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• 1. [Article] Preliminary report on the geology of the Molalla quadrangle, Oregon

  The Molalla quadrangle is located in northwestern Oregon along the eastern edge of Willamette Valley about 30 miles south of Portland. The area includes part of the Western Cascade foothills as well as ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Preliminary report on the geology of the Molalla quadrangle, Oregon Author: Harper, Herbert Ewing The Molalla quadrangle is located in northwestern Oregon along the eastern edge of Willamette Valley about 30 miles south of Portland. The area includes part of the Western Cascade foothills as well as a portion of the Willamette Valley lowland. The rocks in the Cascade foothills are marine and terrestrial sediments interlayered with volcanic flows and pyroclastics which range from Eocene (?) to Pliocene or early Pleistocene in age. The oldest rocks consist of approximately 1500 feet of basaltic and andesitic lavas, present in the southeastern portion of the area, and described here as the Pre-Butte Creek lavas. The base or lower part of the series contains interbedded marine pebble conglomerates presumably of Eocene age. To the southwest the laves are unconformably ever-lain with about 1200 feet of marine and terrestrial sediments which have been termed the Butte Creek beds. Field relations indicate a correlation of these sediments with the Oligocene Illahe sandstone, while the faunal study made by Durham suggests a lower Miocene age. In the southwestern part of the quadrangle the Butte Creek beds are unconformably overlain by the middle Miocene Stayton lavas. Several hundred feet of pyroclastics and terrestrial sediments considered early Pliocene in age and described as the Molalla formation are exposed along Molalla River in the eastern and northeastern part of the quadrangle. They rest unconformably on the Pre-Butte Creek lavas and are overlain by Pliocene or early Pleistocene Boring lavas. Where exposed along the western edge of the Cascade foothills these older formations are covered by middle Pleistocene alluvial deposits which blanket the Willamette valley lowland. All of the Tertiary rocks have been tilted or gently folded. Dips observed in the Butte Creek beds in the southern half of the area average about 6 degrees and indicate an elongate domal fold trending northeasterly. A regional dip of 5 to 8 degrees to the northwest is present in the Molallla formation in the northern part of the area. Minor normal faulting in present locally in the Butte Creek beds. Residual and transported high-alumina clays are present in the Molalla formation. Exploration by the United States Bureau of Mines and Unites States Geological Survey revealed an estimated 53,460,000 wet tons of ore in the Molalla area. Title: Preliminary report on the geology of the Molalla quadrangle, Oregon Author: Harper, Herbert Ewing The Molalla quadrangle is located in northwestern Oregon along the eastern edge of Willamette Valley about 30 miles south of Portland. The area includes part of the Western Cascade foothills as well as a portion of the Willamette Valley lowland. The rocks in the Cascade foothills are marine and terrestrial sediments interlayered with volcanic flows and pyroclastics which range from Eocene (?) to Pliocene or early Pleistocene in age. The oldest rocks consist of approximately 1500 feet of basaltic and andesitic lavas, present in the southeastern portion of the area, and described here as the Pre-Butte Creek lavas. The base or lower part of the series contains interbedded marine pebble conglomerates presumably of Eocene age. To the southwest the laves are unconformably ever-lain with about 1200 feet of marine and terrestrial sediments which have been termed the Butte Creek beds. Field relations indicate a correlation of these sediments with the Oligocene Illahe sandstone, while the faunal study made by Durham suggests a lower Miocene age. In the southwestern part of the quadrangle the Butte Creek beds are unconformably overlain by the middle Miocene Stayton lavas. Several hundred feet of pyroclastics and terrestrial sediments considered early Pliocene in age and described as the Molalla formation are exposed along Molalla River in the eastern and northeastern part of the quadrangle. They rest unconformably on the Pre-Butte Creek lavas and are overlain by Pliocene or early Pleistocene Boring lavas. Where exposed along the western edge of the Cascade foothills these older formations are covered by middle Pleistocene alluvial deposits which blanket the Willamette valley lowland. All of the Tertiary rocks have been tilted or gently folded. Dips observed in the Butte Creek beds in the southern half of the area average about 6 degrees and indicate an elongate domal fold trending northeasterly. A regional dip of 5 to 8 degrees to the northwest is present in the Molallla formation in the northern part of the area. Minor normal faulting in present locally in the Butte Creek beds. Residual and transported high-alumina clays are present in the Molalla formation. Exploration by the United States Bureau of Mines and Unites States Geological Survey revealed an estimated 53,460,000 wet tons of ore in the Molalla area. Close

