Fossiliferous limestone (bedding plane view) in the Pennsylvanian of Ohio, USA.

The rock shown above is the Lowellville Limestone, a marine horizon of fossiliferous limestone first described from Lowellville, Pennsylvania (the type locality). It has also been identified in outcrops in northeastern Ohio. It is correlative with the Poverty Run Limestone of eastern Ohio.

The Lowellville Limestone is part of the Pottsville Group, a Pennsylvanian-aged cyclothemic succession in eastern Ohio that contains nonmarine shales, marine shales, siltstones, sandstones, coals, marine limestones, and chert ("flint"). The lower Pottsville dates to the late Early Pennsylvanian. The upper part dates to the early Middle Pennsylvanian. The Lower-Middle Pennsylvanian boundary is apparently somewhere near the Boggs Member (?).

The Lowellville Limestone at the site shown above (= Beach City Dam outcrop in northwestern Tuscarawas County, Ohio) is medium grayish to gray-brown on weathered surfaces and very dark gray to black on crack surfaces. It is moderately fossiliferous, dominated by brachiopods (= irregularly-rounded depressions seen above). A medium-sized plant stem was also observed at this locality. The rocks here are gently folded and minor normal faulting is also present - probably relaxational structures.

Stratigraphy: Lowellville Limestone, Pottsville Group, upper Lower Pennsylvanian