Geology and Mineral Resources
of
York Ranch SE Quadrangle,
Cibola and Catron Counties, New Mexico
by
Orin J. Anderson
New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources
Socorro, New Mexico 87801
Open-File 220-A
Abstract
The
central
New
Mexico
physiographic
projection
as
SE 7-1/2 min.
Ranch
York
both
near
elements;
of
the
these
the
it
Zuni
quadrangle
intersection
lies
Basin
features
is
where
of
the
intersects
lose
expression
located
in
three
west-
structural
or
southeastward
the
Hickman
southward
fault
into
zone,
the
Mogollon Slope. The Quaternary-age North Plains basalt flow
covers
the
alluvial
northwestern
valley
Major
third
adjacent
to the
geologic
the
eastern
features
Plains basalt flow,(2) the
of
in
the
Hickman
quadrangle,
a broad
with
margin
the
flow.
(1) the
consist
of
area
fault
of
zone
which
North
passes
along
the eastern edge of the quadrangle, ( 3and
) a northwest-trending
basaltic
dike
part
the
of
In
are
the
either
of
Oligocene
age
which
enters
the
south-central
quadrangle.
eastern
at
or
half
very
the
quadrangle
near
the
surface,
a thin
withveneer
In addition, an isolated outcrop of upper Cretaceous
Though
point
and
small,
along
is
in
the
the
the
especially
to the
southwest
corner
of
provides
another
structural
outcrop
paleoescarpment
significant
outcrops,
because
it
that
confined
illustrates
how
rock
of
north.
present
masking
Cretaceous
and
is
sediments
upper
eolian
rocks
alluvial
of
the
quadrangle.
the
control
basalt
structural
flow,
dips
reverse along strike of this paleoescarp. This dip reversal,
plus
the
highly
fractured
nature
of
the
rocks
and
the
presence
horizontal slickensides, indicates some strike-slip movement
occurred
The
alongNE trends.
Cretaceous
rocks
are,
with
one
small
exception,
limited
to the nonmarine sandstone, shale, mudstone, carbonaceous shale,
and
minor
coal
of
the
Crevasse
Canyon
Formation
(mostly
Coniacian). The exception is in the north-central part of the
quadrangle
wherea small
outcrop
of
Gallup
Sandstone
(late
Turonian) was found. Immediately to the north, just inside the
south-central
underlying
part
of
D-Cross
the
Tongue
adjacent
of
the
York
Ranch
quadrangle,
Mancos
Shale
was
also
the
recognized
(in E 1/2 NE 1/4 sec.25 T5N R12W).
Tertiary
near
the
rocks
top
of
may
the
be
represented
a 30-ft-thick
by
topographic
knob
in
the
sandstone
18 T4Nsec.
NW1/4
R11W: a light-reddish-brown sandstone,it could bea facies of
the Baca Formation (Eocene). Alternatively, they may be deeply
weathered and altered Cretaeous rocks. The outcrop is overlain
by a remnant ofa coarse, older-alluvial unit (Plio-Mio?) that
has been quarried for use as road metal. The quarry has exposed
vesicular
basalt
resemblance
to
and
the
basaltic
coarse
andesite
facies
fo
cobbles
the
Fence
that
bear
close
Lake
Formation
20 mi. to the west.
(Miocene) which occurs quite extensively
Aside
has
from
been
the
realized
above
on
mentioned
the
quarry
quadrangle
and
no
mineral
little
production
mineral
potential
exists; coal resources are nil. The real value in mapping the
quadrangle
might
well
lie
in
the
of minor
recognition
NE-trending
(N56O-58OE) strike-slip faults (compartmental fault) which
parallel
those
of
the
Zuni
Basin,
and
which
a way
offer
to
project fracture porosity zones into the subsurface. This could
be
useful
in
the
information
basin
in
the
in
the
searcha small
for
quadrangles
that
oil
lie
to
play
the
deeper
west
and
sou
INTRODUCTION
The
York
Ranch
SE quadrangle
lies
between
34030f
and
34°37'30"N latitude and 108O and 108°7'30"
west longitude (Fig.
