DOCSLIB.ORG

Insights from Detrital Zircons in the San Juan Basin, GEOSPHERE; V

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Insights from Detrital Zircons in the San Juan Basin, GEOSPHERE; V Research Paper GEOSPHERE Provenance of Cretaceous through Eocene strata of the Four Corners region: Insights from detrital zircons in the San Juan Basin, GEOSPHERE; v. 14, no. 2 New Mexico and Colorado doi:10.1130/GES01485.1 Mark E. Pecha1, George E. Gehrels1, Karl E. Karlstrom2, William R. Dickinson1,†, Magdalena S. Donahue2, David A. Gonzales3, and Michael D. Blum4 12 figures; 3 tables; 3 supplemental files 1Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northrop Hall, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA 3Department of Geosciences, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, Colorado 81301, USA CORRESPONDENCE: mpecha@ email .arizona .edu 4Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lindley Hall, 1475 Jayhawk Boulevard, Room 120, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA CITATION: Pecha, M.E., Gehrels, G.E., Karlstrom, K.E., Dickinson, W.R., Donahue, M.S., Gonzales, D.A., and Blum, M.D., 2018, Provenance of Creta‑ ABSTRACT this transition initiated ~8 m.y. earlier during deposition of the Campanian ceous through Eocene strata of the Four Corners Kirtland Formation beginning ca. 73 Ma. This final change in provenance is region: Insights from detrital zircons in the San Juan Cretaceous through Eocene strata of the Four Corners region provide an interpreted to reflect the unroofing of surrounding Laramide basement blocks Basin, New Mexico and Colorado: Geosphere, v. 14, no. 2, p. 785–811, doi:10.1130/GES01485.1. excellent record of changes in sediment provenance from Sevier thin-skinned and a switch to local derivation. At this time, sediment entering the San Juan thrusting through the formation of Laramide block uplifts and intra-foreland Basin was largely being generated from the nearby San Juan Mountains to Science Editor: Shanaka de Silva basins. During the ca. 125–50 Ma timespan, the San Juan Basin was flanked the north-northwest, including uplift associated with early phases of Colorado Associate Editor: Graham D.M. Andrews by the Sevier thrust belt to the west, the Mogollon highlands rift shoulder mineral belt magmatism. Thus, the detrital-zircon spectra in the San Juan to the southwest, and was influenced by (ca. 75–50 Ma) Laramide tectonism, Basin document the transition from initial reworking of the Paleozoic and Received 11 December 2016 ultimately preserving a >6000 ft (>2000 m) sequence of continental, marginal- Mesozoic cratonal blanket to unroofing of distant basement-cored uplifts Revision received 9 September 2017 marine, and offshore marine sediments. In order to decipher the influences of and Laramide plutonic rocks, then to more local Laramide uplifts. Accepted 5 January 2018 Published online 16 February 2018 these tectonic features on sediment delivery to the area, we evaluated 3228 U-Pb laser analyses from 32 detrital-zircon samples from across the entire San Juan Basin, of which 1520 analyses from 16 samples are newly reported INTRODUCTION herein. The detrital-zircon results indicate four stratigraphic intervals with internally consistent age peaks: (1) Lower Cretaceous Burro Canyon Forma- U-Pb detrital-zircon (DZ) geochronology has played an integral role in de- tion, (2) Turonian (93.9–89.8 Ma) Gallup Sandstone through Campanian (83.6– ciphering sediment-dispersal patterns in Cretaceous and Paleogene strata of 72.1 Ma) Lewis Shale, (3) Campanian Pictured Cliffs Sandstone through Cam- North America (e.g., Lawton and Bradford, 2011; Dickinson et al., 2012; Blum panian Fruitland Formation, and (4) Campanian Kirtland Sandstone through and Pecha, 2014; Bush et al., 2016; Sharman et al., 2017). DZ analyses allow Lower Eocene (56.0–47.8 Ma) San Jose Formation. Statistical analysis of the for generation of a DZ fingerprint (Ross and Parrish, 1991) of the host rock, detrital-zircon results, in conjunction with paleocurrent data, reveals three dis- establishing provenance ties between host rock and source region(s) (Gehrels tinct changes in sediment provenance. The first transition, between the Burro and Pecha, 2014), and for calculation of maximum depositional age of host OLD G Canyon Formation and the Gallup Sandstone, reflects a change from predom- rock (Surpless et al., 2006; Dickinson and Gehrels, 2009b), which can then be inantly reworked sediment from the Sevier