Kaiparowits Formation

Kaiparowits Formation
Stratigraphic range: Campanian 77.3–72.8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Fluvial deposits of the Kaiparowits Formation at "The Blues".
Type	Geological formation
Thickness	790 m (2,600 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Mudstone, sandstone
Location
Coordinates	37°24′0″N 111°41′0″W / 37.40000°N 111.68333°W / 37.40000; -111.68333 (Kaiparowits Formation)
Region	Utah
Country	USA

The Kaiparowits Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in the Kaiparowits Plateau in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, in the southern part of Utah in the western United States. It is over 2800 feet (850 m) thick, and is Campanian in age. This Upper Cretaceous formation was formed from alluvial floodplains of large rivers in coastal southern Laramidia; sandstone beds are the deposit of rivers, and mudstone beds represent floodplain deposits. It is fossiliferous, with most specimens from the lower half of the formation, but exploration is only comparatively recent, with most work being done since 1982. It has been estimated that less than 10% of the Kaiparowits formation has been explored for fossils. The Natural History Museum of Utah has conducted most fieldwork.