The Stratigraphy of the Svpai Formation Along The
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The stratigraphy of the Supai formation along the Mogollon Rim, central Arizona Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Jackson, Robert Louis Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 05/10/2021 18:19:42 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/551171 THE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SVPAI FORMATION ALONG THE MOGOLLON RIM CENTRAL ARIZONA Robert L. Jackson IY % submitted tothe'faculty of the Department of Geology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Graduate College, University of Arizona 1951 Approved: Director of Thesis KonvoiHO'i i/^ua s e t yo a e c i t a h t s ya'r !.;IH .TOJJOCO:.; hht cjioja AHOarviA JAHTMa'O ,'toa>!o6A •J J'lodcr. ailJ- So y^R 2 badiliadsjz lo co^"iO-b 3d;j •zcl e.dncr-ts'ilsipa i odd So d iio n X I.tllif'i Io .td fioq ai LCDiiHIDS %0 HATSA:i onori'iA So x^lii'xovlnu tc^oIXoD ojDwba^O odd nJt 1691 & £?3v°,^ clA O J‘v'j alssrfT So •loioo'xlCI /9&'r ¥4 •’, : - CONTENTS Page vr/ -.i:.;: , , «• * LIST OF I L L U S T R A T I O N S ; ^ .• . .* . i ; v ABSTRACT . * . ; . ■; ; vi CHAPTER I .........!.'r; .4 . v . .* INTRODUCTION7 ^ ^ . .« v v / 1- Purpose and me thdds of investigation . 1 Location and: accessibility . 2 Acknowledg®nent‘s . .* . •* . .* . 2 CHAPTER II . 'i: 0‘ - • : rr GEOGRAPHY . e" ‘ e *e * • ''a- .' .- .* .♦ 4 XV * on 4 # # ' ve" ' e V" # e # e r4i .•. • # -. • * * • e e e e 5 Climate. ■v'V .xy.'-* -. e V -• e e e e ..j. i r.. ■ CHAPTER III 7 r; rur; yj.cu GENERAL GEOLOGY V'. X.'.► • . -.’v’. - . v ................ Summary. * * e * * % SEDIMENTARY ROCKS ...... n. i Ivl C- J iXn CZZ ‘v i Z-Vi.. * « p * s < « » * * r- 7 P r e c ^ b r l a n ; ^^. .• v .= v .* / 7: ICo u.Hazatzal quartzite.’ . .* .- Cambrian . ; .»,«*»*- .* ,* .* .■ •' ~; Tapeeits sandstone .'.- .* . .* I Devonian . ........... .. • 10 % 7" ar@rbme / formation. ............ 10 Mississippian. .* .= .< . .* . .* .• .* .« .- 12 Redwall limestone ....... • 12 Pennsylvanian. "iX . .T . •*.».' .• 15 Naco limestone; . vX* . .' 15 Permian. .... ............. : Supal formation . ■. .- . ' % Coconino sandstone. ....... 16 ■ : y v v 1 kcnsnLyx: v ■: .... <- - - - t t ‘ •$ «- - r"> r " .. i . 4 . ■' .j. -V - < ‘ '*• v *■ ** f ■*' 219140 ill Page IGNEOUS R O C K S ............................... r lT . 'Precambrian;granite. ......... 17 Tertiary basalt. ...................... 17 STRUCTURE .......................... ........ 18 F a u l t i n g .................... 1 8 OIL AND GAS POSSIBILITIES...... 18 Reservoir rock . ....................... 18 , Source beds. ,. ........... 19 Structural traps ...................... 19 " ' ' ■' - • . .1 ‘ * ' ■ • : - • ' -■ ' : ». • - ■* - ♦ 4 % a i • V , CHAPTER 17 ...... .......................... 20 STRATIGRAPHY OF IHE SUPAI FORMATION ........ .. 20 Physical properties of the Supai formation . 20 LITHOLOGY OF THE SUPAI FORMATION AT MEASURED SECTIONS. ......... 21 Sycamore Canyon section. ....... 22 Oak Creek Canyon section ............. 23 Horse Mesa section ........ .. 24 Beaver Creek section ......... 25 West Clear Creek section ....... 25 Fossil Creek section .................. 26 Spade Ranch section.................... 29 Washington Park section............... 30 Kohl Ranch section .................... 31 Tontb Creek section.......... 31 Babe Haught Ranch section. ...... 32 STATISTICAL STUDIES OF THE SUPAI F O R M A T I O N ........................ 34 Cross-bedding study. ......... 35 Mechanical analysis study. ...... 37 Summary of physical properties. ...... 37 Stratigraphic relationships of the Supai formation of central A r i z o n a ................... 42 ir ;.;ov -r J--;-:v.'.t ? a.£.e PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS .................... 42:; STRATIGRAPHIC RELATIONSHIPS . ......... 44 PENNSYLVANIAN-PERMIAN RELATIONSHIPS . 49 Summary and conclusions........................ .. 52 FAUNAL LISTS FOR LOCALITIES......... 54 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............ 56 ■ ' . - f..:- : r."’; vV ' , - » .. DESCRIPTION OF MEASURED SECTIONS . 59 v.' ; •: ■ i- c T LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS m m Plates IjO;’;' I v. Geologiclmap Mogollon Rim, Pine quadrangle • : In pocket Figures . <. v ;: . : n) .1' ,;ir. 1 ,. andex map ot. area studied.: . • .t . .... ... • 3 2. Index map to locality of measured sections . 9 3.. - Circular^ graph showing^ number- of measurements within each ten degrees of arc.’ Horse Mesa. .... 38 :'V Y--:V:r I"’, bot'l:' " V ' J. Y Y1:-I' . ' • 4. Circular graph showing number of measurements within each ten degrees of arc. West Clear Creek. 39 5. Circular graph showing number of measurements ? ; within each ten degrees of arc. Washington Park . 