thrust front, including uplifted compared to biostratigraphic age where available. Combining DZ ages with Paleozoic sediments and Mesozoic eolian sandstones, to a mixed signature fluvial paleocurrent information bolsters provenance ties and allows for re- indicating both Sevier and Mogollon derivation. Deposition of the Pictured gional paleogeographic reconstructions (Lawton and Bradford, 2011; Dickin- OPEN ACCESS Cliffs Sandstone at ca. 75 Ma marks the beginning of the second transition son et al., 2012). and is indicated by the spate of near-depositional-age zircons, likely derived Cretaceous through Lower Eocene strata preserved in the San Juan Basin from the Laramide porphyry copper province of southern Arizona and south- (SJB) in northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado provide a western New Mexico. Paleoflow indicators suggest the third change in prove- unique opportunity to study spatial and temporal variations in sediment prov- nance was complete by 65 Ma as recorded by the deposition of the Paleocene enance using DZ geochronology. During the deposition of these sediments, Ojo Alamo Sandstone. However, our new U-Pb detrital-zircon results indicate the SJB region was flanked by the Sevier thrust belt, the Mogollon highlands This paper is published under the terms of the rift shoulder, and was also influenced by Laramide tectonism (ca. 75–50 Ma). CC‑BY‑NC license. †Deceased 21 July 2015, during preparation of manuscript Understanding how these surrounding tectonic elements influenced sediment © 2018 The Authors GEOSPHERE | Volume 14 | Number 2 Pecha et al. | Detrital zircons from the San Juan Basin Downloaded from https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article-pdf/doi/10.1130/GES01485.1/4110452/ges01485.pdf 785 by University of Kansas user on 08 November 2019 Research Paper delivery to the Four Corners region, particularly the SJB, is the overall goal of morphology (Elston and Young, 1991). Estimates of the thickness of pre-Cre- this research. taceous Mesozoic strata eroded from the Colorado Plateau range from Here we synthesize new and existing DZ data from Cretaceous and Paleo- ~3000 to 5000+ ft (~1000–1500 m), with thickness increasing from south-south- gene strata and combine the observations with paleoflow information to make east to north-northwest (Wilson, 1967; Pederson et al., 2002; Lazear et al., provenance assessments and paleogeographic interpretations. We also use 2013). It is also estimated that an additional ~1000–3000 ft (~300–1000 m) the DZ ages to refine maximum depositional ages of the units by comparing of Cretaceous strata were removed during Cenozoic beveling (Wilson, 1967; them with biostratigraphic ages. Our new U-Pb DZ data indicate that three Epis and Chapin, 1975; Evanoff and Chapin, 1994; Pazzaglia and Kelley, 1998). distinct changes in sediment provenance occur in the Cretaceous through Eo- This extensive erosion resulted in removal of most Cretaceous and younger cene section of the SJB. The results track changes in sediment routing from rocks, leaving a wide region around Four Corners predominantly devoid of initial reworking of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic cratonal blanket to unroofing of the entire Cretaceous section. The San Juan Basin (SJB) in northwestern distant basement-cored uplifts and Laramide plutonic rocks, then to more local New Mexico and southwestern Colorado is an exception, preserving a se- Laramide uplifts. The results also provide additional clarity in sediment routing quence of Cretaceous and younger sediments exceeding 6000 ft (~2000 m) during the transition from Sevier retroarc thrusting through foreland basin par- in total thickness. The SJB represents the best preserved, deepest, and most titioning during the Laramide, providing important insights into sediment-dis- comprehensive section that characterizes the Cretaceous/Paleogene stratig- persal patterns and paleogeographic reconstructions. These new results fill raphy of the region. in gaps from previous DZ studies (e.g., Dickinson and Gehrels, 2008; Gehrels et al., 2011; Lawton and Bradford, 2011; Dickinson et al., 2012) of Paleozoic and Mesozoic Colorado Plateau stratigraphy and Paleogene units (Dickinson et al., San Juan Basin 2010; Donahue, 2016). We define the SJB as the contiguous area that encompasses Lower Cre- taceous through Eocene strata preserved in northwestern New Mexico and GEOLOGIC SETTING southwestern Colorado (Figs. 1 and 2). It is a