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{{Short description|Geologic formation in Arizona, USA}}
{{Infobox rockunit
{{Infobox rockunit
| image = Grand Canyon view.jpg
| image = Grand Canyon view.jpg
| imagesize = 350px
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = Redwall Limestone cliff, and upper platform of cliff extension from Tower of Set, central [[Grand Canyon]], adjacent Granite Gorge. <br>The bottom of Redwall cliffs typically rest on sections of [[Temple Butte Limestone]]-(locally), or attached sections of [[Muav Limestone]] cliffs (regionally exposed in Grand Canyon, elsewhere in Arizona, not always with surface exposure).
| caption = Redwall Limestone cliff, and upper platform of cliff extension (resting on very short [[Muav Limestone]] cliff), from [[Tower of Set]], central [[Grand Canyon]], adjacent Granite Gorge. <br>The bottom of Redwall cliffs typically rest on sections of [[Temple Butte Formation]]-(locally), or attached sections of [[Muav Limestone]] cliffs (regionally exposed in Grand Canyon, elsewhere in Arizona, not always with surface exposure).
| period = Mississippian
| period = Mississippian
| age = Early and early Late Mississippian<ref name="Beuss2003a">Beus, SS (2003) ''Redwall Limestone and Surprise Canyon Formation.'' in: Beus, S.S., Morales, M., eds., pp. 115-134, Grand Canyon Geology, 2nd. Oxford University Press, New York.</ref><ref name="Anonymous2006e">Anonymous (2006e) [http://3gtrthwelkfwsd;ooldkvbkwejfcn'oradoplateau/lexicon/redwall.htm ''Redwall Limestone.''] [http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/coloradoplateau/index.html Stratigraphy of the Parks of the Colorado Plateau]. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.</ref>
| age = Early and early Late Mississippian<ref name="Beuss2003a">Beus, SS (2003) "Redwall Limestone and Surprise Canyon Formation." in: Beus, S.S., Morales, M., eds., pp. 115–134, ''Grand Canyon Geology'', 2nd. Oxford University Press, New York.</ref><ref name="Anonymous2006e">Anonymous (2006) [http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/coloradoplateau/index.html Stratigraphy of the Parks of the Colorado Plateau]. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.{{Dead link|date=May 2019}}</ref>
| type = [[Geological formation]]
| type = [[Geological formation]]
| prilithology = fossiliferous [[limestone]]
| prilithology = [[fossiliferous limestone]]
| otherlithology = [[dolomite]] and [[chert]]
| otherlithology = [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] and [[chert]]
| namedfor = Named for blue appearance of its escarpment on either side of the Grand Canyon.<ref name="Gilbert1875a">Gilbert, GK (1875) ''Chapter 6 Report upon the geology of portions of Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona.'' in GM Wheeler, ed., pp. 17-187, Report on the geographical and geological explorations and surveys west of the One hundredth meridian. Publication of the Wheeler Survey, U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey, Washington, DC.</ref>
| namedfor = the red appearance of its escarpment on either side of the Grand Canyon<ref name="Gilbert1875a">Gilbert, GK (1875) ''Chapter 6 Report upon the geology of portions of Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona.'' in GM Wheeler, ed., pp. 17–187, Report on the geographical and geological explorations and surveys west of the One hundredth meridian. Publication of the Wheeler Survey, U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey, Washington, DC.</ref>
| namedby = Gilbert (1875)<ref name="Gilbert1875a"/>
| namedby = Gilbert (1875)<ref name="Gilbert1875a"/>
| region = Northern Arizona, southeast California, New Mexico, and southern Utah, Nevada
| region = Northern Arizona, southeast California, New Mexico, and southern Utah, Nevada
|country = [[Southwest United States|United States of America]]
|country = [[Southwest United States|United States of America]]
| coordinates =
| coordinates =
| unitof =
| unitof =
| subunits =
| subunits =
| overlies = [[Muav Limestone]] and [[Temple Butte Limestone]]
| overlies = [[Muav Limestone]] and [[Temple Butte Formation]]
| underlies = [[Surprise Canyon Formation]] (Surprise Canyon Formation locally fills paleovalleys, caves, and collapse structures cut into the underlying Redwall Limestone.)
| underlies = [[Surprise Canyon Formation]] (Surprise Canyon Formation locally fills paleovalleys, caves, and collapse structures cut into the underlying Redwall Limestone.)
| thickness = {{convert|800|ft|m|sp=us}}, at maximum
| thickness = {{convert|800|ft|m|sp=us}}, at maximum
| extent =
| extent =
| area =
| area =
| map =
| map =
| map_caption =
| map_caption =
}}
}}


