USGS Logo Geological Survey Bulletin 581—B
Oil and Gas in the Western Part of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

STRATIGRAPHY.
(continued)

ROCKS EXPOSED ALONG MOCLIPS RIVER.

The rocks exposed along the lower course of Moclips River west ward from location A are composed of clay, sand, and gravel of Pleistocene age. At location A, in the NE. 1/4 sec. 7, T. 20 N., R. 12 W., the following section of rocks, which are believed to belong to the Queniult formation, are well exposed:

Rocks of the Queniult (?) formation exposed along Moclips River at Location A.


Ft. in.
Sandstone, yellow, friable20 0
Sandstone, very argillaceous; contains thin beds of conglomerate, the pebbles of which range from the size of sand grains to as much as 1 inch in diameter20 0
Conglomerate, yellowish, lower part chocolate-brown to yellow, pebbles and bowlders range in size from sand grains to as much as 10 inches in diameter and consist principally of metamorphic rocks and "supposed Cretaceous" sandstone25 0
Lignite, very impure, peatlike (dip 39° SW., strike N. 15° W.)1 8
Clay, bluish gray and yellowish, sandy; sand increases in the lower part35 0
Shale, containing thin lenses of lignite1 0
Clay, sandy, carbonaceous, lower part bluish12 0
Conglomerate, containing bluish pebbles, the largest 6 inches in diameter, belonging principally to the metamorphic series2 6
Sandstone, yellow, soft, argillaceous3 0
Conglomerate, yellowish; pebbles range in size from sand grains to 3 inches in diameter; about 60 per cent from the metamorphic rocks and the remainder from "supposed Cretaceous" rocks18 0
Poorly exposed (probably consists of conglomerate and sandstone)100±  
Sandstone and sandy clay, yellowish15 0
Clay, bluish, containing thin beds of lignite, one at the base about 2 feet thick, the other just above the middle (dip 43° SW. and strike N. 20° W.)50 0
Sandstone, yellow and brown, containing a little conglomerate near the middle (dip 45° SW. and strike N. 25° W. near the middle of these rocks)120 0
Sandstone, bluish, argillaceous2 0
Sandstone, yellowish and brown, contains little conglomerate50 0


475 2

At location B, about 1 mile upstream from location A, the same formation outcrops on the north side of the river. Here the rocks consist of brownish-gray sandstone from which issue many seeps of limonitic water. At this locality the beds dip 10° NE. and strike N. 20°-30° W., being much more nearly flat-lying than farther downstream. At location C, approximately in the SW. 1/4 Sec. 3, T. 20 N., R. 12 W., sandstone of the Queniult (?) formation is again exposed. The strata dip 15° NE. and strike N. 35° W. The writer traversed Moclips River as far northeast as M. R. Smith's shingle-bolt camp, situated about a mile farther upstream than location B. All the rocks exposed between location C and the above-mentioned camp are of Pleistocene age. The foreman of this camp, who has traversed the entire length of Moclips River and the adjacent country, reports that all the rocks exposed northeast of the camp are practically the same as the beds exposed near the camp, which are of Pleistocene age.



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Last Updated: 28-Mar-2006