New Mexico Geological Society
Fall Field Conference Guidebook - 43
San Juan Basin IV

Spencer G. Lucas, Barry S. Kues, Thomas E. Williamson and Adrian P. Hunt, eds, 1992, 411 pages.

The 1992 New Mexico Geological Society Fall Field Conference tours part of the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico. This represents the fourth trip to this region in the 43 annual field conferences of the Society. However, unlike the preceding three trips to the San Juan Basin, this year's conference is headquartered in Cuba and focuses on the east-central part of the San Juan Basin, traversing an area largely untouched by preceding field conferences. Furthermore, the content of this year's trip and the guidebook differ fundamentally from those of earlier conferences (Guidebooks 1, 2, 28). These differences stem from new ideas, discoveries and approaches, all of which have appeared since the NMGS last visited the San Juan Basin in 1977. Sequence stratigraphy, coal-bed methane and a terminal Cretaceous bolide impact that wiped out the dinosaurs were unknown or unheard of in the halcyon days of San Juan Basin III. The first-day road log is from Cuba to La Ventana, San Luis, Cabezon, Mesa Portales, Mesa de Cuba and return to Cuba. The second day traverses a portion of the central San Juan Basin and focuses on the stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleontology and economic geology of the uppermost Cretaceous and lower Tertiary strata exposed in this portion of the basin. The road log begins in Cuba on to Counselor, Lybrook, Nageezi, Barrel Springs, Fossil Forrest, Blanco Trading Post and returns to Cuba. On the third day we will travel from Cuba to La Jara, Regina, Almagre Arroyo, Llaves, Gallina, Arroyo del Agua, Coyote, Youngsville and Abiquiu Dam. The drive will be through extensive outcrops fo the Eocene San Jose Formation and will end at Abiquiu Dam, for a discussion on the engineering geology of the dam and the Upper Triassic stratigraphy of the Chama Basin.

Table of Contents:

Note —Downloads of the papers below are free. Road logs mini-papers, maps, and other sections are only available in print.

1. First-day road log: From Cuba to La Ventana, San Luis, Cabezon, Mesa Portales, Mesa de Cuba and return to Cuba
   — Spencer G. Lucas, Thomas E. Williamson, Larry N. Smith, Wright-Dunbar, Robyn, Hallett, Bruce, Barry S. Kues, Gretchen Hoffman, Adrian P. Hunt, David W. Love, Virginia T. McLemore, and R. F. Hadley, pp. 1-32.

Mini-papers:

2. The Point Lookout δ at La Ventana, New Mexico
   — Robyn. Wright-Dunbar, pp. 4-7.
3. Late Cretaceous thrust faulting at the eastern edge of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico
   — Kevin G. Stewart and James P. Hibbard, pp. 7-9.
4. Shoreline cyclicity and the transgressive record: A model based on Point Lookout Sandstone exposures at San Luis, New Mexico
   — Robyn. Wright-Dunbar, pp. 12-15.
5. Selachian fauna from the upper Cretaceous (Coniacian) El Vado Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale, San Juan Basin, New Mexico
   — Thomas E. Williamson and Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 17-20.
6. Volcanic geology of Cerro Chafo
   — R. Bruce Hallett, pp. 19-22.
7. Preliminary report on invertebrate fossils from the Lewis Shale near Mesa Portales, Sandoval County, New Mexico
   — Spencer G. Lucas and Paul L. Sealey, pp. 24-26.
8. Vertebrate fauna from the upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Pictured Cliffs Sandstone, Mesa Portales, New Mexico
   — Thomas E. Williamson and Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 26-29.
9. Second-day road log: From Cuba to Counselor, Lybrook, Nageezi, Barrel Springs, Fossil Forest, Blanco Trading Post and return to Cuba
   — Thomas E. Williamson, Spencer G. Lucas, Adrian P. Hunt, Larry N. Smith, and Barry S. Kues, pp. 33-52.

Mini-papers:

10. Vegetation and plant communities of the San Juan Basin
    — Paul J. Knight, pp. 34-35.
11. Silcretes of the Paleocene Nacimiento Formation
    — Thomas E. Williamson, Laura J. Crossey, and Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 38-42.
12. Sedimentology of a fossiliferous fluvial system, Fruitland and Kirtland Formations (Late Cretaceous), Fossil Forest area, San Juan County, New Mexico
    — Adrian P. Hunt, pp. 47-50.
13. Mineral resources of the Fossil Forest Research Natural Area
    — Edward L. Heffern, pp. 50-51.
14. Third-day road log: From Cuba to La Jara, Regina, Almagre Arroyo, Llaves, Gallina, Arroyo del Agua, Coyote, Youngsville and Abiquiu Dam
    — Spencer G. Lucas, Adrian P. Hunt, Thomas E. Williamson, Barry S. Kues, and Virginia T. McLemore, pp. 53-63.

