Geology of the Colorado Plateau


.---------------------------------------------------------------------.  .    .
|              Duchesne River F                                       |  .    .
|              Uinta F                                                |  .    .
|              (Green River F)                                        |  .    |
|                                                                     |  .    | Cenozoic
|              Wasatch F                                              |  .    | --------
|                                                                     |  .    |
|              Flasgstaff LS                                          |  .   / 
|              North Horn F                                           | 65   \
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|  .    |    \
|              Tuscher F                                              |  .    |     |
|              Farrer F                                               |  .    |     |
|              Price River F (SS)      Mesa Verde Group               |  .    |     |
|              Castlegate SS                                          |  .    |     |
|              Blackhawk F (SS, Sh)                                   |  .    |     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|  .    | Cretaceous
|                                                                     |  .    |     |
|              Mancos Sh                                              |  .    |     |
|                                                                     |  .    |     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|  .    |     |
|              Kaiparowits F          /                               |  .    |     |
|              Wahweap SS            /    Dakota SS                   |  .    |     | Mesozoic
|              Straight Cliffs F    /     Cedar Mtn F                 |  .   /      | --------
|              Tropic Sh           /      Morrison F                  | 135  \      |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|  .    |     |
|            / Summerville F \                                        |  .    | Jurassic
|            \ Curtis F      /        San Rafael Group                |  .    |     |
|              Entrada SS                                             |  .    |     |
|              Carmel SS   <---  (Page SS)                            | 190  /      |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|             |
|              (Temple Cap SS*)                                       | 190  \      |
|              Navajo SS              Glen Canyon Group               |  .    |     |
|              Kayenta F (Sh)                                         |  .    |     |
|              Wingate SS  <---  (Moenave F*)          (* = in Zion)  |  .    |     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|  .    | Triassic
|              Chinle Sh   <---  (Mossback Member: uranium)           |  .    |     |
|                                (Shinarump Conglomerate)  .----------|  .    |    /
|              Moenkopi F  <---  (Sinbad LS)               |          | 225  /
|----------------------------------------------------------| DeChelly |
|  Kaibab LS                  | White Rim SS   \           |    SS    | 225     \    \
|  Toroweap F (Sh)            | Organ Rock Sh   | Cutler F |          |  |       |    |
|  Coconino SS                | Cedar Mesa SS  /           |          | 260      | Permian
|                             |---------------------------------------|          |    |
|  Hermit Sh                  |                                       | 260      |    |  Paleozoic
|  Esplanade SS  Supai Group  |    Halgaito Sh / Elephant Cyn F       |  |      /     |  ---------
|  Supai F (Sh)               |    Honaker Trail F   \                | 280     \  Pennsylvanian
|                             |    (Paradox Salt)    /   Hermosa F    |  |      /     |
|  Redwall LS                 `---------------------------------------| 310     \  Mississippian
|                                                                     |  |      /     |
|  Temple Butte LS (in east)                                          | 350-400 >  Devonian
|                                      [Great Unconformity]           |
|  Muav LS (in west)                                                  | 500    \      |
|  Bright Angel Sh    Tonto Group                                     |  |      |  Cambrian
|  Tapeats SS                                                         | 570    /     /
|                                      [Precambrian Unconformity]     |
|          \     Sixty Mile F                                         | ???   \
|           \     Kwagunt F                                           |  .     |
|            \     Galeros F                                          |  .     |
|             \     Nankoweap F        Grand Canyon                   |  .     |
|   Schist,    \     Cardenas Lava     Supergroup                     |  .     |  Precambrian
|   Granite     \     Dox SS                                          |  .     |  -----------
| (1700+ MYA)    \     Shinumo Q                                      |  .     |
|                 \     Hakatai Sh                                    |  .     |
|                  \     Bass F                                       | 1200  /
`---------------------------------------------------------------------'

Dates: in millions of years before present

Abbreviations:  F   formation
                Q   quartzite
                SS  sandstone
                Sh  shale
                LS  limestone

Source: Mike Kelsey's Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau
        Stephen Whitney's Grand Canyon Field Guide

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