Cambrian and Early Ordovician Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Basin and Range Province, Western United States Las Vegas, Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah July 1-7, 1989 Field Trip Guidebook T125 Leader: Michael E. Taylor, Editor Associate Leaders: Harry E. Cook James F. Miller A. R. Palmer Margaret N. Rees Richard A. Robison Contributions By: David ]. Bottjer Mary L. Droser Stephen M. Rowland American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1989 American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 ISBN: 0-87590-662-1 Printed in the United States of America
COVER Shoal-water carbonate rocks of the Whipple Cave Formation (Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician), Christmas Tree Canyon, central Egan Range, Nevada. Photograph by M. E. Taylor.
CONTENTS Page Chapter 1. Introduction and Background for Field Trip T125. Michael E. Taylor 1 Chapter 2. Geology of the Basin and Range Province, Western United States: An Overview. Harry E. Cook 6 Chapter 3. Day 0: Early and Middle Cambrian Stratigraphy of Frenchman Mountain, Nevada (Stop 0.1). A. R. Palmer 14 Chapter 4. Day 1: Early Cambrian Stratigraphy and Paleontology, Southern Great Basin, California-Nevada. A. R. Palmer and Stephen M. Rowland 17 Stop 1.1: Carrara Formation, Titanothere Canyon, Death Valley National Park, California 17 Stop 1.2: Stewart's Mill Archaeocyath Reef, Esmeralda County, Nevada 24 Chapter 5. Day 2: Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician Stratigraphy, Biostratigraphy and Depositional Environments, Hot Creek Range, Nevada. Harry E. Cook, Michael E. Taylor, and James F. Miller 28 Stop 2.1: Upper Cambrian Swarbrick Formation and Tybo Shale 32 Stop 2.2: Upper Tybo Shale and Hales Limestone 33 Stop 2.3 (optional): Currant Canyon, Horse Mountains-White Pine Range: Overview of Lower Paleozoic Stratigraphic Section 36 Chapter 6. Day 3: Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician Biostratigraphy and Depositional Environments of the Whipple Cave Formation and House Limestone, Central Egan Range, Nevada. Michael E. Taylor, Harry E. Cook, and James F. Miller 37 Stop 3.1: Christmas Tree Canyon 37 Stop 3.2: Sawmill Canyon 39 Chapter 7. Day 4: Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician Stratigraphy and Biostratigraphy, Southern House Range ("Ibex Area"), Utah. James F. Miller and Michael E. Taylor 45 Stop 4.1: Hellnmaria Member of Notch Peak Formation 45 Stop 4.2: Steamboat Pass and General Orientation to the Southern House Range-Ibex Area 46 Stop 4.3: Lava Dam Five Section 47 Stop 4.4 (Optional): Lower Ordovician Fillmore Formation, Skull Rock Pass 58 v
CONTENTS (continued) Chapter 8. Days 5 and 6: Cambrian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Central House Range and Drum Mountains, Utah. Margaret N. Rees and Richard A. Robison 59 Day 5. Cambrian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Central House Range 65 Stop 5.1: Upper Cambrian Paleontology and Depositional Environments along Orr Ridge 65 Stop 5.2: Junction of Tule Valley Road and Old Highway U.S. 50/6 68 Stop 5.3: Howell Limestone and Chisholm Formation 68 Stop 5.4: Marjum and Weeks Formations 68 Stop 5.5: Sedimentary Features in Marjum Formation 68 Stop 5.6: Wheeler Amphitheater 68 Day 6. Middle Cambrian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Drum Mountains... 69 Stop 6.1: Whirlwind, Swasey, and Wheeler Formations 69 Stop 6.2: Depositional Facies of the Wheeler and Pierson Cove Formations 71 Chapter 9. A Practical Field Guide for Evaluating Early Paleozoic Ichnofabric. Mary L. Droser and David J. Bottjer 73 References Cited 77 vii
MAILING ADDRESSES OF AUTHORS David J. Bottjer Department of Geological Sciences University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089-0740 Harry E. Cook Branch of Sedimentary Processes U.S. Geological Survey - MS 999 Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591 Mary L. Droser Department of Geology Severance Hall Oberlin College Oberlin, Ohio 44074-1087 James F. Miller Geosciences Department Southwest Missouri State University Springfield, MO 65804-0089 A. R. Palmer The Geological Society of America P.O. Box 9140 Boulder, CO 80301-9140 Margaret N. Rees Department of Geosciences University of Nevada Las Vegas, NV 89154-4010 Richard A. Robison Department of Geology University of Kansas 120 LindleyHall Lawrence, KS 66045-2124 Stephen M. Rowland Department of Geosciences University of Nevada Las Vegas, NV 89154-4010 Michael E. Taylor Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy U.S. Geological Survey Box 25046, MS 919 Federal Center Denver, CO 80225-0046 ix