Structural Geology of the Southern Slick Hills, Oklahoma

Abstract

The field mapping of the Slick Hills was initiated to provide a detailed geologic map of the area in order to illustrate the structural complexity of the region. The Lower Paleozoic rocks of the Hills are well exposed, allowing nearly complete definition of the structures present. Once the varying orders and styles of folding were recognized, representative folds were cataloged and their geometries analyzed in detail. Fieldwork also led to an understanding of the faulting and newly discovered shear zones in the Slick Hills. A transpressional model was then applied to account for the structural and stratigraphic relationships encountered. It was found that this model may ideally explain the overall structure of the Slick Hills, and may help to explain structural deformation elsewhere in southern Oklahoma.