White River Formation

The White River Formation is a geologic formation of the Paleogene Period, in the northern Great Plains and central Rocky Mountains, within the United States.

White River Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Eocene-Early Oligocene (Chadronian-Whitneyan)
~37.2–30.8 Ma
White River Badlands in South Dakota
TypeFormation
Sub-unitsBrule Formation,
Chadron Formation[1]
OverliesPierre Shale
Thickness230–300 m (750–980 ft)[2]
Lithology
PrimaryTuffaceous claystone, conglomerate[3]
Location
Coordinates43.2°N 107.1°W / 43.2; -107.1
Approximate paleocoordinates44.8°N 98.4°W / 44.8; -98.4
RegionColorado,
Nebraska,
South Dakota,
Wyoming
Country United States
Extentnorthern Great Plains & central Rocky Mountains
Type section
Named forWhite River
(Missouri River tributary)
White River Formation (the United States)
White River Formation (Wyoming)

It has been found in northeastern Colorado, Dawes County in western Nebraska, Badlands of western South Dakota, and Douglas area of southeastern Wyoming.[1]

Fossil record

The geologic formation preserves fossils dating back to the Eocene and Oligocene Epochs of the Paleogene Period, during the Cenozoic Era.[4] It contains the most complete Late EocenePriabonian and Early OligoceneRupelian vertebrate record in North America.[1][5]

See also

References

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