Mini-papers:

15. John Strong Newberry--Pioneer Colorado Plateau geologist
    — William L. Chenoweth, pp. 54-55.
16. Mudrock-sedimentology and paleopedology in the San Jose Formation
    — Larry N. Smith, pp. 56-58.
17. Supplemental road log 1: From intersection of Piedra Lumbre road and NM-197 to Star Lake and Pueblo Alto Trading Posts
    — Edward C. Beaumont and Gretchen K. Hoffman, pp. 65-70.
18. Supplemental road log 2: From Cuba to Nacimiento Copper mine
    — Spencer G. Lucas and Thomas E. Williamson, pp. 71.
19. Supplemental road log 3: From Durango, Colorado to Pinyon Mesa and the Bluffs south of the San Juan River near Farmington
    — Spencer G. Lucas and Thomas E. Williamson, pp. 73-77.

Papers:

Note — To download papers from this guidebook, you will need a PDF viewer like the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

20. James Hervey Simpson and the first record of San Juan Basin geology (2.86 MB PDF)
    — Barry S. Kues, pp. 83-101. [ABSTRACT]
21. Geometry of Nacimiento-Gallina fault system, northern New Mexico (653 KB PDF)
    — Lee A. Woodward, Michael C. Hultgren, David L. Crouse, and Margaret A. Merrick, pp. 103-108. [ABSTRACT]
22. Suggested revisions to the Tertiary tectonic history of north-central New Mexico (1.51 MB PDF)
    — Steven M. Cather, pp. 109-122. [ABSTRACT]
23. Tectonic dolomitization in the Gavilan Mancos oil pool, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico (1.12 MB PDF)
    — Alan P. Emmendorfer, pp. 123-131. [ABSTRACT]
24. Gravity and magneitc anomalies in the San Juan Basin area (420 KB PDF)
    — G. Randy Keller and Donald Adams, pp. 133-134. [ABSTRACT]
25. Volcanic geology of the Rio Puerco necks (1.30 MB PDF)
    — R. Bruce Hallett, pp. 135-144. [ABSTRACT]
26. Volcanic geology of the Rio Puerco necks (1.30 MB PDF)
    — R. Bruce Hallett, pp. 135-144.
27. The paleoflora of the lower Cutler Formation (Pennsylvanian, Desmoinesian?) in El Cobre Canyon, New Mexico, and it's biochronological significance (926 KB PDF)
    — Adrian P. Hunt and Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 145-150. [ABSTRACT]
28. Triassic stratigraphy and paleontology, Chama Basin and adjacent areas, north-central New Mexico (2.65 MB PDF)
    — Spencer G. Lucas and Adrian P. Hunt, pp. 151-172. [ABSTRACT]
29. Reassignment of the Jurassic Todilto Limestone Ostocode Metacypris Todiltoensis Swain 1946, to Cytheridella, with notes on the phylogeny and environmental implications of this Ostracode (1.62 MB PDF)
    — Kenneth K. Kietzke, pp. 173-183. [ABSTRACT]
30. Sequence stratigraphy in ramp settings--With application to upper Cretaceous rocks in the San Juan Basin (307 KB PDF)
    — Dag Nummedal, pp. 185-186. [ABSTRACT]
31. Parasequence geometry and facies architecture in the upper Cretaceous Point Lookout Sandstone, Four Corners platform, southwestern Colorado (1.53 MB PDF)
    — Danny R. Katzman and Robyn. Wright-Dunbar, pp. 187-197. [ABSTRACT]
32. Strandplain and δic depositional models for the Point Lookout Sandstone, San Juan Basin and Four Corners Platform, New Mexico and Colorado (1.21 MB PDF)
    — Robyn Wright-Dunbar, Robert S. Zech, Gregg A. Crandall, and Danny Katzman, pp. 199-206. [ABSTRACT]
33. Interrelationships between the upper coal member of the Menefee Formation, the La Ventana Tongue, and the Lewis Shale in the southeastern San Juan Basin (1.10 MB PDF)
    — Edward C. Beaumont and Gretchen K. Hoffman, pp. 207-216. [ABSTRACT]
34. Stratigraphy, paleontology and age of the Fruitland and Kirtland Formations (Upper Cretaceous), San Juan Basin, New Mexico (2.68 MB PDF)
