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

Geologic units in Valencia county, New Mexico

[Additional scientific data in this geographic area]

Yesa Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 2 % 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 0.8 % 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

San Andres Limestone and Glorieta Sandstone (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.5 % of this area

San Andres Limestone and Glorieta Sandstone; Guadalupian and Leonardian

Lithology: fine-grained mixed clastic; carbonate; evaporite

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

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

Lithology: sandstone

older alluvial deposits of upland plains and piedmont areas (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.2 % 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

eolian deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 3 % of this area

Eolian deposits

Lithology: eolian

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

Chinle Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Triassic) at surface, covers 0.3 % 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

Mesaverde Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.3 % 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 1 % 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

Lower and Middle Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % 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

basalt and andesite flows, Neogene (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary) at surface, covers 2 % 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

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 < 0.1 % of this area

Middle Proterozoic plutonic rocks (younger than 1600 Ma)

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

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

San Rafael Group (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.1 % 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

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

Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 1 % 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

middle and upper Jurassic rocks, unidivided (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Jurassic) at surface, covers 0.3 % of this area

Jurassic rocks, Middle and Upper, undivided

Lithology: clastic; sedimentary rock

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

Tertiary intrusive rocks; undifferentiated

Lithology: plutonic rock (phaneritic)

San Andres Formation (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.6 % 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

basaltic and andesitic volcanics interbedded with sedimentary units (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Basaltic and andesitic volcanics interbedded with Pleistocene and Pliocene sedimentary units

Lithology: basalt; andesite; sedimentary rock

piedmont alluvial deposits (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary) at surface, covers 32 % 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 1 % of this area

Landslide deposits and colluvium

Lithology: landslide; colluvium

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

Bursum Formation; shale, arkose, and limestone; earliest Permian

Lithology: shale; sandstone; conglomerate; limestone

Upper Santa Fe Group (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 24 % 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

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 < 0.1 % 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

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

intertongued Dakota-Mancos sequence (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous) at surface, covers 0.3 % 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 0.3 % of this area

Mancos Shale, Lower part

Lithology: shale; fine-grained mixed clastic

travertine (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Tertiary Quaternary) at surface, covers 0.7 % of this area

Travertine

Lithology: limestone