Stratigraphy of Madison 

Group Near Livingston 

Montana, and Discussion of 

Karst and Solution-Breccia 

Features 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 526-B 

Stratigraphy of Madison 

Group Near Livingston 

Montana, and Discussion of 

Karst and Solution-Breccia 

Features 

By ALBERT E. ROBERTS 

GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 526-B 

UNITED STATE-'S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1966 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEW ART L. UDALL, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

William T. Pecora, Director 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 30 cents (paper cover) 
CONTENTS 

Page Stratigraphy of the Madison Group--Continued 

Abstract___________________________________________ B1 Lithologie composition-Continued Page 

Introduction_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 Insoluble residues___________________________ B8 

Stratigraphy of the Madison Group___________________ 2 Stratigraphic section near Livingston__________ 9 

Development of nomenclature____________________ 2 Age and correlation_____________________________ 15 

Lithologic composition___________________________ 4 Solution breccias in the Mission Canyon Limestone_ 17 

General features____________________________ 4 Karst deposits in the Mission Canyon Limestone___ 20 

Dolomite and dolomitization_________________ 8 1leferences_________________________________________ 21 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

FIGURE 1. Index map showing distribution of major outcrops of Mississippian rocks in western Montana_________________ B2 

2. Chart showing correlation and stratigraphic relations of the Madison Group in southwestern Montana__________ 3 

3. Stratigraphic secti.on of the Madison Group near Livingston______________________________________________ 5 

4-7. Photographs showing: 

4. Thin-bedded Lodgepole Limestone at the south end of the Bridger 1lange_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6 

5. Massive Mission Canyon Limestone in 1locky Creek Canyon________________________________________ 7 

6. Grayish-red siltstone forming conspicuous indentation 43 feet from top of the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone___________________________________________________________________ 7 

7. Contact of the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone and the overlying Amsden Formation__ 7 

8. Columnar sections of the Madison Group from Logan to Bighorn Canyon, Mont_--------------------------- 18 

9. Photograph showing solution breccia at the base of the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone______ 19 

10. Photograph showing karst-filled deposit in the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone______________ 20 

TABLE 

Page 

TABLE 1. Grain-size distribution of insoluble residue in carbonate beds of the Lodgepole Limestone and the Mission Canyon 

Limestone, near Livingston, Mont___________________________________________________________________ B10 

III 

GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON, MONTANA, AND 

DISCUSSION OF KARST AND SOLUTION-BRECCIA FEATURES 

By ALBERT E. RoBERTS 

ABSTRACT 

The Madi-son Group (Mississippian) near Livingston, southwestern Mont,ana, is predominantly a marine-car•bonate sequence 

in which limestone, dolomitic limestone, and dolomite alternate 

cyclically. The group is divided into two forn1atlons: the Lodgepole Limestone (in part Kinderhook age and in part Osage 

age) and the Mission Canyon Limestone (in part Osage age 

and in part Meramec age). The Lodgepole is subdivided into 

the Paine Shale and Woodhurst Limestone Memibers. The 

Mission Oanyon is 'SUbdivided into two unnamed members ; 

the upper member is equivalent to the Charles F·ormation of 

central and eastern Montana. Karst deposits and solutionbreccia beds are both conspicuous features on or within the 

upper member of ·the Mission Canyon Limestone. 

Karst deposits are on the upper surface of the Madison 

Group in much of Montana. In late Meramec time the Madioon 

sea withdrew from partS' of western Montana : the Mission 

Oanyon Limestone, or its equivalent, was subjected to subaerial eros.ion; and karst deposits were formed prior to deposition of the Kibbey F'ormation of Chester age. Residual deposits continued to accumulate in Early Pennsylvanian time in 

southern Montana, and they are included in the basal part of 

the Amsden Formation. 

One or more solution-breccia beds are found throughout southwestern Montana in the Mission Oanyon Limestone. These 

formed between Late Mississippian and early Tertiary time, 

prdbably after the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary uplifts. 

They mark the stratigraphic positions of evaporites that leached 

from surface or near-surface exposures ; they do not represent 

an unconformity. The basal anhydrite in the upper memiber of 

the Mission Canyon Limestone or in the Charles Formation 

is a continuous stratigraphic unit throughout much of Montana 

and Wyoming. Other evaporite units, however, are disc-ontinuous and occupy different stratigraphic positions within the 

formation. 

The solution-breccia beds and the karst-filled depo,sits are quite 

similar in color and clayey-siltstone matrix but different in 

continuity ~and clay mineralogy. The solution breccia is a 

heterogeneous mixture of small angular fragments near the 

base· of the !beds hut grades upward into slightly fraetured 

limestone and dolomite. The karst-filled deposit generally has 

more matrix and con'tains fewer chaotically distributed fragments. The upper and lower surfaces of the karst-filled deposit and the upper surface of the solution breccia are poorly 

defined and are not stratigraphically controlled. The lower 

surface of the solution breccia, however, is generally sharp, 

well defined, and continuous. The karst deposit is laterally 

discontinuous, whereas the solution~breccia units are relatively 

continuous along the outcrop. Kaolinite is the chief clay 

mineral in the matrix of the karst-filled deposit, and illite is 

the chief clay mineral in the matrix ·of :the solution breccia. 

INTRODUCfiON 

Resistant carbonate rocks of the Madison Group form 

1nost of the prominent ridges and peaks near Livingston, southwestern Montana. The group is best exposed 

and most accessible in the east wall of the lower canyon 

of the Yellowstone River, 3 miles south of Livingston 

(fig. 1) . The Madison, in this area, is a marinecarbonate sequence in which limestone, dolomitic limestone, and dolomite alternate cyclically; it is divided 

into two f0rmations: the Lodgepole Limestone (in part 

Kinderhook age and in part Osage ·age) ·and the Mission Canyon Limestone (in part Osage age and in part 

Meramec age) (fig. 2). The Lodgepole is subdivided 

into a lower, Paine Shale Member, 334 feet thick, and 

an upper, Woodhurst Limestone Member, 146 feet thick. 

The Mission Canyon is subdivided into -a lower member, 330 feet thick, ·and an upper member, 326 feet thick. 

The Madison Group rests apparently conformably on 

·multicolored shale in the upper part of the Three Forks 

Formation of Late Devonian and early Kinderhook 

age -and is unconformably overlain by grayish-red shale 

or argillaceous limestone of the Amsden Formation of 

Pennsylvanian age. 

Karst deposits and solution-breccia beds are widespread in the upper part of the Madison Group in Montana and Wyoming, and interbedded red shale is present 

locally. As know ledge about the Madison carbonateanhydrite-shale sequence increased, some confusion 

arose regarding the distinguishing characteristics of 

the karst deposits and solution -breccia beds. Few localities better exemplify these features as close togather 

for convenient comparison than that of the Madison 

sequence near Livingston. 

Bl 
B2 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVLNGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

49·1~16_· ______ ~I~Is~·--~--~1~1~4· ________ ~u~3·~------~11~2·~------~11~1~·------~u~o_· ______ ~10i9_· ______ ~10B. 

EXPLANATION 

X 

Surface section 

• 

Subsurface section 

Great Falls• 

0 

0 50 

Little Rocky 

Mountains 

Billings 

• 

Pryor 

100 MILES 

FIGURE !.-Distribution of major outcrops of Mississippian rocks in western Montana (modified from Ross, Andrews., and 

Witkind, 1955). Numbered localities refer to measured sections shown in figure 8. 

Investigations for this report were made from 1957 

through 1961 as a part of the study of the general and 

economic geology in the are:a between Livingston and 

Bozeman, Mont. (Roberts, 1964, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h; 1966). 

Some of the conclusions presented here were published earlier (Roberts, 1961), in a preliminary report 

on the Madison Group near Livingston. 

STRATIGRAPHY OF THE MADISON GROUP 

DEVELOPMENT OF NOMENCLATURE 

Peale (1893, p. 32) divided Carboniferous rocks near 

Three Forks, Mont. (55 miles northwest of Livingston), 

into the Madison and Quadrant Formations. He subdivided the Madison Formation, beginning at the base, 

into "Laminated limestones, M-assive limestones, and 

Jaspery limestones." Iddings and Weed (1894, p. 2) 

used the name Madison Limestone for the carbonate and 

shale sequence exposed near Livingston. The Madison 

Limestone north of Livingston in the Little Belt Mountains was subdivided by Weed ( 1899, p. 2) into the Paine 

Shale (for the lower part), the W oodhurst Limestone 

(for the middle part), and the Oastle Limestone. (for 

the upper part) ; the units are approximate counterparts to Peale's earlier subdivisions. Weed (in Hague, 

Weed, and Iddings, 1896, p. 4) indicated that the formation was named for the Madison Range, where the 

limestones are conspicuously exposed. Inasmuch as the 

report in which Peale (1893) named the Madison Formation was a discussion of the Paleozoic sootion near 

Three Forks, acceptance of the Three Forks area as the 
STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B3 

Age 

.... 

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(1) 

Central 

.... 

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Idaho 

(2) (3) 

Southeastern Southeastern 

(Pocatello) (Soda Springs) 

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Great Blue (5 c:: aJ 0 Limestone tlO >- c:: c:: ro ro 

--- --.~ -- --------- - a:: - (.) -- ....1 "C aJ 

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ro ~ Deep Creek Little Flat E Formation ormation 0 

(4) 

Northwestern 

Montana 

(5) 

Southwestern 

D 

~ Big Snowy 

Formation 

... ... aJ 

aJ aJ.O 

c:: c. E .s c.Q) cn ::J E 

(6) 

Central 

g ~ Formation 

0 f------11 

(5 Otter >-

:;:: Formation 0 

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tlO 

iXi Kibbey 

Formation 

, 

Charles 

Formation 

Wyoming Utah 

(8) (9) 

Northeastern Northeastern (7) 

Western r (B,am Canyon) (Webe< Canyon) 

Rocks 

equivalent 

to Big Snowy 

Group 

Doughnut 

Formation 

---------

Humbug 

Formation ~ u. llllllllllllllllY... aJ 

? ? c::Gi~ :S ~~~ c:: :2: o Brazer -- 1------- -E' 1-- --1------+·-- ------- --------- Deseret ----r-----

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(1) (1) (1) (1) (3) 

FIGURE 2.-Correlation ·and stratigraphic relations of the Madison Group in southwestern Montana and other areas in 

Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah. Modified from (1) Ross (1962), (2) Carr and Trimble (1961), (3) Dutro and 

Sando (1963), (4) Mudge, Sando, and Dutro (1962), (5) Roberts (1961), (6) Mundt (1956), (7) Sando and Dutro 

1960, (8) Dutro and Sando (1963), and (9) T. E. Mullens (oral commun., 1963). Numbers in parentheses at bottom 

of chart indicate (1) Three Forks Formation (part), (2) Exshaw Shale (part), and (3) Three Forks(?) Formation 

(part). 

type area seems reasonable, although it was not so designated in Peale's report. 