1) near
Colorado
the
southeast
margin
of
the
Plateau
physiographic province. The rocks exposed within the quadrangle
range
very
from
the
small
upper
exposure
Quaternary
age
Cretaceous
of
North
the
Crevasse
underlying
Plains
basalt
Canyon
Gallup
flow
Formation
a
Sandstone)
(see
(with
to
the
composite
stratigraphic column on map). The basalt flow covers the
1) and consequently
northwestern third of the quadrangle (Fig.
this
portion
was
Elevations
basalt
flow
not
looked
range
to
a low
at
in
7170 across
about
from
7150 in
about
of
detail.
the
the
top
north
of
the
and
a high
of
7680 in the southeast. Generally, everything above 7300 fta has
Pinyon-Juniper
cover
(Pinus
respectively),
although
edulis
alluvial
and
valley
Juniaeris
floors
monosDerma,
do
not
tend
to
support sucha cover at any elevation. The area receives on the
average
about
greatly
from
Access
northward
14
in.
year
to
is
precipitation
year
provided
from
Pietown
(Tuan
by
an
per
and
year,
may
vary
1969).
others,
unimproved
for
16 miles
though
at
which
county
point
road
it
that
enters
leads
the
1). The county road
southeast corner of the quadrangle (Fig.
continues
along
the
eastern
edge
of
the
quadrangle
and
N" joins
117 6 mi north of the boundary. The only permanent residence in
the
area
Lightning
is
that
Field;
of
the
the
art
caretaker
colony
is
for
the
located
in
Dia
the
Art
Colony
4,
NW1/4
T3N R12W. The nearest major highway U.S.
is no. 60 which passes
1
sec.
and
0
4
Bmi
a
-N-
34'30'
FIGURE I-Index map showing position of York Ranch. SE Quadrangle with respect to major structural elements,
the North Plains basalt flow, and major transportation lines.
through Pietown16 mi to the south. The nearest railroad is at
Grants,
4 5 mi to the
Mexico,
New
Detailed
on
the
York
Bureau
The
and
of
reconnaissance
Ranch
Mines
SE
7-1/2
and
map
and
coal
1:100,000 sheet--NMB"R
southeasternmost
geologic
min.
Mineral
informationso gathered
geologic
north.
quadrangle
Resources
was
then
resource
mapping
by
during
the
the
used
to complete
assessment
was
of
carried
New
out
Mexico
1986.
summer
of
the
the
Fence
Lake
Open-file 220; (York Ranch SE is the
quadrangle
of
the
Fence
Lake
Sheet).
GEOLOGY
Recrional
The
New
York
Mexico
If one
near
accepts
the
Colorado
the
Eocene
some
of
explained.
faults
Ranch
SE 7-1/2 min. quadrangle lies in west-central
the
the
concept
Plateau
phase
the
southeastern
of
major
of
of
the
Colorado
north-northeastward
microplate
Laramide
margin
with
Orogeny
structural
translation
to the craton
respect
(Chapin
elements
of
the
Plateau.
of
during
and 1981),
Cather,
area
are
better
For instance, the series of north-northeast trending
that
are
irregularly
northwestward to the
Defiance
spaced
across
monocline
the
exhibit
area
some
from
Magdalena
evidence
of
strike slip (Kelly, 1955; Cather and Johnson, 1984--en echelon
folds
of
associated
horizontal
with
Red
slickensides
Lake
and
fault;
of
present
flower
writer--observation
structures
along
Hickman
fault; Maxwell, 1981--downdropped wedge-shaped blocks along
Hickman fault that suggest transtension). These faults are, from
east to west, (1) the Puertecito fault zone,
(2) the Red Lake
fault, (3) the
Hickman
fault
3
zone
which
passes
along
the
eastern
margin
of
the
York
monocline--basement
shown on Fig.
2).
regional
Ranch
SE quadrangleland (4) the
fault
associated
drape
folding
(faults
Each of these faults maya be
strand of the
strike-slip
direction at
with
Defiance
the
system
representing
southern
edge
of
first-order
the
shear
northward-translated
Colorado Plateau microplate. Two faults, the Hickman and the Red
Lake,
were
considered
the
along
that
El
the
of
Malpais
Hickman
the
Chamberlin
(1981)
to
be
Laramide
reverse
(1981) has demonstrated in his detailed mapping
faults. Maxwell
for
by
wilderness
zone
is
up
study
on
that
the
the
east
or
most
recent
opposite
in
divide
fault
movem
sense
Laramide.
In addition
has a similar
to
these
trend
to
faults,
the
other
the
continental
faults,
but
with
no
evidence
of
strike-slip movement, Its significance is that it forms the
western
margin
(Fig. l), with
graben.
of
the
what
is
Hickman
here
fault
termed
being
the
the
North
eastern
Plains
graben
margin
of
the
It appears likely that the North Plains basalt flow
pooled behind (eastward of) the continental divide fault and
filled
the
southwest
shallow
and
graben
northwest
before
it spilled
corners
and
out
followed
over
lows
at
paleochannels
the
graded
to the Zuni River. The southwest flow, the Jaralosa Draw lobe
(Fig. 1) (Anderson, 1982) has been dated at 1.41 m.y. (Laughlin,
Brookins, Damon, and Shafiqullah, 1979).
Other, smaller, basinal features (not necessarily grabens)
are present in the area. These are located (1)
at the York
at
Ranch, currently the King Ranch, in T5N (2)
RllW,
southwest
corner
of
the
York
4
Ranch
SE
the
quadrangle
(the
area
of
this report) and( 3 ) in the Mangas Creek-Omega area (Fig.
