USGS Geoscience Data Catalog
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Thompson, Robert S. , Oviatt, C.G., Roberts, A.P., Buchner, J., Kelsey, R., Bracht, C., Forester, R.M., and Bradbury, J.P., 1995, Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, Paleontology, and Paleomagnetism of Pliocene-Early Pleistocene Lacustrine Deposits in Two Cores from Western Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-1, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO.Online Links:
Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 1. Longitudes are given to the nearest 1. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Degrees, minutes, and decimal seconds.
Range of values | |
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Minimum: | 0 |
Maximum: | 90 |
Units: | Decimal degrees |
Resolution: | 0.1 |
apx1.tab 1 Depth (feet) apx1.tab 2 Depth (meters) apx1.tab 3 Grain size description apx1.tab 4 Color of material apx1.tab 5 Bedding / sedimentary structures apx1.tab 6 Miscellaneous notesBlack Rock Core Paleomagnetic Data. Paleomagnetic inclination measured by either Alternating Field demagnetization method or thermal demagnetization method.
apx2.tab 1 Sample Label apx2.tab 2 Depth of sample (feet) apx2.tab 3 Depth of sample (meters) apx2.tab 4 Declination (degrees) apx2.tab 5 Inclination (degrees) apx2.tab 6 Delta (degrees) apx2.tab 7 Intensity apx2.tab 8 Polarity (Reversed/Not Reversed) apx2.tab 9 Method of Demagnetization (Thermal/Alternating Field)Black Rock Core Pollen Data. Counts of 57 pollen taxa from 159 samples from the Black Rock core.
apx3.tab 1 Depth (feet) apx3.tab 2 Sum Terrestrial Pollen Sum apx3.tab 3 Abies Abies count apx3.tab 4 Junip. Juniperus-type count apx3.tab 5 Picea Picea count apx3.tab 6 Pinus Pinus count apx3.tab 7 Ps./La. Pseudotsuga/Larix count apx3.tab 8 Ts.he. Tsuga heterophylla count apx3.tab 9 Ve.un. Vesiculate conifer undif. count apx3.tab 10 Ep.tr. Ephedra trifurca-type count apx3.tab 11 Ep.vi. Ephedra viridis-type apx3.tab 12 Acer Acer count apx3.tab 13 Alnus Alnus count apx3.tab 14 Arce. Arceuthobium count apx3.tab 15 Betula Betula count apx3.tab 16 Celtis Celtis count apx3.tab 17 Cerc. Cercocarpus-type count apx3.tab 18 Frax. Fraxinus count apx3.tab 19 Frem. Fremontodendron? count apx3.tab 20 Holo. Holodiscus-type count apx3.tab 21 Popu. Populus count apx3.tab 22 Pote. Potentilla count apx3.tab 23 Pter. Pterocarya? count apx3.tab 24 Quer. Quercus count apx3.tab 25 Rham. Rhamnaceae count apx3.tab 26 Rosa. Rosaceae count apx3.tab 27 Salix Salix count apx3.tab 28 Sh./E. Shepherdia/Elaegnus count apx3.tab 29 Symp. Symphoricarpos/Lonicera count apx3.tab 30 Ulmus Ulmus count apx3.tab 31 Ambr. Ambrosia-type count apx3.tab 32 Arte. Artemisia count apx3.tab 33 Tubu. Tubuliflorae count apx3.tab 34 Ligu. Liguliflorae count apx3.tab 35 Ch.Am. Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthus count apx3.tab 36 Sarc. Sarcobatus count apx3.tab 37 Poac. Poaceae count apx3.tab 38 Apia. Apiaceae count apx3.tab 39 Bras. Brassicaceae count apx3.tab 40 Cary. Caryophyllaceae count apx3.tab 41 Erio. Eriogonum count apx3.tab 42 Euph. Euphorbiaceae count apx3.tab 43 Faba. Fabaceae count apx3.tab 44 Gili. Gilia-type count apx3.tab 45 Onag. Onagraceae count apx3.tab 46 Phlox Phlox count apx3.tab 47 Pole. Polemonium count apx3.tab 48 Poly. Polygonaceae count apx3.tab 49 Sola. Solanaceae count apx3.tab 50 Thal. Thalictrum count apx3.tab 51 Unkn. Unknown count apx3.tab 52 Inde. Indeterminate count apx3.tab 53 Mono. Monlete spores count apx3.tab 54 Tril. Trilete spores count apx3.tab 55 Cype. Cyperaceae count apx3.tab 56 Myri. Myriophyllum count apx3.tab 57 Ty.Sp. Typha/Sparganium count apx3.tab 58 Pota. Potamogeton count apx3.tab 59 Rupp. Ruppia count apx3.tab 60 Botr. Botryococcus count apx3.tab 61 Pedi. Pediastrum count apx3.tab 62 Tracers Tracers countPit of Death Core Log. Lithologic description of the Pit of Death Core containing information on grain size, color, bedding structures, sedimentary structures and occurance of plant-macrofossils.
