Queen Formation

The Queen Formation is a geologic formation in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Guadalupian Epoch of the Permian period.^[1][2]

Description

The formation consists of up to 500 feet (150 m)^[3] of mostly sandstone, with some interbedded dolomite and anhydrite. It rests on the San Andres Formation, from which it is separated by an erosional surface showing karst features.^[4] The Queen Formation is overlain by the Seven Rivers Formation. The Queen Formation is part of the Artesia Group, which is interpreted as a sequence of shelf rocks of the Capitan reef.^[1][5]

History of investigation

The unit was first named as the Queen sandstone of the upper San Andres Formation by Grant Blanchard and Morgan Davis in 1929.^[3] In 1937, W.B. Lang assigned the Seven Rivers Member to the (now abandoned) Chalk Bluff Formation.^[6] The unit was promoted to formation rank and assigned to the Whitehorse Group by Ronald DeFord and Russell Lloyd in 1940.^[7] The formation was assigned to the Artesia Group by D.B. Tait and coinvestigators in 1962.^[1]

See also

• Earth sciences portal
• Paleontology portal

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in New Mexico
• Paleontology in New Mexico

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Footnotes

1. Tait, Motts & Spitler 1962.
2. Kues & Giles 2004, p. 100.
3. Blanchard & Davis 1929.
4. Kues & Giles 2004, pp. 124–128.
5. Kues 2006.
6. Lang 1937.
7. DeFord & Lloyd 1940.

References

• Blanchard, W. Grant; Davis, Morgan J. (1929). "Permian Stratigraphy and Structure of Parts of Southeastern New Mexico and Southwestern Texas". AAPG Bulletin. 13 (8): 957–995. doi:10.1306/3D93286E-16B1-11D7-8645000102C1865D.
• DeFord, Ronald K.; Lloyd, E. Russell (1940). "West Texas-New Mexico Symposium: Part I Editorial Introduction". AAPG Bulletin. 24. doi:10.1306/3D933188-16B1-11D7-8645000102C1865D.
• Kues, Barry S. (2006). "Geological studies of the Guadalupe Mountains area, New Mexico and West Texas, to 1928" (PDF). New Mexico Geological Society Field Conference Series. 57: 127–144. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
• Kues, B.S.; Giles, K.A. (2004). "The late Paleozoic Ancestral Rocky Mountain system in New Mexico". In Mack, G.H.; Giles, K.A. (eds.). The geology of New Mexico. A geologic history: New Mexico Geological Society Special Volume 11. pp. 95–136. ISBN 9781585460106.
• Lang, W.B. (1937). "The Permian formations of the Pecos Valley of New Mexico and Texas". American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin. 21 (7): 833–898. doi:10.1306/3D932EDE-16B1-11D7-8645000102C1865D.
• Tait, D.B.; Motts, W.S.; Spitler, M.E. (1962). "Artesia Group of New Mexico and West Texas". American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin. 46 (4): 504–517. doi:10.1306/BC74383B-16BE-11D7-8645000102C1865D.