Sais Quartzite

Geologic formation in New Mexico, US

Formation

Stratigraphic range: Statherian

Pha.

Proterozoic

Archean

Had.

Sais Quartzite at its type location near Abo Pass, New Mexico, US

Type| Formation
Unit of| Manzano Group
Underlies| Blue Springs Formation
Overlies| Estadio Schist
Thickness| 600 feet (180 m)
Lithology
Primary| Quartzite
Location
Coordinates| 34°24′43″N 106°30′58″W﻿ / ﻿34.412°N 106.516°W﻿ / 34.412; -106.516
Region| New Mexico
Country| United States
Type section
Named for| Sais railroad station
Named by| J.T. Stark and E.C. Dapples
Year defined| 1946

Sais Quartzite (the United States)

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Sais Quartzite (New Mexico)

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The Sais Quartzite is a geologic formation exposed in the Los Pinos Mountains of central 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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* Earth sciences portal
* Paleontology portal

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

## 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.