1).
Although
their
represent
grabens)
orientation
tectonically
developed
is
soft
near
unclear,
spots
these
basins
may
or half
basins,
(pull-apart
the
trailing of
edge
the
small
Colorado
Plateau
microplate.
The
distance
monocline
corresponds
the
rather
Hickman
closely
fault
and
the
length
to
the
Defiance
of
the
Zuni
It can be hypothesized that this large block
uplift (Fig. 2).
behaved
between
asa singular,
coherent
structural
unit
buttressed
on
the
northeast by the ancestral Zuni Mountains. This buttressing
prevented
intrablock
northeast-directed
differential
strike-slip
compressive
movement
stresses
and
could
thus
find
late
Laramide
no
across
it.
expression
Local seolocry- structure
On a more
local
scale,
the
quadrangle
lies
at
the
southeast
at
corner of the North Plains graben. The Hickman fault orzone,
least
the
one
strand
quadrangle
of
less than a mile
passes
it,
boundary,
striking
nearly
to
due
the
east
of
north
at
this
latitude (Fig. 1). No direct expression of this fault zone
is
seen
in
faults
the
quadrangle;
(compartmental
hypothesized to exist
however,
a number
faults)
and
of
minor
N56°-N580E
trending
possibly
strike-slip
, are
intersect
the
Hickman
fault
zone. Evidence for them consists of(1) alignment of topographic
highs
containing
exposures
of
highly
fractured
sandstone, (2) horizontal slickensides trending
N57'E
Cretaceous
in the
Gallup Sandstone, ( 3 ) termination or offsetting of northwesttrending dikes (Oligocene age), and
(4) straight drainages
5
I 1 4I
0
10
20 mi
.M
FIGURE 2-Distribution
of major faults with probable strike-slip motion between Magdaleno (M) and Gallup vicinity (GI and relationship to compartmental faults of Zuni Basin; inset at upper right shows haw two
trends might be related and principle horizontal stress axis PHs, Study area shaded.
developed perpendicularto a dike at its terminus. This is not
to suggest
that
movements,
but
dikes--were
The
Oligocene
rather
limited
dike
dikes
that
in
terminations
truncated
fracture
lateral
and
were
systems--later
extent
offsets
by
by
are
older
well
strike-slip
intruded
stike-slip
illustrated
by
faults.
on
the
may
predate
the
owe
their
to origin
1965) in T4N, R12W; in
State Geological Map (Dane and Bachman,
T4N, R15W;
and inT3N, R14W.
The N56°-N580E
trending
development of the
an
earlier
Hickman
episode
of
compartmental
fault
zone
faults
and
may
compressive
deformation--pre-Laramide (-90
m.y. ago) and/or early Laramide(80-60 m.y. ago). They are
parallel
which
to the
trend
in
compartmental
to have
thought
are
been
faults
activated
explanation
faults
are
trending,
trends
that
compartmental
contemporaneous
faults
but
represent
a first
the
Basin
Equally likely is
faults
and
regional,
order
Zuni
shear
more
the
regional
northerly
direction
as
their
35O apart; N21OE (generalized) for the larger
about
are
faults vs. N56'
direction
the
the
about
90 m.y. ago
(Anderson, 1986; Stricker and Anderson,1985).
the
of
for the compartmental faults. The latter
would
reflect
the
axis
of
regional
horizontal
compression or PHs (Fig. 2).
Compartmental deformation (Brown,1984) apparently
characterizes
the
entire
area
from
Zuni to
Pueblo
the York
Ranch
SE quadrangle. Each compartment is envisioned as being underlain
by a discrete, fault-bounded basement block. Early Laramide
east-northeast-directed
movement
faults
of
of
adjacent
finite
compression
blocks,
length--not
7
produced
which
the
resulted
slight
in
through-going,
differential
minor
more
wrench
northerly
trending,
regional
strike-slip
faults
that
dominated
late
Laramide deformation. Accompanying this compartmental faulting,
but
to it
normal
trending
resolved
the
compartments
were
reverse
or thrust
northeast-southwest
and
produced
drape
faults
crustal
shortening
folding
in
the
which
within
overlying
sedimentary sequence. The attitude and kinematics of this
reverse/thrust
faulting
yet,
have
but
may
flaws, or thrusting
are
been
with
not
well
constrained
or understood
high-angle
the
reverse
attendent
movement
steps
or ramps
as
along
producing
1983).
fault-bend or fault propagation folds (Suppe,
No matter
how
monoclines
formed,
present
these
Nw-trending
landscape
and
are
folds
appear
sesmented
as
because
crustal
they
on
terminate
the
at
compartmental faults.
