USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state > New Mexico Geology

Geologic units in Bernalillo county, New Mexico

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

intertongued Dakota-Mancos sequence (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Intertongued Dakota-Mancos sequence of west-central New Mexico; includes the Whitewater Arroyo Tongue of Mancos Shale and the Twowells Tongue of the Dakota

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; medium-grained mixed clastic; limestone

Mancos Shale, lower part (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Mancos Shale, Lower part

Lithology: shale; fine-grained mixed clastic

Crevasse Canyon Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Crevasse Canyon Formation; coal-bearing units are Dilco and Gibson Coal Members; other members are Bartlett Barren, Dalton Sandstone, and Borrego Pass Sandstone (or Lentil)

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; coal

Dakota Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Dakota Sandstone; includes Oak Canyon, Cubero, and Paguate Tongues plus Clay Mesa Tongue of Mancos Shale; Cenomanian

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic

Sandia Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 16 % of this area

Sandia Formation; predominately clastic unit (commonly arkosic) with minor black shales, and limestone in lower part; locally includes Osha Canyon Formation in Nacimiento Mountains

Lithology: sandstone; shale; limestone; conglomerate

Upper Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 15 % of this area

Upper Santa Fe Group. Includes Camp Rice, Fort Hancock, Palomas, Sierra Ladrones, Ancha, Puye, and Alamosa Formations; middle Pleistocene to uppermost Miocene

Lithology: clastic; unconsolidated deposit; mixed clastic/volcanic

silicic to intermediate volcanic rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Silicic to intermediate volcanic rocks; mainly quartz latite and rhyolite Neogene; may locally include flows interbedded with Santa Fe Group

Lithology: felsic volcanic rock; intermediate volcanic rock

Gallup Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Gallup Sandstone; generally regressive marine sandstone; Turonian

Lithology: sandstone

piedmont alluvial deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 20 % of this area

Piedmont alluvial deposits: upper and middle Quaternary; includes deposits of higher gradient tributaries bordering major stream valleys, alluvial veneers of the piedmont slope, and alluvial fans

Lithology: alluvium

continental red beds (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Triassic rocks, undivided; continental red beds

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic

intrusive rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Tertiary intrusive rocks; undifferentiated

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

basaltic and andesitic volcanics interbedded with sedimentary units (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Basaltic and andesitic volcanics interbedded with Pleistocene and Pliocene sedimentary units

Lithology: basalt; andesite; sedimentary rock

middle and upper Jurassic rocks, unidivided (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Jurassic rocks, Middle and Upper, undivided

Lithology: clastic; sedimentary rock

San Rafael Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

San Rafael Group; consists of Entrada Sandstone, Todilto and Summerville Formations, Bluff Sandstone, and locally Zuni Sandstone (or only Acoma Tongue of Zuni)

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; fine-grained mixed clastic; evaporite; limestone

metamorphic rocks (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Lower Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, dominantly felsic volcanic, volcaniclastic and plutonic rocks (1650-1700+ Ma); includes Vadito Group; locally includes high-grade felsic gneisses of unknown age

Lithology: felsic metavolcanic rock; plutonic rock (phaneritic); felsic gneiss

Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Santa Fe Group, undivided. Basin fill of Rio Grande rift region; middle Pleistocene to uppermost Oligocene

Lithology: clastic; carbonate; lava flow; andesite

Madera Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Madera Formation (Limestone, or Group); in Manzano Mountains includes Los Moyos Limestone and Wild Cow Formation; in Lucero Mesa includes Gray Mesa, Atrasdo, and Red Tanks Members; in Sacramento Mountains includes Beeman and Holder Formations; may include strata lumped as Magdalena Group in a few areas

Lithology: limestone; fine-grained mixed clastic

alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 18 % of this area

Alluvium; upper and middle Quaternary

Lithology: alluvium

plutonic rocks, middle Proterozoic (Proterozoic | Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Middle Proterozoic plutonic rocks (younger than 1600 Ma)

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

basalt and andesite flows, Neogene (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Basalt and andesite flows; Neogene. Includes flows interbedded with Santa Fe and Gila Groups

Lithology: basalt; andesite

basalt and andesite flows and vent deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Basalt and andesite flows and locally vent deposits

Lithology: andesite; basalt

Morrison Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Morrison Formation; Upper Jurassic nonmarine rocks present only in northern one-third of state

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone

Chinle Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Chinle Group; Upper Triassic; includes Moenkopi Formation (Middle Triassic) at base in many areas; in eastern part of state the following five formations are mapped:

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone; chert; evaporite

Hosta Tongue of Point Lookout Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Hosta Tongue of Point Lookout Sandstone; transgressive marine sandstone

Lithology: sandstone

mafic metamorphic rocks, lower Proterozoic (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

Lower Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, dominantly mafic (1720-1760 Ma)

Lithology: mafic metavolcanic rock

Mesaverde Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Mesaverde Group includes the Gallup Sandstone, Crevasse Canyon Formation, Point Lookout Sandstone, Menefee Formation, and Cliff House Sandstone

Lithology: sandstone; fine-grained mixed clastic; conglomerate; coal

Abo Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.8 % of this area

Abo Formation; red beds, arkosic at base, finer and more mature above; Wolfcampian; may include limestone beds of Pennsylvanian age (Virgilian) in Zuni Mountains. In Robledo Mountains the Abo may be considered a member of the Hueco Formation

Lithology: sandstone; shale; conglomerate; limestone

older alluvial deposits of upland plains and piedmont areas (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Older alluvial deposits of upland plains and piedmont areas, and calcic soils and eolian cover sediments of High Plains region; includes scattered lacustrine, playa, and alluvial deposits of the Tahoka, Double Tanks, Tule, Blanco, Blackwater Draw, and Gatuna Formations, the latter of which may be Pliocene at base; outcrops, however, are basically of Quaternary deposits; upper Quaternary to uppermost Pliocene(?)

Lithology: alluvium

San Andres Limestone and Glorieta Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

San Andres Limestone and Glorieta Sandstone; Guadalupian and Leonardian

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; carbonate; evaporite

eolian deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 5 % of this area

Eolian deposits

Lithology: eolian

metasedimentary rocks (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Lower Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks (1650-1700 Ma). Essentially equivalent to Hondo Group; locally includes high-grade quartzite-pelitic schist of unknown age

Lithology: metasedimentary rock

Yesa Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Yeso Formation; sandstones, siltstones, anhydrite, gypsum, halite, and dolomite; Leonardian

Lithology: sandstone; limestone; mudstone; evaporite

Permian Rocks, undivided (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Permian rocks, undivided

Lithology: sedimentary rock

Pennsylvanian rocks, undivided (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Pennsylvanian rocks, undivided; in Sangre de Cristo Mountains may include Sandia Formation, Madera Limestone, La Pasada, Alamitos, and Flechado Formations; elsewhere may include Bar-B, Nakaye, Red House, Oswaldo, and Syrena Formations

Lithology: sedimentary rock; medium-grained mixed clastic; carbonate