GRAND FALLS

GRAND FALLS SW

BABBITT WASH

ANDERSON CANYON

GRAND FALLS NE

GRAND FALLS SE

CANYON DIABLO

METEOR CRATER

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NAVAJO NATION BOUNDARY

n

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Exit 233

Exit 230

Canyon

Diablo

Padre Canyon

Anderson Canyon

Grand Falls

Leupp

Exit 225

Buffalo Ranch

Meteor

Crater

Little Colorado River

35 ̊00'

35 ̊30'

111 ̊15' 111 ̊00'

Figure 1. (A) Map showing physiographic, cultural, and geologic features and 1:24,000-scale quadrangle 

boundaries with (B) associated quadrangle names in the eastern quarter of the Flagstaff 30’ x 60’ quadrangle. 

TOLCHICO ANTICLINE

A B

Figure 2. Photo looking southeast at Meteor Crater, Arizona. Visitor’s center is at lower left. Crater is 600 ft (180 m) deep and ~0.75 mi (1.2 km) in 

diameter. The meteor impact (~50,000 years ago; Kargel, 1998) formed an elevated ridge or rim around the crater that rises 100 to 200 ft (30 to 60 m) 

above the surrounding plain. Photo by Debra Block, 2009.

Figure 3. Photo looking northwest at Grand Falls and downriver from overlook on basalt dam over the Little Colorado River canyon. Water falls 200 

ft (60 m) over ledges of the Kaibab Formation. The red hill in upper right is Wupatki Member (slope) capped by lower massive sandstone member 

(ledge) of the Moenkopi Formation. Water flows mostly during the early spring of each year. Photo courtesy of Kevin Reid, Flagstaff, Arizona, 2008.

Figure 4. Photo looking west and downstream at consolidated cinder dunes filling Tolchico canyon, an abandoned canyon of the Little Colorado 

River about 7 miles (11 km) upstream of Grand Falls (fig. 3). View is 1 mi (1.6 km) downstream from the basalt dam that blocked this canyon. Photo by 

G.H. Billingsley, 2011. 

Figure 5. Photo looking southwest at a cinder dune dam that blocked Padre Canyon drainage about 2 mi (3 km) upstream of its junction with 

Canyon Diablo. The dune is about 80 ft (24 m) thick and well consolidated. Photo by G.H. Billingsley, 2011.

Figure 6. Photo looking at one of several open-crack fissures in the Kaibab Formation about 5 mi (8 km) southwest of Leupp, Arizona, east-central 

part of map area. This open-fissure is about 15 ft (4.5 m) wide and an unknown depth. Note people for scale. Photo by G.H. Billingsley, 2011.

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35°30'

111°00'

35°30'

111°15'

35°00'

111°07'30" 111°00'

35°07'30" 35°07'30"

35°15' 35°15'

35°22'30" 35°22'30"

35°00'

111°07'30"

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only 

and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

This map was printed on an electronic plotter directly from digital files. Dimensional 

calibration may vary between electronic plotters and between X and Y directions on the 

same plotter, and paper may change size due to atmospheric conditions; therefore, scale 

and proportions may not be true on plots of this map

For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, 

Denver, CO 80225, 1–888–ASK–USGS

Digital files available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3279/

Suggested Citation: Billingsley, G.H., Block, D., and Redsteer, M.H., 2013, Geologic map of 

the eastern quarter of the Flagstaff 30’ x 60’ quadrangle, Coconino County, northern 

Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3279, pamphlet 24 p., scale 

1:50,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3279/.

ISSN 2329-132X (online)

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3279/

Geologic Map of the Eastern Quarter of the Flagstaff 30’ x 60’ Quadrangle, Coconino County, Northern Arizona

By

George H. Billingsley, Debra Block, and Margaret Hiza Redsteer

2013

0003 0 0003 6000 9000 12000 15000 18000 21000 FEET

SCALE 1: 50 000

1 1/ 2 0 1 2 3 4 MILES

1 .5 0 1 2 3 4 5 KILOMETERS

CONTOUR INTERVAL 10–20 FEET

NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929

Geology mapped by G.H. Billingsley, 2010-2012

Manuscript approved for publication November 21, 2013

MAP LOCATION

ARIZONA

14°

APPROXIMATE MEAN

DECLINATION, 2013

MAGNETIC NORTH

TRUE NORTH

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Falls, 1969; Grand Falls NE, 

