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Sangre de Cristo Formation

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Sangre de Cristo Formation
Stratigraphic range: Pennsylvanian–Cisuralian PreꞒ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A roadcut along Colorado State Highway 12 showing the formation
TypeFormation
Sub-unitsCrestone Conglomerate Member
OverliesMinturn Formation
Thickness1,739 m (5,705 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySandstone, mudstone
OtherConglomerate, limestone
Location
Coordinates38°03′54″N 105°39′14″W / 38.065°N 105.654°W / 38.065; -105.654
RegionColorado, New Mexico
CountryUnited States
Type section
Named forSangre de Cristo Mountains
Named byHill
Year defined1899
Sangre de Cristo Formation is located in the United StatesSangre de Cristo FormationSangre de Cristo Formation (the United States)Show map of the United StatesSangre de Cristo Formation is located in ColoradoSangre de Cristo FormationSangre de Cristo Formation (Colorado)Show map of Colorado
Crestone Conglomerate in Colorado

The Sangre de Cristo Formation is a geologic formation in Colorado and New Mexico. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Pennsylvanian to early Permian.

Description

Sangre de Cristo Formation in road cut in Glorieta Pass, New Mexico

The formation is divided into an informal lower member and an upper Crestone Conglomerate Member. The lower informal member consists of about 600–900 meters (2,000–3,000 ft) of red arkosic sandstone, conglomeratic sandstone, siltstone, and shale. These are arranged into fining upwards cycles. The Crestone Conglomerate Member consists of about 1,100–2,000 meters (3,600–6,600 ft) of red conglomerate, conglomeratic sandstone, sandstone, and minor siltstone and shale.

The formation is exposed in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in both southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. However, the exposures in the southeastern Sangre de Cristo Mountains were deposited in a distinct basin (the Rowe-Mora basin) rather than the central Colorado basin, lack the marine beds found in Colorado, and should probably be assigned instead to the Abo Formation.

Fossils

The informal lower members contains sparse fossiliferous limestone beds containing crinoids, brachiopods, stromatolites, fusulinids, and conodonts.

Outcrops near the headwaters of the Pecos River include tetrapod footprints, identified as Batrachichnus, Limnopus, Ichniotherium, Tambachichnium, Dimetropus, and Dromopus. Less identifiable specimens may be Matthewichnus, Notalacerta, and Hyloidichnus. The assemblage is consistent with a late Artinskian age.

History of investigation

The formation was first described by Hills in 1899. F.A.Melton described the unit in 1925 as the Sangre de Cristo Conglomerate and defined a Crestone Conglomerate Phase (later Crestone Conglomerate Member).

Footnotes

  1. ^ Lindsey et al. 1985
  2. Lucas et al. 2015
  3. Voigt and Lucas 2015
  4. Hills 1899
  5. Melton 1925

See also

References

Chronostratigraphy of Colorado
Cenozoic chronostratigraphy of Colorado
Ph
Cz
Q
Pleistocene
N
Pliocene
Zanclean
Miocene
Messinian
Aquitanian
  • Grouse Mountain Basalt
  • Pe
    Oligocene
    Chattian
  • Arikaree Formation
  • Eocene
  • Blanco Basin Formation
  • Cuchara Formation
  • D2 Sequence
  • Dawson Arkose
  • Echo Park Formation
  • Farisita Formation
  • Huerfano Formation
  • Green River Formation
  • Poison Canyon Formation
  • Uinta Formation
  • Wasatch Formation
  • Paleocene
    Mesozoic chronostratigraphy of Colorado
    Ph
    Mz
    K
    Upper
  • Benton Formation
  • Carlile Shale
  • Castle Gate Formation
  • Cliff House Sandstone
  • Codell Sandstone
  • Dakota Group
  • Fort Hays Limestone
  • Fox Hills Formation
  • Fruitland Formation
  • Graneros Shale
  • Greenhorn Shale
  • Hygiene Formation
  • Juana Lopez
  • Kirtland Formation
  • Kremmling Formation
  • Lance Formation
  • Laramie Formation
  • Lewis Formation
  • Lion Canyon Formation
  • Mancos Shale
  • Menefee Formation
  • Mowry Shale
  • Niobrara Formation
  • Pando Porphyry
  • Pictured Cliffs Formation
  • Pierre Shale
  • Point Lookout Formation
  • Smoky Hill Chalk
  • Trinidad Formation
  • Vermejo Formation
  • Williams Fork Formation
  • Lower
    J
    Upper
    Middle
    Lower
    Tr
    Upper
    Middle
    Anisian
    Lower
    Olenekian
  • Chugwater Formation
  • Induan
    Paleozoic chronostratigraphy of Colorado
    Ph
    Pz
    P
    Lopingian
    Changhsingian
  • Chugwater Formation
  • Lykins Formation
  • Taloga Formation
  • Cisuralian
    Asselian
    C
    Gzhelian
  • Fountain Formation
  • Madera Formation
  • M
    Tournaisian
  • Williams Canyon Formation
  • D
    Upper
    Famennian
    O
    Upper
  • Fremont Limestone
  • Viola Formation
  • Middle
    Lower
    Tremadocian
    Є
    Furongian
    Stage 10
  • Dotsero Formation
  • Paibian
    Series 3
    Guzhangian
    Precambrian chronostratigraphy of Colorado
    Z
    Tonian
  • Uinta Mountain Group
  • X
    Siderian
  • Owiyukuts Complex
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