The Madison Formation in the Little Rocky Mountains region in northern Montana was designated a 

group and divided into the Lodgepole Limestone and 

the overlying Mission Canyon Limestone by Collier and 

Cathcart ( 1922, p. 173). The Lodgepole corresponds 

approximately to Peale's laminated limestones and his 

massive limestones, and the Mission Canyon corresponds approximately to Peale's jaspery limestones. 

The nomenclature of the Madison in southwestern 

Montana was integrated by Sloss and Hamblin ( 1942, p. 

314). They proposed retention of group rank for the 

Madison and adoption of Weed's Paine Shale and 

W oodhurst Limestone as members of the Lodgepole 

Limestone. The stratigraphic section of Madison rocks 

exposed along the north bank of the Gallatin River in 

sees. 25 and 26, T. 2 N., R. 2 E., Gallatin County, near 

Logan, Mont., was interpreted by Sloss and Hamblin 

( 1942, p. 313) as the type Madison section (fig. 1, loc. 

1). The Paine Shale and Woodhurst Limestone Members are recognizable in this section, but they are best 

recognized as two distinct lithologic units in the Little 

Belt Mountains. These two Lodgepole members are 

much less distinct near Livingston, southeast of the 

type Madison section. 

A carbonate sequence, including interbedded red 

shale, anhydrite, gypsum, and salt, that is partly a facies 

of and partly overlies the Mission Canyon Limestone 

is present in much of Montana. Seager ( 1942, p. 864) 
B4 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVLNGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

applied the name Charles to this sequence in southeastern Montana. He suggested (1942, p. 864) that the 

~harles should perhaps be included with the underlyIng carbonate rocks as part of the Madison, but he also 

reasoned that the greater porosity of the limestone beds 

below the Charles indicated a time break. Seager, 

therefore, included the Charles in the overlying Big 

Snowy Group and considered it the basal member. 

Perry and Sloss ( 1943, p. 1299) also included the 

Charles in the Big Snowy Group, assigned the Charles 

to formational rank, and picked contacts in the California Oil Co. Charles 4 (type) well in sec. 21, T. 15 N., 

R. 30 E., Petroleum County, Mont. Nordquist (1953, 

p. 73), however, redefined the Charles by lowering its 

top to the contact between clastic rocks of the Big 

Snowy Group and carbonate rocks of the Madison 

Group. The base of the Charles in west-central Montana (including the section in the type well) is placed 

at the base of the lowest thick anhydrite bed in a sequence of interbedded carbonate and evaporite beds 

that overlies the Mission Canyon Limestone. In parts 

of eastern Montana, where this basal anhydrite is missing, the base of the Charles is generally placed at the 

base of a persistent dark-gray shale-the Richey shale 

of subsurface usage. This shale is about 200 feet stratigraphically higher than the basal anhydrite. 

Many authors have applied the name Brazer to rocks 

in the upper part of the Madison Group in parts of 

Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. The type Brazer 

Limestone correlates approximately with the Mission 

Canyon Limestone at the type section of the Madison 

at Logan, Mont. (Sando, Dutro, and Gere, 1959, p. 

2755-2761). As a result of their studies of the type 

Brazer section, Sando, Dutro, and Gere (1959, p. 2768) 

proposed that the term Brazer Dolomite be restricted 

to the Mississippian dolomite sequence in the Crawford 

Mountains, northeastern Utah. The Mission Canyon at 

the type Madison section contains considerable dolomite 

(Sando and Dutro, 1960, p. 124), as do the Mission 

Canyon at Livingston (Roberts, 1961, p. B294) and its 

equivalent, the Castle Reef Dolomite (fig. 2), in northwestern Montana (Mudge, Sando, and Dutro, 1962, p. 

2005-2006). Future study will probably reveal widespread dolomite in this part of the Madison Group; 

however, in Montana, use of the term Brazer for the 

dolomitic beds is not recommended. 

The Madison Group in the Livingston area includes 

the Lodgepole Limestone and the Mission Canyon Limestone (fig. 2). The Lodgepole is subdivided (with difficulty) into the Paine Shale Member, which here is 

predominantly a carbonate sequence, and the Woodhurst Limestone Member. The Mission Canyon is subdivided into upper and lower members (Roberts, 1961, 

p. B294) ; the upper member correlates with the Charles 

Formation. 

LITHOLOGIC COMPOSITION 

GENERAL FEATURES 

The Madison Group near Livingston is predominantly 

a ridge-forming carbonate sequence that contains very 

little fine-grained clastic material except for the Paine 

Shale Member of the Lodgepole Limestone. The Madison is a rhythmically bedded, or cyclically deposited, 

sequence generally of carbonate and fine-grained clastic 

rocks. The repetitive units are chiefly massive to thickbedded limestone in the upper part and medium- to 

thin-bedded dolomite in the lower part. Laudon and 

Severson (1953, p. 507) described marine cycles, which 

they interpreted to be alternating shallow and deepwater deposits, in the Madison at Fairy Lake in the 

Bridger Range. Marine cycles indicated by alternating 

deposition of calcium and magnesium carbonate rocks 

in the Madison Group near Livingston were described 

by Roberts ( 1961, p. B294). 

The limestone units are massive to thick bedded, are 

light olive gray (5Y 5/2), and contain less than 5 percent insoluble residue. In general, they are composed 

of microcrystalline. calcite in part recrystallized to 

microspar and sparry calcite showing grain -growth 

texture. Fossils and fossil debris are the predominant 

allochemical constituents, and oolites and pellets are 

lesser constituents. Oolites are more abundant in the 

massive limestone units, rather than in the well-bedded 

units, and occur only in massive limestones containing 

very little insoluble residue. The texture, fossils, 

oolites, and presence of quartz and heavy-mineral intraclasts suggest that most of the limestone units were 

deposited in a near-shore high-energy environment. 

The generalized lithology of the group is shown in 

figure 3. 

The dolomite beds we'ather more rapidly than the 

limestone beds and form indentations in the outcrop 

profile. The dolomite is generally microcrystalline, is 

varied in color but is commonly light olive gray ( 5Y 

6/1) to yellowish brown ( 10 Y R 6/2) , is mostly brecciated, and contains more than 5 percent insoluble residue. The very fine grained dolomite was probably 

deposited in a low-energy environment in which there 

were some suspended clay minerals, and the mediumgrained dolomite is a secondary-recrystallization product. In most dolomite units the color is slightly darker 

(light olive gray, 5Y 5/2) in the upper part than (light 

olive gray, 5Y 6/1) in the lower part, and the. upper 

part has a slightly more fetid odor than the lower part. 

Only a few dolomite units contain fossils or fossil 

fragments. 
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STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON 

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Limestone 

Magnesian limestone 

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CALCITE, IN PERCENT 

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Oolites 

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Samples containing 

woodhousite(?) 

FIGURE 3.-The Madison Group in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 9 E., 

near Livingston, southwestern Montana. Calcium-magnesium analyses by J. A. 

Thomas. 

787-736 0-65~-2 

B5 
B6 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

The Madison Group near Livingston is 1,136 feet 

thick and is subdivided into four members (fig. 3). 

From oldest to youngest they are the Paine Shale and "T oodhurst Limestone Members of the Lodgepole Limestone (480ft thick) and the lower and upper members of 

the Mission Canyon Limestone ( 656 ft thick) . The 

Paine Shale Member is 334 feet thick and consists mostly 

of medium-bedded to very thin bedded finely to coarsely 

crystalline limestone, dolomitic and magnesian limestone, and calcitic dolomite that has intercalations of 

greenish-gray siltstone. The Woodhurst Limestone 

Member is 146 feet thick and consists of massive to thinbedded very finely to coarsely crystalline limestone, 

dolomitic limestone, calcitic dolomite, and dolomite. 

The lower member of the Mission Canyon Limestone is 

330 feet thick and consists mostly of massi,ve very finely 

to medium-crystalline cherty limestone, magnesian 

limestone, dolomitic limestone, calcitic dolomite, and 

dolomite with some solution breccia of dolomite. The 

upper member is 326 feet thick and consists chiefly of 

massive finely crystalline limestone, dolomitic limestone, calcitic dolomite, and dolomite with interbedded 

solution breccia of dolomite and dolomitic grayish-red 

siltstone. 

The type Lodgepole Limestone in the Little Rocky 

Mountains of north-central Montana consists of 550 

feet of thin-bedded carbonate and shale (W. J. Sando 

and J. T. Dutro, Jr., written commun., 1962). Thin 

bedding is a typical feature of the Lodgepole in central 

and parts of western Montana, and many geologists use 

thin bedding as the criterion for differentiating the 

Lodgepole from the massive Mission Canyon. Twenty 

miles west of Livingston, in Bridger Canyon at the 

south end of the Bridger Range, the Lodgepole Limestone is excellently exposed and exhibits this 

thin-bedding characteristic (fig. 4). 

The type Mission Canyon Limestone in the Little 

Rocky Mountains consists of 300 feet of massive carbonate (W. J. Sando and J. T. Dutro, Jr., written commun., 1962). At the type locality, beds equivalent to the 

.r upper member at Livingston or to the Charles Formation of central Montana were removed by pre-Jurassic 

erosion. The characteristic massive feature of the Mission Canyon is also widespread in central and western 

Montana. The excellent exposure in the west wall of 

the lower canyon of the Yellowstone River near Livingston shows this distinguishing characteristic of the 

Mission Canyon Limestone (fig. 5). 

The upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone 

in the Livingston area contains three conspicuous 

grayish-red dolomitic siltstone beds that can be traced 

continuously for many miles. One of the siltstones 

near the top of the upper member is outlined in figure 

6 to emphasize its conformable relation with adjacent 

strata. The siltstone beds are ferruginous and well 

laminated, and they weather to form indentations between the more resistant limestone beds. These siltstone beds are probably related to the evaporite zones 

to the north in the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone or in the Charles Formation. The redsiltstone beds have been mistaken for matrix materials 

of karst-filled deposits, which they resemble in color, 

lithology, and grain size. At the Li,vingston Mission 

Canyon section, the stratigraphic relation of the siltstone units to the adjacent beds (figs. 6, 10) and to the 

karst deposits (fig. 10) is clearly evident. 

Mapping the Mission Canyon-Amsden contact in the 

Livingston area (Roberts, 1964a, b, e, f, g) indicated 

less than 10 feet of erosional relief on the upper surface 

of the Mission Canyon (fig. 7). However, numerous 

northwest-trending joints or normal faults of small 

displacement in the lower canyon of the Yellowstone 

FLGURE 4.-Typical thin-bedded Lodgepole Limestone at the 

south end of the Bridger Range in Bridger Canyon in sec. 

