Petrology of Sandstones from the Bullion Creek and Sentinel Butte Formations (Paleocene), Little Missouri Badlands, North Dakota Mark A
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University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects 1978 Petrology of sandstones from the Bullion Creek and Sentinel Butte Formations (Paleocene), Little Missouri Badlands, North Dakota Mark A. Steiner University of North Dakota Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/theses Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Steiner, Mark A., "Petrology of sandstones from the Bullion Creek and Sentinel Butte Formations (Paleocene), Little iM ssouri Badlands, North Dakota" (1978). Theses and Dissertations. 286. https://commons.und.edu/theses/286 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PETROLOGY OF SANDSTONES FROM THE BULLION CREEK AND SENTINEL BUTTE FORNATIONS (PALEOCENE), LITTLE MISSOURI BADLANDS, NORTH DAKOTA by Mark A. Steiner Bachelor of Arts, College of St. Thomas, 1972 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Grand Forks, North Dakota December 1978 This thesis submitted by Mark A. Steiner in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts from the University of North Dakota is hereby approved by the Faculty Advisory Committee under whom the work has been done. (Chairman) .// ' (r~· _j {~µ..~ Dean of the Graduate School 11 Permission PETROLOGY OF SANDSTONES FROM THE BULLION CREEK AND SENTINEL BUTTE FORMATIONS (PALEOCENE), Title------------'-'--=----~------------------- LITTLE MISSOURI BADLANDS, NORTH DAKOTA In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the require ments for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the Library of this University shall make it freely avail able for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may·be granted by the professor who supervised my thesis work or, in his absence, by the Chairman of the Department or the Dean of the Graduate School. It is understood that • any copying or publication or other use of this thesis or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be I made of any material in my thesis. Date------------------- S'J).e~ I 778 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to sincerely thank each member of my visory committee> Drs. Walter Moore, Alan Cvancara, and Odin Christens n for their profes- sional evaluations, constructive criticisms? and enc uragement for the duration of this study. I also wish to thank Dr. Edwin Noble, former department chairman and state geologist, for providing correspondence to the National Park Service enabling me to obtain access to collect samp es in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park. Than are also extended to Dr. Lee Gerhard, current department chairman and tate geologist, for providing Survey financial assistance which aided i completion of the field work phase of the study. I am indebted to Kelly Carlson of the North Dakota Geological Sur vey, who originally suggested the thesis problem an aided in laying its foundation. I wish to thank the Park Superintendent at he South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park for permi sion to collect sam ples and conduct fieldwork within the park. The s e is extended to the ranchers and farmers throughout the remainder oft e study area. Sincere thanks go to colleague Laramie Win zewski, who assisted me with computer programming and plenty of old-fashio ed encouragement dur ing the phases leading to completion. In Laramie' case, uncommon gener- osity was a common virtue. iv To colleagues Don Halvorson, John Ray, and Ea 1 Fashbaugh go my sincere thanks for sharing information from their own research regarding the origin and characteristics of Black Hills and De ils Tower volcanic and plutonic rocks •c Finally, I thank Mrs. Ethel Fontaine for a p ofessional job in the final typing of the manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. iv LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .vii LIST OF PLATES. ix ABSTRACT xi INTRODUCTION· 1 Purpose of Study Previous Work Area of Study Methods Tectonic Setting LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE BULLION CREEK AND SENTINEL BUTTE FORMATIONS • • • • • • . • • • . • . • . • • • 20 General Lithology Field Criteria of Differentiation Key Marker Beds In This Study SANDSTONE PETROLOCY OF THE BULLION CREEK AND SENTINEL BUTTE FORMATIONS ••••••••• .. ,. .. • .. 