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Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state > Arizona Geology

Geologic units in Gila county, Arizona

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Oligocene to Paleocene[?] sedimentary rocks (Paleocene(?) to Oligocene) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Light colored, weakly to moderately consolidated conglomerate and sandstone deposited largely or entirely before mid-Tertiary volcanism and extensional faulting. Most sediment was deposited by early Cenozoic streams that flowed northeastward onto the Colorado Plateau from areas to the southwest that are now lower in elevation than the Plateau. Sediments of this map unit, other than the Chuska Sandstone in northeasternmost Arizona, are commonly referred to as "rim gravels" because they now rest on or near the Mogollon Rim, which is the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. (30-65 Ma)

Lithology: conglomerate; sandstone; siltstone; limestone; mudstone; basalt

Pliocene to middle Miocene deposits (Middle Miocene to Pliocene) at surface, covers 13 % of this area

Moderately to strongly consolidated conglomerate and sandstone deposited in basins during and after late Tertiary faulting. Includes lesser amounts of mudstone, siltstone, limestone, and gypsum. These deposits are generally light gray or tan. They commonly form high rounded hills and ridges in modern basins, and locally form prominent bluffs. Deposits of this unit are widely exposed in the dissected basins of southeastern and central Arizona. (2-16 Ma)

Lithology: conglomerate; sandstone; gravel; sand; gypsum; limestone; mudstone; siltstone

Middle Proterozoic granitic rocks (Middle Proterozoic) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Mostly porphyritic biotite granite with large microcline phenocrysts, with local fine-grained border phases and aplite. Associated pegmatite and quartz veins are rare. This unit forms large plutons, including the Oracle Granite, Ruin Granite, granite in the Pinnacle Peak - Carefree area northeast of Phoenix, and several bodies west of Prescott. (1400-1450 Ma)

Lithology: granite; granodiorite; quartz diorite; quartz monzonite; pegmatite; aplite

Early Pleistocene to latest Pliocene surficial deposits (Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Coarse relict alluvial fan deposits that form rounded ridges or flat, isolated surfaces that are moderately to deeply incised by streams. These deposits are generally topographically high and have undergone substantial erosion. Deposits are moderately to strongly consolidated, and commonly contain coarser grained sediment than younger deposits in the same area. (0.75-3 Ma)

Lithology: gravel; sand; mud; silt

Cretaceous sedimentary rocks (Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Tan sandstone (Dakota Sandstone) overlain by gray shale (Mancos Shale); deposited in beach, river delta, and shallow sea settings. The Mancos Shale is overlain by the Mesaverde Group (map unit Kmv). This unit includes related sandstone and shale exposed near Show Low, Morenci (Pinkard Formation), and around Deer Creek south of Globe. (about 88-97 Ma)

Lithology: sandstone; shale; arenite; bentonite; claystone; mudstone; siltstone; andesite; coal; conglomerate; gypsum

Holocene river alluvium (Holocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Unconsolidated to weakly consolidated sand and gravel in river channels and sand, silt, and clay on floodplains. Also includes young terrace deposits fringing floodplains. (0-10 ka)

Lithology: sand; gravel; mud; silt

Late and middle Pleistocene surficial deposits (Middle to Late Pleistocene) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Unconsolidated to weakly consolidated alluvial fan, terrace, and basin-floor deposits with moderate to strong soil development. Fan and terrace deposits are primarily poorly sorted, moderately bedded gravel and sand, and basin-floor deposits are primarily sand, silt, and clay. (10-750 ka)

Lithology: gravel; sand; mud; silt

Early Proterozoic granitic rocks (Early Proterozoic) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Wide variety of granitic rocks, including granite, granodiorite, tonalite, quartz diorite, diorite, and gabbro. These rocks commonly are characterized by steep, northeast-striking foliation. (1600-1800 Ma)

Lithology: granodiorite; granite; diabase; diorite; gabbro; pegmatite; quartz diorite; tonalite; anorthosite; gneiss; gabbro; greisen; migmatite; porphyry; pyroxenite; rhyolite; schist; trondhjemite

