BULLETIN 33 Geologic Section of the Black Range at Kingston, New Mexico BY FREDERICK J. KUELLMER Structure and stratigraphy of the Black Range, detailed petrology of igneous rocks, and general guides to ore exploration 1954 STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS STATION SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY E. J. Workman, President STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES Eugene Callaghan, Director THE REGENTS MEMBERS EX OFFICIO The Honorable Edwin L. Mechem ..............................Governor of New Mexico Tom Wiley ................................................ Superintendent of Public Instruction APPOINTED MEMBERS Robert W. Botts .............................................................................. Albuquerque Holm O. Bursum, Jr ................................................................................ Socorro Thomas M. Cramer ...............................................................................Carlsbad Frank C. DiLuzio .............................................................................Los Alamos A. A. Kemnitz ...........................................................................................Hobbs Contents Page ABSTRACT ......................................................... …………………………………… 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................4 PRECAMBRIAN SEQUENCE ....................................................................................6 Introduction ...................................................................................................................6 Graywacke ....................................................................................................................6 Granite ..........................................................................................................................7 Metadiabase ..................................................................................................................8 PALEOZOIC, STRATIGRAPHY ..............................................................................11 Introduction .................................................................................................................11 Cambrian (?) system ...................................................................................................11 Ordovician system .......................................................................................................12 El Paso limestone ...................................................................................................12 Montoya limestone .................................................................................................15 Silurian system ............................................................................................................18 Devonian system .........................................................................................................19 Mississippian system ...................................................................................................20 Pennsylvanian system ..................................................................................................22 Permian system ...........................................................................................................24 Summary of the Paleozoic strata .................................................................................27 TERTIARY SEQUENCE ...........................................................................................29 Introduction .................................................................................................................29 Andesite, latite, and their quartzose equivalents .........................................................30 Quartz monzonite porphyry .........................................................................................35 Contact metamorphism and mineralization ................................................................41 Rhyolitic igneous rocks ...............................................................................................42 Tuffaceous rhyolite .................................................................................................42 Rhyolite porphyry ...................................................................................................50 Small rhyolitic intrusive masses..............................................................................51 Xenolith zones ................................................. …………………………………...60 Endomorphic effects of xenoliths in volcanic glass ................................................67 Rabb Canyon pegmatite area ..................................................................................79 Summary of the rhyolitic igneous rocks .................................................................81 Page Sandstone, conglomerate, and tuff ............................................................................... 81 Late andesite ................................................................................................................ 82 Early gravel deposits ................................................................................................... 84 SUMMARY OF QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AND LANDFORMS .............................................................................................. 86 MAJOR STRUCTURAL FEATURES ........................................................................ 87 ORE DEPOSITS .......................................................................................................... 90 Illustrations TABLES Table 1. Estimated modes of the Precambrian plutonic rocks........................................7 Table 2. Classification of the Paleozoic strata in the Kingston area ........................... 28 Table 3. Minerals of the quartz monzonite porphyry ................................................... 39 Table 4. Optical properties of feldspars of the quartz monzonite 40 Table 5. Average modes of the rhyolitic rocks ............................................................. 46 Table 6. Analyses, norms, and modes of igneous rocks of the Kingston area .............. 63 Table 7. Size measurements on xenoliths and crystalline rims .................................... 71 Table 8. Compositional differences between the vitrophyre, rim, xenolith, and "normal" quartz latite .................................................................................. 72 Table 9. Direction and relative magnitude of the compositional differences between the rim and its surroundings, and the xenolith and "normal" quartz latite ....................................................... 73 Table 10. Soda-potash content of the matrices of the rhyolite vitrophyre and the crystalline rim .............................................................................................. 74 Table 11. X-ray data on the sanidine phenocrysts and the matrix in the crystalline rim .................................................................................... 75 Table 12. Feldspars of the Rabb Canyon pegmatite area ............................................ 80 Table 13. Modes of the late andesite volcanic unit ...................................................... 83 iv Page FIGURES Figure 1. Generalized rock section of the Black Range at Kingston ...............................5 Figure 2. Bent plagioclase in Precambrian granite ........................................................9 Figure 3. Shredded hornblende in Precambrian metadiabase ........................................9 Figure 4. Stratigraphic Section I ...................................................................................13 Figure 5. Stratigraphic Section II ..................................................................................14 Figure 6. Stratigraphic Section III ................................................................................17 Figure 7. Stratigraphic Section IV ................................................................................21 Figure 8. Stratigraphic Section V .. .. ..........................................................................25 Figure 9. Interbedded flows and tuffs of the early andesite ...........................................31 Figure 10. Plagioclase phenocrysts in the quartz monzonite porphyry .........................38 Figure 11. Plumose and normal texture of tuffaceous rhyolite ......................................45 Figure 12. Phenocrysts of tuffaceous rhyolite ...............................................................45 Figure 13. Clear and clouded sanidine phenocrysts in tuffaceous rhyolite ...................47 Figure 14. Xenomorphic-granular phase of rhyolite porphyry .....................................52 Figure 15. Perthite, quartz, and spherulitic plagioclase in rhyolite sill………………… 52 Figure 16. Green vitrophyre dike in andesite ................................................................54 Figure 17. Green vitrophyre enclosed by rhyolite rim in andesite.................................55 Figure 18. Granophyric and quartz phenocrysts in green vitrophyre ...........................56 Figure 19. Phenocryst aggregate in glass matrix ..........................................................56 Figure 20. Granophyric intergrowth