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West Potrillo Mountains

January 31, 2023

The West Potrillo Mountains are a mountain range in south central Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. They are located approximately 40 miles (64 km) northwest of El Paso, Texas, 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Deming, New Mexico Most of the mountains are located on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument. Access to the vicinity is through Doña Ana County Road B-4 South from NM 549, which may be accessed from Interstate 10 Exit 116.

West Potrillo Mountains
Highest point
PeakCox Peak
Elevation5,957 ft (1,816 m)
Coordinates31°54′51″N 107°4′58″W / 31.91417°N 107.08278°W / 31.91417; -107.08278
Dimensions
Length25 mi (40 km) NNE-SSW
Geography
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountyDoña Ana
Range coordinates31°52′N 107°0′W / 31.867°N 107.000°W / 31.867; -107.000Coordinates: 31°52′N 107°0′W / 31.867°N 107.000°W / 31.867; -107.000
Borders onInterstate 10-N
Rio Grande Valley-E
East Potrillo Mountains-S
Geology
Type of rockMaar volcanoes, cinder cones, basalt outflows

Geology

The West Potrillo Mountains occupy the western part of the Potrillo volcanic field, an area of olivine basalts covering approximately 400 square miles (1,000 km2). In addition to the West Potrillo Mountains, the Potrillo Volcanic Field includes Aden Crater, Kilbourne Hole, and the Santo Tomas / Black Mountain basalts near La Mesa, New Mexico. The field includes hundreds of volcanic features, including maars, spatter cones, a shield volcano, and cinder cones.[1] The most common peaks in the West Potrillos are cinder cones with a height of between 93–435 feet (28–133 m). They are relatively undissected by erosion, and have estimated ages of 262 to 916 thousand years.[2] Some features (like Aden Crater) believed to be as young as twenty thousand years old.[3] Over 150 cinder cones and two maars have been mapped in the West Potrillo Mountains.[4]

The mountains sit on a horst (an elevated block of the Earth's crust), in contrast with nearby Aden Crater, which sits in a graben (a block of the Earth's crust that has subsided.)[5] The surface of the horst rises 120 to 240 meters (390 to 790 ft) above the surrounding terrain. The lava erupted in this area was enriched in alkali metals (sodium and potassium) and ranged in composition from basanite through alkali basalt to trachybasalt.[4]

The rocks in the surrounding area are extremely diverse, with exposed (non-volcanic) layers ranging in age from Paleozoic to Holocene. Marine deposits (carbonates) were deposited during repeated advances of late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic seas. Folding and faulting of Lower Cretaceous layers occurred during the Laramide disturbance in the nearby East Potrillo Mountains. These Mesozoic beds are now exposed in the East Potrillo Mountains and to the west of the West Potrillo Mountains at Eagle Nest (31°55′12″N 107°20′35″W / 31.920°N 107.343°W / 31.920; -107.343).[5] The area has been above sea level since the Cretaceous period. In the early to middle Tertiary, the Riley Cox andesitic pluton was emplaced. This activity also seems to be associated with the intrusion of andesitic and quartz latite dikes in the East Potrillo range. During the middle Tertiary, high angle faulting and uplifting occurred in the East Potrillo range and began to form intermontane basins. In the middle to late Quaternary, alkali olivine basalt was extruded from fissures in the Fitzgerald, Robledo, and Aden faults. During the late Pleistocene to Holocene, movement occurred along the Fitzgerald and Robledo faults. Holocene deposits are mostly fine blown sand.[6]

Climate

The West Potrillo Mountains lie within the Chihuahuan Desert. The climate is arid and continental. Weather records in nearby El Paso, Texas show that the average daily maximum temperature over the course of the year is 77.3 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average daily minimum of 50.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Average monthly maximum temperatures range from 96 degrees in June, to 58 degrees in January. Average monthly minimum temperatures range from 30 degrees in January to 70 degrees in July. Average annual precipitation in El Paso is 8.81 inches, with monthly averages ranging from 0.2 inches in April to 1.7 in September. Over half of the annual precipitation falls in the form of summer rains between June and September, although some snow can be expected in the winter.

Ecology

The plant communities found in the West Potrillos can be generally characterized as Chihuahuan desert scrublands, creosotebush desert, and desert grasslands. The dominant shrub species include creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), soaptree yucca (Yucca elata), and fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens). Common grasses include black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), bush muhly (Muhlenbergia porteri), and alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides).