Monoclines
on
the
around
area
York
common
in
the
Zuni
Basin
but
are
not
present
SE quadrangle. A sharp break from the
Ranch
York
monocline
are
on
to the
northwest
the
Ranch
SE quadrangle
takes
NW-trending
dike
place
Fence
near
area
Lake,
probably along oneor more compartmental faults.It is likely
that
the
the
northwestward
northward
extent
termination
of
the
of
area
the
dike
directly
system
reflects
effectedto by
mid-
late-Tertiary crustal extension (Chamberlin,
1981), which in turn
may
reflect
relatively
the
cold,
southern
thick
extent
crustal
of
the
Colorado
Plateau--a
slab
less
to deformation
amenable
(1984) on the
than the surrounding area. Aldrich and Laughlin
basis of their
have
concluded
own
data
that
the
and
that
summarized
southeastern
from
boundary
of
other
the
workers
Colorado
Plateau is coincident with the Jemez lineament. They further
stated
thata compressive
province
and
an
stress
extensional
field
stress
exists
field
within
exists
the
Plateau
within
the
Basin
and Range province.A boundary zone between the two stress
provinces
contains
stress
fields
that
are
transitional
between
compressive and extensional. The York Ranch
SE area lies in this
transitional
The
the
zone
of
N56O-N58O
York
porosity
Ranch
zones
Aldrich
trending
SE
area
into
the
and
Laughlin
(1984).
compartmental
(see
faults
map)a way
offerto
subsurface
and
identified
project
for
that
in
fracture
reason
may
have
some significance in petroleum exploration (small play) deeper in
the basinto the south and west. The horizontal slickensides
trending N57OE were
noted
in
the
W1/4 SW1/4 sec. 3 6 , T5N, R12 W.
Locations of dike terminations are recounted above. Drainages
developed
perpendicularto those
locally,
and
straight
terminations
drainages
monocline
terminations
are
southeast
end
Atarque
of
the
developed
particularly
and
may
be
seen
to
perpendicular
well
illustrated
at the
35 mi to
monoclines
Gallestina
the west (Anderson, 1986, in press).
Even
by
dip
smaller-scale
reversals
Cretaceous
rocks
that
in
compartmental
were
the
faulting
observed
in
paleoescarpment
may
isolated
that
be
suggested
outcrops
confined
the
of
North
Plains basalt flow on the southeast. (This small scale faulting
is not indicated on the map.) Measured structural dips in the
W1/2 sec. 3 3 , T4N, R12W are
5O-7'
SE1/4 sec. 2, T4N,
in a southeast direction; in
R12W,5 mi to the north, the dip direction has
changed to N75OW; about 2 mi to the
north
of
this
locality
in
sec. 25 (T5N, R12W) on the adjacent quadrangle the dip has
reversed again,and is6O-8O in a southeast direction. The
9
horizontal
slickenside
occurrence
lies
between
these
latter
two
localities.
Stratiqraphy
Cretaceous
The
of
the
Rocks
Upper
Cretaceous
Gallup
Sandstone
rocks
and
exposed
the
on
the
nonmarine
quadrangle
Crevasse
consist
Canyon
Formation. Just one-half mi north of the quadrangle boundary in
the E 1/2 sec. 25, the
upper
part
of D-Cross
the
Tongue
of
the
D-Cross is a mottled gray and brown
Mancos Shale is exposed. The
offshore
of
it
mudstone
as
a marine
unit
that
mudstone
underlies
was
the
Gallup;
identification
it contains
because
possible
inoceramid debris. Perhaps because of scale limitations, neither
the D-Cross nor
the
State
of Dane
Map
Geologic
The
the
Gallup
Gallup
Sandstone
and
Sandstone
is
exposed aover
very
and
reveal
a very
containing Ophiomomha.
portion
An
ofa shoreface
interesting
small
shown
area
northeastward-trending
the W 1/2, SW 1/4 sec. 36, T5N, R12 W.
exposed
are
on
the
Bachman
(1965).
to a narrow
limitd
quadrangle,
occurrences
of
band
in
The upper6 to 8 ft are
fine-grained
quartzose
sandstone
It apparently represents the upper
sandstone.
aspect
of
this
small
outcrop
is
the
horizontal slickensides exposed along
a vertical face. The fault
trends
N57OE
and
is
parallel
to
the
compartmental
faults
in
the
Zuni Basin described by Anderson
(1986). While slickensides do
not
require
development
much
of
strike-slip
low-amplitude
movement,
mullions
the
which
possibility of appreciable strike slip. This
N57'E
10
surface
does
also
suggest
direction is
shows
the
close
to
stress
what
has
direction
been
suggested
during
the
early
as
the
principle
Laramide
orogeny
horizontal
(Chapin
and
Cather, 1981).
