Bright Angel Shale: Difference between revisions

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The [[Cambrian]] '''Bright Angel Shale''' is the middle member of the 3-member [[Tonto Group]]. It is about {{convert|500|ft|m|0}} thick at its maximum.<ref name="Chronic1983a">{{cite book |last=Chronic |first=Halka |date=1983 |title=Roadside Geology of Arizona |url=https://archive.org/details/roadsidegeology000chro |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |page= |isbn=978-0-87842-147-3 |author-link=Halka Chronic |url-access=registration }}</ref> It is a nonresistant [[slope-former|slope-forming]] unit. The Bright Angel Shale consists of green and purple-red, siltstone and shale which is interbedded with red-brown to brown sandstone that is similar in lithology to the underlying Tapeats.<ref name="BrightAngel">{{cite web |url=https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/Units/BrightAngel_4814.html |title= Bright Angel Lexicon entry |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=National Geologic Map Database Lexicon |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=2 June 2019 |quote=}}</ref> The Bright Angel Shale underlies and interfingers with Muav Limestone. The Bright Angel Shale is located in the lower elevations of the [[Grand Canyon]], [[Arizona]].<ref name="Hampton1998a">{{cite book |last1=Hampton|first1=HM|chapter=Geologic Map of the Grand Canyon in the Vicinity of the South Rim Visitor Center|editor1-last=Kamilli |editor1-first=Robert J.|editor2-last=Richard |editor2-first=Stephen M. |date=1998 |title=Geologic Highway Map of Arizona |language=English |location= |publisher=Arizona Geological Society and Arizona Geological Survey |isbn=978-1-8919-2400-2}}, 1 sheet, scale 1:62,500.</ref> The Bright Angel Shale preserves [[fossils]] dating back to the [[Cambrian]] [[Period (geology)|period]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database|url= http://www.fossilworks.org/|accessdate= 8 July 2014|url-status= dead|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140731140924/http://fossilworks.org/|archivedate= 31 July 2014}}</ref>
The [[Cambrian]] '''Bright Angel Shale''' is the middle member of the 3-member [[Tonto Group]]. It is about {{convert|500|ft|m|0}} thick at its maximum.<ref name="Chronic1983a">{{cite book |last=Chronic |first=Halka |date=1983 |title=Roadside Geology of Arizona |url=https://archive.org/details/roadsidegeology000chro |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |page= |isbn=978-0-87842-147-3 |author-link=Halka Chronic |url-access=registration }}</ref> It is a nonresistant [[slope-former|slope-forming]] unit. The Bright Angel Shale consists of green and purple-red, siltstone and shale which is interbedded with red-brown to brown sandstone that is similar in lithology to the underlying Tapeats.<ref name="BrightAngel">{{cite web |url=https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/Units/BrightAngel_4814.html |title= Bright Angel Lexicon entry |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=National Geologic Map Database Lexicon |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=2 June 2019 |quote=}}</ref> The Bright Angel Shale underlies and interfingers with Muav Limestone. The Bright Angel Shale is located in the lower elevations of the [[Grand Canyon]], [[Arizona]].<ref name="Hampton1998a">{{cite book |last1=Hampton|first1=HM|chapter=Geologic Map of the Grand Canyon in the Vicinity of the South Rim Visitor Center|editor1-last=Kamilli |editor1-first=Robert J.|editor2-last=Richard |editor2-first=Stephen M. |date=1998 |title=Geologic Highway Map of Arizona |language=English |location= |publisher=Arizona Geological Society and Arizona Geological Survey |isbn=978-1-8919-2400-2}}, 1 sheet, scale 1:62,500.</ref> The Bright Angel Shale preserves [[fossils]] dating back to the Cambrian [[Period (geology)|Period]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database|url= http://www.fossilworks.org/|accessdate= 8 July 2014|url-status= dead|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140731140924/http://fossilworks.org/|archivedate= 31 July 2014}}</ref>


