Geologic units in Carter county, Montana

Pierre Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 33 % of this area

Dark gray, partly silty shale with abundant bentonite beds and zones of gray, calcareous concretions. Marine. Thickness as much as650 m (2,133 ft). Only upper 50 m (164 ft) exposed.

Hell Creek Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 18 % of this area

Light gray, bentonitic claystone that alternates with gray to brown sandstone interbedded with carbonaceous shale. Laterally equivalent to Lance Formation. Fluvial and flood plain. Thickness as much as 335 m (1,100 ft).

Ludlow Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 15 % of this area

Gray and brown shale, siltstone, silty or bentonitic claystone, sandstone, and coal. Alluvial plain with marine-influenced tongues. Thickness as much as 230 m (755 ft).

Carlile Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Dark to light gray, noncalcareous, partly silty or sandy shale with upper zone of white-weathering, calcareous concretions, middle zone of sandy, orange-weathering, calcareous concretions, and basal zone of ferruginous concretions. Marine. Thickness as much as 195 m (640 ft).

Trail City Member of Fox Hills Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Yellowish orange, wavy-bedded siltstone and black shale with calcareous concretion zone. Thickness 10 m (33 ft).

Ekalaka Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Yellowish orange or tan, fine- to medium-grained sandstone interbedded with mudstone and thin shale and coal beds. Estuarine. Thickness as much as 55 m (180 ft).

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

Gravel, sand, silt, and clay deposits of stream and river channels, and floodplains.

Timber Lake Member of Fox Hills Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Yellowish orange to gray, fine- to medium grained, noncalcareous, hummocky-bedded sandstone. Thickness 15–22 m (50–72 ft).

Belle Fourche Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Gray to black shale with ironstone concretions and numerous bentonite beds. Mosby Sandstone Member (upper part of formation in north- and east-central Montana): brown sandstone locally with chert pebbles, interbedded with gray shale. Big Elk Sandstone Member (lower part of formation in southwest-central Montana): light gray, chert-rich sandstone commonly stained dark red, interbedded with thin, dark gray to black clayey shale. Marine shelf. Thickness as much as 260 m (853 ft).

Tongue River Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Yellowish orange sandstone, sandy and silty carbonaceous shale, and coal. Alluvial plain. Thickness as much as 300 m (984 ft).

Niobrara Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Gray to dark gray shale with numerous thin bentonite beds. Chalky aggregates of coccoliths and rhabdoliths in upper part. MacGowan Concretionary Bed (middle part of formation): grayish brown concretionary dolostone and limestone with phosphatic pellets and gray to black chert pebbles. Marine. Lower part noncalcareous. Thickness as much as 9–23 m (30–75 ft).

Arikaree Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Greenish gray, fine-grained sandstone with interbedded light gray volcanic ash. Nonmarine to possibly marine-influenced. Thickness as much as 80 m (262 ft). Incudes White River Group - Brule Formation: Pink, sandy, locally bentonitic claystone with siliceous concretions. Nonmarine. Preserved in local areas below Arikaree Formation. Thickness as much as 10 m (33 ft). Chadron Formation: Very light gray, fine-grained sandstone. Nonmarine. Preserved locally with Brule Formation. Thickness as much as 30 m (98 ft).

Greenhorn Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Gray to light gray calcareous shale and shaly marl with thin beds of limestone. Shale contains white to pink calcareous specks. Marine. Thickness as much as 100 m (30–75 ft).

Groat sandstone bed of Pierre Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Gray, ferruginous and glauconitic, fine- to coarse-grained sandstone, siltstone, and sandy to silty gray shale. Offshore marine. Pinches out laterally. Thickness as much as 100 m (328 ft).

Gravel (Quaternary and Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.8 % of this area

Variable deposits that range from pebble to boulder size and include sand, silt, and clay. Dominantly alluvial terrace, abandoned channel and floodplain, remnant alluvial fan, and local glacial outwash.

Mowry Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Light gray to silvery gray, platy to blocky, siliceous shale and subordinate thin-bedded, gray siltstone or very fine-grained sandstone laminae or beds. Fish scales common in central Montana. Ledge-forming, chert-bearing, fine- to medium-grained sandstone at top throughout west-central Montana. Marine. Thickness 240 m (787 ft).

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

Variable deposits that range from pebble to boulder size and include sand, silt, and clay. Dominantly alluvial terrace, abandoned channel and floodplain, remnant alluvial fan, and local glacial outwash.

Tullock Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Yellow sandstone interbedded with subordinate grayish brown and black shale and thin beds of coal. Alluvial plain. Thickness as much as 180 m (590 ft).

Pierre Shale (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Dark-gray concretionary marine shale; contains several bentonite beds.

Niobrara Formation and Carlile Shale (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Niobrara Formation (Kn) - Light-colored limestone and gray to yellow speckled limy shale. Carlile Shale (Kcl) - Dark-gray sandy shale; Sage Breaks Member at top; Turner Sandy Member in middle.

Pierre Shale (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Blue-gray to dark-gray, fissile to blocky shale with persistent beds of bentonite, black organic shale, and light-brown chalky shale. Contains minor sandstone, conglomerate, and abundant carbonate and ferruginous concretions. Thickness up to 1,000 ft (305 m).

Greenhorn Formation and Belle Fourche and Mowry Shale (Lower Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Greenhorn Formation - Light-colored limestone, marl, and limy sandstone interbedded with gray concretionary shale. Belle Fourche Shale - Black soft bentonitic concretionary shale. Mowry Shale (Kmr) - Silvery-gray hard siliceous shale containing abundant fish scales and bentonite beds.

Gravel (Tertiary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Variable deposits that range from pebble to boulder size and include sand, silt, and clay. Dominantly alluvial terrace, abandoned channel and floodplain, remnant alluvial fan, and local glacial outwash.

Alluvium and Colluvium (Pleistocene-Holocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Clay, silt, sand, and gravel in flood plains, fans, terraces, and slopes.

Lance Formation (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

(North Wyoming) - Thick-bedded buff sandstone and drab to green shale; thin conglomerate lenses. (South and Northeast Wyoming) - Brown and gray sandstone and shale; thin coal and carbonaceous shale beds.

Fox Hills Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Light-colored sandstone and gray sandy shale containing marine fossils.

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

Clay to boulder-size clasts with locally abundant organic material. Thickness up to 75 ft (23m).

Terrace Deposits (Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Clay to boulder-size clasts deposited as pediments, paleochannels, and terrace fills of former flood plains. Thickness up to 75 ft (23m).

Ludlow Formation (Paleocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

White, tan, yellow, and gray, cross-bedded, fine- to medium-grained,silty sandstone interbedded with locally bentonitic, gray siltstone, claystone, and sandy to silty claystone. Characterized by uranium-bearing lignite beds and "clinker" beds fromed by burning coalseams. Thickness up to 420 ft (128 m).