,1)dfl!J1- ~ // c;.,cuGv ! GEOLOGY OF PARTS OF .... ~ z GRANT, ADAMS, AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, ~ N.... EAST-CENTRAL WASHINGTON By M.J.GROLIER AND J.W.BINGHAM DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES BULLETIN NO. 71 1978 GEOWGY OF PARTS OF GRANT. ADAMS, AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, EAST-CENTRAL WASHINGTON FRONTISPIECE "Dry Falls When Wet" This late Pleistocene scene of Grand Coulee, o few miles north of the study area, shows the course of the Columbia River down the coulee and over the present Dry Falls. The previously estab­ lished (and present) course of the river around the northern margin of the Columbia Plateau lava flows was blocked temporarily-and several times-by the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet that entered Washington from Canada during the ice age. The illustration shows the ice sheet in the back­ ground and the large melt-water discharge of the Columbia River, which cut Grand Coulee and formed the Dry Falls escarpment by the headword (northward) plucking away of the layers of columnar-jointed basalt. From here the water discharged across the study area, and returned to the established course of the Columbia River by way of the Quincy Basin, Lower Crab Creek volley, and Posco Basin. From an oii painting by Dee MoZenaa:t', aou:rtesy of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission . STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES BERT L. COLE, Commissioner of Public Lands RALPH A. BESWICK, Supervisor DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES VAUGHN E. LIVINGSTON, JR., State Geologist BULLETIN NO. 71 GEOLOGY OF PARTS OF GRANT, ADAMS,AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, EAST-CENTRAL WASHINGTON BY M.J.GROLIER and J.W. BINGHAM Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Washington State Department of Ecology 1978 For sale by Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, Washington PRICE $1.50 CONTENTS Abstract .•..... ..... .....••.... .......... .•. , . ..•.. • · · · . •. • · • • · • • · · • • · · · • Introduction ...... ... •.....• . •... ...... .......••..•.. .... ..• , , .... .... .•. , , 2 Location .....•.•..• . •. ..... .. ............ .. , .• . • . .. ........•. , . • • . 2 Background of study . .. .. • . .. •.....•...... • . ..•..•.•.• .. .. , .. ... .• , . , • . 2 Acknowledgments .... • . ..... .. .......... .......•. .. .•..... .. • , , 4 Geographic setting ...•...•..... .. ... ........ ........... .............. .. , . 5 Londforms .. ..•..•.•... .. .......... ...• . • ..... .. ......•... .• , . 5 Drainage.. ...... ...... ..... .. .. ..... ........... .. ..... ... 5 Climate ........• . .................•......... .. .....•........ ........ ,.. 8 Geologic history . • . • . • . • . • . l 0 Miocene and Pliocene Epochs . • . • . • . 10 Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene Epochs . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . 13 Pleistocene Epoch . • . • . • • . • . 14 Middle Pleistocene •........ ....... , . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . 14 Late Pleistocene . • . • • . • . • . • • . • . 15 Great flooding and runoff . • . 15 Origin of, and sedimentation in, Lake Lewis . • . • • . • 18 Holocene Epoch . • . • . • . • . • . • 19 Stratigraphy . .... , . • . • • . • . • . • • • . • . 19 Miocene and Pliocene rocks . • . 19 Yakima Basalt . • . • • . 19 Lower basa It . • . • . 22 Vantage Sandstone Member . • • . 23 Frenchman Springs Member . • . • • . 23 Roza Member . • . • • . 25 Priest Rapids Member . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • 27 Saddle Mountains Member . • • . • . • 29 Beverly Member of the Ellensburg Formation .... .. • . .... .•.. ... , . , . , • . 34 Conglomerate .• . ........ .•.•.... ..• . •. ..•. ..•• , . • . • . 34 Pumi cite ..••. • . .. , .... .•... ...•. •.•.•...... .•....... , • . 35 Tuffaceous sand, sil t, and clay . • . • . • . • . 36 Offlap relationship of the flows . • . •.... .....•••... ..•.. • ••... ..• , . 37 Variation in thickness of the flows ........• . .• .•.......... •. .... , •. , 37 Directions of lava movement ...... ..... ..... ........ ............. ....... 38 V CONTENTS Stratigraphy-Continued Pliocene and Pleistocene Ringold Formation 38 Brown tuffaceous sand .....• . ...•.. ..... ....•...• . .•.... .... 44 Quartzitic conglomerate ....•..... ............ .• . .•.... .... 46 Buff laminated clay ............ .•............. .. ....•..•. .. 47 Basaltic fanglomerate ...... ..... •...... .• . .. .. ... ...•.... 49 Grovel deposits in wind gaps .............•.. .... ............ 50 Pleistocene deposits .. ......... .. .. .. ..... ... • . ............. .. .. 