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

Geologic units in Pend Oreille county, Washington

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Cambrian quartzite (Cambrian) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Gritstone with conglomerate in lower part and gray, white, and buff platy quartzite in upper part grading upward into phyllite; northern Pend Oreille County. Light-gray, platy, medium- to thick-bedded quartzite in upper part and darker impure quartzite with some interbedded argillite or phyllite in lower part; north-central Stevens County. White, gray, and reddish, medium- to thick-bedded quartzite in lower part and thin interbeds of quartzite and argillite in upper part, with very low Lower Cambrian fossils (Nevadia, Hyolthellus, and three genera of brachipods) near base of upper part; Addy district of central Stevens County. Thick argillite and thin quartzite units form an uppermost zone in southwestern Stevens County. Conspicuous phyllite units near base in north-central Lincoln County.

Lithology: quartzite; sandstone; conglomerate; phyllite; schist; slate; argillite

Precambrian volcanic rocks (Late-Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Mostly homogenous schistose greenstone; in places massive, mottled, and containing conspicuous calcite and epidote. Tuffaceous chlorite schist in upper part in northern Pend Oreille County. Amphibolite and plagioclase amphibolite in Little Pend Oreille Lakes district. Massive to sheared or schistose greenstone with dark-green ovoid spots; agglomeratic and amygodaloidal in places; sheared pillows near Blue Creek, central Stevens County; minor intrusive phase and probable center of eruption west of Finch magnesite quarry; central to southwestern Stevens County.

Lithology: greenstone; amphibolite; greenschist; gneiss; conglomerate

Cambrian limestone and dolomite (Early Cambrian-Middle Ordovician) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Mostly massive dolomite, with a basal unit of gray to dark-gray limestone interbedded with limy shale, and an upper unit of fine-grained massive limestone with some marble; Pend Oreille and northern and central Stevens Counties. Three-fold division less evident in Colville area. Dolomite, with minor basal unit of interbedded limestone and phyllite in the Addy-Dunn Mountain area of Stevens County. Marble, dolomite, limestone, and limy slate in Hunters' district. Dolomitic marble in southern Stevens and northern Lincoln Counties. Middle Cambrian fossils near base in Metaline district, and Bathyuriscus-Elrathina fauna in lower unit in Leadpoint district. Phosphatic brachiopods in upper unit in Leadpoint district tentatively assigned to Middle and Upper Cambrian.

Lithology: limestone; dolostone (dolomite); shale; marble; phyllite; conglomerate; sedimentary breccia; argillite

Glacial drift, undivided (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 31 % of this area

Glacial and glaciofluvial sand, gravel, and till; includes alpine glacier outwash and till as well as some Recent alluvium.

Lithology: glacial drift; till; outwash; alluvium

Meta-conglomerate mafic metavolcanic rocks, siltite, argillite, and limestone; Late Proterozoic rifted continental margin; northwestern Idaho (Late Proterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Younger Precambrian mafic volcanic flows and conglomerates of northern Idaho.

Lithology: meta-conglomerate; mafic metavolcanic rock; siltstone; meta-argillite; limestone

Precambrian rocks, undivided (Proterozoic) at surface, covers 17 % of this area

Predominantly phyllite with some schist, limestone, dolomite, quartzite, and volcanic rocks; northeastern Pend Oreille County. Mainly quartzite sandstone in upper part, dark-gray argillite with sandstone and limestone in middle part, and sandstone with argillite in lower part; southeastern Pend Oreille County. Banded slate with quartzite and dolomite; southwestern Stevens County. Quartzite, siliceous argillite, and argilliceous quartzite grading into argillite and quartz-mica schists form south ot north; southeastern Stevens County. Quartzite, argillite, quartz-feldspar gneiss, and other metamorphic rocks in northeastern Whitman and southeastern Spokane Counties are partly if not all extenstions of the Belt strata.

Lithology: argillite; siltstone; quartzite; dolostone; phyllite; limestone; gneiss; schist; sandstone

Precambrian intrusive rocks (Middle Proterozoic(?)) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Dark-gray diorite sills from 3 to 1200 feet thick. Confined to Bead Lake district, southeastern Pend Oreille County. Tentatively assigned to the Precambrian.

