Mogollon-Datil volcanic field
Encyclopedia
The Mogollon-Datil volcanic field is a large silicic volcanic field
in western New Mexico
(Mogollon Mountains
-Datil, New Mexico
). It is a part of an extensive Eocene
to Oligocene
volcanic event which includes the San Juan volcanic field
in southwestern Colorado
, the Trans-Pecos volcanic field in west Texas
and north central Mexico
, the Boot Heel volcanic field in the bootheel of southwestern New Mexico and adjacent areas of Arizona
and Mexico; and the vast volcanic field of the Sierra Madre Occidental
of western Mexico. The Mogollon-Datil volcanic field was formed in "four discrete pulses representing synchronized activity of two separate cauldron complexes".
The Socorro, New Mexico
region (Socorro-Magdalena caldera cluster) of the central Rio Grande rift
hosts an inflating mid-crustal sill-like magma body at a depth of 19 km that is responsible for anomalously high earthquake activity in the vicinity. Earth and space-based geodetic measurements indicate ongoing surface uplift above the Socorro Magma Body at approximately 2 mm/year.
represents the extrusive output from the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field. Originally the Baca Formation was included in the group, but now the group is considered to start with the Spears Formation. The base of the group, as originally defined, rests unconformably on the Mesaverde Formation
, and the series is succeeded by the Popotosa Formation of the Santa Fe Group. The series consists of the following formations:
Location: West of Socorro
, South of Magdalena
, and Southeast of Datil
.
to Mogollon
:
Note: the ages given in Chapin et al. (2004) and Ward (2009) do not match sometimes.
Volcanic field
A volcanic field is an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity. They usually contain 10 to 100 volcanoes, such as cinder cones and are usually in clusters. Lava flows may also occur...
in western New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
(Mogollon Mountains
Mogollon Mountains
The Mogollon Mountains or Mogollon Range are a mountain range east of the San Francisco River in Grant and Catron counties of southwestern New Mexico, between the communities of Reserve and Silver City. They extend roughly north-south for about 30 miles , and form part of the divide between the...
-Datil, New Mexico
Datil, New Mexico
Datil is an unincorporated town in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and New Mexico State Road 12, Datil is on the edge of the Cibola National Forest. The Very Large Array is also nearby. Rock climbers are attracted to Datil because it hold the...
). It is a part of an extensive Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
to Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
volcanic event which includes the San Juan volcanic field
San Juan volcanic field
The San Juan volcanic field, located in southwestern Colorado, contains two distinct phases of volcanism. The earlier volcanism is Oligocene in age, and consists of largely intermediate composition lavas and breccias. A few ash flow tuffs also constitute this phase of volcanism. Later volcanism is...
in southwestern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, the Trans-Pecos volcanic field in west Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and north central Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Boot Heel volcanic field in the bootheel of southwestern New Mexico and adjacent areas of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Mexico; and the vast volcanic field of the Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
of western Mexico. The Mogollon-Datil volcanic field was formed in "four discrete pulses representing synchronized activity of two separate cauldron complexes".
The Socorro, New Mexico
Socorro, New Mexico
Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It stands in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of . The population was 9,051 at the 2010 census...
region (Socorro-Magdalena caldera cluster) of the central Rio Grande rift
Rio Grande Rift
The Rio Grande Rift is a north-trending continental rift zone. It separates the Colorado Plateau in the west from the interior of the North American craton on the east. The rift extends from central Colorado in the north to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico in the south. The rift zone consists of four...
hosts an inflating mid-crustal sill-like magma body at a depth of 19 km that is responsible for anomalously high earthquake activity in the vicinity. Earth and space-based geodetic measurements indicate ongoing surface uplift above the Socorro Magma Body at approximately 2 mm/year.
