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National Geologic Map Database

Geologic Unit: Mesa Falls

Usage:

Mesa Falls Tuff of Yellowstone Group (ID*,MT*)
Mesa Falls ash (informal) (NE*,WY*)
Mesa Falls ash is downwind equivalent of Mesa Falls Tuff (previously called Pearlette type S ash bed).

For informal usage, the rank or lithologic term should not be capitalized.


Geologic age:

Quaternary (Pleistocene)*


Type section, locality, area and/or origin of name:

Named from Upper Mesa Falls on Henrys Fork of Snake River, Island Park area [in W/2 SW/4 sec. 13, T. 10 N., R. 43 E., approx. Lat. 40 deg. 11 min. 24 sec. N., Long. 111 deg. 19 min. 48 sec. W., Snake River Butte 7.5-min quadrangle, Targhee National Forest, Fremont Co., eastern ID] (Christiansen and Blank, 1972).
Type section: roadcut on U.S. Highway 20, about 6.8 km north of Ashton, [Lookout Butte 7.5-min quadrangle], Fremont Co., eastern ID (Christiansen and Blank, 1972).
Principal reference section: cliffs along gorge of Henrys Fork at Upper Mesa (Christiansen and Blank, 1972).


AAPG geologic province:

Central Western Overthrust*
Green River basin*
Idaho Mountains province*
Montana folded belt*
Paradox basin*
Salina basin*
Snake River basin*
Yellowstone province*


For more information, please contact Nancy Stamm, Geologic Names Committee Secretary.

Asterisk (*) indicates published by U.S. Geological Survey authors.

"No current usage" (†) implies that a name has been abandoned or has fallen into disuse. Former usage and, if known, replacement name given in parentheses ( ).

Slash (/) indicates name conflicts with nomenclatural guidelines (CSN, 1933; ACSN, 1961, 1970; NACSN, 1983, 2005, 2021). May be explained within brackets ([ ]).