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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2010 UPPER TRIASSIC CORALS AND CARBONATE REEF FACIES FROM THE MARTIN BRIDGE AND HURWAL FORMATIONS, WALLOWA TERRANE (OREGON) Megan Ruth Rosenblatt The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Rosenblatt, Megan Ruth, "UPPER TRIASSIC CORALS AND CARBONATE REEF FACIES FROM THE MARTIN BRIDGE AND HURWAL FORMATIONS, WALLOWA TERRANE (OREGON)" (2010). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1354. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1354 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UPPER TRIASSIC CORALS AND CARBONATE REEF FACIES FROM THE MARTIN BRIDGE AND HURWAL FORMATIONS, WALLOWA TERRANE (OREGON) By MEGAN RUTH ROSENBLATT Bachelor of Science, College of Charleston, Charleston SC, 2006 Thesis Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geosciences The University of Montana Missoula, MT December 2010 Approved by: Perry Brown, Associate Provost for Graduate Education Graduate School George Stanley, Ph.D., Chair Geosciences Marc Hendrix, Ph.D. Geosciences Jon Graham, Ph.D. Mathematical Sciences i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the National Science Foundation for field and laboratory funding from a grant awarded to George Stanley. For tuition and salary as a Research Assistant I would like to thank the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) section of the National Science Foundation; a grant awarded to Heather Almquist and George Stanley. This grant not only provided my salary and tuition, but also gave me the priceless opportunity of teaching middle school students and teachers about the earth’s history and deep time. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my supervisor George Stanley and the rest of my committee Marc Hendrix and Jon Graham for their guidance, support, and most importantly, patience through this process. I would also like to thank Dr. Rosanna Martini and Sylvain Rigaud (University of Geneva, Switzerland) and Tetsuji Onoue (Kagoshima University, Japan) for making my first fieldtrip to the Wallowa Mountains so inspiring and for their continual help and guidance through the research process. The caliper of fieldwork for this project would not have been reached without the mental and physical strength of Sylvain Rigaud. I thank him not only for fieldwork but also for continual academic and emotional support. I would also like acknowledge Dr. Todd LaMaskin (University of Oregon and now University of Wisconsin) for assistance in writing professional papers and for allowing me to be part of a project that is very near and dear to my heart. I would further like to acknowledge Dr. Ewa Roniewicz (Polish Academy of Sciences) for her assistance in the identification of unusual coral species. To the staff at the University of Montana, I would like to thank Christine Foster and Loreene Skeel who not only make the Geosciences Department run smoothly, but also for caring so much about the people in it. I could not have gone through this process without them; Aaron ii Deskins who helped me countless times with all of my computer woes; Isa Atkinson and the rest of the staff at the Graduate School for caring and understanding that we are not machines but human beings; and most importantly, the University of Montana’s Paleontological Collections Manager and my dear friend, Kallie Moore-Serig. Fieldwork, laboratory work, emotional support, mental support, writing support, and this degree in general would not have been able to happen without her. Kallie went above and beyond the call of duty for her job and our friendship and for that; I owe her my degree and a lifetime of gratefulness. For fun, laughter, and sanity, I would like to thank my fellow UM graduate students who made my time here so much grander, as well as to Book-Ahoy! which is so much more than just a book club... Finally, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart, my parents and brother and sister, Allan, Dorothy, Jesse, and Rebecca Rosenblatt; and the rest of my family and friends back east. Their support and belief in me, is beyond anything I could ever imagine. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE ...................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF PLATES ...............................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................1 1.1. PALEOBIOLOGY AND PALEOGEOGRAPHY OF THE LATE TRIASSIC .............................1 1.2.1. Late Triassic reefs and constructors .................................................................2 1.2.2. Scleractinian corals as paleogeographic and paleoecologic indicators ............3 1.2. GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA .................................3 1.3. GEOLOGY OF THE BLUE MOUNTAIN PROVINCE ........................................................5 1.4.1. Wallowa Terrane ..............................................................................................8 1.4.2. Olds Ferry Terrane ...........................................................................................8 1.4. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE .........................................................................................9 CHAPTER 2: METHODS ..................................................................................................11 2.1. FIELD METHODS ....................................................................................................12 2.1. Missions ....................................................................................................12 2.2. Field Work ................................................................................................14 2.1. Summit Point ............................................................................................15 2.1. Excelsior Gulch .........................................................................................16 2.1. Willow Spring ...........................................................................................16 2.2. LABORATORY AND SAMPLE PREPARATION METHODS ...........................................17 2.2.1. Coral and reef fossil identification .................................................................18 2.2.2. Microfacies classification and analysis ..........................................................19 2.2.3. Statistical methods .........................................................................................19 iv CHAPTER 3: UPPER TRIASSIC LIMESTONE IN THE WALLOWA TERRANE: CORALS AND REEF FACIES OF THE MARTIN BRIDGE AND HURWAL FORMATIONS .......................21 3.1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................21 3.2. MARTIN BRIDGE FORMATION ................................................................................22 3.3.1. Eagle Creek Member ......................................................................................23 3.3.2. Summit Point Member ...................................................................................24 3.3.2. Scotch Creek Member ....................................................................................24 3.4. SUMMIT POINT MEMBER ........................................................................................28 3.4.2. Corals and reef constituents ...........................................................................31 3.4.2. Microfacies .....................................................................................................34 3.5. TORCHLIGHT GULCH ..............................................................................................40 3.5.1. Corals and reef constituents ...........................................................................42 3.5.2. Microfacies .....................................................................................................42 3.5.3. Discussion ......................................................................................................44 3.6. HURWAL FORMATION ............................................................................................46 3.6.1. Excelsior Gulch Conglomerate ......................................................................46 3.6.2. Corals and reef constituents ...........................................................................48 3.6.3. Microfacies .....................................................................................................51

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