National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2010/230 THIS PAGE: Bison graze on Antelope Flats, below the Teton Range, which rises more than 2,100 m (7,000 ft) above the floor of Jackson Hole. Tectonic forces raised the Teton Range and dropped Jackson Hole along the Teton fault. National Park Service photograph by R. Wiles. ON THE COVER: Visitors at the Mountain View Turn- out take in the stunning views of the Cathedral Group covered in snow.(L to R: Teewinot Mountain, Grand Te- ton, Mount Owen) . National Park Service photograph Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2010/230 Geologic Resources Division Natural Resource Program Center P.O. Box 25287 Denver, Colorado 80225 August 2010 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Ft. Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics 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). Please cite this publication as: KellerLynn, K. 2010. Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway: geologic resources inventory report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/ NRR—2010/230. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 136/105347, 642/105347, August 2010 ii NPS Geologic Resources Division Contents Lists of Figures and Tables ........................................................................................... iv Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... vi Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Geologic Resources Inventory ............................................................................................................... 1 Park and Parkway Setting ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Geologic Issues .............................................................................................................. 5 Seismic Activity ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Mass Wasting .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Fluvial Features and Processes ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Glaciers and Climate Change........................................................................................................................................ 8 Mineral Resources and Management ............................................................................................................................ 9 Bentonite ................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Cave and Karst Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Climbing .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Jackson Lake Dam ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 Paleontological Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Geologic Features and Processes ................................................................................ 17 Ancient Rocks ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 Young Mountains ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 Dikes ......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Geothermal Features .................................................................................................................................................. 17 Glacial Features .......................................................................................................................................................... 18 Lakes ......................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Loess ......................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Oxbows ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Terraces ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Unconformities .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Volcanic Features ....................................................................................................................................................... 20 Map Unit Properties .................................................................................................... 26 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 39 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 42 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................ 47 Additional References ................................................................................................. 52 Appendix A: Overview of Digital Geologic Data ....................................................... 53 Appendix B: Scoping Session Participants ................................................................. 57 Attachment 1: Geologic Resources Inventory Products CD GRTE Geologic Resources Inventory Report iii List of Figures Figure 1. Location Map of Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. .............................. 3 Figure 2. Teton Fault. ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 3. Gros Ventre Slide. ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 4. Gros Ventre Slide Boulders. ............................................................................................................................. 14 Figure 5. Middle Teton Glacier. .....................................................................................................................................