The Plains of San Agustin (sometimes listed as the Plains of San Augustin) is a region in the southwestern U.S. state of New Mexico in the San Agustin Basin, south of U.S. Highway 60. The area spans Catron and Socorro Counties, about 50 miles (80 km) west of the town of Socorro and about 25 miles north of Reserve. The plains extend roughly northeast-southwest, with a length of about 55 miles (88 km) and a width varying between 5–15 miles (8–24 km). The basin is bounded on the south by the Luera Mountains and Pelona Mountain (outliers of the Black Range); on the west by the Tularosa Mountains; on the north by the Mangas, Crosby, Datil, and Gallinas Mountains; and on the east by the San Mateo Mountains. The Continental Divide lies close to much of the southern and western boundaries of the plains.[1]
Location of the San Agustin Plains within New MexicoPlains of San Agustin watershed
Geologically, the Plains of San Agustin lie within the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, just south of the southeast edge of the Colorado Plateau, and west of the Rio Grande Rift Valley. The basin is a graben (a downdropped block which subsided between parallel faults). The graben is younger than the Datil-Mogollon volcanic eruptions.[2] The flat floor of the plains was created by a Pleistocene lake (Lake San Agustin).[3] Although the graben has dropped an estimated 4,000 feet (1,200 m), the surface relief has been reduced to about 2,000 feet (610 m) by sedimentation. A great deal of the sediments entered the San Agustin basin prior to the formation of Lake San Agustin in the last glacial period. There is no evidence of tectonic activity in the area after Lake San Agustin became extinct.[2]
Ecologically, the plains lie near the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert (though the ranges surrounding the Gila River headwaters intervene), which is dominated by shrublands.
Very Large Array, on the Plains of San AgustinSatellite photo of the Plains of San Agustin
The plains are probably best known as the site of the Very Large Array, a radio astronomyobservatory. The plains were chosen for the observatory because of their isolated location away from large population centers, and the partial shielding effect of the surrounding mountain ranges. The edges of the plains have sites of archaeological interest such as a prehistoric rockshelter known as Bat Cave.
Other sites in the area include a ghost town called Old Horse Springs and the Ake Site, a prehistoric occupation site.
Notesedit
^New Mexico Atlas and Gazetteer, Second Edition, DeLorme Mapping, 2000.
^ abStearns, Charles E. (1962) Geology of the north half of the Pelona Quadrangle, Catron County, New Mexico Bulletin 78, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM, OCLC 3926534
^Halka Chronic, Roadside Geology of New Mexico, Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, 1987, ISBN0-87842-209-9.
Powers, William E. (1939) "Basin and Shore Features of the Extinct Lake, San Augustin, New Mexico" Journal of Geomorphology 2: pp. 345–356
Weber, Robert H. (1994) "Pluvial Lakes of the Plains of San Augustin" In Chamberlin, R.M. et al. (1994) Mogollon Slope, West-Central New Mexico and East-Central Arizona pp. 9–11, New Mexico Geological Society, Forty-Fifth Annual Field Conference, Socorro, New Mexico.
Woodward, Susan L. (November 1996) "North American Deserts" Geography Department, Radford University, Radford, Virginia, USA
External linksedit
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Plains of San Agustin
plains, agustin, sometimes, listed, plains, augustin, region, southwestern, state, mexico, agustin, basin, south, highway, area, spans, catron, socorro, counties, about, miles, west, town, socorro, about, miles, north, reserve, plains, extend, roughly, northea. The Plains of San Agustin sometimes listed as the Plains of San Augustin is a region in the southwestern U S state of New Mexico in the San Agustin Basin south of U S Highway 60 The area spans Catron and Socorro Counties about 50 miles 80 km west of the town of Socorro and about 25 miles north of Reserve The plains extend roughly northeast southwest with a length of about 55 miles 88 km and a width varying between 5 15 miles 8 24 km The basin is bounded on the south by the Luera Mountains and Pelona Mountain outliers of the Black Range on the west by the Tularosa Mountains on the north by the Mangas Crosby Datil and Gallinas Mountains and on the east by the San Mateo Mountains The Continental Divide lies close to much of the southern and western boundaries of the plains 1 Location of the San Agustin Plains within New MexicoPlains of San Agustin watershed Contents 1 Geology 2 Climate 3 Landmarks 4 Notes 5 Sources 6 External linksGeology