Stratigraphy of a Cretaceous Coastal-Plain Fluvial Succession: The Campanian Masuk Formation, Henry Mountains Syncline, Utah, U.S.A.

High Resolution Correlation of the Upper Cretaceous Stratigraphy Between the Book Cliffs and the Western Henry Mountains Syncline, Utah, U.S.A.

“…15). This relationship between small-scale sedimentary structures and large-scale architecture is consistent throughout the Masuk Formation (although less prevalent in the upper member) and is interpreted to record the preservation of migrating bar forms within high-sinuosity meandering channel belt systems (Corbett et al, 2011).…”

“…Early research on these units was recorded by Gilbert (1877), Hunt and Miller (1946), Hunt et al (1953), Peterson and Ryder (1975), and Eaton (1990). Recent detailed stratigraphic and sedimentologic descriptions of the Upper Cretaceous section at Blind Trail (type reference section of Eaton, 1990) can be found in Birgenheier et al (2009), Fielding, (2010, Fielding et al (2010), Antia and Fielding (2011), and Corbett et al (2011). The Upper Cretaceous section in the Henry Mountains Syncline is somewhat incomplete and condensed relative to the Book Cliffs.…”

“…Subsequent to tidal-fluvial deposition was a rise and fall in formative water depth leading to deposition of shoreface (SF; Corbett et al (2011) for a detailed sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and ichnologic description of the Muley Canyon Coal Zone. They interpret the Muley Canyon Coal Zone as a low-frequency maximum flooding zone (MFZ) separating a low-frequency transgressive sequence set (TSS) below (rest of Interval 2) from a low-frequency highstand sequence set (HSS) above (rest of the Masuk Formation; Fig.…”

“…The coarsening-upward sandstone unit previously mentioned within the Muley Canyon Coal Zone is interpreted as the deposits of a bayhead delta (Eb ; Table 1), which overlies marine interlaminated sandstone and siltstone containing the most marine influence in the Masuk Formation. Evidenced for the most marine influence consists of a trace fossil assemblage with an extremely high diversity and density relative to the rest of the Masuk Formation (Corbett et al, 2011).…”

“…1). Previous regional correlations have been suggested between the Book Cliffs and western Henry Mountains Syncline (Peterson and Ryder, 1975;Eaton, 1990;Corbett et al, 2011) have not been rigorously tested and are constrained by sparse and low-resolution chronometric data such as palynological biozonation. The present study presents a detailed, high-resolution correlation scheme for the condensed Upper Cretaceous section in the western Henry Mountains Syncline and the time-equivalent, relatively expanded Book Cliffs succession, with emphasis on the Campanian interval.…”