Late Pleistocene and Recent Chronologies of Playa Lakes in Arizona and New Mexico
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Late Pleistocene and recent chronologies of Playa lakes in Arizona and New Mexico Item Type Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic); text Authors Long, Austin 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 26/09/2021 12:55:31 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/190942 LATE PLEISTOCENE AND RECENT CHRONOLOGIES OF PLAYA LAKES IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO by Austin Long A Dissertation 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 TRE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1966 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE I hereby recommend that this dissertation prepared under my direction by Austin long entitled"Late Pleistocene and Recent Chronologies of P]..aya takes in Arizona and New be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement of the degree of Ph.D. Dr. Paul E. tmon March 22, 1966 Dissertation Director Date After inspection of the dissertation, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance:* 2 *Thjs 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. 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 borrowers 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 head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. S I GNED: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is a sincere pleasure to acknowledge the continual guidance and, encouragement given me by Professor Paul E. Damon, who suggested the Wilicox problem and patiently helped in the improvement of the manuscript. I also wish to thank Professor Terah L. Smiley, Dr. John F. Lance, Dr. Myron L. Corrin and Dr. Leslie S. Forster for their helpful and unselfish council. Discussions with Dr. Joseph F. Schreiber, Jr. and Dr. Paul S. Martin were most beneficial. This work was supported in part by the Research Corporation, National Science Foundation grant GP-2330, and. the Smithsonian Institution. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS viii ABSTRACT X PART I. WILLCOX AND NEARBY PLUVIAL LAKE AREAS 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO PART I 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE WILLCOX LOCALITY AND SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS WORK 3 Physiographic and Climatic Setting 3 Geologic Setting, Pre-Quaternary 5 Hydrologic Setting .5 Previous Pleistocene Studies in the Locality 6 The Geochronology Laboratories' Willcox Core 8 Pollen analysis 8 Petrographic analysis 9 Eh-pH analysis 11 QUATERNARY STRATIGHAPHY IN THEWILLCOX AREA, ITS CORRELATION AND CARBON-lk DATING 13 The Late Quaternary Stratigraphy of the Willoox Basin 13 Sections on the east side of the plays 13 Sections on the north side of the playa 1k Sections on the west side of the playa 15 The plays surface sediments 16 The Radiocarbon Dating 16 Materials collected for dating 16 Shell material 17 Tufa 19 Caicrete and caliche 20 Marl 21 Calcium carbonate nodules 22 iv V TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Methods of analysis 26 Results of analyses 27 The Carbon-1k Data 31 STUDIES AT THE LORDSBURG AND SAN AUGUSTIN PLAXA LAKE LOCALITIES 32 Lordsburg Area 33 Brief description of setting: comparison and contrast to Wilicox 33 Stratigraphy and Carbon-ill, dates 314. Playas Lake 35 San Augustin Plains Study 36 Brief description of setting 36 Previous work on Pleistocene chronology 37 Tufa samples 37 The carbon-14 analyses 38 DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS 39 Interpretation of Lithology Studies at Wil].cox 39 Significance of the mineralogy of the Geoohronology Laboratories Willoox core 39 Significance of the Eh-pH analyses 14.0 Correlation and environments of deposition of the units described and used in this study 47 The Lower Green Clay 47 The Wilicox White Marl 48 The Intermediate Gravel 48 The Upper Green Clay 49 Willoox Carbonate Nodules 49 Upper Sands and Gravels 50 Radiocarbon Dating at Willoox and Time- stratigraphic Correlations 51 Summary of Lake Cochise Chronology and. Regional Equivalents 53 Interpretation of Data from the Lordsburg Area 54 Interpretation of Dates from the San Augustin Plains and their Lake Level Significance 55 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Overall Climatic Pictureinthe Southeast Arizona-NewMexico Area 56 Comparisonof Carbon-13Data with Climate and. Possible Significance 57 PART II. COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF LATE QUATERNARY CLIMATE 58 COMPARISON WITH OTHER PLUVIAL AREAS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES 58 The Great Basin 58 Searles Lake 59 LakeMo have 60 TheSaltonSea 60 The Liano Estacad.o 61 Lake Estancia, New Mexico and Spring Valley, Nevada 61 PLUVIAL AND GLACIALCHRONOLOGIES ON A WORLD-WIDE SCALE 62 Central North America 64 Western North America 65 Eastern North America 67 Glacial Episodes Exclusive of North AmerIca 69 The Sea Level Problem 71 PluvialZonesExclusiveofNorth America 77 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSED FURTHER WORK APPENDIX I 116 APPENDIX II 126 APPENDIX III 129 REFERENCES CITED 131 LIST OF TABLES Table Page I COMPARISON OF LOSS ON IGNITION OF DIFFERENT NODULES 8 II DATES FROM THE GEO CHRONOLOGY LABORATORIES' CORE 85 III DATES FROM SHELL MATERIAL 86 IV DATES ON THE WILLCOX WHITE MARL 87 V CALICHE DATED AT WILLCOX 88 VI CARBONATES 'DATED" FROM DUNES 89 VII C-13 DATA ON SELECTED SAMPLES 90 VIII ANTEVS' LAKE SAN AUGUSTIN CHRONOLOGY 91 IX DATES FROM THE SAN AUGUSTIN PLAINS 92 X EUROPEAN CLIMATIC PHASESMODIFIED AFTER BUTZER (1958) 93 XI CARBON-1)4 ANALYSES FROM THE U. S. ATLANTIC COAST 9k vi. 1. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page WATERSHED OF THE WILLCOX BASIN 95 AERIAL MOSAIC OF THE WILLCOX PLAYA 96 MAMMOTH PELVIS AT THE GARDNER'S RANCH 97 Eh-pH DIAGRAM OR GEOCHEMICAL FACIES DIAGRAM 98 PLOT OF Eh AND pH VERSUS DEPTH IN THE CORE 99 6a. PROLIFIC OCCURRENCE OF NODULES AT ELEVATION 4175 ON EAST SIDE OF PLAYA 100 6'o. PROLIFIC OCCURRENCE OF NODULES AT ELEVATION 4175 ON EAST SIDE OF PLAYA 100 EXAMPLES OF NODULES FOUND AT WILLCOX 101 EXAMPLES OF NODULES FOUND AT WILLCOX 101 PLOT OF TOP OF CALICHE ZONE VERSUS RAINFALL 102 EXAMPLE OF POLYGONAL CRACKING IN NODULE 103 lOa. PHOTONICROGRAPHS OF TUFA FROM SAN AUGUSTIN PLAINS 104 lOb. PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF TUFA FROM SAN AUGUSTIN PLAINS 104 ha. HAND SPECIMEN OF TUFA FROM SAN AUGUSTIN PLAINS 105 lib. HAND SPECIMEN OF WILLCOX WHITE MARL 105 12a. PHOTOMICROGRAPH OF TYPICAL NODULE FROM WILLCOX 106 viii ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (continued) Fipure Page 12b. PHOTONICROGRAPH OF CALICHE NODULE FROM LOESS 106 13. DOUBLE ADOBE CALICHE SHOWING EROSION TO NODULAR SIZE REMNANTS 107 1. AERIAL MOASIC OF WILLCOX PLAYA SHOWING SAMPLE LOCATIONS AND LOCI OF CROSS SECTIONS 108 15. CROSS SECTIONS ACROSS THE EDGES OF WILLCOX PLAYA 109 DRAINAGE DITCH EXPOSING WILLCOX WHITE MARL AT ELEVATION 1l205 FT. ON EAST SIDE OF PLAYA 110 WILLCOX WHITE MARL EXPOSED IN LIME PIT B 110 CROTON SPRINGS WITH THE PIAYA IN BACKGROUND 111 CLOSEUP OF BLUFF AT CROTON SPRINGS NEAR THE PLAYA 111 GARDNER'S RANCH SECTION 112 GRAVEL PIT NORTH OF PLAYA SHOWING UGC 112 180. GRAVEL PIT NORTH OF PLAYA SHOWING IG CAPPED BY UGC 112 COMPOSITE SECTIONS AT WILLOX PLLYA VICINITY SHOWING LAKE COCHISE STRATA 113 PROFILE AT SOUTHWEST EDGE OF SAN AUGUSTIN PLAINS, WEST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO ilk TWO SECTIONS FROM THE ANIMAS VALLEY, SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO 115 ABSTRACT A stratigraphic radiocarbon study at the Wilicox Playa and vicinity in Cochise County, southeastern Arizona has revealed a sedimentary sequence reflecting the lake level chronology of ancient Lake Cochise. The lower green clay was deposited in a lake at least 30 miles long from before 30,000 years ago until about 13,000 years ago. A marl formation which began depositing about 25,000 years ago and continued until the lake diminished to about its present state 13,000 years ago, indicates a warm, moist climate at that time. The period from 13,000 B.?. (before present) and 11,000 B.P. was one of alluvial deposition north of the playa and channel cutting east of the playa. An upper green clay, 6 to 8 inches thick, represented the final phase of Lake Cochise, lasting from 11,500 B.P. until 10,500 B.?. A thin marl layer was deposited during this phase, indicating warm moist con- ditions again. The lake rapidly receded, some playa sediments deflated from the surface, and dunes formed north of the playa. Preliminary studies of two playas near Lordsburg, New Mexico and one at the San Augustin Plains, New Mexico, x xi indicate these fluctuations were responding to a general climate change rather than isolated tectonic disturbances. The climate chronology concluded from this study is consistent with known climatic variations in the world. PART I: WILLCOX AND NEARBY PLUVIAL LAKE AREAS GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO PART I When Meinzer and Kelton (1913) first studied the geology and hydrology of the Sulphur Spring Valley in southeastern Arizona they recognized the Wilicox Playa as a Pleistocene lake which they named Lake Cochise.