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GEOLOGY of the CHINLE FORMATION in the UPPER LITTLE COLORADO DRAINAGE AREA, ARIZONA and NEW MEXICO by Maurice E, Cooley a Thesis

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GEOLOGY of the CHINLE FORMATION in the UPPER LITTLE COLORADO DRAINAGE AREA, ARIZONA and NEW MEXICO by Maurice E, Cooley a Thesis Geology of the Chinle Formation in the Upper Little Colorado drainage area, Arizona and New Mexico Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Cooley, M. E. (Maurice E.) Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 04/10/2021 13:50:40 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553896 GEOLOGY OF THE CHINLE FORMATION IN THE UPPER LITTLE COLORADO DRAINAGE AREA, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO by Maurice E, Cooley A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Geology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Graduate College, University of Arizona 1957 7 V >3 ' tftt j[ O ~7 This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of require­ ments for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library, Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major depart­ ment or the dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar­ ship, In all other instances, however, permission must be ob­ tained from the author. SIGNED: GEOLOGY OF THE CHINLE FORMATION IN THE UPPER LITTLE COLORADO DRAINAGE AREA, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO : ... ■ . : by : Maurice E. Cooley . ABSTRACT Detailed stratigraphic studies were made of the Chinle forma­ tion between Holbrook and St, Johns, on the Zuni Plateau, and on the northeast flank of the Zuni Mountains. Reconnaissance studies were made of the Moenkopi formation. In the upper Little Colorado River area a new member, the Mesa Redondo member of the Chinle is recognized. This report emphasizes the description of the many sandstone beds occurring in the Chinle formation. In the Zuni Moun­ tains area the upper Moenkopi^?) sediments, previously believed to be typical of the Moenkopi formation in northeastern Arizona, are believed to represent later deposition, lying stratigraphically between the "typ­ ical" Moenkopi and the Chinle formation. Major unconformities — pre-Moenkopi, pre-upper Moenkopi(?), and pre«Chinle (pre-Shinarump) — and several interformational un­ conformities are described, and their relations affecting sedimentation ii are discussed* A geologic history of the Triassic is included which describes the interrelationships of the various depositional sequences and the unconformities to the changing physiographic and structural environ­ ments. Late Paleozoic to Late Triassic structural movements of the larger Mogollon and Uncompaghre highlands and the smaller granitic Holbrook ridge, Defiance uplift, and Zuni uplift, as indicat­ ed by the type and distribution of sediments, are discussed. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION.......................................................... 1 Purpose and Scope ......................................................................... 1 Previous Investigations .................................................. 4 Acknowledgements ........................................................................... 5 PERMIAN STRATIGRAPHY ........................................... 7 Coconino sandstone.................................................................... 7 DeChelly sandstone ................................................................ 7 Kaibab limestone .................................................. 9 San Andres form ation........ '..................................................... 11 TRIASSIC STRATIGRAPHY................................................................. 13 Lower Boundary of Triassic Rocks ........................................... 13 Pre-Moenkopi Unconformity ......................................................... 14 Moenkopi form ation.................................................... 16 Wupatki m em ber................................................................ 17 Moqui member .......................................................................... 18 Holbrook m em ber...................................................................... 19 Description of the Holbrook member ................... 21 Stratigraphic relations............................................... 24 Upper Moenkopi(?) Sediments....................................................... 26 Pre-Upper Moenkopi(?) Unconformity ................................. 26 D escription.................................................................................. 28 Fort Wingate area ..................................................... 29 Grants area ................................................................. 31 Local Relationships ..................................... 34 Regional Relationships.............................................................. 35 iv Page Pre-Chinle (Pre-Shinarump) Unconformity......................... 37 Chinle formation ............................................................................ 41 Shinarump member ............................................................. 44 Description of the Shinarump member ...................... 46 Sedimentary fe a tu re s................................................. 53 Mesa Redondo m em ber...................................................... 54 Description of the Mesa Redondo member . 56 Red member ............................................................................ 60 Description of the Red member ....................................... 62 Southern Defiance uplift area ................................. 62 Zuni plateau ........................................................ 65 Zuni Mountains ........................................................... 65 Valley of the Little Colorado River ...................... 67 Sedimentary structures............................................. 68 Petrified Forest m em ber.......................................... 71 Lower part of the Petrified Forest member .......... 73 Sandstone beds within the lower part ............ 77 Newspaper sandstone bed ................................... 78 Rainbow Forest sandstone bed ............... 80 Amejo sandstone bed ......................................... 80 Sonsela sandstone bed ................................................... 84 Description of the Sonsela sandstone bed .... 87 Intertonguing relations • ........................................ 92 Sedimentary structures........................... 95 Upper part of the Petrified Forest member............ 99 Sandstone beds in the upper part .............................. 103 Chambers, Taaiylone, Zuni River, and Perea sandstone beds ..................................................... 104 v Page Correo(?) sandstone bed .................................... 108 Owl Rock member ............................................................... 109 GEOLOGIC HISTORY - A HYPOTHESIS ................................ 113 DESCRIPTION OF MEASURED SECTIONS ............................... 129 REFERENCES CITED ................................. .............. ................ 315 LIST OF TABLES Number Page 1. Chart showing stratigraphic column and generalized correlation of the Permian, northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico ............................................. 8 2. Size of the gravel within the Shinarump member of the Chinle formation in the upper Little Colorado River area, Arizona and New Mexico........................... 55 3. Size of the gravel within the Sonsela sandstone bed in the upper Little Colorado River area, Arizona and New M exico........................................................... 88 LIST OF PLATES Plate Page 1. Index map of the upper Little Colorado River drain­ age and adjacent area, Arizona and New Mexico .. in pocket 2, Isometric fence diagram showing stratigraphic re­ lationships of the Chinle formation in the upper Little Colorado River area, Arizona and New , M exico............................................................................... in pocket vi LEST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1» Index map showing location of the thesis a r e a .......... 2 2e Map showing distribution of the members of the Moenkqpi formation in northeastern Arizona 20 3. Relations between the amount of relief on the pre- Chinle erosion surface and the stratigraphy of the Holbrook member of the Moenkopi formation and the Chinle formation, five miles southeast of St* Johns, Arizona......................... 25 4. Upper ledge-forming unit of the upper Moenkopi(?) sediments, three miles south of Fort Wingate Indian School, New M exico............... 30 5. Stratigraphic relations of the upper Moenkopi(?) sediments near Lake Bluewater, New Mexico ..... 32 6» Pre-Chinle (pre-Shinarump) unconformity between the Shinarump member of the Chinle formation and the Moenkopi formation exposed in road cut along U. S. Highway 66, two miles west of Houck, A rizona........................................ 39 7e Pre-Chinle unconformity between Mesa Redondo member of the Chinle formation and the Moenkopi formation near Lyman Reservoir, nine miles south of St, Johns, Arizona..................... 40 8, Chart showing
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