Carbondale is located east of the Mississippi River
on the southwest edge of the Illinois Basin, a
regional-scale cratonic structure with a long history of
petroleum and coal production. Local bedrock is
predominantly Upper Paleozoic (the Chesterian Series type
section is nearby) although Precambrian crystalline
basement and Lower Paleozoic rocks are exposed in the
Missouri Ozarks to the west. Clastic and carbonate rocks
representing a broad spectrum of marine and non-marine
depositional environments are readily available for field
trips and student research projects.
The southern boundary of Pleistocene continental
glaciation lies a few miles to the south of town, making
the area an excellent location for the study of
Quaternary geology.
In addition to petroleum and coal, southern Illinois
is known for the production of high-grade fluorspar and
museum-quality fluorite. Other regionally important
economic resources include lead-zinc minerals (in
Missouri's Viburnum Trend), tripoli, and iron.
Owing to the presence of the Cottage Grove and Rough
Creek fault zones to the north and the New Madrid fault
zone to the south, southern Illinois experiences a
moderate level of seismic activity. Earthquakes
registering between Richter magnitudes 3 and 5 are fairly
common, several being felt locally within the region in
the course of a typical year.
Two Paleozoic thrust/fold orogenic belts, the southern
Appalachians and the (Arkansas) Ouachitas are located
about a day's drive to the east and southwest,
respectively. The structure of the Ouachita Mountains, in
particular, has been the subject of considerable research
interest by faculty and student members of this
department.