The
Crevasse
Canyon
Formation
conformably
overlies
the
Gallup Sandstone. The contact in this area, where is
there
no
Torrivio
Member
sandstone
of
having
the
Gallup,
is as
taken
the
or at
affinities,
marine
the
top
of
the
base
of
the
last
first
coastal plain mudstone sequence. Typically thin carbonaceous
shale beds in the mudstone assist in picking the contact.
a From
distance
the
Crevasse
weathering
Canyon
profile
rocks
are
can
be
used
essentially
at
to
pick
the
the
contac
surface
throughout the eastern half of the quadrangle. However, in the
northeast
they
are
masked a by
thin
veneer
of
eolian
sediment
and
in the extreme northeast by an alluvial valley floor. The good
outcrops are limited to the southeast corner. The exposure in
secs. 5, 6 , 7 , and 8, T3N, RllW reveal a sandstone-mudstone
system
with
substantial
fluvial
channel
sandstone
buildups
locally. The mudstones represent deposition in the backswamp
area
and
contain
thin,
very-fine-grained
splay
and
overbank
sandstones. They also contain carbonaceous zones to
up3 ft
thick and even thinner coaly-carbonaceous zones (several inches).
The
lack
a quite
of
coal
rapidly
suggests
aggrading
that
fluvial
the
environment
system
higher
of
up
deposition
in
the
coastal
plain, but coastal plain, nevertheless, because of the relatively
thick
backswamp/splay
The
fine
to
channel
medium
sequences.
sandstones
grained,
are
are
11
quartzose,
poorly
ranging
sorted,
and
from
tend
lower
to
wa
fine
upward.
A stacked
fluvial channel system may be present in the
NE 1/4 sec. 6 T3N RllW, where
the
total
sand
thickness
may
approach 50 ft, but is not well exposed. Jointing was also noted
36, with trends of N50°-550E and
here and in adjacent sec.
another
N80° trend.
with
set
Crossbed
dip
direction
taken
on
the
better
developed
channel
sandstone in the
E 1/2 sec. 3 3 , T4N, R12 W, in secs. 5 and 6 ,
T3N, RllW, and in theNW 1/4 SE 1/2 sec. 12, T4N, R12 W, range
20
from S80°E to nearly due north. The total of about
measurements
tendto cluster
about
northwardor even
pronounced
an
ENE
direction,
northwestward
paleoflow
noted by Qsburn(1983, 1985) some 10 mi to the
east
and
the
directions
are
not
evident here. Further to the east the streams were apparently
seeing some influence of local (early Laramide?) structure such
as
the
southeastward
continuation
of
the
ancestral
Zuni
Mountains. Also, as this area was nearer than the York Ranch
area to the
shoreline
topographic
relief
influenced
drainage
of
the
upper
due
to abandoned
Cretaceous
beach
ridges
Seaway,
may
subtle
have
patterns.
Tertian Rocks
was
A light-reddish-brown to pale-red,
fine-grained
found
high
near
18, T4N, R11W.
the
topa topographic
of
in
sandstone
the
NW1/4 sec.
The poor degree
of cementation and the color are
not
characteristic
is
probablya facies
of
Cretaceous
of
the
sands
Eocene
Baca
in
the
area
Formation,
and
this
although
unit
no
deep weathering profile is developed beneath No
it.crossbedding
or secondary
sedimentary
structures
12
were
noted
in
the
sandstone.
This
unit
unit
that
is
has
overlain a by
remnant
been
quarried
at
ofa gravelly-bouldery
this
locality
for
use
as
road
metal. The boulders are vesicular basalts and basaltic andesites
and
are
very
Formation
reminescent
(Miocene)
of
which
the
coarse
occurs
facies
in
the
Fence
Lake
20 mi to the
some
extensively
west. It is possible that this outcrop is an outlier of the
Fence
been
Lake
Formation,
recognized
Whether
or
not
of the
Fence
east
of
the
unit
Lake,
similarities
although
the
there
between
the
Fence
Techado-Veteado
is
the
are
time
several
(1) they
units:
the
Lake
not
Mountain
or
previously
area.
stratigraphic
common
both
has
traits
have
equivalent
and
very
coarse
volcaniclastic facies; (2) they occupy the higher or highest
(3) proximity to mid-Tertiary
points on the local landscape;
volcanic
Datil
source
and
areas--in
Gallinas
the
Mountains,
present
case
the
18-20 miles
only
is
source
to
the
area,
the
south;
and (4) pedogenic carbonate development. Pedogenic carbonate is
perhaps
more
during
the
to
of
be
gravels,
likely
more
moist
Tertiary
have
formed
Pleistocene
age
(it
is
during
and
shown
late
thus
on
the
the
Tertiary
time
unit
considere
map
is
as
tha
Tertiary
.
