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

Geologic units in Mora county, New Mexico

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

basalt and andesite flows and vent deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Basalt and andesite flows and locally vent deposits

Lithology: andesite; basalt

Morrison Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

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

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone

basalt and andesite flows, Neogene (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 16 % of this area

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

Lithology: basalt; andesite

alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Alluvium; upper and middle Quaternary

Lithology: alluvium

metamorphic rocks (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 3 % 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

sedimentary units, Palogene (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Paleogene sedimentary units; includes Baca, Galisteo, El Rito, Blanco Basin, Love Ranch, Lobo, Sanders Canyon, Skunk Ranch, Timberlake, and Cub Mountain Formations

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; tuff; limestone; sand; clay or mud

middle and upper Jurassic rocks, unidivided (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Jurassic rocks, Middle and Upper, undivided

Lithology: clastic; sedimentary rock

Pierre Shale and Niobrara Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Pierre Shale and Niobrara Formation

Lithology: shale; fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone

upper Chinle Group (Garita Creek, Trujillo, Bull Canyon, and Redonda Formations) (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Upper Chinle Group, Garita Creek through Redonda Formations, undivided

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

Pennsylvanian rocks, undivided (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian) at surface, covers 2 % 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

Greenhorn Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Greenhorn Formation; limited to northeastern area. The Upper member (Bridge Creek Limestone) can be traced into western area where it is commonly shown as a bed-rank unit in Mancos Shale on detailed maps

Lithology: shale; limestone

Santa Rosa Formation of Chinle Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 0.8 % of this area

Santa Rosa Formation; Carnian; includes Moenkopi Formation (Middle Triassic) at base in most areas

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; conglomerate

Graneros Shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Graneros Shale; limited to northeastern area; Cenomanian

Lithology: shale; fine-grained mixed clastic

metasedimentary rocks (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 2 % 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

Carlile Shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Carlile Shale; limited to northeastern area; Turonian-Coniacian

Lithology: shale; fine-grained mixed clastic; mixed clastic/carbonate

eolian deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.4 % of this area

Eolian deposits

Lithology: eolian

older alluvial deposits of upland plains and piedmont areas (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.4 % 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

Glorieta Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Glorieta Sandstone; texturally and mineralogically mature, high-silica quartz sandstone

Lithology: sandstone

San Andres Limestone and Glorieta Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

San Andres Limestone and Glorieta Sandstone; Guadalupian and Leonardian

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; carbonate; evaporite

lacustrine and playa-lake deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Lacustrine and playa-lake deposits; includes associated alluvial and eolian deposits of major lake basins; upper Quaternary

Lithology: lake or marine deposit (non-glacial); alluvium; eolian

Chinle Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 0.4 % 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

mafic metamorphic rocks, lower Proterozoic (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

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

Lithology: mafic metavolcanic rock

upper Tertiary sedimentary units (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Upper Tertiary sedimentary units; includes Bidahochi Formation, the Picuris Formation, and Las Feveras Formation, and locally fanglomerates; Pliocene to upper Miocene

Lithology: clastic; mixed clastic/volcanic; volcanic rock (aphanitic); unconsolidated deposit

Permain and Pennsylvanian rocks, undivided (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian Permian) at surface, covers 12 % of this area

Permian and Pennsylvanian rocks, undivided; includes Horquilla Limestone, Earp Formation, Epitaph and Scherrer Formations, and Concha Limestone

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; carbonate

lower Proterozoic rocks, undivided (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Lower Proterozoic rocks, undivided

Lithology: indeterminate

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

Upper Cretaceous, undivided. Includes Virden Formation in northern Hidalgo County, Ringbone Formation in Hidalgo and Luna and Grant Counties, and locally Beartooth and Sarten, Mancos in Silver City area; Cenomanian - Maastrichtian for most part, although Beartooth is pre-Cenomanian

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic; volcanic rock (aphanitic); limestone

Mississippian rocks, undivided (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Mississippian rocks, undivided; Arroyo Penasco Group in Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Sierra Nacimiento, San Pedro Mountain, and Sandia Mountains; Lake Valley Limestone in south-central New Mexico

Lithology: limestone; medium-grained mixed clastic

Dakota Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 22 % of this area

Dakota Group of east-central and northeast New Mexico; in ascending order, Mesa Rica Sandstone, Pajarito Shale, and Romeroville Sandstone; includes the underlying Tucumcari Shale in Tucumcari area and Glencairn Formation in Union County. Encompasses both Upper and Lower Cretaceous rocks

Lithology: sandstone; medium-grained mixed clastic

plutonic rocks, middle and lower Proterozoic (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

Middle and Lower Proterozoic plutonic rocks, undivided

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

Fort Hayes Limestone Member of Niobrara Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Fort Hays Limestone Member of Niobrara Formation

Lithology: limestone; shale

Ogallala Formation (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Ogallala Formation, alluvial and eolian deposits, and petrocalcic soils of the southern High Plains; Lower Pliocene to middle Miocene (locally includes unit Qoa)

Lithology: alluvium; eolian; carbonate

basaltic and andesitic volcanics interbedded with sedimentary units (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Basaltic and andesitic volcanics interbedded with Pleistocene and Pliocene sedimentary units

Lithology: basalt; andesite; sedimentary rock

Sangre de Cristo Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian Permian) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Sangre de Cristo Formation, in Sangre de Cristo Mountains

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

landslide deposits and colluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Landslide deposits and colluvium

Lithology: landslide; colluvium

basaltic volcanics (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Basaltic volcanics; tuff rings, cinders, and proximal lavas

Lithology: basalt; pyroclastic

piedmont alluvial deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.4 % 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