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

Geologic units in Cascade county, Montana

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Tertiary volcanic rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Tertiary volcanic rocks: Flows and associated pyroclastic deposits, with subordinate amounts of intercalated sedimentary beds and lignite. The volcanic material is mostly latite, quartz latite, and andesite but includes some rhyolite and basalt. The distinction between Tertiary and pre-Tertiary volcanic rocks was not made in some of the reports used in the complilation. Hence in the less well-known areas some pre-Tertiary volcanic rocks may be included.

Lithology: volcanic rock (aphanitic); mixed clastic/volcanic; coal

Cambrian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Cambrian) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Cambrian, undifferentiated: comprises Deadwood formation, in south-central Montana, and Red Lion formation, Dry Creek shale, Hasmark formation, Pilgrim limestone, Silver Hill formation, Park shale, Meagher limestone, Wolsey shale, Flathead quartzite, and other units. In a few places quartzite of Cambrian age may be mapped with the Belt series or quartzite of Belt age with the Cambrian rocks.

Lithology: carbonate; mudstone; sandstone; conglomerate

Eagle sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Eagle sandstone: sandstone and shaly sandstone with lignite beds in basal part of upper unit (Keu). The Virgelle sandstone member (Kvi) at base is distinguished where possible. Near Yellowstone National Park rocks incorrectly called Laramide in early reports and now regarded as roughly equivalent to the Eagle sandstone are tentatively mapped as Eagle sandstone.

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; coal

Colorado shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Early Cretaceous-Middle(?) Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 33 % of this area

Colorado shale: dark-gray shale and siltstone with many concretions and sandy units. Includes equivalents of Fall River, Skull Creek, Newcastle, Mowry, Belle Fourche, Greenhorn, Carlile, and Niobrara formations, and locally Telegraph Creek formation. In the less well-known areas beds of other ages may have been included.

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic

Devonian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Devonian) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Devonian, undifferentiated: comprises Three Forks formation consisting of carbonaceous and calcareous shale with some sandstone and limestone, Jefferson limestone, and unnamed units of Devonian age.

Lithology: carbonate; fine-grained mixed clastic; conglomerate; sedimentary breccia; evaporite

Cretaceous volcanic rocks (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic Cenozoic | Cretaceous-Late Tertiary) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Cretaceous volcanic rocks: flows and pyroclastic rocks, mainly of intermediate composition with subordinate amounts of interbedded sedimentary rocks. Some of the rocks have been regarded as belonging to the Livingston formation, but this usage is not adopted here. Where data are inadequate for separation, some Tertiary volcanic rocks may be mapped with the Cretaceous volcanic rocks.

Lithology: volcanic rock (aphanitic); fine-grained mixed clastic

Jurassic, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Jurassic, undifferentiated: calcareous shale and sandstone; includes the Morrison formation, the Ellis group, Sundance formation, and other rocks of Jurassic age.

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone; evaporite

Chamberlain shale (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Chamberlain shale: dark-gray siliceous and locally arenaceous shale; shown only in Little Belt Mountain region, where it is regarded as the sole unit that can be correlated with the Ravalli group.

Lithology: meta-argillite

Kootenai formation and associated rocks (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic Cretaceous-Early) at surface, covers 23 % of this area

Kootenai formation and associated rocks: conglomerate, sandstone, shale, and mudstone; purplish and green beds are common; mainly the Kootenai; in southern Montana includes strata that have been mapped as Cloverly formation. Includes Second Cat Creek and Third Cat Creek sands of drillers in central part of State; Sunburst sand of drillers in north-central part; and Cut Bank sand of drillers in western part. As here mapped, may locally include thin units of Jurassic age.

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; mudstone; limestone

Two Medicine formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Two Medicine formation: greenish-gray clay with local nodular limestone and crossbedded sandstone; locally some coal in lower part. Rocks equivalent to Judith River formation, Claggett formation, and upper part of Eagle sandstone are included in this unit.

Lithology: clastic; volcanic rock (aphanitic); limestone; bentonite

Eagle sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Eagle sandstone: sandstone and shaly sandstone with lignite beds in basal part of upper unit (Keu). The Virgelle sandstone member (Kvi) at base is distinguished where possible. Near Yellowstone National Park rocks incorrectly called Laramide in early reports and now regarded as roughly equivalent to the Eagle sandstone are tentatively mapped as Eagle sandstone. Gray to buff massive cliff-forming sandstone with iron stained concretions in the upper part. In western Montana the Virgelle is a formation and in central Montana it is the basal member of the Eagle sandstone.

Lithology: sandstone; siltstone

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

Alluvium: mainly valley fill consisting of silt, sand, and gravel; includes some terrace deposits and glacial drift of Pleistocene age in some areas; locally includes hot spring tufa. The older part of the alluvium, where present, is probably of Pliocene age.

Lithology: alluvium; glacial drift; carbonate

Tertiary coarse-grained intrusive rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Tertiary coarse-grained rocks: Some of these rocks have the composition of quartz diorite, monzonite, and similar rocks but most are alkalic syenite, leucite-rich rocks, and other alkalic varieties. Some of the rocks that are associated areally with the Cretaceous volcanic rocks may be Cretaceous in age. Includes the larger intrusive masses in the eastern part of western Montana and the western part of eastern Montana, most of which have domed upper surfaces. Many of these masses have been regarded as laccoliths, but generally without adequate proof. The Boulder batholith and related stocks are mapped separately.

Lithology: alkalic intrusive rock

Terrace deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Terrace deposits: gravel, sand, and silt of terrace remnants.

Lithology: alluvial terrace

Mississippian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian) at surface, covers 12 % of this area

Mississippian, undifferentiated: sandstone, shale, and limestone, in part dolomitic, with chert nodules, some quartzite; includes Big Snowy group in central part of State, Madison group in central and southwestern parts; and Hannan and Brazer limestones in the northwestern part; may include small amounts of Pennsylvanian rocks in areas where stratigraphic studies are incomplete.

Lithology: carbonate; fine-grained mixed clastic; medium-grained mixed clastic; chert

Pre-Belt gneiss, schist, and related rocks (Archean Proterozoic(?) preCambrian-Proterozoic(?) preCambrian(?) Phanerozoic | Paleozoic(?) Mesozoic(?) Cenozoic | Cambrian(?) Ordovician(?) Silurian(?) Devonian(?) Carboniferous(?) Permian(?) Triassic(?) Jurassic(?) Cretaceous(?) Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Pre-Belt gneiss, schist, and related rocks: comprises all the rocks older than the Belt series except the Stillwater complex. These include the Cherry Creek group, consisting of interlaminated gneiss, schist, marble, and quartzite; and the Pony series of Tansley and others, consisting of gneiss and schist of both sedimentary and igneous origin. Recent work has resulted in the distinction of small masses of granitic and injected rocks now regarded as resulting from intrusion in Cretaceous or Tertiary time. Other such masses may have escaped recognition.

Lithology: metamorphic rock; plutonic rock (phaneritic)

Neihart quartzite (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Neihart quartzite: reddish coarse-grained sandstone or quartzite with interbedded dark-green sandstone and shale; rocks near Philipsburg that were formerly doubtfully correlated with the Neihart are here mapped with the Prichard. Near Neihart the formation rests on gneiss of pre-Belt age. Age relations between the Neihart and the Prichard are unknown.

Lithology: quartzite; argillite

Empire shale (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Empire shale: green dense, laminated shale with some red beds. Distinguished only in general vicinity of Helena.

Lithology: meta-argillite; quartzite; carbonate