1887
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Basin Research
  4. Volume 15, Issue 2
  5. Article
Volume 15, Issue 2
  • E-ISSN: 1365-2117

Abstract

Abstract

Tectonic inversion models predict that stratigraphic thickening and local facies patterns adjacent to reactivated fault systems should record at least two phases of basin development: (1) initial extension‐related subsidence and (2) subsequent shortening‐induced uplift. In the central Peloncillo Mountains of southwestern New Mexico, thickness trends, distribution, and provenance of two major stratigraphic intervals on opposite sides of a northwest‐striking reverse fault preserve a record of Early Cretaceous normal displacement and latest Cretaceous–Paleogene reverse displacement along the fault. The Aptian–Albian Bisbee Group thickens by a factor of three from the footwall to the hanging‐wall block, and the Late Cretaceous?–Eocene Bobcat Hill Formation is preserved only in the footwall block. An initial episode of normal faulting resulted in thickening of upper Aptian–middle Albian, mixed siliciclastic and carbonate deposits and an up section change from coarse‐grained deltas to shallow‐marine depositional conditions. A second episode of normal faulting caused abrupt thickening of upper Albian, quartzose coastal‐plain deposits across the fault. These faulting episodes record two events of extension that affected the northern rift shoulder of the Bisbee basin. The third faulting episode was oblique‐slip, reverse reactivation of the fault and other related, former normal faults. Alluvial and pyroclastic deposits of the Bobcat Hill Formation record inversion of the Bisbee basin and development of an intermontane basin directly adjacent to the former rift basin. Inversion was coeval with latest Cretaceous–Paleogene shortening and magmatism. This offset history offers significant insight into extensional basin tectonics in the Early Cretaceous and permits rejection of models of long‐term Mesozoic shortening and orogen migration during the Cretaceous. This paper also illustrates how episodes of fault reactivation modify, in very short distances (<10 km), regional patterns of subsidence, the distribution of sediment‐source areas, and sedimentary depositional systems.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1046/j.1365-2117.2003.00199.x
2003-05-28
2024-04-18

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1046/j.1365-2117.2003.00199.x
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Basabilvazo, G.T. (2000) The Upper Cretaceous Ringbone Formation, Little Hatchet Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,203–210.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Bayona, G. (1998) Stratigraphic relationships of Cretaceous and Paleogene deposits, and their tectonic implications; central Peloncillo Mountains, Hidalgo County, southwestern New Mexico. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, New Mexico State University, New Mexico, USA.
  3. Bayona, G. & Lawton, T.F. (2000) Aptian–Albian extensional faulting and subsequent Laramide inversion, central Peloncillo Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,85–94.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Beauchamp, W., Allmendinger, R.W., Barazangi, M., Demnati, A., Mohamed, E.A. & Dahmani, M. (1999) Inversion tectonics and the evolution of the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco, based on a geological‐geophysical transect. Tectonics, 18,163–184.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Bhattacharya, J.P. & Walker, R.G. (1992) Deltas. In: Facies Models: Response to Sea Level Change (Ed. by R.G.Walker & N.P.James ), pp. 157–177. Geological Association of Canada.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Bilodeau, W.L. (1982) Tectonic models for early Cretaceous rifting in southeastern Arizona. Geology, 10,466–470.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Blair, T.C. & McPherson, J.G. (1994) Alluvial fans and their natural distinction from rivers based on morphology, hydraulic processes, sedimentary processes, and facies assemblages. J. Sedim. Res., 64,450–489.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Bradley, D.C. & Kidd, W.S.F. (1991) Flexural extension of the upper continental crust in collisional foredeeps. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 103,1416–1438.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Buchanan, J. & Buchanan, P. eds (1995) Basin Inversion. Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., London.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Butler, R., Holdsworth, R. & Lloyd, G. (1997) The role of basement reactivation in continental deformation. J. Geol. Soc. London, 154,69–71.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Cas, R.A.F. & Wright, R.A. (1987) Volcanic Successions: Modern and Ancient. Allen & Unwin, London.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Cobban, W.A., Merewether, E.A., Fouch, T.D. & Obradovich, J.D. (1994) Some Cretaceous shorelines in the Western Interior of the United States. In: Mesozoic Systems of the Rocky Mountain Region (Ed. by M.V.Caputo , J.A.Peterson & K.J.Franczyk ), Rocky Mountain Sec. SEPM, 393–413.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Coney, P.J. & Reynolds, S.J. (1977) Cordilleran Benioff zones. Nature, 270,403–406.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Cooper, M. & Williams, G. eds (1989) Inversion Tectonics. Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., London.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Corbitt, L.L. & Woodward, L.A. (1970) Thrust faults of the Florida Mountains, New Mexico, and their regional tectonic significance. New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 21,69–74.