GEOLOGIC HISTORY AND ROCKS AND MINERALS OF WASHINGTON By VA U G H N E . LIV I NG ST ON , JR • Washington Department of Natural Resources Division of Mines and Geology I n f o r m a t i o n C ir c u I a r N o . 45 1969 COVER PHOTO Mount Rainier, the snowclad monarch of the Cascade Range. Standing 14,408 feet above sea level, the dormant stratovolcano Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington, and dwarfs the adjacent 5,000-to-6,000-foot peaks of the Cascade Range. Known as Tahoma to the Indians, the mountain was named Rainier by Captain George Vancouver in 1792 in honor of Admiral Peter Rainier of the British navy. The mountain was first climbed by General Hazard Stevens and P. B. Van Trump in August of 1870. The moun­ tain and part of the surrounding area was established as a national park in 1899. (Photo courtesy of Rainier Brewing Co.) State of Washington Department of Natural Resources BERT L. COLE, Commissioner of Public Lands DON LEE FRASER, Supervisor DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MARSHALL T. HUNTTING, Supervisor Information Circular No. 45 GEOLOGIC HISTORY AND ROCKS AND MINERALS OF WASHINGTON By VAUGHN E. LIVINGSTON, JR. ~3 STATE PRINTING PLANT, OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON 1969 For sale by Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, Washington. Price 50f FOREWORD For many years the Washington Division of Mines and Geology hos been receiving requests, especially from students, for a geolog ic history of our state. This report was prepared to help supply this need. The report includes a genera I geologic history of Woshington, and it gives information on the rocks and minerals that have played a part in the history of the state's mineral economy. We thank Professor Norman Anderson of the University of Puget Sound ond Professor Fronk Scott of Washington State University, both of whom reviewed the manuscript and mode helpful suggestions on how it could be improved. Thanks ore also due W. A. G. Sennett and W. W. Rau of the Division staff for helpful comments and advice. MARSHALL T. HUNTTING, Supervisor Division of Mines and Geology November 20, 1969 III '\ CONTENTS Page Foreword .•.............•......... .. ................... m Mineral resources of Washington-Continued Introduction ...•... ...........•..•...•..............•... Rocks and minerals that hove been mined in Washington ..... .....••....• , , , . , . , .... , • · 29 Physiogrophic provinces of Washington . • . • . • . 2 Antimony ....•...•..•.. , , • • . • . • . 29 Blue Mountains .. • • .. • .. .. • . • • .. • . • . • . • .. .. .. 2 Arsenic ...•......•.•... ............. • 29 Columbia Basin ..••.•.•...•...• , . • . • . • . 2 Barile .......•..••.... , , . , • .....•... , 29 Okanogan High lands .......... , . • . • . • • . • • . 3 Basalt and other volcanic rocks ..•...... , 29 Cascade Mountains .. • ...... , . ... , . , , . • . • . 3 Chromium .....•••••••• . .... , .• , . , , , , , , 30 Puget Lowlands ... , . • . • . • • • . • 3 Cloy ..•..•••.•..•.••..•••.••••.•.• . .. 30 Olympic Mountains . • . • 3 Copper . • . • . • • • . • . • . 30 Willopo Hills .. • .. .. .. .. .. • . • .. .. • .. .. 3 Diatomite .. .. .••.•.•...•.•.•....... , , , 31 Dolomi te • . • • • . • • • . • • • • • • . 31 Geologic history of Washington , ...... ...... , . • . • . 4 Gold .••.••......••...••••.•..•.•. ...• 31 Precambrian time ·,,, , •,.,,., .... , , , , . , • . , . 4 Granitic rocks .. ......•• • ...••..•..... , 32 Po leozoic Era , . , , , •. , . , . • • . 5 Gypsum .••••...•.•.•.•••.•.• . ••...• • , 32 Cambrian Period • , , , •.•..... .. .• , . 5 Iron .. .......• , .• , , , ....... .. ....... • , 32 Ordovician Period ..••. , •....• . ..•. , . • 5 lead ...•..... .. •.•....•.....• • •. .... , 32 Si lurion Period ..•.. .....••..• , ..••. , . 6 Limestone and marble . • • • • . • . 32 Devonian Period ... , .....•..••..... , • . 7 Magnesium minerals . • . • . • . 33 Carboniferous Period .•.. .....•••. , • . 8 Manganese • . • . • • • • . • . • . • 33 Permian Period . • • • . • . • . • • . • • . • 8 ~rcury .......•• , .....••..••••..•.••. 33 ~sozoic Ero .. , . , •• , . , ..•. , . • . • . • • . 9 Molybdenum . • . • • . • • • • . • • . • . 33 Triossi c Period . • . • . • • . • . • 9 Peat ••...•...• , . , .••. , , • , . • . , . 34 Jurossi c Period . • . • • . • • . • . 10 Pumice and pumicite . , , • . • . • • • • • 34 Cretaceous Period . • . • . 10 Sand and grovel . , ....•. , , , , • , , • . 34 Cenozoic Ero , . • • . • . • . • . • . • . 11 Sandstone and quartzite • • . • • . • • . • . • 35 Tertiary Period . • . • . • • . • . 11 Silica ........ .. ... .. ................. 35 Po leocene Epoch . • . 11 Silver ................. .............. 35 Eocene Epoch . • . • • . • . 12 Sulfur 35 Oligocene Epoch • .. • • . • 13 Tole and soapstone , .........•..• . •..• . 