Scale of geologic time in millions of years Española- Chama-Taos A Climb Through Time Cover-RISTRAS OF RED CHILES Scenic Trips to the Geologic Past No. 13 New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources A DIVISION OF NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY Española-Chama-Taos A Climb Through Time by William R. Muehlberger and Sally Muehlberger Illustrated by Debra Vetterman Frontispiece—BRAZOS BOX east of Tierra Amarilla SOCORRO 1982 iv NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY KENNETH W . FOR D, President N E W MEXICO BUREAU OF MINES & MINERAL RESOURCES FRANK E. KOTTLOWSKI, Director GEORGE S. AUSTIN, Deputy Director BOARD OF REGENTS Ex Officio Bruce King, Governor of New Mexico Leonard DeLayo, Superintendent of Public Instruction Appointed Steve Torres, President, 1967-1985, Socorro Dave Rice, Secretary-Treasurer, 1972-1983, Carlsbad William G. Abbott, 1961-1985, Hobbs Judy Floyd, 1977-1987, Las Cruces Owen Lopez, 1977-1983, Santa Fe BUREAU STAFF Full Time MARLA D. ADKINS, Assistant Editor MARK LOGSDON, Industrial Minerals Geologist ORIN J. ANDERSON, Geologist DAVID W. LOVE, Environmental Geologist RUBEN ARCHULETA, Technician I WESS MAULDIN, Driller ROBERT A. BIEBERMAN, Senior Petrol. Geologist VIRGINIA MCLEMORE, Geologist STEVE BLODGETT, Assistant Editor LYNNE MCNEIL, Staff Secretary LYNN A. BRANDVOLD, Chemist NORMA J. MEEKS, Department Secretary JAMES BRANNAN, Drafter DAVID MENZIE, Geologist CORALE BRIERLEY, Chemical Microbiologist TERESA MUELLER, Drafter ROBERT M. NORTH, Mineralogist RON BROADHEAD, Petroleum Geologist ' BRENDA R. BROADWELL, Assoc. Lab Geoscientist KEITH OBRIEN, Hydrologist JANE A. CALVERT, Assistant Editor JOANNE C. OSBURN, Coal Geologist FRANK CAMPBELL, Coal Geologist GLENN R. OSBURN, Volcanologist RICHARD CHAMBERLIN, Economic Geologist BARBARA R. POPP, Lab. Biotechnologist CHARLES E. CHAPIN, Senior Geologist MARSHALL A. REITER, Senior Geophysicist JEANETTE CHAVEZ, Admin. Secretary I JACQUES R. RENAULT, Senior Geologist RICHARD R. CHAVEZ, Assistant Head, Petroleum JAMES M. ROBERTSON, Mining Geologist RUBEN A. CRESPIN, Laboratory Technician II GRETCHEN H. ROYBAL, Coal Geologist LOIS M. DEVLIN, Director, Bus.—Pub. Office AMY SHACKLETT, Asst. Lab Biotechnologist AMELIA DONDERO, Metallurgist JACKIE H. SMITH, Laboratory Technician IV KATHY C. EDEN, Editorial Technician WILLIAM J. STONE, Hydrogeologist ROBERT W. EVELETH, Mining Engineer SAMUE'L THOMPSON III, Senior Petrol. Geologist K. BABETTE FARIS, X-ray Lab. Manager JUDY M. VAIZA, Executive Secretary DEBRA VETTERMAN, Drafter ROUSSEAU H. FLOWER, Sr. Emeritus Paleontologist ROBERT H. WEBER, Senior Geologist JOHN W. HAWLEY, Senior Env. Geologist BETSY WILSON, Receptionist/Clerk Typist CINDY HOWELL, Staff Secretary DONALD WOLBERG, Vertebrate Paleontologist ROBERT W. KELLEY, Editor & Geologist MICHAEL W. WOOLDRIDGE, Scientific Illustrator ARLEEN LINDSEY, Staff Secretary Part Time CHRISTINA L. BALK, Geologist BEVERLY OHLINE, Acting Director, Info. Services HOWARD B. NICKELSON, Coal Geologist THOMAS E. ZIMMERMAN, Chief Security Officer Graduate Students DANNY BOBROW TERRY JENSEN CURTIS VERPLEOUGH JAMES T. BOYLE DOUGLAS L. HEATH JOHN M. WAKEFIELD GERRY W. CLARKSON ADRIAN HUNT MARY LYNNE YATES MIKE DAVIDSON INGRID KLICH JOHN YOUNG DAVID R. GUILINGER IONE LINDLEY Plus about 50 undergraduate assistants First Edition, 1982 Published by Authority of State of New Mexico, NMSA 1953 Sec. 63-1-4 Printed by University of New Mexico Printing Plant, April, 1982 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Available from New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources. Socorro. N M 87801 Price $4.50 v Preface Northern New Mexico is a region of spectacular contrasts in scenery: from slightly vegetated desert valleys and lava-covered plateaus sliced by deep gorges, to towering forested mountains with jagged peaks that are the highest points in New Mexico. Each town that occupies these varied settings is different and reflects the remarkable interplay of the Indian, Spanish, American, and even French influences in the development of the region. This is a region of gorgeous color—in the great variety of rocks and their myriad erosional forms, or in the sky that can range from a deep blue to dark-gray storm clouds and finally to multicolored sunsets. This quality of light has drawn to the region many artists who have made several of the places in this guidebook familiar to the tourist. Many people have shared their knowledge and friendship with us during our many summers living in the Chama, Ojo Caliente, and Taos areas. We have fond memories of them and of our time in this region. Ken and Donna Lively, long-time residents of Chama, deserve special thanks for the years of hospitality and for sharing their intimate knowledge of the Chama area. Our thanks go