Subsurface stratigraphy and basin-fill architecture of the late Paleozoic eastern Taos trough, northern New Mexico, U.S.A.

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-176
Author(s):  
Nur Uddin Md Khaled Chowdhury ◽  
Dustin E. Sweet

The greater Taos trough located in north-central New Mexico represents one of numerous late Paleozoic basins that formed during the Ancestral Rocky Mountains deformation event. The late Paleozoic stratigraphy and basin geometry of the eastern portion of the greater Taos trough, also called the Rainsville trough, is little known because the strata are all in the subsurface. Numerous wells drilled through the late Paleozoic strata provide a scope for investigating subsurface stratigraphy and basin-fill architecture of the Rainsville trough. Lithologic data obtained predominantly from petrophysical well logs combined with available biostratigraphic data from the greater Taos trough allows construction of a chronostratigraphic framework of the basin fill. Isopach- and structure-maps indicate that the sediment depocenter was just east of the El Oro-Rincon uplift and a westerly thickening wedge-shaped basin-fill geometry existed during the Pennsylvanian. These relationships imply that the thrust system on the east side of the Precambrian-cored El Oro-Rincon uplift was active during the Pennsylvanian and segmented the greater Taos trough into the eastern Rainsville trough and the western Taos trough. During the Permian, sediment depocenter(s) shifted more southerly and easterly and strata onlap Precambrian basement rocks of the Sierra Grande uplift to the east and Cimarron arch to the north of the Rainsville trough. Permian strata appear to demonstrate minimal influence by faults that were active during the Pennsylvanian and sediment accumulation occurred both in the basinal area as well as on previous positive-relief highlands. A general Permian decrease in eustatic sea level and cessation of local-fault-controlled subsidence indicates that regional subsidence must have affected the region in the early Permian.

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 117-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer Lucas

Most study of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation has focused on its spectacular and extensive outcrops on the southern Colorado Plateau. Nevertheless, outcrops of the Morrison Formation extend far off the Colorado Plateau, onto the southern High Plains as far east as western Oklahoma. Outcrops of the Morrison Formation east of and along the eastern flank of the Rio Grande rift in north-central New Mexico (Sandoval, Bernalillo, and San­ta Fe Counties) are geographically intermediate between the Morrison Formation outcrops on the southeastern Colorado Plateau in northwestern New Mexico and on the southern High Plains of eastern New Mexico. Previous lithostratigraphic correlations between the Colorado Plateau and High Plains Morrison Formation outcrops using the north-central New Mexico sections encompassed a geographic gap in outcrop data of about 100 km. New data on previously unstudied Morrison Formation outcrops at Placitas in Sandoval County and south of Lamy in Santa Fe County reduce that gap and significantly add to stratigraphic coverage. At Placitas, the Morrison Formation is about 141 m thick, in the Lamy area it is about 232 m thick, and, at both locations, it consists of the (ascending) sandstone-dominated Salt Wash Member, mudstone-dominated Brushy Basin Member, and sandstone-dominat­ed Jackpile Member. Correlation of Morrison strata across northern New Mexico documents the continuity of the Morrison depositional systems from the Colorado Plateau eastward onto the southern High Plains. Along this transect, there is significant stratigraphic relief on the base of the Salt Wash Member (J-5 unconformity), the base of the Jackpile Member, and the base of the Cretaceous strata that overlie the Morrison Formation (K unconfor­mity). Salt Wash Member deposition was generally by easterly-flowing rivers, and this river system continued well east of the Colorado Plateau. The continuity of the Brushy Basin Member, and its characteristic zeolite-rich clay facies, onto the High Plains suggests that localized depositional models (e.g., “Lake T’oo’dichi’) need to be re-eval­uated. Instead, envisioning Brushy Basin Member deposition on a vast muddy floodplain, with some localized lacustrine and palustrine depocenters, better interprets its distribution and facies.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyson Michael Smith ◽  
◽  
Kurt E. Sundell ◽  
Shelby Johnston ◽  
Carlos Guilherme ◽  
...  

