Geology and Coal Resources of the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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............................................................................................................................................. 4 Drainage....................................................................................................................................... 4 Landforms .................................................................................................................................... 5 Access.......................................................................................................................................... 5 General Geology ......................................................................................................................... 5 Regional Structure............................................................................................................................... 8 Energy Minerals................................................................................................................................... 8 Oil and Gas................................................................................................................................... 8 Upper Cretaceous Coal.............................................................................................................. 8 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................... 9 Geology of the Fruitland Formation and Related Rocks ......................................................................... 9 Depositional History ............................................................................................................................ 9 Lewis Shale.................................................................................................................................. 9 Huerfanito Bentonite Bed of the Lewis Shale........................................................................ 9 History and Definition........................................................................................................ 9 Subsequent Developments ............................................................................................ 10 Distribution and Character............................................................................................. 11 Pictured Cliffs Sandstone........................................................................................................ 12 General Discussion ......................................................................................................... 12 Shoreline Trends.............................................................................................................. 13 Rate of Regression .......................................................................................................... 15 Fruitland Formation................................................................................................................... 15 Kirtland Formation .................................................................................................................... 16 McDermott Member of the Animas Formation.................................................................... 16 Upper Cretaceous Chronostratigraphy of the San Juan Basin ................................................. 16 Earlier Publications .................................................................................................................. 16 Hunter Wash Study Area......................................................................................................... 16 Ash Beds ........................................................................................................................... 16 Ash-Bed Ages .................................................................................................................. 19 Magnetic Polarity ............................................................................................................ 19 Paleontology..................................................................................................................... 19 Chimney Rock Study Area....................................................................................................... 24 Ash Beds ........................................................................................................................... 24 Age of Ash Bed CR .......................................................................................................... 25 La Plata Mine Ash Bed ................................................................................................... 25 Ammonite Zonation of Lewis Shale at Chimney Rock Site ....................................... 25 Magnetic Polarity ............................................................................................................ 26 Summary of Chronostratigraphy ............................................................................................ 26 Ammonite Zones in Upper Lewis Shale ....................................................................... 26 Ash-Bed Ages .................................................................................................................. 27 Age of Magnetic Polarity Reversal from C33n to C32r .............................................. 27 Rates of Sediment Accumulation and Pictured Cliffs Shoreline Regression ........ 29 Rate of Subsidence of San Juan Basin Area During Pictured Cliffs Time ............. 32 Depositional Model for Lewis/Pictured Cliffs/Fruitland System ................................................ 34 This Report................................................................................................................................. 34 Ayers Model............................................................................................................................... 34 Basin Structure .................................................................................................................................. 37 Huerfanito Bentonite Bed Structure...................................................................................... 37 Pictured Cliffs Sandstone Structure...................................................................................... 40 Assessment of Fruitland Formation Coal Resources............................................................................ 40 Methodology....................................................................................................................................... 40 Base Map Preparation............................................................................................................. 40 Geophysical Logs...................................................................................................................... 42 Distribution of Data Points ...................................................................................................... 44 Core Data ................................................................................................................................... 46 Coal Outcrop Measurements.................................................................................................. 46 Database ............................................................................................................................................. 46 Data Point Locations ................................................................................................................ 46 Geophysical Log Data .............................................................................................................. 46 Contour Map Preparation........................................................................................................ 48 Data Screening for Errors .......................................................................................................48 Geographic Distribution of Fruitland Formation Coal .................................................................. 48 Net-Coal Isopach Map............................................................................................................