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

Geologic units in Mineral county, Nevada

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Phyllitc siltstone, quartzite, and lesser amounts of limestone and dolomite (Late Proterozoic to Early Cambrian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

PHYLLITIC SILTSTONE, QUARTZITE, AND LESSER AMOUNTS OF LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE-Includes Reed Dolomite; Deep Spring, Campito, Poleta, Harkless, and Saline Valley Formations; and Mule Spring Limestone

Lithology: siltstone; limestone; dolostone (dolomite); quartzite; sandstone

Basalt flows (Miocene to Quaternary) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

BASALT FLOWS-Locally includes maar deposits

Lithology: basalt; andesite; trachybasalt; latite; andesite

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

LANDSLIDE DEPOSITS

Lithology: landslide; colluvium; sedimentary rock

Shale, mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, and carbonate rock; sparse volcanic rock (Late Triassic to Early Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

SHALE, MUDSTONE, SILTSTONE, SANDSTONE, AND CARBONATE ROCK; SPARSE VOLCANIC ROCK (Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic)-Includes Auld Lang Syne Group, Nightingale sequence of Bonham (1969), and Gabbs and Sunrise Formations

Lithology: claystone; shale; sandstone; siltstone; carbonate; volcanic rock (aphanitic); conglomerate

Volcanogenic sedimentary rocks, tuff, andesite and felsitic flows, and carbonate rocks (Permian to Jurassic (?)) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

VOLCANOGENIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS, TUFF, ANDESITIC AND FELSITIC FLOWS, AND CARBONATE ROCKS-Age uncertain. Mineral, Esmeralda, and Northwest Nye Counties

Lithology: greenstone ; sandstone; volcanic rock (aphanitic); limestone; siltstone; conglomerate

Tuffaceous sedimentary rocks (Late Eocene to Late Miocene) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

TUFFACEOUS SEDIMENTARY ROCKS-Locally includes minor amounts of tuff

Lithology: sandstone; limestone; siltstone; conglomerate; mudstone; dolostone (dolomite); felsic volcanic rock; intermediate volcanic rock; mafic volcanic rock; tuff

Intrusive rocks of mafic and intermediate composition (Miocene to Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

INTRUSIVE ROCKS OF MAFIC AND INTERMEDIATE COMPOSITION

Lithology: andesite; rhyodacite; basalt; sedimentary rock

Siliceous and volcanic rocks (Ordovician to Devonian) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

SILICEOUS AND VOLCANIC ROCKS-Chert, shale, quartzite, greenstone, and minor amounts of limestone. Includes units such as Valmy Formation of north-central Nevada and some rocks mapped as Palmetto Formation in northern part of Esmeralda County and adjacent parts of Mineral and Nye Counties. Locally includes rocks of Silurian and Devonian age.

Lithology: chert; quartzite; shale; greenstone; limestone; conglomerate; siltstone; chemical

Shale, sandstone, volcanogenic clastic rocks, andesite, rhyolite, and locally thick carbonate units (Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

SHALE, SANDSTONE, VOLCANOGENIC CLASTIC ROCKS, ANDESITE, RHYOLITE, AND LOCALLY THICK CARBONATE UNITS-Undivided sequence locally containing recognizable equivalents of the Luning and Dunlap Formations

Lithology: rhyolite; andesite; dacite; trachyte; argillite; shale; sandstone; siltstone; carbonate; basalt

Andesite and related rocks of intermediate composition (Late Miocene to Middle Miocene) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

ANDESITE AND RELATED ROCKS OF INTERMEDIATE COMPOSITION-Flows and breccias

Lithology: andesite; latite; trachyte; dacite

Conglomerate, sandstone, shale, and dolomite of Diablo Formation below and shale, sandstone, and conglomerate of Candelaria Formation above (Early Permian to Early Triassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

