Short-range vertical variation in organic carbon, carbonate carbon, total sulfur contents and Munsell color values in a core from the Upper Pennsylvanian Stark Shale Member of the Dennis Limestone, Wabaunsee County, Kansas

Organic carbon, total sulfur, carbonate carbon and Munsell color value were determined for 21 successive samples from a 53-cm-thick section of drill core. These samples are from the Stark Shale Member of the Dennis Limestone of Upper Pennsylvanian age, Wabaunsee County, Kansas. The data confirm previous results (Hosterman and Whitlow, 1981) which showed that a limited relationship of color value to organic carbon exists for shales containing about 7 percent or less organic carbon. For samples with 7 percent or more organic carbon, color values are nearly all the same. The color value is useful in screening samples before trace element analysis and in estimating the organic carbon content and metal potential of the shale (Leventhal and others, 1982).