Tertiary volcanic rocks and variously dipping Geologyof CieneguillaCreek -Pennsylvanianstrata. In the Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin, Precambrian, Mississippian, , drainagebasin in southwest Permian, , and Tertiary rocks crop out along the margins of the basin; Quaternary and Holocene alluvial deposits cover the cen- ColfaxCounty, New Mexico tral portion of the basin. The basin is broken and segmentedby nu- merous thrust, normal, and transverse faults byClay T Smith,Geoscience Department, New lvlexico Tech, Socorro, NM and that expose the Precambrian in RobertM Colpitts,Jr , StaffGeologist, W K Summers,and Associales, Inc , Socorro,Nl\il the northern part of the basinand the Sangrede Cristo For- mation (Permian-Pennsylvanian) and the Regional setting lower reaches caused by downcutting in the Magdalena Group (Pennsylvanian) in the cen- The Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin oc- soft alluvium of the old valley floor. Trib- tral and southern parts. Fig. I shows the cupiesthe southern two-thirds of the Moreno utaries on the east side of the valley have both overall geology and structural relationships in Valley in the Sangrede Cristo Mountains of dendritic and rectangular patterns caused by the basin. southwestColfax County, New Mexico. Mo- reno Valley is part of a long north-south topographic and structural depressionthat ex- tends southward from the Taos County line crMaf?r?sN CANYON WiLDLIFE almost to Mora, New Mexico. The area of AREA CieneguillaCreek drainagebasin is 75.2 sq mi. o Highways US-64 and NM-38 provide accessto this ranchingand recreationarea. r.b; Altitudes in the CieneguillaCreek drainage 6r basin range from 8,194 ft along the valley PlPsc {s floor to 11,086 ft on Agua Fria Peak; max- imum relief is 2,892 ft. Climate in the valley is t\ t-., tr. tt temperate-dry with average annual precipita- t, ) .. tion between 15 and 20 inches. Both Pteisto- ceneand recent erosion are responsiblefor the present valley form. Clark (1966) recognized three terrace levels within the valley: The highest terraces, representedby the Valley of the Utes, are remnants of the Broad Valley Stage. The second or intermediate stage is represented by the dissected terraces in the southern part of the valley. The third and lowest terraces near Cieneguilla Creek are in- distinguishablefrom modern streamterraces. Cieneguilla Creek drains northward from its headwaterson the west flank of Agua Fria Peak to Eagle Nest Lake-then into Cimarron Creek, a tributary of the Canadian River. Numerous tributaries drain the upper valleys /ro*")4'i and peaks into Cieneguilla Creek. Approx- .'^l--/ '/ imately half the tributary drainageways con- tain perennial streams; the remainder contain ephemeral streams that flow during spring runoff. The perennial streamsare fed by small bogs (cienegas)and springs that occur on the mountain flanks. Other springs occur on the valley floor or near its margins. Local ranch- Contocl;doshed where 7 Strike ond dip of stroto opproximofe ers have developed a number of springs for ' Slrike ond dip of verlicol beds livestock watering and/ or domestic water sup- Uz Foult;doshed where opprox- imolei plv. dolled whereconceoled 7 Strike ond dip of foliofions U =upfhrown ; D=downlhrown Tributaries on the west side of the valley /", Thrust foull; doshedwhere have a dendritic drainage pattern in 7 their up- opprorimoleibo rbs loword Slump block per reaches caused by easterly dipping Penn- ,r' overlhrusl olole. sylvanian strata, and a linear pattern in their FICURE I -GEolocrc v,a,pop CrEuncurlle Cnepx onetNAcEBAsrN. conglomer- Mernops AND pREvrous wonx-Detailed Precambrian rocks consist of metamor- grained, arkosic sand. The basal ') by very hard, gray-to-brown (l " = 500' and I " :2,M property maps phosed sedimentary rocks, granite gneiss,and ate is overlain . The supplied by Coe and Van Loo Consulting migmatites. The metasediments are predom- bedded chert and silicified Clark (1966) Engineers, Inc., were used as the base for the inantly quartzite with accessorymuscovite, overlying limestone breccia that is geologic map. In addition to low and high alti- magnetite, and hornblende; and muscovite reports immediately northwest of the basin and silicified tude aerial photos, additional stratigraphic schist with accessorychlorite, ferro-tremolite, not observed here. The chert light-brown, slightly and structural information was interpreted and sillimanite. Outcrops display apparent limestone are overlain by with from bore holes drilled and tested for water relict bedding. The granite gneiss is predom- crossbedded,medium-grained sandstone Total supply, as well as seismic profile interpreta- inantly orthoclase and quartz with accessory clay and calcium carbonate cement. is 25.5 ft. tions of the lower part of the valley prepared biotite. The biotite is partially segregated thicknessof the Mississippian rocks rocks, by Charles Reynolds and Associates,Inc. within the granite gneiss imparting a pseudo- PetNsvl-veNIAN-Pennsylvanian Ray and Smith (1941) and Smith and Ray foliation. Migmatite is confined to zones be- unconformably overlying the Mississippian (1943) discussed the geology of the Moreno tween the granite gneiss and the quartzite of and Precambrian, belong to the Magdalena (1963) Valley and the neighboring Cimarron Moun- the metasediments. group. Miller and others subdivide (Morrowan tains. Wanek and Read (1956) briefly studied The metasediments and granite gneiss are them into the Flechado Formation the area and suggested various forms of assigned to the Precambrian on the