Miocene geologic formation in the Sierra Pelona of California
The Mint Canyon Formation (Tm ) is a Miocene geologic formation in the Sierra Pelona Mountains of Los Angeles County , southern California .[ 1] The formation preserves fossils dating back to the Middle to Late Miocene (Barstovian and Clarendonian in NALMA classification ).[ 2]
Geology
Mint Canyon is a fluvial landform in the Sierra Pelona range. It consists of terrestrial deposits from streams and lakes consisting mostly of sandstone and conglomerate with some claystone.[ 1] [ 3]
The formation correlates with the Caliente Formation in the Plush Ranch Basin to the northwest and the lower Punchbowl Formation in the Punchbowl Block to the southeast.[ 4] The Mint Canyon Formation consists primarily of fluvial , alluvial , and lacustrine conglomerates , sandstones , and mudstones . The Mint Canyon Formation is overlain by the dominantly marine Castaic Formation , which consists of shale, sandstone, and minor conglomerate.[ 5] In the Texas Canyon sub-basin, the formation is overlain by the Saugus Formation .[ 6] The contact between the Mint Canyon and Castaic Formations is an angular unconformity in some places, and it is apparently conformable and gradational in others.[ 5]
Fossil content
The formation preserves vertebrate fossils dating back to the Middle Miocene subperiod of the Neogene period :[ 2]
Mammals
Artiodactyls
Perissodactyls
Rodents
Proboscideans
Carnivora
See also
References
^ a b Elsmerecanyon.com: "Tick Canyon Geology"
^ a b Mint Canyon Formation at Fossilworks .org
^ "Geologic Map of the Mint Canyon Quadrangle" (DF-57) by Thomas W. Dibblee, Jr., 1996.
^ Coffey et al., 2019, p.480
^ a b Coffey et al., 2019, p.481
^ Coffey et al., 2019, p.492
^ a b c Stirton, 1933
^ a b c d e f g Maxson, 1930
^ a b c Alroy, 2002
Bibliography
Coffey, Kevin T.; Ingersoll, Raymond V.; Schmitt, Axel K. (2019), "Stratigraphy, provenance, and tectonic significance of the Punchbowl block, San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA" , Geosphere , 15 (2): 479– 501, Bibcode :2019Geosp..15..479C , doi :10.1130/GES02025.1
Alroy, J (2002), Synonymies and reidentifications of North American fossil mammals
Stirton , R.A (1933), "Critical review of the Mint Canyon mammalian fauna and its correlative significance", American Journal of Science , 226 (156): 569– 576, Bibcode :1933AmJS...26..569S , doi :10.2475/ajs.s5-26.156.569
Maxson, J. H (1930), "A Tertiary mammalian fauna from the Mint Canyon Formation of Southern California", Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication , 404 : 77– 112
Further reading
Geology of the Mint Canyon Area by William T. Holser, 1946
External links
Tributaries Communities Landmarks