Exposure: The Toroweap & White Rim Sandtones are best seen in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Age: Early Permian, 280 million years ago. Depositional Environment: Coastal dune field (eolian with some marine transgressions). Marine transgressions, terrestrial wind-blown sand, coastal environments laid down the Kaibab, Toroweap, and Coconino formations. At different time, the marine waters came from […]
Exposure: The Kaibab Limestone forms the caprock of most of the Grand Canyon. Great exposures exist west of Zion National Park. Age: Early Permian, 250 million years ago. Depositional Environment: Shallow Marine Shelf Deposit. Paleogeography: Sediment deposition was influenced by the Uncompahgre Uplift (ancestral Rocky Mountains), but by the end of the Permian, the Uncompahgre mountains […]
Exposure: The Moenkopi formation can be found throughout the Colorado Plateau. But its thickest extent stretches from southwest Utah to Northern Arizona. Age: Lower Triassic to possibly lower Middle Triassic Depositional Environment: Tidal sabkha (also with nearshore shales, shallow marine limestones, and some floodplain) Paleogeography: The Moenkopi Formation was deposited along the western portion of the […]
Exposure: The Chinle formation can be found throughout the Colorado Plateau. From the Flanks of the Uintas to Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Age: Late Triassic. Depositional Environment: Non-marine fluvial channels, floodplains, paleosols, marshes, and small lakes. Paleogeography: The Chinle Formation was deposited during the Late Triassic when the supercontinent Pangea had landmass on both […]
Exposure: The Wingate is exposed throughout the state of Utah, especially visible in Capital Reef and Glen Canyon NRA. In the Southwest corner it transitions into and interfingers with the Moenave Fm which has a strong lacustrine component. Age: Early Jurassic, The Wingate Sandstone is dated to the Earliest Jurassic, though precise dating of eolian […]
Exposure: The Kayenta is exposed throughout the state of Utah, but is especially visible in Zion National Park, Capital Reef and Glen Canyon NRA. Age: Early Jurassic, 199.6 million years ago to 175.6 million years ago. Depositional Environment: Fluvial (river) environment The Navajo Sandstone was deposited in an eolian environment composed of large sand dunes, similar […]
Exposure: The Navajo is exposed throughout the state of Utah, but reaches maximum thickness near Zion National Park and Red Rocks Recreation area near Las Vegas. Age: Early JurassicThe Navajo Sandstone is dated as Early Jurassic, although precise dating is typically difficult due to a lack of age diagnostic fossils, a common problem in eolian […]
Exposure: The Temple Cap is exposed exclusively in the Southwest corner of Utah (atop the spires of Zion National Park), whereas the Page Sandstone stretches all the way into the center of the state. Both share similiar ages, but the Page is thicker and was formed by a separate erg, with far less marine influence. […]
Exposure: Within the Grand Staircase, the Curtis Formation is best exposed in east of Capital Reef National Park just south of Goblin Valley State Park. Age: Middle Jurassic, 160 Ma Depositional Environment: Full marine, shallow marine to sabkha (and supratidal) Paleogeography: Frequent, but short-lived sea level fluctuations during the Middle to Late Jurassic caused periodically flooding […]
Exposure: Without a doubt the most striking exposures of the Entrada Formation are in Arches National Park. Other great exposures exist in Canyonlands, Goblin Valley State Park and Lake Powell NRA. Age: Upper Jurassic, 80 and 140 ma Depositional Environment: Eolian, sabkha, and tidal flat. The Entrada Sandstone preserves terrestrial environments. Within the field trip area, the deposits […]
