Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Petrology And Geochemistry Of The Morrison Formation, Dinosaur Quarry Quadrangle, Utah, Sue Ann Bilbey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mineralogical and petrographic analyses of the upper Jurassic - lower Cretaceous units in the vicinity of the Dinosaur National Monument quarry near Jensen, Utah, have elucidated their characteristics and the locations of formational boundaries. The lower part of the Morrison Formation is distinguished by a decreased amount of illite and an increased amount of kaolinite. In contrast, the underlying Curtis Formation contains an approximately equal mixture of illite and kaolinite. The lower Salt Wash Member and the upper Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison are both lithologically and mineralogically identifiable in this area. Above the boundary between the two, kaolinite …