Copeia ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 1980 (4) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Jacob ◽  
Charles W. Painter

Author(s):  
Gregory P. Wahlman ◽  
Ronald R. West

Fusulinids from the Howe Limestone Member (upper part of the Red Eagle Limestone, lower part of the Council Grove Group) are described here for the first time. The Howe fauna is particularly significant because it represents the earliest fusulinids known to occur above the new conodont-based Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian)-Permian boundary at the Glenrock Limestone Member-Bennett Shale Member contact (Red Eagle Limestone) in northeastern Kansas. The Howe fusulinid assemblage is composed entirely of species of the genus Leptotriticites. The species L. hughesensis and L. glenensis were originally described from just beneath the new systemic boundary horizon in the Hughes Creek Shale Member and Glenrock Limestone Member, respectively. L. wetherensis is a species from the Stockwether Limestone Member of north-central Texas, which is thought to directly overlie the new systemic boundary in that region. L. gracilitatus is a species reported from below and above the boundary in west Texas and New Mexico. Therefore, the Howe Limestone Member fusulinid fauna is quite transitional in character. The first typical and diagnostic early Permian (Wolfcampian Series) fusulinids in the midcontinent section appear in steps through the stratigraphically higher Neva Limestone Member of the Grenola Limestone (Paraschwagerina kansasensis), and the Cottonwood and Morrill Limestone Members of the overlying Beattie Limestone (Schwagerina jewetti, S. vervillei). This offset of conodont and fusulinid faunal changes should be taken into account in regional and interregional biostratigraphic correlations of the new systemic boundary.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 117-129
Author(s):  
Spencer G Lucas

Most study of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation has focused on its spectacular and extensive outcrops on the southern Colorado Plateau. Nevertheless, outcrops of the Morrison Formation extend far off the Colorado Plateau, onto the southern High Plains as far east as western Oklahoma. Outcrops of the Morrison Formation east of and along the eastern flank of the Rio Grande rift in north-central New Mexico (Sandoval, Bernalillo, and San­ta Fe Counties) are geographically intermediate between the Morrison Formation outcrops on the southeastern Colorado Plateau in northwestern New Mexico and on the southern High Plains of eastern New Mexico. Previous lithostratigraphic correlations between the Colorado Plateau and High Plains Morrison Formation outcrops using the north-central New Mexico sections encompassed a geographic gap in outcrop data of about 100 km. New data on previously unstudied Morrison Formation outcrops at Placitas in Sandoval County and south of Lamy in Santa Fe County reduce that gap and significantly add to stratigraphic coverage. At Placitas, the Morrison Formation is about 141 m thick, in the Lamy area it is about 232 m thick, and, at both locations, it consists of the (ascending) sandstone-dominated Salt Wash Member, mudstone-dominated Brushy Basin Member, and sandstone-dominat­ed Jackpile Member. Correlation of Morrison strata across northern New Mexico documents the continuity of the Morrison depositional systems from the Colorado Plateau eastward onto the southern High Plains. Along this transect, there is significant stratigraphic relief on the base of the Salt Wash Member (J-5 unconformity), the base of the Jackpile Member, and the base of the Cretaceous strata that overlie the Morrison Formation (K unconfor­mity). Salt Wash Member deposition was generally by easterly-flowing rivers, and this river system continued well east of the Colorado Plateau. The continuity of the Brushy Basin Member, and its characteristic zeolite-rich clay facies, onto the High Plains suggests that localized depositional models (e.g., “Lake T’oo’dichi’) need to be re-eval­uated. Instead, envisioning Brushy Basin Member deposition on a vast muddy floodplain, with some localized lacustrine and palustrine depocenters, better interprets its distribution and facies.


HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 621a-621
Author(s):  
J. Kim Pittcock ◽  
Richard E. Durham

North American Vitis species and hybrids thereof have been the source of rootstocks for V. vinifera for the last century. Collection and evaluation of native Vitis in north-central Texas, western Texas, and New Mexico have been made to determine their current status. Known geographical pockets of grapevines were visited, with specimens taken and identified by comparison to herbarium collections and published descriptions. In locals where more than one species existed, many natural hybrids with varying morphological characteristics have become established. In North Central Texas, two areas were visited. The first was Tarrant, Parker and Wise counties where three grapevine species (V. mustangensis, V. cinerea var. helleri, and V. vulpina) and many hybrids were observed. The second was Wilbarger County where V. acerifolia was found growing in the south while V. ×doaniana was found growing in the north. West Texas was primarily populated with V. acerifolia with the exception of the Silver Falls Canyon area in Crosby County where hybrids of V. acerifolia, V. arizonica and V. riparia were observed. In New Mexico, two areas were visited: San Miquel County (North Central region), where V. acerifolia, V. arizonica, and V. riparia were observed and Eddy County (southern New Mexico) where V. arizonica was observed. A rich diversity of Vitis germplasm appears to remain in these habitats.


