Toroweap Formation

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Toroweap Formation
Stratigraphic range:
Early Permian,
272–270  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Grand Canyon National Park- Toroweap Formation.jpg
Toroweap formation in Grand Canyon National Park
Type Geological formation
Underlies Kaibab Limestone-(Permian), Grand Canyon, North Rim, (Kaibab Plateau),
also South Rim,
and elsewhere in Arizona, Utah, Nevada
Overlies Coconino Sandstone
Thickness200 feet (61 m) approximate maximum
Lithology
Primary gypsum & shale, [1] also sandstone
Location
Region(southwest)-Colorado Plateau
Northern Arizona, southeast Utah
ExtentGrand Canyon, North & South Rims, northeast Arizona, southeast Utah

The Middle Permian Toroweap Formation is a thin, darker geologic unit, between the brighter colored units of the Kaibab Limestone above, and Coconino Sandstone below. It is a prominent unit in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, found through sections of the South Rim, Grand Canyon, and the North Rim, of the Kaibab Plateau; also the Kaibab's southeast extension to Cape Royal, the Walhalla Plateau. The Colorado River of the Grand Canyon makes its excursion from due-south to due-west around the Walhalla Plateau, as it enters the east end of the Grand Canyon's interior, Granite Gorge. The formation is also found in southeast Utah.

Contents

The Toroweap Formation is a darker unit of gypsum and shale; [1] also sandstone. In photos the cliff-forming Kaibab and Coconino units, show the more erodable Toroweap Formation slope-forming accumulations upon the underlying Coconino Sandstone; likewise below the Coconino, the softer Hermit Formation is shown forming slopes, above the slope forming 'redbeds' of the Supai Group. Close-up views of the Toroweap will show the resistant sandstone sub-units as erosion resistant sections.

Cliffs of the Toroweap Formation can be found in Walnut Canyon National Monument, about 70 mi [2] southeast of the Grand Canyon, and east of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Marine transgression, and continental wind-blown sand, laid down the three units of Kaibab, Toroweap, and Coconino. The oceanic sea came from the west, and receded and re-transgressed. The Coconino Sandstone being made of sand dunes, continental, means that near-shore Toroweap deposits, and off-shore Kaibab Limestone, can all have the same actual ages in different regions where they were deposited, (continental, near-shore, open sea). In Arizona, the Toroweap formation is found in two transgressions eastwards, [3] with easternmost 'strand-lines' locating the shoreline, Toroweap west, and Coconino sand dunes or beach deposits, east.

Toroweap Overlook

View from the Toroweap Overlook in the Grand Canyon at sunrise. Toroweap Sunrise.jpg
View from the Toroweap Overlook in the Grand Canyon at sunrise.

Halfway through the Grand Canyon (north side of Colorado River), at Toroweap Valley, with Toroweap Lake (a playa lake), an outcrop, or point overlooks the West Grand Canyon section. It is the site of the Toroweap Fault. Nine miles to the west is the roughly parallel Hurricane Fault (of Hurricane Cliffs, of Arizona/Utah), the west fault, of the Uinkaret Mountains (Mount Trumbull Wilderness). An eastern fault section separates here, and goes north into Utah, passing the west side of the Kanab Plateau.

The Toroweap Overlook lies above the erosion resistant Tapeats Sandstone, near its west terminus in Grand Canyon. Southeast, across the river The Esplanade-(a regional section) is created, upon the erosion resistant Esplanade Sandstone, a resistant member of the Supai Group, (a unit above the Tapeats, but occurs on both the downside block, and upside block in the south side of the canyon, Colorado River); (The Esplanade is just upstream, with the Toroweap Fault forming its west flank). The Toroweap Overlook was visited in the 1800s by original photographers of the Grand Canyon.

Geologic sequence

The Permian geologic sequence common in the Grand Canyon: [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

Geology of the Grand Canyon area Aspect of geology

The geology of the Grand Canyon area includes one of the most complete and studied sequences of rock on Earth. The nearly 40 major sedimentary rock layers exposed in the Grand Canyon and in the Grand Canyon National Park area range in age from about 200 million to nearly 2 billion years old. Most were deposited in warm, shallow seas and near ancient, long-gone sea shores in western North America. Both marine and terrestrial sediments are represented, including lithified sand dunes from an extinct desert. There are at least 14 known unconformities in the geologic record found in the Grand Canyon.

Grand Staircase Landform in Utah and Arizona, United States

The Grand Staircase is an immense sequence of sedimentary rock layers that stretch south from Bryce Canyon National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, through Zion National Park, and into the Grand Canyon National Park.

Kaibab Limestone Permian geologic formation

The Kaibab Limestone is a resistant cliff-forming, Permian geologic formation that crops out across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, southern Utah, east central Nevada and southeast California. It is also known as the Kaibab Formation in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The Kaibab Limestone forms the rim of the Grand Canyon. In the Big Maria Mountains, California, the Kaibab Limestone is highly metamorphosed and known as the Kaibab Marble.

Coconino Sandstone Geologic formation

Coconino Sandstone is a geologic formation named after its exposure in Coconino County, Arizona. This formation spreads across the Colorado Plateau province of the United States, including northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.