34, T. 1 S., R. 6 E. 
STRATlGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B7 

FIGURE 5.-Characteristic massive Mission Canyon Limestone 

in the south wall of Rocky Creek Canyon in sec. 30, T. 2 S., 

R. 7 E. Outcrop is approximately 30 feet high. 

River cut the beds in the upper member of the Mission 

Canyon Limestone. Along these joints or faults a karst 

topography formed (locally to depths of 60 feet) during Early Pennsylvanian time. 

Throughout the carbonate sequence at Livingston, 

chert is common in thin layers along bedding planes 

or, less commonly, in nodules or lenses. It is particularly abundant in the 'basal part of the Lodgepole. The 

thin layers are irregular in cross section and are etched 

out in relief on weathered surfaces. The proportions 

of chert and insoluble residue in individual stratigraphic units have no apparent relation. Although 

chert is particularly abundant in the basal limestone 

beds, it is also common in dolomite beds higher in this 

section and does not seem to have been selectively deposited according to rock type. 

A dolomitic limestone unit 20 feet thick at the base 

of the Lodgepole contains about 30 percent brown and 

yellow chert and is an excellent stratigraphic marker 

FIGURE 6.-Grayish-red siltstone (unit 72) fonning conspicuous 

indentation between massive limestone 43 feet below the top 

of the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone in 

SE14 sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E. Note outline of karst-filled 

deposit (shown in fig. 10) in the upper right-hand corner of 

this photograph. 

FIGURE 7.-Contact of t he upper member of the Mission Canyon 

Limestone and the overlying Amsden Formation in the Slh 

sec. 35, T. 2 ·s., R. 9 E. Note the sma~l amount of erosional 

relief on the upper surface of the upper member. 

in the Livingston area, particularly in structurally complex areas where the Three Forks Formation is faulted 

or squeezed out. Dark-gray to yellow nodular chert 

also distinguishes the basal Lodgepole in the Bridger 

Range (Laudon and Severson, 1953, p. 509). Richards 

(1~57, p. 409) described these basal cherty beds that 

stand in ledges above the easily eroded Three Forks 

Shale at Shell Mountain, southeast of Livingston. 

in ledges aJbove the easily eroded Three Forks Shale 

Chert is also common in the lower part of the Lodgepole in western Wyoming and northeastern Utah, and 

in the subsurface of central Montana. 
BS GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

The Mission Canyon Limestone at Livingston contains several laterally continuous breccia beds that I 

interpret as solution breccia remaining after removal 

of soluble minerals such as anhydrite or gypsum (see 

p. B19. Thickness of the upper member of the Mission 

Canyon Limestone may vary considerably in adjacent 

surface and subsurface sections. Comparison of thickness, lithology, and fa!bric on a regional basis suggests 

that this unit must have been reduced by internal solution during the period of gradual uplift. One example 

of this change in thickness is shown in figure 8. 

DOLOMITE AND DOLOMITIZATION 

Dolomite is present throughout the Madison Group 

at Livingston in amounts that range from a tr.ace to 

beds composed entirely of layers of dolomite rhombohedra. There are two general groups of dolomite 

rocks. The larger group has a very finely crystalline 

( <0.009 mm) matrix with fine- to medium-subhedral 

to euhedral dolomite crystals dispersed throughout, 

and the smaller group is varied in crystallinity. In 

the latter, the dolomite crystals average almost 0.10 

mm in diameter and range from very small to 0.20 

mm. In comparison, the limestone beds are predominantly microcrystalline-calcite ooze ( <0.006 mm in 

diameter) partially recrystallized to microspar (0.01 

mm) and sparry calcite exhibiting grain-growth texture. Dolomitization is confined mainly to the limestone beds of mirocrystalline calcite. Traces of silica, 

replacing carbonate, are also present; also some dolomite rhombohedrons are partially changed to microcrystalline silica. 

The Lodgepole Limestone at Livingston has relatively less dolomite or dolomitic limestone than the 

Mission Canyon. The calcium: magnesium molal-ratio 

curve (fig. 3) illustrates a cyclic alternation of carbonate rocks of varied calcium carbonate to magnesium 

carbonate composition in both formations. The cycles 

are imper.fect or are not apparent in the lower part of 

the Lodgepole Limestone but are better defined in the 

younger rocks ; in the upper member of the Mission 

Canyon Limestone, these cycles are conspicuous in the 

field and are clearly shown in figure 3. Cyclic deposition of limestone and dolomite in Mississippian rocks 

in the Bridger Range was excellently illustrated by 

Laudon and Severson (1953, p. 509-512). 

The intimate interlayering of thin dolomite and 

limestone beds, as well as the finer crystallinity of most 

of the dolomite and the larger content of insoluble 

residues in the dolomite (fig. 3), suggests that most 

limestone and uniformly very finely crystalline dolomite were deposited directly from sea water. The nonuniformly medium crystalline dolomite, however, 

probably recrystallized from a very finely crystalline 

carbonate. Dolomite rhombohedra transecting fossil 

and oolite outlines occur in some medium-crystalline 

dolomite and indicate dolomitization of an original 

limestone. Hohlt (1948, p. 33) and Chilingar (1956, 

p. 2492) suggested that the reorientation of calcite crystals facilitates solution migration in carbonate rocks. 

Hobbs (1957, p. 37) illustrated this point by suggesting a relation between the amount of dolomitization 

and the types of calcite present. The occurrence of 

dolomite in the microcrystalline calcite and the absence 

of trace amounts of dolomite in recrystallized limestone 

suggest that recrystallization of microcrystalline calcite preceded dolomitization. Dolomitization occurred 

shortly after lithification and recrystallization but before compaction stresses were great enough to cause 

reorientation of the microcrystalline calcite. Magnesium-.rich solutions were able to penetrate into the 

microcrystalline calcite but were impeded by decreased 

porosity and permeability in the coarser grained recrystallized calcite. A few dolomite beds showed 

gradational enrichment in magnesium coincident with 

a decrease in size of crystals in some zones or layers. 

INSOLUBLE RESIDUES 

Differences in insoluble-residue content also characterize the formations and members of the Madison 

Group, a fact first recognized by Sloss and Hamblin 

( 1942, p. 305). Correlation, based in part on a study 

of insoluble residues of the Madison Group in north-

! central Wyoming, was made by Denson and Morrisey 

(1954, p. 46, 47). Examination of insoluble residues in 

the Madison at Liviugston by Roberts ( 1961) indicated 

that the quantity of insoluble residue generally increases 

as the quantity of magnesium increases. Reports by 

Roy, Thomas, Weissman, and Schneider (1955), Fairbridge (1957), Dunbar and Rodgers (1957), Bisque and 

Lemish (1959), and Amsden (1960) discussed or demonstrated this general relation for dolomites. 

Insoluble residues in the Madison Group in the lower 

canyon of the Yellowstone River near Livingston are, 

mainly, clay minerals, quartz, feldspar (mostly microcline), and chert, and, subordinately, pyrite, magnetite, 

tourmaline, zircon, garnet, biotite, pyroxene, sphene, 

barite, hematite, leucoxene, apatite, gold, and marcasite. The most abundant heavy minerals are pyrite and 

barite, which range from a trace to 90 percent of the 

total heavy-mineral fraction. Barite was identified by 

X-ray diffraction. The clay minerals, identified by 

X-ray diffraction, are illite, kaolinite, and mixed-layer 

clays. Illite ranges from 60 to 100 percent of the total 

clay minerals but averages about 90 percent. A few insoluble residues contained as much as 30 percent kaolin-
STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B9 

TABLE 1.-Grain-size distribution of insoluble residue in carbonate beds of the Lodgepole Limestone and the Mission Canyon Limestone near Livingston, Mont. 

Sample 

79 _______ _ 

75 _______ _ 74 _______ _ 73 _______ _ 72 _______ _ 7L ______ _ 70 _______ _ 69 _______ _ 

68 _______ _ 67 _______ _ 65 _______ _ 

64 _______ _ 62 _______ _ 

61_ ______ _ 

59 ____ ~---

53 _______ _ 52 _______ _ 

50 _______ _ 49 _______ _ 48 _______ _ 45 _______ _ 

36_-------I 33 _______ _ 

18 _______ _ 17 _______ _ 16 _______ _ 

12 _______ _ ll _______ _ 

10 5 ______ _ 

10 6 ______ _ 

9 ________ _ 8 ________ _ 

6 5 _______ _ 

6 7 _______ _ 

4 ________ _ 3 ________ _ 2 ________ _ 

1 ________ _ 

Percent 

soluble 

in acid 

99. 3 

99. 6 

99. 1 

98. 9 

85.5 

2 61. 1 

99. 7 

99.0 

99.2 

92. 6 

91. 3 

99.3 

95. 8 

66. 8 

98. 8 

98. 7 

99.4 

99. 9 

95. 9 

97.6 

79. 3 

89.9 

95. 7 

94.7 

92.6 

89. 8 

91. 1 2 68.9 

91. 1 

90.5 

93. 5 

98. 3 

98. 0 

86. 3 

81. 0 

50.9 

[Analyses by R. F. Gantnier and J. A. Thomas] 

Percent insoluble for indicated grain size, in millimeters 

4.0 I 2.0 I 1.0 I 0.5 I 0.25 I 0.125 I 0.062 I <0.062 I 0.05 I 0.005 1 0.002 1 <0.002 

MISSION CANYON LIMESTONE 

Upper member 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - 1 00. 0 

100. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 00. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0. 9 1. 3 4. 8 11. 5 25. 6 55. 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - 1 1. 3 1 0. 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 4 . 1 . 1 -------- 6. 2 16. 5 10. 3 65. 0 

Heavy 

minerals 

in 

sample 

(percent) 

0. 07 

. 12 

. 10 

. 26 

Trace . . 04 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 00. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------- 3. 4 16.9 79.7 -------------------------- . 11 ----··-- ------- ------- -------- ------ 3 18. 5 3 19. 7 3 61. 8 ------ ------ ------ -------- . 22 ------- ------- ------- -------- ------ ------- ------- -------- 11. 0 18.0 21.0 50. 0 . 04 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. 0 17. 0 7. 0 72. 0 Trace. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 1 00. 0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Trace. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 4 6. 9 92. 7 - - - - - - - --- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 02 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . 2 2. 5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11. 3 56. 4 4. 7 24. 9 Trace. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 00. 0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Trace. 

4 2. 2 4 2. 6 4 1. 5 6. 0 5. 2 6. 7 15. 4 60. 3 ------ ------ ------ -------- . 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 1 00. 0 _____ ._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Trace. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 00. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------- 1 36. 3 ------- 3. 3 3. 7 3 7. 3 3 13. 9 35. 5 ------ ------ ------ -------- . 61 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 1 00. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1. 86 . 04 .1 4. 6 12. 7 15. 3 6. 7 41. 0 4. 7 14. 8 Trace. 

