National Park Service US Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2014/846 ON THE COVER Modern landscapes of the three units of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Clockwise from upper left: Clarno Palisades, Sheep Rock, and Painted Hills. Clarno and Painted Hills photographs by Jason Kenworthy (NPS Geologic Resources Division). Sheep Rock photograph by Robert J. Lillie (Oregon State University). THIS PAGE Murals representing paleoecosystems of the Clarno Nut Beds (Clarno Unit), Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation (Sheep Rock Unit), and Bridge Creek flora of the John Day Formation (Big Basin Member) (Painted Hills Unit). National Park Service murals by Larry Felder (Clarno and Bridge Creek) and Roger Witter (Turtle Cove), all photographed by Will Landon. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2014/846 John P. Graham Colorado State University Research Associate National Park Service Geologic Resources Division Geologic Resources Inventory PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 August 2014 US 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. These reports are 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/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Graham, J. P. 2014. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument: Geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2014/846. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 177/126139, August 2014 ii NPS Geologic Resources Division Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................. v Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... vii Products and Acknowledgements ............................................................................... xi Geologic Resources Inventory Products ....................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................... xi Geologic Setting and Significance ................................................................................ 1 Park Setting ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Significance of John Day Fossil Beds ............................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of the Geologic Setting ................................................................................................................................. 1 Paleogene and Neogene Global Climate Change ........................................................................................................ 10 Early Discoveries ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 Continuing Research Opportunities ............................................................................................................................ 11 Geologic Features and Processes ................................................................................ 13 Stratigraphic Features and Paleontological Resources ................................................................................................. 13 Paleosols.................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Volcanic Features in the John Day Formation .............................................................................................................. 32 Folds and Faults ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Cave and Karst Features ............................................................................................................................................. 35 Fluvial Geomorphic Features ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Exceptional Geologic Landscape Features ................................................................................................................... 36 Geologic Resource Management Issues ..................................................................... 41 Paleontological Resource Inventory, Monitoring, and Protection ................................................................................. 41 Flooding and Subsequent Erosion .............................................................................................................................. 42 Slope Movements ...................................................................................................................................................... 43 Potential Seismic (Earthquake) Hazards....................................................................................................................... 43 Potential Volcanic Hazards ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Disturbed Lands ......................................................................................................................................................... 45 Cave and Karst Inventory and Monitoring ................................................................................................................... 45 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 47 Preamble to the Age of Mammals and the Emergence of Central Oregon: Cretaceous Period ..................................... 47 Global Greenhouse to Global Icehouse: Paleogene and Neogene Periods ................................................................... 49 Global Icehouse to Global Greenhouse: Quaternary Period ......................................................................................... 54 Geologic Map Data ...................................................................................................... 57 Geologic Maps .......................................................................................................................................................... 57 Source Maps .............................................................................................................................................................. 57 GRI GIS Data .............................................................................................................................................................. 57 GRI Geologic Map Poster ........................................................................................................................................... 58 Map Unit Properties Table .......................................................................................................................................... 58 Use Constraints .........................................................................................................................................................