Geologic units in Converse county, Wyoming

Additional scientific data in this geographic area

Wasatch Formation (Eocene) at surface, covers 34 % of this area

(Thrust Belt) Main body--Variegated red to gray, brown, and gray mudstone and sandstone; conglomeratic lenses. (in southwest Wyoming) - Drab to variegated claystone and siltstone, carbonaceous shale and coal, buff sandstone, arkose, and conglomerate. In northwestern part of Green River Basin is thick arkosic light-yellowish-tan sandstone intertonguing with pale-green to gray claystone and shale. (in east Wyoming) - Drab sandstone and drab to variegated claystone; numerous coal beds in lower part.

Fort Union Formation - Lebo Member (Paleocene) at surface, covers 25 % of this area

Dark-gray clay shale and concretionary sandstone.

Granitic rocks of 2,600-Ma Age Group (Late Archean) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

Teton Range--Mount Owen Quartz Monzonite. Age 2,500+/- Ma; may be of Early Proterozoic age. Gros Ventre and Washakie Ranges--Granitic rocks. Yellowstone National Park, Owl Creek, Granite, and Seminoe Mountains, Rawlins uplift, and Medicine Bow Mountains--Granite. Wind River Range--Granodiorite to porphyritic and equigranular granite. Sierra Madre--Granite and granodiorite. Laramie Mountains--Granite, amphibolite, and minor amounts of metasedimentary rocks. Hartville uplift--Granite and quartz monzonite. Black Hills uplift--Granite and minor amounts of metasedimentary rocks.

White River Formation (Oligocene) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

White to pale-pink blocky tuffaceous claystone and lenticular arkosic conglomerate.

Lower Miocene and Upper Oligocene rocks or rocks equivalent to Upper and Lower Miocene rocks and White River Formation (Upper Oligocene-Upper Miocene) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Lower Miocene and Upper Oligocene rocks--Light-colored soft porous sandstone and underlying white tuffaceous claystone and siltstone. Arikaree Formation in Denver Basin; rocks equivalent to Upper and Lower Miocene rocks and White River Formation--Light-colored sandstone, white tuffaceous blocky claystone, and siltstone. Black Hills.

Upper Miocene Rocks (Upper Miocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Southwest Wyoming: South end of Wind River Range--Siliceous, arkosic, and locally radioactive sandstone, claystone, and conglomerate. Fission-track age about 27 Ma. Recent work suggests that part of these deposits may be of Eocene age. Pliocene and Miocene (as originally defined 2) South Pass Formation. Saratoga Valley--White to greenish-gray tuffaceous sandstone, siltstone, and claystone; locally conglomeratic. North Park Formation; Central Wyoming: Arkosic sandstone, conglomerate, and siltstone; some light-colored tuffaceous radioactive claystone and white cherty limestone. North of Sweetwater River in Granite Mountains--Light-colored tuffaceous radioactive claystone, siltstone, sandstone, and arkose. Moonstone Formation; East Wyoming: Light-colored tuffaceous claystone, sandstone, and conglomerate. Ogallala Formation in Denver Basin.

Fort Union Formation - Tullock Member (Paleocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

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

Dune sand and loess (Pleistocene-Holocene) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Includes active and dormant sand dunes. In northwestern Wyoming is chiefly loess (age 12,000-19,000 years).

Alluvium and Colluvium (Pleistocene-Holocene) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

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

Lance Formation (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers 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.

Granite gneiss (Late Archean) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Layered to massive, locally migmatitic; metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks locally common. Includes Webb Canyon Gneiss in Teton Range.

Casper Formation (Upper and Middle Pennsylvanian-Permian) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Gray, tan, and red thick-bedded sandstone underlain by interbedded sandstone and pink and gray limestone. May include some Devonian(?) sandstone along east flank of Laramie Mountains.

Mesaverde Formation or Mesaverde Group (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Mesaverde Formation (north Wyoming) - Light-colored massive to thin-bedded sandstone, gray sandy shale, and coal beds. In Jackson Hole locally contains gold-bearing quartzite conglomerate. North of North Fork Powder River east of the Bighorn Mountains, consists solely of the Parkman Sandstone Member. Mesaverde Group (South Wyoming) - Includes Almond Formation, Ericson Sandstone, Rock Springs and Blair Formations in Rock Springs uplift; Almond Formation (white and brown soft sandstone, gray sandy shale, coal and carbonaceous shale), Pine Ridge Sandstone (light-gray sandstone and thin coal beds), and Allen Ridge (gray sandstone, shale, and thin coal beds) and Haystack Mountains (gray marine sandstone and shale) Formations in Rawlins uplift; Pine Ridge Sandstone (light-gray sandstone and thin coal beds) and Rock River Formation (soft sandstone and sandy shale) in Laramie Basin.

Cody Shale (Late Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

(Northern Yellowstone area) - Gray to brown shale and siltstone. (North and South Wyoming) - Dull-gray shale, gray siltstone, and fine-grained gray sandstone.