Lower member 

6. 2 

19. 1 

LODGEPOLE LIMESTONE 

Woodhurst Limestone Member 

I 

93. 59. 8~------j------j------1--------1 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

------.. ------- ------- -------- ------ ------- ------- -------- 9. 0 39. 0 1. 0 51. 0 4 1. 0 ------- 4 1. 2 2. 5 2. 2 14. 3 11. 3 67. 5 ------ ------ ------ --------

------- -- ---- ------- -------- ------ ------- ------- -------- 9. 0 30. 0 15. 0 46. 0 

Paine Shale Member 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14. 0 35. 0 1. 0 50. 0 4 0. 8 4 6. 2 4 14. 3 4 12. 4 6. 5 5. 7 11. 2 42. 8 - - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

------- ------- ------- -------- ------ --- ---- --- ---- -------- 8. 0 34. 0 12. 0 46. 0 

- - - - - - - 4 10. 8 4 29. 6 4 19. 7 4 4. 9 11. 0 9. 6 14. 4 --- - - - ----- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- ~--- ------- ------- -------- ------ ------- ------- -------- 20. 0 36. 0 15. 0 29. 0 ------- ------- . 2 . 7 2. 7 7. 5 27.6 61. 3 ------ ------ ------ -------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 00. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 4. 0 4 3. 5 4 6. 2 4 14. 7 19. 9 17. 9 12. 7 21. 1 ------ ------ ------ -------- ------- ------- 4. 1 4. 0 3. 6 10. 6 18. 6 -------- 4. 1 34. 8 7. 1 13. 0 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 00. 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 63. 1 4 13. 1 4 6. 8 4 2. 9 1. 2 0. 8 1. 4 10.6 ------ ------ ------ --------

0. 06 

. 01 

Trace. 

Trace. 

0. 01 

0. 01 

. 01 

. 01 

Trace. . 07 

. 01 

. 01 

. 03 

. 10 

Trace. . 01 

. 20 

'Includes silicified fragments or chert. 2 Silicified; unable to disaggregate. 6 Near top. e Near bottom. a Includes petroliferous matter. 1 Near middle. 4 Includes fossil fragments. 

787.._.;700 0-65---3 
BlO GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

ite, but most contained 10 percent or less. About half 

the insoluble residues from the Mission Canyon contained from a trace to as much as 20 percent mixed -layer 

clay. Only one insoluble residue from the Lodgepole 

contained mixed-layer clay. Six insoluble residues 

from the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone contained an unidentified hydrous double salt 

(probably of the beudantite group) very similar to 

woodhouseite [ Ca Al3 ( P04) ( 804) ( OH6 )]. This mineral was present in dolomite, calcitic dolomite, and dolomitic siltstone that contained less than 15 percent insoluble residue. Samples ·containing this mineral 

were generally rich in illite or mixed-layer clay and 

poor in kaolinite. Phosphate and sulfate radicals in 

this mineral suggest incipient deposition of evaporites. 

Grain sizes of the insoluble residues range from less 

than 0.002 mm to 4.0 mm (table 1). The average grain 

size of detrital pa.rticles is less than 0.062 mm. The 

larger fragments are silicified carbonate particles or fossil debris. 

A comparison of the total insoluble residue and the 

heavy-mineral fraction indicates that, in general, the 

ratio of insoluble residue to heavy minerals is high when 

percentage of insolubles is high, ·and the ratio is low 

when the percentage of insolubles is low. This relation 

suggests that chemical precipitation of iron and sulfate 

minerals was environmentally controlled, and that the 

balance of the environment was not upset by the introduction of detrital material. Generally the percentage 

of insoluble residues and the percentage of heavy minerals increased as the magnesium content of the sea 

w31ter increased. The presence of pyrite and marcasite 

suggests slightly reducing conditions. Barite formed 

presumably when oxidation of some sulfides released 

sulfate in the presence of barium ions (Pettijohn, 1957, 

p.150). 

STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION NEAR LIVINGSTON 

'The following detailed stratigraphic section of the 

Madison Group was measured by tape and Brunton 

traverse. Representative samples were collected from 

about the middle of each lithologic unit for laboratory 1 

study. Description of the stratigraphic units combines 

the megascopic and microscopic examinations. Colors 

are those given by the National Research Council's 

"Rock -Color Chart" (Goddard and others, 1948). In I 

referring to the bedding of the rocks, the following 

standard was used: Massive, greater than 4 feet thick; I 

thick bedded, 2-4 feet; medium bedded, 6 inches-2 

feet ; thin bedded, 2-6 inches ; very thin bedded, lj2-2 

inches; platy, %6-% inch; and fissile, less than %6 

inch. In referring to the crystallinity of the carbonate 

rocks, the following standard was used : Very coarsely 

crystalline, grains or crystals 1-4 mm in diameter; 

coarsely crystalline, grains or crystals 0.25-1 mm in 

diameter; medi urn crystalline, grains or crystals 0.0625-

0.25 mm in diameter; finely crystalline, 0.0156-0.0625 

mm in diameter; and very finely crystalline, 0.0039-

0.0156 mm in di~meter. Terms applied to carbonate 

rocks are modi,fied- from ·Guerrero and Kenner ( 1955). 

Fossils from localities given in the measured section are 

listed in a separate part of this report. 

The section was measured along the east wall of the 

lower canyon of the Yellowstone River and is considered to be typical of the group in this region. 

M a(Uson Group measured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 JJ1., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, Moot. 

[Measured by Albert E. Roberts and Cyril J. Ga·lvin, in 1957] 

Amsden Formation (Pennsylvanian). 

Unconformity: About 1-4 f't of relief on the upper 

surface of unit 79. 

Madison Group (Mississippian) : 

Mi·ssion Canyon Limestone: 

Upper member: 

79. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray (5Y 6/ 

1) ; contains endothyrid Foraminifera Plectogyra ; forms 

ridges ________________________ _ 

78. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray ('5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light gray (N7) ; contains lenses and stringers of 

light-olive-gray (5Y 6/1) chert 

less than 2 in. thick ; brecciated 

locally-------------------------

77. Limestone, medium- to thick-bedded, finely crystalline, light-olivegray ('5Y 5/2) ; weathers light 

olive gray ( 5Y 6/1) ------------

76. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray (5Y 

6/1) ; lens 1 ft (or less) thick of 

mottled chert near top ________ _ 

75. Limestone, medium-~bedded, finely 

crystalline, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2) ; weathers light gray (N7) _ 

74. Dolomite, calcitic, thin- to medium· 

bedded, medium-crystalline, palered (lOR 6/2) ; weathers very 

.pale orange (lOYR 8/2) ; 

siltY---------------------------

73. Limestone, magnesian, irregularly 

bedded, finely crystalline, light· 

olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; weathers 

light gray (N7) ----------------

Ft 

22 

4 

4 

7 

1 

2 

in 

7 

6 

7 

5 

2 

5 

9 
STRATI.GRAPHY OF MADISON GROPP NEAR LIVINGSTON Bll 

M aaison Group measured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in Sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., ana sees. 1 ana 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, M ont.-Continued. 

Madison Group Jf easurea on the east side of the Y eZZowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., ana sees. 1 ana 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, M ont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian)-Continued 

Mission Canyon Limestone-Continued 

Upper member-Continued 

72. Siltstone, dolomitic, thin- to thickbedded, sandy, grayish ... red (lOR 

4/2) and yellowi·sh-gray ( 5Y 

7/2) ; weathers yellowish gray 

( 5Y 8/1) to pale yellowish orange 

(10YR 8/6) ; about 1 in. or less 

of grayish-yellow-green (5GY 

7/2) claystone at top; forms 

conspicuous indentation _______ _ 

71. Limestone, dolomitic, massive, :finely crystalline, silty, light-olivegray (5Y '5/2); weathers medium 

light gray (N6) ; continuous zone 

of chert nodules 63h ft below 

top ___________________________ _ 

70. Limestone, dolomitic, thick ... bedded, 

medium-crystalline, pinkish-gray 

(5Y R 8/1) ; weathers pale yellowish brown (lOYR 6/2) ; con-

·tains several lenses of chert 2-6 

in. thick ______________________ _ 

69. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray ( 5Y 

6/1) ; two prominent :brown-chert 

beds generally about 3 in. thick at 

top of unit_ __________________ _ 

68. Limestone, medium-bedded, finely 

crystalline, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2) ; weathers light olive gray 

(5Y 6/1)----------------------

67. Siltstone, dolomitic, thin-bedded, 

brittle, mostly grayish-red (lOR 

4/2) ; lesser amounts yellowish 

gray ('5Y 7/2), weathers pinkish> 

gray ('5YR 8/1) ; brecciated at 

base owing to adjustment along 

bedding planes during folding; 

unit squeezed to irregular thick- nesses ________________________ _ 

66. Limestone, medium ... bedded, very 

finely crystalline, light-olive-gray 

( 5Y 6/1) ; weathers light gray 

( N7) ; contains fine grains of 

magnetite _____________________ _ 

65. Dolomite, calcitic, very thin bedded 

to mediumJbedded, argillaceous, 

very finely crystalline, yellowishgray (5Y 7/2) ; weathers grayish 

yellow (5Y 8/4) ---------------

64. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray (5Y 

6/1) ; oolitic in upper ·half ______ _ 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued 

Mission Canyon Limestone-Continued 

Ft in Upper member-Continued 

63. Siltstone, irregularly bedded, calcareous, grayish-red (lOR 4/2), 

yellow, and pink; fills shallow 

channels 1-2 ft deep in underly- ing limestone _________________ _ 

62. Limestone, dolomitic, thick-bedded, 

finely crystalline, light-olive-gray 

( 5Y 6/1) ; continuous zone of 

3 4 chert nodules near top of unit__ 

61. Siltstone, dolomitic, medium- to 

thin-bedded, grayish-red (lOR 

4/2) ; contains a few thin beds of 

argillaceous dolomite __________ _ 

60. Limestone, dolomitic, ma:ssive, 

15 6 finely crystalline, arenaceous, 

mottled grayish-red (lOR 4/2), 

pale-red (5R 6/2), and pinkish-

'gray (5YR 8/1) ; weathers grayish pink (5R 8/2); contains ·some 

silt and fine quartz sand ; poorly 9 1 exposed _______________________ _ 

59. Dolomite, calcitic, medium-bedded, 

finely crystalline, pale-yellowishbrown (lOYR 6/2) ; .weathers 

light olive .gray (5Y 6/1) ; 

vuggy ; some chert 'at top of 

15 9 unit __________________________ _ 

58. Dolomite, calcitic, massive, finely 

crystalline, light ... olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2); wea'thers yellowish gray 

1 1 (5Y 7/2); very porous-much of 

'the surface resembles a sponge. 

