The Sais Quartzite is a geologic formation exposed in the Los Pinos Mountains of central New Mexico.

Formation
Stratigraphic range: Statherian
Sais Quartzite at its type location near Abo Pass, New Mexico, US
TypeFormation
Unit ofManzano Group
UnderliesBlue Springs Formation
OverliesEstadio Schist
Thickness600 feet (180 m)
Lithology
PrimaryQuartzite
Location
Coordinates34°24′43″N 106°30′58″W / 34.412°N 106.516°W / 34.412; -106.516
RegionNew Mexico
CountryUnited States
Type section
Named forSais railroad station
Named byJ.T. Stark and E.C. Dapples
Year defined1946
Sais Quartzite is located in the United States
Sais Quartzite
Sais Quartzite (the United States)
Sais Quartzite is located in New Mexico
Sais Quartzite
Sais Quartzite (New Mexico)

Description

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The formation consists of up to 600 feet (180 m) of massive gray quartzite beds, 3 to 5 feet (0.91 to 1.52 m) thick, interbedded with thinner sericite-bearing quartzite beds. A few beds are greenish to white. The individual grain size in the beds is generally less than 1mm.[1] The formation is underlain by the Estadio Schist and unconformably overlain by the Blue Springs Formation.[2]

Detrital zircon geochronology a minimum age of 1670 million years (Ma), corresponding to the Statherian period of the Paleoproterozoic.[2]

History of investigation

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The formation was originally described as the Sais quartzite by J.T. Stark and E.C. Dapples in 1946 and named for the Sais station of the Santa Fe Railroad near Abo Pass.[1] The formation was first assigned to the Manzano Group in 2006.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Stark, J. T.; Dapples, E. C. (1946). "Geology of the Los Pinos Mountains, New Mexico". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 57 (12): 1121. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1946)57[1121:GOTLPM]2.0.CO;2.
  2. ^ a b Holland, Mark E.; Grambling, Tyler A.; Karlstrom, Karl E.; Jones, James V.; Nagotko, Kimberly N.; Daniel, Christopher G. (September 2020). "Geochronologic and Hf-isotope framework of Proterozoic rocks from central New Mexico, USA: Formation of the Mazatzal crustal province in an extended continental margin arc". Precambrian Research. 347: 105820. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105820.
  3. ^ Luther, Amy (2006). History and timing of polyphase Proterozoic deformation in the Manzano thrust belt, central New Mexico [master's thesis]. Retrieved 27 August 2020.