Preliminary geology of the North Meadow Creek Area, Tobacco Root Mountains, southwest Montana: The North Meadow Creek Fault
June 18, 2026
This report documents a previously unmapped fault, informally referred to herein as the North Meadow Creek fault, on the east flank of the Tobacco Mountains of southwestern Montana. This fault has an apparently long and complex history, including Quaternary offset of an older alluvial terrace, offset of a debris flow of presumed Pleistocene age, offset of rhyolite lava flows of presumed Tertiary age from their presumed source several kilometers east, on the opposite side of the fault, and offset and possible rotation of blocks of Archean gneiss on northeast side of the fault. The western part of the fault is covered by glacial moraines of two apparent ages, both Pleistocene.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Title | Preliminary geology of the North Meadow Creek Area, Tobacco Root Mountains, southwest Montana: The North Meadow Creek Fault |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20251058 |
| Authors | Gary S. Fuis, Parker J. LeClair, Chester A. Ruleman |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Open-File Report |
| Series Number | 2025-1058 |
| Index ID | ofr20251058 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Earthquake Science Center |
Related
Preliminary Geology of the North Meadow Creek Area, Tobacco Root Mountains, Southwest Montana: Measurements along the North Meadow Creek Fault Preliminary Geology of the North Meadow Creek Area, Tobacco Root Mountains, Southwest Montana: Measurements along the North Meadow Creek Fault
A previously unmapped fault forms a low scarp on a terrace along North Meadow Creek, a drainage on the east flank of the Tobacco Root Mountains, in SW Montana. The fault extends ~7.5 km between points where it disappears beneath alluvium of Madison Valley, on the SE, and glacial moraines on the NW. It appears on neither the Geologic Map of Montana nor the Quaternary Fault and Fold...
Related
Preliminary Geology of the North Meadow Creek Area, Tobacco Root Mountains, Southwest Montana: Measurements along the North Meadow Creek Fault Preliminary Geology of the North Meadow Creek Area, Tobacco Root Mountains, Southwest Montana: Measurements along the North Meadow Creek Fault
A previously unmapped fault forms a low scarp on a terrace along North Meadow Creek, a drainage on the east flank of the Tobacco Root Mountains, in SW Montana. The fault extends ~7.5 km between points where it disappears beneath alluvium of Madison Valley, on the SE, and glacial moraines on the NW. It appears on neither the Geologic Map of Montana nor the Quaternary Fault and Fold...