Revision of Type Cambrian Formations and Sections of Montana and Yellowstone National Park
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BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA VOL. 47, PP. 1257-1342. 2 PLS., lOFIGS. AUGUST 31. 1936 REVISION OF TYPE CAMBRIAN FORMATIONS AND SECTIONS OF MONTANA AND YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK BY CHARLES DEISS CONTENTS Page Introduction..................................................................................................... 1258 The problem.............................................................................................. 1258 Field procedure.......................................................................................... 1259 The area.................................................................................................... 1260 Acknowledgments...................................................................................... 1260 Historical summary of Cambrian stratigraphie nomenclature in Montana and Yellowstone National Park............................................................................ 1261 Cambrian sections in central and southern Montana and Yellowstone National Park.............................................................................................................. 1268 General statement..................................................................................... 1268 Section on north side of Belt Creek valley, Little Belt Mountains...............1269 Section on Keegan Butte and South Hill, Little Belt Mountains................. 1274 Section on north side of Dry Wolf Creek valley, Little Belt Mountains...... 1278 Section on north side of Yogo Gulch, Little Belt Mountains........................ 1283 Section on north side of Checkerboard Creek, Castle Mountains................. 1286 Section near Half Moon Pass, Big Snowy Mountains.................................. 1290 Section on north side of Beaver Creek valley, Big Belt Mountains.............. 1295 Section on north side of upper Beaver Creek valley.................................... 1300 Section along Grizzly and Oro Fino gulches, Helena district........................ 1303 Section in vicinity of Nixon Gulch, Three Forks quadrangle........................ 1311 Section on northwest spur of Crowfoot Ridge, Gallatin Range, Yellowstone National Park........................................................................................ 1318 Cambrian formations........................................................................................ 1325 General statement..................................................................................... 1325 Flathead sandstone.................................................................................... 1326 Original definition............................................................................... 1326 Discussion........................................................................................... 1327 Emended definition............................................................................. 1328 Wolsey shale.............................................................................................. 1328 Original definition............................................................................... 1328 Discussion........................................................................................... 1329 Emended definition............................................................................. 1329 Fossils................................................................................................ 1330 Meagher limestone..................................................................................... 1330 Original definition............................................................................... 1330 Discussion........................................................................................... 1330 Emended definition............................................................................. 1331 Fossils................................................................................................ 1332 (1257) Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/47/8/1257/3415411/BUL47_8-1257.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 1258 CHARLES DEISS— TYPE CAMBRIAN FORMATIONS AND SECTIONS Page Park shale................................................................................................. 1332 Original definition............................................................................... 1332 Discussion.......................................................................................... 1332 Emended definition............................................................................. 1333 Fossils................................................................................................ 1333 Pilgrim limestone....................................................................................... 1333 Original definition............................................................................... 1333 Discussion........................................................................................... 1334 Emended definition............................................................................. 1334 Fossils................................................................................................ 1335 Dry Creek shale......................................................................................... 1335 Original definition............................................................................... 1335 Discussion........................................................................................... 1336 Emended definition............................................................................. 1336 Fossils................................................................................................ 1337 Yogo limestone.......................................................................................... 1337 Original definition............................................................................... 1337 Discussion........................................................................................... 1337 Correlation of formations.................................................................................. 1337 Conclusions...................................................................................................... 1340 Errata.............................................................................................................. 1341 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Comparison of Weed’s original and the emended Belt Creek sections........... 1273 2. Comparison of Weed’s original and the emended Keegan Butte-South Hill sections................................................................................................... 1278 3. Comparison of Weed’s original and the emended Dry Wolf Creek sections... 1282 4. Comparison of Weed’s original and the emended Yogo Gulch sections..... 1285 5. Comparison of Weed and Pirsson’s original and the emended Checkerboard Creek sections......................................................................................... 1289 6. Comparison of Calvert’s original and the emended Half Moon Pass sections . 1294 7. Comparison of Walcott’s original and the emended Beaver Creek sections... 1301 8. Comparison of Weed’s original and the emended Helena sections............ 1308 9. Comparison of Peale’s original and the emended Three Forks sections..... 1317 10. Comparison of Weed’s original and the emended Crowfoot Ridge sections... 1324 Plate Facing page 1. Map of area showing location of geographic and physiographic features....... 1260 2. Tentative correlation of emended Cambrian formations in the type sections 1338 INTRODUCTION THE PROBLEM The work of investigators, during the past decade, upon the Cambrian sediments and fossils of central and southern Montana and northwestern Wyoming, has shown conclusively that further productive stratigraphie work could not be done until the exact meaning of Weed’s original for mations is made known. Four field seasons in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Montana, and several years’ study of the faunas, plus two months in the summer of 1934 comparing the new genera and species Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-pdf/47/8/1257/3415411/BUL47_8-1257.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 THE PROBLEM 1259 directly with the type Cambrian fossils in the United States National Museum, forced the writer to the same conclusion. Examination of the geologic literature shows that the original definitions of formation names were not adhered to by later writers, and that different workers have not referred to the same strata by the same names. This confusion of terms is reflected in the erroneous assignment of certain species to widely dif ferent formations. Data for the solution of five important problems were needed. These problems are: (1) where are the original type Cambrian sections and type localities of the described formations located; (2) are the forma tions, as originally defined, readily recognizable in the field—i.e., are the original definitions valid and usable, or must they be emended or dis carded; (3) are the thicknesses originally given reasonably accurate, and are they uniform throughout the area; (4) what are the exact strati- graphic horizons within each formation from which fossils are known; and (5) what are the more important published species that may be used as indices to the different formations. FIELD PROCEDURE All the literature dealing with the Cambrian geology of