structurally-bound intra-foreland basin that encompasses more than 46,000 km2. It developed coevally with the The Four Corners region was part of an expansive late Mesozoic Cor- adjacent Laramide tectonic features: San Juan (Needle Mountains) uplift to di lleran foreland basin system (Fig. 1) related to loading of the Sevier retroarc the north, Archuleta anticlinorium and/or San Juan sag to the northeast, Naci- fold and thrust belt to the west (Armstrong, 1968; Jordan, 1981; DeCelles, miento uplift on the east, Zuni uplift to the south, Defiance uplift on the west, 2004) and flanked on the southwest by the Mogollon highlands rift shoulder, and Hogback monocline to the northwest (Kelley, 1950, 1951, 1957) (Fig. 2). a high-standing structural feature that formed at the same time as
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Notes on Paleocene and Lower Eocene Mammal Horizons of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado
    56.9(1181:78.9). Article XXXII.- NOTES ON PALEOCENE AND LOWER EOCENE MAMMAL HORIZONS OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO. BY WALTER GRANGER. PLATES XCVII AND XCVIII. The purpose of the present short paper is to indicate some of the results of the Eocene exploration conducted by the writer, with the assistance of Mr. George Olsen, in the San Juan Basin in 1916. It is hoped that the fol- lowing notes may be of some aid to future Eocene collecting in this region and possibly also to detailed geologic plotting. Three separate localities were examined, viz.: the Torrejon of Angel Peak, lying south of the San Juan River; the Torrejon of the Animas Valley, between Aztec and Cedar Hill; a set of later beds in Colorado, lying north of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, between Los Pifios and Piedra Rivers. The American Museum expedition of 1913 visited nearly all of the Paleocene localities of the San Juan Basin from which fossils had previously been obtained, made extensive collections and summarized the strati- graphic results in a paper published the following year.1 These localities are all on the south side of the San Juan River and extend in a long line from the vicinity of Ojo Alamo eastward to the Puerco River below Cuba. Exposures lying to the north near the San Juan and in the Animas Valley were known to be Paleocene but for lack of time were not examined that year. The Angel Peak Region. The exposures at Angel Peak are in the form of a gigantic crater cut out of a fairly level grass-covered plain to a depth of several hundred feet and with a diameter of three to four miles.
    [Show full text]
  • VOLCANIC INFLUENCE OVER FLUVIAL SEDIMENTATION in the CRETACEOUS Mcdermott MEMBER, ANIMAS FORMATION, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO
    VOLCANIC INFLUENCE OVER FLUVIAL SEDIMENTATION IN THE CRETACEOUS McDERMOTT MEMBER, ANIMAS FORMATION, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO Colleen O’Shea A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE August: 2009 Committee: James Evans, advisor Kurt Panter, co-advisor John Farver ii Abstract James Evans, advisor Volcanic processes during and after an eruption can impact adjacent fluvial systems by high influx rates of volcaniclastic sediment, drainage disruption, formation and failure of natural dams, changes in channel geometry and changes in channel pattern. Depending on the magnitude and frequency of disruptive events, the fluvial system might “recover” over a period of years or might change to some other morphology. The goal of this study is to evaluate the preservation potential of volcanic features in the fluvial environment and assess fluvial system recovery in a probable ancient analog of a fluvial-volcanic system. The McDermott Member is the lower member of the Late Cretaceous - Tertiary Animas Formation in SW Colorado. Field studies were based on a southwest-northeast transect of six measured sections near Durango, Colorado. In the field, 13 lithofacies have been identified including various types of sandstones, conglomerates, and mudrocks interbedded with lahars, mildly reworked tuff, and primary pyroclastic units. Subsequent microfacies analysis suggests the lahar lithofacies can be subdivided into three types based on clast composition and matrix color, this might indicate different volcanic sources or sequential changes in the volcanic center. In addition, microfacies analysis of the primary pyroclastic units suggests both surge and block-and-ash types are present.