to Hugh Doney for the use of his photographs and his review of the cross section across the region that he mapped (Tierra Amarilla-Tres Piedras log); and to the many students and individuals from other institutions who worked in parts of this region and have contributed important pieces to the still incomplete jigsaw puzzle of geologic history. To Tom Williams, Southern Methodist University, goes our appreciation for letting us use the facilities and library at Ft. Burgwin Research Center near Taos. The New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources pro- vided financial support for the preparation of this book while we developed the road logs and text during the early summer of 1979. All photos were taken by the authors except where otherwise indicated. We also thank the Bureau editorial staff for their patient and thorough work. William R. Muehlberger Professor of Geology University of Texas Austin, Texas November, 1981 Sally Muehlberger vi Contents HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEBOOK 11 IMPORTANT DATES IN NEW MEXICO HISTORY 14 Indian periods in New Mexico 14 New Mexico under Spain 14 New Mexico under the Republic of Mexico 14 New Mexico as United States Territory 15 COLOR PHOTO GALLERY follows 16 GEOLOGY 17 TRIP LOGS Trip 1—Santa Fe-Española 25 Trip 2—Española-Abiquiu-Chama 31 Trip 3—Tierra Amarilla-Tres Piedras 55 Trip 4—Tres Piedras-Taos 65 High bridge stop—regional discussion 71 Trip 5—Taos-Espanola 77 Reconquest of New Mexico 85 Trip 6—Tres Piedras-0jo Caliente-Española 88 SUGGESTED READING 95 GLOSSARY 96 INDEX 98 vii FIGURES Table of geologic time inside front cover Map with trip routes x Generalized geologic map with routes 12 Physiographic map of New Mexico and southern Colorado 18 Block diagram of transform fault connecting two grabens 21 Block diagram of region covered 22 Diagram of stratigraphic relations of rock units 27 Beginning of Permian Period 37 Upper Triassic Period 37 Upper Triassic plant fossils 38 Triassic phytosaur, Rutiodon 40 Entrada Sandstone 43 Todilto gypsum dune field compared with White Sands 44 Upper Jurassic river-system deposits 46 Early Cretaceous Burro Canyon river system 47 Shorelines of Dakota Sandstone 48 Northeasternmost expansion of Mesaverde shoreline 49 Schematic cross section from Rio Chama to Tres Piedras 55 Vertical distribution of tree species 56 Paleocene Wasatch mountains and plains 60 Middle Eocene San Jose-Blanco Basin 61 Volcanoes of Taos Plateau 66 Schematic cross section from Tres Piedras to Wheeler Peak 67 Sketches of normal and tilted stream valleys 72 Map of Taos reentrant showing drainage anomalies 73 Cross section along Hondo Canyon 78 Staurolite crystals 80 Cross section of Embudo fault at Pilar 82 Panoramic index of features, Espanola Basin 86 viii PHOTOGRAPHS Photo (with index map) of Taos Plateau and northern Espanola Valley 24 Camel Rock 28 Santa Rosa de Loma de Abiquiu 33 Basaltic dike cutting Abiquiu Tuff 35 Cutler Formation stream deposits 36 Cliff-forming Triassic stream-channel deposit 36 Mesozoic section southeast of Echo Amphitheater (photo by S. D. Blodgett) 39 Entrada Sandstone cliffs at Echo Amphitheater 41 Dry waterfall at Echo Amphitheater 42 Massive sandstones of Morrison Formation 43 Burro Canyon Formation floodplain channel deposits 44 Burro Canyon Formation truncated by Dakota Formation 45 Base of river channel, Dakota Formation 46 Parallel-bedded beach sandstones, Dakota Formation 47 Panorama to southwest from mile 64.9, Española-Abiquiu-Chama log (photo by S. D. Blodgett) 50 Brazos Box (photo by S. D. Blodgett) 51 Cañones Box 52 Terminal yard, CATS Railroad, Chama 53 Prominent features, mile 18.4, Tierra Amarilla-Tres Piedras log (photo by S. D. Blodgett) 56 Brazos Box and Brazos Cliffs 58 Principal features, mile 20.8, Tierra Amarilla-Tres Piedras log (photo by S. D. Blodgett) 60 Remains of a stamp mill, Placer Creek 62 Gravel-filled channel, Cordito Member 63 Panorama east of Tres Piedras 68 Rio Grande Gorge bridge 70 View upstream from Rio Grande Gorge bridge 70 Southeast Taos Plateau, Rio Grande Gorge, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains 72 Taos Plaza 75 Apollo 15 astronauts at Rio Grande Gorge 79 Apollo 15 astronauts at Hadley Rille, Moon 79 Old Embudo bridge 84 Ojo Caliente Sandstone Member crossbeds 90 Ojo Caliente Sandstone Member badlands 93 ix COLOR PHOTO GALLERY (following page 16) 1—Camel Rock 2—Sacred Heart Mission, Nambé 3—Cemented Santa Fe Formation south of Abiquiu 4—Todilto Formation overlying Entrada Sandstone and Chinle Formation south of Ghost Ranch 5—Mesozoic section near Ghost Ranch 6—Echo Amphitheater 7—Lobato railroad siding north of Chama 8—Brazos Box overlook 9—Old Smoky, Tusas Mountains 10--St. Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos 11—Rio Grande Gorge overlook south of Taos 12—Ristras