basis of to lower Des Moinesian) and the Alamitos faulting as the origin for the Moreno Valley. correlation with rocks of similar lithology, Formation (Middle to Upper Des Moinesian). Robinson and others (1964) described and metamorphic grade, and known age relation- South of Saladon Creek fault the Flechado mapped the Philmont Scout Ranch immedi- ships in other parts of the Sangre de Cristo Formation crops out in the southwestern ately east of Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin. Mountains (Callender and others, 1976). The quadrant of the basin. North of the Saladon Clark (1966) mapped the Eagle Nest Quad- granite gneiss intruded the metasediments, rangle immediately north of the area covered. perhaps after some metamorphism. Erosion Goodnight (1973) mapped the geology of the prior to Mississippian time created the surface Mississippian sedi- central Cimarron Range. on which the overlying ALSOIN THISISSUE: ments were deposited. Mlsstsstpprnt-Mississippian rocks crop out Tar sands, Santa Rosa,New Mexico p. 4 in the basin north of Saladon Creek fault, Earthquakeactivity, 1949-1961 p. 6 Stratigraphy occurring as isolated erosional remnants ly- Potashin New Mexico g. 7 PnecavsRIaN-Precambrian rocks crop ing unconformably upon Precambrian granite City ot Rocks p. 10 out in the northern part of the basin north of gneiss. These Mississippian rocks consist of the Saladon Creek Fault. South of the fault a basal arkosic conglomerate, silicified lime- COMINGSOON: they are buried by younger rocks to depths stone, chert, and light-gray, crossbeddedsand- . ranging from 3,000 ft beneath the uplifted stone. The basal conglomerate is brown and Proterozoictectonics of New Mexico . margins of the valley to as much as 13,000 ft consists of cobbles of granite gneiss and RedRock talc deposits . in the depressedcentral area. (Table l) quartzite in a matrix of poorly sorted, coarse- Geologyand paleontology,Tortugas Mtn. o Depositionalenvironments, Chinle Formation PERIOD FORMATION DESCRIPTION THTCKNESS(fr )

Complexlyinlerbedded Quolernory Volleyf ill ond ,n ?r sonds, O'-425'+ ond Terliory t Recenf olluviumlv ' , grovels,sills ond cloys. Eosoll flows (Tb) Dork-groy,dense,vesiculorbosoll. 9OO' Teriiory New A4exfic@ Cryslol luft (Tct) Lighl-groy to while oshflow luff { wilh phenocryslsof sonodine.ond r IOOO' biolile. GEOLOGV . Scienceand Seruice Lighl -groy lo buff sondslones 'g:'.ij:;: r aq, 1, February 198O Triossic (Esr) ond limeslone pebble conglomeroles. Volume 2, Number t Edirol. Neila MacDonald sorlfltof,tonc'it" Complexlyinlerbedded red-brown, published quarterly bY te nr.l -green, New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources Permion groy io groy purple,ton,ond buff sondstones,sillslones,sholes, r3400' a division of New Mexico lnstitute of Mining & Tcchnology lenliculorlimeslones ond chonnel BOARD OF REGENTS Ex Officio conglomeroles. Bruce King, Governor o! New Muico Lconard Delayo, Sapeilnlendent of Public INlruction Interbeddedblock fo groy sond- AppoiDted wilf Abbott, 196l-1979,Hobbs sholesoncl r 4300' iam G. stonesrsiltslones, Judy Floyd, Secry/Treas, 1911- 1981, Los C ruces . Pennsylvonion (lPm) Owen Lopez, Pres, 1911-1981,Sanro Fe Dave Rice, 1912-1983, Corlsbad Inferbeddedblock lo buff sond- Steve Torres, l 1-1919, Socoto slones, silislones, sholesrlimeslones ' x ar.l Mining Technology ond conglomerole New Mexico Institute of & occosionol President. . Kenneth W. Ford slri n9ers. New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mincral Resources Direclot Frank E. Kottlowski DepulyDirector. Georges Austin Mississippion ulssissiooion(M) Eosol orkosic conglomerofeover- Bureau Edilor-Aeologisl . . , , .. Robert w. Kelley f loin by silicif ied lirireslone,cherl 25.5' Subscriptiorc: Issu€d quarterly, February, May, August, ond sondslone. November; subscription pric€ $3 oolyr. Editoriol matler: Contributions of possible material for con- sidqation in future issues of NMc are w€lcome. (p€m) quorlzile musco- Materials cannot be returncd unless accompanied by Metosedimenls Inlerbedded ond ZOOO'+ vife schisl. return postage Addrcss inquiris to Neila MacDona.ld, Precombrion Editor New Mexico Geology, New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources,Socorro, NM 87801. Groniiegneiss (p€sS) Red to pink gronitic inlrusive. Cirdlqtion: 1,5@ { Priurer. Univ€rsity of New Mexico Printing Plant

TABLE l-GBxenet-rzsD srRATrcRApHrc coLUMN. CrsNscutLLl Cneex nnelNecr slsttt

February1980 New Mexico Geology Creek fault the Flechado occurs as erosional thick, forming isolatedprominent outcrops on tent increasesfrom north to south. In the remnantsunconformably overlying Mississip- steephillsides. southeastcorner of thebasin, the tuff contains pian rocks.The Flechadois only partiallyex- The thick- to very thin beddedand locally lithic fragmentsof Precambriangranite gneiss posedin the basin;some of our knowledgeof flaggy to fissile sandstonesare light gray to and purplesandstone of the Sangrede Cristo the formation comesfrom areasimmediately magentato brown,very coarse to fine grained, Formation.The ash-flowtuff is locally 1,000 westof thebasin. arkosicto feldspathic,slightly micaceous, and ft thick. The Flechadoconsists of interbeddedsand- locally conglomeratic,silty, and shaly. The The basaltflows areblack, hard, dense,and stones,conglomerates, siltstones, and some siltstonesare gray and greenishgray to red vesicular,with aggregatesof olivine, magne- limestones.The sandstonesare light to dark brown and maroon, slightly sandyto sandy, tite, and biotite. Feldsparsare not apparentin