Common mammals include mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), coyotes (Canis latrans), black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), desert cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni), white-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula), kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami and Dipodomys spectabilis), and cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus).

Common birds include golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni), northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), quail (Callipepla gambelii and Callipepla squamata), horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), doves (Zenaida macroura and Zenaida asiatica), and black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata).

Common reptiles include collared lizards (Crotaphytus collaris), roundtail horned lizard (Phrynosoma modestum), striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus), and western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).

Common amphibians include New Mexico spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata), Great Plains toad (Bufo cognatus), green toad (Bufo debilis), and red-spotted toad (Bufo punctatus).

Human use

Archeological studies indicate that there have been at least three distinct periods of prehistoric human usage of the West Potrillos. The Paleo-Indian period began in about 9,500 BCE and ended in about 6,000 BCE. This period is itself divided into three traditions: Clovis, Folsom, and Plano. These people were thought to have been mobile big game hunters. Beginning in about 6000 BCE, members of the Desert Archaic cultures moved into the area and remained until about 100 ACE. These people were hunters and gatherers, who appear to have begun plant cultivation. From about 200 ACE to about 1450 ACE, the Mogollon culture became predominant. During this period, agriculture became predominant and pottery was introduced. People aggregated into villages and built above-ground residences. There was evidence of trade with other areas. In about 1540, it appears that the ancestors of the Apaches moved into the area and displaced the earlier residents. Apache resistance discouraged use of the area by Spanish Colonial or Mexican settlers. Occupation of the area by the Chiricahua Apache continued until about 1890.

Points of interest

Established in 2019 by the U.S. Congress, the Potrillo Mountains Wilderness, at 105,085 acres, is the 4th largest in New Mexico. High points in the range include Cox Peak (5,957'), Mt. Riley (5,909'), Potrillo Peak (), and Guzman Lookout Mountain (). The area is used for ranching, bird hunting, camping, hiking, and foot launched aviation (paragliding and hang gliding). Many campers and hikers, however, look elsewhere because of the absence of trails and dependable water. This wilderness area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.[7]

In 1928, a fossilized ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis) was found in a fumarole in Aden Crater. Its age was estimated to be 11,000 years. It was later acquired by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ Wood, Charles A.; Jűrgen Kienle (1993). Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 310–313. ISBN 0-521-43811-X.
  2. ^ Hoffer, Jerry M.; Penn, Brian S.; Quezada, Oscar A.; Morales, Monica (1998). "Qualitative age relationships of late Cenozoic cinder cones, southern Rio Grande rift, using cone morphology and LANDSAT thematic imagery: A preliminary assessment" (PDF). New Mexico Geological Society Field Guide. 49: 123–128. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  3. ^ Anthony, Elizabeth Y; Poths, Jane (November 1992). "3He surface exposure dating and its implications for magma evolution in the Potrillo volcanic field, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico, USA". Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 56 (11): 4105–4108. Bibcode:1992GeCoA..56.4105A. doi:10.1016/0016-7037(92)90022-B.
  4. ^ a b Hoffer, J. M.; Chen, W.; McLemore, V. T.; Anthony, E. Y.; et al. (April 1991). "Day 2: The Potrillo Volcanic Field". In Julian, Betsy; Zidek, Jiri (eds.). Examples of Modern Rift Volcanism and Proterozoic Anorogenic Magmatism: The Potrillo volcanic field of southern New Mexico and the Franklin Mountains of West Texas. Bulletin No 137. New Mexico Bureau of Mining and Mineral Resources. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b Hoffer, Jerry M. (1976). "Geology of Potrillo Basalt Field, South Central New Mexico". New Mexico Bureau of Mining and Mineral Resources Circular. 149. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  6. ^ Seager, W. R.; Mack, G.H (1994). Geology of the East Potrillo Mountains and vicinity Dona Ana County, New Mexico. New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources.
  7. ^ Potrillo Mountains Wilderness - Wilderness Connect
  8. ^ Sharp, Jay W. "Potrillo Volcanic Field". DesertUSA. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  9. ^ Simons, Elwyn L.; Alexander, H. L. (January 1964). "Age of the Shasta Ground Sloth from Aden Crater, New Mexico". American Antiquity. 29 (3): 390–391. doi:10.2307/277883. JSTOR 277883.
  • Allred, Kelly W. (1997). A Field Guide to the Grasses of New Mexico (2d Ed.). Las Cruces: New Mexico State University.
  • Carter, Jack L. (1997). Trees and Shrubs of New Mexico. Mimbres Publishing.
  • Degenhardt, William G.; et al. (1996). Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
  • Dick-Peddie, William A. (2000). New Mexico Vegetation past, present, and future. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
  • Findley, James S. (1987). The Natural History of New Mexico Mammals. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
  • Julyan, Bob (1998). New Mexico's Wilderness Areas: The Complete Guide. Westcliffe Publishers. p. 271.
  • Sibley, David A. (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
  • The Roads of New Mexico. Shearer Publishing. 1998. pp. 115–16.
  • New Mexico Road and Recreation Atlas (3d ed.). Benchmark Maps. 1999. p. 29.
  • United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Assessment | title=West Potrillo Mountains Grassland Restoration Project | year=2010 | NEPA Log Number DOI-BLM-NM-L000-2009-0140-EA
  • New Mexico Wilderness Study Area Decisions. U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management. November 1980. pp. 160–61.