35 Miocene Epoch . • . • . • • • . 16 Tungsten ..... , •• , . , . • . • . • • • • . 35 Pliocene Epoch .. • .. • . • • . 17 Uranium .••....•.......•...• • .•••..•.. 36 Quaternary Period . • . • . • . • . • . 18 Zinc • , , •.•. .. .•..•... •• .....•..• . , , • 36 Pleistocene Epoch . • • • .. • .. 18 Mineral fue ls of Washington •• . .. , , . •. , . •• • , •• • . 37 Recent Epoch . • . • • 22 Cool ..•.•..•...•• ....•••.•••.•......• 37 Mineral resources of Washington •.•.• , . , • , .. .......• , • • . 28 Oi I and nature I gos •.•• , • . • • 37 Conservation of minero I resources ..••.••••.• • , . , . 28 Selected references . • . • . • . • . • . • • • • • . • . • • . 42 ILLUSTRA'lIONS ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Physiogrophic provinces of Washington . ......... Figure 20. Area covered by the sea during Oligocene time, and distribution of Oligocene sedi- 2. Subpro~inces the Columbia Basin physio- ?f mentary and volcanic rocks . 13 groph1c province . 2 3 . Area covered by the sea during Precambrian 21. Drainage pattern and structural groin in time, and distribution of Precombrion sedi­ Washington during the Oligocene Epoch . .... 14 mentary and volcanic rocks and their metamorphic equivalents . • . 4 22. Drainage pattern in Wash ington today......... 15 4. Area covered by the sea during Cambrian 23. Area covered by the sea during Miocene time, and distribution of Cambrian sedi­ time, and distribution of Miocene sedi- mentary rocks and their metamorphic mentary and vol conic rocks . 16 equivalents. .................... .... ...... 5 24. Petrified log ot Ginkgo Petrified Forest 5. Area covered by the sea during Ordovician State Po rk . • . 17 time, and distribution of Ordovician sedi­ 25. Area covered by the sea during Pliocene mentary rocks and their metamorphic time, and distribution of Pliocene sedi- equivalents ...........•...................... 6 mentary and vo loonic rocks . 17 6 . Groptolite from the Ledbetter Formation 26. Looking east through the Columbia River of Ordovician age . 6 Gorge . 18 7. Area covered by the sea during Silurian 27. Entrenched meanders of the Grande Ronde time, and distribution of Silurian sedi- River in Asotin County . • . • . 18 ::~i~;ie~:~~ ~~~ . ~h·e·i~ .~~~o.~~~~h.i~. 7 28. Mount St. Helens, one of five very large dormontstrotovolconoes in Washington ... .. .. 19 8. Area covered by the sea during Devonian time, and distribution of Devonian sedi­ 29. Limits of continental glaciation in Wash- mentary rocks and their metamorphic ington during the Pleistocene Epoch . 19 equivalents .... .. .........•........ ...... 7 30. Mirna Mounds, on Mirna Proirie, Thurston 9. Areo covered by the sea during Carboniferous County... .. .......... ... ... ... ....... 19 time, and distribution of Carboniferous 31. Coulee City monoclinol fold at Pork Lake, sedimentary and volcanic rocks and their Doug las County . 20 metamorphic equivalents . 8 32. Grand Coulee Dom . • . 20 10. Some typical fossils of the Paleozoic Ero . 8 33. Dry Foils as it may hove appeared during the 11. Area covered by the sea during Permian time, lotter port of the Pleistocene Epoch, when and distribution of Permian sedimentary water was going over the fo I ls . • . 21 and volcanic rocks and their metamorphic equivalents...... .. ......... ............... 9 34. Channeled scoblonds and the Palouse River upstream from Po louse Fo lls . 21 12 . Area covered by the sea during Triassic time, and distribution of Triassic sedimentary 35. Brood straight U-shoped volleys of the Chiwawa and volcanic rocks and their metamorphic River and Buck Creek, in Che Ion County . 21 equivalents.......... ....... .. ... .. ......... 9 36. Geologic mop of Washington ........... ... .. 23 13. Area covered by the sea during Jurassic time, and distribution of Jurassic sedimentary and 37. Columnar basalt near Longview, in Cowlitz volcanic rocks and their metamorphic County .•...... .. .. ....•........ ....... 29 equivalents ... ... ....... .. .... • .. ......... 10 38. Old-fashioned beehive-like downdraft brick 14. Area covered by the sea during Cretaceous ki Ins formerly operated ot Granger, in time, and distribution of Cretaceous sedi- Yakima County . 30 mentary and vol conic rocks . ... .........• . 10 39. Holden mine bui Idings nestled at the bose 15. Satellite dikes in Pine Canyon, Douglas of Copper Peak, in Chelan County . .. .• . .... 30 County ..... .. ... .. .................. .... 11 40. White diotomite overlain by dork pologonite 16. Areas where Paleocene rocks crop out in and boso It . • . • . • . 31 Washington ............ ....... .. ... .. .... 11 41. Mi II bui lding of the Knob Hi II gold mine 17. Fragment of a fossi I po Im frond from the near Republic, in Ferry County . ............ 31 Chuckonut Formation ......................... 11 42. Limestone quarries near Northport, in Stevens