Bell Springs Formation

{{Short description|Stratigraphic Unit in Wyoming and Utah}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Bell Springs Formation

| image =Bell Springs.jpg

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| age = Norian-Rhaetian
~{{fossil range|221|202}}

| period = Rhaetian

| prilithology = Sandstone

| otherlithology =

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Wyoming

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|43.0|N|108.8|W|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|19.2|N|46.4|W|display=inline}}

| unitof =

| subunits =

| underlies =

| overlies =

| thickness =

| extent =

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| map = {{Location map+ | United States#Wyoming

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | United States#Wyoming

| lat_deg = 43.0

| lon_deg = -108.8

| mark = Pink ff0080 pog.svg

| marksize = 10

}}

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}}

The Bell Springs is a member of the Nugget Sandstone in Wyoming and a formation in Utah.{{Cite web |title=National Geologic Map Database |url=https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/Units/BellSprings_6808.html |access-date=January 22, 2023}} It is a Late Triassic (Norian to Rhaetian)[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Bell%20Springs&group_formation_member=Bell%20Springs Bell Springs Formation] at Fossilworks.org Fossil theropod tracks assigned to Agialopous wyomingensis have been reported from the formation.Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.517-607Branson & Mehl, 1932

The formation composed of very fine grained limy sandstone that is distinguished from upper part of Nugget by presence of red to purple-red shale and lime cemented siltstone in beds less than 0.1 ft thick and by presence of calcareous firmly indurated beds 1–4 ft thick that are ripple laminated and weather to square faced ledges. May correlate with upper part of Chinle Formation.Pipiringos, G.N., 1968, Correlation and nomenclature of some Triassic and Jurassic rocks in south-central Wyoming, IN Shorter contributions to general geology, 1967: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 594-D, p. D1-D26.