Formations
The Datil Group, or series of volcanic and related formations (formerly the Datil Formation) in New Mexico and eastern ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
represents the extrusive output from the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field. Originally the Baca Formation was included in the group, but now the group is considered to start with the Spears Formation. The base of the group, as originally defined, rests unconformably on the Mesaverde Formation
Mesaverde Formation
The Mesaverde Formation is a Late Cretaceous geologic formation.The formation is described by W.G. Pierce as interbedded light gray sandstone and gray shale in upper part; lower part massive, light-buff, ledge-forming sandstone containing thin lenticular coal beds.The formation occurs in various...
, and the series is succeeded by the Popotosa Formation of the Santa Fe Group. The series consists of the following formations:
- Baca Formation, primarily fluvial red shales and sandstones of the Eocene, no longer considered part of the group;
- Spears Formation, latitic to andesitic conglomerates, mudflow deposits and thin, interbedded volcanic clastics and sandstones, followed by andesite flows interbedded with some conglomerates and mudflow deposits, approximately 37 Ma;
- Hells Mesa Tuff, over 2000 ft thick consisting of ash layers that erupted about 32.1 Ma, rhyolitic tuff with interbedded mudflow deposits and basalts;
- A-L Peak Tuff
- La Jara'Peak Basaltic Andesite
Northern complex
Socorro-Magdalena caldera clusterLocation: West of Socorro
Socorro, New Mexico
Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It stands in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of . The population was 9,051 at the 2010 census...
, South of Magdalena
Magdalena, New Mexico
Magdalena is a village in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 938 at the 2010 census."The Lady on the Mountain" is a rock formation on Magdalena Peak overlooking Magdalena. Spanish soldiers saw the face of a woman on the west face of the peak...
, and Southeast of Datil
Datil, New Mexico
Datil is an unincorporated town in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and New Mexico State Road 12, Datil is on the edge of the Cibola National Forest. The Very Large Array is also nearby. Rock climbers are attracted to Datil because it hold the...
.
| Name | Elevation | Coordinates | Age |
| Socorro Caldera | - | 34°N 107.1°W | 32 Ma |
| Sawmill Canyon Caldera | - | 34°N 107.3°W | 28.7 Ma |
| Hardy Ridge Caldera | - | 33.9°N 107.3°W | 28 Ma |
| Mount Withington Caldera | - | 33.8°N 107.5°W | 27.4 Ma |
| Bear Trap Caldera | - | 33.75°N 107.6°W | 24.3 Ma |
Southern complex
Located from Las CrucesLas Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
to Mogollon
Mogollon, New Mexico
Mogollon, also called the Mogollon Historic District, is a former mining town located in the Mogollon Mountains in Catron County, New Mexico, in the United States. Located east of Glenwood and Alma, it was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon to support the gold and silver...
:
| Name | Elevation | Coordinates | Age |
| Nogal Caldera | - | 33.6°N 107.4°W | 28.4 Ma |
| Organ Caldera Organ Mountains The Organ Mountains are a rugged mountain range in southern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. They lie east of the city of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County.-Geography:... |
- | 32.5°N 106.75°W | 32 Ma |
| Emory Caldera | - | 33°N 107.75°W | 33 Ma |
| Twin Sisters Caldera | - | 33°N 108.25°W | 31.4 Ma |
| Schoolhouse Mountain Caldera | - | 32.75°N 108.6°W | 33.5 Ma |
| Mogollon Caldera (just one fragment in the Bursum Caldera wall) |
- | 33.5°N 108.5°W | 34.0 Ma |
| Bursum Caldera | - | 33.5°N 108.5°W | 28.0 Ma |
| Gila Cliff Dwellings Caldera | - | 33.5°N 108.25°W | 28.1 Ma |
Note: the ages given in Chapin et al. (2004) and Ward (2009) do not match sometimes.
Further reading
- Elston, W. E. (1976) "Glossary of stratigraphic terms of the Mogollon-Datil volcanic province" pp. 135–145 In Elston, W. E. and Northrop, S. A. Cenozoic volcanism in southwestern New Mexico: A Volume in Memory of Rodney C. Rhodes, 1943-1975 New Mexico Geological Society Special Publication No. 5, Socorro, New Mexico, OCLC 2841953