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic History of the San Juan Basin Area, New Mexico and Colorado Edward C
    New Mexico Geological Society Downloaded from: http://nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/1 Geologic history of the San Juan Basin area, New Mexico and Colorado Edward C. Beaumont and Charles B. Read, 1950, pp. 49-54 in: San Juan Basin (New Mexico and Colorado), Kelley, V. C.; Beaumont, E. C.; Silver, C.; [eds.], New Mexico Geological Society 1st Annual Fall Field Conference Guidebook, 152 p. This is one of many related papers that were included in the 1950 NMGS Fall Field Conference Guidebook. Annual NMGS Fall Field Conference Guidebooks Since 1950, the New Mexico Geological Society has held an annual Fall Field Conference that visits some region of New Mexico (or surrounding states). Always well attended, these conferences provide a guidebook to participants. Besides detailed road logs, the guidebooks contain many well written, edited, and peer-reviewed papers. These books have set the national standard for geologic guidebooks and are an important reference for anyone working in or around New Mexico. Free Downloads The New Mexico Geological Society has decided to make our peer-reviewed Fall Field Conference guidebook papers available for free download. Non-members will have access to guidebook papers, but not from the last two years. Members will have access to all papers. This is in keeping with our mission of promoting interest, research, and cooperation regarding geology in New Mexico. However, guidebook sales represent a significant proportion of the societies' operating budget. Therefore, only research papers will be made available for download. Road logs, mini-papers, maps, stratigraphic charts, and other selected content will remain available only in the printed guidebooks.
    [Show full text]
  • Eocene–Early Miocene Paleotopography of the Sierra Nevada–Great Basin–Nevadaplano Based on Widespread Ash-Flow Tuffs and P
    Origin and Evolution of the Sierra Nevada and Walker Lane themed issue Eocene–Early Miocene paleotopography of the Sierra Nevada–Great Basin–Nevadaplano based on widespread ash-fl ow tuffs and paleovalleys Christopher D. Henry1, Nicholas H. Hinz1, James E. Faulds1, Joseph P. Colgan2, David A. John2, Elwood R. Brooks3, Elizabeth J. Cassel4, Larry J. Garside1, David A. Davis1, and Steven B. Castor1 1Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA 3California State University, Hayward, California 94542, USA 4Department of Earth and Environment, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604, USA ABSTRACT the great volume of erupted tuff and its erup- eruption fl owed similar distances as the mid- tion after ~3 Ma of nearly continuous, major Cenozoic tuffs at average gradients of ~2.5–8 The distribution of Cenozoic ash-fl ow tuffs pyroclastic eruptions near its caldera that m/km. Extrapolated 200–300 km (pre-exten- in the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada of probably fi lled in nearby topography. sion) from the Pacifi c Ocean to the central eastern California (United States) demon- Distribution of the tuff of Campbell Creek Nevada caldera belt, the lower gradient strates that the region, commonly referred and other ash-fl ow tuffs and continuity of would require elevations of only 0.5 km for to as the Nevadaplano, was an erosional paleovalleys demonstrates that (1) the Basin valley fl oors and 1.5 km for interfl uves. The highland that was drained by major west- and Range–Sierra Nevada structural and great eastward, upvalley fl ow is consistent and east-trending rivers, with a north-south topographic boundary did not exist before with recent stable isotope data that indicate paleodivide through eastern Nevada.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology and Coal Resources of the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado
    Chapter Q National Coal Resource Geology and Coal Resources of the Assessment Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado Click here to return to Disc 1 By James E. Fassett1 Volume Table of Contents Chapter Q of Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah Edited by M.A. Kirschbaum, L.N.R. Roberts, and L.R.H. Biewick U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625–B* 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225 * This report, although in the USGS Professional Paper series, is available only on CD-ROM and is not available separately U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Contents Abstract........................................................................................................................................................Q1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope ............................................................................................................................. 2 Location and Extent of Area............................................................................................................... 2 Earlier Investigations .......................................................................................................................... 2 Geography............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mesozoic Stratigraphy at Durango, Colorado
    160 New Mexico Geological Society, 56th Field Conference Guidebook, Geology of the Chama Basin, 2005, p. 160-169. LUCAS AND HECKERT MESOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY AT DURANGO, COLORADO SPENCER G. LUCAS AND ANDREW B. HECKERT New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104 ABSTRACT.—A nearly 3-km-thick section of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks is exposed at Durango, Colorado. This section con- sists of Upper Triassic, Middle-Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous strata that well record the geological history of southwestern Colorado during much of the Mesozoic. At Durango, Upper Triassic strata of the Chinle Group are ~ 300 m of red beds deposited in mostly fluvial paleoenvironments. Overlying Middle-Upper Jurassic strata of the San Rafael Group are ~ 300 m thick and consist of eolian sandstone, salina limestone and siltstone/sandstone deposited on an arid coastal plain. The Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation is ~ 187 m thick and consists of sandstone and mudstone deposited in fluvial environments. The only Lower Cretaceous strata at Durango are fluvial sandstone and conglomerate of the Burro Canyon Formation. Most of the overlying Upper Cretaceous section (Dakota, Mancos, Mesaverde, Lewis, Fruitland and Kirtland units) represents deposition in and along the western margin of the Western Interior seaway during Cenomanian-Campanian time. Volcaniclastic strata of the overlying McDermott Formation are the youngest Mesozoic strata at Durango. INTRODUCTION Durango, Colorado, sits in the Animas River Valley on the northern flank of the San Juan Basin and in the southern foothills of the San Juan and La Plata Mountains. Beginning at the northern end of the city, and extending to the southern end of town (from north of Animas City Mountain to just south of Smelter Moun- tain), the Animas River cuts in an essentially downdip direction through a homoclinal Mesozoic section of sedimentary rocks about 3 km thick (Figs.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Western and Southern North America
    OF WESTERN AND SOUTHERN NORTH AMERICA OF WESTERN AND SOUTHERN NORTH PALEONTOLOGY GEOLOGY AND VERTEBRATE Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Western and Southern North America Edited By Xiaoming Wang and Lawrence G. Barnes Contributions in Honor of David P. Whistler WANG | BARNES 900 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90007 Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Series 41 May 28, 2008 Paleocene primates from the Goler Formation of the Mojave Desert in California Donald L. Lofgren,1 James G. Honey,2 Malcolm C. McKenna,2,{,2 Robert L. Zondervan,3 and Erin E. Smith3 ABSTRACT. Recent collecting efforts in the Goler Formation in California’s Mojave Desert have yielded new records of turtles, rays, lizards, crocodilians, and mammals, including the primates Paromomys depressidens Gidley, 1923; Ignacius frugivorus Matthew and Granger, 1921; Plesiadapis cf. P. anceps; and Plesiadapis cf. P. churchilli. The species of Plesiadapis Gervais, 1877, indicate that Member 4b of the Goler Formation is Tiffanian. In correlation with Tiffanian (Ti) lineage zones, Plesiadapis cf. P. anceps indicates that the Laudate Discovery Site and Edentulous Jaw Site are Ti2–Ti3 and Plesiadapis cf. P. churchilli indicates that Primate Gulch is Ti4. The presence of Paromomys Gidley, 1923, at the Laudate Discovery Site suggests that the Goler Formation occurrence is the youngest known for the genus. Fossils from Member 3 and the lower part of Member 4 indicate a possible marine influence as Goler Formation sediments accumulated. On the basis of these specimens and a previously documented occurrence of marine invertebrates in Member 4d, the Goler Basin probably was in close proximity to the ocean throughout much of its existence.