Stratigraphy of the Cretaceous Rocks and the Tertiary Ojo Alamo Sandstone, Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah
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Stratigraphy of the Cretaceous Rocks and the Tertiary Ojo Alamo Sandstone, Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 521-E Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of .Indian -L1Jfairs and the Navajo Tribe ;. ~:0 ..J :i.ui._lll{c,/1 II- Stratigraphy of the Cretaceous > Rocks and the Tertiary Ojo I Alamo Sandstone, Navajo and .. .... Hopi Indian Reservations, .. Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah By R. B. O'SULLIVAN, C. A. REPENNING, E. C. BEAUMONT, and H. G. PAGE HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE NAVAJO AND HOPI INDIAN RESERVATIONS, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, AND UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 521-E Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Navajo Tribe .I .. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1972 ~· ·. UN.ITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. A. Radlinski, Acting Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 76-180659 ·~ For sale by the Sup~rintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402- (paper cover) Stock Number 2401-1184 CONTENTS Page Page Abst1·act ------------------------------------------ El Upper Cretaceous rocks-Continued Introduction ------------------------------------- 2 Mesaverde Group-Continued Location and land-net system ------------------ 2 Lower part of the Mesaverde Group in San Present work ------------------------------- 3 Juan Basin-Continued Previous investigations and nomenclature ------ 5 Crevasse Canyon Formation ---------- E31 Lower boundary of Cretaceous rocks ------------- 5 Lower part of the Mesaverde Group in the Lower Cretaceous rocks ----------------------- 7 Black Mesa area -------------------- 34 Burro Canyon Formation -------------------- 7 Toreva Formation ------------------- 35 Lower (?) and Upper Cretaceous rocks ------------ 9 Wepo Formation ------:---------------- 38 Dakota Sandstone --------------------~------- 9 Yale Point Sandstone ------------------ 40 Upper Cretaceous rocks -------------------------- 13 Upper part of the Mesaverde Group ------- 40 Mancos Shale ------------------------------- 13 Point Lookout Sandstone ------------ 42 Lower part of Mancos Shale ------------- 15 Menefee Formation ------------------ 44 Upper part of Mancos Shale --------------- 22 Post-Menefee rocks in the Chuska Moun- Mesaverde Group ----------------------------- 24 tains area -------------------------- 46 Lower part of the Mesaverde Group in San Cliff House Sandstone ----------------- 48 Juan Basin ----------------------- 25 Lewis Shale --------------------------------- 50 Gallup Sandstone -------------------- 25 Pictured Cliffs Sandstone ---------------------- 51 Gallup Sandstone south of the Chuska Fruitland Formation ------------------------- 52 Mountains ---------------------- 25 Kirtland Shale ------------------------------- 53 Gallup Sandstone. Dileo Coal Mem- Tertiary Ojo Alamo Sandstone -------------------- 55 ber eq~i:va:len:t~, a-nd~ st~-l;l:Y,:' s~n!i~.tq~~ . ~~e:ren~e.f:!, ~·~te~ ..,,..,......,-,...,....,.,.,.,,.,...,...,,.,_,..""""·"'<:" ________________ _ 58 of Sears, Hunt, and Hendricks · Index -------------------------------------------- 63 (1941) --------------~---------- 29 Age assignment and correlation ___ _ 30 > ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. Generalized geologic map of the Cretaceous and some related rocks, Navajo and Hopi Indian Reser vations and adjacent areas -------------------------------------------------------------In pocket 2. Fence diagram of Dakota Sandstone and younger Cretaceous rocks in the Navajo country ________ In pocket FIGURE 1. Map showing Bureau of Indian Affairs administration districts and 15-minute quadrangles -------- E3 2. Index map showing location of the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations and the additional area studied ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 3. Chart showing nomenclature of the Upper Cretaceous rocks in the Navajo country ---------------- 6 4. Photograph of the Burro Canyon Formation in southeast Utah ---------------------------------- 8 5. Photograph of Dakota Sandstone, near Steamboat, in southeastern Black Mesa --------------------- 10 6. Map showing generalized distribution and thickness of the Dakota Sandstone -------------------- 11 7. Time-lithologic-correlation chart of the Cretaceous rocks in the Navajo country, Arizona and New Mexico -----------------·------------------------------------------·---------------------- 14 8. Diagrammatic cross section showing intertonguing relationships of the Mesaverde Group and related formations and the Mancos Shale in western San Juan Basin ---------------------------- 16 9. Map showing