Geology of the Swamp Creek-Triangle Gulch Area Beaverhead County, Montana

118 Pages·24.007 MB·English

by  Guttormsen, Paul A., Jr

GEOLOGY OF THE SWAMP CREEK - TRIANGLE GULCH AREA
BEAVERHEAD COUNTY, MONTANA
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the Department of Geology
Montana School of Mines
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Geology
BUTTE, MUM I ANA '^ UBR ARY - MONTANA TSCW
______ BUTTE, k!CHTAMA
2 3 2 30
by
Paul A. Guttormsen, Jr.
June 1952
UMI Number: EP33477
All rights reserved
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ABSTRACT 1
INTRODUCTION 2
Location and accessibility . • . . 2
#
Purpose of investigation 3
Method of investigation 4
Acknowledgments . . • . • 6
CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 7
PHYSIOGRAPHY 10
Physiographic history 10
Relief and elevations 14
Drainage • • • . 16
GEOLOGIC HISTORY • 21
DESCRIPTION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS 30
Pre-Cambrian 30
Belt series • 32
Cambrian . . . 36
Hasmark formation • • • • • • • • •• 37
Red Lion formation 42
Devonian . . . . . . . .. 45
Jefferson formation . . . « * .. 45
Three Forks shale • • • • • . • • • •* 48
Mississippian 49
Madison group • » » * » , . . » «. 49
Big Snowy group undifferentiated 51
0
PAGE
Mississippian-Pennsylvanian 54
Amsden formation 54
#
Pennsylvanian . 55
Quadrant formation 55
UNCONSOLIDATED SEDIMENTS 57
Tertiary . • • . 57
High-level gravel 57
#
Terrace deposits . . . • . 58
t
Lacustrine deposits 59
Quaternary • 59
Moraine 59
Recent alluvium and talus . • • 60
IGNEOUS ROCKS 60
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 65
ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 71
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 78
BIBLIOGRAPHY 82
iii
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE
PAGE
I. Patented Claims and Numbered Lots, Swamp
Creek-Triangle Gulch Area 75
II. Silver, Gold, Copper, and Lead Production,
Vipond Mining District, 1939-1948 76
III. Production in the Vipond District, Beaver
head County, Montana, Production (Gross
Metal Content) 1949-1950 77
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1. Index Map of Southwestern Montana
Showing the Location of the Swamp
Creek-Triangle Gulch Area ... 2
2. Detailed Location Map of the Swamp
Creek-Triangle Gulch Area . . .. 2
3« Radial Drainage Pattern of the Pioneer
Mountains . 16
!+• Stratigraphic Section Swamp Creek-
Triangle Gulch Area, Beaverhead County,
Montana 30
5. Sketch Map of Quartz Hill Showing
Principal Ore Bodies 77
6. Ore Occurrence - Quartz Hill Mining
District 77
LIST OF PLATES
PLATE PAGE
I. Photographs of Typical Hand Specimens
Pre-Cambrian Belt . . . .. 85
II. Photographs of Typical Hand Specimens
Upper Cambrian - Hasmark 86
III. Photographs of Typical Hand Specimens
Upper Cambrian - Hasmark 87
IV. Photographs of Typical Hand Specimens
Upper Devonian - Jefferson 88
V- Photographs of Typical Hand Specimens
Carboniferous - Big Snowy, Quadrant . . . .. 89
VI. Photographs of Typical Hand Specimens
Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks 90
VII. Photomicrographs of Igneous and
Sedimentary Rocks 91
VIII. Photographs of Representative Outcrops . . .. 92
IX. Photographs of Representative Outcrops . . .. 93
X. Topographic Map of the Swamp Creek-Triangle
Gulch Area, Beaverhead County, Montana ... 94
XI. Reconnaissance Geologic Map of the Swamp
Creek-Triangle Gulch Area, Beaverhead
County, Montana 95 "
XII. Generalized Geologic Structure Sections,
Swamp Creek-Triangle Gulch Area, Beaverhead
County, Montana . 96 >
PLATE
PAGE
XIII. Air Photo Index, Swamp Creek-Triangle
Gulch Area, Beaverhead County, Montana • . .
-vii-
GEOLOGY OF THE SWAMP CREEK - TRIANGLE GULCH AREA
BEAVERHEAD COUNTY, MONTANA
by
Paul A. Guttormsen, Jr.
ABSTRACT
The Swamp Creek-Triangle Gulch area, a thirty square mile
tract in the Pioneer Mountains of Beaverhead County, Montana,
lies approximately thirty-seven miles southwest of Butte. The
relief ranges from 5,555 feet above sea level to over 8,600
feet. Big Hole River establishes local drainage control.
Sedimentary rocks include, and range in age from, the late
Pre-Cambrian Belt series to the Pennsylvanian Quadrant formation.
Unconsolidated and poorly consolidated sediments of Tertiary age
are widespread, occuring as lake beds and high level gravels
along with Quaternary moraine. Alluvium and talus slopes com
prise the bulk of Recent sediments.
With the exception of a diorite sill intruded into the
Pre-Cambrian Belt, the igneous rocks are Tertiary volcanics,
commonly red and black finely-vesicular basalts with a few very
dense basalts. ...
The basic structures of the aTea are plunging folds, to
gether with thrust '-and normal faulting. Trends are northwest
erly. - - . ••
Mineralization has .'Occurred'along favored horizons in
Cambrian and Devonian dolomites. Silver is the most important
metal produced with by-products of copper, lead, and gold.
INTRODUCTION
Location and accessibility. The Swamp Creek-Triangle
Gulch area lies principally in Beaverhead County in the south
western portion of Montana. It is thirty-four miles southwest
of Butte, twenty miles northwest of Melrose, and ten miles
west of Divide* The region mapped includes thirty square
miles in T.1S., R.11W., and T.1S., R.10W. shown on the accom
panying index and location maps (Figs. 1 and 2) together with
details of culture and drainage. All but four square miles of
this area falls within the boundaries of the Beaverhead National
Forest. A portion of the Vipond Mining District also is in
cluded in the area, of which the Quartz Hill Mining Camp has
been the most important single producer.
The town of Wise River is close to the junction of Wise
River with Big Hole River. This is thirty-seven miles southwest
of Butte and thirty-five miles south of Anaconda. Main roads to
the area are surfaced and generally good. United States high
way 91 passes through Divide where the Big Hole River road to
Wise River extends westward. Divide is twenty-five miles south
west of Butte and twelve miles east of Wise River.
The United States Forest Service and private interests
maintain dirt roads and trails within the area. The Quartz Hill
Gulch road connects Dewey and Melrose by way of Quartz Hill,
Vipond Park, and Canyon Creek. It is used principally by the
miners, stock-raisers, and Forest Service personnel. Secondary
roads traverse Limekiln Gulch, Triangle Gulch, Keystone Gulch,
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