Petrography and Geochemistry of the Fish Haven Formation and Lowe

Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1973 Petrography and Geochemistry of the Fish Haven Formation and Lower Part of the Laketown Formation, Bear River Range, Utah Brent H Mecham Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Mecham, Brent H., "Petrography and Geochemistry of the Fish Haven Formation and Lower Part of the Laketown Formation, Bear River Range, Utah" (1973) All Graduate Theses and Dissertations 3172 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/3172 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU For more information, please contact digitalcommons@usu.edu ii ACKNOWL.:DGMENTS Sincerest thanks are extended to Dr Raymond L Kerns , Jr , for his help and advice in outlining and directing the thesis Hi s cri t icisms and encouragement were most helpful in completion of the thesis Other faculty membe rs wh o offered advice and criticism throughout t he project were Dr Rkhard R Alexander, Dr Clyde T Hardy, Dr Robert Q Oaks , Jr., Dr Donald R Ol sen , and Dr Joserh C Street Their help and advice was appreciated Thanks are extended to Mrs Gloria Kerns and Mrs Dora Mecham for their help in typ i ng the manuscript Thanks are also extended to Gulf Oi l Corporation for their financial assistance during the summer of 1972 Brent H Mec ham iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOW LEDGMENTS ii LIST OF TABLES v LIST OF FIGURES vii ABSTRACT viii INTRODUCTION Purpose Previous Work METHODS AND MATERIALS Sample Collection Location Procedure 5 Petrography Samp le preparation Equipment Procedure X-ray Diffractometry Samp le preparation Equipment Procedure Insoluble residue X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy Sample preparation Equipment Procedure Statistical analysis DATA Field Description Petrographic Data 8 9 10 12 12 12 13 13 15 17 17 18 iv Page X-ray Diffraction Data X-ray Fluorescence Data Results of chemical analyses Results of statistical analysis Comparative Ana lyses 22 25 25 28 28 DISCUSSION 31 SUMMARY 33 SELECTED REFERENCES 34 APPENDICES 37 Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix ABCDEF~ Petrographic Analyses X-ray Diffraction Data Insoluble Residue Analyses X-ray Fluorescence Data Standard Dolostones from Illinois Measured Sections VITA • • • • • • • • • • • • • 38 41 47 51 57 59 64 v LIST OF TABLES Tab le Page Analysis of Variance 28 Petrographic analysis of Smith field Canyon Section 39 Petrographic analysis of Green Canyon Section 39 Petrographic analysis of Logan Canyon Section 40 Petrographic analysis of Blacksmith Fork Canyon Section 40 X-ray diffraction data from Smithfield Canyon Section • 42 X-ray diffraction data from Green Canyon Section 43 X-ray diffraction data from Logan Canyon Section 44 X-ray diffraction data from Blacksmith Fork Canyon Section 45 10 X-ray diffraction data from nine local dolostones 46 11 Insoluble residue analyses from Smithfield Canyon Section 48 12 Insoluble residue analyses from Green Canyon Section 49 Insoluble residue analyses from Logan Canyon Section 50 Insoluble residue analyses from Blacksmith Fork Ca nyon Section 50 X-ray fluorescence data from Smithfield Canyon Section 52 X-ray fluorescence data from Green Canyon Section 53 17 X-ray fluorescence data from Logan Canyon Secti on 54 18 X-ray fluorescence data from Blacksmith Fork Canyon Section 55 13 14 15 16 vi Page 19 20 X-ray fluorescence data from nine local dolostones 56 Standard dolostones fro m Illinois 58 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Index map of central part of northern Utah showing location of the four sections measured • Diagrammatic representation showing the relationship between the Fish Haven and Laketown Formations X-ray diffractograms of (A) dolomite, (B) calcite, and (C) quartz 11 Photomicrograph of pseudospar from the Fish Haven Formation 19 Photomicrograph of pseudospar from the Laketown Formation 20 Photomicrograph of detrital quartz in the Fish Haven at its contact with the Swan Peak 21 Photomicrograph of pellets from the Laketmvn Formation feet above its contact with the Fish Haven Formation · · · · · 23 X-ray dtffractograms from Logan Canyon Section (A) Sample number 36, pure dolomite, (B) Sample number 106, dolomite with a minor amount of calcite, and (C) Sample number 60, dolomite with a mino r