Geology of the State of Morelos and Contiguous Areas in South- Central Mexico
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Geology of the State of Morelos and contiguous areas in South- Central Mexico Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Fries, Carl, 1910- 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 04/10/2021 07:15:16 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565522 GEOLOGY OF THE STATE OF MORELOS AND CONTIGUOUS AREAS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL MEXICO by Carl Fries, Jr. A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 5 8 orl.t 'i o ^X.uo.n". S 97?/ /// STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfill ment of requirements for an advanced degree at the Univer sity of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Li brary. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknow ledgment 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 ma jor department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in their Judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, howev er, permission must be obtained from the author. APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown be low: T Evans B. Mayo Date Professor of Geology 11 DEDICATION To my fellowmen, who, on excursions into the countryside, pause now and then to look quizzically at the rocks and landscapes over which they pass, to muse on what they mean and wonder what processes contributed to their development. CONTENTS Page Abstract— — — -— --------— --- -———— -------- — — 1 Introduction-----------------— ------------------------ 6 Location and access---- -----— — — — — -------— 6 Culture--- --— ------------------------------------- 9 Objectives— — — — -—— — ---- — --- — --- 11 Previous studies-— — — — — — — — — — — — — — 12 History of the study and procedures followed------- 13 Acknowledgments-— — — -- --------— — ---— 20 Physiography— — -- —————— --- ——— -----— -— 23 Relation of area to Mexican physiographic provinces- 23 Climate and vegetation--- — -----— — -----—— --- - 25 Drainage— ---- --------------— ---- ---------------- 29 Modern drainage--- —— ------------- — 29 Pre-Pleistocene drainage-— — — — — — — — — 30 Land forms--- ———————------———— ———— 32 Sedimentary, volcanic, and met amorphic rocks-- — — -— - 37 General features— — — — — — — — — — — — — 37 Taxco schist series— — — — — — — — — — — — 42 Distribution and physiographic expression— --- — 42 Petrography and thickness--- ——— ----— — -— — 43 Metamorphism and origin----- ----------— — ---- 44 Age and correlation-- — --- — 45 iv CONTENTS— Continued Page Sedimentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks— Continued Taxco Viejo green volcanic series-- ---------------- 46 Distribution-------- — — -— ------------ --------- 46 Lithology, thickness, and origin——**———— —————— — 46 Age and correlation--------- --------------— — — 48 Acahuizotla formation--- ----— --- ----— — -------— 49 Distribution and lithology— --— — — — — — — 49 Age and correlation— --- — — ---------- 51 Acuitlapan formation--- — ----— — ---- — 52 Distribution, lithology, and thickness-— — — — 52 Stratigraphic relationships, age, and correlation 53 Xochicalco formation-- -----— -- —— ----— ---- --- 54 Distribution and physiographic expression-— — — 54 Lithology and thickness——-— ——— ; $6 Stratigraphic relationships and metamorphism— -— 57 Fossils, age, and correlation-— — ---- — 59 Morelos formation-— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — bl Distribution and physiographic expression--— — 61 Lithology of the carbonate member--- — ---— — — 63 Dolomitizatlon and siliciflcation------------ 65 Weathering------------------------------------- — 68 Anhydrite member-- -———————————— 69 Thickness-- ----——— ---- ----------------- 71 v CONTENTS— Continued Page Sedimentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks— Continued Morelos formation— Continued Structure and stratigraphic relationships----- — 73 Fossils and age——— — — —— — ----- ----— - 74 Correlation----- ------------------------------- 82 Cuautla formation-— — -- —— ------- ---------- 83 Distribution and physiographic expression------- 83 Lithology---- --------------------— _______----- 86 Thickness---------- -—— ---- — — -— — --- ---- 89 Structure and stratigraphic relationships--- — -- 90 Fossils and age— ----- — -------- -—— ---------- 91 Correlation--------- ------------------------— — 100 Mexcala formation— ------- — -------- -— — ---------102 Distribution and physiographic expression-— — — 102 Lithology and thickness------------------------- 105 