Paleontological overview of oil shale and tar sands areas in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming

2008·100.3 MB·English

by  Murphey, Paul C

BLM LIBRARY
88064064
Paleontological Overview
of Oil Shale and Tar Sands Areas
Wyoming
Colorado, Utah, and
in
Prepared by:
Paul C. Murphey, Ph.D. and David Daitch, M.S.
Argonne National Laboratory
Prepared for:
The U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management
December 2007
On the cover:
Exposures of the upper Bridger Formation at Old Hat Mountain
in Uinta County, Wyoming.
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PALEONTOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF OIL SHALE
AND TAR SANDS AREAS IN COLORADO, UTAH, AND
WYOMING
Preparedby:
Paul C. Murphey, Ph.D.* and David Daitch, M.S.*
Argonne National Laboratory
Preparedfor:
The U.S. Department ofthe Interior, Bureau ofLand Management
December2007
*
Murphey is currently associated with the Department ofPaleontology, San Diego Natural History Museum and
Daitch with the Department ofEcology and Evolutionary Biology, University ofColorado, Boulder.

Paleontological Overview December2007
CONTENTS
PREFACE
ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
xi
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
xiii
NOTATION xv
ABSTRACT
1
INTRODUCTION
1 3
1.1 Purpose and Scope 3
1.2 Study Area 3
1.3 Definition and Significance ofPaleontological Resources 8
METHODS
2 9
3 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES 13
BLM
3.1 Conditions 1-3 13
3.2 Potential Fossil Yield Classification 14
4 GREATER GREEN RIVER BASIN, WYOMING AND COLORADO 19
4.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History 19
4.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary 21
4.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations 23
4.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources 28
4.4.1 Wasatch Formation 28
4.4.2 Green River Formation 30
4.4.3 Bridger Formation 34
4.4.4 Washakie Formation 38
4.4.5 Bishop Conglomerate 40
4.4.6 Browns Park Formation 41
4.4.7 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits 42
4.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary 42
5 PICEANCE CREEK BASIN, COLORADO 45
5.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History 45
5.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary 50
5.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations 52
in
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Paleontological Overview December2007
CONTENTS
(Cont.)
5.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources 54
5.4.1 DeBeque Formation 57
5.4.2 Green River Formation 58
5.4.3 Uinta Formation 59
5.4.4 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits 60
5.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary 61
6 UINTA BASIN, UTAH 63
6.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History 63
6.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary 69
6.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations 7
6.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources 72
6.4.1 Mesaverde Group 72
6.4.2 Wasatch Formation 75
6.4.3 Green River Formation 77
6.4.4 Uinta Formation 79
6.4.5 Duchesne River Formation 81
6.4.6 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits 83
6.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary 84
7 EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN UTAH SPECIAL
TAR SAND AREAS
87
7.1 Geologic Setting and Depositional History 87
7.2 Paleoenvironmental Summary 89
7.3 Previous Paleontological Work and Related Investigations 92
7.4 Geologic Units and Paleontological Resources 94
7.4.1 Cutler Group 94
7.4.2 Kaibab Limestone 99
7.4.3 Moenkopi Formation 100
7.4.4 Chinle Formation 102
7.4.5 Pleistocene- and Holocene-Age Surficial Deposits 104
7.5 Paleontological Resource Assessment Summary 105
8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 107
REFERENCES
9
1 1
GLOSSARY
10 141
IV
Paleoutological Overview December2007
CONTENTS
(Cont.)
APPENDIX A: Bibliography of Relevant Literature and Technical Reports for the
Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area A-l
APPENDIX B: Bibliography ofGeologic Maps Covering the Oil Shale
and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area B-l
APPENDIX C: Taxonomic Lists ofFossils from Potentially Affected Geologic
Units within the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area C-l
APPENDIX D: BLM Sensitivity Maps ofPaleontological Formations within the
Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS Study Area D-l
TABLES
1 Summary ofSTSAs Included in This Study and Their Locations, Ages,
and Geologic Provenances 7
2 Summary ofNorth American Cenozoic Land Mammal Ages 12
3 Summary ofProgrammatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities
ofGeologic Units within the Greater Green River Basin
in Southwestern Wyoming and Northwestern Colorado 43
4 Summary ofProgrammatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities
ofGeologic Units within the Piceance Creek Basin in Northwestern Colorado 62
5 Summary of Programmatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities
ofGeologic Units within the Uinta Basin in Northeastern Utah 85
6 Summary ofProgrammatic-Level Paleontological Sensitivities
ofGeologic Units within the STSAs Located in East-Central
and Southeastern Utah 105
FIGURES
1 Map ofthe Oil Shale Basins in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming Evaluated
in This Report and the Most Geologically Prospective Oil Shale Resources
Evaluated in the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS 4
51
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Paleontological Overview December2007
FIGURES (Cont.) »
2 Map Showing the Locations of Basins and Uplifts Created during I
the Laramide Orogeny in Northeastern Utah, Northwestern Colorado,
and Southwestern Wyoming 5
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3 Map of Designated STSAs in Utah Evaluated in This Report 6
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4 Index Map ofthe Greater Green River Basin Showing Depositional Subbasins
and Major Structural Features 20
I
5 Generalized Stratigraphic Correlation ofEocene Rocks across the Central Part
ofthe Greater Green River Basin 31
I
6 Generalized Stratigraphic Correlation Chart of Rock Units in Fossil Basin 32
7 General Stratigraphic Features of the Bridger Formation 36 I
8 Generalized Stratigraphic Correlation Diagram for Late Cretaceous
and Early Tertiary Rocks in the Northern Piceance Creek I
and Northeastern Uinta Basins 55
I
9 Generalized Stratigraphic Correlation Diagram for Late Cretaceous and
Early Tertiary Rocks in the Southern Piceance Creek and
Southeastern Uinta Basins 56
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10 Generalized Correlation Chart for the Northern Piceance Creek
and East-Central Uinta Basins 73
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1 Lithologic Cross Section through the Central Part ofthe Uinta Basin
from Southwest to North 74
1
12 Stratigraphic Nomenclature and Correlation Chart ofTriassic Strata
in Southern Utah, Northeastern Arizona, and Northwestern New Mexico 95
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13 Stratigraphic Column for the San Rafael Swell Area,
East-Central Utah 96
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14 Cross Section Showing Stratigraphic Relationships
and Nomenclature for the Cutler Group in the Paradox Basin 98
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1 Stratigraphic Correlation Chart ofTerrestrial Fossil-Bearing Units
ofthe Moenkopi Formation 102
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Paleontological Overview December2007
1 FIGURES
(Cont.)
The figures listed below are oversized maps
and can be found in the pockets at the back ofthis report.
D-l Paleontological Sensitivity ofFormations That May Be Impacted by Oil Shale
BLM
Development in Colorado Using the Classification System
D-2 Paleontological Sensitivity ofFormations That May Be Impacted by Oil Shale
Development in Colorado Using the USFS Potential Fossil Yield Classification System
D-3 Paleontological Sensitivity ofFormations That May Be Impacted by Oil Shale or Tar
BLM
Sands Development in Utah Using the Classification System
D-4 Paleontological Sensitivity ofFormations That May Be Impacted by Oil Shale orTar
Sands Development in Utah Using the USFS Potential Fossil Yield Classification System
D-5 Paleontological Sensitivity of Formations That May Be Impacted by Oil Shale
Development in Wyoming Using the BLM Classification System
D-6 Paleontological Sensitivity ofFormations That May Be Impacted by Oil Shale
Development in Wyoming Using the USFS Potential Fossil Yield Classification System
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Paleontological Overview December2007
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