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Dalrymple, R.W. (1992) Tidal depositional systems. In: Facies Models: Response to Sea Level Change (Ed. by R.G.Walker & N.P.James ), Geological Association of Canada, 195–218.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Davis, G.H. (1979) Laramide folding and faulting in southeastern Arizona. Am. J. Sci., 279,543–569.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Deeks, N.R. & Thomas, S.A. (1995) Basin inversion in a strike‐slip regime: the Tonquist Zone, southern Baltic Sea. In: Basin Inversion (Ed. by J.G.Buchanan & P.G.Buchanan ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 88,319–338.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Dickinson, W.R. (1981) Plate tectonic evolution of the southern Cordillera. In: Relations of Tectonics to Ore Deposits in the Southern Cordillera (Ed. by W.R.Dickinson & W.D.Payne ), Arizona Geol. Soc. Digest, 17,113–135.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Dickinson, W.R. (1985) Interpreting provenance relations from detrital modes of sandstones. In: Provenance of Arenites (Ed. by G.G.Zuffa ), Boston, ASI Series, 148,333–361.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Dickinson, W.R. (1989) Tectonic setting of Arizona through geologic time. In: Geologic Evolution of Arizona (Ed. by J.P.Jenney & S.J.Reynolds ), Arizona Geol. Soc. Digest, 19,1–16.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Dickinson, W.R., Fiorillo, A.R., Hall, D.L., Monreal, R., Potochnik, A.R. & Swift, P.N. (1989) Cretaceous strata of southern Arizona. In: Geologic Evolution of Arizona (Ed. by J.P.Jenney & S.J.Reynolds ), Arizona Geol. Soc. Digest, 19,447–461.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Dickinson, W.R. & Lawton, T.F. (2001a) Carboniferous to Cretaceous assembly and fragmentation of Mexico. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 113,1142–1160.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Dickinson, W.R. & Lawton, T.F. (2001b) Tectonic setting and sandstone petrofacies of the Bisbee basin (USA–Mexico). J. South Am. Earth Sci., 14,475–504.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Dorsey, R.J., Umhoefer, P.J. & Renne, P.R. (1995) Rapid subsidence and stacked Gilbert‐type fan deltas, Pliocene Loreto basin, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Sedim. Geol., 98,181–204.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Drewes, H. (1980) Tectonic map of southeast Arizona. US Geol. Surv. Map, I‐1109, scale 1:125, 000.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Drewes, H. (1988) Development of the foreland zone and adjacent terranes of the Cordilleran orogenic belt near the US– Mexican border. In: Interaction of the Rocky Mountain Foreland and the Cordilleran Thrust Belt (Ed. by C.J.Schmidt & W.J.Perry, Jr ), Geol. Soc. Am. Memoir, 171,447–463.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Drewes, H. (1991) Description and development of the Cordilleran orogenic belt in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. US Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper, 1512.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Drewes, H. & Thorman, C.H. (1980) Geologic map of the Steins quadrangle, and the adjacent part of the Vanar quadrangle, Hidalgo County, New Mexico. US Geol. Surv. Miscellaneous Invest. Map, I‐1220, scale 1:24.000.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Engebretson, D.C., Cox, A. & Thompson, G.A. (1984) Correlation of plate motions with continental tectonics: Laramide to Basin‐Range. Tectonics, 3,115–119.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Gillerman, E. (1958) Geology of the central Peloncillo Mountains, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and Cochise County, Arizona. New Mexico Bur. Mines and Min. Res. Bulletin, 57.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Goodspeed, T. & Lucas, S.P. (1992) Early Cretaceous (Aptian) ammonites from the central Peloncillo Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol., 14,78.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Hayward, A.B. & Graham, R.H. (1989) Some geometrical characteristics of inversion. In: Inversion Tectonics (Ed. by M.A.Cooper & G.D.Williams ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 44,17–40.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Hodgson, S.A. (2000) Structural geology and Laramide tectonics of the Little Hatchet Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,109–116.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Holdsworth, R., Butler, C. & Roberts, A. (1997) The recognition of reactivation during continental deformation. J. Geol. Soc. London, 154,73–78.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Hudson, J.S. (1984) Geology and hydrothermal alteration of the San Simon mining district south of Steins Pass, Peloncillo Mountains, Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, University of New Mexico, New Mexico, USA.
  37. Ingersoll, R.V., Bullard, T.F., Ford, R.L., Grimm, J.P., Pickle, J.D. & Sares, S.W. (1984) The effect of grain size on detrital modes: A test of the Gazzi‐Dickinson point‐counting method. J. Sedim. Petrol., 54,103–116.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Keith, S.B. & Wilt, J.C. (1985) Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic orogenesis of Arizona and adjacent regions: A strato‐tectonic approach. In: Cenozoic Paleogeography of West‐Central United States (Ed. by R.M.Flores & S.S.Kaplan ), SEPM, Rocky Mountain section, 403–437.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Klute, M.A. (1991) Sedimentology, sandstone petrofacies, and tectonic setting of the Late Mesozoic Bisbee basin, southeastern Arizona. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of Arizona, Arizona, USA.