brown, mediumto coarsegrained, arkosic to slightly micaceousto micaceous,and slightly specimensexamined under a hand lens. The feldspathic, and locally conglomeratic. They calcareous.They are thin beddedto fissileand basaltsflow from the crestof Agua Fria Peak are medium to thin beddedand friable to contain brownish-gray to bright, blood-red, in all directionsand form a basalt-capped hard, dependingon the degreeof induration, lenticular nodular, micritic limestonebeds. mesabetween West Agua Fria Creekand Sala- the cementbeing clay with somecalcium car- The siltstonesform very poor outcropsand don Creek. The combinedthickness of the bonate. The conglomerates(light gray with areexposed only in roadcutsand somestream basaltflows averages900 ft. fine- to medium-grainedquartzite pebbles) oc- culs. The valley-fill depositsinclude a variety of cur as thin-beddedstringers within the sand- The shalesare greengray to brownishred sedimentsthat haveaccumulated in structural stones.Beds range in thicknessfrom several and magenta, slightly micaceousto mica- andtopographic depressions. Beds or lensesof inchesto about2.5 ft and displaypoor lateral ceous,and are fissile to thin bedded.They clay,silt, sand,and gravel are intimately inter- continuity. The siltstonesare light brown to form slopeswithout outcrops.The shalebeds bedded.Clays are light brown to gray, slightly brown, slightly sandy to sandy, micaceous, appear to be extremelyvariable and grade sandyand occasionallygravelly. Silts are gray and often feldspathic.The cementis clay and laterally into siltstoneand sandstone.Fresh to gray brown, slightly micaceous,slightly calciumcarbonate in nearlyequal proportions exposuresof shaleare found only in roadcuts. feldspathic,and are the leastcommon of the exceptnear limestone beds where the cement is Lateral variability is the rule rather than the fill materials.Sands are gray to brown, fine to primarily calciumcarbonate. The limestones, exception;individual beds are difficult to trace very coarsegrained, with variablematrix. In- thin- to thick-bedded,black, fossiliferous, and for any distance.In somehorizons the change dividual grains are quartz and fragmentsof argillaceous,are locally nodular and discon- from one rock type to another occurs over feldspar,basalt, granite gneiss, and limestone. tinuous,especially in thin-beddedzones in the severalhundred to severalthousand feet. The Gravelsare light brown to gray brown and lowerpart of thesection. exposedthickness of the Sangrede Cristo For- consistof pebblesof quartzite,granite gneiss, The Flechado Formation grades upward mationis approximately3,400 ft. schist, limestone,sandstone, basalt, crystal into the overlyingAlamitos Formation. The Tnlnssrc-Rocks of Triassicage crop out in tuff, and occasionalpieces of siltstoneand contactis placedat the baseof a prominent the northern part o[ the basin on the north pegmatite.Thickness of the valleyfill deposits limestonecontaining the brachiopodAnthra- bank of American Creek and may occur as rangesto more than 420 ft. cospirifer rockymontanzs. Thickness is ap- isolatedoutcrops at a few localitiesnorth of Alluvium consistsof sand, silt, and gravel proximately4,200 ft. AmericanCreek, probably overlying Permian that forms stream-beddeposits as well as bar The crops out south of rocks. The only bedsexposed are correlated depositsalong the banksof the presentdrain- SaladonCreek fault. Exposuresoccur in a with the Sonta Rosa Sandstone (Upper ages.Sands are mediumto coarsegrained and relatively narrow zone west of Cieneguilla Triassic)and consistof interbeddedlight-gray silty; gravels contain medium-sizedpebbles Creek.East of the outcrops,the Alamitos oc- limestonepebble conglomerates and buff to and are sandy; silts are slightly sandy and curs as subcropbeneath alluvial cover in the yellow-graysandstone. The limestonepebble slightly clayey.Lithologies of the pebblesin westernpart ofthe basinfloor. North and east conglomeratesare light gray to gray, cross- the gravelsare similar to thoseof thevalley fill of the valley fill the Alamitos occursbeneath bedded,with rounded,worn pebblesof lime- becauseof stream erosion of the nearby the Sangrede CristoFormation. stone and shalein a matrix of very slightly valley-fill terraces.Alluvium has a maximum The Alamitosconsists of interbeddedsand- sandy, sparry limestone. Thickness ranges thicknessofabout l5 ft. stones, siltstones, limestones, and shales; from 18to 2l ft. lithologyis similarto the underlyingFlechado The sandstonesare buff to yellow gray, Structuralgeology Formation. Individual bedsare clearlytrace- crossbedded,coarse to fine grained,slightly The Sangrede Cristo Mountainsare broad- able for severalmiles; the limestonesand calcareous,feldspathic and are locallyflaggy. ly archedwith a slight asymmetryto the east; numeroussandstones are the most ptominent Thicknessranges from 5 to 22 ft. The Santa the westernboundary of the mountainsis de- layers. Rosa is approximately65 ft thick whereex- fined by normal faulting and sometear fault- The contactbetween the Alamitos Forma- posed. ing that brings older rocks into contactwith tion and the overlyingSangre de Cristo For- Cruozorc-Rocks of Cenozoicage include: Tertiary volcanics and valley fill of the Rio mation is transitionaland is placedat the first l) A volcanicsequence of Pliocene(?) age. Grande rift. The easternedge is marked by red bed. Thicknessranges between 4,300 and 2) Valley-fill depositswhose age is indeter- reverse faulting, low-angJe thrust faulting, 4,500ft. minate,but post-volcanic. normal faulting, and folding. The Moreno