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Virtual Geologic Field Trips to the Permian Reef Complex, Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains, New Mexico & West Texas

— Peter Scholle (last revised: 19 May 2000)
Trip route map
General field trip route for an excursion from El Paso to the Guadalupe and Sacramento Mountains. Map modified from Toomey and Babcock (1983).
important outcrops
Approximate locations of important outcrops in the eastern and central Guadalupe Mountains suitable for a 3-day field excursion. Map modified from King (1948).
approximate geographic position of the back-reef evaporite to carbonate transition
Map showing the approximate geographic position of the back-reef evaporite (E) to carbonate (C) transition in various Guadalupian shelf units in the Guadalupe Mountains. The progressive eastward shift of the transition zone through time reflects basin filling and eastward progradation of the shelf edge through this time period. This geographic shift, coupled with the eastward structural tilt of the Guadalupe Mountains, also explains why one has to travel so far west on field trips to find evaporite facies. More easterly, evaporitic strata in younger units have simply been eroded away. Adapted from Bjorklund and Motts (1959) and Motts (1968).

Overview

The roadlogs in this guide owe much to previous guidebooks (Nelson and Haigh, 1958; Anonymous, 1960, 1962, 1964, and 1969; Dunham, 1972; Pray, 1975; and Pray and Esteban, 1977). However, this guide has extensive additional commentary on many localities and is organized differently from previous guidebooks. All roadlogs are based on continuous routes with side trips being presented as separate, supplementary logs. Thus, the trip from El Paso to Carlsbad is logged as a continuous route with the excursions to McKittrick Canyon, Walnut Canyon, and Dark Canyon-Rocky Arroyo being listed as separately logged routes. This adds complexity to a bus tour but makes the logs much easier to use on car trips.

Agave lechugilla
Lechugilla (Agave lechugilla) plants growing in thin soils trapped in small depressions on an other- wise barren limestone in the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas-New Mexico. Perfectly designed to reach just above the geologist's boot, this plant is a great obstacle to field work in the area.
© Peter A. Scholle, 1999

Please make SAFETY! your number one priority. We are going to be driving on back roads and will be a long way from medical attention. There are hospitals, emergency rooms and doctors in El Paso, Carlsbad and Alamogordo but we may be hours away from these facilities when we visit remote outcrops. This area has many hazards in addition to the "normal" geologic problems of loose boulders and sharp rocks. Cactus of many types, scorpions, and rattlesnakes are all common to the region and you must remain cautious and aware of these dangers at all times. We do carry a small first aid kit with us and thus can help, at least with minor "emergencies."

tarantula
A tarantula in the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas-New Mexico.
© Peter A. Scholle, 1999

Much of the trip is in national parks so in addition to watching out for wildlife, you must not harm it. A wide detour around hazards will prove to be the best strategy in almost all cases. Sample collection requires a research permit, so leave your hammers in the car while in national parks, but do bring your camera.

Index of Available Detailed Field Trip Locality Descriptions

Day 1 - El Paso to Carlsbad

Day 2 - Carlsbad to southern Guadalupes

Day 3 - Carlsbad-Sitting Bull Falls-Rocky Arroyo