Table 1. Age and elevation of floodplain and terrace-gravel deposits along the Colorado

River from Glen Canyon Dam to Badger Rapids, a 25 mile (40 km) section of the river.

Refer to locations of separate older terrace-gravel deposits in figure 2.

Map unit Age Elevation above

Colorado River

Qf Holocene 0–45 ft (0–14 m)

Qg1

Young and intermediate terrace-gravel deposits

Floodplain deposits

Older terrace-gravel deposits

Holocene 7–17 ft (2–5 m) 

Qg2 Holocene 27–47 ft (8–14 m)

Qg3 Holocene 47–77 ft (14–23 m)

Qg4 Holocene and Pleistocene(?) 87–127 ft (27–39 m)

Qg5 Holocene and Pleistocene(?) 107–127 ft (33–39 m)

Qg6 Holocene(?) and Pleistocene 147–207 ft (45–63 m)

Qg7 Pleistocene 275–300 ft (84–91 m)

Qg8 Pleistocene 290–390 ft (88–119 m)

Qg9 Pleistocene 495–555 ft (151–169 m)

Qg9a Pleistocene 620–635 ft (189–194 m)

Qg10 Pleistocene 600–620 ft (183–189 m)

Qg11 Pleistocene 620–630 ft (189–192 m)

Qg12 Pleistocene 760–800 ft (232–244 m)

Qg13 Pleistocene 800–860 ft (244–262 m)

Qg14 Pleistocene 900–920 ft (274–280 m)

Qg15 Pleistocene 960–980 ft (293–299 m)

Qg16 Pleistocene and Pliocene(?) 990–1,000 ft (302–305 m)

Qg17 Pleistocene and Pliocene(?) 1,060–1,085 ft (323–331 m)

Qg18 Pleistocene and Pliocene(?) 1,140–1,190 ft (347–363 m)

Qg17 Qg18

Qg13

Qg12

Qg12

Qg18

Qg11

Qg15

Qg12

Qg11

Qg14

Qg14

Qg12

Qg12

Qg16

Qg16

Qg13

Qg9a

Qg12

Qg9a

Qg9a

Qg15

Qg10

Qg10

Qg9a

Qg15

Qg14

Qg11

Qg10

Qg10

Qg9a

Qg12

Qg13

Qg18

Qg9a

Qg16

Qg13

Qg14

Qg9a

Qg9a

Qg12

Qg11

Qg11

Qg11

Qg14

Qg13

Qg14 Qg6

Qg15

Qg8

Qg7

Qg6

Qg10

Qg5

Qg9

Qg5 Qg6

Qg11

Qg7

Qg5 Qg5

Qg9

Qg5

Qg6

Qg10

Qg11

Qg8

Qg15

Qg6

Qg13

Qg7

Qg5

Qg9

Qg7

Qg5

Qg10

Qg7

Qg10

Qg6

Qg7

Qg9

Qg10

Qg15

Qg6

Qg6

Qg5

Qg10

Qg7

Qg7 Qg6

Qg5

Qg9

Qg9

Qg5 Qg10

Qg9

Qg9 Qg10

Qg9

Qg9

Qg7

Qg7

Qg10

Figure 2. Maps showing detail of terrace gravels (units Qg5-Qg18) along the Colorado River. A. Gravels from Lees Ferry south to River Mile 9 below Badger Rapid. Colorado River elevation at Lee’s Ferry is 3,133 ft (955 m).

B. Gravels from northeast of Lees Ferry north to lower Lake Powell. Colorado River elevation at base of Glen Canyon Dam is 3,146 ft (959 m). River gradient between Glen Canyon Dam and River Mile 9 is 3.5 ft/mi. See table 1

for additional unit information. See figure 1 for map locations.