Penurelq-PENNSyLvANTAN-TheSangre de 3) Alluvium of Holoceneage. Valley coversan areanear the easternflank of Cristo Formation, partially concealed by The volcanicrocks include basalt flows and the Sangrede Cristo Mountainswithin a zone valley fill as well as Tertiary volcanicrocks, an ash-flow crystal tuff. The flows cover of considerable structural complexity. Vol- crops out south of SaladonCreek fault and much of the highland area east of the valley canism in the Red River area extendssouth- conformablyoverlies the Pennsylvaniansedi- and overlieboth the Sangrede Cristo Forma- ward along portions of the easternmostridges ments.Several boreholes penetrated parts of tion and the Precambrian.Agua Fria Peakis of the Sangrede Cristo Mountains, concealing the Sangrede Cristo, intersectingconglomer- probably a vent or neara vent inasmuchas the pars of the complexstructure (Clark, 1966). ates,sandstones, sandy siltstones, and mica- topographicposition of the basalt suggests PnEceMsnreN DEFoRMATtoN-Weakly ceousclayey shales. that the basaltic lava flowed away from the foliated granite gneissand an incomplete se- The conglomeratesare light gray to brown- peak, probably reachingas far as OcateMesa. quenceof folded metasedimentsprovide evi- ish gray, very sandy, and contain very fine to The ash-flowtuff is a white to light-gray, dence of Precambrian deformation in the coarse-grained pebbles of Precambrian unweldedto slightly welded,lithic crystal tuff basin. Relict bedding in the metasedimentsis quartzite, schist, and granite gneissas well as composed of sanidine crystals and biotite parallelto the foliation ofthe granitegneiss; a Pennsylvanianlimestone and sandstonepeb- fragments in a glass matrix with occasional north-northweststrike with a northeastdip is bles. Bedsare lenticular channelfillings rang- quartzgrains. The biotiteflakes give the tuff a the usual orientation, although marked di- ing from 5 to 40 ft wide and from 3 to 20 ft salt-and-pepperappearance; the biotite con- (continuedon page 13,

New Mexico GeologJ February 1980 that drive the thermal transport processeswithin water chemistry study of thermal and nonthermal chronologyhas not beendone. Of the several coal blocks,Mass transfer is initially limitedby the waters in Dofla Ana County, (2) a reconnaissance datedevents above, it is impossibleto deter- relativelylow permeabilityof the naturally occurring water chemistrystudy of the hot springsof south- mine which may be representedby the Ciene- material. Pore geometriesin coal suggestthat mass west New Mexico, and (3) a detailed gravity and guilla Creek Precambrianrock sequence;at transfer channelsare near 50 nm. Thesepores are magnetic study of the Lightning Dock KGRA leasttwo arepresent. typically filled by absorbed moisture; moisture (Known CeothermalResource Area) in the Animas removal changes permeability by 102.s. Once Valleyof southwestNew Mexico, Mgsozolc-CENozorc DEFoRMATToN- moistureis removed,other absorbedgases, CH4, Deformation began with the Laramide CO2, etc., flush from the interior volume. These GeorgEnvnr AppLlcATIoNFEAstBtLtry sruDy FoR Orogeny in latest Mesozoictime and con- combinedgases, during the drying steps,control rHE NEw Mexrco Srern UNrvpnsrTyCAMpus, D/ tinued intermittently throughout the Ceno- preliminary heat transfer. Modeling studiessuggest Narendro N. Gunaji, Edward F. Thode, Lokehs zoic. Initially, broad open folding of late that heat transfer mechanismsswitch from conduc- Chaturvedi, Arun Walvekar, and Leo LaFrance, Paleozoicand Mesozoicsediments was the tion to convectionas permeabilityis changedfrom New Mexico Energy Institute, Las Cruces, NM, principal deformational pattern. As east-west 0.01 md to 5 md, those variations in masstransfer 1978, 127 p., NMEI-|3 PB-295 846,/OWE Price compressionincreased, faulting becamemore resistanceformed during coal drying. Resultsthat code:PC A07/MF A0l pronouncedand high-anglereverse and low- predict heat transfer rates in blocks of sub- The presentproject exploring the use of geother- bituminouscoals during the initial drying stagesof mal energyon campuswas promptd by the belief, anglethrust faults wereformed. During Ceno- in situ processingare described.(ERA citation based on geochemicalsurvey, that a substantial zoic time normal faulting with north-southas 03:0421l9) geothermalresource exists on NMSU property, not well as northwest-southeastand northeast- far from themain campus.The purposeof the proj- southwesttrends was dominant. The southern ELncrntclry FRoM Hor DRy RocK GEoTHERMALect wasto betterdefine the potential resourceand to end of the basin exhibits the most complex ENERGY:TECHNICAL AND EcoNoMrc tssUes, by J, W. examine alternativesfor its use from a technical- deformation(fie. l). Tester,G. E. Morris, R, G. Cammings,and R. L. economicstandpoint. ForolNc.