Tg)
A small
percentage
granitic
or
indicate
reworking
The
to
of
intermediate
of
paleosurface
the
pebble
plutonic
and
rocks,
the
Spears
upon
which
or
cobble
and
Baca
these
they
size
clasts
are
perhaps
Formations.
gravels
were
deposited
had
a very substantial northward slope.As mapped, it showsa drop
in elevation at its base 100
of ft in 2 mi. Osburn (1984) also
noted
northward
deposits 20 mi
to
paleoslopes
the
east
13
at
the
base
of
on
the
Pueblo
Tertiary
Viejo
Mesa
gravel
quadrangle.
Intrusive
Rocks
A northwest-trending
the
quadrangle
in
dike
sec.
11 and
enters
the
continues
on
south-central
the
next
2-1/2 mi
part
of
in
it stands out
an arcuate trend before it terminates. Locally,
knifelike
in
bold
relief
as
it
is
more
resistant
than
the
upper
Cretaceous rocks it has intruded. The dike is composed of
diabase
the
andis similar
Pietown-Techado
composition
to the
in
trend
and
area
which
have
been
dated
dikes
in
at
about
28 m.y.
(1979).
by Laughlin, Damon, Brookins, and Shafiqullah
Apparently,
it
event
affected
that
The
but
very
at
trend
its
short
is
associated
of
this
the
terminus
segment
has
trending
MINERAL
The
mineral
the
mid-Tertiary
extensional
region.
dike
it
with
resource
as
it
enters
gradually
the
N32OW,
quadrangle
is
shifted
to N20°W, with a
eastN. of
RESOURCES
potential
of
this
quadrangle
is
thought
to be very low( o i l and natural gas here excluded). Coal
resources
are
nil
possibility
of
some
environment
on
top
based
on
deeper
of
the
outcrop
coals
information,
however,
the
developed
a back
in barrier
marine
Gallup
Sandstone
must
be
considered. Back barrier coalsdo not generally attain
significant
thicknesses
horizon
at
a minimum
is
and
depth
furthermore
of
100 ft,
this
and
stratigraphic
very
likely
as
much
A test hole
as 800-1000 ft, across most of the quadrangle.
19 (T4N R11W)
drilled to a T.D. of 280 ft by the NMBMMR in sec.
did not reach the Gallup Sandstone (NMBMMR coal data file). Even
14
deeper
possibilities
lie
in
the
middle
part
of
the
Tres
Hermanos
Formation, and deeper yet in the Dakota Sandstone.
An outcrop of
Sandstone3 mi
Dakota
north
of
the
quadrangle
boundary,
in
the
NE
1/4 sec. 13, T5N, R12W exposes a 1-ft-thick coaly bed. Dakota
Sandstone
coals
show
some
development
in
the
Gallup,
New
Mexico
area (Sears, 1925) but they are of poor quality, highly
lenticular,
Some
have
humate
Formation
develop
and
favorably
been
potential
locally,
there
not
but
are
may
exist
should
a market
deposits
located
mined.
in
in
for
the
the
this
San
Canyon
material
Juan
to transportation
respect
with
Crevasse
Basin
ever
much
facilities
more
and
consumers.
Road
18, T4N,
metal
has
been
quarried
on
the
quadrangle
(NW 1/4 sec.
R11W) as previously mentioned, but this aisvery small
deposit ofa very low value item. Furthermore, road development
in
the
area
A note
significant
evidence
This
on
for
oil
Pietown-York
The
Twowells
gas
in
across
Ranch
sandstones,
Tongue
of
population.
potential--Perhaps
that
the
the
generated
strike-slip
the
Zuni
North
the
in
most
the
this is
study
faults
in
the
northeast-trending
area.
compartmental
Basin
continue
in
parallel
Plains
basalt
flow,
into
fashion
the
area.
area
but
sparse
information
speculation
entire
Shale,
Several
and
northeast-trending
recognized
southeastward
Mancos
minimal toduethe
geological
allows
faults
is
is
underlain
existing
data
particularly
the
Dakota
15
by
potential
source
rocks,
the
indicate it
that
is immature.
marine
sandstones
Sandstone
(encased
such
in
as
the
marine
shale)
and
the
Tres
However,
Hermanos
Cretaceous
Structural
traps
Formation,
sandstones
may
be
are
in
this
provided
by
excellent
reservoir
area
be
the
may
small
water
but
rocks.
flushed.
pervasive
northeast-trending compartmental faults. Also fracturecontrolled
In either
porosity
case,
zones
they
may
offer
be
some
associated
hope
of
with
these
projecting
faults.
structural
traps or fracture porosity into the subsurface locally. The
usual
trap
in
a strike-slip
system
of
small
1 9 7 4 ) , but
en echelon anticline (Harding,
displacement
these
are
not
is
the
in
to the west and south
evidence here. Better prospects would lie
of
the
SE quadrangle
Ranch
York
where
the
target
horizons
are
at
somewhat greater depths. In these areas, any evidence of
faulting,
particularly
exploration
wrench
faulting
should
be
considered
as an
target.