CONGLOMERATE, SANDSTONE, SHALE, AND DOLOMITE OF DIABLO FORMATION BELOW AND SHALE, SANDSTONE, AND CONGLOMERATE OF CANDELARIA FORMATION ABOVE (Lower or Upper Permian to Lower Triassic)-Mineral, Esmeralda, and northwestern Nye Counties

Lithology: shale; siltstone; sandstone; dolostone (dolomite); limestone; conglomerate

Andesite and related rocks of intermediate composition (Early Oligocene to Early Miocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

ANDESITE AND RELATED ROCKS OF INTERMEDIATE COMPOSITION-Flows and breccias

Lithology: andesite; trachyte; dacite

Welded and nonwelded silicic ash-flow tuffs (Middle Miocene to Late Miocene) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

WELDED AND NONWELDED SILICIC ASH-FLOW TUFFS-Locally includes thin units of air-fall tuff and sedimentary rock

Lithology: rhyolite

Granitic rocks (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

GRANITIC ROCKS-Mostly quartz monzonite and granodiorite

Lithology: granodiorite; quartz monzonite; granite; peraluminous granite

Dunlap Formation (Early Jurassic to Middle Jurassic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

DUNLAP FORMATION (Lower and Middle Jurassic)-Conglomerate, sandstone, greenstone, felsite, and tuff. Locally contemporaneous with folding and thrusting. Mineral County and adjacent parts of Esmeralda and Nye Counties

Lithology: sandstone; conglomerate; volcanic rock (aphanitic); limestone; siltstone; shale

Intrusive rocks of mafic to intermediate composition (Eocene to Miocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

INTRUSIVE ROCKS OF MAFIC TO INTERMEDIATE COMPOSITION

Lithology: diorite; monzodiorite; quartz diorite; quartz monzogabbro; tonalite; gabbro

Rhyolitic flows and shallow intrusive rocks (Early Oligocene to Early Miocene) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

RHYOLITIC FLOWS AND SHALLOW INTRUSIVE ROCKS

Lithology: rhyolite; dacite; trachyte

Ash-flow tuffs, rhyolitic flows, and shallow intrusive rocks (Middle Miocene to Late Miocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

ASH-FLOW TUFFS, RHYOLITIC FLOWS, AND SHALLOW INTRUSIVE ROCKS

Lithology: rhyolite; dacite; trachyte

Alluvial deposits (Quaternary) at surface, covers 38 % of this area

ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS-Locally includes beach and sand dune deposits

Lithology: alluvium; mass wasting; dune sand; lake or marine deposit (non-glacial)

Rhyolitic flows and shallow intrusive rocks (Miocene to Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

RHYOLITIC FLOWS AND SHALLOW INTRUSIVE ROCKS

Lithology: rhyolite; trachybasalt; latite; dacite; trachyte

Rhyolitic intrusive rocks (Eocene to Miocene) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

RHYOLITIC INTRUSIVE ROCKS

Lithology: granitoid

Volcanic flows and flow breccias, chiefly of andesitic composition, tuffs, sparse sandstone and graywacke (Permian to Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

VOLCANIC FLOWS AND FLOW BRECCIAS, CHIEFLY OF ANDESITIC COMPOSITION, TUFFS, SPARSE SANDSTONE AND GRAYWACKE-Includes Happy Creek Volcanic Series and related rocks in Humboldt County and similar rocks in Washoe and Pershing Counties; includes andesite breccias and volcanogenic sedimentary rocks in Mineral County

Lithology: andesite; basalt; dacite; graywacke; sandstone; shale; chert; limestone; conglomerate

Limestone, minor amounts of dolomite, shale, and sandstone; locally thick conglomerate units (Triassic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

LIMESTONE, MINOR AMOUNTS OF DOLOMITE, SHALE, AND SANDSTONE; LOCALLY THICK CONGLOMERATE UNITS (Lower, Middle, and Upper Triassic)-Includes Tobin, Dixie Valley, Favret, Augusta Mountain, and Cane Spring Formations and Star Peak Group in central Nevada and Grantsville and Luning Formations in west-central Nevada

