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Geology of the Northern Mariana Islands

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Normal faults are common on the island, particularly the Angingan fault which places Fina-sisu Formation volcanic rocks against younger limestones. Geologists have identified breccia near Mount Tapkpochao as the trace of a normal fault. The Angingan, Obyan and Dago faults may be part of a larger,
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The Matansa Limestone grades laterally to a pure shallow-marine limestone and like other units shows conflicting results when biostratigraphy and isotope dating are compared. The Tagpochau Limestone is the second most extensive rock unit near the surface on Saipan after the Mariana Limestone. It
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Calcareous marine tuff and interbedded volcanic flow rocks near the village of As Lito and the Fina Sisu hills was named the Fina-sisu Formation in 1956. The tuff is well bedded with numerous plankton fossils. Geologists have inferred that the rock formed during the
78:. The Densinyama Formation includes andesitic breccia, conglomerate, tuff sandstone and tuff limestone, centered around Mount Talafofo and discontinuously exposed by Achuguo Spring in the west. It overlies the Hagman Formation and is present close to Papago. 65:
Originally called the Hagman andesite by R. Tayama during initial research efforts in 1938, the Hagman Formation is exposed as cliffs along the Hagman Peninsula and deposited during the early development of the Mariana fore arc. The andesite lava flows,
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anastomosing fault system, running on both sides of the central highlands and connecting with faults in the area of Suicide Cliffs and Fanonchuluyan Bay. Most faults trend north-south and even young rocks from the Holocene show signs of offset.
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volcanic rocks, belonging to the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) arc system. Saipan is on the frontal arc of the system and experienced periodic uplift and subsidence since then. Volcaniclastic and carbonate rocks overly the IBM volcanics.
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The Donni Sandstone Member of the Tagpochau Limestone is informally known as the Donni formation. It is exposed near the village of I Donni and throughout the eastern end of the island. The formation overtops the
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Tagpochau rocks with an angular unconformity. Talus, marsh sediments and limestones such as the Mariana Limestone are common across the surface, resulting from deposition and mass-wasting during the
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found mainly on north-central part of the island. Radiometric dating gives an age of 45 million years ago. During mapping in 1956, it was subdivided into flow rock,
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The bulk of geological research in the Northern Mariana Islands has focused on the large, populous island of
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The Sankakuyama Formation is the oldest individual rock unit, which includes Eocene
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of the unit date to between 26 and 28 million years ago, during the
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Landing Beaches; Aslito/Isely Field; & Marpi Point
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began to form with undersea volcanic eruptions in the
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(2011). 82:include a limestone, marl and tuff facies. 42:The oldest rocks exposed at the surface are 1118: 1104: 1096: 778: 769: 645: 411: 248: 166: 152: 144: 1483:Geography of the Northern Mariana Islands 929:Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill 362:Marianas Trench Marine National Monument 124: 960:Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha complex 7: 865:Unai Lagua Japanese Defense Pillbox 990:Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral 14: 1050:NMI Museum of History and Culture 860:Unai Achugao Archaeological Site 814:Japanese 20mm Cannon Blockhouse 1: 970:Unai Dangkulo Petroglyph Site 1478:Geology of the United States 1127:Geology of the United States 914:Japanese Coastal Defense Gun 757:Tinian International Airport 747:Saipan International Airport 673:Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr-Sr HS 1499: 752:Rota International Airport 722:Northern Marianas College 185: 1429:Northern Mariana Islands 839:Laulau Kattan Latte Site 706:Grace Christian Academy 696:Marianas Baptist Academy 179:Northern Mariana Islands 62:and pyroclastic rocks. 20:Northern Mariana Islands 1065:Garapan Heritage Trail 939:Rota Latte Stone Quarry 909:Dugi Archeological Site 899:Chugai' Pictograph Site 1129:by political division 904:Commissioner's Office 870:Unai Obyan Latte Site 794:Campaneyan Kristo Rai 288:Farallon de Medinilla 995:Saipan Katori Shrine 691:Saipan International 1439:U.S. Virgin Islands 1060:Sugar Dock (Saipan) 1043:Museums and History 1034:Television stations 829:Japanese Lighthouse 293:Farallon de Pajaros 851:(Laderan Banadero) 679:Saipan Southern HS 110:Structural geology 1465: 1464: 1093: 1092: 1085:Tinian Naval Base 1080:Naval Base Saipan 1003: 1002: 978: 977: 919:Japanese Hospital 819:Japanese Hospital 735: 734: 637: 636: 609:Carolinas Heights 370: 369: 227:Per capita income 1490: 1449:Outlying islands 1403:Washington, D.C. 1397:Federal district 1120: 1113: 1106: 1097: 1075:Battle of Tinian 1070:Battle of Saipan 1016:Marianas Variety 779: 770: 646: 619:Marpo Heights II 537:Oleai (San Jose) 412: 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119:References 1382:Wisconsin 1347:Tennessee 1252:Minnesota 1227:Louisiana 855:Tachognya 766:Landmarks 661:Kagman HS 642:Education 557:San Roque 532:Navy Hill 502:Gualo Rai 492:Fina Sisu 437:As Matuis 295:(Urracas) 269:(Aguijan) 263:(Agrigan) 244:Geography 212:Geography 192:(capital) 88:Oligocene 76:Oligocene 72:sandstone 1367:Virginia 1317:Oklahoma 1297:New York 1272:Nebraska 1262:Missouri 1247:Michigan 1237:Maryland 1222:Kentucky 1202:Illinois 1177:Delaware 1167:Colorado 1157:Arkansas 875:Waherak 844:Mañagaha 669:(Saipan) 663:(Saipan) 629:San Jose 593:Songsong 588:Sinapalo 304:Mañagaha 283:Asuncion 278:Anatahan 273:Alamagan 267:Aguiguan 234:Campaign 217:Politics 104:Holocene 52:rhyolite 1387:Wyoming 1362:Vermont 1267:Montana 1207:Indiana 1187:Georgia 1182:Florida 1152:Arizona 1142:Alabama 934:Rectory 924:Mochong 656:CNMIPSS 572:Tanapag 497:Garapan 432:As Lito 427:Achugao 422:Afetnas 331:Sarigan 311:(Ma'ok) 261:Agrihan 253:Islands 222:Economy 177:of the 96:Miocene 56:breccia 1322:Oregon 1277:Nevada 1217:Kansas 1192:Hawaii 1147:Alaska 1135:States 948:Tinian 877:Maihar 782:Saipan 675:(Rota) 602:Tinian 567:Susupe 542:Papago 507:Kagman 487:Dandan 447:As Teo 415:Saipan 399:Tinian 394:Saipan 336:Tinian 326:Saipan 322:(Luta) 299:Guguan 199:Topics 189:Saipan 44:Eocene 37:Saipan 25:Eocene 1352:Texas 1232:Maine 1197:Idaho 1008:Media 715:Other 527:Marpi 350:Other 315:Pagan 1424:Guam 1357:Utah 1312:Ohio 1212:Iowa 887:Rota 649:K-12 581:Rota 389:Rota 320:Rota 102:and 70:and 60:tuff 16:The 106:. 1474:: 58:, 1119:e 1112:t 1105:v 167:e 160:t 153:v 136:.

Index

Northern Mariana Islands
Eocene
Saipan
Eocene
rhyolite
breccia
tuff
conglomerate
sandstone
Oligocene
Oligocene
Miocene
Pleistocene
Holocene
"Preliminary geologic map of the island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands"
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Commonwealth
Northern Mariana Islands
Saipan
Topics
Archipelago
Geography
Politics
Economy
Per capita income
Campaign
Geography
Islands

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