Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

1965

Abstract

The area studied lies in the vicinity of Lamy and Canoncito in Santa Fe County, about 17 miles southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The rocks range in age from Precambrian through Quaternary, Precambrian rocks include dark schist and pink gneiss, with minor amounts of greenstone and quaritzite, Overlying the Precambrian rocks is a sequence of sandy limestone called the Basal Limestone, of Mississippian and possibly Devonian age. The Pennsylvanian System is represented by the Sandia formation and Madera Limestone, which are dominantly dark shale and fossiliferous limestone. The Sangre de Cristo and Yeso Formations, Glorieta Sandstone, San Andres Linestone, and Artesia Formation comprise the Permian strats, with red and orange shale and pink to buff sandstone dominating, Conglomeratic sandstone, variegated shale, and limestone of the Dockum Group make up the rocks of the Triassic System. The Jurassic System is represented by the Entrada Sandstone todilto formation, and the variegated shale and sandstone of the Morrison Formation. The Dakota Sandstone and dark shale, sandstone and limestone of the Mancos Formation represent the Cretaceous System. The Tertiary is represented in this area by the buff and red conglomeratic sandstone of the Galisteo Formation of Eocene or Olligocene age, and b the generally unconsolidated sediments of the Santa Fe Formation of Miocene through Pleistocene age.

The area has undergone deformation at least three different times. The earliest period was in Precambrian time when intrusion, faulting, fracturing, and brecciation occurred. Probably in Paleocene and Eocene time, uplift occurred in the area of the present Sangre de Cristo Mountains and resulted in the deposition of the thick Galisteo Formation. The major period of folding and faulting probably occurred from Middle Miocene into Pleistocene time. During this period the present Sangre de Cristo Mountains were formed. Normal northeast-trending faults produced at this time probably determined the course of the Rito Galisteo.

Geologically, the area appears to be economically undeveloped. Coal and gypsum have been mined on a small scale in the past but there is no mining activity at present in the area. It is possible that oil and gas may be found in stratigraphic traps in the Pennsylvanian or Lower Permian rocks or in structural traps brought about by faulting.

Degree Name

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Vincent Cooper Kelley

Second Committee Member

Illegible

Third Committee Member

Stuart Alvord Northrop

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

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