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

Geologic units in Santa Fe county, New Mexico

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Chinle Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 12 % 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 0.2 % of this area

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

Lithology: mafic metavolcanic rock

Mancos Shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Mancos Shale; divided into Upper and Lower parts by Gallup Sandstone

Lithology: shale; fine-grained mixed clastic

lacustrine and playa-lake deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % 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

Mesaverde Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.8 % 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 0.2 % 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 16 % 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 0.6 % of this area

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

Lithology: sandstone

plutonic rocks, Lower Proterozoic (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 4 % of this area

Lower Proterozoic plutonic rocks (older than 1600 Ma)

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

metasedimentary rocks (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers < 0.1 % 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 0.6 % 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 0.2 % 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

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 0.2 % 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

sedimentary units, Palogene (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 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

metamorphic rocks (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic) at surface, covers 5 % 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 0.3 % 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 0.2 % 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

Artesia Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Artesia Group; shelf facies forming broad south-southeast trending outcrop from Glorieta to Artesia area; includes Grayburg, Queen, Seven Rivers, Yates, and Tansill Formations; Guadalupian. May locally include Moenkopi Formation (Triassic) at top

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; dolostone (dolomite); evaporite

Redonda Formation of Chinle Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Redonda Formation

Lithology: sandstone; mudstone; limestone

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

Alluvium; upper and middle Quaternary

Lithology: alluvium

Lower and Middle Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 11 % of this area

Lower and Middle Santa Fe Group. Includes Hayner Ranch, Rincon Valley, Popotosa, Cochiti, Tesuque, Chamita, Abiquiu, and other Formations; Miocene and uppermost Oligocene

Lithology: coarse-grained mixed clastic; unconsolidated deposit; tuff; chert

Bandelier Tuff (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.9 % of this area

Bandelier Tuff; Jemez Mountains area only

Lithology: rhyolite; tuff; pumice

Morrison Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.6 % of this area

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

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; limestone

piedmont alluvial deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 2 % 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 < 0.1 % of this area

Triassic rocks, undivided; continental red beds

Lithology: medium-grained mixed clastic

landslide deposits and colluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.1 % of this area

Landslide deposits and colluvium

Lithology: landslide; colluvium

intrusive rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Tertiary intrusive rocks; undifferentiated

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

San Andres Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

San Andres Formation; limestone and dolomite with minor shale; Guadalupian in south, in part Leonardian to north

Lithology: carbonate; fine-grained mixed clastic; evaporite

basalt and andesite flows, Pliocene (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Basalt and andesite flows; Pliocene

Lithology: basalt; andesite

plutonic rocks, middle and lower Proterozoic (Proterozoic | Paleoproterozoic Mesoproterozoic) at surface, covers 6 % of this area

Middle and Lower Proterozoic plutonic rocks, undivided

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

Dakota Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.5 % 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

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

Dakota Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.2 % 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 0.6 % 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

Mississippian rocks, undivided (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Mississippian) at surface, covers 0.1 % 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

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

Upper Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 10 % 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

sedimentary and vocaniclastic sedimentary rocks (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 0.8 % of this area

Mostly Oligocene and upper Eocene sedimentary and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks with local andesitic to intermediate volcanics; includes Espinaso, Spears, Bell Top, and Palm Park Formations

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