Carboniferous marine rocks, unit 3 (SE California Clastic Assemblage) (CAC3;0)

State	California
Name	Carboniferous marine rocks, unit 3 (SE California Clastic Assemblage)
Geologic age	Late Devonian to Early Permian
Lithologic constituents	Major Sedimentary > Carbonate > Limestone (Bed)Mississippian limestones include both fne-grained limestones of shelf facies and clastic limestones of deep-water turbidite facies; some are cherty. Pennsylvanian to Early Permian limestones are clastic limestones of deep-water turbidite facies Sedimentary > Clastic > Mudstone > Shale (Bed)Black shale forms thick units of Late Mississippian age (primarily Rest Spring Shale) Minor Sedimentary > Clastic > Siltstone (Bed)Primarily quartzose siltstone to very fine grained sandstone of Mexican Spring Fm. Sedimentary > Chemical > Chert (Bed)Thin-bedded, phosphatic chert is primary component of Late Devonian Squares Tunnel Fm (originally mapped as part of Mississippian Perdido Group) Incidental Metamorphic > Metasedimentary > Metaclastic > ArgilliteSiliceous argillite of Squares Tunnel Fm. Sedimentary > Clastic > Conglomerate (Bed)Mostly limestone and chert pebble conglomerate; boulder conglomerate locally at base of Kearsarge Formation
Comments	Southeastern California clastic assemblage (northwestern Death Valley area). Consists primarily of Lower to Upper Mississippian limestone, Upper Mississippian shale, and Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian limestone (turbidite facies).Includes some rocks of Late Devonian age.
Stratigraphic units	Keeler Canyon Fm., Tihvipah Limestone, Rest Spring Shale, Perdido Group, Mexican Spring Fm., Leaning Rock Fm., Kearsarge Fm., Squares Tunnel Fm.
References	Jennings, C.W., Strand, R.G., Rogers, T.H., Boylan, R.T., Moar, R.R., and Switzer, R.A., 1977, Geologic Map of California: California Division of Mines and Geology, Geologic Data Map 2, scale 1:750,000. Jennings, C.W., 1985, An explanatory text to accompany the 1:750,000 scale fault and geologic maps of California: California Division of Mines and Geology, Bulletin 201, 197 p. Streitz, Robert, and Stinson, M.C., 1977, Geologic map of California, Death Valley sheet, scale 1:250,000. Matthews, R.A., and Burnett, J.L., 1966, Geologic map of California, Olaf P. Jenkins edition, Fresno sheet, scale 1:250,000. Strand, R.G., 1967, Geologic map of California, Olaf P. Jenkins edition, Mariposa sheet, scale 1:250,000. Ross, D.C., 1967, Generalized geologic map of the Inyo Mountains region, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map I-506, scale 1:125,000. https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/i506 Stone, Paul, Dunne, G.C., Stevens, C.H., and Gulliver, R.M., 1989, Geologic map of Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks in parts of the Darwin and adjacent quadrangles, Inyo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1932, scale 1:31,250. https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/i1932 Stevens, C.H., Klingman, D.S., Sandberg, C.A., Stone, Paul, Belasky, Paul, Poole, F.G., and Snow, J.K., 1996, Mississippian stratigraphic framework of east-central California and southern Nevada with revision of Upper Devonian and Mississippian stratigraphic units in Inyo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1988-J, 39 p. https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1988J Workman, J.B., Menges, C.M., Page, W.R., Taylor, E.M., Ekren, E.B., Rowley, P.D., Dixon, G.L., Thompson, R.A., and Wright, L.A., 2002, Geologic map of the Death Valley ground-water model area, Nevada and California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2381-A, 46 p., scale 1:250,000. https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/mf2381A
NGMDB product	NGMDB product page for 96750
Counties	Inyo

State

Name

Carboniferous marine rocks, unit 3 (SE California Clastic Assemblage)

Geologic age

Late Devonian to Early Permian

Lithologic constituents

Major

Sedimentary > Carbonate > Limestone (Bed)Mississippian limestones include both fne-grained limestones of shelf facies and clastic limestones of deep-water turbidite facies; some are cherty. Pennsylvanian to Early Permian limestones are clastic limestones of deep-water turbidite facies

Sedimentary > Clastic > Mudstone > Shale (Bed)Black shale forms thick units of Late Mississippian age (primarily Rest Spring Shale)

Minor

Sedimentary > Clastic > Siltstone (Bed)Primarily quartzose siltstone to very fine grained sandstone of Mexican Spring Fm.

Sedimentary > Chemical > Chert (Bed)Thin-bedded, phosphatic chert is primary component of Late Devonian Squares Tunnel Fm (originally mapped as part of Mississippian Perdido Group)

Incidental

Metamorphic > Metasedimentary > Metaclastic > ArgilliteSiliceous argillite of Squares Tunnel Fm.

Sedimentary > Clastic > Conglomerate (Bed)Mostly limestone and chert pebble conglomerate; boulder conglomerate locally at base of Kearsarge Formation

Comments

Southeastern California clastic assemblage (northwestern Death Valley area). Consists primarily of Lower to Upper Mississippian limestone, Upper Mississippian shale, and Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian limestone (turbidite facies).Includes some rocks of Late Devonian age.

Stratigraphic units

Keeler Canyon Fm., Tihvipah Limestone, Rest Spring Shale, Perdido Group, Mexican Spring Fm., Leaning Rock Fm., Kearsarge Fm., Squares Tunnel Fm.

References

Jennings, C.W., Strand, R.G., Rogers, T.H., Boylan, R.T., Moar, R.R., and Switzer, R.A., 1977, Geologic Map of California: California Division of Mines and Geology, Geologic Data Map 2, scale 1:750,000.

Jennings, C.W., 1985, An explanatory text to accompany the 1:750,000 scale fault and geologic maps of California: California Division of Mines and Geology, Bulletin 201, 197 p.

Streitz, Robert, and Stinson, M.C., 1977, Geologic map of California, Death Valley sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Matthews, R.A., and Burnett, J.L., 1966, Geologic map of California, Olaf P. Jenkins edition, Fresno sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Strand, R.G., 1967, Geologic map of California, Olaf P. Jenkins edition, Mariposa sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Ross, D.C., 1967, Generalized geologic map of the Inyo Mountains region, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map I-506, scale 1:125,000.

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/i506

Stone, Paul, Dunne, G.C., Stevens, C.H., and Gulliver, R.M., 1989, Geologic map of Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks in parts of the Darwin and adjacent quadrangles, Inyo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1932, scale 1:31,250.

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/i1932

Stevens, C.H., Klingman, D.S., Sandberg, C.A., Stone, Paul, Belasky, Paul, Poole, F.G., and Snow, J.K., 1996, Mississippian stratigraphic framework of east-central California and southern Nevada with revision of Upper Devonian and Mississippian stratigraphic units in Inyo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1988-J, 39 p.

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1988J

Workman, J.B., Menges, C.M., Page, W.R., Taylor, E.M., Ekren, E.B., Rowley, P.D., Dixon, G.L., Thompson, R.A., and Wright, L.A., 2002, Geologic map of the Death Valley ground-water model area, Nevada and California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2381-A, 46 p., scale 1:250,000.

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/mf2381A

NGMDB product

NGMDB product page for 96750

Counties

Inyo