Many cavities ranging from a few 

inches to several feet wide ; unit 

2 7 

8 

3 5 

13 7 

generally brecciated ___________ _ 

57. Limestone, dolomitic, mediumbedded, very finely crystalline, 

light - olive - gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light gray (N6) ; several ·thin lenses of chert in lower 

half __________________________ _ 

56. Dolomite, irregularly bedded, finely 

crystalline, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2) ; wea:thers yellowish gray 

(5Y 7/2)----------------------

55. Dolomite, massive to 'thin-bedded, 

fine· 'to medium-crystalline, fossiliferous, brittle, grayish-orangepink ( 5Y R 7/2) ; weathers very 

pale orange (lOYR 8/2); basal 9 

ft oolitic; forms conspicuous 

slalbby talus ; locally a sandy 

pebble to cobble conglomerate in 

the lower 6-12 ft_ _____________ _ 

Ft in 

1 10 

2 5 

2 6 

28 11 

2 0 

17 5 

3 5 

4 6 

26 11 
B12 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

Madison Group measured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, .Mont.-Continued. 

Maditwn Grou,p measured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, .Mont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued 

Mission Canyon Limestone-Continued 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued 

Mission Canyon Limestone-Continued 

Upper member-Continued Ft in Upper member-Continued Ft in 

54. ,Limestone, massive, fine- to medium-crystalline, yellowish-gray 

5Y 7/2) ; weathers yellowi,sh 

gray (5Y 8/1) ; fossil locality 

17772-PC is 1the upper 4 :N: and 

f.ossil locality 17771-PC is the 

lower 6 ft of unit ; upper surface 

covered with Syringopora surcularia Girty; lower 4ft is ·dolomitic 

and bedded; forms prominent ridges ___________________ _ 

53. Dolomite, medium- to thin-bedded, 

finely crystalline, brittle, lightolive-gray (5Y 6/1) ; weathers 

yellowish gray (5Y 7/2) ; contains broken fossHs and a little 

chert _________________________ _ 

52. Limestone, dolomitic in lower half, 

massive to poorly bedded, fine- to 

medium-crystalline, pale-yellowish-brown (lOYR 6/2) to lightolive-gray (5Y 6/1) ; weathers 

very light olive gray (5Y 7/1) ; 

oolitic in upper 8 ft; fossil locality 17770-PC upper half of unit; 

forms prominent ridges ; fetid 

odor __________________________ _ 

51. Solution breccia of calcitic :finely 

crystalline light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2) dolomite; weathers yellowish gray (5Y 7/2; fetid odor ___ _ 

50. Dolomite, massive, finely crystalline, fossiliferous, light-olivegray, (5Y 5/2) ; weathers yellowish gray (5Y 8/1) ; unit 

generally brecciated-probably a 

solution breccia. Long stringers 

of chert 2 ft from base ________ _ 

49. Dolomite, platy, very finely crystalline, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers yellowish gray (5Y 

7 /2) ---------------------------

48. Dolomite, calcitic, massive to poorly bedded, medium-crystalline, 

fossiliferous, pale - yellowish -

brown (lOYR 6/2); weathers 

yellowish gvay ( 5Y 7/2) ; contains many nodules and stringers of chert ______________________ _ 

47. Dolomite, irregularly bedded, very 

finely crystalline, yellowish-gray 

( 5Y 8/1) ; contains interbedded 

grayish-yellow-green ( 5GY 7 /2) 

siltstone; unit generally brecciated-probably a solution breccia ___________________________ _ 

13 5 

4 9 

45 8 

5 0 

18 3 

2 7 

20 0 

3 0 

46. Dolomite, irregularly bedded, very 

finely crystalline, argillaceous, 

light - olive - gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light shades of pink, 

yellow, and green ; locally br~ 

ciated-probably a solution breccia ___________________________ _ 

45. Solution breccia of irregularly 

very finely crystalline yellowishgray (5Y 8/1) dolomite; weathers shades of green, yellow, and 

pink; contains subangular to 

subrounded pebbles, cobbles, and 

a few boulders of dolomite and 

chert in interbedded grayishyellow-green (5GY 7/2) siltstone; many cavities ranging 

from a few inches to several feet 

9 6 

wide___________________________ 5 6 

Total, upper member_________ 326 0 

Lower member : 

44. Dolomite, calcitic, massive, :finely 

crystalline, pale-yellowish-brown 

(10YR 6/2) ; weathers very 

pale orange (lOYR 8/2) ; brecci-

=-

ated locally-------------------- 15 7 

43. Dolomite, medium- to thin-bedded, 

very finely crystalline, lightolive-gray ( 5Y 6/1) ; weathers 

yellowish gray (5Y 7/2) ; thin 

interbeds of limestone_________ 7 6 

42. Limestone, dolomitic, massive to 

faintly stra•tified, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray ( 5Y 

6/1) ; contains many chert beds 

2 in. or less thick and many 

chert nodules as much as 6 in. 

wide; fetid odor; forms ridges__ 31 6 

41. Dolomite, massive to poorly 

bedded, very finely crystalline, 

very pale orange (lOYR 8/2); 

weathers yellowish gray ( 5Y 

8/1) ; contains solution ca vi·ties_ 6 6 

40. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 6/1) ; 

weathers light gray (N7) ; prominent chert bed 1¥2 ft from top; 

fetid odor; forms ridges________ 15 3 

39. Dolomite, extensively fractured, 

very finely crystalline, argillaceous ; olive-gray ( 5Y 4/1) ; 

weathers yellowish- gray ( 5Y 

7/2) ; contains solution cavities_ 1 0 
STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B13 

Madison Group mea:w.red on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, M ont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued 

Mission Canyon Limestone-Continued 

Lower member-Continued 

38. Limestone, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 6/1) ; 

weathers light gray (N7) _____ _ 

37. Dolomite, calcitic, massive to 

medium-bedded, finely crystalline, fossiliferous, pale yellowishbrown (10YR 6/2) ; weathers 

light gray (N7) ; contains chert 

nodules; fetid odor ___________ _ 

36. Dolomite, medium-bedded, very 

finely crystalline, argiHaceous, 

light - ·olive - gray ( 5Y 6/1) ; 

weathers yellowish gray ( 5Y 

8/1) ; many solution cavities __ _ 

35. Dolomite, calcitic, massive to faintly bedded, finely crystalline, 

light-brownish-gray ( 5Y R 6/1) ; 

weathers pinkish gray (5YR 

8/1) ; contains chert nodules ___ _ 

34. Limestone, dolomitic, massive, finely crystalline, light-olive-gray 

(5Y 5/2) ; weathers light olive 

gray ( 5Y 6/1) ; sporadic chert 

nodules and three beds of chert 

near top of unit; fetid odor __ _ 

33. Solution breccia of very finely crystalline light-gray · ( N7) dolomite; weathers very light gray 

(N8) ; many solution cavities __ _ 

32. Limestone, dolomitic, massive, 

finely crystalline, light-olivegray (5Y 5/2) ; weathers light 

olive gray ( 5Y 6/1) ; contains 

sporadic chert nodules ________ _ 

31. Dolomite, medium- to thin-bedded, 

very finely crystalline, very light 

olive gray (5Y 7/1) ; weathers 

yellowish gray ( 5Y 8/1) ; contains chert lenses and nodules 

generally 2 in. or less wide ; fetid 

odor __________________________ _ 

30. Dolomite, calcitic, massive to thickbedded, finely crystalline, lightolive-gray ( 5Y 5/2) ; weathers 

light olive gray (5Y 6/1) ------

29. Solution breccia of calcitic lightgray (N7) to light-olive-gray 

(5Y 6/1) dolomite; contains 

chert nodules _________________ _ 

28. Dolomite, calcitic, medium-bedded 

to very thin bedded, very finely 

crystalline, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2) ; weathers light olive gray 

( 5Y 6/1) ; very silty in the middle and base of unit ; contains 

chert in upper half of unit ; fetid 

odor __________________________ _ 

Ft in 

6 2 

10 5 

1 0 

12 6 

25 8 

6 4 

5 5 

8 1 

15 1 

6 0 

6 2 

Mad-iwn (}roup measured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, M ont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued 

Mission Canyon Limestone--Continued 

T_.~ower member-Continued 

27. Limestone, magnesian, massive, 

fine- to medium - crystalline, 

light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; weathers light olive gray ( 5Y 6/1) ; 

flat-pebble conglomerate 6 ft 

from top ; chert nodules and 

lenses ; forms ridges __________ _ 

26. Dolomite, calcitic, thin-bedded to 

very thin bedded, very finely 

crystalline, pale-yellowish-brown 

(10YR 6/2) ; weathers yellowish gray ( 5Y 7/2) ; readily 

eroded and is locally cavernous; 

fetid odor~--------------------

25. Limestone, dolomitic, mediumbedded, finely crystalline, lightolive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; conspicuous bed of chert at top of unit__ 

24. Dolomite, thin-bedded, very finely 

crystalline, pale-yellowish-brown 

(10YR 6/2) ; weathers yellowish 

gray (5Y 7/2)-----------------

23. Limestone, dolomitic, thick-bedded, 

finely crystalline, light-olivegray ( 5Y 5/2) ; ·thin zone of chert 

in middle of unit_ _____________ _ 

22. Dolomite, thin-bedded, very finely 

crystalline, yellowish-gray ('5Y 

7/2) ; continuous bed of chert at 

top of unit ____________________ _ 

21. Dolomite, massive to medium-bedded, finely crystalline, light-olivegray ( 5Y 6/1) ; weathers yellowish gray ('5Y 8/1) ; chert stringers and thin beds throughout 

unit; some flat-pebble conglomerates in upper part; forms ridges_ 

20. Limestone, magnesian, massive to 

medium~bedded, medium-crystalline, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray (5Y 

6/1) ; ·oolitic throughout, but 

more oolitic near top of unit ; fossil locality 17769-PC i'n lower 10 

ft of unit; forms very prominent 

Ft in 

32 1 

6 3 

2 7 

1 s 

3 3 

3 3 

41 6 

continuous ridges______________ 59 6 

Total, lower member--------- 330 0 

Total, Mission CanY'on Limestone______________________ 656 0 
B14 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

Madison Group rneasur·ed on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 Fl., Park County, M ont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued. 