Stratigraphic relationships, structure, and metamorphism-- — — — -----————————— 108 Fossils and age-- ------------- --- ------------— 111 Correlation— -— — -------- -— -— ------------- 122 Balsas clastic group---- ------- — --------— — ---124 Distribution and physiographic expression------- 124 Lithology and thickness— --- -------— ---------- 127 Structure, stratigraphic relationships, and age— 132 Correlation— — — ---— — ---- -— ----------- - 135 vi CONTENTS— Continued Page Sedimentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks— Continued Middle Tertiary volcanic units--- ------— — — ---140 General features---- ---__________— _____________ 140 Til zap ot la rhyolite series-— — --- ———— ---— - 143 Distribution, petrography, and thickness-- -- 143 Stratigraphic relationships, age, and corre lation-— — — — — — — — — — —— — — 146 Tepoztlan formation— --- _______----- —— ----— 149 Distribution, petrography, and thickness----- 149 Stratigraphic relationships and age------------152 Origin and correlation---- ----------— -------155 Buena vista volcanic series-- ----— -------— --- 157 Undifferentiated volcanic series--— — — -- — 161 Zempoala andesite series— — — -- --- --- -----— 164 Distribution, petrography, thickness, and age- 164 Correlation--- ----------------------- 166 Cuernavaca formation— — — ------- — ------ --------168 Distribution, lithology, and thickness----- ---- 168 Stratigraphic relationships, origin, and age— --- 174 Correlation— — — --- —— --- __________________ 176 Chichinautzin basalt series—— — — — — — — — 178 Distribution and physiographic expression— -------178 Petrography and thickness— — — — — — — — — — 180 Stratigraphic relationships and age------------- 183 vii CONTENTS— Continued Page Sedimentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks— Continued Chichinautzln basalt series--Continued Correlation— — -- ——— ---- -— -----------------186 Continental clastic deposits-— --------------------- 188 Definition-- — -- -———— -------- —————— 188 Description of separate areas of clastic deposits 189 Summary of origin of mapped clastic deposits---- 192 Soils, caliche, and minor unmapped Recent deposits— 193 Intrusive igneous rocks---- —— --- --------------— — 197 Pre-Cretaceous dikes and sills— --- -----———— -- 197 Cretaceous (?) or early Tertiary (?) stocks-- — ----— 198 Distribution and petrography-- ——— ---------- — 198 Time of emplacement-— -— — — — — — — — — — — 199 Tertiary dikes, sills, and stocks-- ------— ------— 202 Pre- Tilzapotla (?) intrusive rocks— --- -— ------ 202 Post-Balsas intrusive rocks— — — — — — — — — 204 Structure--- ———— ---------------— ------ ———— 207 General features— — — — — — — — — — --- -——— 207 Folds-- --- ---------- -— -----------------— ------ — 209 Description of trends and types of folds-------- 209 Origin and age of folds------- 213 Faults----------------------------------------------- 218 Faults of pre-Balsas or early Balsas and post- Cretaceous age--- ——— --- 219 viii CONTENTS— Continued Page Structure— Continued Faults— Continued Faults of post-Balsas and pre-Pleistocene age--- 222 Faults of post-Pliocene age and the Neo-volcanic Belt-------------------------------------------223 Geologic history--------------- ———---- -- — --------227 Mineral resources-— — -- ---------------— -------------235 Reference works cited-- -------------------------------241 Appendix-- ----------------------------- ---------------248 Provenance, petrographic description, and faunal content of rock samples cited in the text-- ------248 List of samples collected from the rock formations V in the area mapped and cited in the text— ------- 307 Metric equivalents---- --------------------------— 309 Plates 4 through 22-------- -------- ----------------310 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 . Index map of the region between Mexico, D. F. and Acapulco, Guerrero------ — ---- ---- 7 2. Stratigraphic correlation table--- — -- — — 39 Plate 1. Geologic map of western Morelos and extreme north-central Guerrero, Mexico----------- pocket 2. Geologic sections through western Morelos and north-central Guerrero, Mexico---- — pocket lx ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Page Plate 3. A, Index map of Mexico showing location of area mapped and of stratigraphic sections cited. B, Map showing location of vol canic cinder cones, trace of axial planes of anticlines and synclines, faults, and assumed pre-Plelstocene drainage lines--- pocket 4. Oblique trimetrogon air photograph looking N. 33° E. from a position about 4 km. south of the Amacuzac River— --- --------