USGS Science⌕ Search

Geology topics

Research about New Mexico

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including New Mexico.

At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources

Potassium-argon ages from the Mount Taylor Volcanic Field, New Mexico

Fourteen new K-Ar dates for volcanic rocks of the Mount Taylor field, New Mexico, indicate that most activity occurred between 4.3 and 1.5 m.y. (million years) ago. Peak activity was at about 3.0-2.5 m.y., both on the central andesite-rhyolite shield volcano and on the surrounding alkali basalt-trachyte volcanic plateau, and occurred concurrently with an episode of NNE-trending basin-range faulting. The K-Ar dates also indicate that the regional Ortiz pediment surface, graded to the ancestral Rio Grande, existed in the Mount Taylor area as recently as 3 m.y. ago and that 250-400 m of erosional downcutting has occurred in subsequent time. Growth of the Mount Taylor field was also concurrent with peak volcanic activity along the northeast-trending Springerville-Raton zone, a major late Cenozoic volcanic belt that is considered to reflect the presence of a regional structural discontinuity of Precambrian age in the North American craton.

New Mexico↗

Water resources data for New Mexico, water year 1979

Water resources data for the 1979 water year for New Mexico consist of records of discharge and water quality of streams; stage", contents and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality in wells and springs. This report contains discharge records for 229 gaging stations; stage and contents for 24 lakes and reservoirs; water quality for 97 gaging stations, 13 partial-record stations, 2 reservoir, 18 springs and 143 wells; and water levels for 86 observation wells. Also included are 126 crest-stage partial-record stations and 2 low-flow partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent -that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U. S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in New Mexico.

New Mexico↗

Bibliography of geology and hydrology, southwestern New Mexico

The southwestern part of New Mexico is recognized as a source of abundant and varied natural resources. This bibliography of over 2,700 references concerned with geology, hydrology, chemistry, and geography has been compiled to assist physical science researchers in their study and development of this region.

New Mexico↗

Background information to accompany folio of geologic, mineral resource, geochemical, aeromagnetic, and gravity maps of the Hillsboro and San Lorenzo quadrangles, Sierra and Grant Counties, New Mexico, with sections on geochemistry and geophysics

The Hillsboro and San Lorenzo 15-minute quadrangles of southwestern New Mexico have been mapped at a 1:48,000 scale and selected mineralized areas within these quadrangles have been mapped in greater detail. This area of about 550 mi2 (1,424 km2) is within the southern part of the Black Range and includes much of the Mimbres Mountains and parts of the adjoining Black Range Primitive area. The region is highly mineralized with Laramide (75.1 ? 2.5 m.y.) and middle Tertiary (about 32 to 35 m.y.) intrusions providing the source for much of the base- and precious-metal mineralization. The porphyry copper deposit at Copper Flat is a subvolcanic Laramide quartz monzonite stock that was intruded into a thick section (>2,700 ft or >823 m) of Upper Cretaceous andesite. Numerous gold-bearing veins radiate from the central quartz monzonite stock, and locally offset a radial system of quartz latite dikes. Gold-bearing veins, chiefly along the south and east periphery of the stock, have provided the source for both gold lode and placer deposits. The middle Tertiary rhyolitic plugs, stocks, and dikes have intruded a dominantly carbonate section of Paleozoic sediments and bedding replacement deposits of zinc, lead, and copper are closely associated with tactite in the Carpenter (Swartz) mining district. The rich oxidized silver deposits of the Kingston district are largely fault controlled and a metallizing pluton is not present at the surface outcrop. Some of the silver-bearing base-metal veins in the Kingston district contain rhodochrosite, rhodonite, and alabandite and the highly oxidized parts of these veins have been mined for manganese ore. Very minor amounts of tungsten, as scheelite, occur in thin tactite zones along Tank Canyon, at the Silver Queen claims near Kingston, and at the Silver Tail group of mines along Pierce Canyon.

New Mexico↗