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Arundo Donax on Southern California River Processes
    EFFECTS OF ARUNDO DONAX ON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RIVER PROCESSES PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF RIVER HYDRAULICS, SEDIMENT TRANSPORT, AND GEOMORPHOLOGY FINAL DRAFT Submitted to: California Invasive Plant Council 14442-A Walnut Street, #462 Berkeley, CA 94709 Prepared by: northwest hydraulic consultants inc 3950 Industrial Blvd. #100C West Sacramento, CA 95691 Contact: Robert C. MacArthur, Principal Phone: (916) 371-7400 [email protected] Submitted on: January 26, 2011 File 50615 nhc Report Prepared by: ______________________________ Robert C. MacArthur, Ph.D., P.E., Project Manager ______________________________ René Leclerc, Geomorphologist ______________________________ Ken Rood, P.Geo, Geomorphologist _______________________________ Ed Wallace, P.E., Principal Engineer DISCLAIMER This document has been prepared by northwest hydraulic consultants in accordance with generally accepted engineering practices and is intended for the exclusive use and benefit of the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) and their authorized representatives for specific application to their Southern California Arundo Donax Project. The contents of this document are not to be relied upon or used, in whole or in part, by or for the benefit of others without specific written authorization from northwest hydraulic consultants. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made. northwest hydraulic consultants and its officers, directors, employees, and agents assume no responsibility for the reliance upon this document or any of its contents by any parties other
    [Show full text]
  • Probabilistic Source-To-Sink Analysis of the Provenance of the California Paleoriver: Implications for the Early Eocene Paleog
    PROBABILISTIC SOURCE-TO-SINK ANALYSIS OF THE PROVENANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA PALEORIVER: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EARLY EOCENE PALEOGEOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA by Evan Rhys Jones A thesis submitted to the Faculty and the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Geology). Golden, Colorado Date __________________________ Signed: _____________________________ Evan Jones Signed: _____________________________ Dr. Piret Plink-Björklund Thesis Advisor Golden, Colorado Date __________________________ Signed: _____________________________ Dr. M. Stephen Enders Interim Department Head Department of Geology and Geological Engineering ii ABSTRACT The Latest Paleocene to Early Eocene Colton and Wasatch Formations exposed in the Roan Cliffs on the southern margin of the Uinta Basin, UT make up a genetically related lobate wedge of dominantly fluvial deposits. Estimates of the size of the river that deposited this wedge of sediment vary by more than an order of magnitude. Some authors suggest the sediments are locally derived from Laramide Uplifts that define the southern margin of the Uinta Basin, the local recycling hypotheses. Other authors suggest the sediments were transported by a river system with headwaters 750 km south of the Uinta Basin, the California paleoriver hypothesis. This study uses source-to-sink analysis to constrain the size of the river system that deposited the Colton-Wasatch Fm. We pay particular attention to the what magnitude and recurrence interval of riverine discharge is preserved in the Colton-Wasatch Fm. stratigraphy, and consider the effects this has on scaling discharge to the paleo-catchment area of the system. We develop new scaling relationships between discharge and catchment area using daily gauging data from 415 rivers worldwide.