'''Redwall Limestone''' is a resistant [[cliff-former|cliff-forming]] unit that forms prominent, red-stained cliffs that range in height from {{convert|500|ft|m|sp=us}} to {{convert|800|ft|m|sp=us}}, and date to the [[Mississippian age]].
The '''Redwall Limestone''' is a resistant [[cliff-former|cliff-forming]] unit of [[Mississippian age]] that forms prominent, red-stained cliffs in the [[Grand Canyon]], ranging in height from {{convert|500|ft|m|sp=us}} to {{convert|800|ft|m|sp=us}}.


==Lithology==
== Lithology ==
Redwall Limestone consists predominately of light-olive-gray to light-gray, thin-bedded, fine- to coarse-grained, thin- to thick-bedded, often cherty, [[limestone]]. Its lower part consists of brownish-gray, interbedded finely crystalline [[dolomite]] and fine- to coarse-grained limestone with layers of white [[chert]] lenses and yellowish-gray and brownish-gray, cliff-forming, thick-bedded, fine-grained dolomite. It is divided into Horseshoe Mesa Member, Mooney Falls Member, Thunder Springs Member, and Whitmore Wash Member.<ref name="Beuss2003a"/><ref name="Chronic1983a">Chronic, H (1983) ''Roadside Geology of Arizona.'' The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington. (softcover, {{ISBN|978-0-87842-147-3}})</ref> Its origins date to the Mississippian age.
Redwall Limestone consists predominantly of light-olive-gray to light-gray, fine- to coarse-grained, thin- to thick-bedded, often cherty, [[limestone]]. Its lower part consists of brownish-gray, interbedded finely crystalline [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] and fine- to coarse-grained limestone with layers of white [[chert]] lenses and yellowish-gray and brownish-gray, cliff-forming, thick-bedded, fine-grained dolomite. It is divided into Horseshoe Mesa Member, Mooney Falls Member, Thunder Springs Member, and Whitmore Wash Member.<ref name="Beuss2003a"/><ref name="Chronic1983a">Chronic, H (1983) ''Roadside Geology of Arizona.'' The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington. (softcover, {{ISBN|978-0-87842-147-3}})</ref> Its origins date to the Mississippian age.


==Contacts==
== Contacts ==
The upper and lower contacts of the Redwall Limestone are both unconformities. Its upper contact is a [[disconformity]] that characteristically is a nearly horizontal surface with little or no relief. Locally, the bottom unconformity of the Redwall Limestone contains a basal [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]] that directly rests upon this bottom unconformity. This basal conglomerate is typically composed of [[gravel]] that is locally derived from either the underlying [[Temple Butte Limestone]] or [[Muav Limestone]].
The upper and lower contacts of the Redwall Limestone are both unconformities. Locally, the Redwall Limestone directly overlies the unconformity that forms its lower contact consisting of a basal [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]]. This basal conglomerate is typically composed of [[gravel]] that is locally derived from either the underlying [[Temple Butte Formation]] or [[Muav Limestone]]. The Temple Butte Formation consists of a thin layer of [[Devonian]] [[strata]] that fills paleovalleys cut into the underlying [[Cambrian]] Muav Limestone. Outside of the paleovalleys, the Redwall Limestone overlies the Muav Limestone.<ref name="Beuss2003a"/>


The upper contact of the Redwall Limestone consists of a deeply eroded disconformity characterized by deeply incised paleovalleys and deep paleo[[karst]] depressions that are often filled by sediments of the [[Surprise Canyon Formation]].<ref name="Beuss2003a"/><ref name="Kenny2010a">Kenny, R (2010) [http://faculty.fortlewis.edu/KENNY_R/publications/carb%20and%20evap%202010.pdf ''Continental paleoclimate estimates from the late Mississippian Redwall karst event: northern and north-central Arizona (USA).''] Carbonates Evaporites. 25(4):297-302</ref>
The upper contact of the Redwall Limestone consists of a deeply eroded disconformity characterized by deeply incised paleovalleys and deep paleo[[karst]] depressions that are often filled by sediments of the [[Surprise Canyon Formation]].<ref name="Beuss2003a"/><ref name="Kenny2010a">Kenny, R (2010) [http://faculty.fortlewis.edu/KENNY_R/publications/carb%20and%20evap%202010.pdf ''Continental paleoclimate estimates from the late Mississippian Redwall karst event: northern and north-central Arizona (USA).''] Carbonates Evaporites. 25(4):297–302</ref>