• 2. [Article] Geology of the Picture Gorge quadrangle, Oregon

  There are seven stratigraphic units exposed in the Picture Gorge quadrangle, a 204-square mile area in east-central Oregon. isolated exposures of pre-Cretaceous serpentinites, metalimestones, and other ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Geology of the Picture Gorge quadrangle, Oregon Author: White, Willis Harkness There are seven stratigraphic units exposed in the Picture Gorge quadrangle, a 204-square mile area in east-central Oregon. isolated exposures of pre-Cretaceous serpentinites, metalimestones, and other metamorphic rocks record marine deposition of sands silts, and limy sediments followed by burial, lithification, peridotite intrusion, and several periods of deformation. Intrusion and deformation were accompanied by serpentinization, silcification. and calcite veination. Cretaceous conglomerates and intercalated sandstones, which unconformably overlie the metamorphic rocks, are a result of fluvial deposition in a nearshore or continental environment, burial, lithification, uplift, and erosion. Pebbles were derived from plutonicmetamorphic highlands. The Eocene Clamo Formation unconformably overlies the Cretaceous rocks and is made up of basalt conglomerate, silicified conglomerate, andesite breccias, and andesite flows. The fossiliferous John Day Formation, Oligo-Miocene in age, lies unconformably on the Clamo Formation and is pyroclastic in character. Ash was wind-transported from trachytic-andesitic sources to the west and deposited on land, in lakes, and in swamps. The 2, 400-foot section of volcanic siltstones and waterlaid volcaniclastic rocks includes some basalt near the base and an ash-flow tuff near the middle. The John Day Formation was folded slightly after consolidation. The fissure-fed Middle Mjocene Columbia River Basalt flows, at least 2, 300 feet thick, blanket 124 square miles of the quadrangle. Modal analyses of thin sections from 22 basalt flows suggest that flows cannot be correlated on the basis of mineralogy. Correlation must involve a combination of criteria, such as color, texture, and nature of outcrop, together with mineralogy and chemical analyses. Interfiow breccias, tuffs, volcanic siltstones and sandstones, dikes, and an irregular intrusion are also present. The Columbia River Basalt unconformably overlies the John Day Formation. After emplacement, the basalt flow rocks were folded into the west-trending Sunflower anticline and John Day syncline. Normal faulting occurred on the shared flank of the two folds. The Upper Miocene Mascall Formation lies unconformably upon the Columbia River Basalt. About 400 feet of well-bedded, rhy-. olitic volcanic siltstones and intercalated sand and gravel lenses suggest eoliari and fluvial deposition of ash in lakes and swamps. Folding and faulting occurred along the same trends which were active during Columbia River Basalt time. 'lhe Plio-Pleistocene Rattlesnake Formation rests with pronounced angular unconformity on the Mascall Formation. About 10 feet of poorly consolidated fluvial gravels enclose a 38-foot-thick ash-flow tuff. Pleistocene and recent events include capture of the middle fork of the John Day River, slumping, development of pediments, formation of stone garlands, stone stripes, and talus-free mounds, and deposition of stream gravels. An andesitic, hornblende-bearing white volcanic ash was deposited by wind. Title: Geology of the Picture Gorge quadrangle, Oregon Author: White, Willis Harkness There are seven stratigraphic units exposed in the Picture Gorge quadrangle, a 204-square mile area in east-central Oregon. isolated exposures of pre-Cretaceous serpentinites, metalimestones, and other metamorphic rocks record marine deposition of sands silts, and limy sediments followed by burial, lithification, peridotite intrusion, and several periods of deformation. Intrusion and deformation were accompanied by serpentinization, silcification. and calcite veination. Cretaceous conglomerates and intercalated sandstones, which unconformably overlie the metamorphic rocks, are a result of fluvial deposition in a nearshore or continental environment, burial, lithification, uplift, and erosion. Pebbles were derived from plutonicmetamorphic highlands. The Eocene Clamo Formation unconformably overlies the Cretaceous rocks and is made up of basalt conglomerate, silicified conglomerate, andesite breccias, and andesite flows. The fossiliferous John Day Formation, Oligo-Miocene in age, lies unconformably on