Stratigraphy of lower to Middle Triassic Moenkopi Formation and Permo-Triassic disconformity in northern New Mexico
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque (USA)
The Moenkopi Formation in northern New Mexico consists of as much as 70 m of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. Conglomerates range from clast to matrix supported, with predominantly limestone, chert, and siltstone clasts in a matrix of gray to grayish red sandstone which resembles the nonconglomeratic sandstones. These sandstones show abundant trough and planar cross-bedding and are immature in contrast to mature underlying Permian sandstones. The siltstones range from medium reddish-brown to dusky red, yellow, and gray and from coarsely laminated with current ripples to massive. They grade into mudstones which are mostly dark red to dusky red-purple with green mottling. Paleocurrent data collected across the state indicate a strong northerly depositional slope, with a slightly northeasterly direction in western New Mexico and a northwesterly trend in eastern New Mexico. This represents a divergence from the paleoflow directions in the Holbrook Sandstone Member, which indicate northwesterly paleoflow in northeastern Arizona near St. Johns and Holbrook. Previous studies have placed Moenkopi source areas in the Mogollon highlands of southeastern Arizona and northwestern Mexico, or in an uplift that was a precursor of a continental volcanic magmatic arc in southeastern California, southwestern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. Their data support the concept of a Mogollon highland and also suggest the presence of an Early-Middle Triassic positive area to the south and southeast, possibly in northern Mexico.
- OSTI ID:
- 5631608
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8910195--
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Vol. 73:9; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CONGLOMERATES
DEPOSITION
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGY
MATURATION
MESOZOIC ERA
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMIAN PERIOD
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SILTSTONES
STRATIGRAPHY
TRIASSIC PERIOD
USA