Geology of Cieneguilla Creek Drainage Basin in Southwest Colfax
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Tertiary volcanic rocks and variously dipping Geologyof CieneguillaCreek Permian-Pennsylvanianstrata. In the Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin, Precambrian, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, drainagebasin in southwest Permian, Triassic, 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 limestone. 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 osh flow 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 limestones. 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