View source for Earth:White Rim Sandstone

{{Short description|Geologic formation in Utah, United States}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name = White Rim Sandstone
| image = White Rim from Mesa Arch (3679553974).jpg
| imagesize = 300px
| caption = White Rim Sandstone, Canyonlands National Park
| period = [[Earth:Guadalupian|Middle Permian]]
<!--| age =  Middle&ndash;Late Permian 265&nbsp;million-->
| age            = <br>Early to Middle [[Earth:Permian|Permian]]<br> {{fossil range|275|272}}
| type = [[Earth:Geological formation|Geological formation]]
| prilithology = (white)-[[Earth:Sandstone|sandstone]]
| otherlithology = 
| namedfor =
| namedby = <!--Ulrich, 1911-->
| region = central & east-[[Earth:Colorado Plateau|Colorado Plateau]] <br>south and southeast Utah
| coordinates = <!--{{Coord|34|00|N|97|00|W|region:US-OK_type:landmark_source:dewiki}}-->
| unitof = [[Earth:Cutler Formation|Cutler Formation]]
| subunits = <!--Mountain Lake Member, Pooleville Member-->
| overlies = [[Earth:Organ Rock Formation|Organ Rock Formation]], southeast Utah;<br>Organ Rock and [[Earth:Toroweap Formation|Toroweap Formation]], Circle Cliffs
| underlies = [[Earth:Kaibab Limestone|Kaibab Formation]], Circle Cliffs, Utah
| thickness = {{convert|500|ft|m|sp=us}} approximate maximum<ref>Blakey, Ranney, 2008. ''Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau'', p. XVIII.</ref>
| extent = Circle Cliffs, west of Waterpocket Fold; Moab Utah region
| area = 
| map = 
| map_caption =
}}

[[File:Canyonlands_strat.jpg|thumb|left|220px]]

The '''White Rim Sandstone''' is a [[Earth:Sandstone|sandstone]] geologic formation located in southeastern Utah. It is the last member of the [[Earth:Permian|Permian]] Cutler Group, and overlies the major [[Earth:Organ Rock Formation|Organ Rock Formation]] and [[Earth:Cedar Mesa Sandstone|Cedar Mesa Sandstone]]; and again overlies thinner units of the [[Earth:Elephant Canyon Formation|Elephant Canyon]] and [[Earth:Halgaito Shale|Halgaito Formation]]s.

The ''White Rim'' is eponymous, as the sandstone is named for its prominent white color, and forms the rims of cliffs.

==Geology==
It is the continental geologic formation deposited at the time of [[Earth:Marine transgression|marine transgression]]s during the Early to Middle [[Earth:Permian|Permian]] Period.

;Toroweap Formation
The coeval [[Earth:Toroweap Formation|Toroweap Formation]] was laid down under marine conditions along the southwest margin of the North American continent and is found in northwest Arizona layered between [[Earth:Coconino Sandstone|Coconino Sandstone]] and the [[Earth:Kaibab Limestone|Kaibab Formation]]. The Toroweap is mostly from the [[Earth:Grand Canyon|Grand Canyon]] and just eastwards to Lee's Ferry-([[Earth:Colorado River|Colorado River]], Grand Canyon), south to the Verde Valley region (Sedona, Sycamore Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon), but the Toroweap also occurs within sections in southeast Utah, and also became overlain by the Kaibab Formation, specifically at the Circle Cliffs, west of the Waterpocket Fold.

==Geography==
The White Rim Sandstone typically occurs above the [[Earth:Organ Rock Formation|Organ Rock Formation]] in southeast Utah, which sits upon the extensive [[Earth:Cedar Mesa Sandstone|Cedar Mesa Sandstone]] in southeast Utah.<ref>Blakey, Ranney, 2008. ''Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau'', p. XVIII, and ''Cross section restored to the end of Permian time showing how Pennsylvanian and Permian rocks thicken and thin across the tectonic elements.''-(4,000-10,000 ft), p. 34.</ref>

===Occurrences in Utah===
Moab, Utah, is located in southeast Utah, about {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} west of the Colorado border.<ref>Utah DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, pp. 32-33.</ref> The Circle Cliffs lie about {{convert|90|mi|km|0}} southwest from Moab,<ref>Utah DeLorme Atlas, pp. 32-33.</ref> and east of Escalante and Boulder, Utah (Utah State Route 12).<ref>Utah DeLorme Atlas, p. 52.</ref> The Circle Cliffs are located in the northeast of [[Earth:Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument|Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument]]. The cliffs also extend north-northwest adjacent the west perimeter of the Waterpocket Fold, [[Earth:Capitol Reef National Park|Capitol Reef National Park]]. The fold is traversed by Burr Trail Road-Straton Road which has views toward the Circle Cliffs, southward, or westward.

