Timing of cut-and-fill sequences in the John Day Formation (Eocene-Oligocene), Painted Hills area, central Oregon

Conference · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:5422951

Bestland, E A; Retallack, G J ^[1]; Swisher, III, C C ^[2]; Fremd, T J ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences
2. Inst. of Human Origins, Berkeley, CA (United States)
3. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, John Day, OR (United States)

Large-scale cut-and-fill features in the Eocene-Oligocene part of the John Day Formation in the Pained Hills area of central Oregon can be interpreted as terrestrial depositional sequences, mapped as lithostratigraphic units, and correlated to North American Land Mammal Ages (NALMA). New laser-fusion 40Ar/39Ar single-crystal ages from the John Day Formation provide evidence for the timing of these sequences and a revised placement of the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. The sequences are bound by erosional surfaces that have relief of up to 60 m, are marked in places by claystone breccias full of reworked soil clasts, and separate otherwise conformable strata. The lowermost depositional sequence in the John Day Formation contains very well developed, Fe- and Al-rich paleosols, laterite horizons, and the welded tuff of member A (39.7 my), and probably correlates to the Duchesean and Chadronian NALMA. These brick-rid claystones are sharply truncated by prominent detrital laterite horizon. Overlying this basal sequence is a second sequence of much less well developed paleosols, abundant tuffs and lacustrine tuffaceous claystones. This sequence contains a distinctive biotite tuff (33 my) and the type locality of the Bridge Creek fossil flora and probably correlates to the Orellan NALMA. Above this biotite tuff are alternating red, dark gray, and tan paleosols and a prominent crystal vitric tuff (32.7 my). The Eocene-Oligocene boundary lies between these two sequences, associated with the laterite horizon that truncates the basal red beds. A major truncation surface cuts this sequence and is overlain by a third sequence of thin red paleosols which probably correlates with the Whitneyan NALMA. Above this is a fourth sequence (Arikareean NALMA) consisting of greenish-tan paleosols, a crystal vitric tuff near its base (29.8 my) and the Picture Gorge Ignimbrite (28.7 my).

• OSTI ID: 5422951
• Report Number(s): CONF-9305259-; CODEN: GAAPBC
• Journal Information: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 89. annual meeting of the Cordilleran Section and the 46th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Reno, NV (United States), 19-21 May 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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