-Folding is not pronounced. Bivins,Los Alamos Scientific p. Lab., NM, 1979,27 Anticlines and synclineseast of Cieneguilla LA-7603-MSPn'ce code: PC A03/MF A0I AN appnatselsruDy oF THE GEoTHERMAL RESouRcEs Creekare broad, open folds with minimum re- Extraction of energy from hot dry rock would op AntzoNeAND ADJACENT AREAS IN Npw Mpxrco lief; the anticlinesand synclines make availablea nearly unlimited energysource. NNOUTEH AND THEIRVALUE FOR DESALINATION AND are minor Some technicalproblems and possibleeconomic oTHER usES, by Chandler A. Swanberg, Paul flexuresin the Moreno Valley synclinorium, tradeoffs involved in a power generatingsystem are Morgan, Chorles H. Stoyer, and Jam6 C, Witcher, as suggestedby Ray and Smith (1941).The examinedand possiblesolutions proposed. An inter- New Mexico Energt Institute, Las Cruces, NM, synclinesare filled in part by volcanics(basalt temporaloptimization computer model of electricity 1977, 98 p. NMEI-61 P8.295 t59/3WE Price code: and ash-flow tuff) from Agua Fria Mountain production from geothermal a hot dry rock source rc AO,/MF AOl and in part by Quaternarydeposits of sand, hasbeen constructed. Effects of reservoirdegrada- This report is an appraisal investigation of the gravel, and slope debris. Small folds associ- tion, variablefluid flow rate,and drilling operations geothermalresources of a ponion of the Lower ated with thrust faulting on the west side of are examined to determine optimal strategiesfor Colorado River Region of the U.S. Bureau of the valley were mapped.We recognizedstruc- reservoirmanagement and necessaryconditions for Reclamation.The study area includes most of economicfeasibiliry. @RA citation04:029813) Arizona, part of western New Mexico west of the tural terraces and overturned bedding in conlinentaldivide, and a smallpart ofsouthwestern several places, but tracing structures along Ttvr poverN suRvEyoF rug Los Alavos REctoN, Utah. Almost 300water sampleshave been collected strike is difficult due to excessivetree cover Npw MExrco, by Williston, McNeil and Associates, from the study areaand chemicallyanalyzed. and forest litter. Somestructural featurescan Inc., Lakewood, CO, 1979,52 p. LA-7657-MSPrice be traced becauseof streetdevelopment in the code:PC AM/MFA0l GEorecHNtcalsruDIEs oF cEoTHERMAL REsERvotRs, Angel Fire propertiesarea. A time domainelectromagnetic soundingsurvey by H. R, Prott and E. R. Simonson,Terra Tek, Inc., Feulrrnc.-Faulting in the southernpart of of the region surrounding the city of Los Alamos, p. Salt Lake Cily, UT, 1976, 56 Microfiche copies CieneguillaCreek drainagebasin is intense. New Mexico, was carriedout. Resultsshow that a only. TID-2t703 Price code: MF A0l linear trough, trending northeast-southwestnrns It is proposedto delineatethe important factorsin Threetypes are evident:the oldest,high-angle beneaththe city. The southern boundary is some- thegeothermal environment that will affectdrilling. reverseor low-anglethrust faults; intermedi- whatto thesouth of the city, the northernboundary The geologicenvironment of the particular areasof ate age normal faults, and younger transverse was not established.The geoelectricsection consists interestare described,including rock types,geologic faults. of threelayers; the total thicknessof thesection is in stnrcture,and other important parametersthat help High-angleand low-anglereverse faults are excessof 3,000m. Resistivitiesof the secondlayer describethe reservoir and overlying caprock. The confinedto a lVz- to 2-mile-widezone in the areas low as2.5 omegam. If the salinitiesare in the geologic environment and reservoir characteristics southwesternpart of the basin. The zone regionof 7,000ppm, the resistivities could indicate of severalgeothermal areas were studied, and drill strikesin a northerly direction and is partially that water with a temperatureof 150.C may be cuttingswere obtained from most of the areas.The concealedby valley fill (fig. 2). Clark (1966) found at a depth of 3,000 m. (ERA cirarion 04: geothermalareas studied were: (l) Geysers,CA, (2) 029773) Imperial Valley, CA, (3) Roosevelt Hot Springs, recognizedsimilar structuresin the samerela- UT, (4) Baca Ranch, Valle Grande, NM, (5) Jemez tive positionnorth of the basin.In addition,a Dnra acqursrrtoN FoR ruE Hor Dny Rocr Geo Caldera,NM, (6) Raft River, ID, and (7) Marysville, complex structural zone between Mora and T1TERMALEtEncy PnoJEcr,by R. C. Lawton and E. MT. (ERA citation 04:029E19) Las Vegasmay be a similar southerncontinua- H. Horton, Los Alamos ScientificLab., NM, 1979, tion. 7 p. CONF-79050J-2LA-UR-79-tl2 Price code: FC Normal faults are best exposedin the east- AO2/MFAOT GlenegulllaCreek ern half of the valley.Previous work north of The data acquisitionsystem for rhe Hot Dry Rock (continuedlrompoge 3) the basinby Clark (1966)and geophysicalevi- GeothermalEnergy Project at FentonHill, in north- ern New Mexico, has evolved to a computer- vergences occur where metasedimentsare dence obtained from seismic reflection lines controlled systemcomplete with visual displaysand strongly folded. run by CharlesReynolds and Associates,Inc. emergencyalarms. The systemis comprisedof two Exposuresare poor and age relationships (1978) suggestnormal faulting is present units. One unit monitors all surface facilities and are obscurealthough most data suggestinva- throughoutthe valley rather than being con- during an energyextraction experimentis on{ine 24 sion of the metasedimentsby the graniteprior fined to a particular area. The normal faults hours a day. The other systemis usedfor specialized to the last Precambrianmetamorphism. The strike in a northerly direction similar to the downholeexperiments. The data acquisitionsystern olderreverse or thrust faults. is operator oriented age of the Precambrianrock deformationin so that a minimum crew can Transversefaults strike transverselyacross maintain the system.(EltA citation 04:036208) the Picuris areasouthwest of Moreno Valley is estimatedat 1.3 b.y. (billion years)by Miller the valley either west-northwest or east- GBotgnnuaL sruDIEslN sourHwEsr Npw Mpxtco, and others(1963); several Precambrian events northeast, and are found throughout the by Chandler A. Swanberg, New Mexico Energt In- in the Sangrede Cristo Mountains are dated drainage basin; they disappear along the stitute, Las Cruces, NM, 1976, 69 p. NMEI-3 between8@ million and I.7 b.y. (Callendar, southernboundary of the mappedarea. Their P&295 t36,/lWE Price code:PC AU/MFALI Robertson,and Brookins, 1976),Precambrian movementsare usuallynormal, but they differ The researchconsists parts: (l) of three a detailed exposuresin the basin are limited and geo- IF

