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5.5 GEOLOGY <br />Wynn Eakins has described the geology of Third Park and its surrounding area in "Coal <br />Resources of the Dakota Sandstone, Southwestern Colorado." Both his work and WFC's <br />extensive experience in this region provide a good picture of the coal geology in this region. <br />The primary geologic features for the mining potential of coal in this region are the Dakota <br />Formation and the Nucla Syncline. <br />5.5.1 Lithologv and Stratigraphy <br />The Dakota Formation consists of three main lithofacies: a basal conglomeratic sandstone unit <br />generally fining upward including localized units of both finer sediments, conglomerate and coal; <br />a middle unit primarily consisting of shale with localized, somewhat continuous coal bodies and <br />sandstones; and an uppermost unit dominated by sandstone with a few localized or laterally <br />grading coal and shale units. This sequence is shown in Figure 5-2. <br />5.5.2 Structure <br />The Nucla Syncline, part of the Paradox Fold and Thrust~Belt, is the single structural unit <br />controlling coal depth in Third Park. The boundary of Third Park straddles NW-SE trending, SE <br />plunging Nucla Syncline. Dips of the Dakota coal, sandstones and shales would then dip <br />approximately 1-1/2 to 2 degrees to the southwest on the east flank and approximately 1 degree <br />to the northeast on the west flank. The dips have no significant effect on the thickness of the <br />coal bodies, but do contribute to the depth of coal below the surface. <br />The coal within the Dakota is not one continuous bed, but rather a series of lenticular units <br />which facie to the sandstones and shales of the formation. This creates a variance in several <br />coal properties, including: depth, thickness, and quality. Exploration drilling is necessary to <br />ascertain the precise location, depth, and quality of the coal. <br />5.5.3 Surficial <br />' Later surticial erosion has significantly influenced the accessibility of the coal. From satellite <br />imagery, it is evident that along eroded stream valley and topographic lows, coal is either <br />' exposed or close to the surface. The coal exposed at the surface is generally of lower quality <br />due to weathering and oxidation, but the coal exposure helped to better define where and how <br />the coal is positioned under the surface (Eakins, 1986). <br />1 <br />Third Park Exploration License Application 13 <br />