2010 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1383-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reed S. Lewis ◽  
Jeffrey D. Vervoort ◽  
Russell F. Burmester ◽  
Peter J. Oswald

The authors analyzed detrital zircon grains from 10 metasedimentary rock samples of the Priest River complex and three other amphibolite-facies metamorphic sequences in north-central Idaho to test the previous assignment of these rocks to the Mesoproterozoic Belt–Purcell Supergroup. Zircon grains from two samples of the Prichard Formation (lower Belt) and one sample of Cambrian quartzite were also analyzed as controls with known depositional ages. U–Pb zircon analysis by laser ablation — inductively coupled plasma — mass spectrometry reveals that 6 of the 10 samples contain multiple age populations between 1900 and 1400 Ma and a scatter of older ages, similar to results reported from the Belt–Purcell Supergroup to the north and east. Results from the Priest River metamorphic complex confirm previous correlations with the Prichard Formation. Samples from the Golden and Elk City sequences have significant numbers of 1500–1380 Ma grains, which indicates that they do not predate the Belt. Rather, they are probably from a relatively young, southwestern part of the Belt Supergroup (Lemhi subbasin). Non-North American (1610–1490 Ma) grains are rare in these rocks. Three samples of quartzite from the Syringa metamorphic sequence northwest of the Idaho batholith contain zircon grains younger than the Belt Supergroup and support a Neoproterozoic age. A single Cambrian sample has abundant 1780 Ma grains and none younger than ∼1750 Ma. These results indicate that the likely protoliths of many high-grade metamorphic rocks in northern Idaho were strata of the Belt–Purcell Supergroup or overlying rocks of the Neoproterozoic Windermere Supergroup and not basement rocks.


Author(s):  
A. Alkali ◽  
D. U. Alhassan ◽  
O. U. Akpan ◽  
A. A. Adetona ◽  
K. A. Salako ◽  
...  

Qualitative analysis of Aeromagnetic data of parts of north central Nigeria had been carried out with the aim to delineate seismic prone areas. The study area is bounded with latitude 9. 00o to 10. 00oN and longitude 7.00o to 9.00oE with an estimated total area of 24,200 km2. Vertical derivatives and upward continuation filters were used to enhances long wavelength anomalies which could give preliminary information about the magnetic structures present in the study area. The total magnetic intensity map shows both positive and negative anomalies with susceptibility ranging from 33487.7 nT to 33800.9 nT. The high magnetic susceptibilities dominated in the basement region around the north-eastern and north-western parts of the study area which corresponds to Naraguta, Jemma and Kafanchan area. Based on the geology of the area this is attributed to granite, schist and migmatite rocks. The low magnetic values are made of sediment deposition also dominates the south-western part of the study area, corresponding to Abuja and Gitata. The area with magnetic susceptibility values ranging between 33506.6 nT and 33653.8 nT indicates alluvium deposite around Bishini and Kachia area. Lineament from First Vertical Derivative trend in the northeast-southwest and east-west directions, which is an extension from Romanche Fracture Zone. Majority of this lineament trends in the same directions as the Romanche Fault Line which continues at 25 km and 30 km into n inferred closure within the study area which is trending along north-west direction. This, closure occurs probably because of the existence of the paleo fracture zone (Romanche Fracture Zone) within the study area. At 40 km and at 80 km a regional trend in the NE-SW direction in (porphyritic) basement rocks. At the northeast and southeastern part of the area which is made up of basement complex that corresponds to areas around Gitata, Kafanchaan and Jemma are prone to tectonic activities while the southwestern part of the area around Abuja is seismic free. It is suggested that those lineaments identified, most especially at the southeastern part could be the reason for the shaking of the subsurface which result into earth tremors.


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