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Fort Payne Chert (Western Kentucky & Adjacent States)
The Fort Payne Chert formation outcrops from Alabama and Mississippi to Illinois.
The formation is mostly composed of grey cherty limestone as well as distinct beds and nodules of chert, of which there are numerous types. Several Ft. Payne chert types are present in Alabama, including BGFP, fossiliferous Ft. Payne, and several other white, gray, red or multicolored varieties. BGFP (Blue Green Fort Payne) occurs in bedrock exposures throughout the Tennessee Valley proper, more or less from the area of Huntsville and Decatur west to Mississippi and north to Tennessee. Some of the most concentrated occurrences are submerged under the Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in northwest Alabama.
Opaque, although the mottles are somewhat more translucent than the rest of the material. Ranges in texture from medium coarse to fine. One major distinguishing characteristic is that no matter how fine the texture is the surface is still rather granular or sugary in appearance.
From a medium dull to a medium shiny luster. Flaking quality ranges from good to excellent.
Tan-Grey-White, Blue-Grey,
Tan-Grey-White
Greyish black
Photos courtesy of Kyflintguy
photos courtesy of RyanVa
The formation is mostly composed of grey cherty limestone as well as distinct beds and nodules of chert, of which there are numerous types. Several Ft. Payne chert types are present in Alabama, including BGFP, fossiliferous Ft. Payne, and several other white, gray, red or multicolored varieties. BGFP (Blue Green Fort Payne) occurs in bedrock exposures throughout the Tennessee Valley proper, more or less from the area of Huntsville and Decatur west to Mississippi and north to Tennessee. Some of the most concentrated occurrences are submerged under the Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in northwest Alabama.
Opaque, although the mottles are somewhat more translucent than the rest of the material. Ranges in texture from medium coarse to fine. One major distinguishing characteristic is that no matter how fine the texture is the surface is still rather granular or sugary in appearance.
From a medium dull to a medium shiny luster. Flaking quality ranges from good to excellent.
Tan-Grey-White, Blue-Grey,
Tan-Grey-White
Greyish black Photos courtesy of Kyflintguy
photos courtesy of RyanVa