A B

36°45'

111°37'30''

36°52'30''

37°00'

36°52'30''

111°30'

 

112°00' 111°00'

37°00'

36°30'

Marble

Canyon

Vermilion

Cliffs Lodge

Cliff

Dwellers

Lodge

Lees Ferry LeChee

Copper Mine

Page

Kaibito

RAINBOW PLATEAU

PARIA PLATEAU

Ferry Swale

Vermilion

Cliffs

STRIP

ARIZONA

MARBLE PLATEAU

NAVAJO INDIAN

RESERVATION House Rock Valley

VERMILION CLIFFS

NATIONAL MONUMENT

Glen

Canyon

Dam

GLEN CANYON

NRA

89

89A

98

LeChee Rock

Tse Esgizii Butte

Cummings

Mesa

Kaibito

Creek

Navajo Creek

Colorado River

Paria River

KAIBITO

PLATEAU

COW SPRINGS

SYNCLINE

PRESTON MESA

ANTICLINE

TUBA CITY

SYNCLINE

ECHO CLIFFS

MONOCLINE EMINENCE

BREAK FAULT

FENCE

FAULT

LIMESTONE

RIDGE

ANTICLINE

PARIA PLATEAU SYNCLINE

LAST

CHANCE

ANTICLINE

RED LAKE

MONOCLINE

SYNCLINE

KAIBITO

F

F

F

Figure 1. Map of the Glen Canyon Dam 30’ x 60’ quadrangle showing cultural and physiographic features as well as major geologic structures.

Boxes define area of maps in figure 2.

Cedar

Mountain

Echo

Cliffs

GRAND CANYON

NATIONAL PARK

Bitter Springs

89

White

Mesa

2B

2A

Geologic Map of the Glen Canyon 30’ x 60’ Quadrangle, Coconino County, Northern Arizona

By

George H. Billingsley and Susan S. Priest

2013

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/3268/

Suggested Citation: Billingsley, G.H. and Priest, S.S., 201x, Geologic map of the Glen Canyon Dam

30’ x 60’ quadrangle, Coconino County, northern Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations

Map 3268, pamphlet 43 p., 3 sheets, scale 1:50,000 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3268/).

35

35

?

M

M ?

F

F

F

o

o



Qf

Qs

Qaf

Qd

Qes

Qdp

Qdb

Qdl

Jk

Kd

Km

Je

Jks

Jc

Jms

Jr

Jn

Jp

Jcj

Jcu

Jm

co

cp

cs

mu

ms

mlm

Pkh

Pkf

Pt

Pc

Ph

Pe

ms

Ms

Mr

Qa4

Qg4

Tgs

Qae

Qps

Qa3

Qg3

Ql

Qg5-18

Qtr

Qv

Qg2

Qa2

Qa1

Qg1

Qdlu

Qdm

LIST OF MAP UNITS

[Some map units are too small to distinguish unit identification by color. These units are labeled 

where possible; all units are attributed in the geodatabase]

SURFICIAL DEPOSITS

Artificial fill and quarries (Holocene)

Stream-channel deposits (Holocene)

Floodplain deposits (Holocene)

Sand sheet deposits (Holocene)

Dune sand and sand sheet deposits, undivided (Holocene)

Linear dune deposits (Holocene)

Parabolic dune deposits (Holocene)

Barchan dune deposits (Holocene)

Mixed dune deposits (Holocene)

Linear dune and sand sheet deposits, undivided (Holocene)

Young terrace-gravel deposits (Holocene)

Young alluvial fan deposits (Holocene)

Intermediate terrace-gravel deposits (Holocene)

Intermediate alluvial fan deposits (Holocene)

Ponded sediments (Holocene)

Mixed alluvium and eolian deposits (Holocene)

Old terrace-gravel deposits (Holocene)

Old alluvial fan deposits (Holocene)

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

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

Landslide deposits (Holocene and Pleistocene)

Older terrace-gravel deposits (Pleistocene)

Older alluvial fan deposits (Pleistocene and Pliocene(?))

Oldest terrace-gravel deposits, undivided (Pleistocene and Pliocene(?))

