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

Geologic units in Tuolumne county, California

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Paleozoic marine rocks, undivided, unit 3 (Eastern Sierra Nevada) (Late Proterozoic(?) to Mesozoic(?)) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Undivided Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks. Includes slate, sandstone, shale, chert, conglomerate, limestone, dolomite, marble, phyllite, schist, hornfels, and quartzite

Lithology: hornfels; quartzite; conglomerate; phyllite; schist; marble; chert; argillite; sandstone

pre-Cenozoic granitic and metamorphic rocks undivided (Early Proterozoic to Late Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Granitic and metamorphic rocks, mostly gneiss and other metamorphic rocks injected by granitic rocks. Mesozoic to Precambrian.

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic); gneiss; metasedimentary rock; metavolcanic rock

Quaternary volcanic flow rocks, unit 6 (Sierra Nevada) (Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Quaternary volcanic flow rocks; minor pyroclastic deposits; in part Pliocene and Miocene.

Lithology: basalt; andesite

Paleozoic metavolcanic rocks, unit 5 (Mono Lake) (Triassic to Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Undivided Paleozoic metavolcanic rocks. Mostly flows, breccia and tuff, including greenstone, diabase, and pillow lavas; minor interbedded sedimentary rocks

Lithology: intermediate volcanic rock; felsic volcanic rock; mafic volcanic rock; sandstone; marble; conglomerate; shale

Carboniferous marine rocks, unit 8 (Mono Lake) (Ordovician to Devonian) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Shale, sandstone, conglomerate, limestone, dolomite, chert, hornfels, marble, quartzite; in part pyroclastic rocks

Lithology: argillite; chert; hornfels; sandstone

Permian marine sedimentary rocks, unit 1 (Death Valley and Mojave Desert) (Pennsylvanian to Triassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Shale, conglomerate, limestone and dolomite, sandstone, slate, hornfels, quartzite; minor pyroclastic rocks

Lithology: limestone; sandstone; hornfels; conglomerate; marble; mudstone

Tertiary volcanic flow rocks, unit 17 (Cascade Range) (Tertiary (2-24 Ma)) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Tertiary volcanic flow rocks; minor pyroclastic deposits.

Lithology: andesite; basalt; rhyolite; dacite; volcanic breccia (agglomerate)

pre-Cenozoic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks undivided (Early Proterozoic to Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Undivided pre-Cenozoic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of great variety. Mostly slate, quartzite, hornfels, chert, phyllite, mylonite, schist, gneiss, and minor marble.

Lithology: schist; gneiss; quartzite; argillite; phyllite; metavolcanic rock; slate; hornfels; marble; chert; sandstone; mudstone; conglomerate

Jurassic marine rocks, unit 1 (Western Sierra Nevada and Western Klamath Mountains) (Triassic to Late Jurassic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Shale, sandstone, minor conglomerate, chert, slate, limestone; minor pyroclastic rocks

Lithology: slate; graywacke; siltstone; pyroclastic; conglomerate; chert; basalt

Tertiary pyroclastic and volcanic mudflow deposits, unit 9 (Cascade Range) (Tertiary (2-24 Ma)) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Tertiary pyroclastic and volcanic mudflow deposits.

Lithology: andesite; rhyolite; basalt; tuff; ash-flow tuff; ignimbrite

Mesozoic granitic rocks, unit 3 (Sierra Nevada, Death Valley area, Northern Mojave Desert and Transverse Ranges) (Permian to Tertiary; most Mesozoic) at surface, covers 55 % of this area

Mesozoic granite, quartz monzonite, granodiorite, and quartz diorite

Lithology: granodiorite; quartz monzonite; tonalite; quartz diorite; diorite; granite; monzodiorite; quartz syenite; quartz monzodiorite; gabbro; trondhjemite; alkali-granite (alaskite); pegmatite; monzonite; aplite

Undivided pre-Cenozoic metavolcanic rocks, unit 2 (undivided) (Paleozoic(?) to Mesozoic(?)) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Undivided pre-Cenozoic metavolcanic rocks. Includes latite, dacite, tuff, and greenstone; commonly schistose.

Lithology: intermediate volcanic rock; mafic volcanic rock; felsic volcanic rock; greenstone; amphibolite; gabbro

Tertiary intrusive rocks (hypabyssal), unit 1 (Cascades Volcanic Field) (Tertiary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Tertiary intrusive rocks; mostly shallow (hypabyssal) plugs and dikes. Includes some Mesozoic rocks.

Lithology: andesite; basalt; rhyolite; dacite

Paleozoic marine rocks, undivided, unit 4 (Western Sierra Nevada) (Ordovician to Triassic) at surface, covers 14 % of this area

Undivided Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks. Includes slate, sandstone, shale, chert, conglomerate, limestone, dolomite, marble, phyllite, schist, hornfels, and quartzite

Lithology: argillite; quartzite; phyllite; schist; marble; mudstone; sandstone; conglomerate; sedimentary breccia; limestone; chert; basalt

Eocene marine rocks (Paleocene to Oligocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Shale, sandstone, conglomerate, and minor limestone; in part Oligocene and Paleocene.

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

Mesozoic volcanic rocks, unit 2 (Western Sierra Foothills and Western Klamath Mountains) (Jurassic) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Undivided Mesozoic volcanic and metavolcanic rocks. Andesite and rhyolite flow rocks, greenstone, volcanic breccia and other pyroclastic rocks; in part strongly metamorphosed. Includes volcanic rocks of Franciscan Complex: basaltic pillow lava, diabase, greenstone, and minor pyroclastic rocks

Lithology: mafic volcanic rock; intermediate volcanic rock; felsic volcanic rock; chert; sandstone; conglomerate

Mesozoic volcanic rocks, unit 3 (Mojave Desert, Death Valley area, and Eastern Sierra Nevada) (Triassic to Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Undivided Mesozoic volcanic and metavolcanic rocks. Andesite and rhyolite flow rocks, greenstone, volcanic breccia and other pyroclastic rocks; in part strongly metamorphosed. Includes volcanic rocks of Franciscan Complex: basaltic pillow lava, diabase, greenstone, and minor pyroclastic rocks

Lithology: felsic volcanic rock; intermediate volcanic rock; basalt; clastic; limestone

Quaternary glacial deposits (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Glacial till and moraines. Found at high elevations mostly in the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains.

Lithology: glacial drift

Limestone of probable Paleozoic or Mesozoic age (Paleozoic to Mesozoic) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Limestone, dolomite, and marble whose age is uncertain but probably Paleozoic or Mesozoic

Lithology: limestone; marble; dolostone (dolomite)

Ultramafic rocks, chiefly Mesozoic, unit 2 (Western Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains) (Late Proterozoic(?) to Early Jurassic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Ultramafic rocks, mostly serpentine. Minor peridotite, gabbro, and diabase. Chiefly Mesozoic unit 2

Lithology: peridotite; serpentinite; pyroxenite

Mesozoic gabbroic rocks, unit 2 (undivided) (Triassic to Cretaceous) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Gabbro and dark dioritic rocks; chiefly Mesozoic

Lithology: gabbro; diorite

Plio-Pleistocene and Pliocene loosely consolidated deposits (Miocene to Pleistocene) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Pliocene and/or Pleistocene sandstone, shale, and gravel deposits; in part Miocene.

Lithology: sandstone; conglomerate; claystone; shale; siltstone; limestone; evaporite; coal; sedimentary breccia