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Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Paleontology of the Lower Eocene San Jose Formation in the Central Portion of the San Juan Basin, Northwestern New Mexico

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Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Paleontology of the Lower Eocene San Jose Formation in the Central Portion of the San Juan Basin, Northwestern New Mexico New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources A DIVISION OF NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY Stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology of the lower Eocene San Jose Formation in the central portion of the San Juan Basin, northwestern New Mexico Larry N. Smith' and Spencer G. Lucas² 'Shell Western E. & P., Inc., P.O. Box 527, Houston, Texas 77001; 'New Mexico Museum of Natural History, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104 SOCORRO 1991 11 NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY Laurence H. Lattman, President NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF MINES & MINERAL RESOURCES Charles E. Chapin, Director and State Geologist BOARD OF REGENTS Ex Officio Bruce King, Governor of New Mexico Alan Morgan, Superintendent of Public Instruction Appointed Steve Torres, President, 1967-1997, Albuquerque Carol A. Rymer, M.D., President-Designate, 1989-1995, Albuquerque Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez, Secretary/Treasurer, 1989-1995, Albuquerque Robert 0. Anderson, 1987-1993, Roswell Charles Zimmerly, 1991-1997, Socorro BUREAU STAFF Full Time ORIN J. ANDERSON, Geologist ROBERT W. EVELETH Senior Mining Engineer NORMA J. MEEKS, Senior Pub./Bus. Office Clerk RUBEN ARCHULETA, Metallurgical Lab. Tech. Lois GOLLMER, Staff Secretary BARBARA R. POPP, Chemical Lab. Tech. II AUGUSTUS K. ARMSTRONG, USGS Geologist IBRAHIM GUNDILER, Metallurgist MARSHALL A. REITER, Senior Geophysicist GEORGE S. AUSTIN, Senior Industrial Minerals Geologist WILLIAM C. HANEBERG, Engineering Geologist JACQUES R. RENAULT, Senior Geologist AL BACA, Maintenance Carpenter II JOHN W. HAWLEY, Senior Env. Geologist JAMES M. ROBERTSON, Senior Economic Geologist JAMES M. BARKER, Industrial Minerals Geologist CAROL A. HjELLMING, Assistant Editor JANETTE THOMAS, Cartographic Drafter II MARGARET W. BARROLL, Post-Doctoral Fellow GRETCHEN K. HOFFMAN, Coal Geologist SAMUEL THOMPSON III, Senior Petrol. Geologist PAUL W. BAUER, Field Economic Geologist GLEN JONES, Computer Scientist/Geologist REBECCA J. TITUS, Cartographic Supervisor ROBERT A. BIEBERMAN, Emeritus Sr. Petroleum Geologist FRANK E. KOTTLOWSKI Emeritus Director and State Geologist JUDY M. VAIZA, Executive Secretary LYNN A. BRANDVOLD, Senior Chemist ANN LANNING, Administrative Secretary MANUEL J. VASQUEZ, Mechanic I RON BROADHEAD, Petrol. Geologist, Head, Petroleum Section ANNABELLE LOPEZ, Petroleum Records Clerk JEANNE M. VERPLOEGH, Chemical lab. Tech. II MONTE M. BROWN, Cartographic Drafter II THERESA L. LOPEZ, Receptionist/Staff Secretary ROBERT H. WEBER, Emeritus Senior Geologist KATHRYN E. CAMPBELL, Cartographic Drafter II DAVID W. LOVE, Environmental Geologist SUSAN J. WELCH, Assistant Editor STEVEN M. CATHER, Field Economic Geologist JANE A. CALVERT LOVE, Editor NEIL H. WHITEHEAD, III, Petroleum Geologist RICHARD CHAMBERLIN, Field Economic Geologist WILLIAM MCINTOSH, Research Geologist MARC L. WILSON, Mineralogist