Acknowledqments
The
foreman
writer
of
the
expresses
King
his
Ranch
appreciation
(formerly
York
to
Mr.
Ranch)
Robert
for
Lee,
permission
enter private land and conduct geologic investigations. The
manuscript
was
improved
by
editorial
comments
fromM. Steven
Cather and Charles
E. Chapin. Thanks go to Chapin andto Jeffrey
Minier
for
discussing
characteristics
Lynne
McNeil
of
typed
their
reservoir
the
unpublished
rocks
manuscript
in
and
information
west-central
Monte
Brown
the drafting. All are gratefully acknowledged.
6/29/87
(Author’s note: Map updated
Kcc
contact
moved
lower.)
16
in sec. 30, T4N, R11W;
relating
New
to
Mexico.
assisted
with
t
REFERENCES
Aldrich, M. J., and Laughlin,
A. W.,
tectonic
development
of
the
1984, A model
for the
southeastern
Colorado
Plateau
89, no. B12.
boundary: Journal of Geophysical Research, vol.
Anderson, 0. J., 1982, Geology and coal resources of the Mesita
de
Yeso
Bureau
quadrangle,
of
Mines
Cibola
and
County,
Mineral
New
Mexico:
Resources
New
Mexico
Open-file 171,
Report
31 p.
Anderson, 0. J., 1986, Laramide foreland structures in the Zuni
Basin
and
northwestern
New
Mexico:
Exploration
significance:
abstr. in AAPG Bull.v. 70, no. 8, p. 1030.
Anderson, 0. J., 1987 (in press), Geology and coal resources of
the
1:50,000 quadrangle:
Lake
Atarque
Mines
and
Mineral
Resources,
New
Mexico
Bureau
of
Geologic 61.
Map
Brown, W. G., 1984, Basement involved tectonics-foreland areas:
AAPG
Continuing
Education
Course
Note
#26, 92 p.
Series
Cather, S. M., and Johnson, Bruce D.,1984, Eocene tectonics and
depositional
Arizona:
setting
New
of
Mexico
west-central
Bureau
of
Mines
New
Mexico
and
and
Mineral
eastern
Resources,
Circular 192, 33 p .
Chamberlin, R. M., 1981, Uranium potential of the Datil
Mountains-Pietown area, Catron County, New Mexico: New
Mexico
Bureau
of
Mines
and
Mineral
Resources
Open-file
Report 138, 51 p.
Chapin, C. E., and Cather, S . M., 1981, Eocene tectonics and
sedimentation
in
in
the
Dickinson,W. R., and
17
Colorado
Plateau-Rocky
Payne,W. E. (eds.),
Mountain
Relations
of
area,
tectonics
to
ore
deposits
in
the
southern
Cordillera:
v. 14, pp. 173-198.
Arizona Geological Society, Digest,
Dane, C. H., and Bachman, G. O., 1965, Geologic Map of State of
1:500,000.
New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey map,
Harding, T. P., 1974, Petroleum traps associated with wrench
faults: AAPG Bull., v. 58, no. 7, pp. 1290-1304.
Kelley, V. C., 1955, Monoclines of the Colorado Plateau,
v. 66, pp. 789-804.
Geological Society of America Bull.,
Laughlin, A. W., Brookins, D. G., Damon, P. E., Shafiqullah, M.,
1979, Late
Cenozoic
volcanism
of
the
Central
Jemez
Zone,
25, pp. 5-8.
Arizona-New Mexico: Isochron/West, no.
Maxwell, C. H., 1981, Geologic map of the
El Malpais Instant
Study
Area
and
adjacent
U.S. Geological
New
Mexico
areas,
Cibola
County,
New
Mexico:
Survey map
MF-1375-A, 1:62,500.
Bureau
of Mines
and
Mineral
Resources,
coal
data
file.
Osburn, J. C., 1983, Geology and coal resources of Pasture Canyon
quadrangle:
New
Mexico
Bureau
of
Mines
and
Mineral
182, 25 p.
Resources, Open-file Report
Osburn, J. C., 1984, Geology of Pueblo Viejo Mesa quadrangle,
Socorro
of
and
Mines
Cibola
and
Counties,
Mineral
New
Resources,
Mexico:
New
Mexico
Bureau
55. Map
Geologic
Osburn, J. C., 1985, Geology and coal resources of Wild Horse
Canyon
New
quadrangle,
Mexico
Bureau
Catron
of
and
Mines
Cibola
and
Counties,
Mineral
New
Mexico:
Resources
Open-file
Report 227, 26 p.