Early Tertiary to Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks (Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Rhyolite to andesite and closely associated sedimentary and near-surface intrusive rocks; commonly dark gray to dark greenish gray or greenish brown. In the ranges west of Tucson, this unit includes thick welded ash-flow tuffs. Volcanic rocks of this unit are inferred to be derived from vents and volcanoes above magma chambers that solidified to form the granitic rocks of map unit TKg. These rocks are restricted to southeastern Arizona except for a small outcrop near Bagdad. (50-82 Ma)

Lithology: andesite; dacite; basalt; latite; rhyolite; conglomerate; siltstone; volcanic breccia (agglomerate); wacke

Quaternary surficial deposits, undivided (Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Unconsolidated to strongly consolidated alluvial and eolian deposits. This unit includes: coarse, poorly sorted alluvial fan and terrace deposits on middle and upper piedmonts and along large drainages; sand, silt and clay on alluvial plains and playas; and wind-blown sand deposits. (0-2 Ma)

Lithology: sand; gravel; mud; silt

Permian to Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks (Pennsylvanian to Permian) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Interbedded sandstone, shale, and limestone usually characterized by ledgy outcrops. Orange to reddish sandstone forms cliffs near Sedona. This unit includes Supai Group and Hermit Shale in northern Arizona and Naco Group in southern Arizona. It was deposited in coastal-plain to shallow-marine settings during time of variable and changing sea level. Rocks of this map unit in southern Arizona may be in part equivalent to Permian rocks of map unit P in central and northern Arizona. (280-310 Ma)

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; gypsum; mudstone; orthoquartzite; siltstone; sedimentary breccia; dolostone (dolomite); limestone; conglomerate; shale; calcarenite; evaporite

Early Proterozoic metavolcanic rocks (Early Proterozoic) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Weakly to strongly metamorphosed volcanic rocks. Protoliths include basalt, andesite, dacite, and rhyolite deposited as lava or tuff, related sedimentary rock, and shallow intrusive rock. These rocks, widely exposed in several belts in central Arizona, include metavolcanic rocks in the Yavapai and Tonto Basin supergroups. (1650 to 1800 Ma)

Lithology: greenstone; intermediate metavolcanic rock; amphibolite; andesite; basalt; chert; conglomerate; dacite; diabase; diorite; gabbro; gneiss; greenschist; granite; granodiorite; graywacke; felsic metavolcanic rock; metarhyolite; gabbro; migmatite; phyllite; quartz diorite; quartzite; rhyolite; volcanic breccia (agglomerate); schist; siltstone; sandstone; serpentinite; iron formation

Proterozoic granitic rocks (Proterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Undivided Early and Middle Proterozoic granitic rocks (units Xg and Yg). (1400-1800 Ma)

Lithology: granite; granodiorite; diorite; gneiss; pegmatite; migmatite; quartz diorite; tonalite; diabase; gabbro

Middle Proterozoic diabase (Middle Proterozoic) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Dark gray to black sills (intrusions mostly parallel to bedding) in strata of the Apache Group and irregular to sheet-like intrusions in other rocks. Present in east-central and southeastern Arizona. Some sills are more than 100 m thick. Exposures are extensive north of Globe. (1050-1150 Ma)

Lithology: diabase; anorthosite; aplite; troctolite; pegmatite; syenite

Mississippian, Devonian, and Cambrian sedimentary rocks (Cambrian, Devonian, and Mississippian) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Brown to dark gray sandstone grades upward into green and gray shale, overlain by light to medium gray or tan limestone and dolostone. This unit includes the Tapeats Sandstone, Bright Angel Shale, Muav Limestone, Temple Butte Formation and Redwall Limestone in northern Arizona, and the Bolsa Quartzite, Abrigo Formation, Martin Formation, and Escabrosa Limestone in southern Arizona. These rocks record intermittent sea-level rise and inundation in early Paleozoic time. (330-540 Ma)

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; mudstone; shale; chert; dolostone (dolomite); limestone; conglomerate; arkose; orthoquartzite