amount of quartz· 24 X-ray diffractogram of insoluble residue number from Green Canyon showing the peaks due to illite and quartz 26 Fluorescence scan of Sample number 60 from Logan Canyon Section, with peaks indicating those elements present 27 141 10 viii ABSTRACT Petrography and Geochemistry of the Fish Haven Formation and Lower Part of the LaketO\~n Formation, Bear River Range, Utah by Brent H Mecham, Master of Science Utah State University, 1973 Major Professor: Dr Raymond L Kerns, Jr Department: Geology Near Logan, Utah, the Fish Haven Formation is a thick-bedded, darkgray dolostone The Laketown Formation, which rests on the Fish Haven, is a less resistant, medium-gray dolostone The Ordovician - Silurian boundary has been placed locally at the top of the Fish Haven by stratigraphers, and in the lower Laketown Formation by paleontologists Four sections of the Fish Haven and Laketown dolostones were measured near Logan, Utah The samples from these four sections were exa- mined using petrography , insoluble residue analyses, x- ray diffraction, quantitative and qua li tative x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistica l analysis Petrography appears to be the best lab t echnique for distinguishing the two dolostones This techn ique shows the grain size decreases in going from the Fish Haven Formation to the Laketown Formation This de- crease in gra in size is also seen in the field All other la boratory techniques show that the two dolostones are Yery similar and cannot, in general, be distinguished To summari ze, t he ix percent insoluble residue and the percent of quartz and illite found in each formation are independent of formational boundaries X-ray diffrac- tion, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysi s all show that the two formations are geochemically similar A comparison of dolostones shows that they may, in general, be divided into two categories of pure and impure The Fe 203 content of pure lostones may be less than the Fe 203 content of impure dolostones Other than the change in Fe203 content dolostones tend to be the same geochemically This suggests that the process of dolomitization tends to obliterate any differences 1vhich may have originally existed and make all dolostones essentially uniform in composition (7 pages) 50 Insoluble residue analyses from Logan Canyon Section Table 13 Station Unit i~umber Distance (feet) % Insoluble Resiude Pe rcen t Illite Lake tovm ~1ember B 130 lOG 626 506 0.15 0.15 50 100 - - - Laketm·m 1·1ember A Fish Haven G4 36 31 320 180 155 0.38 11 0.35 67 32 100 29 26 21 17 145 130 105 85 40 0.27 0.83 0.27 1.31 rug 95 10 50 33 Table 14 Insoluble residue analyses from Blacksmith Fork Canyon Section Station Number Distance (feet) B 120 600 0.10 54 II 65 55 325 275 l 25 0.09 21 100 Fish Haven 21 17 10 105 l 25 l 25 l() 0.39 10 Unit % Insoluble Res idue Percent Illite Laketown ~!ember Laketown ~1embe r 85 5() 51 Appendix Q X - r~- [luorescence Data 52 Table 15 Unit Laketown Member B Laketown Member A Fish Haven X-ray fluor escence data from Smi thfi e1d Canyo n Section %Sr0 Station Number Distance (feet) %Fe 0, 115 110 105 100 90 575 550 525 500 450 0.359 333 0.309 0.373 343 1.011 0.593 1.095 0.6 10 0.626 85 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 425 375 350 325 300 275 250 225 0.324 311 0.390 0.412 n.308 0.320 0.309 0.362 0.567 0.375 1.068 30t, 0.369 0.470 0.340 577 40 28 25 20 15 10 200 140 125 100 75 50 25 3?7 1102 0.460 0.437 0.461 0.552 0.407 0.455 0.414 0 0.281 0.355 0.307 0.331 0.331 0.325 0.363 X 10- 53 Tab l e 16 Unit Laketown f1e mber B X-ray f l uorescence data from Green Canyo n Section Station Number 141 139 138 137 Oi stance (feet) % ~'e20' %Sr0 x w- 128 109 533 573 568 562 535 528 457 0.300 0.301 288 0.474 0.270 0.266 0.412 0.731 0.993 971 339 0.498 388 029 101 98 94 90 82 74 66 51 32 428 424 420 385 348 308 264 209 139 0.357 0.412 339 0.342 0.270 301 294 305 0.328 0.965 393 033 0.929 0.46fl 0.454 365 392 0.6 12 26 24 12 10 117 109 59 49 20 0.361 331 298 0.370 372 0.454 0.368 0.225 0.248 0.420 130 - - -Laketown Member A -Fish Haven 54 Table 17 X-ray fluorescence data from Logan Canyon Section Station Number Unit Laketo•m Member 130 126 122 118 114 11 106 100 Distance (feet) 626 606 586 566 546 526 506 480 %Fe O, 0.341 280 0.3 27 0.341 0.301 0.344 0.393 329 X $Sr02 10- 0.336 0.426 505 0.552 0.394 