| Basis for focus area |
Graphite occurrences from MRDS and New Mexico Mines Database (McLemore and others, 2005). |
| Identified resources |
None. |
| Production |
None. |
| Status |
Unknown. |
| Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
| Geologic maps |
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (2003), scale 1:500,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Metamorphosed coal. |
| Deposits |
Raton deposit (MRDS dep_id: 10096961). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS; New Mexico Mines Database (McLemore and others, 2005). |
| Geochemical evidence |
Analyses of graphitic coal in Lee (1913). |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
Lee (1913). |
| Comments |
Igneous material was forced into the coal-bearing sedimentary rocks in many places and usually formed coke where it came into contact with the coal, but in the Canadian Canyon the intrusive mass took the form of many sills above, below, and in the coal bed and apparently heated the sedimentary rocks through a considerable thickness. The coal has been most completely graphitized where the bed was fractured and diabase forced into it (Lee, 1913). |
| Cover thickness and description |
Exposed along the Canadian River and tributary canyons. |
| Authors |
Virginia T. McLemore. |
| New data needs |
Geophysics. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Unknown. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
Conductivity and aeromagnetic survey would be useful for identifying graphitic zones in the region. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar complete. |
