US-26 South of Dubois, WyomingWind River along US-26 south of Dubois Wyoming
Geology south of Dubois, Wyoming on US-26
Magnificent exposure of the Chugwater Formation south of Dubois, Wyoming on US-26
Chugwater is a small town in Wyoming a bit north of Cheyenne. Chugwater got it's name from an old Indian legend about a warrior who didn't like hunting bison the old fashioned way. He came up with the idea of stampeding a herd of bison over the edges of the brick-red cliffs that the town is bordered by on the north and west. This is the origin of the "Buffalo Jumps." The trap's name in the local native tongue means "water at the place where the buffalo chug" (from the sounds they made as they died in the creek at the foot of the cliffs). Later, white settlers adopted the translated name, hence: Chugwater. The Chugwater Formation, a siltstone or very fine-grained sandstone lying beneath the Morrison Formation, got its name from those cliffs around Chugwater. It's a very hard rock that tends to be brick-red in color because of the high content of oxidized iron minerals. The formation also shows bluish-gray streaks and spots of reduced iron content. Overlaying the Chugwater Formation is a layer of soft, high quality gypsum, and over the millennia since the harder rock was laid down (Triassic period), that gypsum has precipitated through a lot of the formation, interrupting the red rock with white veins.
Chugwater Formation with gypsum and a lavender layer of mudstone and shales
Lighter colored sediments have covered the brick red Chugwater Formation with mudstone and siltstone. The lavender color comes from beds of white dolomite and limestone. This exposure of sedimentary rock was south of Dubois, Wyoming on US-26. Chugwater Formation with gypsum and a thick lavender layer of mudstone and shales capping it
That is a thick layer of high quality gypsum, yes the material wall board or sheet rock is made of, rests atop the brick red Chugwater Formation. The Chugwater Formation gets the red color from oxidation of iron minerals in the rock. This color is periodically interrupted by streaks and spots of reduced iron, a light bluish-gray shade. The Chugwater Formation consists mainly of siltstone or very fine-grained durable sandstone; it is quite hard and does not break easily. In case you are interested the main constituent of the Chugwater Formation is quartz, which helps to account for its unusual hardness. This picture was taken while traveling north on US-26 a bit south of Dubois, Wyoming. Chugwater Formation with a thick layer of gypsum on top
Note the thick layer of gypsum capping the Chugwater Formation. Gypsum is the light colored material atop the bright red sedimentary rock. Click here for more Wyoming travellogsUntil next time remember how good life is. More Wyoming AdventuresSome Utah Adventures ** More 2011 Travel Adventures
Mike & Joyce Hendrix
Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year ** Travel Adventures by State ** Plants ** Marine-Boats ** Geology ** Exciting Drives ** Cute Signs ** RV Subjects ** Miscellaneous Subjects
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