Geochronology of Torrejonian Sediments, Nacimiento Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico
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Geochronology of Torrejonian sediments, Nacimiento Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Taylor, Louis Henry, 1944- 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 01/10/2021 18:33:30 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/566500 GEOCHRONOLOGY OF TORREJONIAN SEDIMENTS, NACIMIENTO FORMATION, SAN JUAN BASIN, NEW MEXICO by Louis Henry Taylor A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 7 7 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This th e s is has been subm itted in p a r tia l f u lf illm e n t o f re quirements 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 thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of th is m anuscript in whole or in p a rt may be granted by the head o f the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judg ment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar ship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: 7 7 Date Associate Professor of Geosciences ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank Drs. E. H. Lindsay, R. F. B u tle r, and G. G. Simpson for their guidance and constructive criticism during the course of this project. I also thank Dr. Butler, S. L. Bressler, Y. Tomida, and R. A. Haskin for their assistance in measuring paleomagnetic specimens. Assistance in the collection of both paleomagnetic samples and fossils was provided by Drs. Lindsay, Butler, and L. L. Jacobs, III. Also indispensible in the field were J. G. Honey, L. J. Flynn, B. R. Standhardt, and Y. Tomida. For their help I thank them. I would also like to thank my wife Mary for her encouragement and fin a n c ia l support. i i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ...................... v l l l ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. ix 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 2 . THE SAN JUAN B A S I N ........................................................................................... 5 Geography ........................................................................................................ 5 Geology ............................................................................................................. 7 Previous Geological Investigation .................................................. 8 3. THE NACIMIENTO FORMATION............................................................................. 11 Stratigraphic Nomenclature . .................................................. 11 Stratigraphy ............................................................................................... 13 4 . METHODS OF CHRONOLOGICAL CORRELATION .................................................. 18 B io s tra ti g r a p h i c ...................................................................................... 18 The T o rrejo n ian Land Mammal A g e .............................................. 19 Magnetostrati g ra p h ic ............................................................................. 21 Geomagnetic-Polarity Time Scale .............................................. 22 M e th o d s .................................................................................................... 23 5. STRATIGRAPHY ..... .................................................................... ... 37 The Study A r e a s ........................................................................................... 37 L ith o s tra tig ra p h y ....................................................................................... 43 B io s tr a tig r a p h y ................................................................................ ...... 45 M a g n e tic -P o la rity S tra tig ra p h y ....................................................... 52 6. GE0CHR0N0L0GIC CORRELATION ......................................................................... 60 The Ojo End no and Big Pocket A r e a s .............................................. 60 The Barrel Spring Arroyo Section .................................................. 65 7 . SUMMARY...................................................................................................................... 69 iv V TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Page APPENDIX A: PALEOMAGNETIC D A TA........................................................... 72 Locality 10, Ojo Encino A re a ......................................... .... 72 L o c a lity 11, Ojo Encino A r e a .................................................. 76 Composite S e ctio n , Big Pocket Area .............................................. 78 Radio Tower Section, Big Pocket Area ......................................... 87 REFERENCES CITED ............................................................................................... 88 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Regional Map o f the San Juan B a s i n .................. ........................................ 3 2. Geologic Map of Nacimiento, Animas, and San Jose Form ations, San Juan B a s i n .............................................. 12 3. AF Demagnetization Curves and NRM Vector Motions, S ite SJ342 ...................................................................................................... 29 4. NRM Vector Motions, Site SJ480 30 5. NRM Vector Motions, Site SJ585 31 6. AF Demagnetization Curves and NRM Vector Motions, Site SJ356 ...................................................................................................... 32 7. NRM Vector Motions, Site SJ309 34 8. NRM Vector Motions, Site SJ482 35 9. AF Demagnetization Curves and NRM Vector Motions, S ite SJ044 36 10. Map o f the Ojo Encino A r e a ...................................................................................38 11. Map o f L o c a lity 10, Ojo Encino A r e a .................................................................39 12. Map of Locality 11, Ojo Encino Area . ............................................................. 40 13. Map o f the Big Pocket Area .................................................................................. 42 14. Lithologic Correlation of Localities 10 and 11, Ojo Encino A r e a .....................................................................................................44 15. Magnetic Correlation of Localities 10 and 11, Ojo Encino A r e a .....................................................................................................54 16. Magnetic-Polarity Stratigraphy of the Ojo Encino Area .................... 55 17. Magnetic-Polarity Stratigraphy of the Big Pocket Area .................... 58 vi v l i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-Continued Figure Page 18. Geochronological Correlation of the Ojo Encino and Big Pocket A r e a s ................................................................................................ 61 19. Correlation of Revised Cenozoic Polarity Time Scale and Barrel Spring Arroyo Section .......................................... 66 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. H ierarchy o f Paleomagnetic S ite s ................................................................ 27 2. Faunal List for the Ojo Encino and Big Pocket Study A r e a s ..................................................................................................... 46 viii ABSTRACT This study compares two areas o f the San Juan Basin w ith respect to biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and magnetic-polarity stratigraphy. The Ojo Encino Area, near Cuba, New Mexico and the Big Pocket Area of Kutz Canyon, near Bloomfield, New Mexico were collected for vertebrate fossils and magnetic samples. Both study areas contained fossils of Torrejonian Land Mammal Age. Within this age two collecting levels are recognized. The upper. Panto!ambda, level is characterized by the presence of Panto!ambda, Claenodon, and possib ly Mixodectes pungens and T o rre jo n ia w lls o n i. The lower, Deltatherium, level is characterized by the presence of D e lta th e riu m , T riis o d o n , Haploconus, Mixodectes m a la ris , and possib ly Palaechthon nacimientl. These collecting levels are also defined by their magnetic-polarity stratigraphy. Correlation of the two study areas demonstrates that the Panto!ambda level is from within a normal magnetozone and that the Deltatherium level is from within the under lying reversed magnetozone. Comparison of the magnetic-polarity stratigraphy from the two study areas with the polarity time scale demonstrates that the normal magnetozone containing the Panto!ambda level is either anomaly 26 or anomaly 27. ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The San Juan Basin has