A preliminary basin analysis of the El Rito Formation (Eocene), north-central New Mexico

Logsdon, Mark J.

doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1981)92<968:apbaot>2.0.co;2

Cited by 9 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…In contradiction to Cather's hypothesis is the presence of "max imum diameters of 3 feet" (about 90 cm) for clasts in the Hagan basin (Stearns, 1943, p. 307), which Cather's paleogeographic map (and ours) puts ~30 km downstream from Cather's study area. Characteristics of the Galisteo For mation at St. Peter's Dome (near the Pajarito fault) are similar to those of the El Rito Forma tion formed along the western side of the Bra zos-Sangre de Cristo uplift, as described by Logsdon (1981); no "Pajarito uplift" is needed. The nonvolcaniclastic strata at Arroyo Hondo, similarly, can be interpreted as typical El Rito-Galisteo alluvial deposits preserved along the western edge of the BSdC uplift.…”

Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 87%

“…1 and 2) (Stearns, 1943;Baltz, 1978;Gorham and Ingersoll, 1979;Logsdon, 1981;Ingersoll et al, 1990;Cather, 1992;Abbott et al, 1995). The GER basin is bounded on the northeast by the Brazos-Sangre de Cristo (BSdC) uplift, on the northwest by the Nacimiento-Gallina-Archuleta (NGA) uplift, on the southwest by the Rio Puerco fault zone and the Lucero uplift, and on the southeast by the TC fault zone (Fig.…”

Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Strata rest disconformably on Creta ceous strata near the deepest part of the basin, with angular unconformity on Per mian through Cretaceous strata along the northwestern basin margin, and nonconformably on Precambrian basement along the southwestern edge of the BSdC uplift (Baltz, 1978;Kelley, 1978;Gorham and Ingersoll, 1979;Logsdon, 1981). Thus, the GER basin was deposited above a broad syncline of Phanerozoic strata, with crystalline base ment along the basin margins.…”

Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Sediment began accumulating as the Galisteo Formation in the deepest part of the synclinal trough as drainages adjusted to the changing topography; lower Eocene sediment came primarily from the BSdC uplift (Gorham and Ingersoll, 1979). Middle to upper Eocene sediment (El Rito and Galisteo formations) was derived from all directions, but primarily from the BSdC and NGA uplifts (Gorham and Ingersoll, 1979;Logsdon, 1981). Laramide compression, erosion, and sedimentation were terminated abruptly at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary as regional calc-alkaline volcanism exploded onto the landscape (Ingersoll et al, 1990).…”

Section: Other Laramide Basinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Model for Evolution of Laramide Axial Basins in the Southern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

Yin

Ingersoll

1997

International Geology Review

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The structural, stratigraphic, and sedimentologic development of Laramide axial basins of the southern Rocky Mountains is inconsistent with previous models relating them to transpressional tectonics. Axial basins are better explained as broad synclinal troughs in the hanging walls of large pop-up structures, in contrast to perimeter and ponded basins formed in the footwalls of these same structures. Laramide faults in the southern Rocky Mountains can be divided into the E-dipping Park Range thrust system and the W-dipping Sangre de Cristo thrust system. The W-dipping Front Range fault is the backthrust of the Park Range system, and the E-dipping Nacimiento fault is the back-thrust of the Sangre de Cristo system. The broad synclinal troughs formed between these two pairs of oppositely verging thrust systems were the locations for sediment deposition in axial basins, as exemplified by the Galisteo-El Rito basin of northern New Mexico. The Eocene Galisteo and El Rito formations were deposited on a broad syncline of Phanerozoic strata with crystalline basement along the basin margins. Most sediment was derived from the northeast, north, and northwest, except near the NE-trending TijerasCañoncito transfer zone along the southeast margin of the basin. Uplift of the Sangre de Cristo Range occurred first, followed by backthrusting to uplift the Sierra Nacimiento. This model explains Laramide uplifts and basins as the direct response to rapid NE-SW convergence between the North American and Farallon plates, without multiple reorientation of Laramide stress fields, and without major strike-slip along the eastern side of the Colorado Plateau.