Further reading

  • Hawley, J.W. (1978). Guidebook to Rio Grande rift in New Mexico and Colorado. New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. pp. 55–. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  • Hoffer, Jerry M. (1998). "Geological Excursions of the El Paso Area: Volume II Kilbourne-Hunts Holes and Vicinity, New Mexico". El Paso Geological Society.
  • Hoffer, Jerry M. (1986). "Geology of Southcentral New Mexico". El Paso Geological Society.
  • United States Geological Survey, "Mount Riley, New Mexico" 7.5 minute quadrangle | Provisional Edition 1985
  • United States Geological Survey, "Mount Riley SE" 7.5 minute quadrangle | Provisional Edition 1985

January 31, 2023
west, potrillo, mountains, mountain, range, south, central, doña, county, mexico, united, states, they, located, approximately, miles, northwest, paso, texas, miles, southwest, cruces, mexico, miles, southeast, deming, mexico, most, mountains, located, land, m. The West Potrillo Mountains are a mountain range in south central Dona Ana County New Mexico United States They are located approximately 40 miles 64 km northwest of El Paso Texas 25 miles 40 km southwest of Las Cruces New Mexico and 35 miles 56 km southeast of Deming New Mexico Most of the mountains are located on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument Access to the vicinity is through Dona Ana County Road B 4 South from NM 549 which may be accessed from Interstate 10 Exit 116 West Potrillo MountainsHighest pointPeakCox PeakElevation5 957 ft 1 816 m Coordinates31 54 51 N 107 4 58 W 31 91417 N 107 08278 W 31 91417 107 08278DimensionsLength25 mi 40 km NNE SSWGeographyCountryUnited StatesStateNew MexicoCountyDona AnaRange coordinates31 52 N 107 0 W 31 867 N 107 000 W 31 867 107 000 Coordinates 31 52 N 107 0 W 31 867 N 107 000 W 31 867 107 000Borders onInterstate 10 NRio Grande Valley EEast Potrillo Mountains SGeologyType of rockMaar volcanoes cinder cones basalt outflows Contents 1 Geology 2 Climate 3 Ecology 4 Human use 5 Points of interest 6 References 7 Further readingGeology EditThe West Potrillo Mountains occupy the western part of the Potrillo volcanic field an area of olivine basalts covering approximately 400 square miles 1 000 km2 In addition to the West Potrillo Mountains the Potrillo Volcanic Field includes Aden Crater Kilbourne Hole and the Santo Tomas Black Mountain basalts near La Mesa New Mexico The field includes hundreds of volcanic features including maars spatter cones a shield volcano and cinder cones 1 The most common peaks in the West Potrillos are cinder cones with a height of between 93 435 feet 28 133 m They are relatively undissected by erosion and have estimated ages of 262 to 916 thousand years 2 Some features like Aden Crater believed to be as young as twenty thousand years old 3 Over 150 cinder cones and two maars have been mapped in the West Potrillo Mountains 4 The mountains sit on a horst an elevated block of the Earth s crust in contrast with nearby Aden Crater which sits in a graben a block of the Earth s crust that has subsided 5 The surface of the horst rises 120 to 240 meters 390 to 790 ft above the surrounding terrain The lava erupted in this area was enriched in alkali metals sodium and potassium and ranged in composition from basanite through alkali basalt to trachybasalt 4 The rocks in the surrounding area are extremely diverse with exposed non volcanic layers ranging in age from Paleozoic to Holocene Marine deposits carbonates were deposited during repeated advances of late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic seas Folding and faulting of Lower Cretaceous layers occurred during the Laramide disturbance in the nearby East Potrillo Mountains These Mesozoic beds are now exposed in the East Potrillo Mountains and to the west of the West Potrillo Mountains at Eagle Nest 31 55 12 N 107 20 35 W 31 920 N 107 343 W 31 920 107 343 5 The area has been above sea level since the Cretaceous period In the early to middle Tertiary the Riley Cox andesitic pluton was emplaced This activity also seems to be associated with the intrusion of andesitic and quartz latite dikes in the East Potrillo range During the middle Tertiary high angle faulting