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The Depositional Environment and Petrographic Analysis of the Lower Cretaceous Morita Formation, Bisbee Group, Southeastern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico

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The Depositional Environment and Petrographic Analysis of the Lower Cretaceous Morita Formation, Bisbee Group, Southeastern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico The depositional environment and petrographic analysis of the Lower Cretaceous Morita Formation, Bisbee Group, southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Jamison, Kermit Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 12:34:21 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/557979 THE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND PETROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE LOWER CRETACEOUS MORITA FORMATION, BISBEE GROUP, SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA AND NORTHERN SONORA, MEXICO by HERMIT JAMISON A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE WITH A MAJOR IN GEOLOGY In the Graudate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 8 3 Call N o . BINDING INSTRUCTIONS INTERLIBRARY INSTRUCTIONS Dept. i *9 7 9 1 Author: J ttm ilO Il, K e 1983 548 Title: RUSH____________________ PERMABIND- PAMPHLET GIFT________________ _____ COLOR: M .S . POCKET FOR MAP COVERS Front Both Special Instructions - Bindery or Repair PFFFPFKirF 3 /2 2 /8 5 Other-----------------------------— . r- STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfill­ ment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknow­ ledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for . extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the inter­ ests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: WILLIAM R. DICKINSON 7 Date Professor of Geology ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to.thank William R. Dickinson and Joseph F. Schreiber, Jr., for their guidance and patience in preparation of this thesis, Harald Drewes of the United States Geological Survey for his advice and comments f and Keith P. Young for his assistance in identification of fossils. Special thanks go to Robert E. Warzeski for his invaluable assistance for that portion of the study which was conducted "south of the border." Grants from the Geological Society of America, the University of Arizona Graduate School, and the Cities Service Company helped defray research expenses. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.............. .............. .. vi LIST OF T A B L E S ................ ...................... .. xii ABSTRACT........................................... .. xiii INTRODUCTION ........................... 1 GEOLOGIC SETTING OF THE MORITA FORMATION .............. 3 Pre-Cretaceous Rocks ............ 8 Lower Cretaceous Rocks ............. 11 Post-Lower Cretaceous Rocks...................... 16 Area of Study.............................. ...21 THE CENTRAL MULE MOUNTAINS OF THE MORITA FORMATION. ............................................. 23 Sandstone Petrography............................ 27 Key Horizons.................................... 30 Faulting.........................................41 THE SOUTHERN MULE MOUNTAINS SECTION OF THE MORITA FORMATION . ...............................45 Gold Hill Section.............. 51 Black Knob Section.............................. 55 THE SIERRA ANIBACACHI SECTION OF THE MORITA F O R M A T I O N ...............................................62 Lithology and Paleontology .................... 65 Faulting........................................ 79 NORTHERN EXPOSURES OF THE MORITA FORMATION ............ 89 Gadwell Canyon ................................. 30 Dragoon Mountains................................ 93 Steele Hills ................................... 97 iv V TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page PETROGRAPHY OF THE MORITA FORMATION.............. .. 99 Petrographic Analysis of Morita S a n d s t o n e s .................... 104 Diagenesis of Morita Sandstones . 121 DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE MORITA FORMATION. 130 CONCLUSIONS.................... 137 APPENDIX A: MODAL POINT COUNTS OF SAMPLED MORITA FORMATION SANDSTONES............. 140 APPENDIX B: MODAL POINT COUNTS OF SELECTED MORITA:ANDBISBEE FORMATION . SANDSTONES . .... _ . ....... 142 APPENDIX C: POINT COUNTING PROCEDURES. 144 REFERENCES............................................ 150 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Location of Chihuahua trough with respect to the Jurassic-Cretaceous domains in north­ western Mexico and southwestern U.S. 4 2. Location of area of study in southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora..................... 6 3. Major geographic features of southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora. ................. 7 4. Stratigraphic correlation of Lower Cretaceous rocks, Chihuahua trough. .... .14 5. Paleogeographic diagram of rock units in northern Chihuahua trough. ............ 17 6. Geologic cross-section, Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora . ........... .. .... ...... 18 7. Columnar representation of Bisbee Group/ Formation rocks examined this report ..... 22 8. Lithologic description of Morita Formation, Mural Hill section, central Mule Mountains, Arizona . ..... .in pocket 9. Lithologic description of lower Morita Formation, Gold Hill section, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona. .in pocket 10. Litologic description of upper Morita Formation, Black Knob Ridge section, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona . .in pocket 11. Mural Hill, central Mule Mountains, near Bisbee, Arizona . ............. 24 12. Cleavage development in a mudstone member of the lower Morita Formation, Mural Hill traverse, central Mule Mountains. 28 vi V i l LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 13. Photomicrograph of typical subarkose, Morita Formation, Mural Hill Traverse, central Mule Mountains, A r i z o n a .........................31 ... ' ’ 14. Calcareous algal (?) structures from the - lower Morita Formation, Mural Hill section. Mule Mountains, Arizona ...... .......... 33 15. Mollusca and echinoidea; fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Morita Formation ....... 35 16. Trigonid fossils of the Lower Cretaceous Morita Formation ............................. 36 17. Septarian structures in concretions from the Morita Formation, Mural Hill section, Mule Mountains, Arizona . .... 38 18. "Pitted" texture on massive quartzarenite bed in the Morita Formation, Mural Hill section. Mule Mountains, Arizona.................39 19. "Pitted" texture on quartzarenite b e d ...............40 20. Diagrammatic cross-section of Bisbee Group in central Mule Mountains, Arizona...............42 21. Geologic cross-section. Mural Hill, Mule Mountains, Arizona . .. 43 22. Eastward dipping Bisbee strata in central Mule Mountains, Arizona ......................... 44 23. Structural divisions in Bisbee Quadrangle, Arizona . .. .............. 46 24. Gold Hill from the northwest showing overthrust fault . .............. 47 25. Gold Hill from the northwest, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona ...................... 48 26. Geologic cross-sections through Gold Hill, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona. ....... 50 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— -Continued Figure Page 27. Black Knob, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona, as viewed from the northwest ................. 52 28. Black Knob, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona, as viewed from the north .............. .. 53 29. "Pitted" texture on massive quartzarenite member of the Morita Formation, southern Mule Mountains, A r i z o n a .................... 56 30. Upper portion of "pitted" member in southern Mule - Mountains, Arizona...................... 57 31. Geologic cross-section through Black Knob, southern Mule Mountains, Arizona ....... 58 32. Cerro la Morita, Sonora, as viewed from the starting point of the Sierra Anibacachi traverse.................. ............ .. 63 33. Unnamed peak in Sierra Anibacachi from the west . ................................. 64 34. Morita Formation strata as exposed in the Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora ................. 67 35. View to the south from a point high in the section in the Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora . .... •.................. .. 68 36. Burrows in a sandstone member near the base of the Morita Formation, Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora .... ............... 69 37. Petrified wood from the Morita Formation, Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora. ................. 71 38. Oyster-laden biostrome, near Morita/lower Mural horizon. Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora ........ ...................... 72 39. Northern slope of "unnamed peak" in the Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora, where traverse terminated. 73 ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 40. Biostrome located in Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora, correlated with Perilla Member of Stoyanow1s Lowell Formation, now classified as lower Mural Limestone.......... 76 41. View to the northeast in the Sierra Anibacachi, S o n o r a ....................................... 78 42. Discontinuous bedding attributed to low angle thrust faulting, in sandstone and mudstone sequence, Morita Formation, Sierra Anibacachi, Sonora. ............. .. 80 43. Subhorizontal sandstone member resting on more disturbed lower
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