Description and Correlation of Eocene Rocks in Stratigraphie Reference Sections for the Green River and Washakie Basins, Southwest Wyoiming U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAE PAPER 1506-D Description and Correlation of Eocene Rocks in Stratigraphic Reference Sections for the Green River and Washakie Basins, Southwest Wyoming By HENRY W. ROEHLER GEOLOGY OF THE EOCENE WASATCH, GREEN RIVER, AND BRIDGER (WASHAKIE) FORMATIONS, GREATER GREEN RIVER BASIN, WYOMING, UTAH, AND COLORADO U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1506-D Includes analyses of Eocene rocks in the Washakie basin UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1992 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 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Roehler, Henry W. Description and correlation of Eocene rocks in stratigraphic reference sections for the Green River and Washakie basins, Southwest Wyoming : includes analyses of Eocene rocks in the Washakie Basin / by Henry W. Roehler. p. cm. (Geology of the Eocene Wasatch, Green River and Bridger (Washakie) formations, greater Green River Basin, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado) (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; 1506-D) Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16:1506-D 1. Geology, Stratigraphic Eocene. 2. Stratigraphic correlation Wyoming. 3. Geology Wyoming. I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: U.S. Geological Survey professional paper : 1506-D. QE692.2.R58 1992 551.7'84'09787 dc20 91-4442 CIP For sale by Book and Open-File Report Sales, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract......................................................................................... Dl Location and description of rocks comprising the Washakie Introduction ................................................................................. 1 basin Eocene reference section Continued Accessibility of the reference sections ................................ 3 Washakie Formation Continued Field dates and methodology .............................................. 3 Adobe Town Member ................................................. D12 Definition and intertonguing relationships of the Wasatch, Previous correlations of Eocene rocks in the Green River Green River, and Bridger (Washakie) Formations ............... 3 and Washakie basins .................................................... 12 Depositional environments ......................................................... 3 Biostratigraphic correlations ............................................ 12 Location and description of rocks comprising the Green Chronostratigraphic correlations ..................................... 15 River basin Eocene reference section ............................. 5 Lithostratigraphic correlations ........................................ 15 Wasatch Formation .............................................................. 5 Correlation of the Green River and Washakie basin Main body ...................................................................... 5 reference sections .................................................................. 16 Niland Tongue ............................................................... 5 Analysis of Eocene rocks in the Washakie basin reference Green River Formation ........................................................ 6 section ............................................................................ 16 Luman Tongue .............................................................. 6 Petrography ....................................................................... 16 Scheggs Bed of Tipton Shale Member ......................... 6 Nonopaque heavy minerals .............................................. 18 Rife Bed of Tipton Shale Member ............................... 6 X-ray diffraction ................................................................ 20 Wilkins Peak Member .................................................. 6 Chlorite ....................................................................... 20 LaClede, Sand Butte, and Hartt Cabin Beds of the Kaolinite ..................................................................... 21 Laney Member ........................................................... 7 Illite ............................................................................. 22 Bridger Formation ............................................................... 8 Montmorillonite .......................................................... 22 Bishop Conglomerate capping Twin Buttes ....................... 8 Magnesium smectite .................................................. 23 Location and description of rocks comprising the Washakie Potassium feldspar .................................................... 24 basin Eocene reference section ........................................ 8 Analcime ..................................................................... 24 Wasatch Formation .............................................................. 8 Clinoptilolite ............................................................... 25 Main body ...................................................................... 8 Mordenite ................................................................... 33 Niland Tongue ............................................................... 9 X-ray fluorescence ............................................................. 33 Cathedral Bluffs Tongue .............................................. 9 Oil shale assays ................................................................. 33 Green River Formation ........................................................ 9 Luman Tongue ........................................................... 37 Luman Tongue .............................................................. 9 Scheggs Bed of Tipton Shale Member ...................... 37 Scheggs Bed of Tipton Shale Member ......................... 10 Rife Bed of Tipton Shale Member ............................ 37 Rife Bed of Tipton Shale Member ............................... 10 Wilkins Peak Member ............................................... 37 Wilkins Peak Member .................................................. 10 Laney Member ........................................................... 37 LaClede Bed of Laney Member ................................... 10 Palynomorphs .................................................................... 38 Sand Butte Bed of Laney Member .............................. 11 Reference section of Eocene rocks in the Green River basin 43 Washakie Formation ............................................................ 11 Reference section of Eocene rocks in the Washakie basin .... 58 Kinney Rim Member .................................................... 11 References cited ........................................................................ 82 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in pocket] PLATE 1. Columnar section of Eocene rocks in the Green River basin reference section, southwest Wyoming. 2. Columnar section of Eocene rocks in the Washakie basin reference section, southwest Wyoming. Ill IV CONTENTS FIGURE 1. Map showing locations of reference sections, Green River and Washakie basins................................................................. D2 2. Generalized cross section of Eocene rocks in greater Green River basin............................................................................... 4 3. Cross section and map of the Bridger A, B, C, D, and E faunal zones in Green River basin.............................................. 13 4. Columnar section of the Bridger Formation in Green River basin showing faunal zones A-E and stratigraphic positions of white layer marker beds................................................................................................................................ 14 5. Columnar section of the Washakie Formation showing numbered beds in faunal divisions A and B................................ 14 6. Correlation chart of Eocene rocks in Green River and Washakie basin reference sections................................................. 17 7-19. Photomicrographs of Eocene rocks in Washakie basin reference section: 7. Stream channel sandstone in main body of the Wasatch Formation (bed 9)....................................................... 18 8. Freshwater pond limestone in main body of the Wasatch Formation (bed 79).................................................... 20 9. Freshwater lacustrine shoreline sandstone in the Niland Tongue of the Wasatch Formation (bed 206).......... 20 10. Mudflat sandstone in the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation (bed 292)................................ 21 11. Flood-plain splay sandstone in the Cathedral Bluffs Tongue of the Wasatch Formation (bed 346)................... 21 12. Analcime in the LaClede Bed of the Laney Member of the Green River Formation (bed 433).......................... 22 13. Oil shale in the LaClede Bed of the Laney Member of the Green River Formation (bed 447)........................... 22 14. Algal limestone in the Sand Butte Bed of the Laney Member of the Green River Formation (bed 502)........... 23 15. Altered vitric tuff in sandstone overlying the lower brown sandstone of the Adobe Town Member of the Washakie Formation (bed 572).........................................................................................................................