  40. Kolins, W.B. (1986) Stratigraphy, depositional environments, and provenance of Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, Peloncillo and Animas Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, New Mexico State University, New Mexico, USA.
  41. Lawton, T.F. (2000) Inversion of Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous extensional faults of the Bisbee basin, southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,95–102.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Lawton, T.F., Basalbilvazo, G.T., Hodgson, S.A., Wilson, D.A., Mack, G.H., McIntosh, W.C., Lucas, S.G. & Kietzke, K.K. (1993) Laramide stratigraphy of the Little Hatchet Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol., 15,9–15.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Lawton, T.F. & Clemons, R.E. (1992) Klondike Basin‐late Laramide depocenter in southern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol., 14,1–7.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Lawton, T.F. & McMillan, N. (1999) Arc abandonment as a cause for passive continental rifting: comparison of the Jurassic Mexican Borderland rift and the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift. Geology, 27,779–782.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Lawton, T.F. & Olmstead, G.A. (1995) Stratigraphy and structure of the lower part of the Bisbee Group, northeastern Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona. In: Studies on the Mesozoic of Sonora and Adjacent Areas (Ed. by C.Jacques‐Ayala , C.M.Gonzalez‐Leon & J.Roldan‐Quintana ), Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap., 301,21–39.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Leeder, M.R. & Gawthorpe, R.L. (1987) Sedimentary models for extensional tilt‐block/half‐graben basins. In: Continental Extensional Tectonics (Ed. by M.P.Coward , J.F.Dewey & P.L.Hancock ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 28,139–152.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Lipman, P.W. & Sawyer, D.A. (1985) Mesozoic ash‐flow caldera fragments in southeastern Arizona and their relation to porphyry copper deposits. Geology, 13,652–656.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Lowell, J.D. (1995) Mechanism of basin inversion from worldwide examples. In: Basin Inversion (Ed. by J.G.Buchanan & P.G.Buchanan ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 88,39–58.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Lucas, S.G. (1992) Eocene mammal from the Bobcat Hill Conglomerate, Peloncillo Mountains, southwestern New Mexico. New Mexico Geol., 14,9–12.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Lucas, S.G. & Estep, J.W. (1998) Lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the Lower‐middle Cretaceous Bisbee Group, southwestern New Mexico, USA. In: Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems (Ed. by S.G.Lucas , J.I.Kirkland & J.W.Estep ), New Mexico Museum Nat. Hist. & Science Bull., 14,39–55.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Lucas, S.G. & Lawton, T.F. (2000) Stratigraphy of the Bisbee Group (Jurassic–Cretaceous), Little Hatchet Mountains, New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,175–194.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Mack, G.H. (1987a) Mid‐Cretaceous (late Albian) change from rift to retroarc foreland basin in southwestern New Mexico. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 98,507–514.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Mack, G.H. (1987b) Tectonic, eustatic, and climatic control on Cretaceous (Aptian to Turonian) sedimentation in southwestern New Mexico. In: Mesozoic Rocks of Southern Arizona and Adjacent Areas (Ed. by W.R.Dickinson & M.A.Klute ), Arizona Geol. Soc. Digest., 18,371–380.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Mack, G.H. (1992) Paleosols as an indicator of climatic change at the Early–Late Cretaceous boundary, southwestern New Mexico. J. Sedim. Petrol., 62,483–494.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Mack, G.H., Kolins, W.B. & Galemore, J.A. (1986) Lower Cretaceous stratigraphy, depositional environments and sediment dispersal in southwestern New Mexico. Am. J. Sci., 286,309–331.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. McPherson, J.G., Shanmugam, G. & Moiola, R.J. (1987) Fan‐deltas and braid‐deltas: Varieties of coarse‐grained deltas. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 99,331–340.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Miall, A.D. (1996) The Geology of Fluvial Deposits. Springer‐Verlag, Berlin.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Miller, D.M., Nilsen, T.H. & Bilodeau, W.L. (1992) Late Cretaceous to early Eocene geologic evolution of the US Cordillera. In: The Cordilleran Orogen: Conterminous US (Ed. by B.C.Burchfield , P.W.Lipman & M.L.Zoback ), The Decade of North American Geology, G‐3, pp. 205–260. Geological Society of America .
