Geologic units in Powder River county, Montana

Tongue River Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 56 % of this area

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

Hell Creek Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 15 % 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).

Tullock Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 11 % 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).

Alluvium (Quaternary) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

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

Lebo Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 8 % of this area

Dark gray carbonaceous shale, bentonitic claystone, sandstone, and coal. Alluvial plain. Thickness as much as 185 m (607 ft).

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

Southeastern Montana: orangish brown, arkosic sandstone, lenticular conglomerate and siltstone, dark gray carbonaceous shale, coal, and varicolored claystone. Bears Paw Mountains: variegated red, pink, lavender, light green, yellow, gray, and very light gray shale, bentonitic claystone, and siltstone; light gray, brown, and green cross-bedded sandstone; and lenses of boulder conglomerate. Syntectonic alluvial fan and alluvial plain. Thickness as much as 120 m (394 ft) in Montana; upper part removed by erosion.

Gravel (Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.4 % 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.

Timber Lake Member of Fox Hills Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

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

Trail City Member of Fox Hills Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

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

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

Soft gray sandstone, gray and brown carbonaceous shale, and thin coal beds.

Gravel (Quaternary and 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.

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.