==Temple Butte==
The "Temple Butte Formation" is a stratigraphic unit in Arizona that dates back to the [[Chesterian]] age of the [[Mississippian age|Mississippian]] epoch of the [[Carboniferous]] period.<ref name="all">Hunt, ReBecca K., Vincent L. Santucci and Jason Kenworthy. 2006. "A preliminary inventory of fossil fish from National Park Service units." in S.G. Lucas, J.A. Spielmann, P.M. Hester, J.P. Kenworthy, and V.L. Santucci (ed.s), Fossils from Federal Lands. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 34, pp.&nbsp;63–69.</ref>

==Grand Canyon==
In [[Grand Canyon National Park]] marine fish left behind the fossilized remains of their bony plates.<ref name="all"/> In the [[Grand Canyon]], the upper disconformity forms a horizontal platform at the top of the Redwall Limestone.


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Geology of the Grand Canyon area]]
* [[Geology of the Grand Canyon area]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Popular Publications==
==Further reading==
*Blakey, Ron and Wayne Ranney, ''Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau,'' Grand Canyon Association (publisher), 2008, 176 pages, {{ISBN|978-1934656037}}
* Blakey, Ron and Wayne Ranney, ''Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau,'' Grand Canyon Association (publisher), 2008, 176 pages, {{ISBN|978-1934656037}}
*Chronic, Halka. ''Roadside Geology of Arizona,'' Mountain Press Publishing Co., 1983, 23rd printing, pp.&nbsp;229–232, {{ISBN|978-0-87842-147-3}}
* Chronic, Halka. ''Roadside Geology of Arizona,'' Mountain Press Publishing Co., 1983, 23rd printing, pp.&nbsp;229–232, {{ISBN|978-0-87842-147-3}}
*Lucchitta, Ivo, ''Hiking Arizona's Geology,'' 2001, Mountaineers's Books, {{ISBN|0-89886-730-4}}
* Lucchitta, Ivo, ''Hiking Arizona's Geology,'' 2001, Mountaineers's Books, {{ISBN|0-89886-730-4}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
Line 56: Line 51:
* Anonymous (nda) [http://www.utahgeology.com/fm_redwall.php ''The Redwall Limestone Formation.''] [http://www.utahgeology.com/index.html Utah Geology.]
* Anonymous (nda) [http://www.utahgeology.com/fm_redwall.php ''The Redwall Limestone Formation.''] [http://www.utahgeology.com/index.html Utah Geology.]
* Mathis, A., and C. Bowman (2007) [https://web.archive.org/web/20121220094947/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grca/age/index.cfm ''The Grand Age of Rocks: The Numeric Ages for Rocks Exposed within Grand Canyon''], [https://web.archive.org/web/20121220094947/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grca/age/index.cfm Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona], National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
* Mathis, A., and C. Bowman (2007) [https://web.archive.org/web/20121220094947/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grca/age/index.cfm ''The Grand Age of Rocks: The Numeric Ages for Rocks Exposed within Grand Canyon''], [https://web.archive.org/web/20121220094947/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grca/age/index.cfm Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona], National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
* Shur, C., and D. Shur (2008) [http://www.schursastrophotography.com/paleo/formations/redwall.html ''The Mississippi Redwall Limestone In Northern Arizona.] [http://www.schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html Arizona Fossil Adventures.]
* Shur, C., and D. Shur (2008) [http://www.schursastrophotography.com/paleo/formations/redwall.html ''The Mississippi Redwall Limestone In Northern Arizona.''] [http://www.schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html Arizona Fossil Adventures.]
*{{commonscat-inline|Redwall Limestone cliffs}}
*{{commonscat-inline|Redwall Limestone platform}}


{{Geology of the Grand Canyon area}}
{{Geology of the Grand Canyon area}}
Line 66: Line 59:
[[Category:Natural history of the Grand Canyon]]
[[Category:Natural history of the Grand Canyon]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of Arizona]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of Arizona]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of New Mexico]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of Utah]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of Utah]]
[[Category:Carboniferous Arizona]]
[[Category:Carboniferous Arizona]]
[[Category:Carboniferous geology of New Mexico]]
[[Category:Carboniferous geology of Utah]]
[[Category:Carboniferous geology of Utah]]
[[Category:Carboniferous System of North America]]
[[Category:Carboniferous System of North America]]

