Geology of the Central Magdalena Mountains, Socorro County, New Mexico
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Geology of the central Magdalena Mountains, Socorro County, New Mexico Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Krewedl, Dieter Anton, 1943- 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 15:17:29 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565309 GEOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL MAGDALENA MOUNTAINS, SOCORRO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO by Dieter Anton Krewedl A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1974 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE I hereby recommend that this dissertation prepared under my direction by _______Dieter Anton Krewedl___________________ entitled _______Geology of the Central Magdalena Mountains,____ __________ Socorro County, New Mexico___________ be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement of the degree o f __________ Doctor of Philosophy__________________ 6~. /(ffy After inspection of the final copy of the dissertation, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance:* / d /9 7^ This approval and acceptance is contingent on the candidate's adequate performance and defense of this dissertation at the final oral examination. The inclusion of this sheet bound into the library copy of the dissertation is evidence of satisfactory performance at the final examination. PLEASE NOTE: Several pages contain colored illustrations. Filmed in the best possible way. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to bor rowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment 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 copyright holder. SIGNED: DIETER ANTON KREWEDL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author became interested in the central Magdalena Mountains while doing geologic mapping for Exxon Corp. in the Magdalena mining district as a field assistant to Charles F. Park, Jr. Grateful appre ciation is extended to Dr. Park for his initial encouragement to under take this project and to Exxon for its financial support and permission to publish this dissertation. I acknowledge with thanks the support of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines, X am especially indebted to Charles E. Chapin of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines with whom the author had many informative dis cussions. The author extends foremost appreciation to Dr. Spencer R. Titley for his guidance and assistance throughout the dissertation. His helpful advice and constructive criticisms are gratefully acknowl edged, X am indebted to Drs, George H. Davis and Richard F. Wilson for their critical reading of the manuscript. Daniel Lynch generously assisted in the photography and final preparation of the manuscript. The constant support and encouragement from my wife, Beth, assured the successful completion of the dissertation. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......................................... vii ABSTRACT..................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 1 Location and Accessibility ................................. 2 Topography and Drainage................ 2 Purpose and Scope. ........................................ 6 Method of Investigation. ..................... 7 Previous Work ........................... 8 GEOLOGY........... 11 Precambrian Rocks............................ 13 Argillite......................................... 13 Granite. ................... 15 Paleozoic Rocks. ....................................... 16 Mississippian Kelly Limestone.......... 16 Pennsylvanian Magdalena Group........................ 19 Permian Abo Formation. ...... ....................... 25 Cenozoic Rocks .............. ................ .. 25 Tertiary Volcanic Rocks. ............ 25 Tertiary Intrusive Rocks ................ ........ 53 Tertiary Sedimentary R o c k s .............................. 71 Quaternary Sediments . ............................. 75 STRUCTURE..................................................... 78 Precambrian and Paleozoic Structure.......... ?8 Laramide Structure . ....................................... 80 Early to Middle Oligocene Faults ......................... 80 Late Oligocene Faults............ 82 Late Cenozoic Block F a u l t s .................... 84 REGIONAL ALTERATION........................................... 88 Propylitization........................ 89 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS— ^Continued Page Silicification . ................................... 90 Lime-Silicate.................................................. 92 Argillization. .............................................. 93 Sericitization .......... .... .............. ..... 93 ECONOMIC G E O L O G Y ......................................... 95 Mineral Occurrence ..................... 95 Controls of Mineralization............ .................. ..' 100 GEOLOGIC H I S T O R Y ..................................... 106 Precambrian to Middle Cenozoic . .............................. 106 Late Cenozoic........................ Ill LATE CENOZOIC TECTONIC SETTING ................................. 116 Colorado Plateau .............................................. 116 Basin and Range Province ............ ..... 117 Historical Sketch. ............................... 119 Rio Grande Graben. ............. ............... 120 CONCLUSIONS...................................................... 123 LIST OF REFERENCES ...... ..................... ..... 125 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Index map showing the location of the central Magdalena Mountains, Socorro County, New Mexico ......... 3 2. ERTS photograph of west-central New Mexico showing prom inent physiographic features............... 4 3« Landmarks and drainage systems of the central and north ern Magdalena Mountains ............................. • 5 4. Geologic map and cross sections of the central Magdalena Mountains ....... ........ .................. in pocket 5* Pre-Cenozoic stratigraphy of the central Magdalena Moun tains .................................. 12 6. Frecambrian argillite (PS) contact with Mississippian Kelly Limestone (M) located east of North Baldy Peak. • 1? ?. West-dipping Pennsylvanian Sandia Formation (S) and Madera Limestone (M) in North Fork Canyon ....... 23 8. Cenozoic stratigraphy of the central Magdalena Moun tains ............ ............................ 2? 9# Correlation chart of equivalent Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary units in the southern Bear Mountains and the Magdalena Mountains.......................... 29 10. Lower Spears Formation containing clasts of Abo Forma tion (A), Paleozoic limestone (L) and porphyritic andesite (PA) .............................................. 32 11. Photomicrograph of a porphyritic andesite from the mid dle Spears Formation............................... 34 12. Photomicrograph of a latite from the upper Spears Forma tion. • ....................... ............ 36 13. Photomicrograph of a quartz latite from the Hells Mesa Formation . ........................... ....... 4l 14. Photomicrograph of an andesite from the Sixmile Canyon andesite. ................................. 45 vii viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 15. Photomicrograph of a rhyolite from the Sawmill Canyon formation .................................. 48 16. Photomicrograph of an andesite from the South Ealdy Peak andesite 51 1?. Photomicrograph of a rhyolite from the Timber Peak rhyolite................................ 54 18. Photomicrograph of a mafic dike of andesite com position. .......... ........... .......... 58 19• Photomicrograph of a latite-monzonite dike of monzo- nitic composition....... ............................ 61 20. Highly flow-banded white rhyolite dike exposed in sec. 21, T. 3S.f R. 3 W ........................................ 64 21. Photomicrograph of white rhyolite dike. • .......... 65 22. Well indurated and conglomeratic Popotosa Formation exposed at Water Canyon Mesa............................... 74 23. Generalized geologic map of the central Magdalena Mountains showing folds and faults developed during various periods ............... ........ in pocket 24. Alteration and mineralization in the central Magda lena Mountains.......... .. ........... .. in pocket 25. West-central New Mexico during Middle to Late Miocene time showing the distribution of volcanic rocks and facies of the Popotosa Formation according to Pruning (1973). • ................................................. 112 26. The major Late Cenozoic structural trends which in fluenced the formation of the Holocene physiography of west-central New Mexico ............................ 114 27. Major physiographic features within the Colorado Pla teau and the Rio Grande graben of west-central New Mexico................................. 118 ABSTRACT The Magdalena