New Mexico Geolog:l February1980 faults. Clark (1966)noted that the principal Cristo. This juxtaposition representsa strati- Other ,^ffi, trend directions for normal faulting north of graphicthrow of 10,000-12'000ft. such the basin zre east-northeastand north- faults havedisplacements from severaltens of northeast-closely paralleling observed feetto severalhundreds of feet. 5'ooo. ffendsin the basinproper. The transversefaults are well defined and Stratigraphic throws along the normal may be traced for severaltens of miles before o' faults range from a few tens of feet to several being intersectedby another fault or having hundredsof feet.Normal faultscut both folds magma intruded along them during a post- -5,0o0 and reversefaults along the westernside of the faultingperiod of volcanism. basin as well as slightly deformedto unde- The transversefaults are the youngest ofthe FIGURE2-GEoloctc cRosssEcrIoN A-B AcRoss formed strata in the centraland easternpart. faulting events,cutting both the thrust faults CnrEr. CrpNecullle Displacement along the normal faults and the normal faults. The transversefaults causesoversteepening of the valley walls exerta pronouncedcontrol on tributarydrain- from the northerly striking normal faults in resulting in large and small landslide failures age patternsto CieneguillaCreek, more so that relativemovement is not exclusivelydip and largeslump blocksthat obscurethe bed- than the normal faulting or thrust faulting. slip. The net slip is a different direction and rock relations.Seismic reflection data and test Somesprings are locatedalong the strikesof magnitudefor each fault. Interrelationships drilling verify the landslide block interpreta- the transversefaults, but only wheresuch a of thesefault typescontribute to theshape and tion. fault intersects either a normal fault or a sizeof thebasin. Throw on individual normal faults is dif- thrustfault. Rrvense reversefaults ficult to assessdue to slumpingof the faulted reulrs-High-angle Geologichistory predominatealthough a few low-anglethrust beds and extremelateral variability in the faults have been mapped. Older Pennsylva- Sangrede Cristo Formation where normal The earliestevents recorded in the basinare nian and Mississippianmarine sedimentary faulting is bestexposed. Clark (1966)reports the depositionof largequantities of quartzose rocks are thrust over younger Pennsylvanian vertical displacementsfrom a few feet to as and feldspathic sandstones,and interbedded marineand Permian-Pennsylvaniancontinen- high as 9,000 ft on the eastern side of the shalesand siltstonesduring middle Precam- tal sedimentaryrocks (fie. 2). The faults dip Moreno Valley north of the basin. Seismic brian time.The provenanceof thesesediments 45o to 65o west. reflection data suggestdisplacements of a few is unknownand exposuresare so limited that Stratigraphic throws on individual faults feet to severalhundred feet in the southern their sourcedirection is indeterminate. range from severaltens of feet to severalhun- part of the map area.Major displacementsof Following the accumulationof the sedi- dredsof feet. Throws of severalthousand feet 5,000ft or more havenot beendemonstrated ments, regional stressesresulted in a wide- have beenestimated north of the map area by on the normal faults althougha displacement spread, intense orogeny. Activity probably Clark (1966). We cannot confirm such dis- of twice that magnitudeis calculatedfor one beganbetween 1.3 and 1.7 b.y. ago and con- placements in the Cieneguilla Creek area of thetransverse faults. tinuednearly to the end of the Precambrian. becauseof lack of outcrops, although fault A numberof normal faults are continuous This period of deformation produceda meta- tracesare visible on low-altitude air photos or for severalmiles along their strike. One such morphic grain which remains recognizable on obliquecolor photosof thewest side of the fault is cut off by the SaladonCreek fault in today. valley takenfrom mountainson the eastside. the northernpart of the map area(fig. l). In- The metamorphismchanged the quartzose We inferredthe positionof somethrust faults adequateoutcrops and lack of key horizons and feldspathic sandstonesto micaceous by examiningthe westernside of the valley prevent identification of the normal faults quartzite and pure quartzite; convertedthe and noting changesin soil color associated within the Precambrianbasement rock; thus siltstonesto gneissicquartzite; and the shales with changesin topography.Seismic reflection their relationto earlierstructures is unknown. to sillimaniteand ferro-tremolitemica schist. linesby CharlesReynolds and Associates,Inc. The broad outlinesof the valleyare relatedto Similarlithologic types are described by Clark yield data in goodagreement with the inferred normalfaulting in thelate Tertiary. (1966)in the regionnorth of the mappedarea. fault positions. We calculatedan apparent Normal faultingand its associatedslumping During this orogenicevent, granite was in- stratigraphicdisplacement of 1,000ft for one createpervious channels and imperviousbar- trudedinto the metasediments,creating zones inferred fault. Topographyand geophysical riers. Springsand bogsoccur in the areasof of migmatitealong the contacts.Continuing data suggesta substantialbreccia zone along greatestdisturbance-usually