Cambrian Stratigraphy of the Wendover Area, Utah and Nevada U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1948 AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the cur­ rent-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Sur­ vey publications released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" Publications that are listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" are no longer available. Prices of reports released to the open files are given in the listing "U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports," updated month­ ly, which is for sale in microfiche from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225. Reports released through the NTIS may be obtained by writing to the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161; please include NTIS report number with inquiry. Order U.S. Geological Survey publications by mail or over the counter from the offices given below. BY MAIL _ . OVER THE COUNTER Books Books Professional Papers, Bulletins, Water-Supply Papers, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications of general in- Books of the U.S. Geological Survey are available over the terest (such as leaflets, pamphlets, booklets), single copies of Earthquakes counter at the following Geological Survey Public Inquiries Offices, all & Volcanoes, Preliminary Determination of Epicenters, and some mis- of which are authorized agents of the Superintendent of Documents: cellaneous reports, including some of the foregoing series that have gone out of print at the Superintendent of Documents, are obtainable by mail from . WASHINGTON, D.C.-Main Interior Bldg., 2600 corridor, 18th and CSts.,NW. U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports DENVER, Colorado-Federal Bldg., Rm. 169.1961 Stout St. Federal Center, Box 25425 LOS ANGELES, California-Federal Bldg., Rm. 7638,300 N. Denver, CO 80225 Los Angeles St. MENLO PARK, California-Bldg. 3 (Stop 533), Rm. 3128, Subscriptions to periodicals (Earthquakes & Volcanoes and 345 Middlefield Rd. Preliminary Determination of Epicenters) can be obtained ONLY from RESTON, Virginia-503 National Center, Rm. 1C402,12201 the Sunrise Valley Dr. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-Federal Bldg., Rm. 8105,125 Superintendent of Documents South State St. Government Printing Office SAN FRANCISCO, California-Customhouse, Rm. 504,555 Washington, D.C. 20402 Battery St. SPOKANE, Washington-US. Courthouse, Rm. 678, West (Check or money order must be payable to Superintendent of Docu- 920 Riverside Ave.. ments.) ANCHORAGE, Alaska~Rm. 101,4230 University Dr. ANCHORAGE, Alaska-Federal Bldg, Rm. E-146.701 C St. Maps For maps, address mail orders to U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Maps Federal Center, Box 25286 Maps may ^ purchased over ^ counter at the U.S. Geologi- Denver, CO 80225 cal g^gy offices where books are sold (all addresses in above list) and at the following Geological Survey offices: Residents of Alaska may order maps from ROLLA, Missouri-1400 Independence Rd. Alaska Distribution Section, U.S. Geological Survey, . DENVER, Colorado-Map Distribution, Bldg. 810, Federal New Federal Building-Box 12 Center 101 Twelfth Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701 . FAIRBANKS, Alaska-New Federal Bldg., 101 Twelfth Ave. Cambrian Stratigraphy of the Wendover Area, Utah and Nevada By LINDA B. McCOLLUM and DAVID M. MILLER New lithofacies of Cambrian strata in the northeastern Great Basin are assigned to nineteen formations, ten of them new U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1948 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1991 For sale by the Books and Open-File Reports Section U.S. Geological Survey Federal Center, Box 25425 Denver, CO 80225 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McCollum, Linda B. Cambrian stratigraphy of the Wendover area, Utah and Nevada / by Linda B. McCollum and David M. Miller. p. cm. (U.S. Geological Survey bulletin : 1948) Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.3:1948 1. Geology, Stratigraphic Cambrian. 