The Reed Dolomite, as its name suggests, is mainly composed of medium-gray, yellowish-gray, and pale-yellowish-brown medium to coarse-crystalline dolomite. Within these dolomites, oolites, pisolites and irregular pellets, which all may be algal in origin.[1]
The Reed Dolomite contains three members, which are as follows, in stratigraphic order (lowest to highest):
- Lower Member: This member is primarily composed of coarse-crystalline pink dolostone, which is cross-bedded with oolthic horizons and minor domal stromatolite horizons, and was most likely deposited in a sub-tidal to inter-tidal marine environment.[2]
- Hines Tongue: The Hines Tongue forms the middle member of the formation, as is a wedge of clastic material, which can get up to 800 ft (240 m). It contains a number of minerals, but is primarily composed of yellowish-gray or very-pale-orange evenly laminated quartzite and calcareous sandstone, some of which is very fine to fine, and fine to medium grained. There is also medium-gray to pale-yellowish-brown dolomite, limestone, sandy dolomite, and sandy limestone within the wedge. It is also inter-stratified with quartzite and calcareous sandstone. There are also small yellowish-gray to pale-yellowish-brown siltstone,[1] and may have been deposited below a normal wave base, but above the storm base. It also contains a number of trace fossils throughout.[2]
- Upper Member: This member is predominately composed of massive dolostones, with minor karstification at the contact point with the overlying Deep Spring Formation. It is also known to contain packstones of Cloudina.[2]
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