Geologic units in Rosebud county, Montana

Additional scientific data in this geographic area

Tongue River Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 33 % of this area

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

Bearpaw Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 12 % of this area

Dark gray shale with several zones of calcareous concretions, a basal zone of ferruginous concretions, and numerous thin bentonite beds. Marine. Thickness as much as 300 m (984 ft).

Lebo Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 12 % of this area

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

Tullock Member of Fort Union Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 8 % 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 7 % of this area

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

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

Light brown to light gray, fine- to coarse-grained sandstone with interbeds of gray to black carbonaceous shale, silty shale, and thin coal. Local Parkman Sandstone Member (lower part of formation):yellowish gray to brownish gray and olive green, fine- to medium-grained, cross-bedded sandstone interbedded with yellowish gray, silty shale. Estuarine, brackish, and nearshore marine. Thickness as much as 305 m (1000 ft).

Lance Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Orangish brown, coarse- to fine-grained sandstone with subordinate interbeds of shale and mudstone. Laterally equivalent to Hell Creek Formation. Fluvial. Thickness as much as 150 m (492 ft).

Gammon Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Dark gray mudstone and shale with numerous red-weathering ferruginous concretions, and thin, fine-grained sandstone or siltstone beds interbedded with shale. Offshore marine. Thickness as much as 260 m (853).

Gravel (Quaternary) at surface, covers 3 % 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.

Niobrara Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 3 % 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).

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

Dark gray to gray shale that weathers brown, with thin, gray sandstone laminae and beds in upper or middle part and calcareous concretions in lower part. Marine. Thickness as much as 170 m (558 ft).

Hell Creek Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 2 % 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).

Carlile Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers 1 % 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).

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

Yellowish orange to gray, fine- to medium-grained, non-calcareous sandstone in upper part, and interbedded sandstone, siltstone, and black shale with calcareous concretion zone in lower part. Marginal marine. Thickness 30–45 m (98–148 ft).

Wasatch Formation (Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.1 % 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 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.

Belle Fourche Formation (Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % 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).