Early Pleistocene to late Miocene basin deposits (Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Poorly sorted, variably consolidated gravel and sand that range widely in age. These sediments are generally light gray or tan. This unit is generally mapped in areas of deep late Cenozoic stream incision and landscape degradation where thin Quaternary deposits (map units Qy, Qm, Qo) discontinuously blanket older deposits (map units Tsy or Tsm) and the two cannot be differentiated at the scale of this map. (0.75-10 Ma)

Lithology: gravel; sand; mud; silt

Middle Miocene to Oligocene sedimentary rocks (Oligocene to Middle Miocene) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Con-glomerate, sandstone, mudstone, limestone, and rock-avalanche breccia (sheet-like deposits of crushed rock) deposited and tilted during widespread normal faulting and basin development. Sediments, mostly conglomerate and sandstone, are commonly medium to dark brown, reddish brown, or brownish gray; younger strata are generally lighter colors. Most deposits are 20 to 30 Ma in southeastern Arizona and 15 to 25 Ma in central and western Arizona. (11-32 Ma)

Lithology: conglomerate; sandstone; sedimentary breccia; siltstone; limestone; mudstone; landslide

Holocene surficial deposits (Holocene) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Unconsolidated deposits associated with modern fluvial systems. This unit consists primarily of fine-grained, well-sorted sediment on alluvial plains, but also includes gravelly channel, terrace, and alluvial fan deposits on middle and upper piedmonts. (0-10 ka)

Lithology: sand; gravel; mud; silt

Middle Proterozoic sedimentary rocks (Middle Proterozoic) at surface, covers 16 % of this area

Red-brown shale and sandstone, buff to orange quartzite, limestone, basalt, black shale, and sparse conglomerate. This unit includes the Grand Canyon Supergroup, Apache Group, and Troy Quartzite. These rocks were deposited in shallow marine, coastal nonmarine, and fluvial settings. (700-1300)

Lithology: sandstone; limestone; arenite; argillite; arkose; basalt; chert; dolostone (dolomite); claystone; conglomerate; diabase; sedimentary breccia; arkose; mudstone; orthoquartzite; shale; siltstone; tholeiite; meta-conglomerate; phyllite; quartzite; schist

Early Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks (Early Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Metasedimentary rocks, mostly derived from sandstone and shale, with minor conglomerate and carbonate rock. Includes quartz-rich, mostly nonvolcanic Pinal Schist in southeastern Arizona and variably volcanic-lithic sedimentary rocks in the Yavapai and Tonto Basin supergroups in central Arizona. (1600-1800 Ma)

Lithology: phyllite; schist; quartzite; argillite; arkose; sandstone; iron formation; conglomerate; sandstone; gneiss; granofels; graywacke; mudstone; hornfels; metaconglomerate; migmatite; orthoquartzite; rhyolite; shale; siltstone; slate; wacke; diorite; amphibolite; greenschist; limestone; metarhyolite; diorite

Early Proterozoic metamorphic rocks (Early Proterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Undivided metasedimentary, metavolcanic, and gneissic rocks. (1600-1800 Ma)

Lithology: schist; gneiss; amphibolite; granofels; calc-silicate schist; granulite; greenschist; marble; diorite; gabbro; granite; granodiorite; metasedimentary rock; migmatite; phyllite; quartzite

Late to middle Miocene basaltic rocks (Middle to Late Miocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Mostly dark, mesa-forming basalt deposited as lava flows. Rocks of this unit are widely exposed south of Camp Verde (Hickey Formation basalts), in the Mohon Mountains north of Bagdad, "The Mesa" east of Parker, and at other scattered locations in western Arizona. Rocks of this unit were not tilted by middle-Tertiary normal faulting except in a narrow belt from north of Phoenix to the northwest corner of the state. (8-16 Ma)

Lithology: basalt; alkaline basalt; hawaiite; tholeiite; andesite; dacite; rhyolite; trachyandesite; trachybasalt; conglomerate; sandstone; sedimentary breccia

Permian sedimentary rocks (Permian) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Gray to tan, cherty limestone of Kaibab and Toroweap Formations, and underlying white to tan, fine-grained Coconino Sandstone. Limestone was deposited in a shallow sea, and sandstone was deposited in near-shore dunes and beach settings. (270-280 Ma)

