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

Geologic units in Powell county, Montana

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Helena limestone (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Helena limestone: gray, unevenly laminated limestone, argillaceous and dolomitic; weathers light brown or yellow. Segregation structures and stromatolites are common. Distinguished only in general vicinity of Helena.

Lithology: carbonate; meta-conglomerate; quartzite

Pennsylvanian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Pennsylvanian, undifferentiated: in western Montana is mainly the Quadrant quartzite but includes limestone and other rocks of Pennsylvanian age so far as present data permit. Farther east other formations of Pennsylvanian or possible Pennsylvanian age are included.

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; carbonate; conglomerate; chert

Mississippian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian) at surface, covers 2 % 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

Ravalli group (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Ravalli group: a diverse assemblage with numerous subdivisions, only a few of which have been recognized over large enough areas to be distinguished here. Near Idaho the rocks are light colored and siliceous, ranging from pure white quartzite to siliceous shale, mostly in subdued tones of gray, green, purple, and red. Near Missoula the rocks are dark-gray quartzite and quartzitic argillite. In and near Glacier National Park the Grinnell, Appekunny, and Altyn formations are distinguished.

Lithology: meta-argillite; quartzite

Alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 18 % 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

Jurassic, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.8 % 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

Kootenai formation and associated rocks (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic Cretaceous-Early) at surface, covers 2 % 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

Tertiary sedimentary rocks, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Tertiary sedimentary rocks, undifferentiated: clastic deposits in western Montana, mostly in valleys, and in most places not divided into formations; mostly poorly consolidated gravel, sand, silt, and clay; includes some tuffaceous material and locally lenses of lignite and bentonite; a little hot spring tufa; and in areas not yet mapped in detail, lava may be included. These rocks were in part laid down in lakes but a large part was formed in streams and alluvial fans. These rocks are Tertiary in age and as now mapped may even include some beds of Cretaceous age. Some late Tertiary terrace deposits may be included.

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; coarse-grained mixed clastic; lava flow; ash-flow tuff; tuff; coal; bentonite; carbonate

Glacial drift (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

Glacial drift: morainal and outwash plain deposits of mountain glaciers; mainly ill-sorted and poorly rounded boulders, cobbles, pebbles, and sand; may include alluvium in places

Lithology: glacial drift; alluvium

Cretaceous volcanic rocks (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic Cenozoic | Cretaceous-Late Tertiary) at surface, covers 7 % 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

Glacial lake deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Glacial lake deposits: mainly silt; believed to have been deposited in lakes formed behind temporary dams of ice or morainal deposits

Lithology: glaciolacustrine

Permian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Permian, undifferentiated: chert, sandstone, limestone, quartzite, and shale with rock phosphate mostly at base; mainly Phosphoria formation

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; carbonate; chert; phosphorite; black shale; oil shale

Colorado shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Early Cretaceous-Middle(?) Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 5 % 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

Boulder batholith and broadly related stocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Cretaceous) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Boulder batholith and broadly related stocks: mainly quartz monzonite, but includes diorite, aplite, and other rocks. The distinctions between masses relative to the Boulder batholith and those mapped as of other ages are locally arbitrary and tentative.

Lithology: quartz monzonite; diorite; aplite

Diorite and gabbro (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous(?)) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Diorite and gabbro: dark, moderately fine grained rocks in sills, dikes, and irregular bodies; not readily distinguished from similar rocks of other ages. Hence in the less well-known areas errors in age assignment may remain. These rocks are assigned to the Cretaceous(?).

Lithology: diorite; gabbroid

Devonian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Devonian) at surface, covers 0.9 % 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

Newland limestone (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Newland limestone: dark bluish-gray argillaceous, dolomitic limestone with some argillite, locally schistose; segregation structures not conspicuous. In central and western Montana the Newland and Wallace formations have been treated as essentially synonymous terms by some authors.

Lithology: carbonate; meta-argillite; quartzite

Piegan group (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Piegan group: most of the Piegan group is subdivided into formations that are in part equivalent to each other. Where correlations are relatively doubtful the group designation is retained. Carbonate-bearing rocks predominate in the group, but the proportions and character of the impurities in these rocks and the relations to non-carbonate-bearing rocks vary from place to place.

Lithology: carbonate; meta-argillite; quartzite

Spokane shale (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Spokane shale: red or red-purple shale with numerous green beds locally and some quartzite; grades into the Empire above and the Greyson below and in some areas as mapped probably includes all or part of Empire and Greyson shales. The name has been used over a wide area in Montana, but in a strict sense can be used safely only in the general vicinity of Helena.

Lithology: meta-argillite; quartzite; limestone

Cambrian, undifferentiated (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Cambrian) at surface, covers 4 % 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

Tertiary volcanic rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 9 % 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

Missoula group (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 18 % of this area

Missoula group: chiefly red, maroon, or purple argillite; sandy or quartzitic argillite, and generally impure quartzite and limestone. The larger limestone masses are similar to the Siyeh limestone of the Piegan group. The Missoula group includes numerous named formations, most of which cannot be traced with confidence far from their type localities. Among these are the Marsh shale in the Helena region, the Striped Peak and Libby formations in northwestern Montana, five near Missoula, and others in and south of Glacier National Park.

Lithology: quartzite; meta-argillite; carbonate; meta-conglomerate