Geologic Resources Inventory Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fossil Butte National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/587 ON THE COVER Fossil Butte looms over Fossil Butte National Monument in southwest Wyoming. Today’s semi- arid climate belies an ancient, warm temperate lake ecosystem that existed 50 million years ago. Photograph by Jason Kenworthy (NPS Geologic Resources Division). THIS PAGE The 50 million year old rocks of the Green River Formation are exposed on Fossil Butte (front cover) and Cundick Ridge (this page) within Fossil Butte National Monument. They contain exceptionally well preserved fossils from within and around ancient Fossil Lake, such as these fossil fish. National Park Service photograph Fossil Butte National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/587 National Park Service Geologic Resources Division PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 October 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. Printed copies of this report are produced in a limited quantity and they are only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is available from the Geologic Resources Inventory website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/ gre_publications.cfm) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Graham, J. P. 2012. Fossil Butte National Monument: geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/587. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 174/117340, October 2012 ii NPS Geologic Resources Division Contents Lists of Figures and Tables ........................................................................................... iv Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... vi Credits ........................................................................................................................................................................ vi Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Geologic Resources Inventory Program ......................................................................................................................... 1 Regional Information and Significance of Fossil Lake ..................................................................................................... 1 Regional Landscape ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Cultural History ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Geologic Issues .............................................................................................................. 9 Paleontological Resource Management ........................................................................................................................ 9 Mass Wasting: Rockfall, Landslides, Slumps, and Earthflows ....................................................................................... 11 Disturbed Lands ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Energy Resource Exploration and Development .......................................................................................................... 13 Seismic (Earthquake) Hazards ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Geologic Features and Processes ................................................................................ 15 Paleogene (Eocene) Paleontological Resources of the Green River and Wasatch Formations ........................................ 15 Green River Formation Paleontological Resources ....................................................................................................... 15 Wasatch Formation Fossils.......................................................................................................................................... 22 Other Paleontological Resources ................................................................................................................................. 23 Stratigraphic Features of the Green River Formation ................................................................................................... 23 Stratigraphic Features of the Wasatch Formation ........................................................................................................ 27 Fossils as Cultural Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 28 Continued Research Opportunities ............................................................................................................................. 28 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 29 Ancient Seas: The Paleozoic (542–251 million years ago) ............................................................................................ 29 Assembling and Dismantling Pangaea: Triassic and Jurassic Periods (251–145 million years ago) ................................. 29 The Great Compression: Cretaceous to Eocene (145–35 million years ago) ................................................................. 31 The Global Greenhouse and Great Lakes of Wyoming: Eocene Epoch (56–34 million years ago).................................. 33 The Missing Years: Oligocene to Pleistocene (34–2.6 million years ago) ...................................................................... 34 Shaping the Modern Landscape: Pleistocene to Holocene (2.6 million years ago to present) ........................................ 34 Geologic Map Data ...................................................................................................... 37 Geologic Maps ........................................................................................................................................................... 37 Source Maps .............................................................................................................................................................. 37 Geologic GIS Data ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 Geologic Map Overview Graphic ................................................................................................................................ 38 Map Unit Properties Table .......................................................................................................................................... 38 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 39 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................ 45 Additional References ................................................................................................. 51 Appendix: Scoping Session Participants .................................................................... 53 Geologic Resources Inventory Products CD .................................................... attached Geologic Map Overview Graphic ..................................................................... in pocket Map Unit Properties Table ............................................................................... in