Lithology: limestone; dolostone (dolomite); shale; sandstone; conglomerate; siltstone; andesite; chert

Granitic rocks (Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

GRANITIC ROCKS-Mostly quartz monzonite and granodiorite

Lithology: quartz monzonite; granodiorite; granite; monzonite; quartz diorite; peraluminous granite

Welded and nonwelded silicic ash-flow tuffs (Early Oligocene to Early Miocene) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

WELDED AND NONWELDED SILICIC ASH-FLOW TUFFS-Locally includes thin units of air-fall tuff and sedimentary rock

Lithology: rhyolite; dacite; trachyte

Serpentinite (Late Devonian to Early Triassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

SERPENTINITE (Paleozoic)-Mineral, northwestern Nye, and eastern Humboldt counties

Lithology: serpentinite

Shale, chert, and minor amounts of quartzite, greenstone, and limestone (Ordovician) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

SHALE, CHERT, AND MINOR AMOUNTS OF QUARTZITE, GREENSTONE, AND LIMESTONE-Includes units such as Vinini Formation of north-central Nevada, Palmetto Formation in southern and central parts of Esmeralda County, and Comus Formation in Humboldt County. Locally includes rocks of Silurian and Devonian age.

Lithology: chert; shale; limestone; quartzite; andesite; siltstone; sandstone; chemical; greenstone; dolostone (dolomite)

Granitic rocks, western Nevada (Jurassic to Cretaceous) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

GRANITIC ROCKS, WESTERN NEVADA (Mesozoic)-Mostly quartz monzonite and granodiorite. Inconclusively dated or not dated radiometrically

Lithology: granodiorite; quartz monzonite; granite; quartz diorite; gabbro

Playa, marsh, and alluvial-flat deposits, locally eroded (Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

PLAYA, MARSH, AND ALLUVIAL-FLAT DEPOSITS, LOCALLY ERODED

Lithology: playa; alluvium

Rhyolitic flows and shallow intrusive rocks (Middle Miocene to Late Miocene) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

RHYOLITIC FLOWS AND SHALLOW INTRUSIVE ROCKS

Lithology: rhyolite; dacite; trachyte

Diorite (Jurassic to Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Lithology: diorite; quartz diorite; gabbro; granite; granodiorite; serpentinite

Sedimentary rocks (Pliocene to Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS-Mostly lake deposits

Lithology: lake or marine deposit (non-glacial); sedimentary rock

Andesite and basalt flows (Early Miocene to Early Pliocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

ANDESITE AND BASALT FLOWS-Mostly in about 17 to about 6 m.y. age range. In Humboldt County, locally includes rocks as old as 21 m.y. May include rocks younger than 6 m.y. in places

Lithology: basalt; andesite; shoshonite

Older alluvial deposits (Miocene to Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

OLDER ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS

Lithology: alluvium; lake or marine deposit (non-glacial)

Havallah sequence of Silberling and Roberts (1962) (Mississippian to Permian) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

HAVALLAH SEQUENCE OF SILBERLING AND ROBERTS (1962)-Chert, argillite, shale, greenstone, and minor amounts of siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate, and limestone. Includes Schoonover Formation of Fagan (1962) and Reservation Hill Formation in Elko County, Farrel Canyon Formation in southwestern Humboldt County, Havallah and Pumpernickel Formations in Pershing, Lander, and parts of Humboldt Counties, and rocks originally considered a part of the Pablo and Excelsior Formations in northern Nye, northern Esmeralda, and southern Mineral Counties. Assignment of some rocks to the Havallah sequence in the East Range, Pershing County, is highly uncertain. Includes rocks ranging in age from Late Mississippian to Early Permian

Lithology: shale; metavolcanic rock; chert; siltstone; sandstone; conglomerate; limestone