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Geology of the Whetstone Ridge Area, Meagher County, Montana

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Geology of the Whetstone Ridge Area, Meagher County, Montana AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF RICHARD MICHAEL GLASHEEN for theMASTER OF SCIENCE (Name) (Degree) in GEOLOGY presented on L&1j (Major) (Data Title: GEOLOGY OF THE WHETSTONERIDGE AREA, MAGHER COUNTY, MONTANA Abstract approved: Redacted for privacy David A. Bostwick The thesis area consists of 65square miles located in the southeastern part of Meagher County,MontanaRanging in age from Precambrian to Quaternary,the strata exposed in the area have a total thickness of about 11, 100 feet. Low grade metamorphic rocks, mainly slates,and limestones represent the estimated 2, 000 foot thick Precambrianunit.Paleo- zoic rocks, about ,600 feet in thickness, consist mainlyof carbon- ates but include marine sandstones,some of which were meta- morphosed into quartzites.Ordovician, Silurian, and Permian strata are absent. The Mesozoic rocks are dominantly marine,continental, and lacustrjne sandstones, siltstones, andshales. Rocks of Triassic age are not present in this 6, 500 foot thicksequence of sedimentary rocks. Intrusiveandextrusive igneous rocks, glacial deposits, and unconsolidated alluvium represent the Cenozoic Period. The major structures in the thesisarea are the result of the Lararnide Revolution and date from Late Cretaceousto Early Tertiary. Geology of the Whetstone Ridge Area, Meagher County, Montaxia by Richard Michael Glasheen A THESIS bmRtd to Oregon State Untverstty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 1969 APPROVED: Redacted for privacy Ffofessor ofeology in charge of major Redacted for privacy/ Ciai1 of Geology 'Department Redacted for privacy Dean of Graduate School Date thesis is presented I27 /Y 9 Typed by Donna L. Olson for Richard Michael Glasheen ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express his gratitude for financial assistance given by Amerada Petroleum Corporation. Special acknowledgment is due Dr. David A, Bostwick for his guidance and critical reading of this manuscript. I am also indebted to the following people of the Castle Mountain area in central Montana for allowing me free access to I their properties and aiding materially in my comfort in the field: Mrs. PauUneHereim, Mr. Andy Grande, Mr. Paul Grande, Voidseth Ranch, Mr. Arliss Berg, Mr. James Berg, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bonnet, and Margaret Engen, all of Lennep; Bair Company and Marion Coates of Martinsdale. A very special thanks to my parents, Rose and Larry, whose encouragement helped make this thesis a reality. The warmest gratitude to my wife, Nelda, for her under stand- ing and patience during the preparation of the thesis. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Location and Accessibility 1 Purposes and Methods of Investigation 1 Previous Work 3 Climate 4 Vtation 5 STRATIGRAPHY 6 Precambrian System 6 Belt Series 6 Cambrian System 11 Flathead Formation 11 Distribution and Physiographic Expression lz Lithology and Thickness 'a Age and Fossils 13 Source and Depositional Environment 14 Cambrian Undivided 14 Pilgrim Formation 16 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 17 Lithology and Thickness 17 Age and Fossils 19 Source and Deposi.tional Environment ao Devonian System a' Jefferson Formation Distribution and Physiographic Expression 22 Lithology and Thickness 22 Age and Fossils 23 Source and Depositional Environment 23 Mississippian System 24 Madison Group 24 Lodgepole Formation 25 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 25 Lithology and Thickness 25 Age and Fossils 28 Source and Depositional Environment 28 Mission Canyon Formation 28 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 29 Page Lithology and Thickness 29 Age and Fossils 31 Source and Depositional Environment 31 Big Snowy Group 32 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 33 Lithology and Thickness 33 Age and Fossils 34 Source and Depositional Environment 34 Amsden Formation Distribution and Physiographic Expression 36 Lithology and Thickness 36 Age and Fossils 38 Source and Depositional Environment 39 Pennsylvanian System 39 Quadrant Formation 39 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 40 Lithology and Thickness 40 Age and Fossils 42 Source and Depositional Environment 42 Jurassic System 42 Ellis Group 42 Swift Formation 43 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 43 Lithology and Thickness 44 Age and Fossils 44 Source and Depositional Environment 44 Morrison Formation 45 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 46 Lithology and Thickness 47 Age and Fossils 49 Source and Depositional Environment 50 Cretaceous System 50 Kootenai Formation 52 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 54 Lithology and Thickness 56 Age and Fossils 57 Source and Depositional Environment 58 Colorado Group 59 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 59 Lithology and Thickness 61 Age and Fossils 61 Source and