Cloverly, Morrison, and Sundance Formations (Middle Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Cloverly Formation - Rusty sandstone at top, underlain by brightly variegated bentonitic claystone; chert-pebble conglomerate locally at base. Morrison Formation - Dully variegated claystone, nodular limestone, and gray silty sandstone. In southern Yellowstone and Jackson Hole areas the presence of Morrison is questionable. Sundance Formation (Js) - Greenish-gray glauconitic sandstone and shale, underlain by red and gray nonglauconitic sandstone and shale.

Fox Hills Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

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

Madison Limestone, Darby Formation, Bighorn Dolomite, Gallatin Limestone, Gros Ventre Formation, and Flathead Sandstone, Cambrian rocks, Minnekahta Limestone, Opeche Shale, Minnelusa Formation, Pahasapa and Englewood Limestones, Whitewood Dolomite, and Winnipeg and Deadwood Formations (Cambrian-Permian) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Madison Limestone or Group (North and South Wyoming) - Group includes Mission Canyon Limestone (blue-gray massive limestone and dolomite), underlain by Lodgepole Limestone (gray cherty limestone and dolomite). Darby Formation (North Wyoming) - Yellow and greenish-gray shale and dolomitic siltstone underlain by fetid brown dolomite and limestone. Bighorn Dolomite (North Wyoming) - Gray massive cliff-forming siliceous dolomite and locally dolomitic limestone. Gallatin Limestone or Group (North Wyoming) - Blue-gray and yellow mottled hard dense limestone. Gros Ventre Formation (North Wyoming) - Soft green micaceous shale (Upper and Middle Cambrian Park Shale Member), underlain by blue-gray and yellow mottled hard dense limestone (Middle Cambrian Death Canyon Limestone Member), and soft green micaceous shale (Middle Cambrian Wolsey Shale Member). Flathead Sandstone (North Wyoming) - Dull-red quartzitic sandstone. Cambrian Rocks (South Wyoming) - On south flank of Granite Mountains, blue-gray and yellow mottled hard dense limestone interbedded with soft green micaceous shale; dull-red quartzitic sandstone at bae. On and south of Rawlins uplift, glauconitic quartzitic sandstone. Minnekahta Limestone (Northeast Wyoming) - Gray slabby hard limestone. Locally is a member of the Goose Egg Formation. Opeche Shale (Northeast Wyoming) - Red soft sandy shale. Locally is a member of the Goose Egg Formation. Minnelusa Formation (Northeast Wyoming) - Buff and red limy sandstone; some thin limestone beds, solution breccias, and gypsum. Pahasapa Limestone (Northeast Wyoming) - Gray massive dolomititc limestone. Englewood Limestone (Northeast Wyoming) - Pink slabby dolomitic limestone. Whitewood Dolomite (Northeast Wyoming) - Buff massive fossiliferous dolomite. Winnipeg Formation (Northeast Wyoming) - Pink to yellow siltstone and shale. Deadwood Formation (Northeast Wyoming) - Red and brown quartzitic sandstone. Paleozoic Rocks, undifferentiated (Thrust Belt).

White River Formation - Upper conglomerate member (Oligocene) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Light-gray soft conglomeratic tuffaceous sandstone and conglomerate of Precambrian clasts.

Metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks (Middle Archean-Late Archaen) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Amphibolite, hornblende gneiss, biotite gneiss, quartzite, iron-formation, metaconglomerate, marble, and pelitic schist; locally preserved textures and structures suggest origin to be sedimentary or volcanic. Older than 2,875 Ma in Teton Range; older than 3,200 Ma in Granite Mountains; older than 2,600 Ma in Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre, where it is the Late Archean Phantom Lake Metamorphic Suite 3.

Chugwater Formation or Group (Lower Triassic-Upper Triassic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Chugwater Formation (North and Northeast Wyoming) - Red siltstone and shale. Alcova Limestone Member in upper middle part in north Wyoming. Thin gypsum partings near base in north and northeast Wyoming. Chugwater Group or Formation (South Wyomingt) - Red shale and siltstone containing thin gypsum partings near base. Group includes Popo Agie Formation (red shale and red, yellow, and purple siltstone; lenses of lime-pellet conglomerate), Crow Mountain Sandstone (red and gray, thick bedded), Alcova Limestone, and Red Peak Formation (red siltstone and shale). Chugwater Formation includes as members all the units listed above. Includes overlying Jelm Formation in Shirley and Seminoe Mountains and at northern end of Laramie Basin. Jelm Formation - Red sandstone.

Wells and Amsden Formations, Casper Formation, and Madison Limestone (Upper Mississippian-Permian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Wells Formation (Thrust Belt) - Gray limestone interbedded with yellow limy sandstone. Amsden Formation (Thrust Belt) - Red and gray cherty limestone and shale, sandstone, and conglomerate. Casper Formation (North and South Wyoming) - Gray, tan, and red thick-bedded sandstone underlain by interbedded sandstone and pink and gray limestone. May include some Devonian(?) sandstone along east flank of Laramie Mountains. Madison Limestone (North and South Wyoming) - Includes Mission Canyon Limestone (blue-gray massive limestone and dolomite), underlain by Lodgepole Limestone (gray cherty limestone and dolomite).