Revision as of 07:06, 18 December 2023

Redwall Limestone
Stratigraphic range: Early and early Late Mississippian[1][2]
Redwall Limestone cliff, and upper platform of cliff extension (resting on very short Muav Limestone cliff), from Tower of Set, central Grand Canyon, adjacent Granite Gorge.
The bottom of Redwall cliffs typically rest on sections of Temple Butte Formation-(locally), or attached sections of Muav Limestone cliffs (regionally exposed in Grand Canyon, elsewhere in Arizona, not always with surface exposure).
TypeGeological formation
UnderliesSurprise Canyon Formation (Surprise Canyon Formation locally fills paleovalleys, caves, and collapse structures cut into the underlying Redwall Limestone.)
OverliesMuav Limestone and Temple Butte Formation
Thickness800 feet (240 m), at maximum
Lithology
Primaryfossiliferous limestone
Otherdolomite and chert
Location
RegionNorthern Arizona, southeast California, New Mexico, and southern Utah, Nevada
CountryUnited States of America
Type section
Named forthe red appearance of its escarpment on either side of the Grand Canyon[3]
Named byGilbert (1875)[3]

The Redwall Limestone is a resistant cliff-forming unit of Mississippian age that forms prominent, red-stained cliffs in the Grand Canyon, ranging in height from 500 feet (150 m) to 800 feet (240 m).

Lithology

Redwall Limestone consists predominantly of light-olive-gray to light-gray, fine- to coarse-grained, thin- to thick-bedded, often cherty, limestone. Its lower part consists of brownish-gray, interbedded finely crystalline dolomite and fine- to coarse-grained limestone with layers of white chert lenses and yellowish-gray and brownish-gray, cliff-forming, thick-bedded, fine-grained dolomite. It is divided into Horseshoe Mesa Member, Mooney Falls Member, Thunder Springs Member, and Whitmore Wash Member.[1][4] Its origins date to the Mississippian age.

Contacts

The upper and lower contacts of the Redwall Limestone are both unconformities. Locally, the Redwall Limestone directly overlies the unconformity that forms its lower contact consisting of a basal conglomerate. This basal conglomerate is typically composed of gravel that is locally derived from either the underlying Temple Butte Formation or Muav Limestone. The Temple Butte Formation consists of a thin layer of Devonian strata that fills paleovalleys cut into the underlying Cambrian Muav Limestone. Outside of the paleovalleys, the Redwall Limestone overlies the Muav Limestone.[1]

The upper contact of the Redwall Limestone consists of a deeply eroded disconformity characterized by deeply incised paleovalleys and deep paleokarst depressions that are often filled by sediments of the Surprise Canyon Formation.[1][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Beus, SS (2003) "Redwall Limestone and Surprise Canyon Formation." in: Beus, S.S., Morales, M., eds., pp. 115–134, Grand Canyon Geology, 2nd. Oxford University Press, New York.
  2. ^ Anonymous (2006) Stratigraphy of the Parks of the Colorado Plateau. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.[dead link]
  3. ^ a b Gilbert, GK (1875) Chapter 6 Report upon the geology of portions of Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona. in GM Wheeler, ed., pp. 17–187, Report on the geographical and geological explorations and surveys west of the One hundredth meridian. Publication of the Wheeler Survey, U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey, Washington, DC.
  4. ^ Chronic, H (1983) Roadside Geology of Arizona. The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington. (softcover, ISBN 978-0-87842-147-3)
  5. ^ Kenny, R (2010) Continental paleoclimate estimates from the late Mississippian Redwall karst event: northern and north-central Arizona (USA). Carbonates Evaporites. 25(4):297–302

Further reading

  • Blakey, Ron and Wayne Ranney, Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, Grand Canyon Association (publisher), 2008, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1934656037
  • Chronic, Halka. Roadside Geology of Arizona, Mountain Press Publishing Co., 1983, 23rd printing, pp. 229–232, ISBN 978-0-87842-147-3
  • Lucchitta, Ivo, Hiking Arizona's Geology, 2001, Mountaineers's Books, ISBN 0-89886-730-4

External links

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