apx4.tab 1 Depth (feet) apx4.tab 2 Depth (meters) apx4.tab 3 Grain size description apx4.tab 4 Color of material apx4.tab 5 Nature of boundary apx4.tab 6 Bedding / sedimentary structures apx4.tab 7 Miscellaneous notesPit of Death Core Paleomagnetic Data. Paleomagnetic inclination measured by either Alternating Field demagnetization method or thermal demagnetization method.
apx5.tab 1 Sample Label apx5.tab 2 Depth of sample (feet) apx5.tab 3 Depth of sample (meters) apx5.tab 4 Declination (degrees) apx5.tab 5 Inclination (degrees) apx5.tab 6 Delta (degrees) apx5.tab 7 Intensity apx5.tab 8 Polarity (Reversed/Not Reversed) apx5.tab 9 Method of Demagnetization (Thermal/Alternating Field) 2-material/fig2.psVector component diagrams indicating representative demagnetizationbehavior of paleomagnetic samples.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig3.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig3.ps>Diagram showing paleomagnetic interpretation, lithology, occurance of seeds, occurance of root traces, occurance of leaf impressions and magnetic susceptibility in the Black Rock core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig4.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig4.ps>Diagram showing the paleomagnetic inclination record of the Black Rock core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig5.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig5.ps>Diagram showing age vs. depth relationship based on paleomagnetics and tephrochronology in the Black Rock Core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig6.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig6.ps>Diagram showing paleomagnetic record and pollen percentages of 15 taxa in the Black Rock core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig7.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig7.ps>Diagram showing paleomagnetic record and pollen summary diagram of Conifers vs. Steppe plants vs. Other taxa. vs aquatic pollen types occuring in the Black Rock Core
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig8.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/3-black_rock/fig8.ps>Diagram of Three-level moving averages of conifer and steppe pollen from the Black Rock Core vs. time.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/4-pit_of_death/fig9.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/4-pit_of_death/fig9.ps>Diagram showing paleomagnetic interpretation, lithology, occurance of mud cracks and magnetic susceptibility in the Pit of Death core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/4-pit_of_death/fig10.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/4-pit_of_death/fig10.ps>Diagram showing the paleomagnetic inclination record of the Pit of Death core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/4-pit_of_death/fig11.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/4-pit_of_death/fig11.ps>Diagram showing age vs. depth relationship based on paleomagnetics and tephrochronology in the Pit of Death Core.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/5-discussion/fig12.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/5-discussion/fig12.ps>Diagram comparing the magnetic susceptibiliy records of the Black Rock and Pit of Death cores.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/5-discussion/fig13.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/5-discussion/fig13.ps>Diagram comparing the chronologies and depositional rates of the Black Rock and Pit of Death cores.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/5-discussion/fig14.gif> <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-001/5-discussion/fig14.ps>Diagram comparing the lacustrine histories of Pliocene through Pleistocene sites in western Utah.
This report is the preliminary result of a collaborative project involving specialists from the USGS, Kansas State University, and the University of California-Davis in paleontology (Robert S. Thompson, Jennifer Rose Buchner, R.M. Forester, J.P. Bradbury), stratigraphy and sedimentology (Charles G. Oviatt, Rachel Kelsey, Christopher Bracht), and paleomagnetism and environmental magnetism (Andrew P. Roberts).