    [Show full text]
  • U-Pb Detrital Zircon Geochronology of the Late Paleocene Early Eocene Wilcox Group, East-Central Texas
    U-PB DETRITAL ZIRCON GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE LATE PALEOCENE EARLY EOCENE WILCOX GROUP, EAST-CENTRAL TEXAS A Thesis by PRESTON JAMES WAHL Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Chair of Committee, Thomas E. Yancey Co-Chair of Committee, Mike Pope Committee Members, Brent V. Miller Walter Ayers Head of Department, Rick Giardino August 2015 Major Subject: Geology Copyright 2015 Preston James Wahl ABSTRACT Sediment delivery to Texas and the northwestern Gulf of Mexico during the Early Paleogene represents an initial cycle of tectonic-influenced deposition that corresponds with the timing of late Laramide uplift. Sediments shed from Laramide uplifts to east- central Texas and the northwestern Gulf of Mexico during this time are preserved in strata of the Wilcox Group and lower Claiborne Group. U-Pb dating of detrital zircons from closely spaced stratigraphic units within these groups and the underlying Midway Group by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) reveals the relative arrival time of late Laramide-age detrital zircons to east-central Texas and distinct detrital zircon age assemblages. Comparison of zircon age assemblages from this study with data from potential source regions and additional Wilcox and Claiborne Group samples along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coastal Plain provides insight into paleodrainage during the Early Paleogene. The relative arrival time of late Laramide-age detrital zircons to east-central Texas corresponds with deposition of the Hooper Formation of the Wilcox Group, although the presence of these detrital zircons fluctuates within younger samples.
    [Show full text]
  • Sedimentation, Pedogenesis, and Paleoclimate Conditions in the Paleocene San Juan Basin, New Mexico, U.S.A
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 7-1-2016 Sedimentation, pedogenesis, and paleoclimate conditions in the Paleocene San Juan Basin, New Mexico, U.S.A. Kevin Hobbs Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/eps_etds Recommended Citation Hobbs, Kevin. "Sedimentation, pedogenesis, and paleoclimate conditions in the Paleocene San Juan Basin, New Mexico, U.S.A.." (2016). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/eps_etds/104 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Kevin Michael Hobbs Candidate Earth and Planetary Sciences Department This dissertation is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Dissertation Committee: Dr. Peter Fawcett, Chairperson Dr. Leslie McFadden Dr. Gary Weissmann Dr. Thomas Williamson i SEDIMENTATION, PEDOGENESIS, AND PALEOCLIMATE CONDITIONS IN THE PALEOCENE SAN JUAN BASIN, NEW MEXICO, U.S.A. by KEVIN MICHAEL HOBBS B.S., Geology, The University of the South, 2006 M.S., Geological Sciences, The University of Idaho, 2010 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Earth and Planetary Sciences The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico July 2016 ii ACKNOWLEDMENTS I thank the following persons for professional help in the form of discussions, critique of ideas, or suggestions during the research and writing of this dissertation: From the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department: Viorel Atudorei, Adrian Brearley, Ben Burnett, Jeff Carritt, Laura Crossey, Magdalena Donahue, Maya Elrick, John Geissmann, Nick George, Karl Karlstrom, Bekah Levine, Grant Meyer, Corrinne Myers, Lyman Persico, Jane Selverstone, Zach Sharp, Mike Spilde.
    [Show full text]
  • Hydrologic Assessment of Oil and Gas Resource Development of the Mancos Shale in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico
    HYDROLOGIC ASSESSMENT OF OIL AND GAS RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MANCOS SHALE IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN, NEW MEXICO Open-file Report 566 By Shari Kelley, Thomas Engler, Martha Cather, Cathryn Pokorny, Cheng-Heng Yang, Ethan Mamer, Gretchen Hoffman, Joe Wilch, Peggy Johnson, and Kate Zeigler New Mexico Bureau Geology & Mineral Resources New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Socorro, New Mexico 87801 November 2014 HYDROLOGIC ASSESSMENT OF OIL AND GAS RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MANCOS SHALE IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN, NEW MEXICO Prepared for the Farmington Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management Shari A. Kelley, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801, [email protected] Thomas W. Engler, Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801 Martha Cather, Petroleum Recovery Research Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Cathryn Pokorny, Cheng-Heng Yang, Ethan Mamer, Gretchen Hoffman, Joe Wilch, and Peggy Johnson, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801 Kate Zeigler, Zeigler Geologic Consulting, Albuquerque, NM 87123 1 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]