Revision of middle Proterozoic Yellowjacket Formation, central Idaho, and revision of Cretaceous Slim Sam Formation, Elkhorn Mountains area, Montana

Russell G. Tysdal

doi:10.3133/pp1601ab

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Revision of middle Proterozoic Yellowjacket Formation, central Idaho, and revision of Cretaceous Slim Sam Formation, Elkhorn Mountains area, Montana

Russell G. Tysdal

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Abstract

The Yellowjacket Formation is restricted to the strata originally assigned to it by Ross (1934). The Yellowjacket, the conformably overlying Hoodoo Quartzite, and succeeding unnamed argillaceous quartzite unit form a genetically related sequence that lies in a structural block delimited on the northeast by the Iron Lake fault. Directly northeast of the fault, strata currently assigned by others to the lower subunit of the Yellowjacket are correlated with the Apple Creek Formation in the Lemhi Range. Mapping in the western part of the Lemhi Range shows that the Apple Creek Formation lies depositionally above the Big Creek Formation and that no rocks of the Yellowjacket-Hoodoo unnamed unit stratigraphic sequence are present. In contrast, in the area of the Yellowjacket mapped by Ross (1934) and the area directly northeast of the Iron Lake Fault, the Big Creek Formation is absent, even though it is 2,700 m thick in the Lemhi Range. These data indicate that the Iron Lake Fault juxtaposed the Yellowjacket-Hoodoo-unnamed unit sequence against non-Yellowjacket strata to the northeast. The Upper Cretaceous Slim Sam Formation of the Elkhorn Mountains area is revised. Strata of the lower part are correlated with the regionally recognized marine Telegraph Creek Formation and the overlying marine to marginal marine Eagle Sandstone. Only lower strata of the Eagle are present in the study area and they are preserved discontinously. The nonmarine volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the upper part of the Slim Sam as originally defined retain the name Slim Sam Formation. These rocks, mainly of sedimentary origin, are genetically related to the Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics. The lower contact of the Slim Sam (restricted) is unconformable above the Eagle Sandstone or more commonly above the Telegraph Creek Formation. The upper contact is conformable with the Elkhorn Mountains Volcanics.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 44.37098696297173° to 46.51351558059737° latitude; -114.345703125° to -111.4068603515625° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Russell G. Tysdal. 2000. Revision of middle Proterozoic Yellowjacket Formation, central Idaho, and revision of Cretaceous Slim Sam Formation, Elkhorn Mountains area, Montana. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1601ab

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