Mesaverde Formation
| Mesaverde Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Late Cretaceous | |
| Type | Sedimentary |
| Underlies | Meeteetse Formation, Datil Group (regionally) |
| Overlies | Cody Shale, Mancos Shale |
| Thickness | 200–400 metres (660–1,310 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | sandstone and shale |
| Other | coal |
| Location | |
| Extent | New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming |
The Mesaverde Formation is a Late Cretaceous geologic formation found in areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, in the Western United States.
Geology
The formation is described by W.G. Pierce as interbedded light gray sandstone and gray shale in the upper part; massive, light-buff, ledge-forming sandstone containing thin lenticular coal beds in the lower part.[1]
The formation occurs in various structural basins in the Western United States such as the Piceance Basin, Powder River Basin, Uintah Basin, Washakie Basin, and the Wind River Basin.
Fossils
Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.[2]
See also
Footnotes
References
- Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
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