1969; Grand Falls SW, 1969; Grand Falls SE, 1969; Babbitt Wash, 1968; Canyon 

Diablo, 1968; Anderson Canyon, 1968; Meteor Crater, 1968, 1:24,000 

Universal Transverse Mercator projection

EXPLANATION OF MAP SYMBOLS

Contact—Contacts between all alluvial and eolian units are approximate and 

arbitrary

Fault—Dashed where inferred or approximately located; dotted where concealed; 

bar and ball on downthrown side. Predates alluvium or eolian deposits where 

shown bounding them or ending within them. Number is estimated fault

separation in feet

Folds—Showing trace of axial surface and direction of plunge; dotted where 

location is concealed

Fracture—Open fracture (0.5 to 5 m wide) 

Anticline

Plunging anticline—Showing direction of plunge

Syncline

Plunging syncline—Showing direction of plunge

Monocline

Strike and dip of beds

Inclined bedding—Showing strike and dip where measured in the field

Implied bedding—Showing approximate strike as interpreted from aerial photographs; dip amount not determined

Strike of vertical and subvertical joints—Interpreted from aerial photographs; 

symbol placed where joints are most visible on aerial photos

Collapse structure—Circular collapse structure characterized by strata 

dipping inward toward a central point

Sinkhole—Enclosed depression or cave. Sinkholes breached by drainages are not 

shown

Volcanic vent

40

35

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Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic)

Owl Rock Member (Upper Triassic)

Petrified Forest Member (Upper Triassic)

Shinarump Member (Upper Triassic)

Moenkopi Formation (Middle(?) and Lower Triassic) 

Holbrook and Moqui Members, undivided (Middle(?) and Lower Triassic)

Lower massive sandstone member (Lower Triassic) 

Kaibab Formation (Cisuralian)

Toroweap Formation (Cisuralian)

Wupatki Member (Lower Triassic) 

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SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

VOLCANIC ROCKS

Volcanic rocks of the San Francisco Volcanic Field (Pleistocene)—Modified 

from Moore and Wolfe (1976)

The Sproul basalt flow of Merriam Crater (Pleistocene)

East vent basalt flow of Merriam Crater (Pleistocene) 

Basalt flow of Merriam Crater (Pleistocene)

Basalt flow of Roden Crater (Pleistocene)

Pyroclastic deposits, undivided (Pleistocene) 

Quaternary basalt flows, undivided (Pleistocene) 

Basalt flow of Woodhouse age (Pleistocene) 

Tertiary basalt flow (Miocene) 

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Artificial fill and quarries (Holocene)

Stream-channel deposits (Holocene)

Modern flood-plain deposits (Holocene)

Ponded sediments (Holocene)

Dune-sand and sand-sheet deposits (Holocene)

Young eolian sand-sheet deposits (Holocene)

Linear dune deposits (Holocene)

Parabolic dune deposits (Holocene)

Young alluvial fan deposits (Holocene)

Young terrace-gravel deposits (Holocene)

Young flood-plain deposits (Holocene)

Intermediate-age alluvial fan deposits (Holocene)

Intermediate-age terrace-gravel deposits (Holocene)

Intermediate-age flood-plain deposits (Holocene)

Old flood-plain deposits (Holocene)

Mixed alluvium and eolian deposits (Holocene)

Old terrace-gravel deposits (Holocene)

Valley-fill deposits (Holocene and Pleistocene(?))

Old alluvial fan deposits (Holocene and Pleistocene(?))

Landslide deposits (Holocene and Pleistocene)

Older terrace-gravel deposits (Pleistocene)

Young Little Colorado River deposits (Pleistocene)

Intermediate-age Little Colorado River deposits (Pleistocene)

Old Little Colorado River deposits (Pleistocene)

Meteor Crater impact debris (Pleistocene)

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Barchan dune and sand-sheet deposits (Holocene)

Eolian cinder sand-sheet deposits (Holocene)

Unconsolidated cinder-dune deposits (Holocene)

Consolidated cinder-dune deposits (Holocene)

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SURFICIAL DEPOSITS

Qtr Talus and rock-fall deposits (Holocene and Pleistocene)

LIST OF MAP UNITS

[See Description of Map Units (in pamphlet) for complete unit descriptions. Quaternary and 

Tertiary units are positioned only to indicate their general stratigraphic relations]

Qaf Qs Qf Qps Qes Qdl Qdp Qdb Qsc Qdc1 Qdc2 Qa1 Qg1 Qf1

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Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

QUATERNARY

QUATERNARY

Holocene 

Pleistocene 

Pleistocene 

Miocene TERTIARY 

SURFICIAL DEPOSITS

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

VOLCANIC ROCKS

Volcanic rocks of the San Francisco Volcanic Field 

Middle(?) and

Lower Triassic 

Lower Triassic 

Cisuralian PERMIAN PALEOZOIC

MESOZOIC

CENOZOIC

Upper Triassic 

TRIASSIC 

CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS

Qd

Tb

mw

Prepared in cooperation with the

Navajo Nation Minerals Department

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Map 3279

Pamphlet accompanies map