    — Adrian P. Hunt and Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 217-239. [ABSTRACT]
35. Charles H. Sternberg and the collection of late Cretaceous vertebrate fossils from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico (1.01 MB PDF)
    — Adrian P. Hunt, Spencer G. Lucas, and Niall J. Mateer, pp. 241-250. [ABSTRACT]
36. Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene stratigraphy and sedimentation adjacent to the Nacimiento uplift, southeastern San Juan Basin (861 KB PDF)
    — Larry N. Smith, pp. 251-256. [ABSTRACT]
37. Cretaceous-Eocene crocodilians from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico (1.14 MB PDF)
    — Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 257-264. [ABSTRACT]
38. Stratigraphy and mammalian biostratigraphy of the Paleocene Nacimiento Formation, southern San Juan Basin (3.40 MB PDF)
    — Thomas E. Williamson and Spencer G. Lucas, pp. 265-296. [ABSTRACT]
39. Stratigraphy, sediment dispersal and paleogeography of the lower Eocene San Jose Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico (1.62 MB PDF)
    — Larry N. Smith, pp. 297-309. [ABSTRACT]
40. Fossil mammals and the early Eocene age of the San Jose Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico (784 KB PDF)
    — Spencer G. Lucas and Thomas E. Williamson, pp. 311-316. [ABSTRACT]
41. A stream-sediment geochemical map (from NURE data) showing bulk silica distribution within the Eocene San Jose Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico (488 KB PDF)
    — Richard M. Chamberlin, James S. Harris, and Margaret I. Onimole, pp. 317-320. [ABSTRACT]
42. The Blanco Basin Formation (Eocene), San Juan Mountains region, Colorado and New Mexico (1.39 MB PDF)
    — Brian S. Brister, pp. 321-331. [ABSTRACT]
43. Paleo-Indians in the San Juan Basin: A paleontological perspective (903 KB PDF)
    — F. Michael O'Neill, pp. 333-339. [ABSTRACT]
44. Uranium deposits in the eastern San Juan Basin, Cibola, Sandoval and Rio Arriba Counties, New Mexico (1.06 MB PDF)
    — Virginia T. McLemore and William L. Chenoweth, pp. 341-349. [ABSTRACT]
45. Isotopic ages of uranium deposits in the Todilto Limestone, Grants district, and their relationship to the ages of other Colorado Plateau deposits (969 KB PDF)
    — William R. Berglof, pp. 351-358. [ABSTRACT]
46. Isotopic ages of uranium deposits in the Todilto Limestone, Grants district, and their relationship to the ages of other Colorado Plateau deposits (969 KB PDF)
    — William R. Berglof, pp. 351-358. [ABSTRACT]
47. Hydrocarbon potential and stratigraphy of the Pictured Cliffs, Fruitland and Ojo Alamo Formations in the northeastern San Juan Basin. (1.29 MB PDF)
    — William F. Hoppe, pp. 359-371. [ABSTRACT]
48. Coalbed methane from the Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico (1.26 MB PDF)
    — Douglas M. Bland, pp. 373-383. [ABSTRACT]
49. Precious- and base-metal districts in Rio Arriba and Sandoval Counties, New Mexico (532 KB PDF)
    — Virginia T. McLemore, pp. 385-389. [ABSTRACT]
50. Quaternary history and landscape development of some tributary drainage basins north of Chaco River (908 KB PDF)
    — Larry N. Smith, pp. 391-398. [ABSTRACT]
51. Rapid adjustment of the Rio Puerco to meander cutoff: Implications for effective geomorphic processes, crossing thresholds and timing of events. (1.22 MB PDF)
    — David W. Love, pp. 399-405. [ABSTRACT]
52. Ground-water resources of the southeastern San Juan Basin (307 KB PDF)
    — William J. Stone, pp. 407-408. [ABSTRACT]
53. Hydrologic characteristics of the Ojo Alamo Sandstone, San Juan Basin, New Mexico (492 KB PDF)
    — Clay L. Kilmer and T. E. Kelly, pp. 409-411. [ABSTRACT]