Aztec Sandstone

Aztec Sandstone
Stratigraphic range: Early Jurassic
Outcrop of the Aztec Sandstone at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, Nevada
TypeSedimentary
UnderliesWillow Tank Formation
OverliesChinle Formation
AreaNevada, Arizona, California
Thickness2,100 ft (640 m) in Goodsprings quadrangle
2,500 ft (760 m) in Muddy Mountain area
Lithology
Primarysandstone
Otherarenite, sand
Location
Coordinates35°24′N 115°30′W / 35.4°N 115.5°W / 35.4; -115.5
Approximate paleocoordinates20°48′N 53°24′W / 20.8°N 53.4°W / 20.8; -53.4
RegionMojave Desert
CountryUnited States
Type section
Named byD. F. Hewett
Year defined1931
Aztec Sandstone (the United States)
Aztec Sandstone (California)

The Aztec Sandstone is an Early Jurassic geological formation of primarily eolian sand from which fossil pterosaur tracks have been recovered. The formation is exposed in the Mojave Desert of Arizona, California and Nevada. Aztec Sandstone is named after the Aztec Tank, a lake in the Spring Mountain region of Nevada.