[[File:USA 09855 Grand Canyon Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Relative long distance photo of [[Isis Temple]]. <br>The greenish slope-forming Bright Angel Shale is shown above the dk tan & vertical cliffs of the erosion-resistant [[Shinumo Quartzite]]. <br>(Note the resistant horizontal sub-cliff at the middle of the Bright Angel.) ]]
[[File:USA 09855 Grand Canyon Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Relative long distance photo of [[Isis Temple]]. <br>The greenish slope-forming Bright Angel Shale is shown above the dark tan & vertical cliffs of the erosion-resistant [[Shinumo Quartzite]]. <br>(Note the resistant horizontal sub-cliff at the middle of the Bright Angel.) ]]
The most noteworthy defining character of the Bright Angel Shale is its soft light-greenish-color, and its slope-forming character.
The most noteworthy defining character of the Bright Angel Shale is its soft light-greenish-color, and its slope-forming character.


The 3-units of the Tonto Group and the colorful Bright Angel Shale are easily identified as a geological sequence beneath the tall cliffs of the Redwall Limestone (the Redwall sits upon a short resistant cliff of Muav Limestone); the Tonto Group is also easily seen beside Granite Gorge (Colorado River) and the [[Vishnu Basement Rocks]] <br>
The three units of the Tonto Group and the colorful Bright Angel Shale are easily identified as a geological sequence beneath the tall cliffs of the Redwall Limestone (the Redwall sits upon a short resistant cliff of Muav Limestone); the Tonto Group is also easily seen beside Granite Gorge of the [[Colorado River]] and the [[Vishnu Basement Rocks]] <br>
The units of the [[Tonto Group]]:<ref name="Chronic1983a"/>
The units of the [[Tonto Group]]:<ref name="Chronic1983a"/>
* (1)-[[Redwall Limestone]]
* (1)-[[Redwall Limestone]]
Line 37: Line 37:
** 2-Bright Angel Shale
** 2-Bright Angel Shale
** 1-[[Tapeats Sandstone]]<ref name="Tapeats">{{cite web |url=https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/Units/Tapeats_6226.html |title= Tapeats Lexicon entry |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=National Geologic Map Database Lexicon |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=2 June 2019 |quote=}}</ref>
** 1-[[Tapeats Sandstone]]<ref name="Tapeats">{{cite web |url=https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/Units/Tapeats_6226.html |title= Tapeats Lexicon entry |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=National Geologic Map Database Lexicon |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=2 June 2019 |quote=}}</ref>
[[File:Pan 8 of 8 - Komo Point - Flickr - brewbooks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The entire [[Tonto Group]] 3-unit sequence is visible above the Colorado River—(from the [[Komo Point Trail]])--the greenish [[Bright Angel Shale]] above the short resistant cliffs of [[Tapeats Sandstone]]. The resistant unit of [[Muav Limestone]] is visible upon the Bright Angel. <br>(this is actually the side canyon intersecting Granite Gorge)]]

[[File:Pan 8 of 8 - Komo Point - Flickr - brewbooks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The entire [[Tonto Group]] 3-unit sequence is visible above the Colorado River—(from [[Komo Point]] & [[Komo Point Trail]])--the greenish [[Bright Angel Shale]] upon short resistant cliffs of [[Tapeats Sandstone]]. The resistant unit of [[Muav Limestone]] is visible upon the Bright Angel. <br>(this is actually the side canyon intersecting Granite Gorge)]]
[[File:Komo Point view - Flickr - brewbooks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|(from Komo Point) <br>Sloping [[Supai Group]] [[red beds|redbeds]] upon —-[[Redwall Limestone]] cliffs and horizontal platforms on the Muav Limestone on greenish Bright Angel Shale]]

[[File:Komo Point view - Flickr - brewbooks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|(from Komo Point) <br>Sloping [[Supai Group]] “[[red beds|redbeds]]” upon —-[[Redwall Limestone]] cliffs & horizontal-platforms —-upon [[Muav Limestone]] —- upon greenish Bright Angel Shale]]