Depositional Environment 62 Page Eagle Sandstone 62 Distribution and Physiographic Expres sion 63 Lithology and Thickness 63 Age and Fossils 66 Source and Depositional Environment 66 Judith River Formation 67 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 67 Lithology and Thickness 68 Age and Fossils 70 Source and Depositional Environment 71 Bearpaw Shale 71 Distribution and Physiographic Expres sion 71 Lithology and Thickness 72 Age and Fossils Source and Depositional Environment 74 Lennep Formation 75 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 75 Lithology and Thickness 75 Age and Fossils Source and Depositional Environment 78 Hell Creek Formation 78 Distribution and Physiographic Expression 78 Lithology and Thickness 79 Age and Fossils 80 Source and Depositional Environment 80 Tertiary System 80 Igneous Rocks 80 Intrusive Rocks 81 Sills 81 Dikes 82 Plugs 82 Extrusive Rocks 83 Flows 83 Age of Igneous Rocks 83 Quaternary System 85 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 86 Folds and Associated Faults 88 Flagstaff Anticline 88 Flagstaff Canyon Syncline 89 Checkerboard Anticline 89 Pg Coates Pond Syncline 90 Thorsens PondAnticline 90 Coyote Creek Syndline 91 West Flagstaff Anticline 91 LennepSyncline 92 Corral Creek Anticline 92 Blackhawk Syncline 93 Robinson Anticline 93 Time of Folding 94 GEOMORPHOLOGY 96 Structural and Stratigraphic Control of Topography 96 Stream Erosion 96 Glaciation 98 GEOLOGIC HISTORY 99 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 103 BIBLIOGRAPHY 104 APPENDIX 110 MEASURED STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS 110 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Pge 1. Steeply dipping slates of the Belt Series. 9 2. View to the north of the topography developed on the Belt Series. 9 3. Typical outcrop of the Flathead Formation. 1 5 4, Valley formed on nonresistant Cambrian Un- divided strata. 15 5. Hogback ridge of limestone flat-pebblecon- glomerate of the Pilgrim Formation. 18 6. Typical exposure of shaly limestone of the Lodgepole Formation. 26 1. Good outcrop of massive limestone of the Mission Canyon Formation. 30 8, View to the east showing Whetstone Ridge and limestone bluffs of the Madison Group. 30 9. A red soil zone and limestone developed in the middle part of the Amsden Formation. 37 10, Outcrop of quartzose sancstone of theuadrant Formation. 41 11. Outcrop of worm-mottled siltstones and shales of the Morrison Formation. 48 12. View to the northwest of the topography developed on the Cretaceous rocks. 51 13. Typical Kootenai Formation outcrop. 55 14. View northwest up Bonanza Creek. 60 15. Good outcrop of cross-bedded Eagle Sandstone. 64 Figure !a ge 16. Close-up view of rriolluscan coquina bedin the upper part of thc Judith RiverFormation. 69 1 7. Igneous sills form hogback ridges in the Bearpaw Shale. 73 18. Igneous sill underlain by black carbonaceous Bearpaw shale. 73 19. Well-developed large scale contorted flaggy bedding in the Lennep Formation 76 O. View to the northeast of Miocene basaltflows overlying limestones of the Mission Canyon Formation. 84 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Generalized stratigraphic section of the Whetstone Ridge area. 7 Z. Regional correlation chart. 8 3. Historical development of stratigraphicterminology of the Upper Cretaceous rocks in theCastle Mountain area. 53 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1. Index map showing location of thesisarea. 2 2. Tectonic sketch map of west-central Montana. 87 3. Geologic map of the Whetstone Ridgearea, Meagher County, Montana. In Pocket GEOLOGY OF THE WHETSTONE RIDGE AREA, MEAGHER COUNTY, MONTANA INTRODUC TION Location and Accessibjlity The thesis area is located in MeagherCounty, Montana, approximately0 miles southeast of White Sulphur Springs (Plate 1). The area includes the easternpart of the Castle Mountains, spec- fically the eastern sections of Ts. 8 and9N., R. 9 E., and the western sections of Ts. 8 and 9 N., R. jOE.Within the area mapped are the small con-munities ofLennep and Checkerboard, now but remnants of once busy miningcenters. Access to the area is excellent.The main approach to the area is from the northwest.U.S. Highway lleads southeast from White Sulphur Springs through thetown of Checicerboarci ard marks the northern boundary of thearea, Montana State Highway 294, an all-weather road that extends west from Martinsdaleand ciosely parallels the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, andPacific Railroad marks the southern boundary of the thesisarea.In addition, im- proved and unimproved roads provideaccess into the area. Purposes and Methods of Investigation The primary purposes of the thesis problemwere:1) tomap Cascade County MONTANA kungs Hill Lingshire \\ ) I' \\ ,) \ IV1ESGHER COUNTY Broadwater Lounty Checkerboard ( Springs Castle-, TI-ESL I Moui4tains .ennep 10 11 / 0Lebo Ringling \\ I - Gallatjn County Park County 0 5 10 miles PLATE 1.INDEX MAP Highway Secondary Road 3 the surface geology of thearea; 2) to determine the major structures of the area; and 3) tomeasure
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