40 6 . Histograms showing grain size distribution at specific localities. .. .... ..... ..... 41 7. Correlation of columnar sections . .... ... 45 8 . Generalized Supai section, Nevada-Fort Apache, Arizona........ .................................... 48 •:* c o YY Y-IY -IflY Y "i..'.I-^ v "'•Vi V",;- =. ;:,:v ABSTRACT i ; .V f J."; r!.. r: Vl ' Ah i^Mti^ati^n of: tlie Str&tai' relationships of : the Supal formation was conducted in central Arizona in the summer of 1950. The area studied includes Sycamore - . ^ " f . 5 - z*„ , r<» . * \ ‘ t .V '* - . •• , v - '"1 * ' ' •“ ‘ * ; ’ * Canyon on the northwest. Oak creek, Munds and Beaver Creek Canyons to the southwest, and the Mogollon Rim ! from Pine eastward to Promontory B^itte. The Mogollon ' Rim and many colorful canyons of northern Arizona are carved into the Supal and overlying formations. To understand better the stratigraphic relation ships of the Supal formation, a series of eight detailed sections was measured. Correlation and comparison of the writer’s Fossil Creek section with the Oak creek Canyon section of McKee to the west, and the composite section of Winters at Fort Apache to the east is made through faunal and facies relationships. The Supal formation in eastern and central Arizona is divisible into members through lithology and topographic expression. The lower units of the Supal formation intertongue with the Naco limestone of Pennsylvanian age to the east. The upper limestone facies of the Naco limestone crosses time planes, ascending in the geologic column eastward. The upper limestone facies of the Naco limestone at Fossil Creek con tains a fauna of Des Moines age. The upper limestone facies of the Naco formation at Fort Apache contains a fauna of vii Missourian and Virgin an age. The Packard Ranch and Oak creek members as defined in this report grade laterally into and intertongue with the Naco limestone to the east and are considered of a Pennsylvanian age. The Supai formation of central Arizona is an advancing continental deltaic deposit of Penney!vanian- Permian age which has caused regression of the Pennsylvanian sea due to sedimentation exceeding subsidence on a stable to mildly unstable deposltlonal shelf. ;v : - 'in ' ■ J, V'-:; ?■- - ■ r.'t " ; 7 : ;r; nr \y GHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Purpose and methods of Investigation This report represents a study of the lithology and facies relationships of the Supal formation along the Mogollon Rim in central Arizona# n r .: - 7 r. .x'rr 7 The stratigraphic relationships of the Supal formation in central Arizona were; studied^ following a,program of field ai«i laboratory techniques. Attention was-given to the relations of rock units to faunal zOnes, of marine to non-marine facies, of cyclic sedimentation, and of sediment ation in relation to transgression and regression, consider ation was given to the geomorphology and structure of the area studied. I r % y;-7 y yrxvij.:';D- Field methods included measurement of detailed ' stratigraphic sections, collection"of faunal- suites and representative rock.samples, and preparation of a geologic map ;ishowing:areal.distribution of the Supal formation within the Pine quadrangle map. of the U. S. Geological Survey (Plate I). The faunal suites and representative rock sample collection are deposited at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, Arizona. Laboratory methods include the mechanical analysis of detrital sediments and identification of the faunae collected. Location and accessibility > The area of the present study, which may be seen = on the index map (fig. 1), includes Oak creek, Munds and Beaver Greek Canyons to the northwest and the Mogollon Rim from Pine eastward toward promontory Butte. Improved roads traverse the area and numerous ranch roads lead to nearly any desired locality. The Camp Verde, Pine and Promontory Butte quadrangles published by the U. S. Geological Survey include the area studied. Acknowledgement a The writer wishes to thank the Museum of Northern Arizona for laboratory and library privileges. E. D. McKee, assistant director of the Museum of Northern Arizona and Professor of Geology at the University of Arizona, supervised the project, gave the writer assistance in the field, and reviewed the manuscript. Others deserving a note of gratitude are members of the geology Department of the University of Arizona and the assistant research associates of the Museum of Northern Arizona. 3 / 14° //,2 ° // 0 ° 1 1 Spring Mts. 1 0------ ______ 3 / c O - ~n i u \ ---------------- j---- J 5 ° \ \ \ > i 1 \ o Flagstaff 1 < 1 1 1 j^ Q _____ / ' \ X, -----------------1— 3 4 ° \ sOFort I Apache j f •Phoenix 1 1 ^ Area of study: