The geology of the northern part of the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Alexis, Carl Odman, 1918- 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 23/09/2021 10:19:30 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565345 THE GEOLOGY OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA Carl 0. Alexis •i A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Geology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate College, University of Arizona 1949 Approveds Director of Thesis D a ^ SIT TO THAT TATnTAOT TUT TO YO'XIO-TD TAT AuOSIHn ,?AKAmTat AOiniOSJii Xv 2>:-:c £A .0 A-\^3 n;?7 -jc-'i r'- \J To '-.ore-:* I A.*. e q n ) / i CONTENTS ZagS In'broduction ......... .,.,... .,..,..., .. ,, ... 1 Location . ... 1 Culture ....................... ... 1 Transportation...... ............... ... 2 Drainage ... 2 Topography .............. ......... ..... ... 3 Flora ............................. ... 3 F a u n a ............................ ... 4 Previous investigations .............. ... 4 Purpose and scope of the examination ., ... 4 Field work ......... ....... ....... ... 5 Acknowledgments ....... .......... ... 5 Stratigraphy ........... ............... .... ... 6 Pre-Cambrian rocks ................... ... 7 Cambrian sedimentary rooks ........... • •• 7 Bolsa quartzite ......... ... 7 Cochise formation ............... ... 9 Abrigo formation •. .....,... .. Devonian sedimentary rocks ........... ... 11 Mis sis sippian sedimentary rocks ...... ... 12 Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks ...... ... 13 Permian sedimentary rocks . 1 3 Lower Cretaceous rocks . .......... ,...16 Parker Canyon section ........ ... 16 2 0 3 2 4 % Stratigraphy (contd) Page Limestone conglomerate formation ...... 17 Lower elastic f ormation.......... 20 Limestone formation ................. 23 Upper elastic formation ............... 25 Correlation of the Cretaceous section .. ....... 26 Distribution of Lower Cretaceous volcanic rocks 28 Tertiary rocks ........... 29 Tertiary volcanic rocks ....... ........ 29 Gila conglomerate ........... 30 Quaternary rocks ••••••••••••••«•••••••••••«••• 32 Igneous racks 33 Pre-Cambrian granite ......................... Lower Cretaceous volcanic racks . 35 Parker Canyon section ................ 35 Volcanic flow in Blackt&il Canyon ..... 37 Tertiary volcanic racks .......... 38 Post-Cretaceous intrusive racks .... 39 Geologic structure ............. ......... 41 Structure elements ................. 41 Folds .....................«••«•••••• . 41 Rough Canyon anticline ...... 41 Rough Canyon syncline ....... 41 Drag folding ................ 42 Folding of the Tertiary rocks , 43 .Page Faults .. ..... 44 Huachuca Canyon fault 44 Crest Line thrust fault ....................... 45 Basin Range fault ............................. 47 Lyle Peak fault 48 Lone Mountain fault structure 49 Structural history 50 Pre-Laraaide structures ....................... 50 Post-Permian Pre-Cretaceous, structure .... 50 Cretaceous structures ..................... 52 Laraad.de folding 53 Post-Laramida structures ................ ••••.« 54 Physiographic history 56 Ore deposits 63 Water supply ....................... 67 Bibliography ............................... 72 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATES 1. Geologic map of the northern part of the Huachuea Mountaiae, Arizona ......................... In pocket 2. Geologic structure sections of the northern : part of the Huachuea Mountains along lines shown on Plate 1 .................................... In pocket 3. Index map (Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico., In pocket 4. Map of Benson and Hereford Quadrangles, Arizona (showing elevation of water table) In pocket 5# Generalized columnar section Huachuea Mountains, Arizona ............................................ In pocket 6. Stream piracy northern end of the Huachuea : Mountains ......... ............ ....... In pocket (following page 74) ; 7. A. Bobocomarl Valley B. Northern end Huachuea Mountains 8. A. Summer thunderstorm over Huachuea Mountains. B. Summer thunderstorm over Mustang Mountains. 9. A. Southwest flank Huachuea Peak B. Northwest flank" Huachuea Peak 10. A. South side Garden Canyon B. South side Huachuea Peak lie ki Cambrian Bolsa quartzite B. Cambrian Bolsa quartzite 12. A. Mississippiah Escabrosa limestone faulted over Cambrian Abrigo formation B. Cambrian Abrigo formation 13. A. Permian limestones on Lyle Peak B. Permian, limestones in Garden Canyon 14. A. Lower Cretaceous limestone conglomerate formation B. Transverse section of Araucarioxdvlon sp. ILLUSTRATIONS Plates 15. A, Radial section of Arancarioxvlon sp. B, Tangential section of Arancarloxylon sp. 16. A, Oyster bed in Lower Cretaceous limestone formation B, Same as above 17. A, Ostrea ragsdalei B, Glauconia branneri 18. A, Northwest nose of the Rough Canyon anticline B, Same as above 19. A, Lower Cretaceous lower clastic formation near head to Huachuca Canyon B, Lower Cretaceous upper clastic formation in Parker Canyon 20. A, Lower Cretaceous strata near head of Algerita Canyon B, Same as above 21. A, Tuffs and sandstones in Tertiary volcanic rocks B, Closer view of above 22. A, Tuffs and sandstones in Tertiary volcanic rocks B, Tertiary rhyolite porphyry flow ; 23. A, Pliocene Gila conglomerate B, Pliocene Gila conglomerate " 24. A, B, Boulder of conglomerate in Pliocene Gila conglomerate 25. A, Fine grained equivalent of Pliocene Gila conglomerate B, Same as above. 26. A, Crest Line thrust fault in Garden Canyon B, Same as above. 27. A, Crest line thrust fault on Huachuca Peak B, Same as above 28. A Basin Range fault B Basin Range fault ILLUSTRATIONS Plates Sags 29* A, Basin Range fault • ' >.o B. Basin Range fault Figures !• . Geologic occurrence of springs in the Manila Mine Area...*, 70 2* Geologic occurrence of springs.in the Huachuca Mountains •• 71 •1< INTRODUCTION : v.'r Location L ' The Huachuca Mountains are in southeastern Arizona, where they fora a northwest trending range about twenty miles long. The range lies in the southwest corner of Cochise County. The Huachucas extend from Lat. 31° 20* N 0# Long. 110° 16* W. ( a point on the Mexican border) to Lat. 31° 36' N., Long. 110° 27' if. The area mapped is about 10 miles square. It extends one to two miles out from the base of the range on the north and east. The south­ ern boundary is Garden Canyon, which flows eastward, and Copper Glance Canyon, which flows westward. The area extends two miles west of Cochise County into Santa Cruz County. All of Township R* 19 E,, T. 22 S., and parts of Townships R. 19 £., T. 21 S.j R. 19 £., T. 23 S.j R, 18 E., T. 21 S.j R. 18 E., T. 22 S.j R. 18 E., T. 23 S.j R. 20 E., T. 21 S., and R. 20 E., T. 22 S. are in the area, making a total of approximately 100 square miles. Culture: Ranching and mining are the principal activities in the Huachuca Mountains. Until 1947 the northern portion of the range was part of the Fort Huachuca Military Reservation, which during World War II had a com­ plement of fifteen to twenty thousand' men. ' ■' ^ Transportation ’-r - v - ;•, - -v^ ' ” ■ v; ' .• , : ' W ' ' - . : - "" The Douglas-Tucson line of the Southern Pacific Railroad runs up the San Pedro River Valley, Fort Huachuca is connected with it at Lewis Spring by a spur line fourteen miles long, A paved highway connects Fort Huachuca with Tombstone, Bisbee, and Tucson. This road runs parallel to the eastern front of the Huachuca Mountains. The northern, western, and southern flanks of the range are served by graded roads, A road passable by a small truck or jeep runs through the range up Garden Canyon and down through Scotia and Copper Glance Canyons. z::y:.r \ " / -y: ■ y-., yy -y ;"y y-. ‘ v i-yy Drainage y,- ; The east flank of the Huachuca Mountains is drained by streams flowing eastward into the San Pedro River, which lies about ten miles from the base of the range. The San Pedro flows northward and north­ westward to the vicinity of Winkelman, Arizona, where it empties into the Gila River, On the west flank of the Huachucas the drainage goes into two separate basins. The one to the north is formed by the Huachucas on the east and the Canelo Hills to the west and south. The Bobocomari River and its tributaries in Sycamore Gulch (Lyle Canyon) and O'Donnell Canyon, drain this area, carrying the flow northward and eastward into the San Pedro River, The southern basin is bounded on the northeast and east by the Canelo Hills and the southwestern flanks of the Huachuca Mountains, on the north by the hilly volcanic area lying between the Canelo.Hills.and -3- the Patagonia Mountains, and on the west by the Patagonia Mountains. This basin is drained by the Santa Cruz River, which flows southward into Mexico, then west and north, re-entering the United States near to too.- 15 3t. i v.-" 5.1 US, Nogales, and farther north, passing through Tucson. ov;-:y, It; oot-tu OX: ;;o:;r-c xl ihx flol't tno rol L '• loo' t-:.-.:,-'.-0 ' - Topography limvr roocxotoo. .. : •• .a .'aa : x vlAa. a■ :,a : ; . a . The Huachuca Mountains rise abruptly from the gently sloping 5 ^ - a r t pui oog o t M.-t ta.atala V-'.-d" C - 'tax taaot pediment surrounding them# The break between the pediment and the hy .-ra'.vat:::'* v -ta