Earth:Munising Formation

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Short description: Geologic formation in Michigan and Ontario
Munising Formation
Stratigraphic range: Cambrian-?Early Ordovician
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore sandstone.JPG
Light-colored Musining Formation overlying the red Jacobsville Formation in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
TypeFormation
Sub-unitsMiner's Castle Member, Chapel Rock Member, Basal Conglomerate, Eau Claire Formation
UnderliesAu Train Formation
OverliesJacobsville Sandstone
Thickness1,700 ft (520 m)
Lithology
PrimaryConglomerate
OtherAnhydrite
Location
Region Michigan
 Ohio
 Ontario
Country United States
 Canada

The Munising Group or Formation is a 1,700 feet (520 m) thick, white to light grey[1] Cambrian sedimentary unit that crops out in Michigan and (to a lesser extent) Ontario. At one end of its extent, it comprises a basal conglomerate overlain by the Chapel Rock Member and the Miners Castle Member; elsewhere, it comprises the Eau Claire, Galesville (=Dresbach), and Franconia Members. Anhydritic evaporite deposits are present in places.[2] The conglomerate was deposited by rivers in flood, with the Chapel Rock member, which contains deltaic deposits, representing transgression as the conglomerate cones became submerged; the Miners Castle member was deposited further from the shoreline, representing shelf deposits.[3] Its uppermost strata may be Early Ordovician in age, and contain conodonts, trilobites and phosphatic moulds of brachiopods, ostrocoderm fish and gastropods.[4]

The Munising lies unconformably above the Jacobsville Formation.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Pictured Rocks: Geologic Formations". US National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/piro/naturescience/geologicformations.htm. Retrieved August 5, 2011. 
  2. Paul A. Catacosinos (1973). "Cambrian Lithostratigraphy of Michigan Basin". The American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 57 (12): 2404–2418. doi:10.1306/83d9132b-16c7-11d7-8645000102c1865d. 
  3. Charles a. Haddox, R. H. D. (1990). "Cambrian Shoreline Deposits in Northern Michigan". SEPM Journal of Sedimentary Research. doi:10.1306/212F9250-2B24-11D7-8648000102C1865D. 
  4. Miller, J. F.; Ethington, R. L.; Rose, R. (2006). "Stratigraphic Implications of Lower Ordovician Conodonts from the Munising and Au Train Formations at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Upper Peninsula of Michigan". PALAIOS 21 (3): 227–237. doi:10.2110/palo.2004.p04-50.