Marquenas Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: | |
Type | Formation |
Overlies | Piedra Lumbre Formation |
Thickness | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Quartzite |
Other | Metaconglomerate |
Location | |
Coordinates | 36°12′25″N105°49′12″W / 36.207°N 105.820°W |
Region | Picuris Mountains, New Mexico |
Country | United States |
Type section | |
Named for | Cerro de las Marquenas ( 36°12′25″N105°49′12″W / 36.207°N 105.820°W ) |
Named by | Long |
Year defined | 1976 |
The Marquenas Formation is a geological formation that crops out in the Picuris Mountains of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology gives it a maximum age of 1435 million years, corresponding to the Calymmian period.
The Marquenas Formation was first believed to be over 80% quartzite, with the rest mostly metaconglomerate. The metaconglomerate lenses are found throughout the formation but particularly towards its top, and it was designated the Marquenas Quartzite. [1] However, Bauer and Williams noted that the unit is about equally divided between quartzite and metaconglomerate, which led them to redesignate it as the Marquenas Formation. [2] It can be divided into a lower, highly strained, poorly sorted boulder conglomerate; a middle quartzite member; and an upper, highly strained, pebble-to-cobble conglomerate. [3]
Cross stratification shows that the layering is overturned, and this supported the interpretation of the formation as part of the Vadito Group, likely correlating with the Big Rock Formation of the Tusas Mountains. [2] However, detrital zircon geochronology establishes a maximum age of 1435 Mya, much younger than the Vadito Group. [4] The provenance of the quartzite clasts in the Marquenas Formation remain uncertain, since they contain no aluminum silicate minerals and little crossbedding, but both are present in the Ortega Formation, the most likely local source rock. [2] One possibility is that the clasts were derived from quartzite units of the Manzano Group to the south. [5]
A metamorphosed tuff bed in the Pilar Formation yields an age of 1488 ± 6 Mya, and the Piedra Lumbre Formation likewise contains zircons dated to 1425 Mya. This suggests that the Pilar Formation and Piedra Lumbre Formation should be removed from the Hondo Group, and grouped with the Marquenas Formation as sediments deposited by the Picuris orogeny. [6]
The beds were originally assigned to the lower conglomerate member of the Vadito Formation by Arthur Montgomery in 1953, who estimated the thickness as up to 600 meters. [3] P.E. Long broke the beds out as the Marquenas Quartzite in 1976 and named them after Cerro de las Marquenas. [1] Paul W. Bauer and Michael L. Williams redesignated the unit as the Marquenas Formation in their sweeping revision of the stratigraphy of Precambrian rocks in northern New Mexico in 1989. [2]
The Manzano Group is a group of geologic formations in central New Mexico. These have radiometric ages of 1601 to 1662 million years (Ma), corresponding to the late Statherian period of the Paleoproterozoic.
The Mazatzal orogeny was an orogenic event in what is now the Southwestern United States from 1650 to 1600 Mya in the Statherian Period of the Paleoproterozoic. Preserved in the rocks of New Mexico and Arizona, it is interpreted as the collision of the 1700-1600 Mya age Mazatzal island arc terrane with the proto-North American continent. This was the second in a series of orogenies within a long-lived convergent boundary along southern Laurentia that ended with the ca. 1200–1000 Mya Grenville orogeny during the final assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia, which ended an 800-million-year episode of convergent boundary tectonism.
The Yavapai orogeny was an orogenic (mountain-building) event in what is now the Southwestern United States that occurred between 1710 and 1680 million years ago (Mya), in the Statherian Period of the Paleoproterozoic. Recorded in the rocks of New Mexico and Arizona, it is interpreted as the collision of the 1800-1700 Mya age Yavapai island arc terrane with the proto-North American continent. This was the first in a series of orogenies within a long-lived convergent boundary along southern Laurentia that ended with the ca. 1200–1000 Mya Grenville orogeny during the final assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia, which ended an 800-million-year episode of convergent boundary tectonism.
The Picuris orogeny was an orogenic event in what is now the Southwestern United States from 1.43 to 1.3 billion years ago in the Calymmian Period of the Mesoproterozoic. The event is named for the Picuris Mountains in northern New Mexico and interpreted either as the suturing of the Granite-Rhyolite crustal province to the southern margin of the proto-North American continent Laurentia or as the final suturing of the Mazatzal crustal province onto Laurentia. According to the former hypothesis, this was the second in a series of orogenies within a long-lived convergent boundary along southern Laurentia that ended with the ca. 1200–1000 Mya Grenville orogeny during the final assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia, which ended an 800-million-year episode of convergent boundary tectonism.
The Vadito Group is a group of geologic formations that crops out in most of the Precambrian-cored uplifts of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology and radiometric dating give a consistent age of 1700 Mya for the group, corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Big Rock Formation is a formation that crops out in the Tusas Mountains of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology gives a maximum age for the formation of 1665 Mya, corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Burned Mountain Formation is a geologic formation that crops out in the Tusas Mountains of northern New Mexico. It has a U-Pb radiometric age of 1700 Mya, corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Picuris Mountains are a mountain range in northern New Mexico. They are considered a subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The Glenwoody Formation is a geological formation that is exposed in the cliffs southeast of the Rio Grande Gorge near the town of Pilar and in a few other locations in the Picuris Mountains. Its minimum age from detrital zircon geochronology is 1.693 Mya, corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Hondo Group is a group of geologic formations that crops out in most of the Precambrian-cored uplifts of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology gives a maximum age for the lower Hondo Group of 1765 to 1704 million years (Mya), corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Ortega Formation is a geologic formation that crops out in most of the mountain ranges of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology establishes a maximum age for the formation of 1690-1670 million years (Mya), in the Statherian period of the Precambrian.
The Rinconada Formation is a geologic formation that crops out in the Picuris Mountains of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology establishes a maximum age for the Rinconada Formation of about 1723 Mya, placing it in the Statherian period of the Precambrian.
The Pilar Formation is a geologic formation that crops out in the Picuris Mountains of northern New Mexico. It has a radiometric age of 1488 ± 6 million years, corresponding to the Calymmian period.
The Piedra Lumbre Formation is a geologic formation that crops out in the Picuris Mountains of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology yields a maximum age of 1475 million years, corresponding to the Calymmian period.
The Uncompahgre Formation is a geologic formation in Colorado. Its radiometric age is between 1707 and 1704 Ma, corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Trampas Group is a group of geologic formations that crops out in the Picuris Mountains of northern New Mexico. Detrital zircon geochronology yields a maximum age of 1475 million years, corresponding to the Calymmian period.
The Picuris Formation is a geologic formation exposed in the eastern flank of the Rio Grande rift in northern New Mexico. It was deposited from the late Eocene to Miocene epochs.
The Abajo Formation is a geologic formation in the Los Pinos Mountains of central New Mexico. It was deposited about 1660 million years (Ma) ago, corresponding to the Statherian period.
The Mazatzal Group is a group of geologic formations that crops out in portions of central Arizona, US. Detrital zircon geochronology establishes a maximum age for the formation of 1660 to 1630 million years (Mya), in the Statherian period of the Precambrian. The group gives its name to the Mazatzal orogeny, a mountain-building event that took place between 1695 and 1630 Mya.
The White Ledges Formation is a geologic formation that crops out in central Arizona, US. Detrital zircon geochronology establishes a maximum age for the formation of 1726 million years (Mya), in the Statherian period of the Precambrian. The formation is typical of quartzites deposited around 1650 million years ago in the southwestern part of Laurentia, the ancient core of the North American continent.