    [Google Scholar]
  59. Posamentier, H.W. & Allen, G.P. (1999) Siliciclastic sequence stratigraphy – concepts and applications. SEPM Concepts in Sedimentology and Paleontology, 7.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Pratt, B.R., James, N.P. & Cowan, C.A. (1992) Peritidal Carbonates. In: Facies Models: Response to Sea Level Change (Ed. by R.G.Walker & N.P.James ), pp. 303–322. Geological Association of Canada.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Scott, R.W. (1987) Stratigraphy and correlation of the Cretaceous Mural Limestone, Arizona and Sonora. In: Mesozoic Rocks of Southern Arizona and Adjacent Areas (Ed. by W.R.Dickinson & M.A.Klute ), Arizona Geol. Soc. Digest., 18,327–334.
    [Google Scholar]
  62. Scott, R.W. & Gonzalez‐Leon, C. (1991) Paleontology and biostratigraphy of Cretaceous rocks, Lampazos area, Sonora, Mexico. In: Studies of Sonoran Geology (Ed. by E.Perez‐Segura & C.Jacques‐Ayala ), Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap., 254,51–68.
    [Google Scholar]
  63. Scott, R.W. & Warzesky, E.R. (1993) An Aptian–Albian shelf ramp, Arizona and Sonora. In: Cretaceous Carbonate Platforms (Ed. by J.A.T.Simo , R.W.Scott & J.P.Masse ), Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Mem., 56,71–79.
    [Google Scholar]
  64. Seager, W.R. & Mack, G.H. (1986) Laramide paleotectonics of southern New Mexico. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Mem., 41,669–685.
    [Google Scholar]
  65. Shearer, D.L. & Miller, K.C. (2000) Implications of recent geophysical studies of the Big Hatchet Mountains area, southwestern New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,71–74.
    [Google Scholar]
  66. Sheridan, M.F. & Wohletz, K.H. (1983) Hydrovolcanism: Basin considerations and review. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 17,1–29.
    [Google Scholar]
  67. Shinn, E.A. (1983) Tidal Flats. In: Carbonate Depositional Environments (Ed. by P.Scholle , D.Bebout & C.Moore ), Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Mem., 33,132–171.
    [Google Scholar]
  68. Sibson, R.H. (1995) Selective fault reactivation during basin inversion: potential for fluid redistribution through fault‐valve action. In: Basin Inversion (Ed. by J.G.Buchanan & P.G.Buchanan ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 88,3–20.
    [Google Scholar]
  69. Sinclair, I.K. (1995) Transpressional inversion due to episodic rotation of extensional stresses in Jean d'Arc Basin, offshore Newfounland. In: Basin Inversion (Ed. by J.G.Buchanan & P.G.Buchanan ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 88,249–274.
    [Google Scholar]
  70. Smith, F.C. (1987) Geology, mineralization, and exploration potential of the McGhee Peak area, San Simon mining district, Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, University of New Mexico, New Mexico, USA.
  71. Smith, G.A. & Lowe, D.R. (1991) Lahars: Volcano‐hydrologic events and deposition in the debris flow‐hyperconcentrated flow continuum. In: Sedimentation in Volcanic Settings (Ed. by R.V.Fisher & G.A.Smith ), SEPM Spec. Publ., 45,59–70.
    [Google Scholar]
  72. Sohn, Y.K. & Chough, S.K. (1989) Depositional processes of the Suwolbong tuff ring, Cheju Island (Korea). Sedimentology, 36,837–855.
    [Google Scholar]
  73. Williams, G.D., Powell, C.M. & Cooper, M.A. (1989) Geometry and kinematics of inversion tectonics. In: Inversion Tectonics (Ed. by M.A.Cooper & G.D.Williams ), Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. London, 44,3–16.
    [Google Scholar]
  74. Young, J.R., McMillan, N.J., Lawton, T.F. & Esser, R.P. (2000) Volcanology, geochemistry, and structural geology of the Upper Cretaceous Hidalgo formation, southwestern New Mexico. In: Southwest Passage: A Trip Through the Phanerozoic (Ed. by T.F.Lawton , N.J.McMillan & V.T.McLemore ), New Mexico Geol. Soc. Guidebook, 51,149–156.
    [Google Scholar]
  75. Zeller, R.A.Jr (1965) Stratigraphy of the Big Hatchet Mountains area, New Mexico. New Mexico Bur. Mines Min. Res. Mem., 16, 128pp.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1046/j.1365-2117.2003.00199.x
Loading
Fault‐proximal stratigraphic record of episodic extension and oblique inversion, Bisbee basin, southwestern New Mexico, USA
Basin Research 15, 251 (2003); https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2117.2003.00199.x
/content/journals/10.1046/j.1365-2117.2003.00199.x
/content/journals/10.1046/j.1365-2117.2003.00199.x
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article

Most Cited This Month Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error