Elephant Canyon Formation

The Elephant Canyon Formation is the basal Permian geologic formation of the Cutler Group overlying an unconformity on the Pennsylvanian Honaker Trail Formation in the Paradox Basin of southern Utah.^[1][2]

Elephant Canyon Formation
Stratigraphic range: Permian
Type	Formation
Unit of	Cutler Group[1]
Underlies	Cedar Mesa Sandstone[2]
Overlies	Unconformity on the Pennsylvanian Honaker Trail Formation [2]
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Limestone, siltstone, shale[2]
Location
Region	Utah: Paradox basin[1]
Country	United States
Type section
Named for	Type section: Elephant Canyon, secs. 4 and 9, T. 30 S., R. 19 E., San Juan County, Utah[1]
Named by	Baars, D. L., 1962[1]

Description

It consists of pink dolomite, light-gray dolomitic sandstone, light-brown and moderate-red, fine-grained sandstone, a basal conglomerate and conglomeratic sandstone, and limestone. The basal conglomerate is composed of moderately sorted cherts up to 3 cm in diameter. It weathers to a medium brown and forms hackly, blocky ledges and intervening slopes.^[3]

See also

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Utah
• Paleontology in Utah