Miocene sediment dispersal in the central Española basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico, U.S.A.

Abstract

The central Española basin in north-central New Mexico represents one of the best opportunities to examine deposits related to the development of the Rio Grande rift. The Miocene Tesuque Formation represents the bulk of the Española basin fill. It is composed of a 2000–2500 m thick sequence of alluvial-fluvial and, subordinately, lacustrine deposits with numerous interbedded ash-fall tuff layers. The overall detrital composition of the Tesuque Formation is very similar throughout the central Española basin. Provenance is primarily from basement uplifts composed of Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. Nevertheless, the combined use of paleocurrent analysis, and sandstone and conglomerate petrology allows a detailed reconstruction of the sediment paleodispersal system. Two sedimentary provinces are present within the Tesuque Formation: Province A, present in the eastern, central and southern portions of the study area, has a predominantly plutoniclastic and metamorphiclastic composition, and shows systematic paleocurrents toward the west. The sediments were derived from the Precambrian-cored Santa Fe block of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, located directly to the east of the study area. Province B, present only in the northwestern portion of the study area, is characterized by a minor but significant amount of volcaniclastic and sedimentaclastic detritus, and shows consistent SSW-directed paleocurrents. The source area was possibly located in the area of the Taos Plateau and Latir volcanic fields. An intermediate narrow and discontinuous belt (province A + B) represents a hybrid province, where directional and compositional parameters are gradational.