Zabriskie Quartzite

Zabriskie Quartzite
Stratigraphic range: Lower Cambrian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N [1]
Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, the locality after which the formation is named.
Type	Geologic formation
Underlies	Carrara Formation
Overlies	Wood Canyon Formation
Thickness	0–2,000 feet (0–610 m) [1]
Lithology
Primary	Quartzite
Location
Region	Inyo County, California, Nye County, Nevada
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Zabriskie Point

The Zabriskie Quartzite is a Cambrian Period geologic formation of the northern Mojave Desert, in Inyo County, California and Nye County, Nevada. ^{[2] [3]}

It is named for its occurrence at Zabriskie Point, located on the eastern slopes of Death Valley in Death Valley National Park. ^[2]

Geology

The lower unit is defined by the Resting Springs Member, the upper unit by the Emigrant Pass Member. ^[3]

It overlies the Wood Canyon Formation, and underlies the Carrara Formation. ^[4]

The Quartzite is mostly massive arid granulated due to shearing, in beds 0.5–2 feet (15–61 cm) thick within the park, ^[2] and up to 984 feet (300 m) elsewhere. ^[4]

Paleobiota

The Zabriskie Quartzite contains a wealth of Skolithos trace fossils, although no other fossils have been reported from this formation, despite the underlying and overlying formations containing fossil material. ^[1]

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Ichnogenera

Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Skolithos [1]	Skolithos sp.	Burrows.

See also

• California portal
• Paleontology portal

• Cambrian California
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California
• Paleontology in California

References

1. Stewart, J. H. "Upper Precambrian and Lower Cambrian Strata, in the Southern Great Basin California and Nevada" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survery. Geological Survey Professional.
2. NPS.gov: Geologic Formations in Death Valley National Park
3. GSA Bulletin: "Depositional and sequence stratigraphic framework of the Lower Cambrian Zabriskie Quartzite: Implications for regional correlations and the Early Cambrian paleogeography of the Death Valley region of California and Nevada"; by Anthony R. Prave.
4. Springer.com: "Tidal Deposits in the Zabriskie Quartzite (Cambrian), Eastern California and Western Nevada"; John J. Barnes, George deVries Klein.