1.025 0.708 0.369 -Laketown ~~ember A 92 86 81 74 68 64 60 56 52 48 44 40 36 33 31 447 420 395 365 340 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 165 155 0.347 () 386 0.390 0.421 379 0.351 0.445 0.347 0.322 0.385 0.356 0.355 0.337 0.330 0.375 0.396 0.800 0.553 0.660 0.3()2 443 0.547 0.553 0.432 0.481 368 0.219 0.343 0.319 0.275 -Fish Have n 29 26 21 17 14 11 145 130 105 85 70 55 40 25 10 0.356 0.504 367 0.42 0.380 412 0.355 363 0.479 0.761 0.205 591 0.440 0.6 12 0.421 0.516 0.378 394 0.274 0.494 55 Table 18 Unit Laketown Member B X-ray fluorescence data from Blacksmith Fork Canyon Section Station Number Distance (feet) %Fe2 o, 120 115 110 105 100 95 90 600 575 550 525 500 475 450 0.424 0.379 0.362 0.392 0.342 0.337 0.340 %Sr0 10- X 0.781 0.537 0.478 0.522 710 0.542 0.642 - Laketo•:m Member A Fish Haven 84 81 76 71 65 60 55 50 45 40 34 29 420 405 380 355 325 300 275 250 225 200 170 145 0.355 0.330 0.31 353 463 371 0.597 0.538 0.322 0.258 0.300 0.281 0.918 0.787 1.108 728 0.942 0.508 0.430 0.464 0.252 183 0.411 0.230 21 17 10 105 85 50 466 0.243 411 0 287 0.288 0.3 13 0.273 o 372 56 Table 19 X-ray fluorescence data from nine local dolostones Formation %Fe Laketmm top Laketown middle St Char l es Nounan top Nounan base Bl acksmith top 81 acksmith base Langston #2 Langston #1 0.325 0.261 310 0.387 0.470 411 0.463 2.201 1.876 %SrQ 10 X 0.457 0.6fl1 0.358 0.231 0.117 0.229 0.265 118 0.276 57 Appendix I Standard Oolostones from Illfnnis 58 Table 20 Standard dol as tones from Illinois Formation Pure Do 1amite* Ste•.vartvi 11 e Prosser Racine Racine Racine Stewartville Stewartville Niagaran Racine Joliet Ni.agaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran impure Dolomite* Shakopee Shakopee Shakopee Shakopee Shakopee Shakopee Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Niagaran Nia garan Edgewood Niagaran Ni agaran Niagaran Niagaran \~aukes %Fe 03 %CaC0 %MgC0 54 55 54.84 54.60 54.57 54 71 54.71 55 17 53.50 54.14 54.85 54.68 54.00 54.73 54 86 55.12 55.10 54.84 41.116 43.61 44.57 43.03 44.43 42.13 43.13 42.70 43.26 42.86 42 84 44.54 42.79 47.28 44 03 43.34 44.24 43.47 15 0.37 0.21 0.25 0.11 0.41 0.85 0.43 0.20 0.29 0.86 0.26 0.83 0.35 0.27 0.35 0.27 0.34 45.37 42.36 42.93 43.94 44.45 49.72 47.73 46.18 40.14 40.86 44 02 49.80 42.01 40.51 48.02 45.88 45.42 47.61 46.15 39.50 33 94 29.23 35.61 36.20 39.96 35.86 35.05 32.52 43.54 36.68 43.74 31.20 32.35 40.55 38.12 37.83 39 38 37.41 1.18 64 1.60 0.84 1.10 1.05 1.12 1.19 70 1.40 0.76 0.21 0.55 41 0.51 51 0.47 07 17 55.01 *Data taken from Lamar (1957) 59 Appendix£_ Measured Sections 60 Section Section measured near the head of Smithfield Canyon, Utah; beginning in the NEJ;;NWJ,; sec 11, T 13N., R 2E.; ending in the SEJ,;NEJ,; sec 11, T 13N., R 2E., Salt Lake base and meridian Thickness (feet) Laketown Dolostone: Dolostone, medium light gray, weathers light gray, fine crystalline, medium bedded 65 Dolostone, medium light gray, weathers light gray, fine crystalline, medium to thin bedded, breccia zone 25 feet above base of th is unit 160 Dolostone, medium gray, weathers medium gray, fine crystalline, resistant cliff former, contains chert in places, thin bedded 150 Dolostone, fine crystalline, medium gray, weathers medium gray, thin bedded, base contains irregular light and dark mottled dolostone 65 Total Fish Haven 440 Doloston~: Dolostone, dark gray, weathers medium gray, medium to fine crystalline, chert nodules in beds, massive cliff former, thick bedded 35 Dolostone, dark gray, weathers medium gray, medium to fine crystalline, contains algal bands and solution cavities, thick bedded 80 Dolostone, medium light gray, weathers light gray, fine crystalline, slope former, med ium bedded 20 Total Swan Peak Formation 135 61 Section Section measured near the S1~an Peak rock quarry, Green Canyon, Utah, begi nning in the NEJ,;SWJ,; sec 17, T 12N., R 2E.; end ing in the NHJ,;SE\; sec 17, T 12N., R 2E., Salt Lake base and meridian Thickness (feet) Laketown Dolostone: Dolostone, resistant, thin algal bands, medium bedded 20 Covered; light gray dolostone float, fine crysta lline, light gray, thin bedded, dipslope breccia locally in float 162 Do lostone, mixed light and dark mottled dolostone, fine crystalline, thin bedded 21 Dolostone, medi urn gray, weathers light gray fine crystalline, thin to medium bedded, resistant cliff former 173 