29 Physical Characteristics of Sand Clasts Variability Among Varieties of Sand Clasts Petrogenesis of Sand Clasts Suggestions For Further Study SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS 81 APPENDIX A: Point-Counting Data 84 APPENDIX B: Quartz-Feldspar Ratios 94 APPENDIX C: Explanation of Sample Identification Nu ers .104 APPENDIX D: Description of Measured Sections .108 REFERENCES. .150 vi LIST Of TAJ:LF.S P;lf,C 1. lh~cent U(~V<'loprnents in Sl:r.aLigrHphic. Nor;1encla urc 5 WJthin the 1.lort Gnion Group, North DakoLa 2. Locat·imW of Hea;:.;urcd Se.ctions. # ]. Srnnmary -of Lhe Degree of Lateral and Verri.ca Varia 52 tiolt ,,f Sn11d Cl:1sts 86 J~cnlity 1 Jloi11t-Co11~tiug Data 87 Locnlity 2 Point-Counting Data 5. 88 6. Lou1l:i ty 3 Point-Counting l);ita. 89 7. Lnc.:iLU.y 4 Point-Cou:~t jug Data 90 8. Locality 5 Po:i 11t-Cot1ntlng D<!Ul 91 9. Loec1l·i ty 6 Po1nt-Counting Data 92 10. LocrJ.l i.ty 7 Pu int-Counting Data 93 ) l. Locality 8 Point.-Count1nt~ Dnta 96 ] 2. 97 u. 93 v,. Loc.:iltLy 3 Quan:z/f0ldspar Ratios 99 1 ',. Locality 1,. Quartz/ Feldsp:1x IL'ulos 100 16. Lncnlity 'i Qw.1rtz/F'c.'ldEpnr Rr.tios 10] 17. Lor:uU.ty 6 Qnartz/F<?ldspar Ratios JO?. 18. Loc;1llty 7 Quartz/Feldspar Ratios lDJ 19. I.ocalily 8 Quurlz/fc1d.spar Ratjo.s vii. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIO/IS Figure Page 1. Location of the Area of Study ....•.. 12 2. Enlarged Map of Study Area Showing Location of Sampling Localities and To'1Tts ..• 17 3. Stratigraphic Interval of This Study 24 4. Summary of Variability of Quartz-Feldspar Ratios From The Bullion Creek and Sentinel Butte Formations ..•. 55 5. Diagram showing the Sampling Method and Assignment of Numbers to the Samples . ...••...107 viii LIST OF PLATES Plate Page 1. Monocrystalline Quartz Clast. 31 2. Plagioclase Clast 31 3. Zoned Plagioclase Clast 34 4. Alkali Feldspar, var. Orthoclase. 34 5. Clast of Alkali Feldspar, var. Microcline 37 6. Alkali Feldspar Clast Displaying Myrrnekitic Structures. 37 7. Schistose Plutonic Lithic Clast 40 8. Chlorite Clast. 40 9. Polycrystalline Plutonic Quartz Aggregate 1,2 10. Small Volcanic Lithic Clast 42 11. Limonite Ironstone Clast •. 45 12. Polycrystalline Sedimentary Quartz Aggregate. 45 13. Chert Clast With Small Microcrystals 48 14. Chert Clast With Large Microcrystals 48 15. Small Biotite Clast 50 16. Muscovite Clast . 50 17. elastic Sand From Level l-BC71. 5. 65 18. elastic Sand From Level l-BC41. 0. 65 19. Clastic Sand From Level l-BC21.2. 67 20. Clastic Sand From Level l-BC12.2. 67 21. Clastic Sand From Level l-SB6. l 69 22. Clastic Sand From Level l-SB9.2 69 ix Plate Page 23. elastic Sand From Level l-SB12.3 71 24. Clas tic Sand From Level l-Sil16.4 71 25. Clas tic Sand From Level l-SB28.7 73 26. Clastic Sand From Level l-Sil37.l 73 27. Clastic Sand From the Dark Gray Sand at the Lower Franks Creek Section. 17 28. Clastic Sand From the Upper Yellow Bed at the McKenzie Breaks Section . 77 X ABSTRACT The mineralogy and petrology of sandstones of the Paleocene Bullion Creek and Sentinel Butte Formations were studied from exposures in the Little Missouri River Badlands in Billings, Golden Valley, and McKenzie Counties, North Dakota. Field work was conducted in the summer of 1977. Stratigraphic sections were measured and described from eight localities. Sandstones were sampled at 47 levels, and three samples were collected from each level. Fifty-one samples were collected from the Bullion Creek Formation and 90 from the Sentinel Butte Formation. Thin-sections were prepared from plastic grain-mount blocks con taining disaggregated sand grains, and 200 points per thin-section were counted, using the Glagolev-Chayes point-counting method. Counts were made of quartz, feldspar, lithic clasts, and accessory minerals. Lithic clasts were further subdivided, and, in decreasing abundance, are chert, plutonic, sedimentary, and volcanic. Variations in point-counting data within both sampling levels and formations are either minor or consider able. The most abundant elastic constituent is quartz, accounting for 32- 68 percent of grains from Bullion Creek sandstones and 20-62 percent of grains from Sentinel Butte sandstones. Feldspar accounts for 2-16 percent of grains in Bullion Creek sandstones and 8-43 percent of grains in Senti nel Butte sandstones. Lithic clasts account for 26-53 percent of grains from Bullion Creek sandstones and 18-54 percent of grains from Sentinel Butte sandstones~ Accessory minerals, such as micas~ are minor constitu ents in both formations. xi Quortz/foldspar (Q/J') ratios are significantly higher in Bullion Creek sandstones than in Sentinel Butte sandstones: in the Bullion Creek, mean Q/F ratios are generally grc,ater than 0.89, whereas in the Sentinel Butte, m,,,.m Q/l' ratios arc less than 0. 74. However, the dark gray sand of the Bullion Creek Fornwtion wh.ich occurs in the upper one-third of the for mation, has mean Q/F ratios of 0.68-0.89.