Muav Limestone Geologic strata in Southwestern United States

The Cambrian Muav Limestone is the upper geologic unit of the 3-member Tonto Group. It is about 650 feet (198 m) thick at its maximum. It is a resistant cliff-forming unit. The Muav consists of dark to light-gray, brown, and orange red limestone with dolomite and calcareous mudstone. The Muav is overlain in some areas by the Devonian Temple Butte Formation, but the major unit above, are the vertical cliffs of Mississippian Redwall Limestone. The Muav is located in the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Tapeats Sandstone Geologic unit of the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Cambrian Tapeats Sandstone is the lower geologic unit, about 230 feet (70 m) thick, at its maximum, of the 3-member Tonto Group. It is famous for being the highly-resistant mostly-horizontal unit above the 1,000 my, Great Unconformity expressed areally in the Grand Canyon of Arizona; also in other areas of Arizona and adjacent Nevada.

Temple Butte Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Temple Butte, in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, US is a prominence below the East Rim. The butte lies on the west bank of the south-flowing Colorado River. The outfall from the Little Colorado River, draining from the Painted Desert to the east and southeast, is about 2-mi upstream.

Toroweap Fault Geologic feature in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Toroweap Fault of northwest Arizona and southwest Utah is part of a fault system of the west Grand Canyon region, Arizona, US; also the west perimeter regions of the Coconino and Colorado Plateaus. The Hurricane Fault originates at the Toroweap Fault, in the region of the Colorado River, and strikes as the westerly depression of the Toroweap Fault. The Toroweap strikes northerly from the Colorado at the east of Toroweap Valley, and enters south Utah; from the Colorado River, the Hurricane Fault strikes north-northwest along the west flank of the small, regional Uinkaret Mountains, the west border of Toroweap Valley. The Hurricane Fault, and the Hurricane Cliffs strike into southwest Utah as part of the west, and southwest perimeter of the Colorado Plateau. The Hurricane Cliffs are made of Kaibab Limestone, an erosion resistant, cliff-forming rock unit.

Isis Temple Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Isis Temple is a prominence in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, Southwestern United States. It is located below the North Rim and adjacent to Granite Gorge. The prominence lies north of the north bank of the west-flowing Colorado River and is just north of Granite Gorge. The Trinity Creek and canyon flow due south at its west border; its north, and northeast border/flank is formed by Phantom Creek and canyon, a west tributary of Bright Angel Creek; the creeks intersect about 3 mi (4.8 km) southeast, and 1.0 mi (1.6 km) north of Granite Gorge. The Isis Temple prominence, is only about 202 ft (62 m) lower than Grand Canyon Village, the main public center on Grand Canyon’s South Rim.

Esplanade Sandstone Geologic unit found in the Grand Canyon

The Lower Permian Esplanade Sandstone is a cliff-forming, resistant sandstone, dark red, geologic unit found in the Grand Canyon. The rock unit forms a resistant shelf in the west Grand Canyon, south side of the Colorado River, at the east of the Toroweap Fault, down-dropped to west, southeast of Toroweap Overlook, and west of Havasupai. The red, sandstone shelf, The Esplanade is about 20-mi long. At Toroweap Overlook region, Toroweap Valley with Vulcan's Throne, Uinkaret volcanic field, the resistant Esplanade Sandstone is described in access routes exploring the Toroweap Lake area.

Wescogame Formation Geological formation in the Grand Canyon

The (Upper) Late Pennsylvanian Wescogame Formation is a slope-forming, sandstone, red-orange geologic unit, formed from an addition of eolian sand, added to marine transgression deposits,, and found throughout sections of the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, Southwest United States. It is one of the upper members of the Supai Group 'redbeds', with the Supai Group found in other sections of Arizona, especially in the Verde Valley region, or as a basement unit below the Mogollon Rim, just eastwards or part of the basement Supai Group of the southwest & south Colorado Plateau.

Supai Group Section of red bed deposits at the Colorado Plateau

The Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian,, Supai Group, is a slope-forming section of red bed deposits found at the southwest-to-south Colorado Plateau. Cliff-forming interbeds (sandstone) are noticeable throughout the group, as well as the largest cliff-former the topmost member Esplanade Sandstone. The Supai Group is especially exposed throughout the Grand Canyon in northwest Arizona, as well as local regions of southwest Utah. It outcrops southeastwards in Arizona at Chino Point, Sycamore Canyon, and famously at Sedona as parts of Oak Creek Canyon. In the Sedona region, it is overlain by the Hermit Formation, and the colorful Schnebly Hill Formation.

White Rim Sandstone

The White Rim Sandstone is a sandstone geologic formation located in southeastern Utah. It is the last member of the Permian Cutler Group, and overlies the major Organ Rock Formation and Cedar Mesa Sandstone; and again overlies thinner units of the Elephant Canyon and Halgaito Formations.