the Clamo Formation and is pyroclastic in character. Ash was wind-transported from trachytic-andesitic sources to the west and deposited on land, in lakes, and in swamps. The 2, 400-foot section of volcanic siltstones and waterlaid volcaniclastic rocks includes some basalt near the base and an ash-flow tuff near the middle. The John Day Formation was folded slightly after consolidation. The fissure-fed Middle Mjocene Columbia River Basalt flows, at least 2, 300 feet thick, blanket 124 square miles of the quadrangle. Modal analyses of thin sections from 22 basalt flows suggest that flows cannot be correlated on the basis of mineralogy. Correlation must involve a combination of criteria, such as color, texture, and nature of outcrop, together with mineralogy and chemical analyses. Interfiow breccias, tuffs, volcanic siltstones and sandstones, dikes, and an irregular intrusion are also present. The Columbia River Basalt unconformably overlies the John Day Formation. After emplacement, the basalt flow rocks were folded into the west-trending Sunflower anticline and John Day syncline. Normal faulting occurred on the shared flank of the two folds. The Upper Miocene Mascall Formation lies unconformably upon the Columbia River Basalt. About 400 feet of well-bedded, rhy-. olitic volcanic siltstones and intercalated sand and gravel lenses suggest eoliari and fluvial deposition of ash in lakes and swamps. Folding and faulting occurred along the same trends which were active during Columbia River Basalt time. 'lhe Plio-Pleistocene Rattlesnake Formation rests with pronounced angular unconformity on the Mascall Formation. About 10 feet of poorly consolidated fluvial gravels enclose a 38-foot-thick ash-flow tuff. Pleistocene and recent events include capture of the middle fork of the John Day River, slumping, development of pediments, formation of stone garlands, stone stripes, and talus-free mounds, and deposition of stream gravels. An andesitic, hornblende-bearing white volcanic ash was deposited by wind. Close

• 3. [Article] Geology of the continental terrace off the central coast of Oregon

  The continental terrace west of Oregon between 43° 50'N and 44° 40' N latitude is 50 to 55 miles wide. It consists of a continental shelf, 16 to 35 miles wide, and a continental slope, 16 to 37 miles wide. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Geology of the continental terrace off the central coast of Oregon Author: Maloney, Neil Joseph The continental terrace west of Oregon between 43° 50'N and 44° 40' N latitude is 50 to 55 miles wide. It consists of a continental shelf, 16 to 35 miles wide, and a continental slope, 16 to 37 miles wide. The eastern portion of the shelf is a smooth, sediment covered area that slopes very gently west. The western portion of the shelf contains four rocky bank areas. The banks are topographically irregular and appear to be of structural origin. West of the banks the shelf edge occurs at depths of 71 to 90 fathoms. The continental slope extends from the edge of the shelf to the abyssal plain at depths of 1530 to 1610 fathoms. A smooth upper slope of less than three degrees extending to depths of 117 to 250 fathoms occurs north and south of Heceta Bank. West of Heceta Bank the upper slope is formed by a scarp that slopes 10° to 16° to 560 to 725 fathoms. West of the upper slope there is an area of irregular topography, including benches, hills and scarps, which extends to depths of 380 to 1100 fathoms. The lower part of the slope is formed by a north-striking scarp which is 3000 to 6000 feet high and slopes 04° to 15°. The bathymetry indicates that the continental slope was formed by step-type, block faulting. Sediments form a thin surface layer over much of: the terrace. Detrital sand, similar to the coastal sand, covers the shelf from the shoreline to approximately 50 fathoms. The deeper areas on the shelf and upper part of the slope are covered by glauconitic sands and silts on the topographic highs and olive green, clayey silts in the topographic lows. The intermediate and lower portions of the slope are blanketed with olive-green, clayey silt. In these sediments the sand fraction, which generally comprises less than five percent of the sample, is composed chiefly of diatoms, Foraminifera, Radiolaria, and sponge spicules. Sands are also present on the intermediate and deep portions of the slope. Dredge hauls west of Newport obtained sand composed mainly of detrital grains which may have been derived from an underlying friable sandstone. Thin layers of sand occur in cores from other portions of the slope. These sands may have been derived by down slope movement of sediment from the upper slope and the shelf. Sedimentary rocks of Upper Miocene and Pliocene age crop out on the shelf banks and on the continental slope. The banks consist of a sequence of diatomaceous, clayey siltstones with interbeds and