Lance Formation

Hatcher, J.B., 1903, Relative age of the Lance Creek (Ceratops) beds of Converse County, Wyoming, the Judith River beds of Montana and the Belly River beds of Canada: American Geologist, v. 31, p. 369-375. Pg. 369-375. Lance Creek (Ceratops) beds. The name Ceratops beds cannot be used for these Wyoming deposits, and I give to them the above name, from the principal stream in the region where they are best represented, in Converse County, Wyoming. That these beds conformably overlie the Fox Hills in this region has been published by present writer, who spent nearly 4 full years collecting from them, and been abundantly corroborated by investigations of T.W. Stanton and F.H. Knowlton. [On p. 374 he calls these beds the Laramie (Lance Creek) beds of Converse County, Wyoming.] The beds are overlain by the Fort Union. [See definition of †Ceratops beds.] [Named from exposures on Lance Creek, Niobrara Co., WY (formerly a part of Converse Co.).] Stanton, T.W., 1910, Fox Hills sandstone and Lance formation ("Ceratops beds") in South Dakota, North Dakota, and eastern Wyoming: American Journal of Science, 4th series, v. 30, no. 177, p. 172-188. Pg. 172-188. Lance formation ("Ceratops beds"). The name Lance formation has recently been adopted by the USGS for the "Ceratops beds" of eastern Wyoming and adjacent areas. It is an abbreviated form of "Lance Creek beds" which J.B. Hatcher applied to these deposits in 1903 (Amer. Geol., v. 31, p. 369), with the statement that the name is taken "from the principal stream in the region where they are best represented, in Converse County, Wyoming." At present one of most important points at issue is relationship of Lance formation to Laramie formation and to the conformable Cretaceous sequence beneath the Laramie. Some geologists hold that the Lance formation wherever it has been studied rests unconformably on the Laramie or some older formation, and that the unconformity beneath it represents a long complex epoch of elevation and erosion. In this paper evidence will be presented to show that in the rather widely distributed areas discussed there is a real transition from the marine Cretaceous Fox Hills sandstone into Lance formation and that sedimentation was practically continuous from the one into the other and probably on through the [overlying] Fort Union. If it is true that there is a transition with practically continuous sedimentation from Fox Hills sandstone into Lance formation in region discussed, then Lance formation includes or forms part of the Laramie. [See also under Cannonball marine member of Lance formation.] Pg. 189-198. Lance formation. In eastern Montana and southwestern North Dakota, includes Colgate sandstone member (new). Lloyd, E.R., 1914, The Cannonball River lignite field, Morton, Adams, and Hettinger Counties, North Dakota, IN Campbell, M.R., Contributions to economic geology, 1912; Part 2, Mineral fuels: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, 541, p. 243-291, (incl. geologic map, scale 1:125,000) Pg. 249-250. Lance formation. In Cannonball River lignite field, North Dakota, includes Cannonball marine member (new), 250 to 300 feet thick, in upper part. Age is Eocene(?). Pg. 527-547. Lance formation. In western part of North Dakota and South Dakota, comprises (ascending) unnamed lower part, Ludlow lignitic member (new), and Cannonball marine member. Rogers, G.S., and Lee, Wallace, 1923, Geology of the Tullock Creek coal field, Rosebud and Big Horn Counties, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, 749, 181p. Pg. 19-34. Lance formation. In Tullock Creek coal field, Montana, includes Tullock member (new), about 300 feet thick, in upper part. Pg. 490, 491-493. Lance formation. Restricted to exclude Colgate sandstone which is allocated to member status in underlying Fox Hills sandstone. Comprises Hell Creek, Tullock, Ludlow lignitic, and Cannonball members. [Age is Late Cretaceous.] Lance formation. The age of the Lance formation and its relation to true Laramie formati