Lodgepole Limestone : 

Woodhurst Limestone Member : 

19. Dolomite, calcitic, medium- to thinbedded, coarsely crystalline, fossiliferous (predominantly crinoidal), light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2); 

weathers light gray (N7) ______ _ 

18. Dolomite, calcitic, thin-bedded, very 

finely crystalline, light-olive-gray 

(5Y 5/2) ; weathers light olive 

gray (5Y 6/1) -----------------

17. Limestone, dolomitic, thin-bedded, 

very coarsely crystalline, lightbrownish-gray (5YR 6/1) ; contains moderate red (5R 5/4) 

flecks ; weathers yellowish gray 

( 5Y 8/1) ; fossil locality 17768--

PC ; forms ridges _____________ _ 

16. Limestone, generally thin-bedded in 

upper 35 f.t and massive ·to thickbedded in lower 10 ft ; alternating 

light-olive-gray ( 5Y 5/2) and 

pale-red (lOR 6/2) beds; weathered surfaces yellowish gray ( 5Y 

7/2) to grayish orange pink ( 5Y R 

7/2) ; finely to coarsely crystalline ; at 23 ft below top several lenticular grayish-red (lOR 4/2) calcareous-siltstone beds as much as 

6 in. thick ; some tracks and trails 

on bedding planes ; fossil locality 17767-PC ______________________ _ 

15. Limestone, missive to medium-bedded, fine- to medium-crystalline, 

light-olive-gray ( 5Y 5/2) ; weathers light olive gray ( 5Y 6/1) ; t9 

yellowish gray ( 5Y 8/1) ; fossil 

locality 17766-PO _____________ _ 

14. Dolomite, mostly medium- to thinbedded, thick-bedded in middle of 

unit, finely crystalline, fossiliferous, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers light olive gray (5Y 

6/1) ---------------------------

13. Limestone, massive to thick--bedded 

upper half of unit and mediumto thin-bedded in lower half, finely 

to coarsely crystalline, oolitic, 

light ... olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; weathers light olive gray (5Y 6/1) 

tains fossil fragments in lawer 

half of unit; forms ridges _____ _ 

Total, Woodhurst Limestone 

Member ___________________ _ 

Ft in 

4 7 

13 4 

16 6 

45 0 

22 8 

24 6 

19 5 

146 0 

:Madison Group rneasured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 Fl., Park County, 1Jiont.-Continued. 

Madison Group ( MiEsissippian) -Continued 

Lodgepole Limeston~Continued 

Paine Shale Member: 

12. Dolomite, calcitic, medium-bedded 

to very thin bedded, very finely 

crystalline, silty; beds alternately pale yellawish brown 

(10YR 6/2) and pale olive (lOY 

6/2) ; weathers mottled to banded 

light brownish gray (5YR 6/1) 

and yellowish gray ( 5Y 8/1) ; 

many thin penecontemporpaneous 

intraformational breccias ; a few 

fossil tracks and trails ________ _ 

11. Limestone, dolomitic, thin-bedded, 

finely to coarsely crystalline, 

light-olive-gray (5Y 6/1) ; some 

grayish-red (lOR 4/2) flecks ; 

weathers light gray (N7) ; contains fossil fragments, tracks, 

and trails _____________________ _ 

10. Limestone, dolomitic, mostly medium- to thin-bedded, locally very 

thin bedded to platy; finely crystalline, argillaceous, light-olivegray (5Y 5/2) and grayish-red 

(lOR 4/2) ; weathers yellowish 

gray (5Y 7/2) and grayish orange 

pink (5YR 7/2) ; unit is very conspicuous because of its bedding 

and wea•thered color; red beds 

contain more clay and sHt and are 

slightly more coarsely crystalline 

than yellowish-gray beds ; fossils, 

tracks, and trails ______________ _ 

9. Limestone, magnesian, thick-bedded, 

cross-bedded, coarsely crystalline, 

light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; some 

grayish-red (lOR 4/2) flecks; 

weathers light gray (N7) ; locally 

contains flat-limestone-pebble conglomerate; fossil locality 17765-

PC----------------------------

8. Limestone, dolomitic, thin-bedded to 

platy, finely crystalline, argillaceous, light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; 

weathers yellowish gray (5Y 7/2) 

and locally grayish orange pink 

(5YR 7/2), grayish red (lOR 4/2) 

and greenish gray (5GY 6/1) ; interbedded calcareous greenishgray ( 5G 6/1) siltstone ; some 

fossil fragments of crinoids and 

brachiopods ; a few thin stringers 

of chert ; generally partly covered----------------·-----------

Ft in 

7 3 

5 11 

29 8 

3 0 

43 11 
STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B15 

Madison Group measured on the east'· side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, Mont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian) -Continued 

Lodgepole Limestone--Continued 

Madison Group measured on the east side of the Yellowstone 

River in sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and sees. 1 and 2, T. 3 S., R. 

9 E., Park County, Mont.-Continued. 

Madison Group (Mississippian)-Continued 

Lodgepole Limestone-Continued 

Paine Shale Member-Continued Ft in Paine Shale Member-Continued Ft in 

7. Limestone, dolomitic, medium- to 

thin-bedded, finely crystalline, 

light-olive-gray (5Y 5/2) ; weathers yellowish gray ( 5Y 7/2) ; 

interbedded calcareous greenishgray ( 5G 6/1) siltstone; locally 

becomes intraformational brec- cia ___________________________ _ 

6. Limestone, magnesian, medium- to 

thin-bedded, finely to very 

coarsely crystalline, light-olivegray ( 5 Y 5/2) ; weathers grayish 

orange (10YR 7/4) and grayish 

yellow ( 5Y 7/2) ; very thin interbedded calcareous greenish-gray 

(50 6/1) siltstone; few small 

chert nodules in upper 1 ft of 

unit; fossil locality 17764-PC between 3 and 4 ft below top of unit ; 

fossil locality 17763-PC 34 ft 

below top of unit ; tracks and 

trails on siltstone bedding planes ; 

2-ft-thick fiat-siltstone-pebble conglomerate 35 ft below top ______ _ 

5. Limestone, magnesian, mediumbedded to very thin bedded, finely 

crystalline, fossiliferous, lightolive-gray ( 5Y 5/2) ; weathers 

light olive gray (5Y 6/1) ; contains sporadic small chert nodules 

and some tracks and trails _____ _ 

4. Limestone, massive to poorly 

bedded in upper part and thin- to 

medium-bedded in lower part, 

medium- to very coarsely crystalline, fossiliferous, pale-yellowish-brown (10YR 6/2), 

weathers light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

6/1) ; sporadic chert lenses and 

nodules ·throughout; oolitic in 

part ; forms 1prominenrt cliffs 

(only unit in measured section 

that form,s a barrier to walking 

at river's edge)----------------

3. Limestone, dolomitic, medium- to 

thin ... bedded, finely crystalline, 

fossiliferous, light-olive-gray ( 5Y 

5/2); weathers grayish yellow 

( 5Y 7/4) ; argillaceous; some 

silty partings _______ -----------

2. Limestone, magnesian, thick- to 

thin-bedded, 'thinner 'bedded toward base of unit, 'finely :to 

coarsely crystalline, fossiliferous, 

pale-yellowish-brown (10YR 6/2) 

to medium-gray (N5) ; weathers 

light olive gray ( 5Y 6/1) to yel3 2 lowish gray (5Y 7/2) ; abundant 

medium-gray (N5) chert that 

105 6 

6 3 

46 6 

10 0 

weathers medium light ,gray 

(N6) ; forms ridges ___________ _ 52 10 

1. Limestone, dolomitic, medium- to 

thin-bedded, mostly fine- to 

medium-crystalline, basal 3% ft 

·coarsely crystalline, argillaceous, 

light-olive-gray (5Y 6/1) 'to 

medium-dark-gray (N4) ; 

weathers medium light gray 

( N6), grayish yellow ( 5Y 8/4), 

grayish orange (10YR 7/4)·, and 

locally moderate orange pink 

(5R 7/4) ; many thin shaly partings ; a1bundant crinoidal debris ; 

contains about 30 percent pink, 

brown, and yellow chert ; more 

chert than any other unit in the 

Madison Group________________ 20 

':Dotal, Paine Shale Mem'ber --- 334 

Total, Lodgepole Limestone___ 480 

Total, Madison Group________ 1, 136 

Three Forks Formation (Mississippian and Devonian). 

AGE AND CORRELATION 

0 

0 

0 

0 

The Madison Formation, as defined by Peale ( 1893, 

p. 33) , was assigned by Walcott (in Peale, 1893, p. 39) to 

lower Carboniferous. Faunas collected from the 

Madison Limestone in Yellowstone National Park were 

regarded by Girty (1899, p. 484) as possibly equivalent 

in age to the major part of the Mississippian but as having their strongest affinities with the Kinderhook. 

Faunas from the Paine Shale and the W oodhurst Limestone were assigned to the Kinderhook, or Chouteau, by 

Schuchert and Girty (in Weed, 1900, p. 293). 

The Madison of southwestern Montana was summarized by Weller and others ( 1948, p. 138) as late 
Bl6 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVLNGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

Kinderhook and Osage in age. Laudon ( 1948, p. 295) 

and Holland (1952, p. 1714) concluded that faunas from 

the type Madison were indicative of Kinderhook age. 

Dolomite beds in the upper part of the Mission Canyon 

in southwestern Montana were assigned by Sloss and 

Moritz ( 1951, p. 2157) to the Meramec and tentatively 

correlated with dolomite beds of the Charles Formation 

of central Montana. The Lodgepole and Mission Canyon Formations in the Bridger Range represented con- -

tinuous deposition through all of Kinderhook and perhaps earliest Osage time, according to Laudon and 

Severson ( 1953, p. 507). Williams (in Klepper, Weeks, 

and Ruppel, 1957, p. 18) recognized beds of Meramec 

age in the upper part of the Mission Canyon in western 

Montana. The Madison Group, including the type section, was subdivided into faunal zones (Sando and 

Dutro, 1960, p. 122; Sando, 1960, p. B227) ; the zones 

were correlated with late Kinderhook, Osage, and probable Meramec of the type Mississippian. 

Mississippian rocks equivalent to the 1\fadison Group 

(Sando, 1960, p. B226) exposed in the Sawtooth 

Range of northwestern Montana were named the 

Hannan Formation by Deiss (1941, p. 1896) and were 

later described briefly by Deiss (1943, p. 228). He 

( 1933, p. 45) considered this sequence to be almost 

equivalent in age to the Kinderhook and Osage Series. 

Sloss and Hamblin ( 1942, p. 311) concurred with Deiss 

but recognized that some of the upper limestone beds 

might be of Late Mississippian age. Sloss and Laird 

(1945) subdivided the Hannan Formation in northwestern Montana into units MC, MB2 , MB1 , and MA, in 

ascending order. Unit MC was assigned a Kinderhook 

age and was considered equivalent to the Paine Shale 

Member of the Lodgepole Limestone. Unit MB2 was 

assigned an Osage age and was considered equivalent to 

the W oodhurst Limestone Member of the Lodgepole. 

