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

Geologic units in Mesa county, Colorado

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Jurassic (1) sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Middle to Late Jurassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; limestone; evaporite

Triassic and Jurassic sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Early Jurassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; limestone

Granitic rocks of 1400- and 1700-m.y. age groups, undivided, or, in Taylor River region, rocks with characteristics of Xg but U-Th-Pb zircon ages of Yg (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Granitic rocks of 1400- and 1700-m.y. age groups, undivided, or, in Taylor River region, rocks with characteristics of Xg but U-Th-Pb zircon ages of Yg

Lithology: granitoid

Gravels and alluviums (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Includes Broadway and Louviers Alluviums

Lithology: gravel; alluvium

Mancos Shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 13 % of this area

In northwest and west-central: Intertongues complexly with units of overlying Mesaverde Group or Fm; lower part consists of a calcareous Niobrara equivalent and Frontier Sandstone and Mowry Shale Members; in areas where the Frontie

Lithology: shale; sandstone

Dakota Sandstone and Burro Canyon Fm (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. In northwest and west-central: Lower Cretaceous. In southwest: Lower and Upper Cretaceous.

Lithology: sandstone; shale; conglomerate

Mesaverde Group or Fm--Upper part (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

In Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties, sandstone, shale, and coal beds above Sego Sandstone. Along Grand Hogback south of Colorado River, sandstone and shale above coal-bearing sequence

Lithology: sandstone; shale; coal

Ancient alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

In isolated patches that may not all be of the same age

Lithology: alluvium

Hermosa Fm (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Arkosic sandstone, conglomerate, shale, and limestone; gypsum and salt in Paradox Member present in salt anticlines near Utah border

Lithology: sandstone; conglomerate; shale; limestone; evaporite

Glacial drift (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Includes some unclassified glacial deposits

Lithology: glacial drift

Older Precambrian metamorphic rocks in southeastern Utah (Precambrian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: metamorphic rock; plutonic rock (phaneritic); mudstone

Permian (1) sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Pennsylvanian to Early Permian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: sandstone; fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone

Glen Canyon Group and Chinle Fm (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic Jurassic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

In southwest, Glen Canyon Group consists of Navajo Sandstone, Kayenta Fm (red siltstone, shale, and sandstone) and Wingate Sandstone; Chinle is red siltstone

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; shale

Middle Tertiary intrusive rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Intermediate to felsic compositions

Lithology: plutonic rock (phanerit

Older Quaternary alluvial deposits (Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: alluvium

Uinta Fm (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Sandstone and siltstone; in Piceance basin. Formerly Evacuation Creek Member of Green River Fm

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone

Green River Fm (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Marlstone, sandstone, and oil shale

Lithology: mudstone; shale; sandstone

Basalt flows and associated tuff, breccia, and conglomerate of late-volcanic bimodal suite (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Includes basalts of Hinsdale Fm in San Juan Mountains - Servilleta Fm in San Luis Valley and many other occurrences

Lithology: basalt; tuff; volcanic breccia (agglomerate); conglomerate

Green River Fm--Parachute Creek Member (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.8 % of this area

Parachute Creek Member--Oil shale, marlstone, and siltstone; in Piceance basin

Lithology: mudstone; shale; oil shale

Triassic (2) sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Late Triassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: mudstone; sandstone; siltstone; conglomerate; limestone

Granitic rocks of 1400-m.y. age group (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Includes Silver Plume, Sherman, Cripple Creek, St. Kevin, Vernal Mesa, Curecanti, Eolus, and Trimble Granites or Quartz Monzonites; also, San Isabel Granite of Boyer (1962) and unnamed granitic rocks

Lithology: granite; granodiorite; quartz monzonite

Eolian deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Includes dune sand and silt and Peoria Loess

Lithology: dune sand; silt; loess

Morrison Fm, Summerville Fm, and Entrada Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 17 % of this area

Summerville Fm: Shale and siltstone

Lithology: mudstone; sandstone

Green River Fm--Lower Part (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Shale, sandstone, marlstone, and limestone in Anvil Points, Garden Gulch, and Douglas Creek Members; in Piceance basin

Lithology: mudstone; shale; sandstone

Landslide deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Locally includes talus, rock-glacier, and thick colluvial deposits

Lithology: landslide; talus; colluvium

Older gravels and alluviums (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Includes Slocum, Verdos, Rocky Flats, and Nussbaum Alluviums in east, and Florida, Bridgetimber, and Bayfield Gravels in southwest

Lithology: gravel; alluvium

Cutler Fm (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Arkosic sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerate

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; conglomerate

Jurassic (2) sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Late Jurassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: shale; sandstone; conglomerate

Quaternary eolian deposits (Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: eolian

Hunter Canyon Fm (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Sandstone and shale

Lithology: sandstone; shale

Wingate Sandstone and Chinle Fm (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; conglomerate

Quaternary alluvium and colluvium (Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: alluvium; colluvium

Mount Garfield Fm and Sego Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Sandstone and shale; major coal beds in lower part of Mount Garfield

Lithology: sandstone; shale; coal

Granitic rocks of 1700-m.y. age group (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Includes Boulder Creek -M.Y. AGE GROUP (AGE 1650-1730 M.Y.)--Includes Boulder Creek, Cross Creek, Denny Creek, Kroenke, Browns Pass, Powderhorn, Pitts Meadow, Bakers Bridge, and Tenmile Granites, Quartz Monzonites, or Granodiorites;

Lithology: granite; granodiorite; quartz monzonite

Moenkopi Fm and Cutler Fm (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic Mesozoic | Permian Triassic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Red siltstone and sandstone

Lithology: siltstone; sandstone

Biotitic gneiss, schist, and migmatite (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Locally contains minor hornblende gneiss, calc-silicate rock, quartzite, and marble. Derived principally from sedimentary rocks

Lithology: biotite gneiss; schist; migmatite; quartzite; marble

Mesaverde Fm, undivided (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

In northwest and west-central: Major coal beds in lower part; Rollins Sandstone Member at base in Delta, Gunnison, and Pitkin Counties. In southwest: sandstone and shale.

Lithology: sandstone; shale; coal

Cretaceous (1) sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: sandstone; shale

Wasatch Fm (including Fort Union equivalent at base) and Ohio Creek Fm (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 13 % of this area

Claystone, mudstone, sandstone, and conglomerate

Lithology: mudstone; sandstone; shale; conglomerate

Cretaceous (2) sedimentary rocks in southeastern Utah (Late Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Lithology: shale; sandstone; limestone

Kayenta Fm, Wingate Sandstone, and Chinle Fm (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Kayenta Fm: red siltstone, shale, and sandstone. Chinle Fm: red siltstone and sandstone

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone; shale

Modern alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Includes Piney Creek Alluvium and younger deposits

Lithology: alluvium