The Rio Grande rift: A geological and geophysical overview

Keller, G. Randy; Baldridge, W. Scott

doi:10.2113/34.1.121

Cited by 83 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…1; e.g., Keller and Baldridge, 1999;Reiter and Chamberlin, 2011). Structurally, it consists of a series of asymmetric Miocene, en echelon half-grabens that widen and become more diffuse to the south, until they interfi nger with the Basin and Range province in south-central New Mexico (Keller and Baldridge, 1999;Reiter and Chamberlin, 2011). Extensional faults related to the extension of the Rio Grande rift were active from ca.…”

Section: Geologic Setting Of the Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…35 Ma to present, with the highest magnitude of extension of ~10%-30% in the Miocene (Russell and Snelson, 1994). Normal faulting locally overprinted and reactivated compressional faults that formed Rocky Mountain uplifts during the Laramide orogeny (75-43 Ma) and so riftbounding faults often record complex polystage movements (Keller and Baldridge, 1999;Cather, 2004;Seager, 2004;Minor et al, 2013). Ongoing extension in the Rio Grande rift is taking place at relatively slow rates of ~0.1 mm/yr (Berglund et al, 2012).…”

Section: Geologic Setting Of the Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

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U-series geochronology of large-volume Quaternary travertine deposits of the southeastern Colorado Plateau: Evaluating episodicity and tectonic and paleohydrologic controls

et al. 2014

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Large-volume travertine deposits in the southeastern Colorado Plateau of New Mexico and Arizona, USA, occur along the Jemez lineament and Rio Grande rift. These groundwater discharge deposits refl ect vent locations for mantle-derived CO 2 , which was conveyed by deeply sourced hydrothermal fl uid input into springs. U-series dating of stratigraphic sections shows that major aggradation and large-volume (2.5 km 3 ) deposition took place across the region episodically at 700-500 ka, 350-200 ka, and 100-40 ka. These pulses of travertine formation coincide with the occurrence of regional basaltic volcanism, which implies an association of travertine deposits with underlying low-velocity mantle that could supply the excess CO 2 . The calculation of landscape denudation rates based on basalt paleosurfaces shows that travertine platforms developed on local topographic highs that required artesian head and fault conduits. Episodic travertine accumulation that led to the formation of the observed travertine platforms represents conditions when fault conduits, high hydraulic head, and high CO 2 fl ux within confi ned aquifer systems were all favorable for facilitating large-volume travertine formation, which was therefore controlled by tectonic activity and paleohydrology. By analogy to the active Springerville-St. Johns CO 2 gas fi eld, the large volumes and similar platform geometries of travertine occurrences in this study are interpreted to represent extinct CO 2 gas reservoirs that were vents for degassing of mantle volatiles into the near-surface system.

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Section: Geologic Setting Of the Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geologic Setting Of the Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

U-series geochronology of large-volume Quaternary travertine deposits of the southeastern Colorado Plateau: Evaluating episodicity and tectonic and paleohydrologic controls

et al. 2014

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“…The northern San Luis Basin, like other parts of the Rio Grande rift, has been the site of multiple tectonic events that each left an imprint on the geology and underlying structure [11]. Geophysical interpretation of rift structure commonly requires unraveling the similar-looking expressions of older tectonic features from those of the rift.…”

Section: Inset)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Buried Segments of Active Faults in the Northern Rio Grande Rift Using Aeromagnetic, LiDAR, and Gravity Data, South-Central Colorado, USA

Grauch

Ruleman

2013

International Journal of Geophysics

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Combined interpretation of aeromagnetic and LiDAR data builds on the strength of the aeromagnetic method to locate normal faults with significant offset under cover and the strength of LiDAR interpretation to identify the age and sense of motion of faults. Each data set helps resolve ambiguities in interpreting the other. In addition, gravity data can be used to infer the sense of motion for totally buried faults inferred solely from aeromagnetic data. Combined interpretation to identify active faults at the northern end of the San Luis Basin of the northern Rio Grande rift has confirmed general aspects of previous geologic mapping but has also provided significant improvements. The interpretation revises and extends mapped fault traces, confirms tectonic versus fluvial origins of steep stream banks, and gains additional information on the nature of active and potentially active partially and totally buried faults. Detailed morphology of surfaces mapped from the LiDAR data helps constrain ages of the faults that displace the deposits. The aeromagnetic data provide additional information about their extents in between discontinuous scarps and suggest that several totally buried, potentially active faults are present on both sides of the valley.

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“…Typical features are a central-linear down-faultet segment, called a graben, with parallel normal faulting and rift-flank uplifts on either side forming a rift valley. A few prominent examples are Great Rift Valley in Africa (Braile et al, 1995), Lake Baikal -the bottom of which is the deepest continental rift on the earth (Galazi, 1993), the Rio Grande Rift in the southwestern US (Keller and Baldridge, 1999), the Oslo graben in Norway (Olaussen et al, 1994) and the Rhine Graben in Germany and France (Rotstein et al, 2006).…”

Section: Extension: Horst and Graben Structures And Riftsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching principal plate tectonic processes by means of analogue modeling

Steyrer

2009

Studia UBB, Geologia

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ABSTRACT. Analogue sand models have been used to demonstrate, how the principal plate tectonic processes work. A simple and versatile sandbox was built and used for the experiments. The principle of this apparatus was suggested by F. K. Lehner with a passive backstop and a basal mylar sheet, which is pulled underneath for studies of compressional tectonics. Boundaries of divergence can be modeled by turning back the direction of movement of the mylar sheet and transform faults by dividing the mylar sheet into a moving and a stationary half. The three principal kinds of plate boundaries can be modeled with single layer sand-packs producing grabens, thrusts and strike slip faults. The results can be correlated with geological structures in nature. Sandbox experiments can also be run between glass sidewalls. Observations can be made through the glass enabling the sequential development of faults and structures to be analyzed. It is suggested, that lessons learned from he models are used for introductory geology courses at universities or high schools.

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The Rio Grande rift: A geological and geophysical overview

Cited by 83 publications

References 43 publications

U-series geochronology of large-volume Quaternary travertine deposits of the southeastern Colorado Plateau: Evaluating episodicity and tectonic and paleohydrologic controls

U-series geochronology of large-volume Quaternary travertine deposits of the southeastern Colorado Plateau: Evaluating episodicity and tectonic and paleohydrologic controls

Identifying Buried Segments of Active Faults in the Northern Rio Grande Rift Using Aeromagnetic, LiDAR, and Gravity Data, South-Central Colorado, USA

Teaching principal plate tectonic processes by means of analogue modeling

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