306 
MAZATZAL QUARTZITE 
Tapeats terrane is known to be exposed in the south of the area, 
along Pine Creek. Ransome noted its occurrence on Pine Creek, 
and also rather near at hand on the East Verde River. 
It is interesting to note, that near the quartzite the Redwall 
limestone tends to become more cherty than usual, and often con¬ 
tains numerous fragments of the older rock. 
Two superb sections are displayed near the Natural Bridge. 
One of these, exposed best on the bluff west of Pine Creek, has 
the strike of the strata northeast and southwest, and the dip 46 
degrees southeast. The total thickness of the quartzites as out¬ 
cropping is 1150 feet. Its most notable feature is the thick basal 
conglomerate, more than 300 feet in vertical measurement. The 
pebbles attain measurements of a foot or more. They are com¬ 
posed of aplite and schist chiefly, but there are many of jasper, 
quartzite, granite, and red slate. 
The quartzites south and southeast of Pine constitute a terrane 
nearly 2500 feet in exposed thickness. The base of the series is 
well displayed; and higher beds are seen than in any of the other 
sections. 
A third important exposure of the quartzite is southeast of Del 
Rio. The base of the series is not exposed; but the top is shown 
in unconformable relation with the Mid Cambric Tapeats sand¬ 
stone, followed by the '‘Redwall” limestone. The stratigraphic 
relationship of this quartzite with the Paleozoic strata is expressed 
by well marked angular unconformity similar to that seen in the 
Natural Bridge area. Due to the facts that the Paleozoics are 
not in direct association with the quartzite, except in comparatively 
few places, together with the poorness of exposures resulting 
from the Tapeats beds being seldom over ten feet in thickness 
and weathering badly, this relationship is often difficult for the 
casual observer to discern. A very good exposure of it, however, 
is to be seen just east of the main wash, which constitutes the head 
of Granite Creek. The thickness of the section is about 1800 feet. 
Immediately south of the great Mogollon escarpment, between 
the heads of Tonto Creek and East Tonto Creek, there outcrops 
approximately 20 square miles of quartzite of the Mazatzal type. 
This is known as the Tonto Creek area; and altogether 600 feet 