and uplifting occurred in the East Potrillo range and began to form intermontane basins In the middle to late Quaternary alkali olivine basalt was extruded from fissures in the Fitzgerald Robledo and Aden faults During the late Pleistocene to Holocene movement occurred along the Fitzgerald and Robledo faults Holocene deposits are mostly fine blown sand 6 Climate EditThe West Potrillo Mountains lie within the Chihuahuan Desert The climate is arid and continental Weather records in nearby El Paso Texas show that the average daily maximum temperature over the course of the year is 77 3 degrees Fahrenheit with an average daily minimum of 50 1 degrees Fahrenheit Average monthly maximum temperatures range from 96 degrees in June to 58 degrees in January Average monthly minimum temperatures range from 30 degrees in January to 70 degrees in July Average annual precipitation in El Paso is 8 81 inches with monthly averages ranging from 0 2 inches in April to 1 7 in September Over half of the annual precipitation falls in the form of summer rains between June and September although some snow can be expected in the winter Ecology EditThe plant communities found in the West Potrillos can be generally characterized as Chihuahuan desert scrublands creosotebush desert and desert grasslands The dominant shrub species include creosote bush Larrea tridentata honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa soaptree yucca Yucca elata and fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Common grasses include black grama Bouteloua eriopoda blue grama Bouteloua gracilis sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri and alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides Common mammals include mule deer Odocoileus hemionus coyotes Canis latrans black tailed jackrabbit Lepus californicus desert cottontail Sylvilagus auduboni white throated woodrat Neotoma albigula kangaroo rats Dipodomys merriami and Dipodomys spectabilis and cactus mouse Peromyscus eremicus Common birds include golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos Swainson s hawk Buteo swainsoni northern harrier Circus cyaneus burrowing owl Athene cunicularia greater roadrunner Geococcyx californianus quail Callipepla gambelii and Callipepla squamata horned lark Eremophila alpestris western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta doves Zenaida macroura and Zenaida asiatica and black throated sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Common reptiles include collared lizards Crotaphytus collaris roundtail horned lizard Phrynosoma modestum striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus and western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox Common amphibians include New Mexico spadefoot toad Spea multiplicata Great Plains toad Bufo cognatus green toad Bufo debilis and red spotted toad Bufo punctatus Human use EditArcheological studies indicate that there have been at least three distinct periods of prehistoric human usage of the West Potrillos The Paleo Indian period began in about 9 500 BCE and ended in about 6 000 BCE This period is itself divided into three traditions Clovis Folsom and Plano These people were thought to have been mobile big game hunters Beginning in about 6000 BCE members of the Desert Archaic cultures moved into the area and remained until about 100 ACE These people were hunters and gatherers who appear to have begun plant cultivation From about 200 ACE to about 1450 ACE the Mogollon culture became predominant During this period agriculture became predominant and pottery was introduced People aggregated into villages and built above ground residences There was evidence of trade with other areas In about 1540 it appears that the ancestors of the Apaches moved into the area and displaced the earlier residents Apache resistance discouraged use of the area by Spanish Colonial or Mexican settlers Occupation of the area by the Chiricahua Apache continued until about 1890 Points of interest EditEstablished in 2019 by the U S Congress the Potrillo Mountains Wilderness at 105 085 acres is the 4th largest in New Mexico High points in the range include Cox Peak 5 957 Mt Riley 5 909 Potrillo Peak and Guzman Lookout