Lithology: diorite

Ordovician rocks (Middle Ordovician) at surface, covers 0.8 % of this area

Mainly black to gray slate or slaty argillite, argillite, black to dark-gray siltstone in north-central Stevens County and grayish olive-green silty argillite in west-central Stevens County. Many occurrences of Early and Middle Ordovician graptolites; also rare conodonts.

Lithology: argillite; slate; siltstone; quartzite; limestone; phyllite; greenstone

Tertiary nonmarine rocks, undivided (Tertiary; mostly Eocene) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Sandstone, shale, conglomerate, agglomerate, and tuff; includes some lava flows. Massive conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and ferruginous shale in northwestern Whatcom County.

Lithology: conglomerate; tuff; sandstone; shale; volcanic breccia (agglomerate); lava flow; claystone; siltstone

Mesozoic granitic rocks, undivided (Mostly Cretaceous-Jurassic) at surface, covers 24 % of this area

Granite, quartz monzonite, quartz diorite, granodiorite, and trondhjemite. Includes diorite in southeastern Washington; diorite and gabbro near Concunully in Okanogan County; gneiss, schist, and migmatites in areas of Chelan, Colville, and Okanogan batholiths. Includes high-grade metamorphic rocks of Precambrian age in Spokane area.

Lithology: granite; granodiorite; quartz monzonite; tonalite; orthogneiss; trondhjemite; quartz diorite; diorite; gabbro; schist; migmatite; syenite

Precambrian conglomerate (Late-Proterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Gray-brown, coarse, poorly sorted pebbles and cobbles of limestone, dolomite, reddish-brown quartzite, black slate or phyllite, and rarely granitic rocks in a gray sandy phyllite matrix; northeastern Pend Oreille County and southwestern Stevens County. Rocks become finer grained and more schistose and the unit becomes thicker toward the southwest, where there is included an isolated subunit which may be a tillite, consisting of cobbles, boulders, and blocks of argillite and carbonate rocks in a fine silty matrix.

Lithology: conglomerate; meta-conglomerate; phyllite; dolostone (dolomite); greenstone; sandstone; schist; quartzite

Alluvium (Holocene) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Mostly unconsolidated silt, sand, and gravel valley fill with some clay; includes low-level terrace, marsh, peat, artificial fill, and glacial deposits locally.

Lithology: alluvium; alluvial terrace; peat; glacial drift

Cambrian phyllite (Cambrian) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Predominantly gray-green, banded phyllite, some sericite schist, abundant thin beds of quartzite, especially in lower part of unit, and limestone in upper part; northern Pend Oreille County. Much the same lithology but more conspicuous subunits of quartzite, limestone, and schist in northeastern Stevens County. Gray phyllite, greenish argillite, andalusite schist, minor inerbedded quartzite and siliceous dolomite, especially in lower part, and much gray limestone in upper part; north-central Stevens County. Limestone bed in lower part of unit contains Lower Cambrian fossils (Archaeocyathus).

Lithology: phyllite; quartzite ; limestone; schist; marble; argillite; dolostone (dolomite)

Tertiary volcanic rocks, undivided (Mostly Oligocene-Eocene) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Includes andesite, basalt, and rhyolite flows, and associated pyroclastic rocks. In isolated areas across the northern part of the State.

Lithology: andesite; dacite; rhyolite

Glaciolacustrine deposits (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Fine-grained sand and silt, well-stratified, with some gravel, clay, and diatomaceous earth. Contains clastic dikes in Walla Walla area.

Lithology: glaciolacustrine; alluvium; volcanic ash

Silurian-Devonian rocks (Silurian-Devonian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Mainly black argillite; some limestone, thin beds of conglomerate, sandstone, quartzite, and dolomite. Rocks confined to northwestern Pend Oreille County and adjacent Stevens County. Silurian age based on Monograptus and corals of several unusual genera; Devonian age based on coral fauna.

Lithology: metasedimentary rock; conglomerate; slate

Precambrian (?) phyllite (Cambrian-Precambrian boundary) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Mostly phyllite with interbedded carbonate rocks, quartzite, and gritstone; some tufflike beds and conglomerate at the base. Rocks confined to northeastern Pend Oreille County and central Stevens County.

Lithology: phyllite; quartzite; argillite; conglomerate; limestone; sandstone; greenstone; marble; siltstone