Unit MBt was assigned an Osage age and was considered equivalent to the Mission Canyon Limestone. 

Unit MA was assigned a Meramec age and was considered eq~ivalent to the Charles Formation. Mudge, 

Sando, and Dutro (1962, p. 2003) subdivided the 

Madison Group in northwestern Montana into the Allan 

Mountain Limestone (equivalent to the Lodgepole Limestone) and the Castle Reef Dolomite (equivalent to the 

Mission Canyon Limestone), as shown in figure 2. Unit 

MA of Sloss and Laird ( 1945) was named the Sun River 

Member of the Castle Reef Dolomite by Mudge, Sando, 

and Dutro (1962, p. 2003). 

The Madison Group at Livingston, Mont., is divided 

into the Lodgepole Limestone, in part of Kinderhook 

age and in part of Osage age, and the Mission Canyon 

Limestone, a lower member in part of Osage age and 

an upper member of Meramec age (fig. 2). Fossils 

found in the Madison Group in this area include corals, 

brachiopods, crinoids, and bryozoans. These assemblages are normal-marine benthonic faunas that probably lived in relatively shallow waters on extensive 

shelves or in epeiric seas (J. T. Dutro, Jr., W. J. Sando, 

and E. L., Yochelson, written commun., 1958). On the 

basis of the collections, the Kinderhook-Osage boundary 

is placed at or near the contact between the W oodhurst 

Limestone and Paine Shale Members of the Lodgepole 

(W. J. Sando and J. T. Dutro, Jr., written commun., 

1963), and the Osage-Meramec boundary may be placed 

at the base or at the top of the solution breccia that 

lies at the base of the upper membe.r of the Mission 

Canyon Limestone. Inasmuch as the base of the solution breccia is a more consistent stratigraphic horizon 

than the top, the Osage-Meramec boundary is placed, 

for convenience, at the base. The solution-breccia units, 

the grayish-red shale units, the presence in the insoluble residues of minerals that suggest incipient evaporite 

deposition, and a Meramec fauna seem to establish 

conclusively the correlation of the upper member of 

the Mission Canyon Limestone at Livingston with the 

Charles Formation in central and eastern Montana and 

unit MA of Sloss and Laird ( 1945) or with the Sun 

River Member of the Castle Reef Dolomite in northwestern Montana. 

The following fossils, listed in ascending stratigraphic order, were collected from the measured section 

of the Madison Group near Livingston (seep. B9-B15). 

Identification of fossil assemblages from this section 

was made by J. T. Dutro, Jr., W. J. Sando, and E. L. 

Y ochelson (written commun., 1958). Collections from 

the oldest rocks are listed first. Locality numbers are 

U.S. Geological Survey upper Paleozoic locality numbers and identify the collections in the measured section 

(fig. 3; p. B9-B15). 

Fossils from the Paine Shale Member of the Lodgepole Limestone: 

Locality 17763-PC: 

Orbiouloidea? sp. 

Sohuchertella? sp. 

Spirifer 'sp. ( oentronatus type) 

cf. S. maaisonensis (Gkty) 

Oomposita cf. 0. madisonensis Girty 

Eumetria? sp. 

Platyceras sp. 

Locality 17764-PC: 

crinoid arm and fragments, indet. 

fenestrate bryozoan, indet. 

Oystoowtya? sp. 

Orthotetes? sp. 

Oamwrotoeohia cf. 0. herrickana Girty 

Rhynchopora? sp. 

"Produotus" ·Sp. (large) 

"BWJJtonia"? sp. 

"Productus" cf. "P." galletinensis Girty 
STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B17 

Spirifer sp. ( oentronatus type) 

Torynifer ef. T. oooperensis (Girty) 

Punctospirifer cf. P. solidirostris (White) 

Eumetria cf. E. verneuiliana (Hall) 

Aviculopinna? sp. 

Sohizodus? sp. 

B ellerophon ·sp. 

Straparollus (Euom.phalus) sp. cf. S. (E.) subpZanus 

(Hall) 

Anematina sp. 

Lo{J)onema? sp. 

Locality 1776s--.PC: 

crinoidal debris, indet. 

platycrinid columna!, indet. 

bryozoan fragments, indet. 

Sohuohertella? sp. 

Eumetria sp. 

Fossils from the W oodhurst Limestone Member of the Lodgepole Limestone : 

Locality 17766--PIO: 

platycrinid columnals, indet. 

H omaZophyllites sp. 

Vesiculophyllum sp. 

Chonetes cf. C. loganensis Hall and Whitfield 

Linoproituotus cf. L. ovatus (Hall) 

"Productus" cf. "P." gallatinensis Girty 

Spirifer sp. ( oentronat'llS type) 

<Sp. 

Oomposita? sp. 

Platyceras sp. 

Straparollus sp. 

Locality 17767-PC: 

crinoidal debris, indet. 

H omalophyllites sp. 

V esiculophyllum sp. 

fenestrate bryozoan, indet. 

orthotetid brachiopod, indet. 

Lep-tagonia sp. 

Chonetes cf. C. loganensis Hall and Whitfield 

·sp. (large form) 

productoid brachiopod, indet. 

Spirifer sp. ( centronatus type) 

Composita cf. C. madisonensis ( GiT'ty) 

Punctospirifer sp. 

Straparollus ( Euomphalus) .sp. 

Fossils from the lower member of the Mission Canyon Limestone: 

Locality 17768-PC : 

Chonetes cf. C. loganensis Hall and Whitfield 

"Productus" cf. "P." gallatinensis Girty 

Spirifer sp. ( centronatus type) 

cf. S. madisonensis Girty 

Torynijer? sp. 

Locality 17769-PC: 

crinoidal debris, indet. 

H omalophyllites sp. 

V esiculophyllum? sp. 

Spirifer sp. 

Fossils from the upper member of 'the Mission Canyon Limestone: 

Locallity 17770-PC : 

<:~rinoidal debris, indet. 

Rhipidomella sp. 

Spirifer aff. S. madisonensis Girty 

sp. (rowleyi-grimesi type) 

sp. ( centronatus type) 

Locality 17771-PC: 

crinoMal debris, indet. 

Syringopora surcularia? Girty 

Perditocardinia sp. cf. P. dubia (Hall) 

Rhipidomella? sp. 

Spirifer sp. ( rowleyi-grimesi type) 

sp. ( centronatus type) 

Locality 17772-PC: 

Syringopora surcularia Girty 

aft. S. surcularia Girty 

SOLUTION BRECCIAS IN THE MISSION CANYON 

LIMESTONE 

A conspicuous solution breccia in the upper member 

of the Mission Canyon Limestone (fig. 8) throughout 

southwestern Montana is of great geologic importance 

in correlation because it is the approximate boundary 

between rocks of Osage and Meramec age. Near the 

type locality of the Madison Group, the breccia was first 

described by Berry (1943, p.16) as a limestone conglomerate, which he had traced for 10-15 miles. Berry also 

noted a faunal break and placed an unconformity at the 

base of the limestone conglomerate, coincident with the 

base of Peale's (1893) jaspery-limestone unit. This 

section of Madison rocks, as well as others in the 

Bridger and Gallatin Ranges, was later described by 

Leonard ( 1946), who proposed that the Mission Canyon 

Limestone be divided into two formations. His division 

was made at the base of Berry's conglomerate, which 

Leonard regarded as a basal conglomerate of his Fairy 

Lake Formation. He noted that the conglomerate contained rounded limestone boulders and angular cherts. 

Leonard ( 1946, p. 61) considered the possibility that the 

conglomerate unit was a solution breccia, but, because 

of the roundness of the limestone boulders, he preferred 

the term "conglomerate." Laudon (1948, p. 296) subsequently prepared a diagrammatic sketch illustrating 

a large unconformity at the base of the conglomerate 

described by Berry and Leonard. The magnitude of his 

unconformity was based on his interpretation of the 

fauna in the lower part of the Mission Canyon as late 

Kinderhook in age (Laudon, 1948, p. 295). 

Laterally continuous collapse-breccia beds in the 

upper part of the Mission Canyon Limestone in the Elkhorn Mountains were described in Klepper (1950) and 

Klepper, Weeks, and Ruppel (1957, p. 20). They believed that the breccia formed by penecontemporaneous 

formation and collapse of solution caverns during a 

post-Mission Canyon-pre-Amsden erosional period. 

The stratigraphic persistence of the breccia indicated to 

them that a widespread withdrawal of seas, due to a 

slight but uniform uplift, would have exposed a terrain 
1 

Logan, Mont. 

sec. 25, T. 2 N., R. 2 E. 

(type section, Madison Group) 2 

~~ ·- ro ro..r::: C.. (f) 

.... 

Q) 

..0 

E 

Q) 

~ 

.... 

Q) 

..0 

E 

Q) 

~ 

California Oil Co. Crowley 1 

sec. 35, T. 5 N., R. 7 E. 

FEET 3 

Livingston, Mont. 

FEET 

'"""'-- I ; I h'l ~ zf 11 Jt sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E., and 

sees. 1 and 2, T. 35 S., R. 9 E. 