Mountain The area is used for ranching bird hunting camping hiking and foot launched aviation paragliding and hang gliding Many campers and hikers however look elsewhere because of the absence of trails and dependable water This wilderness area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management 7 In 1928 a fossilized ground sloth Nothrotheriops shastensis was found in a fumarole in Aden Crater Its age was estimated to be 11 000 years It was later acquired by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University 8 9 References Edit Wood Charles A Jurgen Kienle 1993 Volcanoes of North America Cambridge University Press pp 310 313 ISBN 0 521 43811 X Hoffer Jerry M Penn Brian S Quezada Oscar A Morales Monica 1998 Qualitative age relationships of late Cenozoic cinder cones southern Rio Grande rift using cone morphology and LANDSAT thematic imagery A preliminary assessment PDF New Mexico Geological Society Field Guide 49 123 128 Retrieved 13 November 2020 Anthony Elizabeth Y Poths Jane November 1992 3He surface exposure dating and its implications for magma evolution in the Potrillo volcanic field Rio Grande Rift New Mexico USA Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 56 11 4105 4108 Bibcode 1992GeCoA 56 4105A doi 10 1016 0016 7037 92 90022 B a b Hoffer J M Chen W McLemore V T Anthony E Y et al April 1991 Day 2 The Potrillo Volcanic Field In Julian Betsy Zidek Jiri eds Examples of Modern Rift Volcanism and Proterozoic Anorogenic Magmatism The Potrillo volcanic field of southern New Mexico and the Franklin Mountains of West Texas Bulletin No 137 New Mexico Bureau of Mining and Mineral Resources pp 12 13 Retrieved 28 March 2022 a b Hoffer Jerry M 1976 Geology of Potrillo Basalt Field South Central New Mexico New Mexico Bureau of Mining and Mineral Resources Circular 149 Retrieved 28 March 2022 Seager W R Mack G H 1994 Geology of the East Potrillo Mountains and vicinity Dona Ana County New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Potrillo Mountains Wilderness Wilderness Connect Sharp Jay W Potrillo Volcanic Field DesertUSA Retrieved February 10 2014 Simons Elwyn L Alexander H L January 1964 Age of the Shasta Ground Sloth from Aden Crater New Mexico American Antiquity 29 3 390 391 doi 10 2307 277883 JSTOR 277883 Allred Kelly W 1997 A Field Guide to the Grasses of New Mexico 2d Ed Las Cruces New Mexico State University Carter Jack L 1997 Trees and Shrubs of New Mexico Mimbres Publishing Degenhardt William G et al 1996 Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico Albuquerque University of New Mexico Press Dick Peddie William A 2000 New Mexico Vegetation past present and future Albuquerque University of New Mexico Press Findley James S 1987 The Natural History of New Mexico Mammals Albuquerque University of New Mexico Press Julyan Bob 1998 New Mexico s Wilderness Areas The Complete Guide Westcliffe Publishers p 271 Sibley David A 2000 The Sibley Guide to Birds New York Alfred A Knopf The Roads of New Mexico Shearer Publishing 1998 pp 115 16 New Mexico Road and Recreation Atlas 3d ed Benchmark Maps 1999 p 29 United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment title West Potrillo Mountains Grassland Restoration Project year 2010 NEPA Log Number DOI BLM NM L000 2009 0140 EA New Mexico Wilderness Study Area Decisions U S Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management November 1980 pp 160 61 Further reading EditHawley J W 1978 Guidebook to Rio Grande rift in New Mexico and Colorado New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources pp 55 Retrieved 28 March 2022 Hoffer Jerry M 1998 Geological Excursions of the El Paso Area Volume II Kilbourne Hunts Holes and Vicinity New Mexico El Paso Geological Society Hoffer Jerry M 1986 Geology of Southcentral New Mexico El Paso Geological Society United States Geological Survey Mount Riley New Mexico 7 5 minute quadrangle Provisional Edition 1985 United States Geological Survey Mount Riley SE 7 5 minute quadrangle Provisional Edition 1985 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title West Potrillo Mountains amp oldid 1080137062, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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