Permian-Triassic depositional systems, paleogeography, paleoclimate, and hydrocarbon resources in Canyonlands, Utah
Citation
John D Stanesco, Jacqueline E Huntoon, Russell F Dubiel, Steven M Condon, and Debra L Mickelson, Permian-Triassic depositional systems, paleogeography, paleoclimate, and hydrocarbon resources in Canyonlands, Utah: .
Summary
This five-day field trip examines Pennsylvanian to Jurassic strata in the Paradox Basin on the Colorado Plateau in southeastern Utah. The trip will emphasize four major themes: 1) Permian-Triassic stratigraphy, 2) characteristics of non-marine depositional systems, 3) paleogeography, and 4) paleoclimate. The trip follows depositional facies in the Permian and Triassic section from proximal continental settings near the Ancestral Rocky Mountains in the Uncompahgre Highlands to distal marine settings within the Paradox Basin. Evolution of these depositional systems along the west coast of Pangea from the late Paleozoic to the early Mesozoic is a key indicator of the paleogeographic and paleoclimatic history of the region. Late Paleozoic [...]
Summary
This five-day field trip examines Pennsylvanian to Jurassic strata in the Paradox Basin on the Colorado Plateau in southeastern Utah. The trip will emphasize four major themes: 1) Permian-Triassic stratigraphy, 2) characteristics of non-marine depositional systems, 3) paleogeography, and 4) paleoclimate. The trip follows depositional facies in the Permian and Triassic section from proximal continental settings near the Ancestral Rocky Mountains in the Uncompahgre Highlands to distal marine settings within the Paradox Basin. Evolution of these depositional systems along the west coast of Pangea from the late Paleozoic to the early Mesozoic is a key indicator of the paleogeographic and paleoclimatic history of the region. Late Paleozoic red beds encountered during the trip provide additional, high-resolution paleoclimate information. The trip will highlight unconformities, and their origin as a result of sea-level change, regional tectonics, or salt diapirism. The Permian-Triassic unconformity, which is expressed worldwide, will be examined during the trip. In southeastern Utah, the Permian-Triassic unconformity influenced the diagenetic history of the White Rim Sandstone, resulting in formation of the Tar Sand Triangle—the largest tar sand deposit in the U.S. Rocks examined in detail during the trip include the Permian Cutler Group (informal lower Cutler beds, Halgaito Formation, Cedar Mesa Sandstone, Organ Rock Formation, White Rim Sandstone, and De Chelly Sandstone), the overlying Lower Triassic Moenkopi Formation, and locally the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation. The trip also passes through the underlying Pennsylvanian section and the overlying Jurassic section, including eolianites exposed in and around Canyonlands National Park.
Published in GSA Field Guides, volume 3, on pages 33 - 58, in 2002.