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

Geologic units in Snohomish county, Washington

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Upper Tertiary volcanic rocks, undivided (Miocene-Oligocene) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Mostly massive andesite flows, flow breccia, and pyroclastic material; includes some basalt flows and sedimentary rocks.

Lithology: dacite; andesite; rhyolite; sandstone; siltstone; conglomerate

Oligocene nonmarine rocks (Oligocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Andesite conglomerate, tuff beds, and mudflow material. Includes some interbedded andesite flows in Columbia River Gorge. Lake sediments with Oligocene flora in Republic area in Ferry County. Massive tuffaceous sandstone and siltstone with beds of coal and high-alumina clay in Castle Rock-Toledo coal district in Cowlitz and Lewis Counties; include local interbedded basalt flows and some marine and late Eocene rocks.

Lithology: conglomerate; tuff; breccia; sandstone; siltstone; coal; clay or mud; basalt; andesite

Eocene-Oligocene volcanic rocks (Eocene-Oligocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Predominantly light-green, bedded andesite breccia with interbedded andesite and basalt flows, mudflows, and tuff beds; becomes more tuffaceous near top of unit. Includes tuffaceous and arkosic sandstone, shale, and carbonaceous shale beds in central and southern Cascade Mountians. Rhyodacite and quartz latite flows in northwestern Ferry County.

Lithology: andesite; dacite; basalt; mudflow; tuff; arkose; shale; rhyodacite; quartz latite

Tertiary volcanic rocks, undivided (Mostly Oligocene-Eocene) at surface, covers 0.2 % 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

Tertiary granitic rocks (Probably mostly Eocene; ranges from Miocene to Paleocene) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

Granite, quartz monzonite, quartz diorite, granodiorite, and trondhjemite. Includes dacite porphyry and granite breccia near Bumping Lake, Yakima County.

Lithology: granodiorite; granite; quartz monzonite; quartz diorite; tonalite; trondhjemite; dacite; andesite; rhyolite; gabbro

Pre-Tertiary sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks, undivided (Mostly Early Cretaceous to Middle Jurassic, possibly includes minor Eocene rocks) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Graywacke, argillite, phyllite, chert, talc, and graphite schist; some faulted-in blocks of serpentinite and greenstone. Includes minor limestone on San Juan Island.

Lithology: graywacke; greenstone; phyllite; argillite; serpentinite; metasedimentary rock; mudstone; schist; chert; talc; basalt; dacite; marble; hornfels

Mesozoic granitic rocks, undivided (Mostly Cretaceous-Jurassic) at surface, covers 1 % 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

Basic intrusive rocks, undivided (Jurassic in central Cascades; Oligocene to Eocene in northern Cascades) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Predominantly gabbro; includes some serpentine. Age undetermined.

Lithology: gabbro; diorite; serpentinite

Pre-Middle Jurassic sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Late Paleozoic deposition? with Cretaceous metamorphism?) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Sedimentary and volcanic rocks, undivided. Graywacke, argillite, slate, greenstone, and spilitic volcanic rocks.

Lithology: chert; metavolcanic rock; argillite; graywacke; metasedimentary rock; quartzite; conglomerate

Alluvium (Holocene) at surface, covers 8 % 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

Pre-Upper Jurassic gneiss (Mostly Cretaceous) at surface, covers 10 % of this area

Biotite, quartz diorite, trondhjemite, and hornblende gneisses, many of which are migmatitic; includes small granitic bodies locally. Small areas of mica schist, marble, amphibolite, and lime-silicate rocks in Entiat Mountains area of Chelan County.

Lithology: biotite gneiss; orthogneiss; migmatite; schist; marble; amphibolite; quartzite; phyllite; greenschist; granite

Pre-Middle Jurassic sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Jurassic) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Predominantly sedimentary rocks. Graywacke, argillite, and slate; includes minor marble, siltstone, arkose, conglomerate, ribbon cherts, and volcanic rocks.

Lithology: argillite; graywacke; phyllite; chert; greenstone; conglomerate; marble

Permian rocks (Permian-Triassic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Conglomerate, graywacke, siltstone, argillite and interbedded fossiliferous limestone, greenstone, and minor angular conglomerate in northwestern Stevens and Ferry Counties. Impure quartzite, sandstone, graywacke, greenstone, ribbon chert, chert breccia, and limestone in Snohomish County and on San Juan Island. Lower Permian limestone on Black Mountain in northwestern Whatcom County. Middle Permian rocks in northeastern Washington.

Lithology: metasedimentary rock; greenstone; quartzite; siltstone; chert; metavolcanic rock; argillite; limestone; graywacke; conglomerate; slate; lava; tuff; marble; diabase

Pre-Upper Jurassic metamorphic rocks of the medium and high-grade zone (Early Jurassic-Triassic) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Schist, amphibolite, and minor lime-silicate rocks, marble, quartzite, and metaconglomerate.

Lithology: schist; gneiss; amphibolite; marble; quartzite; phyllite; greenschist; calc-silicate rock; metasedimentary rock; tonalite; quartz diorite; gabbro; mylonite; migmatite

Pre-Tertiary volcanic rocks, undivided (Probably mostly Jurassic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Andesite and basalt flows, and greenstone; includes minor interbedded limestone, arkose, quartzite, and chert beds.

Lithology: greenstone; schist; metasedimentary rock; diorite; chert; argillite; quartzite; marble; metavolcanic rock; gabbro; amphibolite; ultramafic intrusive rock; serpentinite

Younger glacial drift (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 15 % of this area

Till. Hard, blue-gray to gray concrete-like mixture of clay, silt, sand, and gravel deposited as end or recessional moraine. Principally Wisconsin in age.