The White Rim Road traverses the White Rim Sandstone formation between the base of the Island in the Sky mesa and the [[Earth:Colorado River|Colorado]] and Green Rivers within [[Earth:Canyonlands National Park|Canyonlands National Park]].

*Circle Cliffs, (extreme south)-southeast-Utah
**[[Earth:Moenkopi Formation|Moenkopi Formation]]
**'''[[Earth:Toroweap Formation|Toroweap Formation]]'''-'''White Rim Sandstone'''
**[[Earth:Organ Rock Formation|Organ Rock Formation]]
**[[Earth:Cedar Mesa Sandstone|Cedar Mesa Sandstone]]
*Moab, Utah &mdash; W. Colorado
**Moenkopi Formation
**'''White Rim Sandstone'''
**Organ Rock Formation
**Cedar Mesa Sandstone

==See also==
*[[Earth:Geology of the Canyonlands area|Geology of the Canyonlands area]]
*Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area

==Gallery==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
<gallery widths="245px" heights="185px" perrow=widths="245px" heights="185px" perrow="2">
File:WhiteRimRoad.jpg|White Rim Road, [[Earth:Canyonlands National Park|Canyonlands National Park]]
</gallery>

{{col-2}}
<gallery widths="245px" heights="185px" perrow=widths="245px" heights="185px" perrow="2">
File:WhiteRimSandstone.jpg|White Rim Sandstone, Canyonlands National Park
</gallery>
{{col-end}}

===White Rim & Organ Rock===
[[File:Shafer Trail Road panorama 2.jpg|thumb|left|330px|Debris of White Rim Sandstone on dark red-brown Organ Rock Formation, <br>In foreground & distance up valley]]

==References==
-->
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Blakey, and Ranney, 2008. ''Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau'', Ron Blakey, Wayne Ranney, c 2008, Grand Canyon Association (publisher), 176 pages, with Appendix, Glossary, Index. Contains approximately 75 shaded topographic maps, for geology, etc., with 54 (23 pairs, (46)) for [[Earth:Colorado Plateau|Colorado Plateau]] specifically; others are global, or North American.
* Utah DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, 7th Edition, c. 2010, 64 pages, pp.&nbsp;24, 32.
<!--*Blakey, and Ranney, 2008. ''Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau'', Ron Blakey, Wayne Ranney, c 2008, Grand Canyon Association (publisher), 176 pages, with Appendix, Glossary, Index. Contains approximaely 75 shaded topographic maps, for geology, etc, with 54 (23 pairs, (46)) for [[Earth:Colorado Plateau|Colorado Plateau]] specifically; others are global, or North American.
* Chronic, Halka. ''Roadside Geology of Arizona,'' c. 1983, 23rd printing, Mountain Press Publishing Co. 322 pages. pp. 229-232-(''US 89A Marble Canyon &ndash; Fredonia''), pp. 179-180. (softcover, ISBN 978-0-87842-147-3)
Rawhide Mtns
*Lucchitta, 2001. ''Hiking Arizona's Geology,'' Ivo Lucchitta, c 2001, Mountaineers's Books. (softcover, ISBN 0-89886-730-4)
* Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, 2nd Edition, c. 1998, 112 pages, pp. 28-29, 62-63.
* Arizona DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, 5th Edition, c. 2002, 76 pages, pp. 24, 32.
* Utah DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, 7th Edition, c. 2010, 64 pages, pp. 24, 32.-->

[[Category:Sandstone formations of the United States]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of Utah]]
[[Category:Colorado Plateau]]
[[Category:Cutler Formation]]

{{Sourceattribution|White Rim Sandstone}}