RICHARD R. CHAVEZ, Assistant Head, Petroleum Section CHRISTOPHER G. McKEE, X-ray Facility Manager DONALD WOLBERG, Vertebrate Paleontologist RUBEN A. CRESPIN, Garage Supervisor VIRGINIA MCLEMORE, Geologist MICHAEL W. WOOLDRIDGE, Scientific Illustrator LOIS M. DEVLIN, Director, Bus./Pub. Office LYNNE MCNEIL, Technical Secretary JIRI ZIDEK, Chief Editor—Geologist Research Associates CHRISTINA L. BALK, NMT ALONZO D. JACKA, Texas Tech HOWARD B. NICKELSON, Carlsbad WILLIAM L. CHENOWETH, Grand Junction, CO BOB JULYAN, Albuquerque GLENN R. OSBURN, Washington Univ. RUSSELL E. CLEMONS, NMSU SHARI A. KELLEY, SMU ALLAN R. SANFORD, NMT WILLIAM A. COBBAN, USGS WILLIAM E. KING, NMSU JOHN H. SCHILLING, Reno, NV CHARLES A. FERGUSON, Univ. Alberta MICHALL J. KUNK, USGS WILLIAM R. SEALER, NMSU JOHN W. GEISSMAN, UNM TIMOTHY F. LAWTON, NMSU EDWARD W. SMITH, Tesuque LELAND H. GILE, Las Cruces DAVID V. LEMONE, UTEP JOHN F. SUTTER, USGS JEFFREY A. GRAMBLINIG, UNM GREG H. MACK, NMSU RICHARD H. TEDFORD, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. RICHARD W. HARRISON, Tor C NANCY J. MCMILLAN, NMSU TOMMY B. THOMPSON, CSU CAROL A. HILL, Albuquerque Graduate Students WILLIAM C. BECK ROBERT L. FRIESEN GARRETT K. Ross JENNIFER R. BORYTA ROBERT S. KING ERNEST F. SCHARKAN, JR. STEPHEN G. CROSS DAVID J. SIVILS Plus about 30 undergraduate assistants Original Printing Published by Authority of State of New Mexico, NMSA 1953 Sec. 63-1-4 Printed by University of New Mexico Printing Services, August 1991 Available from New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM 87801 Published as public domain, therefore reproducible without permission. Source credit requested. iii Contents ABSTRACT 5 Description of Lithofacies Fbsc + Fl 24 INTRODUCTION 5 Lithology 24 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 5 Structure 25 STRUCTURE OF THE SAN JUAN BASIN 6 Burrows 26 STRATIGRAPHY 6 Root traces 26 PREVIOUS STUDIES 6 Chemistry 27 Stratigraphy of the Paleocene Ojo Alamo, Interpretation of lithofacies Fbsc + Fl 27 Nacimiento, and Animas Formations 6 Description of lithofacies Fl 27 Stratigraphy of the Eocene San Jose Interpretation of lithofacies Fl 27 Formation 7 SUMMARY OF THE SEDIMENTOLOGY OF THE SAN JOSE METHODOLOGY 7 FORMATION 27 Outcrop stratigraphy 7 SEDIMENT DISPERSAL 29 Subsurface stratigraphy 8 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY 29 STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SAN JOSE FORMATION AND RESULTS 29 SUBJACENT STRATA IN THE STUDY AREA DISCUSSION 29 8 PALEONTOLOGY 31 Cuba Mesa Member and subjacent strata 9 FOSSIL PLANTS 31 Regina Member 15 NONMARINE INVERTEBRATES Llaves and Tapicitos Members 17 31 REGIONAL CORRELATION OF THE VERTEBRATES 31 Lepisosteidae 31 MEMBERS OF THE SAN JOSE Testudines 32 FORMATION 17 Cuba Mesa Member 17 Crocodilia 32 Regina Member 18 Phenacolemur praecox 32 Llaves and Tapicitos Members 18 Oxyaena forcipata 32 SEDIMENTOLOGY OF THE SAN JOSE Ectoganus gliriformis 32 FORMATION 18 Esthonyx bisulcatus 32 SANDSTONE-DOMINATED LITHOFACIES Coryphodon molestus 32 18 Hyopsodus miticulus 32 Description of lithofacies St + Sh 18 Phenacodus primaevus 32 Interpretation of lithofacies St + Sh 20 Hyracotherium angustidens 32 Description of lithofacies Sm 22 Mammalia, indeterminate 35 Interpretation of lithofacies Sm 22 BIOCHRONOLOGY 35 Description of lithofacies St 22 SUMMARY 35 Interpretation of lithofacies St 23 REFERENCES 35 Description of lithofacies Sh 23 