Lithology: limestone; sandstone; gypsum; mudstone; dolostone (dolomite); orthoquartzite

Early Tertiary to Late Cretaceous granitic rocks (Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Porphyritic to equigranular granite to diorite emplaced during the Laramide orogeny. Larger plutons are characteristically medium-grained, biotite +/- hornblende granodiorite to granite. Smaller, shallow-level intrusions are typically porphyritic. Most of the large copper deposits in Arizona are associated with porphyritic granitic rocks of this unit, and are thus named 'porphyry copper deposits'. (50-82 Ma)

Lithology: granodiorite; granite; diorite; porphyry; quartz diorite; aplite; gabbro; pegmatite; skarn

Early Proterozoic quartzite (Early Proterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Brown to maroon, resistant quartzite and minor conglomerate of the Mazatzal Group, exposed primarily in the Payson area. (1650? -1700 Ma)

Lithology: conglomerate; orthoquartzite; shale; quartzite; siltstone

Middle Miocene to Oligocene volcanic rocks (Oligocene to Middle Miocene) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Lava, tuff, fine-grained intrusive rock, and diverse pyroclastic rocks. These compositionally variable volcanic rocks include basalt, andesite, dacite, and rhyolite. Thick felsic volcanic sequences form prominent cliffs and range fronts in the Black (Mohave County), Superstition, Kofa, Eagletail, Galiuro, and Chiricahua Mountains. This unit includes regionally extensive ash-flow tuffs, such as the Peach Springs tuff of northwestern Arizona and the Apache Leap tuff east of Phoenix. Most volcanic rocks are 20-30 Ma in southeastern Arizona and 15 to 25 Ma in central and western Arizona, but this unit includes some late Eocene rocks near the New Mexico border in east-central Arizona. (11-38 Ma)

Lithology: dacite; rhyolite; andesite; basalt; porphyry; diorite; granite; granodiorite; latite; trachybasalt; trachyte; conglomerate; sandstone; sedimentary breccia; serpentinite

Paleozoic sedimentary rocks (Paleozoic) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Undivided Paleozoic limestone, dolostone, quartzite, shale, and related sedimentary rocks. (248-544 Ma)

Lithology: limestone; sandstone; marble; gneiss; granofels; schist; gypsum; phyllite; quartzite; quartz-feldspar schist; schist; pelitic schist

Holocene to middle Pliocene basaltic rocks (Middle Pliocene to Holocene) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Mostly dark-colored basaltic lava and cinders young enough that some original volcanic landforms are still apparent. Includes a small amount of andesite, dacite, and rhyolite. Rocks of this map unit are largely restricted to six areas widely distributed in Arizona: San Francisco and Uinkaret volcanic fields in northern Arizona (0-4 Ma); Springerville (0-4 Ma) and San Carlos (0-2 Ma) volcanic fields in east-central Arizona; and San Bernardino (0-1 Ma) and Sentinel (1-4 Ma) volcanic fields in southern Arizona. Rocks of this unit are also present in the extreme southwestern part of Arizona where they were erupted at the edge of the Pinacate volcanic field (0-2 Ma) in northwestern Sonora. (0-4 Ma)

Lithology: alkaline basalt; basalt; andesite; hawaiite; trachyte; alkali rhyolite; dacite; latite; rhyolite; tholeiite; trachyandesite; conglomerate; sandstone; sedimentary breccia

Middle Miocene to Oligocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks, undivided (Oligocene to Middle Miocene) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Sequences of diverse volcanic rocks with abundant interbedded sedimentary rocks. (11-32 Ma)

Lithology: andesite; basalt; conglomerate; dacite; rhyolite; sandstone; sedimentary breccia; limestone; siltstone

Pliocene to middle Miocene volcanic rocks (Middle Miocene to Pliocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Rhyolite to andesite deposited as lava flows and related rocks associated with basaltic rocks of map units Tby and Tb. (2-12 Ma)

Lithology: rhyolite; dacite; andesite; alkaline basalt; basalt; conglomerate; sandstone; sedimentary breccia