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National Geologic Map Database
Geologic Unit: Telegraph Canyon
Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Telegraph Canyon member
  • Modifications:
    • Named
  • Dominant lithology:
    • Dolomite
    • Limestone
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • Great Basin province
Publication:

Carlisle, Donald, Murphy, M.S., Nelson, C.A., and Winterer, E.L., 1957, Devonian stratigraphy of Sulphur Springs and Pinyon Ranges, Nevada: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 41, no. 10, p. 2175-2191. [Available online, with subscription, from AAPG archives: http://www.aapg.org/datasystems or http://search.datapages.com]


Summary:

Named for exposures along both sides of Telegraph Canyon [40 deg 05' 52"N, 116 deg 01' 33"W] in central Mineral Hill 15' quad, Eureka Co, NV. Type section in Telegraph Canyon. Is upper member of three of Nevada formation in Sulphur Springs-Pinyon Ranges area. At base composed of alternating light and dark gray mottled and finely laminated dolomite. In Old Whalen section limestone tongue is thin-bedded and poorly bedded blue-gray fossiliferous limestone with small amounts of gray thin-bedded dolomite and local nodular chert. Is 2000 ft thick at type. Complete exposed member at Williams Canyon is 1950 ft thick, thins to 800 ft in northern Pinyon Range. Overlies Union Mountain member (new) of Nevada formation; underlies Devils Gate Limestone. Upper beds contain Cladopora fauna ("spaghetti" texture). Tongue contains Martinia kirki fauna. Is similar in texture and sedimentary structures to Simonson dolomite (Osmond, 1956). Correlated with upper three members of Middle Devonian age of Nevada formation in Eureka district.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Menlo GNULEX).


Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Telegraph Canyon Formation
  • Modifications:
    • Areal extent
    • Biostratigraphic dating
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • Great Basin province
Publication:

Johnson, J.G., Boucot, A.J., and Gronberg, E.C., 1968, A new genus of Stringocepholoid brachiopod from the Middle Devonian of Nevada: Journal of Paleontology, v. 42, no. 2, p. 406-414.


Summary:

Nevada Group with McColley Canyon Formation and Telegraph Canyon Formation recognized in Table Mountain, Mahogany Hills area. Here Telegraph Canyon is approx 2255 ft thick. Underlies Devils Gate Limestone; overlies McColley Canyon Formation. Age is Middle Devonian based on crinoid and Stringocephalus fauna.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Menlo GNULEX).


Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Telegraph Canyon Formation
  • Modifications:
    • Revised
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • Great Basin province
Publication:

Murphy, M.A., and Gronberg, E.C., 1970, Stratigraphy and correlation of the lower Nevada Group (Devonian) north and west of Eureka, Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 81, no. 1, p. 127-136.


Summary:

Nevada Formation of Carlisle and others (1957) in Sulphur Springs and Pinyon Ranges area raised in rank to Nevada Group. Members raised in rank to Union Mountain and Telegraph Canyon Formation, [McColley Canyon Formation, previously raised to formation rank by Johnson (1962)].

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Menlo GNULEX).


Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Telegraph Canyon Formation
  • Modifications:
    • Revised
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • Great Basin province
Publication:

Johnson, J.G., and Sandberg, C.A., 1977, Lower and Middle Devonian continental-shelf rocks of the western United States, IN Murphy, M.A., and others, eds., Proceedings of the 1977 annual meeting of the Paleontological Society on Devonian of western North America: University of California-Riverside, Campus Museum Contributions, Paleontological Society, 1977 annual meeting, Riverside, CA, November, 1977, no. 4, p. 121-143.


Summary:

In Sulphur Spring Range area divided into upper Telegraph Canyon and lower Telegraph Canyon members which interfinger with Woodpecker tongue [previously called limestone tongue of Telegraph Canyon member by Carlisle and others (1957) and Woodpecker Limestone? by Johnson (1971)].

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Menlo GNULEX).


Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Telegraph Canyon Member
  • Modifications:
    • Revised
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • Great Basin province

Map showing publication footprint
  • Usage in publication:
    • Telegraph Canyon Formation†
  • Modifications:
    • Abandoned
  • AAPG geologic province:
    • Great Basin province
Publication:

Johnson, J.G., and Murphy, M.A., 1984, Time-rock model for Siluro-Devonian continental shelf, western United States: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 95, no. 11, p. 1349-1359.


Summary:

"Our model requires only the minimum number of names for rock units." Rejected name Telegraph Canyon Formation of Carlisle and others (1957). "Upper and lower members" [see Johnson and Sandberg, 1977] called Bay State Dolomite and Sentinel Mountain Dolomite respectively of Nolan and others (1956), "as a matter of priority". [Johnson (1968) previously recognized Telegraph Canyon Formation in Table Mountain-Mahogany Hills area. Kendall and others (1983) replaced Telegraph Canyon Member in Sulphur Spring Range with Sentinel Mountain Dolomite.]

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Menlo GNULEX).


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 ([ ]).