I I I ; I :f-- 2500 

1000 

500 500 

0 

00 0 

EXPLANATION 

Claystone 

~~~ Siltstone Shale Sandstone 

~ """ "' <::J 

Breccia 

D D. 

~CJ~ D. 

Limestone Oolites Dolomite Chert Anhydrite 

4 

Bighorn Canyon, Mont. 

sec. 32, T. 6 S., R. 30 E. 

FEET 

500 

0 

FIGURE 8.-E,astward thinning of the Madison Group and the relations of the basal solution breccia of the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone 

from Logan to Bighorn Canyon, Mont. Localities shown in figure 1. 

to 

.,;...... 

00 

0 

t"'.l 

0 

~ 

0 

0 

~ 

0 

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STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B19 

of negligible relief. They assumed that under such conditions the ground-water level would have been constant 

and that leaching and ultimate collapse of the roof of 

the leached zone might have produced a rather continuous breccia zone at about the same stratigraphic horizon. 

Severson (1952, p. 33) observed that surface sections 

of the upper part of the Madison Group in central 

Montana were thinner than nearby subsurface sections. 

This difference seemed to indicate that the evaporites 

in the subsurface sections of the Charles Formation 

were originally deposited over the mountainous areas 

9ut had subsequently been removed by solution. He 

( 1952, p. 37) indicruted that the brecciated zones correlated with the anhydrite zones of the subsurface sections and that the subsurface Charles Formation was a 

correlative of the Mission Canyon Limestone. Sloss 

(1952, p. 67) briefly summarized the lithology of the 

Charles Formation and assumed that breccia zones at 

some localities marked the positions of evaporite beds 

leached from surface exposures. Laudon and Severson 

(1953, p. 509-512) remeasured the Fairy Lake section 

in the Bridger Range and indicated the stratigraphic 

position of the solution~breccia beds. 

In his discussion of the Charles Formation of central 

Montana, Nordquist ( 1953, p. 80) pointed out that the 

basal unit of the formation is generally marked by a 

massive anhydrite bed that locally is as much as 100 

foot thick. In the mountainous areas of cent:ral Montana where the upper part of the Madison is exposed, 

Nordquist observed that the sequence is characterized 

by several brecciated zones, which he interpreted as 

having formed by the leaching of evaporite beds. 

Denson and Morrisey (1954, p. 46) divided the Mission Canyon Limestone in the Bighorn Basin of Montana and Wyoming and the Wind River Basin of 

Wyoming into two recognizable members. The base 

of their upper member is generally marked by a continuous breccia zone, which they (1954, p. 47) could 

recognize in both the surface and subsurface. They 

(1954, p. 48) referred to this breccia zone as an intraformational conglomerate. 

Andrichuk (1955, p. 2179) correlated the anhydrite 

beds in the California Oil Co. Crow ley 1 well near 

Ringling, Mont., with solution-breccia beds in the 

Bridger Range, described by Laudon and Severson 

( 1953, p. 512) . In the Fairy Lake section Severson 

(1952, p. 37) found minor beds of breccia and intraformational conglomerate below the basal breccia of the 

upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone. 

Andrichuk ( 1955, p. 2173, 2179) identified one of these 

smaller breccia beds in the lower member of the Mission Canyon as tentatively corresponding to the third 

evaporite zone in the Mission Canyon of central 

Montana. 

Strickland ( 1956, p. 54--55) reviewed the work of 

Mansfield (1927), Love (1939), Berry (1943), Laudon 

(1948), and Denson and Morrisey (1954) and concluded 

that the upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone ·seems to lie disconformably on the rocks beneath. 

Later, Norton (1956, p. 54) reviewed the work of 

Leonard ( 1946), Laudon and Severson ( 1953), Denson 

and Morrisey ( 1954), and Richards ( 1955) and concluded that the evidence presented did not substantiate 

an unconformity but could be explained as collapse 

brecciation. 

Middleton ( 1961) examined Mission Canyon Limestone sections in the Limestone Hills, on the east flank 

of the Elkhorn Mountains, and in the Smith River area 

of the Belt Mountains; reexamined the Fairy Lake section of Leonard ( 1946), Severson ( 1952), and Laudon 

and Severson ( 1953) ; and presented a summary description of the solution-breccia beds. He (1961, p. 193) 

also concluded that the breccia was a solution featurenot formed penecontemporaneously or by metasomatic 

replacement or by recrystallization. 

My recent work supports my earlier conclusions 

(Roberts, 1961, p. B294) that the laterally continuous 

breccia beds in the Mission Canyon Limestone at Livingston are solution breccias, and supports my earlier 

subdivisions (p. B295) of the Mission Canyon Limestone. I (1961, p. B295) subdivided the Mission Canyon into two members, separated at the continuous 

breccia ·at the base of the upper member (fig. 9). Several beds of solution breccia are also present in the 

lower member of the Mission Canyon Limestone, and 

these should be considered in making regional correlations. 

FIGURE 9.- Solution breccia at the base of the upper member of 

the Mission Canyon Limestone (unit 45) in the SE% sec. 35, 

T. 2 S., R. 9 E. 
B20 GEOLOGY OF THE LIVINGSTON AREA, SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 

The solution breccia at the base of the upper member 

of the Mission Canyon Limestone forms prominent 

cliffs in the northwestern part of the Yellowstone N ational Park near Bannock Peak. The breccia, which 

is continuous throughout the area, is 60 feet thick and 

310 feet below the top of the upper member-markedly 

similar to that in the Livingston section. Similar stratigraphically continuous breccia beds in the Mission Canyon Limestone were observed by Blackstone (1940, p. 

594) and by Richards (1955, p. 22) in the Pryor Mountains, Mont., by McMannis (1955, p. 1400) in the Bridger Range, Mont., by Knechtel (1959, p. 735) in the 

Little Rocky Mountains, and by Robinson ( 1963, p. 42) 

in Milligan Canyon near Three Forks, Mont. 

KARST DEPOSITS IN THE MISSION CANYON 

LIMESTONE 

Karst deposits are present in the upper part of the 

Madison Group in southern and western Montana. In 

south-central Montana, Thorn (1923, p. 42) and Thorn, 

Hall, W egemann, and Moulton ( 1935, p. 35) discussed 

the collapsed caverns, or sinkholes, which formed along 

the joints and bedding planes in the upper part of the 

Madison prior to the deposition of the overlying 

Amsden. Karst features rut this local'ity were later illustrated by Richards ( 1955, pl. 5) . Along the north 

flank of the Beartooth Range, Knappen and Moulton 

(1930, p. 11) reported a deeply weathered surface and 

a red residual soil on the top of the Madison. Henbest 

(1958) briefly described the regional significance of the 

karst terrane in Upper Mississippian and Lower 

Pennsylv-anian rocks in the Rocky Mountain region. 

Sloss and Hamblin ( 1942, p. 309) stated that in 

southern Montana the basal sandstones of Chester age 

(Kibbey Formation) contain fragments of Madison 

Limestone, and that sandstone of the Amsden Formation fills caverns and solution channels in the Madison. 

They (1942, p. 318) described the deposits as "a coarse 

solution breccia formed by the collapse of cavern roofs. 

These breccias are commonly colored red or maroon by 

infiltration from the overlying Kibbey or Amsden 

Formations." Sloss and Hamblin (1942, p. 318) observed that "near Livingston, red Amsden sandstone 

forms clastic sills and dikes in solution channels cut 200 

feet into the Mission Canyon." Laudon (1948, p. 295) 

referred to these deposits as deep sinkhole-like channels 

carved into and filled with reworked materials of Mission Canyon. Laudon, Sloss, and Hamblin did not differentiate the red-shale and solution-breccia units in 

the upper member of the Mission Canyon or the karst 

deposits of this report. 

Scott (1935, p. 1022), Walton (1946, p. 1297), Severson (1952, p. 19), and Miller (1959, p. 13) referred 

briefly to the erosional unconformity on the upper surface of the Madison in central and southern Montana. 

Walton (1946, p. 1297) also mentioned pre-Kibbey 

sinkholes near Riceville, Mont., as evidence of widespread subaerial erosion prior to Kibbey time. Robinson ( 1963, p. 43) reported a karst topography on the 

Mission Canyon Limestone near Toston, Mont., where 

local relief is as much as 100 feet along 300 feet of 

contact with the basal part of the Big Snowy Group. 

Near Livingston the karst deposits (fig. 10) are lithologically very similar to the solution-breccia beds. 

Both are unstratified fragmental deposits that consist 

primarily of carbonate rocks and lesser amounts of 

chert in a matrix that weathers reddish or yellowish 

gray. The sorting is poor, and the range in size of the 

fragments is wide. The matrix is composed of inFIGURE 10.-Karst-filled deposit in the upper member of the 

Mission Canyon Limestone in theSE% sec. 35, T. 2 S., R. 9 E. 

Note the crosscutting rel•ation of the karst-filled deposit to the 

siltstone (unit 72). Base of stadia rod (painted in 1-ft intervals) is 47 feet below 'top of the upper member. 
STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B21 

durated clayey siltstone containing limestone fragments, calcite, and smaller amounts of quartz. The 

fragments in both the karst deposits and the solutionbreccia beds are mostly angular to subangular, although 

some carbonate fragments are rounded ; these rounded 

fragments may have been shaped by the action of solutions. The chert in both types of deposits is sharply 

angular. 

In the Livingston area there is a significant difference between clay mineralogy of the karst deposits and 

that of the solution-breccia and red siltstone beds. 

Kaolinite is the chief clay mineral in the insoluble 

residues from the karst deposits, and illite is the chief 

clay mineral in the insoluble residues from the bedded 

red siltstones and from the basal solution breccia of the 

upper member of the Mission Canyon Limestone. Illite 

was also the chief clay mineral in samples collected 

from the lower, middle, and upper parts of the overlying transgressive Amsden Formation. Thus, though 

the Amsden and karst deposits are lithologically similar, the predominance of illite in the Amsden and the 

predominance of kaolinite in the karst deposits indicate 

entirely different sources and origins. Kaolinite in the 

karst deposits may have formed during prolonged 

weathering of an ancient soil that was developed on 

the uplifted surface of the Mission Canyon. The illite 

in the siltstone and solution-breccia beds was deposited, 

but was not necessarily formed, during marine deposition and was not changed during uplift or brecciation; 

Severson (1952, p. 35) observed that in a solutionbreccia unit there is a definite progression upward 

from small heterogeneous unsorted material near the 

base to breccia that is merely a slightly fractured and 

displaced roof rock near the top. The karst deposits 

generally have more matrix and fewer chaotically distributed fragments than do the solution-breccia beds 

(figs. 9, 10). Also, the karst deposits fill cavities or 

joints that generally widen upward. 

The upper and lower surfaces of the karst cavities 

and the upper surface of the solution-breccia beds are 

similar in that they are poorly defined and not stratigraphically controlled. The lower surface of the 

solution-breccia beds, however, is generally a sharp, 

well-defined laterally continuous boundary. The karst 

deposits are discontinuous, whereas the solution-breccia 

beds can be traced continuously for many miles in surface exposures and appear to be continuous with 

evaporite zones in the subsurface. 

Formation of the karst features occurred during postMission Canyon (post-Meramec) and pre-Amsden (preEarly Pennsylvanian) time. The solution-breccia beds 

probably formed much later, for they are restricted to 

areas of Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary uplift. 

In nearby areas that were not uplifted, the evaporite 

zones in the Madison Group are generally unaltered. 

For example, about 25 miles northeast of the Fairy 

Lake section in the Bridger Range, three evaporite 

zones were penetrated in the California Oil Co. Crowley 

1 well (fig. 8, col. 2) . Similar conditions exist in the 

subsurface less than 10 miles from the Big Snowy 

Mountains. In some localities there may be a surface 

expression in the younger rocks that would indicate 

the presence of underlying solution-breccia beds. Such 

an example of large sinks or depressions due to collapse over major solution zones was observed near 

Monarch 'and Riceville, in the Little Belt Mountains, 

and was described by Severson ( 1952, p. 41) . He noted 

that rocks as young as Colorado Shale of Cretaceous 

age were affected in this area and, accordingly, that 

solution activity at this locality occurred after deposition of the Colorado Shale. Severson's ( 1952, p. 43) 

conclusion that the solution-breccia beds were formed 

during or after Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary uplift therefore seems most reasonable. 

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STRATIGRAPHY OF MADISON GROUP NEAR LIVINGSTON B23 

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