Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T01:17:36.005Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chronology of Lava and Associated Soils Near San Miguel, New Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Abstract

A lava flow in southern New Mexico extends into the Rio Grande Valley from the lower La Mesa geomorphic surface, a relict basin floor of middle Pleistocene age. Three buried soils occur beneath the lava at its east end. In places, the lava itself is buried by a sediment in which a soil has formed. Pedogenic carbonate was used to calculate the age of this soil, using a soil of lower La Mesa as a chronological guide. Both the latter soil and the Rio Grande Valley must be less than about 620,000 yr old according to dated volcanic ash, and are estimated to be about 500,000 yr old. Based upon this age and a total of 1200 kg/m2 pedogenic carbonate in the lower La Mesa soil, the carbonate accumulated at an average rate of about 2.4 kg/m2/1000 yr. Using the same rate of carbonate accumulation, the postlava soil took about 180,000 yr to form. However, not quite all of the pedogenic carbonate in this soil has been accounted for, and a general figure of 200,000 yr is suggested for its approximate age. The geological setting indicates that the age of the lava should be very close to the age of the postlava soil, and a general figure of 200,000 yr is also suggested for approximate age of the lava. This contrasts with a new K/Ar age of 490,000 ± 30,000 yr, which is considered to be too old. However, two previously obtained K/Ar ages of 232,000 ± 80,000 and 154,000 ± 119,000 yr are much closer to the estimate based on pedogenic carbonate. The landscape of the soil that buries the lava differs from the landscape of the lower La Mesa soil that was used as a chronological guide. The rate of carbonate movement into the soils could also differ, and for this reason the age obtained by pedogenic carbonate is considered tentative.

Type
Articles
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bachman, G. O. Machette, M. N. Calcic Soils and Calcretes in the Southwestern United States, 1977 U.S. Geological Survey Denver, CO Open-File Report 77-794 Google Scholar
Gardner, L. R. Origin of the Mormon Mesa caliche, Clark County, Nevada. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 83 1972 143 156 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gile, L. H. A classification of ca horizons in soils of a desert region, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, 25 1961 52 61 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Soils of an ancient basin floor near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Soil Science, 103 1967 265 276 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Soils of the Rio Grande valley border in southern New Mexico. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, 34 1970 465 472 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. A pedogenic chronology for Kilbourne Hole, southern New Mexico. II. Time of the explosions and soil events before the explosions. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 51 1987 752 760 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Grossman, R. B. The Desert Project Soil Monograph, 1979 National Technical Information Service Spring-field, VA Document PB80-135304 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Hawley, J. W. Grossman, R. B. The Identification, Occurrence and Genesis of Soils in an Arid Region of Southern New Mexico, 1971 NM. U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC Training Sessions, Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project, Dona Ana County Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Hawley, J. W. Grossman, R. B. Soils and Geomorphology in the Basin and Range Area of Southern New Mexico—Guidebook to the Desert Project, 1981 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro Memoir 39 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Peterson, F. F. Grossman, R. B. The K horizon: A master soil horizon of carbonate accumulation. Soil Science, 99 1965 74 82 Google Scholar
Gile, L. H. Peterson, F. F. Grossman, R. B. Morphological and genetic sequences of carbonate accumulation in desert soils. Soil Science, 101 1966 347 360 Google Scholar
Guthrie, R. L. Witty, J. E. New designations for soil horizons and layers and the new Soil Survey Manual. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 46 1982 443 444 Google Scholar
Hawley, J. W. The Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project.Seager, W. R. Clemons, R. E. Callender, J. F. Guidebook of the Las Cruces Country.1975 New Mexico Geological Society Socorro 183 185 Google Scholar
Hawley, J. W. Quaternary history of Dona Ana County region, southcentral New Mexico.Seager, W. R. Clemons, R. E. Callender, F. F. Guidebook of the Las Cruces Country.1975 New Mexico Geological Society Socorro 139 150 Google Scholar
Hawley, J. W. Pleistocene and Pliocene history of the international boundary area, southern New Mexico.Hoffer, J. M. Hoffer, R. L. Geology of the Border, Southern New Mexico-Northern Chihuahua.1981 El Paso Geological Society El Paso, TX 26 32 Google Scholar
Hawley, J. W. Kottlowski, F. E. Quaternary geology of the south-central New Mexico border region. Border Stratigraphy Symposium.Kottlowski, F. E. LeMone, D. V. Circular, 104 1969 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro 89 115 Google Scholar
Hawley, J. W. Kottlowski, F. E. Seager, W. R. King, W. E. Strain, W. S. LeMone, D. V. The Santa Fe Group in the south-central New Mexico Border Region. Border Stratigraphy Symposium.Kottlowski, F. E. LeMone, D. V. Circular, 104 1969 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro 52 76 Google Scholar
Hoffer, J. M. The San Miguel lava flow, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 80 1969 1409 1414 Google Scholar
Izett, G. A. Wilcox, R. E. Map Showing Localities and Inferred Distributions of the Huckleberry Ridge, Mesa Falls, and Lava Creek Ash Beds (Pearlette family ash beds) of Pliocene and Pleistocene Age in the Western United States and Southern Canada, 1982 U.S. Geological Survey Washington, DC Miscellaneous investigations series, Map I-1325 Google Scholar
Kottlowski, F. E. Reconnaissance Geologic Map of the Las Cruces Thirty-Minute Quadrangle, 1960 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro Geologic Map 14 Google Scholar
Machette, M. N. Dating Quaternary faults in the southwestern United States by using buried calcic paleosols. Journal of Research, U.S. Geological Survey, 6 1978 369 381 Google Scholar
Machette, M. N. Calcic soils of the southwestern United States. Soils and Quaternary Geology of the Southwestern United States.Weide, D. L. Special Paper 203, 1985 Geological Society of America Boulder, CO 1 21 Google Scholar
Ruhe, R. V. Geomorphic Surfaces and surficial deposits in southern New Mexico. Memoir 18, 1967 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro Google Scholar
Seager, W. R. Clemons, R. E. Hawley, J. W. Geology of Sierra Alta Quadrangle, Dona Ana County, New Mexico, 1975 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro Bulletin 102 Google Scholar
Seager, W. R. Shafiqullah, M. Hawley, J. W. Marvin, R. F. New K-Ar dates from basalts and the evolution of the southern Rio Grande rift. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 95 1984 87 99 Google Scholar
Soil Conservation Service Soil Survey Laboratory Methods and Procedures for Collecting Soil Samples, 1972 U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 1 Google Scholar
Soil Science Society of America Glossary of Soil Science Terms, 1984 Soil Science Society of America Madison, WI Google Scholar
Soil Survey Staff Soil Survey Manual, 1951 U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC Handbook 18 Google Scholar
Soil Survey Staff Soil Taxonomy, 1975 U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC Handbook 436 Google Scholar