Depositional environments of Laborcita Formation (Wolfcampian), northern Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico
Depositional environments that change dramatically over short lateral distances are represented by exposures of the Laborcita Formation. A siliclastic source area lay to the east and southeast, in the Pedernal Mountains. To the west, a shallow marine sea filled the orogrande basin. Alternating cycles of marine and nonmarine sedimentation resulted from fan-delta lobe shifting and eustatic sea level movements. In clear-water areas not affected by fan-deltaic sedimentation, deposits become increasingly calcareous. Various carbonate facies resulted from organisms adapting to changing environmental conditions. Mud-cracked algal mats, digitate algal stromatolites, and small phylloid red algal mounds and rhodoliths indicate deposition in shallow-water subtidal to supratidal settings. Large buildups (20 m thick) of phylloid green algae associated with abundant submarine cement occurred in a position near the edge of the narrow shelf. Widespread skeletal detritus beds overlie and extend hundreds of meters away from the massive buildups. Influx of terrigenous mud and silt in advance of a prograding fan-delta system terminated growth of the buildups. The next transgression is represented by a carbonate grainstone exhibiting characteristics of shallow-water marine, storm-dominated shelf bars. The shelf bars migrated in a northwest-southeast direction.
- Research Organization:
- Cities Service Oil and Gas Corp., Midland, TX
- OSTI ID:
- 6913537
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8604186-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 70:3; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Southwest Section convention, Ruidoso, NM, USA, 27 Apr 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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