

W.E., Regional geology of the Arbuckle Mountains, 

Oklahoma: American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Society of Economic Paleontologists and 

Mineralogists National Convention, Oklahoma City, 

Okla., 1978, Field Trip 1; Oklahoma Geological Survey 

Special Publication 73-3, expanded and reprinted.

Tectonic Evolution of the Anadarko Basin Region, Oklahoma A19

 frU.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1989-673-047/86075

SELECTED SERIES OF U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PUBLICATIONS

Periodicals

Earthquakes & Volcanoes (issued bimonthly). 

Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (issued monthly).

Technical Books and Reports

Professional Papers are mainly comprehensive scientific reports of 

wide and lasting interest and importance to professional scientists and engineers. Included are reports on the results of resource studies and of 

topographic, hydrologic, and geologic investigations. They also include 

collections of related papers addressing different aspects of a single scientific topic.

Bulletins contain significant data and interpretations that are of lasting scientific interest but are generally more limited in scope or 

geographic coverage than Professional Papers. They include the results 

of resource studies and of geologic and topographic investigations; as well 

as collections of short papers related to a specific topic.

Water-Supply Papers are comprehensive reports that present significant interpretive results of hydrologic investigations of wide interest 

to professional geologists, hydrologists, and engineers. The series covers 

investigations in all phases of hydrology, including hydrogeology, 

availability of water, quality of water, and use of water.

Circulars present administrative information or important scientific 

information of wide popular interest in a format designed for distribution 

at no cost to the public. Information is usually of short-term interest.

Water-Resources Investigations Reports are papers of an interpretive nature made available to the public outside the formal USGS publications series. Copies are reproduced on request unlike formal USGS 

publications, and they are also available for public inspection at 

depositories indicated in USGS catalogs.

Open-File Reports include unpublished manuscript reports, maps, 

and other material that are made available for public consultation at 

depositories. They are a nonpermanent form of publication that may be 

cited in other publications as sources of information.

Maps

Geologic Quadrangle Maps are multicolor geologic maps on 

topographic bases in? 1/2- or 15-minute quadrangle formats (scales mainly 1:24,000 or 1:62,500) showing bedrock, surficial, or engineering geology. Maps generally include brief texts; some maps include structure 

and columnar sections only.

Geophysical Investigations Maps are on topographic or planimetric 

bases at various scales; they show results of surveys using geophysical 

techniques, such as gravity, magnetic, seismic, or radioactivity, which 

reflect subsurface structures that are of economic or geologic significance. 

Many maps include correlations with the geology.

Miscellaneous Investigations Series Maps are on planimetric or 

topographic bases of regular and irregular areas at various scales; they 

present a wide variety of format and subject matter. The series also includes 71/2-minute quadrangle photogeologicmaps on planimetric bases 

which show geology as interpreted from aerial photographs. Series also 

includes maps of Mars and the Moon.

Coal Investigations Maps are geologic maps on topographic or 

planimetric bases at various scales showing bedrock or surficial geology, stratigraphy, and structural relations in certain coal-resource areas.

Oil and Gas Investigations Charts show stratigraphic information 

for certain oil and gas fields and other areas having petroleum potential.

Miscellaneous Field Studies Maps are multicolor or black-andwhite maps on topographic or planimetric bases on quadrangle or irregular areas at various scales. Pre-1971 maps show bedrock geology 

in relation to specific mining or mineral-deposit problems; post-1971 

maps are primarily black-and-white maps on various subjects such as 

environmental studies or wilderness mineral investigations.

Hydrologic Investigations Atlases are multicolored or black-andwhite maps on topographic or planimetric bases presenting a wide range 

of geohydrologic data of both regular and irregular areas; principal scale 

is 1:24,000 and regional studies are at 1:250,000 scale or smaller.

Catalogs

Permanent catalogs, as well as some others, giving comprehensive listings of U.S. Geological Survey publications are available under 

the conditions indicated below from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books 

and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, 

CO 80225. (See latest Price and Availability List)

"Publications of the Geological Survey, 1879-1961" may be purchased by mail and over the counter in paperback book form and as a 

set of microfiche.

"Publications of the Geological Survey, 1962-1970" may be purchased by mail and over the counter in paperback book form and as a 

set of microfiche.

"Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1971-1981" may be 

purchased by mail and over the counter in paperback book form (two 

volumes, publications listing and index) and as a set of microfiche.

Supplements for 1982,1983,1984,1985,1986, and for subsequent 

years since the last permanent catalog may be purchased by mail and 

over the counter in paperback book form.

State catalogs, "List of U.S. Geological Survey Geologic and 

Water-Supply Reports and Maps For (State)," may be purchased by mail 

and over the counter in paperback booklet form only

"Price and Availability List of U.S. Geological Survey Publications," issued annually, is available free of charge in paperback booklet form only.

Selected copies of a monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. 

Geological Survey" available free of charge by mail or may be obtained 

over the counter in paperback booklet form only. Those wishing a free 

subscription to the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. 

Geological Survey" should write to the U.S. Geological Survey, 582 

National Center, Reston, VA 22092.

Note.-Prices of Government publications listed in older catalogs, 

announcements, and publications may be incorrect. Therefore, the 

prices charged may differ from the prices in catalogs, announcements, 

and publications.