Zoroaster Temple Landform in Coconino County, Arizona

Zoroaster Temple is a 7,123-foot-elevation summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of Arizona, USA. It is situated 5.5 miles northeast of the Yavapai Point overlook on the canyon's South Rim, from which it can be seen towering over 4,600 feet above the Colorado River and Granite Gorge. Its nearest higher neighbor is Brahma Temple, less than one mile to the north-northeast. Zoroaster Temple is named for Zoroaster, an ancient Iranian prophet. This name was used by George Wharton James and Clarence Dutton. Dutton began the tradition of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

The first ascent of the summit was made by Rick Tidrick and Dave Ganci in September 1958 via the NE Arete (class 5.9+). Other climbing routes include Screaming Sky Crack, and SE Face, a challenging class 5.11+ route that was first climbed in 2012. The 1958 Zoroaster ascent was the first technical climb in the Grand Canyon, transforming the Grand Canyon into a climbing mecca and setting off a rush to climb the many summits. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Zoroaster Temple is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone.

Dragon Head (Arizona) Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Dragon Head (Arizona) is a 7,765-foot (2,367 m) elevation summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of Arizona, US. It is situated in the north of the Hindu Amphitheater, ~2.0 miles west of Shiva Temple, and ~2.5 mi southeast of Grama Point. Unlike the extensive Ponderosa Pine forest of Shiva Temple, tableland/plateau prominence, Dragon Head’s flat-topped, is only populated with a marginal non-Ponderosa forest. Shiva Temple is approximately 275 acres (0.43 mi2), where Dragon Head is an ~5 acre prominence platform.

Confucius Temple (Grand Canyon) Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Confucius Temple is a 7,081-foot-elevation (2,158 meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US. It is situated 1.5 mile southeast of Point Sublime, four miles west-northwest of Shiva Temple, and three miles northwest of Tower of Ra, where it rises over 3,200 feet (1,130 meters) above Hindu Amphitheater. Confucius Temple is named for Confucius, the Chinese philosopher. This name was applied by Clarence Dutton, who began the tradition of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities. Confucius Temple is one of the Twin Buttes in the Grand Canyon, the other being Mencius Temple, which is named for Mencius, considered the second-most famous sage, after only Confucius himself. This mountain's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Confucius Temple has a Cold semi-arid climate.

Steamboat Mountain (Coconino County, Arizona) Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Steamboat Mountain is a 7,410-foot-elevation (2,260 meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US. It is situated four miles northwest of Holy Grail Temple, and 2.5 miles west-southwest of Timp Point on the North Rim. George Wharton James described it as a "majestic butte", nearly encircled by Galloway and Saddle Canyons. Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 5,400 feet (1,645 meters) above the Colorado River in three miles. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Steamboat Mountain is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, with precipitation runoff draining west to the Colorado River via Tapeats Creek and Stone Creek. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Topaz Canyon Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Topaz Canyon is a linear, narrow canyon in western Grand Canyon, below the South Rim. It lies in a region of four canyons, and a fifth smaller canyon, all trending mostly northeasterly towards the west-flowing Colorado River, in western Grand Canyon National Park. The name of Topaz Canyon was named by the Board of Geographical Names for precious stones of the region. Topaz Canyon is the southeast border of the linear, and major, forested-landform, Diana Temple; .

The northeast terminus of Topaz Canyon intersects with the outfall of Boucher Canyon and the tract of the Tonto Trail. The Boucher Trail starting in Hermit Canyon,, ends at the termini of both Topaz and Boucher Canyons.

Fishtail Mesa Mesa in Arizona (western Grand Canyon)

Fishtail Mesa is a linear, narrow plateau, adjacent the west-flowing Colorado River in western Grand Canyon, in Coconino County, Northern Arizona, about 2.0 miles east of Kanab Point, and the outfall of south-flowing Kanab Creek, a major north tributary of the Colorado River, from southern Utah. Fishtail Mesa is part of the North Rim (west) and also lies 4.0 miles west of the outfall of Deer Creek, and Deer Creek Falls at the Colorado, a common stopover campsite for river rafters. The linear and southwest direction of Fishtail Mesa, lies adjacent as the southwest border of Fishtail Canyon ; at the Colorado, the Fishtail Rapids occur as minor rapids of the Colorado River. Some other nearby prominences to Fishtail Mesa, are Paguekwash Point, about 5.0 miles southwest, and Mount Sinyella, 8.0 miles south-southwest, and on the South Rim region of the Grand Canyon.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Lucchitta, 2001. Hiking Arizona's Geology, "Hike 3: Tanner Trail", pp. 78–82, p. 78.
  2. Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, pp. 28–29, 62–63.
  3. Chronic, 1983. Roadside Geology of Arizona, Kaibab-Toroweap-Coconino, 2 wedge-(trangressions) graphic (unnumbered, untitled): In mid-Permian time, a desert of windblown sand swept northern Arizona, creating the Coconino Sandstone (1). Then shallow Kaibab and Toroweap seas advanced from the west, each depositing a wedge of marine limestone bordered with nearshore sandstone, siltstone, and gypsum (2). Desert conditions still prevailed on the shores, so dune sandstone there is of the same age as the marine limestones and nearshore deposits., p. 207.
  4. Chronic, 1983. Roadside Geology of Arizona, graphic: Stratigraphic section of Paleozoic formations of the Colorado Plateau, p. 179.

General sources