Covered; unit forms a dip slope, medium gray dolostone float, weathers medium light gray fine crys tall i ne 80 Total 456 Fish Haven Dolostone: Covered; unit forms dip slope, medium dark gray dolostone float, weathers med ium dark gray, breccia, thick bedded, medium to fine crystalline 40 Dolostone, medium gray, weathers medium gray, medium bedded, resistant cliff former, contains local areas of breccia, solution cavities, and algal bands, medium to fine crystalline, thick bedded 83 Dolostone, medium gray, weathers medium gray, weathers back, fine to medium crystalline, thick bedded, parallel wavy bands at base · Total Swan Peak Formation 131 62 Section Section measured near the right hand fork of Logan Canyon, Utah; beginning in the SEl,;NEl,; sec 18, T 12N., R 3E.; ending in the SWl,;SEl,; sec 7, T 12N., R 2E., Salt Lake base and meridian Thickness (feet) Laketown Dolostone: Dolostone, medium gray, weathers light gray, fine crystalline, resistant cliff former, medium bedded, base of unit is oolitic and pale orange 125 Dolostone, medium gray, 1veathers medi um light gray, fine crystalline, 1veathers to a slope, medium to thin bedded 61 Dolostone, medium gray, weathers medium light gray, fine crystalline, resistant, th in bedded 45 Covered; light gray dolostone float, weathers medium light gray, breccia zone 50 feet above base of this unit, f ine crystalline, medium to thin bedded 55 Dolostone, medium gray, weathers fine crystalline, medium to thin local chert nodules in beds with light and dark mott l ed dolostone light gray, bedded, irregular at base Total 195 481 Fish Haven Dolostone: Do lostone, medium dark gray, weathers medium gray, medium to fine crystalline, thick bedded, contains yellowish-gray chert in beds Dolostone, medium dark gray, weathers medium gray, medium to fine crystalline, thick bedded, solution cavities Total Swan Peak Formation 30 115 145 63 Section Section measured near the left fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon, Utah, begin ning in the NEJoSWJo sec 2, T 10N., R 2E ; end ing in the SEJoSWJo sec 35, T 11N., R 2E., Salt Lake base and meridian Thickness (feet) Laketown Dolostone: Dolostone, medium light gray, weathers light gray, medium bedded, resistant, fine crystalline, local algal laminations 201 Dolostone, medium light gray, weathers light gray, fine crystalline, slope former, local irregular light and dark mottled dolostone, breccia zone 100 feet above base, medium to thin bedded 129 Dolostone, medium light gray, weathers l ight gray, fine crysta lline, thin to medium bedded, chert nodules in some beds, irregular light and dark mottled dolostone at base • 130 Tota 460 Fish Haven Do l ostone: Dolosto ne, dark gray, weathers medium dark gray, medium to fine crystalline, cherty, thick bedded, iron staining along fractures 40 Dolostone, dark gray, weathers med um dark gray, fine to medium crystall ne, fractured, contains solution cav it es, thick bedded 100 Total Swan Peak Formation 140 64 VITA Brent H Mecham Candidate for the Degree of Master of Science Thesis: Petrography and Geochemistry of the Fish Ha ven Formation and Lower Part of the Laketown Formation , Bear River Range, Utah Major Field : Geology Biographical Information: Personal data; Born at Grand Junction, Co lorado, June 8, 1947, son of Howard A and Dora T Mecham Education: Attended elementary school in St Charles, Idaho; graduated from Fielding High School in 1965; received the Bachelor of Science degree from Utah State University with major in geology in 1971; did graduate work in pelrography and geochemistry 1971-1973; completed requirements for Master of Sc ien ce degree at Utah State University in 1973 Professional Experience: Teaching assistantship at Utah State Unive rsity 1972-73 ... at the top of the Fish Haven by stratigraphers, and in the lower Laketown Formation by paleontologists Four sections of the Fish Haven and Laketown dolostones were measured near Logan, Utah The. .. Petrography and Geochemistry of the Fish Haven Formation and Lower Part of the LaketO~n Formation, Bear River Range, Utah by Brent H Mecham, Master of Science Utah State University, 1973 Major Professor:... existed and make all dolostones essentially uniform in composition (7 pages) INTRODUCTI ON Thi s study deals 1-lith the geochemistry and petrography of the Fish Haven Formation and lower part of the