APPENDIX 1: Location and ownership of well logs Interpretation of lithofacies Sh 23 used 38 Description of lithofacies Sr 23 APPENDIX 2: Paleocurrent vector-mean data and Interpretation of lithofacies Sr 24 statistics 40 Description of lithofacies Gt 24 APPENDIX 3: Fossil localities 43 Interpretation of lithofacies Gt 24 MUDROCK-DOMINATED LITHOFACIES 24 Figures 1—Location map 5 19—Block diagram of lithofacies St + Sh 20 2—Map of structure in central San Juan Basin 6 20—Rose diagrams of cross-strata 21 3—Diagrammatic north–south cross section 7 21—Panorama of epsilon cross-strata 21 4—Nomenclature of San Jose Formation 7 5—Map 22—Facies model for lithofacies St + Sh 23 of San Jose Formation members 8 23—Magdalena Butte area 24 6—Locations of well logs and cross sections 9 24—Stratigraphic section of lithofacies Fbsc + Fl 25 7—Correlation of well logs to stratigraphic sections 10 25—Lithofacies Fbsc + Fl 26 8—Cuba Mesa Member of San Jose Formation 10 26—Measured section and photograph of lithofacies Fl 28 9—Geologic and site-location map of study area 11 27—Outcrop map of lithofacies Fl 28 10—Well logs along cross section 2 12 28—Portrayal of sedimentology 29 11—Stratigraphy along cross section 2 13 29—Paleocurrent vector means 30 12—Stratigraphy along cross section 1 13 30—Paleocurrent vector means in Magdalena Butte area 13—Well logs along cross section 3 14 31 14—Stratigraphy along cross section 3 15 31—Wasatchian vertebrate fossils 33 15—Regina Member of San Jose Formation 15 32—Composite stratigraphic section showing fossil 16—Stratigraphic sections 16 localities 34 17—Strata in La Jara Canyon 18 18—Lithofacies St + Sh 19 Tables 1—Bed thicknesses and lithologic percentages 17 2—Summary of lithofacies 19 Plate (in pocket) 1—Compilation of well-log data and correlations of formation members along cross sections. 5 Abstract—The lower Eocene San Jose Formation in the central portion of the San Juan Basin of New Mexico consists of the Cuba Mesa, Regina, Llaves, and Tapicitos Members. Well-log data indicate that, from its 100 m thickness, the Cuba Mesa Member thins towards the center of the basin and pinches out to the northeast by latitude 36° 40' N, longitude 107° 19' W. The Regina Member crops out most extensively in the study area and decreases in sandstone-to-mudrock ratio to the north. The Llaves and Tapicitos Members occur only in the highest locales of the area, are thin due to erosion, and are not mappable as separate units. Well-log data and 1275 m of measured sections in the Regina, Llaves, and Tapicitos Members indicate that strata in the study area are made up of approximately 35% medium- to coarse-grained sandstone and 65% fine-grained sandstone and mudrock. Sedimentology and sediment-dispersal patterns in the study area suggest deposition by generally south-flowing streams that had sources to the northwest, northeast, and east. Low-sinuosity, sand-bedded, braided(?) streams shifted laterally across approximately 1 km wide channel belts to produce sheet sandstones that are prominent throughout the formation. Levees separated channel environments from floodplain and local la- custrine areas. Avulsion relocated channels periodically to areas on the floodplain, resulting in the typically disconnected sheet sandstones within muddy overbank sediments of the Regina Member. Fossil plants from lacustrine strata of the Regina Member at Santos
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