Revised Lithostratigraphy of the Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation, Upper Triassic) in the Southern Part of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona 英文参考文献.docVIP

RevisedLithostratigraphyoftheSonselaMember(Chinle Formation,UpperTriassic)intheSouthernPartof PetrifiedForestNationalPark,Arizona JeffreyW.Martz*,WilliamG.Parker DivisionofResourceManagement,PetrifiedForestNationalPark,PetrifiedForest,Arizona,UnitedStatesofAmerica Abstract Background: Recent revisions to the Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation in Petrified Forest National Park have presentedathree-partlithostratigraphicmodelbasedonunconventionalcorrelationsofsandstonebeds.Asavertebrate faunal transition is recorded within this stratigraphic interval, these correlations, and the purported existence of a depositionalhiatus(theTr-4unconformity)ataboutthesamelevel,mustbecarefullyre-examined. Methodology/Principal Findings: Our investigations demonstrate the neglected necessity of walking out contacts and mapping when constructing lithostratigraphic models, and providing UTM coordinates and labeled photographs for all measuredsections.WecorrectcorrelationerrorswithintheSonselaMember,demonstratethattherearemultipleFlattops Onesandstones,allofwhicharehigherthanthetraditionalSonselasandstonebed,thattheSonselasandstonebedand RainbowForestBedareequivalent,thattheRainbowForestBedishigherthanthesandstonesatthebaseofBlueMesaand AgateMesa,thatstrataformerlyassignedtotheJimCampWashbedsoccurattwostratigraphiclevels,andthatthereare multiplepersistentsilcretehorizonswithintheSonselaMember. Conclusions/Significance:Wepresentarevisedfive-partmodelfortheSonselaMember.Theunitsfromlowesttohighest are:theCampButtebeds,Lot’sWifebeds,JasperForestbed(theSonselasandstone)/RainbowForestBed,JimCampWash beds, and Martha’s Butte beds (including the Flattops One sandstones). Although there are numerous degradational/ aggradational cycles within the Chinle Formation, a single unconformable horizon within or at the base of the Sonsela MemberthatcanbetracedacrosstheentirewesternUnitedStates(the‘‘Tr-4unconformity’’)probablydoesnotexist.The shiftfromrelativelyhumidandpoorly-drainedtoaridandwell-dra