Stratigraphic overview for a professional field course titled: THE BOOK CLIFFS: A CASE STUDY IN COASTAL SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY, offered annually through W.W. LITTLE GEOLOGICAL CONSULTING (also offered by SCA). See details at: HTTP://LITTLEWW.WORDPRESS.COM.

1. William W. Little
Stratigraphic Overview
© 2015 by W.W. Little Geological Consulting, LLC Photo by W. W. Little

2. Tectonic Setting: Foreland Basin
Spanish Fork Canyon
Campanian strata of the Book Cliffs
region were deposited across the
Western Interior foreland basin in
response to eastward movement on the
Canyon Range thrust system, a part of
the Sevier Thrust Belt.
This course progresses from onshore to offshore
through the Star Point Sandstone/Blackhawk
Formation/Castlegate Sandstone interval, beginning
with proximal alluvial fan deposits in Spanish Fork
Canyon and ending with incised valley fill at
Thompson Canyon.
From SEPM Strata (sepmstrata.org)

3. Spanish Fork Canyon (Red Narrows):
Price River Fm (Castlegate equivalent)
Photo by W. W. Little

4. Lower Price River Fm Facies
Photos by W. W. Little

5. Upper Price River Fm Facies
Photo by W. W. Little
Photo by W. W. Little Photo by W. W. Little

6. North of Helper:
Star Point SS & Blackhawk Fm
Panther Tongue
Mancos Sh
Storrs Mbr
Sunnyside Mbr
Aberdeen Mbr
Blackhawk Fm undifferentiated
SB
TS
MFS
FSST/LST
TST
HST
Photo by W. W. Little

7. West of Helper:
Star Point SS &
Blackhawk Fm
UT/PR/HE 023? 14/08/20 01
Blackhawk Fm undifferentiated
Aberdeen Mbr
Spring Canyon Mbr
Storrs Mbr
Panther Tongue
Mancos Sh
SB
TS
MFS
FSST/LST
TST
HST
Photo by W. W. Little

8. Mancos Sh & Panther Tongue
Photo by W. W. Little

9. Mancos Sh Facies
Photo by W. W. Little

10. DSC05294 DSC05310
DSC05325 DSC05326
Panther Tongue Facies
Photos by W. W. Little

11. Panther Canyon:
Star Point & Blackhawk Fms
Mancos Sh
Panther Tongue
Storrs Mbr
Spring Canyon Mbr
Aberdeen Mbr
Blackhawk Fm undifferentiated
MFS
TS
SB
HST
TST
FSST/LST
Photo by W. W. Little

12. DSC02631
Carbon Power Plant:
Spring Canyon & Aberdeen Mbrs
Aberdeen Mbr
Spring Canyon Mbr
Photo by W. W. Little

13. DSC01333
Carbon Power Plant:
Spring Canyon Mbr, Aberdeen Mbr, &
Blackhawk Fm undifferentiated
Aberdeen Mbr
Spring Canyon Mbr
Blackhawk Fm
undifferentiated
(Kenilworth equivalent)
Blackhawk Fm undifferentiated
(Aberdeen equivalent incised valley fill)
Aberdeen Mbr
Photo by W. W. Little

14. DSC026230
Aberdeen Mbr
Spring Canyon Mbr
Photo by W. W. Little

15. Aberdeen Mbr
Spring Canyon Mbr
Photo by W. W. Little

16. DSC07856
Spring Canyon Mbr
Facies
Photo by W. W. Little

17. DSC02599
“Monument Turnout:”
Aberdeen Mbr Equivalent –
(incised valley fill)
Photo by W. W. Little

18. DSC02604 DSC01249
DSC01302 DSC06919
“Aberdeen Mbr” Equivalent
Photos by W. W. Little

19. DSC03210 - 11, 15 Panorama
East of Carbon Power Plant:
Spring Canyon Mbr & Castlegate SS
Aberdeen Mbr
Blackhawk Fm undifferentiated
Castlegate SS
Photo by W. W. Little

20. DSC05169 Photo by W. W. Little
Blackhawk Fm Undifferentiated

21. DSC01322 Photo by W. W. Little

22. Photo by W. W. Little

23. The Castlegate: Castlegate SS
Photo by W. W. Little

24. DSC04044 Photo by W. W. Little