Goose Egg Formation (Permian-Lower Triassic) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Red sandstone and siltstone, white gypsum, halite, and purple to white dolomite and limestone.

Mowry and Thermopolis Shales (Lower Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Mowry Shale (Kmr) - Silvery-gray hard siliceous shale containing abundant fish scales and bentonite beds. Thermopolis Shale - Black soft fissile shale; Muddy Sandstone Member at top.

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

(Thrust Belt) - White to brown sandstone and dark-gray shale; oyster coquina in upper part; coal and lignite in lower part. (North and South Wyoming) - Gray sandstone and sandy shale.

Hartville Formation (Lower Pennsylvanian-Permian) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Red and white sandstone underlain by gray dolomite and limestone, red shale, and red and gray sandstone. Lowermost unit may be Late Mississippian in age.

Lower Miocene Rocks (Lower Miocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Northwest Wyoming (Bighorn Mountains): Gray soft poorly bedded to massive sandstone; Central Wyoming: Tuffaceous sandstone, siltstone, and white marl.

Niobrara Formation (Late Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Light-colored limestone and gray to yellow speckled limy shale.

Cloverly and Morrison Formations or Inyan Kara Group (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Cloverly Formation (North and South Wyoming) - Rusty sandstone at top, underlain by brightly variegated bentonitic claystone; chert-pebble conglomerate locally at base. Cloverly Formation (Northeast Wyoming - Hartville Uplift) - Rusty to light-gray sandstone containing lenticular chert-pebble conglomerate interbedded with variegated bentonitic claystone. Morrison Formation (North and South Wyoming) - Dully variegated claystone, nodular limestone, and gray silty sandstone. In southern Yellowstone and Jackson Hole areas the presence of Morrison is questionable. Morrison Formation (Northeast Wyoming) - dully variegated siliceous claystone, nodular white limestone, and gray silty sandstone. Inyan Kara Group (Northeast - Black Hills) - Rusty to light-gray sandstone containing lenticular chert-pebble conglomerate interbedded with variegated bentonitic claystone. Includes Fall River and Lakota Formations.

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

Gray marine shale containing many gray and brown lenticular concretion-rich sandstone beds.

Madison Limestone or Group (Lower Mississippian-Upper Mississippian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Group includes Mission Canyon Limestone (blue-gray massive limestone and dolomite), underlain by Lodgepole Limestone (gray cherty limestone and dolomite).

Frontier Formation and Mowry and Thermopolis Shales (Lower Cretaceous-Upper Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Frontier Formation (Kf) - Gray sandstone and sandy shale. In Northern Yellowstone area, Yellowish- to medium-gray sandstone; tuffaceous and carbonaceous in lower part. Mowry Shale (Kmr) - Silvery-gray hard siliceous shale containing abundant fish scales and bentonite beds. Thermopolis Shale - Black soft fissile shale; Muddy Sandstone Member at top.

Sundance Formation (Middle Jurassic-Upper Jurassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Greenish-gray glauconitic sandstone and shale, underlain by red and gray nonglauconitic sandstone and shale.

Mesozoic and Paleozoic rocks (Upper Mississippian-Lower Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Mesozoic and Paleozoic rocks (North Wyoming). Shown in small areas of complex structure. East Flank of Absaroka Range - Dinwoody Formation, Phosphoria Formation and related rocks., Tensleep Sandstone, and Amsden Formation (Lower Triassic through Upper Mississippian). East flank of Bighorn Mountains - Cloverly, Morrison, Sundance, Gypsum Spring, Chugwater and Gypsum Spring Formations (Lower Cretaceous through Permian). Mesozoic and Paleozoic rocks (South Wyoming). Shown in small areas of complex structure. South side of Granite Mountains north of Green Mountain - Nugget Sandstone, Chugwater and Goose Egg Formations, Tensleep Sandstone, and Amsden Formation (Jurassic? through Upper Mississippian). South flank of Ferris Mountains--Nugget Sandstone and Chugwater and Goose Egg Formation (Jurassic? through Permian). Northeast flank of Seminoe Mountians--Cloverly, Morrison, Sundance, Chugwater, and Goose Egg Formations (Lower Cretaceous through Permain). West flank of Sierra Madre--Chugwater, Goose Egg, Casper, and Fountain Formations (Upper Triassic through Middle Pennsylvanian). East Flank of Laramie Mountains--Cloverly, Morrison, Sundance, Chugwater, and Goose Egg Formations, and, east of fault in T. 19 N., Casper Formation (Lower Creatceous through Middle Pennsylvanian). Nugget Sandstone (JTRn) (South) - Gray to dull-red, massive to coarsely crossbedded quartz sandstone.

Gravel, pediment, and fan deposits (Pleistocene-Holocene) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Mostly locally derived clasts. Includes some glacial deposits along east flank of Wind River Range. Locally includes some Tertiary gravels.