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 15:13, 9 April 2020

Bright Angel Shale
Stratigraphic range: Middle Cambrian[1][2]
Muav Limestone-(dk or lt gray, brown, or orange-red subcliff at base of Redwall Limestone cliff) and Bright Angel Shale (greenish slope-former), resting on Tapeats Sandstone (short, dp brown vertical cliff) (Tapeats forms the "Tonto Platform"), inner canyon, Granite Gorge. (The 3 units–Muav, Bright Angel, and Tapeats, are easily seen below the red-stained Redwall Limestone (550 ft thick))
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofTonto Group[3]
UnderliesMuav Limestone
OverliesTapeats Sandstone
Thickness500 feet (150 m) at its maximum
Lithology
Primarymicaceous siltstone and shale
Othersandstone and glauconitic sandstone
Location
Regionnorthern Arizona, southeast California, southern Nevada, and southcentral Utah
CountryUnited States of America
Type section
Named forBright Angel Canyon, Bright Angel quadrangle, Coconino Co., Arizona[4]
Named byNoble (1914)[4]

The Cambrian Bright Angel Shale is the middle member of the 3-member Tonto Group. It is about 500 feet (152 m) thick at its maximum.[5] It is a nonresistant slope-forming unit. The Bright Angel Shale consists of green and purple-red, siltstone and shale which is interbedded with red-brown to brown sandstone that is similar in lithology to the underlying Tapeats.[6] The Bright Angel Shale underlies and interfingers with Muav Limestone. The Bright Angel Shale is located in the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.[7] The Bright Angel Shale preserves fossils dating back to the Cambrian Period.[8]

Relative long distance photo of Isis Temple.
The greenish slope-forming Bright Angel Shale is shown above the dark tan & vertical cliffs of the erosion-resistant Shinumo Quartzite.
(Note the resistant horizontal sub-cliff at the middle of the Bright Angel.)

The most noteworthy defining character of the Bright Angel Shale is its soft light-greenish-color, and its slope-forming character.

The three units of the Tonto Group and the colorful Bright Angel Shale are easily identified as a geological sequence beneath the tall cliffs of the Redwall Limestone (the Redwall sits upon a short resistant cliff of Muav Limestone); the Tonto Group is also easily seen beside Granite Gorge of the Colorado River and the Vishnu Basement Rocks
The units of the Tonto Group:[5]

The entire Tonto Group 3-unit sequence is visible above the Colorado River—(from the Komo Point Trail)--the greenish Bright Angel Shale above the short resistant cliffs of Tapeats Sandstone. The resistant unit of Muav Limestone is visible upon the Bright Angel.
(this is actually the side canyon intersecting Granite Gorge)
(from Komo Point)
Sloping Supai Group redbeds upon —-Redwall Limestone cliffs and horizontal platforms on the Muav Limestone — on greenish Bright Angel Shale

See also

References

  1. ^ Rose, E (2006) "Nonmarine aspects of the Cambrian Tonto Group of the Grand Canyon, USA, and broader implications." Palaeoworld. 15:223–241.
  2. ^ Rose, E (2011) Modification of the nomenclature and a revised deposition model for the Cambrian Tonto Group of the Grand Canyon, Arizona. in JS Hollingsworth, FA Sundberg, and JR Foster, eds., pp 77-98, Cambrian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of Northern Arizona and Southern Nevada: Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 67, 321 p.
  3. ^ "Tonto Lexicon entry". National Geologic Map Database Lexicon. United States Geological Survey. n.d. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b L. F. Noble (1914). "The Shinumo quadrangle, Grand Canyon district, Arizona" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin. 549. doi:10.3133/B549. ISSN 8755-531X. Wikidata Q57659039.
  5. ^ a b Chronic, Halka (1983). Roadside Geology of Arizona. Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers Books. ISBN 978-0-87842-147-3.
  6. ^ "Bright Angel Lexicon entry". National Geologic Map Database Lexicon. United States Geological Survey. n.d. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  7. ^ Hampton, HM (1998). "Geologic Map of the Grand Canyon in the Vicinity of the South Rim Visitor Center". In Kamilli, Robert J.; Richard, Stephen M. (eds.). Geologic Highway Map of Arizona. Arizona Geological Society and Arizona Geological Survey. ISBN 978-1-8919-2400-2., 1 sheet, scale 1:62,500.
  8. ^ Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ "Muav Lexicon entry". National Geologic Map Database Lexicon. United States Geological Survey. n.d. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Tapeats Lexicon entry". National Geologic Map Database Lexicon. United States Geological Survey. n.d. Retrieved 2 June 2019.

Further reading