BULLETIN 56 Geology and Mineral Resources of Mesa del Oro Quadrangle, Socorro and Valencia Counties, New Mexico by HENRY L. JICHA, JR. 1958 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 Edwin L. Mechem .................. Governor of New Mexico Mrs. Georgia L. Lusk ........................ Superintendent of Public Instruction APPOINTED MEMBERS Robert W. Botts ................................................................ Albuquerque Holm 0. Bursum, Jr. .................................................................. Socorro Thomas M. Cramer ................................................................... Carlsbad John N. Mathews, Jr. ................................................................. Socorro Richard A. Matuszeski ...................................................... Albuquerque Contents Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 2 Surface features .............................................................................................. 2 Climate and vegetation .................................................................................. 4 Previous geologic work ................................................................................. 5 Acknowledgments ......................................................................................... 5 GEOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 6 STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE ................................................................. 7 Permian rocks ................................................................................................. 7 Abo formation ........................................................................................... 7 Yeso formation ........................................................................................ 10 Glorieta sandstone .................................................................................. 13 San Andres formation ............................................................................ 15 Triassic rocks ................................................................................................ 18 Chinle formation ..................................................................................... 18 Jurassic rocks ................................................................................................ 20 Entrada sandstone ................................................................................... 21 Summerville(?) formation ...................................................................... 21 Morrison formation ................................................................................ 21 Cretaceous rocks .......................................................................................... 22 Dakota(?) sandstone ............................................................................... 22 Mancos shale ............................................................................................ 23 Mesaverde formation .............................................................................. 24 Cenozoic sediments ..................................................................................... 24 Travertine ................................................................................................. 24 Landslide debris ....................................................................................... 26 Pediment gravels ..................................................................................... 27 Terrace veneers ........................................................................................ 27 Spring deposits ......................................................................................... 27 Talus .......................................................................................................... 27 Alluvium ................................................................................................... 27 iii Page Cenozoic eruptive rocks ......................................................................................... 28 Sodaclase-diorite intrusives ............................................................................... 28 Sierra Lucero basalts ........................................................................................ 29 Mesa del Oro basalts ......................................................................................... 29 Laguna del Oro basalt ...................................................................................... 30 Gunn Mesa basalts ............................................................................................... 31 Cerro Verde basalt ............................................................................................... 31 Cenozoic erosion surfaces .................................................................................... 31 STRUCTURE ........................................................................................................ 33 Faults .................................................................................................................. 33 Folds ......................................................................................................................... 35 GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE REGION ....................................................... 37 PETROLOGY AND PETROGRAPHY OF THE ERUPTIVE ROCKS ...................................................................................................................... 39 Sodaclase-diorite intrusives ................................................................................. 39 Basaltic rocks .......................................................................................................... 44 Ejecta .................................................................................................................... 47 Chemical data ................................................................................................... 49 MINERAL RESOURCES Travertine .................................................................................................................. 53 Gypsum ................................................................................................................. 54 Flagstone ............................................................................................................... 54 Basalt rock ............................................................................................................ 55 Petroleum .............................................................................................................. 55 Ground Water ...................................................................................................... 55 Abo formation .................................................................................................. 60 Yeso formation ................................................................................................. 60 Glorieta sandstone ............................................................................................ 60 San Andres formation ...................................................................................... 60 Chinle formation ............................................................................................... 61 Alluvium ................................................................................................................. 61 Summary ................................................................................................................ 61 Numbering of wells and springs ..................................................................... 61 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 63 INDEX ........................................................................................................................... 65 iv Illustrations Page TABLES 1. General climatic data—Laguna and Magdalena, New Mexico 4 2. Average annual rainfall by months—Laguna and Magdalena, New Mexico ............................................................................................................ 4 3. Generalized stratigraphic column of Mesa del Oro quadrangle 8-9 4. Cenozoic rocks of Mesa del Oro quadrangle ................................................. 25 5. Erosional-depositional surfaces of Mesa del Oro quadrangle ...................... 32 6. Variation in composition of groundmass plagioclase in basalts of Mesa del Oro quadrangle .............................................................................. 45 7. Modes of some basalts of Mesa del Oro quadrangle .................................... 48 8. Chemical analyses of some eruptive rocks of Mesa del Oro quadrangle ............................................................................................................. 50 9. Norms of some eruptive rocks of Mesa del Oro quadrangle . .................... 50 10. Chemical analyses of travertine from T. 6 N., R. 5 W .................... , Valencia County, New Mexico .........................................................................