Western Earth Surface Processes
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Geologic Map of the Warm Spring Canyon Area, Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California With a Discussion of the Regional Significance of the Stratigraphy and Structure By Chester T. Wrucke, Paul Stone, and Calvin H. Stevens Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 2974, Version 1.1 View of lower Warm Spring Canyon, southern Panamint Range, Death Valley National Park, California. On right (south) side of canyon, dark diabase sill (age about 1 Ga), one of many in area, intrudes light-colored dolomite of the Mesoproterozoic Crystal Spring Formation, locally forming talc deposits (white patches) by contact metamorphism. South-dipping strata in left foreground are basal beds of the Crystal Spring Formation. View is east-southeast into Death Valley. In distance, Black Mountains are on left, and Owlshead Mountains are on right. Photograph by C.T. Wrucke, 1951. 2007, Revised 2008 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey This page intentionally left blank Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Paleoproterozoic Rocks ................................................................................................................................1 Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic Rocks ...........................................................................................2 Crystal Spring Formation .....................................................................................................................3 Sandstone Member .....................................................................................................................3 Argillite Member ..........................................................................................................................5 Cherty Dolomite Member ...........................................................................................................5 Stromatolite Member ..................................................................................................................5 Chert Member...............................................................................................................................7 Age and Regional Relations .......................................................................................................7 Diabase ...................................................................................................................................................7 Kingston Peak Formation .....................................................................................................................9 Surprise Member .........................................................................................................................9 South Park Member ..................................................................................................................10 Origin and Age of the Kingston Peak Formation ...................................................................10 Conglomerate and Sandstone .........................................................................................................11 Noonday Dolomite ..............................................................................................................................12 Johnnie Formation ..............................................................................................................................12 Paleozoic Rocks ...........................................................................................................................................13 Devonian and Mississippian Rocks .................................................................................................13 Lost Burro Formation .................................................................................................................13 Tin Mountain Limestone............................................................................................................13 Stone Canyon Limestone ..........................................................................................................13 Santa Rosa Hills Limestone ......................................................................................................16 Indian Springs Formation .........................................................................................................16 Regional Framework of the Devonian and Mississippian Rocks .......................................16 Pennsylvanian and Permian Rocks .................................................................................................16 Bird Spring Formation ...............................................................................................................16 Owens Valley Group ..................................................................................................................21 Regional Framework of the Pennsylvanian and Permian Rocks .......................................23 Jurassic and Cretaceous Rocks ..............................................................................................................23 Warm Spring Formation .....................................................................................................................23 Plutonic Rocks ....................................................................................................................................24 Miocene Volcanic Rocks ............................................................................................................................24 Surficial Deposits .........................................................................................................................................24 Older Alluvium .....................................................................................................................................25 Landslide Deposits and Talus ...........................................................................................................25 Alluvial-fan and Wash Deposits .......................................................................................................25 Structural Geology .......................................................................................................................................26 Paleoproterozoic Structural Features .............................................................................................26 Mesoproterozoic Structural Features .............................................................................................26 Mesozoic Structural Features ..........................................................................................................26 Butte Valley Thrust Fault ...........................................................................................................26 Other Mesozoic Faults ..............................................................................................................27 Cenozoic Structural Features ...........................................................................................................28 Description of Map Units ............................................................................................................................29 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................35 Addendum......................................................................................................................................................40 iii Figures 1. Map of region in eastern California and western Nevada, showing location of Warm Spring Canyon map area and other geographic features ......................................................1 2. Map of southern Panamint Range, showing location of Warm Spring Canyon map area and other geographic features ......................................................................................................2 3. Location map of Warm Spring Canyon area, showing named geographic features, fossil localities, and potassium-argon (K-Ar) age localities .............................................3 4. Chart showing stratigraphy of Proterozoic to Mississippian units in Warm Spring Canyon area ..................................................................................................................4 5. Chart showing stratigraphy of Pennsylvanian to Tertiary units in Warm Spring Canyon area ..................................................................................................................6 6. Stratigraphic columns for fossil localities 4 and 22 in uppermost part of Bird Spring Formation ........................................................................................................................17 7. Fusulinids from upper part of the Bird Spring Formation at Warm Spring Canyon ......................18 8. Fusulinids and corals from upper part of the Bird Spring Formation at Warm Spring Canyon .........................................................................................................................20 9. Casts of ammonoids from fossil locality 16 in upper unit of the Owens Valley Group at Warm Spring Canyon.....................................................................................22 10. Ammonoid fragments from upper unit of the Owens Valley Formation in Warm Spring Canyon, at or near fossil locality 17 (in