Sears, J. D., 1925, Geology and coal resources of the Gallup-Zuni
Basin, New Mexico:U.S. Geological Survey, Bull.767, 53 p.
Stricker, G. D., and Anderson, 0. J., 1985, Pre-Laramide
18
tectonics--a
Coniacian
possible
paralic
control
coal
on
basins,
the
locus
west-central
of
Turonian-
New
Mexico:
AAGP
Bull., V. 69, no. 5, p. 868.
Suppe, 3 . , 1983, Geometry and kinematics of fault-bend folding:
mer. Jour. Sci., v. 283, p. 684-721.
Tuan, Yi-Fu, Everard,
C. E., and Widdison, 3 . G., 1969, The
climate
Santa
of
Fe,
New
New
Mexico:
Mexico.
19
New
Mexico
State
Planning
Office,
COMPOSITE
STRATIGRAPHIC
SECTION
Y O R K R A N C H S E , OUADf3ANGL.E
a
Quaternary
$1
f
gravel
Mio ?
Tertiary I g 0.
01.
Eocel
v,
2
0
W
-
v
2
a
O
F
W
u
V
a
IW
C
L
U
W
o
n
n
2
below
"
"
D e s c r i p t i o n of mapunits
-
Alluvial and
eolian
deposits
(Holocene),
windblown
sand
and
silt
In t h i n
s h e eat c c u m u l a t i o n s
(no dune f i e l d development).
- A l l u v i u m( H o l o c e n e
andPleistocene);sand,silt,andclay,upto
50' thick,generallythlnnerlmayIncludecolluvialdeposlts.
(Pleistocene);
-6asalt
flows,
undifferentiated
o r l g i n a t l nf rgo m
numerous
lava
cones
In
North
Plalns
basalt
flow.
- Conglomerate,sandstone,
andresidualgravels
( Tertlary ) I
occupies
hlgher
levelsl
coarser
fraction
mainly
volcanlclostics;
pedogenic
carbonate
development.
- Basalticdlabasedlke
(Oligocene):
so me
40' - 6 0 ' In
wldth;
near
vertical.
- B0c.a
Formatlon
(Eocene):
reddlsh
brown,
flne
grolned-poorly
30' thick.
sorted
sandstone;
- CrevasseCanyonFormation,Undifferentiated(UpperCretaceous);
nonmarine
sondstone,
mudstone,
carbonaceous
mudstone,
m i n ocr o a lm
; a ay p p r o a c h
800' in
thickness.
and very
- GallupSandstone,undifferentiated(UpperCretaceous
-
Turanian);
fine
grained,
well
sorted
quartzose
sandstone,
late
marine,
burrowed(includingOphiomorpha)andbiaturbated.
/
P adl ier oe fcl tai own
"--%
N,MBMMR
,
&
<
,
Fault: dashed where Inferred
Open
file
220-A
( s h e e t 2 of 2 )
l O B o 30'
3jo Caliente
Reservoir
)lurnasanoBosin
UpperGalestina
Conyon
Shoemaker
Canyon
NicollLake
GoatHill
Stricker
Stricker
Stricker
Mapel 81
Anderson
Mapel
Mapel
(in preparation)
(in preparation)
(in preparation)
(inpreparation)
1985
1985
Anderson
1982
ZtarqueLake
Mesitade
Anderson
Yeso
Anderson
I982
1982
tincon
Hondo
Fence L a k e
ShoemakerCanyon
SE
Anderson
Mapel
RedLakeMission
Cerro
Alto
X
Mapel
1983
1985
TheDyke
Chimney
Ice
Caves
CerroHueco
Stricker
VenaditoCamp
Anderson
1981
TwentytwoSpring
Frost
&
Anderson
1982
34'
McLellan
McLellan
et 01
1983
Campbell
et a1
I983
FenceLake
Aoreno H i l l
1981
SW
Landis &
Haschke
McLellan
et a1
I983
1983
C e r rP
o rieto
Campbell
1981
1981
Cerro B r i l l a n t e
indicates
340
-
34'30'
SE
Ice
Coves
Maxwell
,Maxwell
I981
1981
Hill
Anderson
Campbell
Arkell
Techado
Cerro
Porno
X
-a Rendija
45'
forkRanch
~Anderson
Maxwell
1981
Veteado
Mtn.
Arkell
Arkel I
1984
1984
A r e a s of mappingresponsibilily.eitherdetailedmapping(datefollowing
x
-
et a1
SE
fdrkRanch
TrailLake
Anderson
Anderson
1986
30'.
(nodate);large
350
budding
Maxwell
340 45'
CantaraloSpring
-
IOBO
350
author(s) 1 or reconnaissancemapping
no reconnaissance.
1-NMBM R
~
Operq-file 220
~~
~~~~
~~~
~
(sheet 2 of,4)
~
I
~