within several stressafter intrusionimparted a mild foliation the slippageplane. tens of feet of the surfacetrace of the fault to the graniteparallel to relict beddingin the A thrust fault exposedalong road cuts in and/or nearthe toe of a slumpblock. In most metasediments. Palo Flechado Pass revealsa considerable caseswhere a slumpis associatedwith a fault' Evidencefor earlyPaleozoic deposition, up- amount of brecciationas well as overturning springsare found nearthe fault ratherthan at lift, and erosionis not present,but by earliest of brittle limestoneand calc-argillitebeds. the toe of the slump block. Normal faulting Mississippiantime a broad surfacehad been Similar brecciationand overturningof beds and slumpingare responsiblefor the locations cut acrossthe old Precambrianterrain, allow- occursin severalplaces along the southwestern of nearlyall springsin the basin.The majority ing depositionof a shallowmarine limestone sideof the basin. of the springsare in the southernmostpart of sequence.Subsequently, the Mississippian Nonunl FAUL.ts-Normal faults are high themap areaand drain into severalof the trib- limestonewas partially dissolved,producing angle (dips >70"). Most common in the utariesof CieneguillaCreek. cavernsand a karst topography.Intermittent easternhalf of the valley,their abundanceand TnaNswnse rnulrs-High-angle trans- and irregular depositionof clasticdebris on steplikepattern result in slumpingof portions versefaults cut the valley in three directions; the karst surfacecreated a seriesof compiex of the basaltflows. Geophysicalevidence sug- northwest-southeastand northeast-southwestdepositionalepisodes toward the end of the geststhat normal faultsare widelydistributed strikesare the most common, while an east- Mississippian. throughoutthe valley rather than being con- west strike occasionallyoccurs in the south- Latest Mississippianor earliestPennsylva- fined to eitherside. Many of thesefaults are ernmost part of the valley. The faults offset nian time is markedby an orogenicevent that obscuredby valley fill, landslide,or talus, the valley margins, creating a agzag pattern. produced numerous narrow mountain chains although Clark (1966)reports faults cutting Dips of the transversefaults approach90o as and adjacent deep basins in Colorado and valleyfill north of the mapilea. determinedby surfacetrends and geophysical northern New Mexico. The Uncompahgre- The normal faults strike northeast and data. San Luis element of the ancestral Rocky north-northeast nearly parallel to the thrust The transversefaults havepronounced stra- Mountains supplieddetritus to the Pennsylva- fault zones found in the westernhalf of the tigraphic throws; the Saladon Creek fault nian Rowe-Mora Basin, which includesthe valley. Seismicreflection data suggestthat brings Precambrianbasement into contact present Cieneguilla Creek drainage. Deposi- some normal faults may offset the thrust with the Permian-PennsylvanianSangre de tional environmentswere fairly shallow and

February 1980 New Mexico Geolo&,Jl rapidly subsiding, allowing considerable remnantsof this former flow sheet.During D. C., 1976,Summary of Precambriangeology thicknessesof strata to accumulateduring the this time, the CieneguillaCreek drainage was and geochronologyof nonheasternNew Mexico: Pennsylvanian.Abundant fauna preservedin part of the south-flowing Coyote Creek New Mexico GeologicalSociety, Guidebook 27th p. 129-135 the Rowe-Mora Basin indicates from system. field conference, ages Clark, K. F., 1966,Geology and ore depositsof the (Lower Morrowan Pennsylvanian)to Upper During the Pleistocene,headward erosion Eagle Nest quadrangle, New Mexico: Ph.D. Des Moinesian (middle Upper Pennsylva- of Cimarron Creek disrupted the upper thesis,University of New Mexico, 363p. nian).As depositioncontinued into latePenn- Coyote Creek drainage pattern. Cimarron Goodknight,C. S., 1976,Cenozoic structural geol- sylvanian, the shoreline gradually moved Creek captured the flow of upper Coyote ogy of the Central Cimarron Range,New Mexico: eastward toward the center of the basin; Creek, diverting it northward to form the New Mexico GeologicalSociery, Guidebook 27th howeverdeposition of continental strata con- presentbasin. Three periodsof stability dur- fieldconference, p. 137-lztO tinued without cessationfrom Upper Penn- ing the loweringof baselevel for Cieneguilla Kudo, A. M., 1976,A reviewof the volcanichistory sylvanianthrough Permian. Severalhundreds Creek createdterrace levelswhich can still be and stratigraphy of northeasternNew Mexico: Society,Guidebook 27th to thousands of feet of fluvial sands, silts, identifiedin theCieneguilla Creek drainage. New Mexico Geological p. 109-ll0 gravels (1966) glacial field conference, shales,and with some isolated lacus- Clark reported Pleistocene Miller, J. P., Montgomery,A., and Sutherland,P. trine and lagoonal limestone deposits were depositionnorth of the mappedarea around K., 1963,Geology of part of the southernSangre depositedthroughout most of the Permian. WheelerPeak. Glaciationmay have contrib- de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico: New Mexico Near the end of the Permian, deposition uted to the sedimentationhistory of ttte north- Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Mem. ceasedand erosion of the continentaldeposits ern half of the Moreno Valley (Clark, 1966). ll,106p. began. TNs hiatus extended through latest Evidenceof glacialactivity is not discernible Ray, L. L., and Smith,J. F., Jr., 1941,Geology of Permianand lowermostTriassic. in the basin.The presentbasin is the resultof