Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

"Until now the concept or regional stratigraphic control of hydrothermal ore deposits has not received much attention in the literature as a possible exploration guide for locating additional ore bodies. This concept is applied on a regional scale to Paleozoic strata in thirteen mining districts with hydrothermal base-metal deposits in a 35,300 square mile area or southwest New Mexico.

The rocks at the stratigraphic position of the ore-zones are characterized as massive- to thick-bedded with less than 5 percent chert present. The rocks are abundantly to moderately fractured. Fine- to medium-grained dolomite is the dominant host-rock in the lower Paleozoic and limestone is the host-rock in the upper Paleozoic. Limestones have been the most productive. Grainstones and packstones have shown large production while carbonate mudstones and wackestones are more common in less productive horizons.

The basal Paleozoic Bliss Sandstone (Cambrian-Ordovician) and Devonian shale strata are barren of ore deposits. The productive Paleozoic subdivisions in order of decreasing productivity are the Mississippian strata, Pennsylvanian strata, Fusselman Dolomite (Silurian), Montoya Dolomite (Ordovician), El Paso Limestone (Ordovician) and Permian strata. These strata have been the major host-rock for lead and zinc produced in New Mexico during the period 1848 to 1959.

Local thickness trends except in two cases appear to exert little influence on ore deposition. The presence of overlying shale appears to localize deposits near the top of favorable strata_ Lead is the dominant base-metal produced from lower Paleozoic dolomite host-rock while zinc is the dominant metal produced from upper Paleozoic limestone host-rock.

Favorable Paleozoic strata near Laramide intrusives of proper size and character represent an ideal exploration target in southwest New Mexico"--Abstract, pages ii-iii.

Advisor(s)

Proctor, Paul Dean, 1918-1999

Committee Member(s)

Beveridge, Thomas R. (Thomas Robinson), 1918-1978
Rockaway, John D.
Hagni, Richard D.
Spreng, Alfred C., 1923-2012

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Geology

Publisher

University of Missouri--Rolla

Publication Date

1973

Pagination

xi, 157 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 136-141).

Rights

© 1973 John Samuel Sullivan, Jr., All rights reserved.

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Geology, Stratigraphic -- Paleozoic
Sulfide minerals -- New Mexico
Hydrothermal deposits -- New Mexico

Thesis Number

T 2994

Print OCLC #

6024603

Electronic OCLC #

911206989

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Geology Commons

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