editGeologically the Plains of San Agustin lie within the Mogollon Datil volcanic field just south of the southeast edge of the Colorado Plateau and west of the Rio Grande Rift Valley The basin is a graben a downdropped block which subsided between parallel faults The graben is younger than the Datil Mogollon volcanic eruptions 2 The flat floor of the plains was created by a Pleistocene lake Lake San Agustin 3 Although the graben has dropped an estimated 4 000 feet 1 200 m the surface relief has been reduced to about 2 000 feet 610 m by sedimentation A great deal of the sediments entered the San Agustin basin prior to the formation of Lake San Agustin in the last glacial period There is no evidence of tectonic activity in the area after Lake San Agustin became extinct 2 Ecologically the plains lie near the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert though the ranges surrounding the Gila River headwaters intervene which is dominated by shrublands Climate editThe Plains of San Agustin has a cold semi arid climate BSk Climate data for Augustine New Mexico 1991 2020 normals extremes 1926 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 74 23 80 27 82 28 85 29 94 34 98 37 102 39 98 37 93 34 85 29 77 25 77 25 102 39 Mean maximum F C 60 5 15 8 64 7 18 2 71 4 21 9 76 4 24 7 84 1 28 9 92 3 33 5 91 9 33 3 88 6 31 4 85 1 29 5 78 6 25 9 69 8 21 0 62 6 17 0 93 6 34 2 Average high F C 45 6 7 6 49 4 9 7 56 2 13 4 63 0 17 2 71 8 22 1 81 8 27 7 82 0 27 8 79 6 26 4 74 9 23 8 65 9 18 8 55 1 12 8 45 8 7 7 64 3 17 9 Daily mean F C 31 6 0 2 35 1 1 7 40 5 4 7 47 2 8 4 55 8 13 2 65 5 18 6 68 9 20 5 66 7 19 3 60 5 15 8 50 0 10 0 39 0 3 9 31 2 0 4 49 3 9 6 Average low F C 17 5 8 1 20 8 6 2 24 9 3 9 31 3 0 4 39 8 4 3 49 2 9 6 55 9 13 3 53 8 12 1 46 1 7 8 34 2 1 2 22 9 5 1 16 5 8 6 34 4 1 3 Mean minimum F C 0 2 17 7 3 8 15 7 9 6 12 4 16 6 8 6 24 9 3 9 36 1 2 3 46 6 8 1 45 1 7 3 33 3 0 7 19 2 7 1 6 4 14 2 3 1 19 5 6 2 21 2 Record low F C 33 36 34 37 20 29 1 17 9 13 15 9 27 3 31 1 20 7 5 15 36 38 25 32 36 38 Average precipitation inches mm 0 46 12 0 55 14 0 53 13 0 48 12 0 67 17 0 55 14 2 69 68 2 84 72 2 00 51 1 08 27 0 58 15 0 61 15 13 04 331 Average snowfall inches cm 1 4 3 6 1 5 3 8 0 8 2 0 0 1 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 5 1 3 1 9 4 8 6 6 17 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 3 2 2 7 2 5 1 9 2 7 2 6 8 8 8 8 6 1 3 6 2 6 2 7 48 2Average snowy days 0 1 in 0 7 0 7 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 9 3 0Source NOAA 4 5 Landmarks edit nbsp Very Large Array on the Plains of San Agustin nbsp Satellite photo of the Plains of San AgustinThe plains are probably best known as the site of the Very Large Array a radio astronomy observatory The plains were chosen for the observatory because of their isolated location away from large population centers and the partial shielding effect of the surrounding mountain ranges The edges of the plains have sites of archaeological interest such as a prehistoric rockshelter known as Bat Cave Other sites in the area include a ghost town called Old Horse Springs and the Ake Site a prehistoric occupation site Notes edit New Mexico Atlas and Gazetteer Second Edition DeLorme Mapping 2000 a b Stearns Charles E 1962 Geology of the north half of the Pelona Quadrangle Catron County New Mexico Bulletin 78 New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Socorro NM OCLC 3926534 Halka Chronic Roadside Geology of New Mexico Mountain Press Publishing Missoula 1987 ISBN 0 87842 209 9 NOWData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 Summary of Monthly Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 Sources editPowers William E 1939 Basin and Shore Features of the Extinct Lake San Augustin New Mexico Journal of Geomorphology 2 pp 345 356 Weber Robert H 1994 Pluvial Lakes of the Plains of San Augustin In Chamberlin R M et al 1994 Mogollon Slope West Central New Mexico and East Central Arizona pp 9 11 New Mexico Geological Society Forty Fifth Annual Field Conference Socorro New Mexico Holliday Vance T et al 2007 Paleoindian Geoarchaeology and the Archaeological Potential on the Plains of San Augustin New Mexico Argonaut Archaeological Research Fund Department of Anthropology and Department of Geosciences University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA Woodward Susan L November 1996 North American Deserts Geography Department Radford University Radford Virginia USAExternal links editU S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Plains of San Agustin 33 52 31 N 108 15 03 W 33 87528 N 108 25083 W 33 87528 108 25083 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Plains of San Agustin amp oldid 1176532257, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