303-236-5347 (voice)
303-236-5349 (FAX)
rthompson@usgs.gov
We are investigating the paleoclimatic history of western Utah as part of the USGS Global Change and Climate History Program studies of long-term climatic changes in the western United States. Our initial objective is to document the environmental conditions during the mid-Pliocene period of warmer-than-modern global climates (the focus of the USGS Pliocene Research, Interpretation, and Synoptic Mapping [PRISM] project). We also seek to determine how and when these conditions gave way to the late Quaternary pattern of climatic variations (in which short periods of very moist climates have been separated by long periods of arid conditions).
Billings, W.D., 1949, The shadscale vegetation zone of Nevada and eastern California in relation to climate and soils: American Midland Naturalist v. 42, p. 87-109.
Cande, S.C., and Kent, D.V, 1992, A new geomagnetic polarity time scale for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic: Journal of Geophysical Research v. 97, p. 13, 917-13,951.
Canfield, D.E., and Berner, R.A., 1987, Dissolution and pyritization of magnetite in anoxic marine sediments: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta v. 51, p. 645-659..
Condie, K.C., and Barsky, C.K., 1972, Origin of the Quaternary basalts from the Black Rock Desert region, Utah: Geological Society of America Bulletin v. 83, p. 333-352..
Crecraft, H. R., Nash, W. P., and Evans, S. H., Jr., 1981, Late Cenozoic volcanism at Twin Peaks, Utah - Geology and petrology: Journal of Geophysical Research v. 86: p. 10,303-10,320.
Cui, Y., Roberts, A.P, Verosub, K.L., Thompson, R.S., and Oviatt, C.G., 1994, A Study of the Matuyama-Brunhes Geomagnetic Polarity Transition From Sevier Lake, Utah [abs.]: EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union v. 75, p. 194-195.
Davis, O.K., 1984, Pollen frequencies reflect vegetation patterns in a Great Basin (U.S.A.) mountain range: Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology v. 40, p. 295-315..
Davis, O.K., 1993, Preliminary pollen analysis of Neogene sediment of the Great Salt Lake, U.S.A [abs]: American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists, Inc., Program and Abstracts 1993 Annual Meeting, Baton Rouge, LA, p. 20..
DeMenocal, P.B., Ruddiman, W.F., and Kent, D.V., 1990, Depth of post-depositional remanence acquisition in deep-sea sediments: a case study of the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal and oxygen isotope stage 19.1: Earth and Planetary Science Letters v. 99, p. 1-13.
Eardley, A.J., Shuey, R.T., Gvosdetsky, V., Nash, W.P., Picard, M.D., Grey, D.C., and Kukla, G.J., 1973, Lake cycles in the Bonneville Basin, Utah: Geological Society of America Bulletin v. 84, p. 211-216.
Machette, M. N., 1985, Late Cenozoic geology of the Beaver basin, southwestern Utah: Brigham Young University Geology Studies v. 32, pt. 1, p. 19-37..
Oviatt, C. G., 1991, Quaternary geology of the Black Rock Desert, Millard County, Utah: Utah Geological and Mineral Survey Special Studies 73, 23 p..
Oviatt, C. G., 1992, Quaternary geology of the Scipio Valley area, Millard and Juab Counties, Utah: Utah Geological Survey Special Study no. 79, 16 p..
Oviatt, C. G., 1994, Review of the Quaternary geology of the Sevier and Black Rock Deserts: Utah Geological Association Publication v. 23, p. 97-103..
Roberts, A.P., and Turner, G.M., 1993, Diagenetic formation of ferrimagnetic iron sulphide minerals in rapidly deposited marine sediments.: Earth and Planetary Science Letters v. 115, p. 257-273..
Thompson, Robert S., 1991, Pliocene environments and climates in the western United States: Quaternary Science Reviews v. 10, p. 115-132..
Thompson, R.S., 1996, Pliocene and early Pleistocene environments and climates of the western Snake River Plain, Idaho: Marine Micropaleontology 1996.
Vance, R.E., and Mathewes, R.W., 1994, Deposition of modern pollen and plant macrofossils in a hypersaline prairie lake basin: Canadian Journal of Botany v. 72, p. 539-548..