Lithology: moraine

Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Late Cretaceous-Jurassic) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Sedimentary and volcanic rocks, undivided. Graywacke, argillite, siltstone, slate, volcanic rocks, phyllite, greenschist, and greenstone.

Lithology: andesite; sandstone; siltstone; slate; phyllite; greenschist; greenstone; conglomerate; black shale; argillite; chert

Oligocene volcanic rocks (Oligocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Andesite and rhyodacite flows, tuff, and tuffaceous sandstones of northern Lincoln County and southwestern Stevens County.

Lithology: rhyodacite; andesite; sandstone; conglomerate; shale; volcanic breccia (agglomerate)

Paleocene-Cretaceous nonmarine rocks (Eocene (see age coding)) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Brown-gray to light-gray, medium- to course-grained massive cross-bedded arkose with interbedded conglomerate and siltstone. Contains several coal seams in Whatcom County. Iron-rich laterite at base near Cle Elum and Blewett Pass in Kittitas and Chelan Counties.

Lithology: arkose; shale; conglomerate; coal; siltstone; tuff

Younger glacial drift (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Younger glacial drift, undivided. Till, outwash, and associated deposits; sorted and unsorted sand, gravel, silt, and clay. Includes some alluvium.

Lithology: till; outwash; alluvium; peat

Older glacial drift (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Till, outwash, and associated interglacial deposits; sorted and unsorted gravel, sand, silt, and clay. Includes peat beds and non-glacial sediments locally. Mostly pre-Wisconsin in age.

Lithology: till; outwash; peat; lake or marine deposit (non-glacial); alluvium; mudflow; lahar

Tertiary-Cretaceous basic intrusive rocks (Cretaceous-Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Diorite and gabbro in western Snohomish County.

Lithology: greenstone; diorite; gabbro; argillite; sandstone; tonalite; flaser gneiss; amphibolite; hornblendite

Tertiary dunite intrusive rocks (Late Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

An intimate mixture of saxonite and dunite, partly serpentinized; Twin Sisters mountain area of Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Predominantly dunite and associated serpentinite in Jumbo Mountain area of central Snohomish County.

Lithology: dunite; serpentinite; serpentinite

Tertiary-Cretaceous granitic intrusive rocks (Early Tertiary-Late Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Granite, granodiorite, trondhjemite, and quartz diorite. Late Cretaceous and/or early Tertiary.

Lithology: quartz monzodiorite; granodiorite; tonalite; quartz diorite; trondhjemite; granite; orthogneiss; gabbro; schist

Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Predominantly sedimentary rocks. Graywacke, argillite, and siltstone with some slate and phyllite; includes graywacke breccia and ribbon chert with minor local limestone lenses and basalt flows.

Lithology: argillite; graywacke; greenstone; slate; phyllite; chert; siltstone; limestone; arkose; mudstone; conglomerate; diorite

Pre-Carboniferous crystalline complex (Devonian) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Metahornblendite, amphibolite, gneiss, metadiorite, meta-quartz diorite, and trondhjemite. As klippes along western slope of northern Cascade Mountains.

Lithology: gneiss; amphibolite; metavolcanic rock; trondhjemite; quartz diorite; schist; gabbro; pyroxenite

Eocene volcanic rocks (Eocene ) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Predominantly andesite flows and breccia; includes interbedded sedimentary rocks south of Startup in Snohomish and King Counties.

Lithology: andesite; basalt; dacite; sandstone; conglomerate; siltstone; argillite

Pre-Upper Jurassic metamorphic rocks of the low-grade zone (Jurassic) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Greenschist, phyllite, and slate; includes some limestone, quartzose phyllite, schistose metaconglomerate, breccia, and basic igneous rocks. Includes schist locally.

Lithology: phyllite; amphibole schist; greenschist; blueschist; limestone; quartzite; siltstone; (meta)conglomerate; greenstone; argillite; chert; granulite; graywacke; marble; gabbro; slate

Glacial drift, undivided (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 2 % 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

Carboniferous-Permian sedimentary and volcanic rocks (Devonian to Permian, minor Mesozoic) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Predominantly sedimentary rocks. Graywacke, argillite, and slate; includes minor marble, siltstone, arkose, conglomerate, ribbon cherts, and volcanic rocks. Some Devonian rocks may be included in northwestern Washington.

Lithology: graywacke; argillite; slate; shale; marble; arkose; quartzite; phyllite; conglomerate; chert; volcanic rock (aphanitic); siltstone; limestone

Lower Tertiary volcanic rocks, undivided (Eocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Predominantly andesite flows and flow breccia; includes basalt flows, minor rhyolitic rocks, and some sedimentary rocks.

Lithology: basalt; rhyolite; andesite; dacite; sandstone; conglomerate; shale; argillite

Pleistocene-Recent volcanic rocks (Pleistocene to Holocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Predominantly dark-gray to black vesicular basalt; olivine-rich in part. Includes andesite flows and pyroclastic rocks of Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and all cinder cones in southern part of the State. Also includes some Recent flows southeast of Mount St. Helens.

Lithology: basalt; andesite ; dacite; rhyolite

Younger glacial drift (Pleistocene) at surface, covers 14 % of this area

Advance and recessional outwash, stratified drift, and associated deposits. Primarily silt, sand, and gravel with some clay. Includes alluvium locally and scabland deposits of eastern Washington.

Lithology: outwash; stratified drift; alluvium

Oligocene marine rocks (Late Eocene to Late Oligocene) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Massive, tuffaceous and nontuffaceous sandstone and siltstone; locally concretionary; includes conglomerate along the north coast of Olympic Peninsula and basaltic sandstone east of Chehalis.

Lithology: siltstone; sandstone; conglomerate; tuff; mudstone