Travertine Creek, in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, located in the foothills of the Arbuckles near Sulphur.

Turner Falls, nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains of South Central Oklahoma.

The Arbuckle Mountains are an ancient mountain range in south-central Oklahoma in the United States. The Arbuckles date back to 540-440 million years ago in the latest Precambrian and earliest Paleozoic eras. Image File history File links Arbuckle_mts. ... Image File history File links Arbuckle_mts. ... Image File history File links Turner_falls_ok. ... Image File history File links Turner_falls_ok. ... For exotic financial options, see Mountain range (options). ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,898 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... The Precambrian (Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... The Paleozoic Era (from the Greek palaio, old and zoion, animals, meaning ancient life) is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ...

Geology

Geologically the Arbuckles are an elongate anticline structure with an orientation or strike of west-northwest. The core of the structure consists of Proterozoic extrusive and intrusive rocks, the Colbert rhyolite porphyry and the Tishomingo granite (age dated at 1374 Ma), which are overlain and flanked by early Paleozoic limestones and sandstones which are very steeply dipping to near vertical in orientation. Pennsylvanian to Permian conglomerates were deposited after the orogenic buckling had uplifted and deformed the older strata. Anticline with syncline visible at far right- USGS In structural geology, an anticline is a Fold (geology) that is convex to the youngest beds—youngest sediments are on back of hand, older under the palm. ... The Proterozoic (IPA: ) is a geological eon representing a period before the first abundant complex life on Earth. ... Extrusive refers to the mode of igneous volcanic rock formation in which hot magma from inside the Earth flows out (extrudes) onto the surface as lava or explodes violently into the atmosphere to fall back as pyroclastics or tuff. ... Pluton redirects here. ... Rhyolite This page is about a volcanic rock. ... Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... The Paleozoic Era (from the Greek palaio, old and zoion, animals, meaning ancient life) is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... Strike and dip refer to the orientation or attitude of a geologic feature. ... The Pennsylvanian is an epoch of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly 325 Ma to 299 Ma (million years ago). ... The Permian is a geologic period that extends from about 299. ... A conglomerate with iron oxide cementing material Conglomerate, Submarine Landslide located at Point Reyes, Marin County California. ... // Orogeny (Greek for mountain generating) is the process of mountain building, and may be studied as a tectonic structural event, as a geographical event and a chronological event, in that orogenic events cause distinctive structural phenomena and related tectonic activity, affect certain regions of rocks and crust and happen within... For other uses, see strata (novel) and strata title. ...

The west trending structure of the Arbuckles and the parallel trending Wichita Mountains is at almost right angle to the regional tectonic trend of the mid-Paleozoic structure from the Ouachitas south to the Marathon Uplift. The Arbuckles are thought to have originated along a failed rift or aulacogen in the Precambrian basement which was uplifted and folded during the Ouachita Orogeny. View from Mount Scott The Wichita Mountains are an ancient mountain range located in southwestern Oklahoma. ... Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range located in west central Arkansas and east central Oklahoma. ... In geology, a rift is a place where the Earths lithosphere is expanding. ... The Ouachita orogeny was a mountain building event that resulted in the folding and faulting of exposed strata in the Ouachita Geosyncline in the southern portion of Laurentia, in what is now Southern United States (~from Texas to Arkansas). ...

Hydrology and karst features

Underlying the Arbuckle Mountains is the Arbuckle Simpson aquifer, housing some of the purest spring water in the world and providing water to the Blue River and Honey Creek which flows over Turner Falls south of Davis. An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. ... The Blue River in Bryan County The Blue River is a tributary of the Red River, about 95 mi (155 km) long, in southern Oklahoma in the United States. ... Turner Falls, nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains of south central Oklahoma. ... Davis is a city located in Oklahoma. ...

As a result of the karst topography, standing water is rarely found atop the Arbuckle Mountains, the water seeps through the fracture cracks creating elaborate limestone caverns throughout the Arbuckle Mountains. Today the Arbuckles have gradually eroded to their present heights of 300-500 feet above the surrounding terrain or 1300-1400 feet above sea level. Karst topography occurs when a landscape is marked by underground drainage patterns. ... For discussion of land surfaces themselves, see Terrain. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ...

Location and tourism

The range is approximately 35 miles east-to-west and 10-15 miles north-to-south. The main part of the range is located in northern Carter County and southern Murray County, approximately 15 miles north of Ardmore and 5 miles south of Davis on Interstate 35. The eastern flank of the ridge is approximately 5 miles south of Sulphur on U.S. Highway 177. Carter County is a county located in the state of Oklahoma. ... Murray County is a county located in the state of Oklahoma. ... Location within the state of Oklahoma County Carter County  - Mayor Martin Dyer Area    - City 129. ... Davis is a city located in Oklahoma. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (abbreviated I-35) is a north–south interstate highway in the central United States. ... Sulphur is a city located in Murray County, Oklahoma. ... U.S. Highway 177 is a spur of U.S. Highway 77. ...

Popular recreation areas in the Arbuckle Mountains include Turner Falls Park, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, one of the most popular national park facilities in the United States, and Lake of the Arbuckles. Turner Falls is located 5 miles south of Davis, whereas Chickasaw NRA is located in the city of Sulphur. Turner Falls, nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains of south central Oklahoma. ... Chickasaw National Recreation Area is a unit of the National Park Service near Sulphur, Oklahoma. ...

The Arbuckle Mountain area is the proud host of Okla Suave, a one-of-a-kind, annual celebration where families can celebrate their rich traditions and cultures while enjoying beautiful mountain scenery.