2. Geology Utah. 3. Geology Nevada. I. Miller, David M. (David MacArthur), 1951- . II. Title. III. Title: Wendover Area, Utah and Nevada. IV. Series. QE75.B9no. 1948 [QE656] 557.3 s dc20 [551.7'23'09792] 90-21966 CIP CONTENTS Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Structural setting 3 Acknowledgments 4 Overview of the stratigraphic nomenclature Prospect Mountain Quartzite 6 Killian Springs Formation (new) 6 Toano Limestone (new) 13 Clifside Limestone (new) 17 Morgan Pass Formation (new) 18 Decoy Limestone (new) 19 Shatter Formation (new) 20 Lion Spring Limestone (new) 23 Ola Sandstone (new) 23 Goshute Limestone (new) 23 Oasis Formation (new) 24 Dunderberg Shale 25 Upper-plate Cambrian section 26 Trippe Limestone 26 Lamb Dolomite (emended) 26 Big Horse Limestone 27 Candland Formation 27 Johns Wash Limestone 28 Corset Spring Shale 28 Notch Peak Formation 28 Depositional environments 29 References cited 31 Measured sections 34 FIGURES 1. Map of eastern Nevada and western Utah showing Cambrian outcrops 2 2. Simplified geologic map of Wendover area 3 3-5. Charts showing: 3. Columnar sections of Cambrian units in Wendover area 5 4. Stratigraphic terminology for Cambrian section in central Silver Island Mountains 7 5. Correlations of Cambrian formations in northern and central Great Basin 8 6. Map showing distribution of Cambrian stratigraphic units in Wendover area 10 7-9. Geologic maps showing: 7. Part of Pilot Range 12 8. Toano Range north of Silver Zone Pass 14 9. Tetzlaff Peak area in central Silver Island Mountains 15 Contents III 10. Photographs showing soft-sediment slumps in the Toano Limestone 16 11. Photographs showing Toano Limestone soft-sediment features 17 12. Geologic map of Morgan Pass area in northern Goshute Mountains and southern Toano Range 19 13. Photograph of Morgan Pass section 20 14. Geologic map of Toano Range south of Silver Zone Pass 21 15. Photograph of stromatolites, Morgan Pass Formation 22 16. Photograph showing Upper Cambrian section, central Silver Island Mountains 24 17. Geologic map of Jenkins Peak area in central Silver Island Mountains 25 IV Contents Cambrian Stratigraphy of the Wendover Area, Utah and Nevada By Linda B. McCollum 1 and David M. Miller Abstract gan Pass Formation. The cessation of clastic input resulted in deposition of the Decoy Limestone, followed by a widespread A Cambrian stratal sequence, approximately 4,000 me­ marine transgression, which resulted in drowning of the outer ters thick, is exposed in the Toano Range, Pilot Range, Goshute platform. Cosmopolitan agnostoid trilobites in thin-bedded Mountains, and Silver Island Mountains along the northern limestone and calcareous siltstone of the Shafter Formation Utah/Nevada state line. This sequence is divided into 19 for­ indicate an open-marine environment outboard of the car­ mations, 10 of which are newly proposed herein. Newly de­ bonate-platform deposits of the Lamb Dolomite. The carbon­ scribed formations are the Lower and Middle Cambrian Killian ate platform again prograded completely across the region, Springs Formation; the Middle Cambrian Toano Limestone, and mixed limestone, dolomite, and sandstone accumulated. Clifside Limestone, Morgan Pass Formation, and Decoy Lime­ The Big Horse Limestone to the north, the Oasis Formation to stone; the Middle and Upper Cambrian Shafter Formation; the west, and the Lion Spring Limestone, Ola Sandstone, and and the Upper Cambrian Oasis Formation, Lion Spring Lime­ Goshute Limestone to the south reflect these changes. stone, Ola Sandstone, and Goshute Limestone. In addition, The Candland Formation and Dunderberg Shale record the Late Proterozoic and Lower Cambrian Prospect Mountain the last major regional transgression of the Cambrian and the Quartzite; the Middle Cambrian Trippe Limestone; the Upper return of open-marine conditions. A carbonate platform be­ Cambrian Lamb Dolomite, Big Horse Limestone, Candland came reestablished with the deposition of the Johns Wash Formation, Johns Wash Limestone, Corset Spring Shale, and Limestone and the overlying Corset Spring Shale. That car­ Dunderberg Shale; and the Upper Cambrian and Lower Or- bonate platform continued throughout the region with depo­ dovician Notch Peak Formation are present in the Wendover sition of the Notch Peak Formation. region. The new nomenclature reflects substantial lithologic dif­ ferences, particularly in the Middle to Upper Cambrian strata, INTRODUCTION of the Wendover region compared with other stratigraphic sections in the Great Basin. Complex facies patterns within the Middle to Upper Cambrian sequence, and subsequent Cambrian rocks are exposed in more than a dozen structural telescoping of strata by the Pilot Peak detachment mountain ranges in the northern Great Basin (fig. 1). Near fault, require a dual and partially equivalent formational no­ the town of Wendover, astride the Utah/Nevada border, menclature. In addition, the Dunderberg Shale in the Toano