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

Geologic units in McCone county, Montana

Hell Creek formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic Cenozoic | Cretaceous-Late Tertiary | Paleocene) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Hell Creek formation: somber-gray sandstone and greenish shaly clay and mudstone containing dinosaur bones; a few thin lignite and subbituminous coal beds.

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; coal

Fox Hill sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Fox Hills sandstone: Typically shaly sandstone grading upward into massive brownish sandstone with white sandstone of the Colgate member locally at top.

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone

Bearpaw shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Bearpaw shale: Dark-gray and brownish clay shale; thick units of nonfissile bentonitic shale; calcareous and ferruginous concretions throughout; contains some thick bentonite beds.

Lithology: shale; sandstone; bentonite

Fort Union formation (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Cretaceous-Late | Paleocene) at surface, covers 70 % of this area

Fort Union formation: Clay shale, siltstone, and sandstone; local lenses of impure limestone, and numerous lignitic beds; contains Tertiary plant and animal fossils but no dinosaurs; base generally placed at the lowest of the succession of lignite beds within it; includes the Tongue River member, Lebo shale member, and Tullock member.

Lithology: shale; siltstone; sandstone; coal; limestone

Alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 8 % 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