the Moreno Valley, New Mexico: Geological The first Mesozoicdeposits (Upper Triassic) continued adjustment to the base level of Societyof AmericaBull., v. 52,p. l'17-210 Wanek, W. consistof sandstones,interbedded limestone CieneguillaCreek and the drainagesystem of Robinson,G. D., A. A., Hays, H., and 1964,Philmont Country-the pebble McCallum,M. 8., conglomerates,and red-brownshales; theCimarron River. rocks and landscapeof a famous New Mexico much of the material is derived from the ranch: U.S. GeologicalSuney, Prof. Paper 505, underlying Pennsylvanianand Permian strata References 152p. (Clark 1966).Intermittent erosion and deposi- Armstrong,A. K., 1955,Preliminary observations Smith,J. F., Jr., and Ray, L. L., 1943,Geology of tion are reflected by disconformitiesthat on the MississippianSystem of northernNew the Cimarron Range, New Mexico: Geological separateUpper Permian from Triassic,and Mexico:New Mexico Bureau of Minesand Min- Societyof America,Bull., 54,p.891-924 Triassicfrom Jurassicrocks. Upper eralResources, Circ. 39, 42 p. Thompson, M, L., 1942, Pennsylvaniansystem in Baltz,E. H., Read,C. B., 1960,Rocks of bedsare, in turn, separatedfrom the Dakoto and New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mississippianand probableDevonian age in p. Formation (Lower ) by discon- MineralResources, Bull. 17,92 Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico: Wanek, A., Read,C. 8., 1956,Taos to Eagle period A. and formity indicating a brief of non- AmericanAssociation of PetroleumGeologists, Nest and Elizabethtown:New Mexico Geological depositionand erosionprior to the Cretaceous Bull.,v. 44,p. 1749-1774 Society,Guidebook 7th field conference,p. E2-93 marinetransgression. Callender,J. F., Robertson,J. M., andBrookins, Cyclesof marinetransgressions and regres- sions accumulateda considerablethickness of black shalewith some limestonebeds in the Raton Basin,north and eastof the map area. redberyl Toward the end of the Late Cretaceous,local Anoccurrence of uplifts, possibleforerunners of the Laramide Orogeny,expanded the areasof the transgres- BlackRangen New Mexico sive and regressivecycles, resulting in inter- in the beddedblack shalesand gray to buff channel byFrankS.KimblerandPatrickE.Haynes,P.0.Box2439,CampusStation,Socono,NM87801 sandstones.Finally, the seawithdrew entirely, depositingthe Trinidad Sandstoneas the last A locality for red beryl in rhyolite was The Beryllium Virgin prospect, in sec. 22, regressiveunit. found on May 23,1979by P. E. Hayneswhile T. l0 S., R. I I W., SierraCounty, New Mex- The Laramide folding and upwarping that prospectingfor the Virgin Mining Company. ico, has at least two distinct north-trending marked the end of Cretaceoustime strongly The locality, on the west side of the Black fracture zones. Both are mineralizedand run compressedthe basin into a seriesof west- Rangein the Gila National Forest of north- parallel to one another; each has its own dis- dipping thrustsand folds. As the orogenysub- westernSierra County, New Mexico,has been tinct mineral assemblage. sided during the Eocene,erosion accumulated namedthe BerylliumVirgin prospect. coarseclastics in parts of the southernCiene- Mlneralogy guilla Creek drainagebasin. Sometimeduring Generalgeology and structure Red beryl occursin the fracture zoneon the the Oligocenea greatperiod of volcanismand The rocks in the region, mid-Tertiary or east side of the mining claim. A more highly intrusion began,extending through the Mio- younger, are comprised of rhyolite, basalt mineralizedzone, devoid of beryl, lies on the ceneand into the Pliocene.Numerous stocks flows, and clastic sediments.Of primary in- western side of the claim. Adjacent to this and batholiths were intruded and basalt, terestare extensiveoutcrops of flow-layered, zone are veins of massivehematite that con- rhyolite, and andesiteflows as well as tuf- purple-brownto pink, porphyritic rhyolite. tain crystalline grains of bixbyite and cas- faceousmaterials were erupted to the north, Phenocrysts are abundant, accounting for siterite. The following descriptionscover the east,and southwestof the mappedarea. Nor- about40 percentof therock. Oneto threeper- characteristicsand associations of the dif- mal and transverse faulting concurrently centof the rhyoliteconsists of vesicleswhich, ferent minerals of interest found at the formed the Rio Grandedepression to the west in part, are lined with severaloxide and sil- BerylliumVirgin prospect. and displaced the earlier thrust and reverse icate minerals, including beryl (Fries and Bpnyr--BesAlr(SicO,e)-The red beryl faulting in the CieneguillaCreek drainage others, 1942;Lufkin, 1972). from the Black Range of New Mexico is the basin. Locally, Precambrianrocks were ex- The porphyriticrhyolite is cut by numerous third known source for red beryl found in posed by the faulting, their erosion con- north-trending fissures;rocks adjacent to the rhyolite. Specimensfrom two other localities, tributingto thethicknesses of alluvialfill. fissures are highly fractured. These fissures the Thomas Rangeand the Wah Wah Moun- Late in Pliocenetime, basaltflows formed and fracturezones provided a channelfor es- tains in Utah, have larger, more colorful, and the resistantpeaks of Agua Fria Mountain as capingvapors during the coolingof the lava. more abundant crystals. Microprobe analysis well as extensivecover over adjacent areas; These gaseousemanations were responsible of the Utah crystals(Nassau and Wood, 1968) OcateMesa and numeroussmaller lobes are for muchof themineralization in thearea.

New Mexico Geolog:t February 1980