Gravel and sedimentary deposits (Pliocene(?) or Miocene(?))

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Mancos Shale (Upper Cretaceous)

Dakota Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous)

Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic)

Salt Wash Member

San Rafael Group (Middle Jurassic)

Romana Sandstone

Entrada Sandstone

Carmel Formation, undivided

Paria River Member and Winsor Member, undivided

Judd Hollow Tongue and Page Sandstone Tongues, undivided

Page Sandstone

Glen Canyon Group (Lower Jurassic)

Navajo Sandstone

Kayenta Formation, undivided

Springdale Sandstone Member

Moenave Formation and Wingate Sandstone, undivided

Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic)

Owl Rock Member 

Petrified Forest Member

Shinarump Member

Moenkopi Formation (Middle(?) and Lower Triassic)

Upper red member (Middle(?) and Lower Triassic)

Shnabkaib Member (Lower Triassic)

Lower red member, Virgin Limestone Member, and middle red member, 

undivided (Lower Triassic)

Kaibab Formation (Cisuralian)

Harrisburg Member

Fossil Mountain Member

Toroweap Formation, undivided (Cisuralian)

Coconino Sandstone (Cisuralian)

Hermit Formation (Cisuralian)

Supai Group (Cisuralian, Pennsylvanian, and Upper Mississippian)

Esplanade Sandstone (Cisuralian)

Wescogame (Upper Pennsylvanian), Manakacha (Middle Pennsylvanian) 

and Watahomigi (Lower Pennsylvanian and Upper Mississippian) Formations, undivided

Surprise Canyon Formation (Upper Mississippian)

Redwall Limestone, undivided (Upper and Lower Mississippian)

EXPLANATION OF MAP SYMBOLS

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

arbitrary

Fault—Dashed where inferred; dotted where concealed; bar and ball on downthrown side. Showing fault offset in feet

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

location is concealed

Anticline

Plunging anticline

Syncline

Plunging syncline

Monocline

Strike and dip of beds

Inclined—Showing dip measured in the field

Implied—Interpreted from aerial photographs; dip not determined

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

symbol placed where joints are most visible on aerial photographs

Collapse structure—Black dot shows circular collapse structure characterized by 

strata dipping inward toward a central point. Magenta dot shows circular 

collapse structure characterized by strata dipping inward toward a central point 

and brecciated rock

Sinkhole

Mine or prospect

Fracture—Open fracture (0.5 to 3.5 m wide) without offset

Offset fracture—Open fracture (0.5 to 3.5 m wide) with offset (generally less than 

1.5 m

Ph

Pc

Pe

Ms

Mr

Ms

co

cp

Jn

Jk

Jks

Jm

cs

mu

ms

mlm

Pkh

Pkf

Pt

Jcu

Jc

Jcj Jp

Je

Jr

Jms

Km

Kd

Qg3 Qa3

Qv Qtr Ql

Qg4 Qa4 Qg5-18

Tgs

QsQaf Qf QdQes Qdl Qdp Qdb Qdm Qdlu Qg1 Qa1 Qg2 Qa2 Qps Qae

Pliocene

Upper

Triassic

Lower Triassic

Middle(?) and

Lower Triassic

Cisuralian

Middle Jurassic

Lower Jurassic

Glen

Canyon

Group

San

Rafael

Group

Holocene

Pleistocene

QUATERNARY

JURASSIC

TRIASSIC

PERMIAN

CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS

SURFICIAL DEPOSITS

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

TERTIARY

Upper

Cretaceous

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Unconformity

Upper and Lower

Mississippian

MISSISSIPPIAN

CRETACEOUS

Upper, Middle and

Lower Pennsylvanian

and Upper

Mississippian

Upper Mississippian

PENNSYLVANIAN

Supai

Group

Miocene

Upper Jurassic

Prepared In Cooperation With The

National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Navajo Nation

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Map 3268

Sheet 3 of 3

Pamphlet accompanies map