Pictured Cliffs Sandstone
Pictured Cliffs Sandstone
NPS Photo by Phil Varela
This unit is composed of primarily marine sandstone interbedded with thin layers of shale and is similar in composition, fossil assemblages, and depositional environment to the Intermediate unit of the Cliff House Sandstone. This unit is the youngest unit in the park and overlies the Lewis Shale. The Pictured Cliffs Sandstone represents the final regression of the Western Interior Seaway from northwestern New Mexico. |
Did You Know?
The earliest map of the Chaco region was drawn in 1778 by Spanish cartographer
Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco. The map identified Chaco Canyon area as "Chaca."
"Chaca" is believed to be the origin of both "Chacra" (a nearby mesa) and "Chaco."
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