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Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Other Laramide Basinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Model for Evolution of Laramide Axial Basins in the Southern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

Yin

Ingersoll

1997

International Geology Review

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“…The currently most active structures of the Espanola Basin, the Verlarde graben and Pajarito fault zone (e.g., Manley, 1979;Aldrich, 1986;Gardner and House, 1987), lie near its center. Prerift rocks exposed around the margins of, and possibly underlying, the Espanola Basin consist of Mississippian to Permian marine limestones, sandstones, and shales (including Cutler, Sangre de Cristo, Alamitos, La Pasada, and Flechado formations; Arroyo Penasco and Magdalena groups); Mesozoic marine to terrestrial sandstones and shales (including Chinle, Morrison, and Todilto formations; Entrada sandstone; Dakota formation; Mancos shale; Mesa Verde group); and Eocene sandstones, shales, and freshwater limestones (Galisteo and El Rito formations; e.g., Stearns, 1953a;Logsdon, 1981). The latter rocks, which include continental sediments shed from Laramide uplifts, correlate with isolated deposits elsewhere in New Mexico (Lucas, 1984).…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A geophysical model of the Española Basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico

et al. 1991

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A model of the subsurface structure of the eastern part of the Española Basin in the northern Rio Grande rift of New Mexico was constructed from geophysical data obtained since 1983 by the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) field course. Approximately 742 new gravity observations, 1276 ground magnetic stations, 30 km of seismic refraction lines, 19 km of seismic reflection lines, 22 magnetotelluric stations, and several Schlumberger and dipole‐dipole resistivity lines were established. Our studies provide new information on one boundary of a major continental rift and on the depositional and structural style of an extensional basin within the rift. Integration of these data sets into a single transect indicates that the Española Basin is asymmetrical with approximately 2 to 3 km of sediments and sedimentary rocks near the center, thinning eastward to the Precambrian outcrop of the flanking Sangre de Cristo uplift. Several minor faults with throws of less than 200 m were found, but no major eastern bounding fault was observed. Thus, the Española Basin could be an asymmetrical, west‐dipping half‐graben. However, major fault offset, down toward the basin axis, may occur within Precambrian rocks of the Sangre de Cristo uplift. In either case, the geometry of the basin does not agree well with current models for the structural evolution of continental rifts, which emphasize low‐angle detachment faults which create asymmetrical, hinged half‐grabens. These models predict that major shoulder uplift should occur adjacent to the side of the graben bounded by a listric master fault rather than adjacent to the hinged side. In contrast, for the Española Basin major uplift occurred adjacent to the eastern side, which could be the hinged side of the basin. A thick wedge of older sedimentary rocks with high P‐wave velocity (4.4 km/s) and low electrical resistivity (5 Ω⋅m) was discovered under the younger Tertiary sediments and sedimentary rocks near the center of the basin. This wedge has maximum thickness of 1.2 km at the western end of the profile and thins eastward. The physical properties suggest this layer could be older Tertiary, or possibly a Mesozoic‐Paleozoic, section of rocks. If the latter, it has potential economic importance because of the possible presence of a Cretaceous section which is known to produce oil and gas in the Albuquerque Basin to the south and the San Luis Basin to the north. However, based on data from the Yates La Mesa no. 2 well, 10 km south of the transect, this wedge is likely middle Tertiary lacustrine deposits (NMOCD, 1986). The great thickness of lake deposits may represent a major lacustrine facies of the Eocene Galisteo and El Rito formations, exposed around the southern, southwestern, and northwestern margins of the basin. Magnetotelluric data suggest the crystalline basement underlying the central Española Basin may be more conductive than near the eastern margin. The entire Española Basin is also underlain by a highly conductive layer of about 1 Ω⋅m at a depth of 15 km. Both the shallow and deep low‐resistivity zones may result from hot, saline fluids. Such fluids deep within the crust may reduce the shear strength of the crust significantly and concentrate crustal extension on the west side of the rift.

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Progressive opening of the northern Rio Grande rift based on fault structure and kinematics of the Tusas-Abiquiu segment in north-central New Mexico, U.S.

et al. 2019

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A preliminary basin analysis of the El Rito Formation (Eocene), north-central New Mexico

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

A Model for Evolution of Laramide Axial Basins in the Southern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

A Model for Evolution of Laramide Axial Basins in the Southern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

A geophysical model of the Española Basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico

Progressive opening of the northern Rio Grande rift based on fault structure and kinematics of the Tusas-Abiquiu segment in north-central New Mexico, U.S.

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