Verosub, K.L., and Roberts, A.P., 1996, Environmental magnetism: past, present, and future: Journal of Geophysical Research in press.
Williams, S.K., 1994, Late Cenozoic tephrostratigraphy of deep sediment cores from the Bonneville Basin, northwest Utah: Geological Society of America Bulletin v. 105, p. 1517-1530..
Person who carried out this activity:
913-532-6724 (voice)
joviatt@ksuvm.ksu.edu
Person who carried out this activity:
(303) 236-5656 (voice)
forester@usgs.gov
Person who carried out this activity:
913-532-6724 (voice)
joviatt@ksuvm.ksu.edu
Person who carried out this activity:
(916) 752-1861 (voice)
Roberts@geology.ucdavis.edu
Person who carried out this activity:
(916) 752-1861 (voice)
Roberts@geology.ucdavis.edu
Person who carried out this activity:
(303) 236-0439 (voice)
(303) 236-5690 (FAX)
rthompson@usgs.gov
Person who carried out this activity:
(303) 236-5666 (voice)
jbradbur@usgs.gov
Person who carried out this activity:
(303) 236-0439 (voice)
(303) 236-5690 (FAX)
rthompson@usgs.gov
Accuracy of measurements and processes is discussed in detail in the "Materials and Methods" section of the report.
The horizontal coordinates of the drilling sites are given in degrees, minutes and seconds of latitude and longitude. A second of longitude at 39 degrees latitude is approximately 19.45 meters. A second of latitude is approximately 30.92 meters. This suggests that the longitude of the sites is known to within 19.45 meters and the latitude of the sites is known to within 30.92 meters.
The elevation of the Black Rock site is given as 4930 feet and the
elevation of the Pit of Death site is given as 4535 feet. This
suggests that the measurements are accurate to within 5 vertical feet.
Core logs (Appendix 1, Appendix 4) indicate that the drilling
machinery indicated drilling depth in increments of 1/100th of a foot.
Core Collection
Black Rock Core
Approximately 8 ft (2.4 m) of tan silt overlies 17 ft (5.2 m) of
basalt at the Black Rock site. The coring process did not recover any
of the silt or basalt (although some of the silt was recovered in
Shelby tubes), nor was it possible to recover the uppermost few feet
of sediment underlying the basalt. Core recovery began at 25.25 ft
(7.7 m) and extended down to 896.83 ft (273.35 m). As shown in
Appendix 1, core recovery was excellent throughout most of this depth
range.
Pit of Death Core
The only unrecovered section of significant thickness in the Pit of
Death core is near the bottom. Pebbly mud in the interval between
428 and 431 ft overlies an interval of about 40 ft of sand and
gravel, from which no core was recovered. From 472 ft to the base
of the core at 512 ft, is a sequence of moderately cemented, poorly
sorted, tuffaceous sand.
Palynological Analysis
Of the 159 samples processed from the Black Rock site, 142 contained
sufficient pollen for analysis. Ten samples were processed from the
Pit of Death core, and all were barren of pollen.
Plant Macrofossil Analysis
The occurrences of these plant macrofossils has been recorded during the sediment
descriptions and by examination of slides prepared for ostracode analysis.
Ostracode Analysis
Approximately 920 samples have been prepared from the Black Rock
core, and 10 from the Pit of Death Core.
Diatom Analysis
Twenty-four samples have been analyzed from the Black Rock core and
10 from the Pit of Death core.
Coring equipment and original logs record core depths for both cores in
the English units of "decimal feet". The depths recorded in the Metric
units of "meters" were calculated from the English measurements.
Both alternating-field and thermal methods were used for
demagnetization of paleomagnetic samples. When the thermal method was
used, magnetic susceptibility was measured at each demagnetization
step to monitor for thermal alteration.
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints: None
(303) 202-4210 (voice)
(303) 236-4031 (FAX)
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-1
This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards (or with the North American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
The full data set is published in paper form.
(703) 648-5285 (voice)
(703) 648-6560 (FAX)
kfoley@usgs.gov
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-1
This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards (or with the North American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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(703) 648-5285 (voice)
(703) 648-6560 (FAX)
kfoley@usgs.gov