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Geological Survey Professional Paper 215
Geology of the Southern Guadalupe Mountains, Texas |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Stratigraphy of Permian rocks
Tectonic features
Cenozoic deposits and land forms
Economic geology
The Permian problem
Present investigation
Acknowledgments
Physical features of the region
El Capitan
Guadalupe Mountains
Historical sketch
Shumard's discovery
Work of Girty and Richardson
Search for oil in the Llano Estacado
Recent work in the Guadalupe Mountains
General features of stratigraphy
Terminology
Rocks not exposed
Rocks of Pennsylvanian age
Wolfcamp series of Carboniferous or Permian age
Leonard series
Bone Spring limestone
Sequence in the south
Outcrop
Black limestones and associated rocks
Structural features in the black limestone
Cutoff shaly member
Sequence in the north
Outcrop
Victorio Peak gray member
Cutoff shaly member in Shumard Canyon
Cutoff shaly member in north part of area
Stratigraphic relations
Bone Spring flexure
Some details near Bone Canyon
Relations north and south of flexure
Fossils
Black limestone beds
Victorio Peak gray member
Cutoff shaly member
Conditions of deposition
General relations
Facies and provinces
Black limestone facies
Marginal area
Gray limestone facies
Lower part of Guadalupe series
Terminology of Delaware Mountain group
Subdivisions of Guadalupe series
Brushy Canyon formation
Massive sandstone beds
Other rocks
Relations of Brushy Canyon formation in Bone Canyon and northward
Stratigraphic relations
Fossils
Conditions of deposition
Regional relations
Detailed features
Middle part of Guadalupe series
Cherry Canyon formation
Sandstone beds
Limestone members
Getaway limestone member
Beds adjacent to Getaway limestone member
South Wells limestone member
Manzanita limestone member
Cherry Canyon formation in aerial photographs
Sandstone tongue of Cherry Canyon formation
Goat Seep limestone
Definition
General relations
Southern exposures
Northern exposures
Stratigraphic relations
Fossils
Cherry Canyon formation
Sub-Getaway fossil zone
Getaway limestone member
South Wells limestone member
Manzanita limestone member
Sandstone tongue of Cherry Canyon formation
Goat Seep limestone
Conditions of deposition
Regional relations
Deposits of the Delaware Basin
Deposits of marginal area (reef zone)
Upper part of Guadalupe series
Bell Canyon formation
Sandstone beds
Limestone members
Hegler limestone member
Pinery limestone member
Rader limestone member
Flaggy limestone bed
Lamar limestone member
Highest beds of Bell Canyon formation
Bell Canyon formation in aerial photographs
Capitan limestone
Definition
Relations to Bell Canyon formation
Outcrop
Thickness
Lithologic features
Bedding
Breccia phase of Capitan Limestone
Carlsbad limestone
Definition
Relation to Capitan limestone
Thickness
Limestone of southeastern exposures
Limestone of northwestern exposures
Sandstone of southeastern exposures
Sandstone of northwestern exposures
Northern Guadalupe Mountains
Stratigraphic relations
Field relations
Alternative interpretations
Inferred stratigraphic relations
Fossils
Bell Canyon formation
Hegler limestone member
Pinery limestone member
Rader limestone member
Limestone beds between Rader and Lamar members
Lamar limestone member
Capitan limestone
Carlsbad limestone
Conditions of deposition
Regional relations
Sands of the Delaware Basin
Limestones of Delaware Basin
Depth of water in Delaware Basin
Form of Capitan reef
Nature and origin of Capitan deposits
Deposits of the shelf area
Comparison with modern limestone reefs
Ochoa series
Castile formation
Definition
Character
Castile of area of this report
Castile of Gypsum Plain
Higher formations of Ochoa series
Salado formation
Rustler formation
Dewey Lake red beds
Stratigraphic relations
Fossils and age
Conditions of deposition
Beginning of Ochoa time
General environment of Castile time
Origin of laminations
Later parts of Ochoa time
Broader features of Permian stratigraphy
Summary of the section
Thickness
Character
Subdivisions
Time span of Guadalupe Mountains section
Faunal summary
General character of faunas
Relation to older faunas
Relation to other Permian faunas of North America
Distribution of the faunas outside the Guadalupe Mountains
Zone fossils
Facies fossils
Correlation of Guadalupe Mountains section with Permian rocks of other regions
Paleogeography
Tectonic features older than the uplift of the mountains
Features of pre-Permian age
Features of Permian age
Features of early Mesozoic age
Features of early Cenozoic age
Tectonic features related to the uplift of the mountains
Form of the uplift
General relations
Crest and eastern flank
Border fault zone
Cutoff Mountain area
Western foothill area
Faults
Fault pattern
Displacement along faults
Dips of faults
Minor deformational features
Relation to Quaternary deposits and topographic features
Joints
Field observations
Character
Spacing
Dips of joints
Joint trends
Relation of joints to other tectonic features
Regional relations of the younger tectonic features
Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains
Sierra Diablo
Salt Basin
Basin and Range province in Texas and New Mexico
Regional relations of joints
History of Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains uplift
Features older than the uplift
Early phases
Main phase
Later phase
Theoretical problems
Nature of structure beneath the surface
Relative versus actual movements
Evidence for actual uplift
Evidence for actual depression
Origin of later tectonic features
Origin of joints
Origin of faults
Origin of uplift
Cenozoic deposits and land forms
The record of Cenozoic history
Relation between present and past
The modern landscape and processes at work on it
Controlling factors
Climate
Soils and vegetation
Streams and their work
Relation to base level
Character
Interstream areas
Control of degradation by streams
Mountain slopes
Kinds of slopes
Weathering processes
Processes that loosen weathered blocks
Transportation of material on slopes
Cliffy slopes
Boulder-controlled slopes on massive rocks
