The Cherry Canyon Formation is a

geologic formation A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics ( lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exp ...

found in the Delaware Basin of southeastern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

and western

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. It contains fossils characteristic of the

Guadalupian The Guadalupian is the second and middle series/ epoch of the Permian. The Guadalupian was preceded by the Cisuralian and followed by the Lopingian. It is named after the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico and Texas, and dates between 272.95 ...

Age of the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Pale ...

Period.Kues and Giles 2004, p.100

Description

The formation consists mostly of cyclic marine

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

and

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, ...

, but with interfingering tongues of gray

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

(the Getaway, South Wells, and Manzanita Members). These extend from the

Goat Seep reef The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of ...

, an earlier and much smaller precursor to the Capitan reef, into what was then deep, anoxic water of the

Permian Basin The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...

. A lower tongue of the formation extends across the basin margin to grade into the nearby San Andres Formation. Maximum thickness of the Cherry Canyon Formation is . The formation rests on the

Brushy Canyon Formation The Brushy Canyon Formation is a Permian geologic unit in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The formation contains fan sandstones that were deposited under ancient seawater during the Middle Permian The Guadalupian is the second and middle seri ...

, but the lower tongue fills a few deep

paleochannel A palaeochannel, also spelt paleochannel and also known as palaeovalley or palaeoriver, is a geological term describing a remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been filled or buried by younger sediment. The sediments that the ...

s that cut down through the Brushy Canyon and the underlying Cutoff Formation into the Victorio Peak Formation.Kues and Giles 2004, p.124 A

hiatus Hiatus may refer to: * Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure * Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy *''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes'' * G ...

in deposition, marking a substantial drop in sea level, separates the Cherry Canyon Formation from the overlying Bell Canyon Formation.Kues and Giles 2004, p.126 The Getaway Member contains carbonate

debris flow Debris flows are geological phenomena in which water-laden masses of soil and fragmented Rock (geology), rock rush down mountainsides, funnel into stream channels, entrain objects in their paths, and form thick, muddy deposits on valley floors. ...

beds. All three carbonate members grade into sandstone channel deposits deeper in the basin.

Fossils

The formation contain abundant fish fossils, such as sharks' teeth, preserved within small phosphatic nodules. Ostracods have been identified in the Getaway Member, including ''

Amphissites ''Amphissites'' is an extinct genus of ostracod (seed shrimp) belonging to the suborder Beyrichicopina (ornamented beyrichiocopids) and family Amphissitinae. Species belonging to the genus lived from the Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a g ...

'', ''

Aurikirkbya ''Aurikirkbya'' is an extinct genus of ostracod (seed shrimp) belonging to the suborder Beyrichicopina (ornamented beyrichiocopids) and family Kirkbyidae. It is found in Pennsylvanian Pennsylvanian may refer to: * A person or thing from Penn ...

'', ''

Ceratobairdia ''Ceratobairdia'' is an extinct genus of ostracod (seed shrimp) belonging to the order Podocopida and family Bairdiidae. Specimens have been found in Permian to Jurassic beds in North America, China, and Europe. The genus is heavily ornamented, ...

'', '' Polytylites'', and '' Roundyella''.

Economic resources

The Cherry Canyon Formation has been exploited for its hydrocarbon resources. Some of the hydrocarbons present in the formation may have leaked into nearby

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and dr ...

beds of the

Castile Formation The Castile Formation is a geologic formation in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, United States. It was deposited in the Ochoan Stage of the Permian period. Description The formation consists of up to of gypsum or anhydrite with a few th ...

, producing sulfuric acid that contributed to the formation of Carlsbad Cavern.

History of investigation

The unit was first designated as a formation by DeFord and Lloyd in 1940, who raised the

Delaware Mountain Formation The Delaware Mountain Formation is a geologic formation in the Delaware Mountains of Texas. It preserves fossils dating back to the Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the e ...

to group rank and designed its previously informal members as formations.DeFord and Lloyd 1940King 1942

Footnotes

Bibliography

* * Hunt, ReBecca K., Vincent L. Santucci and Jason Kenworthy. 2006. "A preliminary inventory of fossil fish from National Park Service units." in S.G. Lucas, J.A. Spielmann, P.M. Hester, J.P. Kenworthy, and V.L. Santucci (ed.s), Fossils from Federal Lands. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 34, pp. 63–69 * * {{cite encyclopedia , last1=Kues , first1=B.S. , last2=Giles , first2=K.A. , year=2004 , title=The late Paleozoic Ancestral Rocky Mountain system in New Mexico , editor1-last=Mack , editor1-first=G.H. , editor2-last=Giles , editor2-first=K.A. , encyclopedia=The geology of New Mexico. A geologic history: New Mexico Geological Society Special Volume 11 , pages=95–136 , isbn=9781585460106 Geologic formations of Texas Permian System of North America Permian formations of New Mexico Permian geology of Texas Roadian Wordian Limestone formations Paleontology in Texas