concretions of calcareous siltstones. Glauconite sandstone, gray wacke sandstone, and limestone breccia are exposed along with the siltstone, on the northern end of Heceta Bank. Most of the rocks obtamed from the slope are similar to those from the shelf. Friable, wacke sandstone is exposed on the slope west of Newport. Foraminifera, the sand fraction compositions, and textural analyses all indicate that the sediment forming the siltstones from the shelf were deposited at lower littoral to lower bathyal depths. The sediments forming the rocks were deposited in one or more sedimentary basins during the Miocene and Pliocene. The subsidence continued until the. Late Pliocene when the area began to rise. The area was uplifted as much as 1000 fathoms by the Late Pleistocene when the shelf was eroded by transgressions and regressions resulting from sea level changes. The last rise in sea level resulted in the erosion of the shelf to its present form and the deposition of a thin layer of sediment. Sand is presently being deposited on the shallow areas adjacent to the continent, and silt and clay are being laid down on the slope and the sheltered areas of the outer shelf. Title: Geology of the continental terrace off the central coast of Oregon Author: Maloney, Neil Joseph The continental terrace west of Oregon between 43° 50'N and 44° 40' N latitude is 50 to 55 miles wide. It consists of a continental shelf, 16 to 35 miles wide, and a continental slope, 16 to 37 miles wide. The eastern portion of the shelf is a smooth, sediment covered area that slopes very gently west. The western portion of the shelf contains four rocky bank areas. The banks are topographically irregular and appear to be of structural origin. West of the banks the shelf edge occurs at depths of 71 to 90 fathoms. The continental slope extends from the edge of the shelf to the abyssal plain at depths of 1530 to 1610 fathoms. A smooth upper slope of less than three degrees extending to depths of 117 to 250 fathoms occurs north and south of Heceta Bank. West of Heceta Bank the upper slope is formed by a scarp that slopes 10° to 16° to 560 to 725 fathoms. West of the upper slope there is an area of irregular topography, including benches, hills and scarps, which extends to depths of 380 to 1100 fathoms. The lower part of the slope is formed by a north-striking scarp which is 3000 to 6000 feet high and slopes 04° to 15°. The bathymetry indicates that the continental slope was formed by step-type, block faulting. Sediments form a thin surface layer over much of: the terrace. Detrital sand, similar to the coastal sand, covers the shelf from the shoreline to approximately 50 fathoms. The deeper areas on the shelf and upper part of the slope are covered by glauconitic sands and silts on the topographic highs and olive green, clayey silts in the topographic lows. The intermediate and lower portions of the slope are blanketed with olive-green, clayey silt. In these sediments the sand fraction, which generally comprises less than five percent of the sample, is composed chiefly of diatoms, Foraminifera, Radiolaria, and sponge spicules. Sands are also present on the intermediate and deep portions of the slope. Dredge hauls west of Newport obtained sand composed mainly of detrital grains which may have been derived from an underlying friable sandstone. Thin layers of sand occur in cores from other portions of the slope. These sands may have been derived by down slope movement of sediment from the upper slope and the shelf. Sedimentary rocks of Upper Miocene and Pliocene age crop out on the shelf banks and on the continental slope. The banks consist of a sequence of diatomaceous, clayey siltstones with interbeds and concretions of calcareous siltstones. Glauconite sandstone, gray wacke sandstone, and limestone breccia are exposed along with the siltstone, on the northern end of Heceta Bank. Most of the rocks obtamed from the slope are similar to those from the shelf. Friable, wacke sandstone is exposed on the slope west of Newport. Foraminifera, the sand fraction compositions, and textural analyses all indicate that the sediment forming the siltstones from the shelf were deposited at lower littoral to lower bathyal depths. The sediments forming the rocks were deposited in one or more sedimentary basins during the Miocene and Pliocene. The subsidence continued until the. Late Pliocene when the area began to rise. The area was uplifted as much as 1000 fathoms by the Late Pleistocene when the shelf was eroded by transgressions and regressions resulting from sea level changes. The last rise in sea level resulted in the erosion of the shelf to its present form and the deposition of a thin layer of sediment. Sand is presently being deposited on the shallow areas adjacent to the continent, and silt and clay are being laid down on the slope and the sheltered areas of the outer shelf. Close