| Abstract: | The geologic structure of the Mimbres
ground-water basin in southwest New Mexico is
characterized by north- and northwest-trending
structural subbasins. Sedimentation of Miocene
and Pliocene age has filled and obscured the
boundaries of these subbasins and formed poten-
tially productive aquifers of varied thickness. The
location and depth of the subbasins can be esti-
mated from analysis of isostatic residual gravity
anomalies. Density contrasts of various basement
lithologies generate complex regional gravity
trends, which are convolved with the gravity signal
from the Miocene and Pliocene alluvial fill. An
iterative scheme was used to separate these
regional gravity trends from the alluvial-fill grav-
ity signal, which was inverted with estimated
depth-density relations to compute the thickness
of the alluvial fill at 1-kilometer spacing. The
thickness estimates were constrained by explor-
atory drill-hole information, interpreted seismic-
refraction profiles, and location of bedrock lithol-
ogy from surficial geologic mapping. The result-
ing map of alluvial-fill thickness suggests large
areas of thin alluvium that separate deep structural
subbasins. |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 39964 |
| Citation Author: | Heywood, Charles E. |
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| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | 15 p. : maps (some col.) ; 28 cm. |
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| Citation Series: | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Citation Series Code: | WRI |
| Citation Series Number: | 2002-4007 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Estimation of alluvial-fill thickness in the Mimbres ground-water basin, New Mexico, from interpretation of isostatic residual gravity anomalies; 2002; WRI; 2002-4007; Heywood, Charles E. |
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| Citation Year: | 2002 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Estimation of alluvial-fill thickness in the Mimbres ground-water basin, New Mexico, from interpretation of isostatic residual gravity anomalies; 2002; WRI; 2002-4007; Heywood, Charles E. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://nm.water.usgs.gov/publications/abstracts/wrir02-4007.html |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Feb 2003 00:00 -0600 |
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