Elephant Canyon Formation

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Elephant Canyon Formation
Stratigraphic range: Permian
Type Formation
Unit of Cutler Group [1]
Underlies Cedar Mesa Sandstone [2]
OverliesUnconformity on the Pennsylvanian Honaker Trail Formation [2]
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherLimestone, siltstone, shale [2]
Location
Region Utah: Paradox basin [1]
Country United States
Type section
Named forType section: Elephant Canyon, secs. 4 and 9, T. 30 S., R. 19 E., San Juan County, Utah [1]
Named byBaars, D. L., 1962 [1]

The Elephant Canyon Formation is the basal Permian geologic formation of the Cutler Group overlying an unconformity on the Pennsylvanian Honaker Trail Formation in the Paradox Basin of southern Utah. [1] [2]

Description

It consists of pink dolomite, light-gray dolomitic sandstone, light-brown and moderate-red, fine-grained sandstone, a basal conglomerate and conglomeratic sandstone, and limestone. The basal conglomerate is composed of moderately sorted cherts up to 3 cm in diameter. It weathers to a medium brown and forms hackly, blocky ledges and intervening slopes. [3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Elephant Canyon of Cutler Group, USGS
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rock Sequence of the Canyonlands Area
  3. Doelling, H.H., Kuehne, P.A., Willis, G.C. and Ehler, J.B., 2015. Geologic map of the San Rafael Desert 30'x 60'quadrangle, Emery and Grand Counties, Utah. Utah Geological Survey. Map 267DM, https://ugspub.nr.utah.gov/publications/geologicmaps/30x60quadrangles/m-267.pdf