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In Owsley County, water is obtained from consolidated
sedimentary rocks of the Breathitt Formation, which is of Pennsylvanian
age, and from unconsolidated sediments of Quaternary age. The sediments
of the Pennsylvanian were deposited 320 million years ago. The warm
climate of
the Pennsylvanian allowed extensive forests to grow and great coastal
swamps to form at the edges of water bodies. Marine waters advanced
and receded many times, which produced many layers of sandstone, shale,
and coal. Vegetation of all sorts fell into the water and was buried
under blankets of sediments, which over long geologic time were compressed
into coal. The nonvegetative sediments such as sand, clay, and silt
were compressed into sandstone and shale. Over the last million years,
unconsolidated Quaternary sediments have been deposited along the larger
streams and rivers.
Geologic Formations in the County
Unconsolidated deposits
Alluvium (Qa)
Sandstones
Grundy Formation (contains Lee-type sandstones of the former Lee Formation)
(Plc)
Coals, sandstones, and shales
Breathitt Group (Pbm, Pbl) (Four Corners Formation, Hyden Formation,
Pikeville Formation)
For more information, see the definitions
of geologic terms and rock descriptions,
a geologic
map of Owsley County, a summary of the geology
of Kentucky, and a discussion of fossils
and prehistoric life in Kentucky.
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