Boulder-controlled slopes on bedded rocks
Rain-washed slopes
Plains
Origin of bajadas and pediments
Pediments
Bajadas
Floor of Salt Basin
Pre-Pleistocene (?) topographic features and deposits
Summit peneplain
Character
Position of summit peneplain in surrounding areas
Age of summit peneplain
Former cover of summit peneplain
Older consequent streams
Streams consequent on tilted rock surfaces
Streams consequent on tilted fault blocks
Deposits contemporaneous with pre-Pleistocene (?) topographic features
Deposits of the Guadalupe Mountains region
Age of deposits
Early Pleistocene(?) topographic features and deposits
Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains
Gravel deposits
Rock surface below gravel deposits
Streams consequent on gravel deposits
Older pediments
Valley-side shoulders
West-facing escarpment
Fault scarp versus fault-line scarp
Erosion of escarpment
Slope deposits
Foothill area
Older fanglomerate
Older pediment and its gravel cover
Floor of Salt Basin
Age of deposits
Interpretation of early Pleistocene (?) features and deposits
Volume of early Pleistocene(?) deposits
Development of Pecos River
Climatic fluctuations
Relation of climatic fluctuations to Pleistocene glaciation
Later Pleistocene and Recent features and deposits
Tectonic features
Evidence for faulting
Black limestone bench
Relation of faulting to erosional features
Erosional and depositional features
Dissection of older features and deposits
Subsequent streams
Terraces
Alluvium
Younger slope deposits and fanglomerates
Recent dissection
Lake features
Beach ridges
History of lake
Age
Caves
Age
Cave faunas
Evidence for recent climatic changes
Evidence for climatic changes in area studied
Evidence for climatic changes in nearby areas
Broader relations of Cenozoic history
Evolution of the mountain area
Basin-Range problem
Ore deposits
Fluorspar
Salt
Oil and gas
Ground water
Building stone
Road metal
Selected stratigraphic sections
Index (omitted from the online edition)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
J. A. Krug, Secretary
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
W. E. Wrather, Director
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATE
1. El Capitan from south
2. Topographic and index map of southern Guadalupe Mountains Texas (omitted from the online edition)
3. Geologic map and sections of southern Guadalupe Mountains (omitted from the online edition)
4. Panoramic views of Reef Escarpment
5. Panoramic views of westward-facing escarpment of Guadalupe Mountains
6. Stratigraphic sections of Permian rocks in southern Guadalupe Mountains (omitted from the online edition)
7. Stratigraphy of Permian rocks of southern Guadalupe Mountains (omitted from the online edition)
8. Stratigraphic sections of Bone Spring limestone (omitted from the online edition)
9. Geologic map and sections of Bone Spring area (omitted from the online edition)
10. Laminated sediments of Permian age
11. Structural features in black limestone of Bone Spring
12. Panoramic views of cliffs and mountain slopes near Bone Spring
13. Detailed stratigraphic sections of beds near contact of Bone Spring limestone and Delaware Mountain group (omitted from the online edition)
14. Panoramic views in northern and southern parts of area studied
15. Detailed stratigraphic sections of parts of Bell Canyon formation and of Capitan limestone (omitted from the online edition)
16. Panoramic views in McKittrick Canyon
17. Sections through Capitan limestone and related formations in Guadalupe Mountains (omitted from the online edition)
18. Aerial view of Guadalupe Mountains, looking southwestward from McKittrick Canyon
19. Some fossils from Guadalupe Mountains
20. Map of southern Guadalupe Mountains, showing tectonic features (omitted from the online edition)
21. Map of Guadalupe Mountains and surrounding areas, showing tectonic features (omitted from the online edition)
22. Map of southern Guadalupe Mountains, showing Cenozoic deposits and land forms (omitted from the online edition)
23. Map of Salt Basin, showing distribution of unconsolidated Quaternary deposits (omitted from the online edition)
FIGURE
1. Map of western Texas, southeastern New Mexico, and adjoining area in Mexico
2. Map of Guadalupe Mountains and vicinity
3. Index map, showing provinces of Permian time
4. Sections showing lenticular nature of massive sandstones of Brushy Canyon formation and of limestones of Getaway member of Cherry Canyon formation
5. Sections showing cyclical deposition in Delaware Mountain group
6. Map of western part of area studied, showing distribution of facies and other stratigraphic features in beds of lower Guadalupe age
7. Sections showing channeling and lenticular deposition of sandstones of Cherry Canyon formation
8. Map of area studied, showing distribution of facies and other stratigraphic features in beds of middle Guadalupe age
9. Sections showing lenticular reeflike features in limestone members of Bell Canyon formation
10. Map of area studied, showing distribution of facies and other stratigraphic features in beds of upper Guadalupe age
11. Stratigraphic diagrams showing known distribution of two fossil groups
12. Correlation chart of Permian rocks
13. Paleogeographic maps of western Texas during Permian time (Wolfcamp to lower Guadalupe)
14. Paleogeographic maps of western Texas during Permian time (middle Guadalupe to middle Ochoa)
15. Maps showing tectonic features of Guadalupe Mountains and vicinity during Cenozoic and Mesozoic time
16. Maps showing tectonic features of Guadalupe Mountains and vicinity during Permian and Carboniferous time
17. Sections showing faulting of gravel deposits
18. Cross sections expanded downward to top of basement rocks
19. Map showing stream pattern of southern Guadalupe Mountains
20. Diagrams showing characteristic features of the Reef Escarpment
21. Profiles along Pine Spring and Cherry Canyons
22. Sections of westward-facing escarpment
23. Sections and profiles of westward-facing escarpment near Guadalupe Peak
24. Sections south of El Capitan
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Last Updated: 28-Dec-2007