generalized distribution and thickness of the Mancos Shale ------------------------- 18 10-12. Photographs: 10. Limestone unit of Greenhorn age near road between Shiprock and Bitlabito --------------- 19 11. Juana Lopez Member of the Mancos Shale along road between Shiprock and Bitlabito ---- 20 12. Gallup Sandstone at The Hogback 2% miles northeast of Gallup -------------------------- 26 111 IV CONTENTS Page 13. ·Map showing generalized" distribution and thickness of the Toreva Formation and the Gallup Sand stone and related units ------------------------------------------------------------------- E28 14. Photograph showing the Gallup Sandstone along road to Sanostee ------------------------------ 29 15. Map showing generalized distribution and thickness of the Crevasse Canyon and Wepo Formations __ 33 16-21. Photographs: 16. Dalton Sandstone Member and related rocks --------------------------------------------- 34 17. Toreva Formation at the south end of Third Mesa ------------------------------------ 35 18. Lower tongue of the Toreva Formation near Blue Point ----------------------------.--- 36 J ...;. 19. Toreva Formation and related rocks at Yale Point ------------------------------------ 37 20. Wepo Formation near the Cow Springs coal mine ------------------'------------------ 39 21. Northeast wall of Black Mesa, showing exposures of the Dakota Sandstone, Mancos Shale, Toreva and Wepo Formations and Yale Point Sandstone -------------------------- 40 22. Map showing generalized distribution of the upper part of the Mesaverde Group and thickness of the Menefee Formation ---------------------~------------------------------------------------- 41 23-29. Photographs: 23. Point Lookout Sandstone on Chimney Rock, southwestern Colorado ---------------------- 43 24. Hosta Tongue of the J;>oint Lookout Sandstone and related rocks on Mesa de los Lobos ___ _ 44 25. Post-Menefee rocks 3 miles west of Sheep Springs ---.---------------------------------- 48 26. Mesaverde Group in The Hogback at the San Juan River ------------------------------ 49 27. Pictured Cliffs Sandstone along the south side of the San Juan River ------------------- 51 28. Fruitland Formation, west of Bisti, at Hunter Wash ------------------------------------ 52 29. Lower conglomeratic part of the Ojo Alamo Sandstone in cliffs south of Farmington ------- 56 .; I ~, HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE NAVAJO AND HOPI INDIAN RESERVATIONS, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, AND UTAH STRATIGRAPHY OF THE CRETACEOUS ROCKS AND THE TERTIARY OJO ALAMO SANDSTONE, NAVAJO AND HOPI INDIAN RESERVATIONS, ARIZ·ONA, NEW MEXICO, AND UTAH By R. B. O'SuLLIVAN, C. A. REPENNING, E. C. BEAUMONT, and H. G. PAGE ABSTRACT In the northeastern part of the Navajo country, the Mancos Shale is about 2,200 feet thick and underlies the Point Look This study of Cretaceous rocks constitutes a part of the out Sandstone. In this area the Mancos i_s divided into upper ground-water investigation of the Navajo and Hopi Indian and lower parts by the Gallup Sandstone and related rocks Reservations. The Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations of the Mesaverde Group. In the southeastern part of the cover about 25,000 square miles, and about one-third of this Navajo country, the Mancos Shale is about 600 feet thick area is underlain by Cretaceous rocks. The Navajo country-a and underlies the Gallup Sandstone. The Crevasse Canyon more general geographic term that encompasses the Navajo Formation of the Mesaverde Group overlies the Gallup and, and Hopi Indian Reservations-lies principally in northeast in ascending order, consists of the Dileo Coal Member, Dalton ern Arizona, but it also includes adjacent parts of north Sandstone Member, Bartlett Barren Member, and Gibson western New Mexico, southeastern Utah, and southwestern Coal Member. The upper part of the Mancos Shale is re Colorado. placed laterally by marginal marine and continental deposits Cretaceous rocks crop out primarily in two large areas into which two conspicuous tongues of Mancos Shale wedge San Juan Basin and Black Mesa-in the eastern and central out to the southwest. The lower, Mulatto Tongue of the parts of the Navajo country, respectively. These rocks are as Mancos wedges out into the Crevasse Canyon Formation. The much as 6,500 feet thick in the San Juan Basin and are about upper shale body-the Satan Tongue-lies above the Hosta 1,500 feet thick on Black Mesa. At several other places in the Tongue of the Point Lookout Sandstone, and where the Satan mapped area are thin isolated 1·emnants of Cretaceous rock. Tongue wedges out, the Hosta joins the main body of the The Lower Cretaceous Burro Canyon Formation, as much Point Lookout Sandstone. as 200 feet thick, is the oldest Cretaceous unit in the Navajo country. It occurs in a very limited area of extrem~ south On Black Mesa the Mancos Shale is as much as