BULLETIN 68 Gypsum Resources of New Mexico by ROBERT H. WEBER and FRANK E. KOTTLOWSKI 1959 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 Alvin J. Thompson, Director THE REGENTS MEMBERS Ex OFFICIO The Honorable John Burroughs .......................... Governor of New Mexico Tom Wiley ......................................... Superintendent of Public Instruction APPOINTED MEMBERS Holm 0. Bursum, Jr. ....................................................................... Socorro Thomas M. Cramer ........................................................................ Carlsbad Frank C. DiLuzio .................................................................... Albuquerque John N. Mathews, Jr. ...................................................................... Socorro Richard A. Matuszeski ........................................................... Albuquerque For sale by the New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources Campus Station, Socorro, N. Mex.—Price $1.00 Contents Page INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Purpose and nature of report ....................................................................... 1 Procedure ........................................................................................................ 1 Previous investigations ................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgments ......................................................................................... 4 PROPERTIES AND ORIGIN OF GYPSUM ........................................... 5 GYPSUM DEPOSITS IN NEW MEXICO ............................................... 7 Stratigraphic occurrence ............................................................................... 7 Pennsylvanian Panther Seep formation ................................................. 7 Permian Abo—Hueco formations ......................................................... 7 Permian Epitaph dolomite ....................................................................... 8 Permian Yeso formation .......................................................................... 9 Permian San Andres formation ............................................................. 10 Permian Whitehorse group .................................................................... 11 Permian Ochoan series ........................................................................... 11 Jurassic Todilto formation ..................................................................... 12 Cretaceous gypsum beds ........................................................................ 13 Tertiary gypsum beds .............................................................................. 13 Quaternary gypsum beds and dunes .................................................... 13 Areal distribution ......................................................................................... 14 Northeastern New Mexico .................................................................... 14 North-central New Mexico .................................................................... 14 San Ysidro—Cuba region ................................................................... 14 Gallina—Rio Chama region ............................................................... 19 Galisteo Creek—Arroyo Tongue region .......................................... 19 Tijeras Basin .......................................................................................... 24 Lamy—Glorieta Mesa region ............................................................. 25 Northwestern New Mexico ................................................................... 25 Mesita—Suwanee region ..................................................................... 25 Mesa Lucero—Rio Salado region ...................................................... 29 Page Central New Mexico ............................................................................... 30 Vaughn—Santa Rosa region ............................................................. 30 Ancho area ........................................................................................... 32 Mesa del Yeso area ............................................................................. 33 Northern Chupadera Mesa—Mesa Jumanes region ..................... 34 Estancia, Encino, and Piños Wells Basins ...................................... 35 West-central New Mexico ..................................................................... 38 South-central New Mexico .................................................................... 38 White Sands ......................................................................................... 38 Caballo Mountains .............................................................................. 41 Nogal Canyon ..................................................................................... 41 Sierra Cuchillo ..................................................................................... 42 San Andres Mountains ....................................................................... 42 Southern Chupadera Mesa ................................................................ 43 Phillips Hills ......................................................................................... 43 Sacramento Mountains ...................................................................... 44 Otero Mesa .......................................................................................... 45 Rio Hondo and Rio Ruidoso valleys ............................................... 46 Southern Robledo Mountains .......................................................... 46 Northern Franklin Mountains .......................................................... 47 Southwesternmost New Mexico ........................................................... 49 Southeastern New Mexico ..................................................................... 50 Pecos Valley ......................................................................................... 51 Yeso Hills ............................................................................................. 52 CHEMICAL ANALYSES ............................................................................. 53 USES AND INDUSTRIAL PREPARATION ........................................... 54 Uncalcined gypsum ..................................................................................... 54 Calcined gypsum .......................................................................................... 56 Chemical uses ............................................................................................... 57 REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 58 INDEX .............................................................................................................. 63 iv Illustrations TABLES Page 1. Chemical analyses ................................................................. Following 52 2. Gypsum products in the United States, 1955 ..................................... 55 FIGURES 1. Surface distribution of Todilto formation, San Ysidro area . 17 2. Surface distribution of Jurassic rocks, Galisteo—Tonque region 20 3. Sketch map of Todilto formation adjoining Arroyo Tongue . 23 4. Surface distribution of Todilto formation, Suwanee area ................. 28 5. Apache Canyon area, Robledo Mountains .......................................... 48 PLATES 1. Index map of gypsum deposits in New Mexico .................... In pocket 2. A. Northern face of White Mesa ........................................ Following 18 B. Eroded surface of massive gypsum in Todilto forma- tion, White Mesa ................................................................................. 18 3. A. Mesita deposit ..................................................................................... 18 B. Gypsum from San Andres formation, Vaughn quarry .................................................................................................... 18 4. A. Crystalline gypsite, Mesa del Yeso ................................................... 18 B. Stabilized gypsum dune sands, Piños Wells Basin . ...................... 18 5. A. Gypsum sand dunes, White Sands National Monu- ment ...................................................................................................... 18 B. Laminated gypsum from Castile formation, Yeso Hills ....................................................................................................... 18 6. Map of White Sands ................................................................... In pocket Introduction PURPOSE AND NATURE OF REPORT This bulletin is designed to satisfy the growing demand for informa- tion concerning gypsum deposits in New Mexico and the possible utilization of known deposits of this mineral. An earlier study by Darton (1920), listing and summarily describing most of the large deposits in the State, is now out of print. Moreover, some smaller deposits of pos- sible local value, not listed by Darton, have been located recently. The utilization of gypsum depends on many factors, which must be con- sidered for each deposit and each locality individually. This report is chiefly a reconnaissance survey of gypsum deposits