51 Alluvium older than glociofluvial deposits ........... ...•. .. ......... 51 Conglomerate in Esquatzel Coulee . .. ......•.• . •........ .... 51 Gravel deposit in Old Maid Coulee . ........•................... 51 Gravel deposits in the Quincy Basin ....... .. .. .. ..• . ........ 51 Grovel deposit in Lynch Coulee . ... ... .••...•••...•. •. .. 52 Glociofluvial deposits . ........•.... ... .........•..... •........ 52 Lacustrine fine sand and si It 52 Glaciofluvial gravel or sand . • . • . 55 Holocene deposits . • . • . • • • . • . • . 57 Eolian deposits . • • . • . • . • . • . 57 loess . • . • • • . • . • . 57 Dune sand . • . • . • . 58 Alluvium . • . • . • . • • . • . • . 58 Colluvium. .. ............ ........................ ..... ............ 59 Landslide debris . • . • . 60 Structure • • •• • • f •••••••••••• •• • • ••••••••• •• •••• • ••••••••••••••• •• • • •• • • • •• • •• • ••••••• 60 Regional subsidence. ...... ......... .............. .. .. .. .... ........ 61 Folding and faulting . • . • . 61 East- trending folds and faults • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . 61 Saddle Mountains anticline . 61 Frenchman Hills anticline . • . • . 64 Lind Coulee Fault . • . • . • . • . • . 65 Pinto Ridge anticline . • • . • . • . 65 Soap Lake anticline . • . • • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . 65 Minor sags and anticlinal flexures .. • . .•. .. .•.. • . ..• . .. , 65 Northeast-trending folds . 66 Lynch Coulee anticline and syncline .. ...• . ..... , •.•.......• , . • 66 Beezley Hills monocline . .............. .. .. .. ....... .... 66 VI CONTENTS Structure- Continued Folding and faulting- Continued Northeast-trending folds- Continued Unnamed monocline across Lower Grand Coulee 67 Minor sags and intermediate anticlinal flexures , .. , • . • ... •.•• 67 Northwestward- trending folds ..... .. • . .•. • • . .••. • .. .. •..• . •.•••..••.• . 67 Bibliography 69 References cited •.•. ...• . .. .•... .•..•..•.••... .•... .• . •••.•....•.. 69 Selected additional references 73 Appendix I Well-numbering system •.••.••.•.••..........•••••....••••.•. •..• . •. •.•. ...• 75 Appendix II Selected drillers' logs of wells .. • •• • • . .•..•..••• , ••••. • . •• • •• • .• •.. , .. • . •. , • , , 77 Appendix 111 Depth intervals of stratigraphic units as penetrated by selected wells . • , • , •• , •. , , , . , 87 Appendix IV Gradients of the red marker bed and basalt surface, and change in thickness of the Ringold Formation in Ringold Coulee ...... .. ................... • · • .. · • · • · · 91 VII ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. In dex map showing location of the project area , • .••. • . ••..•••• , .. • •. , .• , •, • • 2 2. Cultural features within the project area ...... .. • • , .•...•.. •. • • • , .• , • . • 3 3. Generalized land-surface altitudes within the project area . .... ..•..• . , • . • . • . 6 4. Physiographic features of the project area . ..•• , . • . • • • . • • • . 7 5. Aerial photograph of Potholes Coulee . • . • . • . • . • . • • • . • . • • • . • . 8 6. Aerial photograph of Frenchman Springs Coulee •. .. .•..•.•...•••... •. , • • . • • • • 9 7. Aeria I photograph of Parsons Canyon . • • . • • • . • . • • . • • • • • . • . • . • . • . • 15 8. Relief map of Columbia Plateau, showing pattem of coulees in channeled scabland ..•..••.•.• . .. • . ••...••...•• . ..• , .•.••. , .. ...•. , . , 16 9. Stratigraphic sequence and relationship of principal rock units ..• , ••. , •. , • , , , •• , 20 10. Outer rim of ringlike depression in a basalt flow of the Priest Rapids Member . • 22 11. Platy swirls near center of ringlike depression in basalt flow of Priest Rapids Member . ....•••.••..•.. .... ... .. ...•.•. • • . .. •• • •... .... •• •. , , . 22 12. Pi llow- palagonite zone in basal part of Frenchman Springs Member . , •.•. , , , , , 24 13. Roza basalt flow contacts exposed near the Great Blade in Lower Grand Coulee . , 26 14. Columnar jointing in Priest Rapids basalt ..••.•. .. .• ...••.. .. , . • .... .. • . , 27 15. Quincy Diatomite Bed . • . • . • . • . • . • . 28 16. Aerial view of two synclines cut by fault scarp on north face of Saddle Mountains .....•• .•.. .. ...• . .....•.... ... .•........ , , •..... , . , . 31 17. Aerial view of sharp syncline on north face of Saddle Mountains . ...•• , •..... , • , , 32 18. Aerial view of Warden- Othello flow tongue northwest of Othello ... .. , , •.. , , . 33 19. Diagrammatic section showing apparent regional unconformity due to offlap of individual basalt flows .. .. • . .• .••. •..•.•...•.. : • • . • • • • • • . • 37 20 . Diagrammatic section showing unconformable relationships.