Tectonic setting and sandstone petrofacies of the Bisbee basin (USA-Mexico)

The Late Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous Bisbee basin spanning the USA-Mexico bo rder was part of the Border rift system, which extended into the continenta l block from the Gulf of Mexico in response to Cordilleran slab rollback. R ift initiation was marked by eruption of a bimodal mid-Jurassic volcanic as semblage succeeding Early to Middle Jurassic are volcanism. The core of the Bisbee basin is delineated by Upper Jurassic marine strata of limited exte nt, and by more widespread syntectonic conglomerate of Late Jurassic to Ear ly Cretaceous age derived from intrabasinal fault blocks of synrift paleoto pography. Subsequent thermotectonic subsidence of the rift belt induced Ear ly Cretaceous marine and nonmarine sedimentation spreading from the basin c ore to its flanks, with peak Aptian-Albian transgression marked by depositi on of platformal limestone. Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Laramide deformati on disrupted the Bisbee deposystems. Bisbee sandstones include arkosic petr ofacies derived from intrabasinal fault blocks, lithic (volcaniclastic) pet rofacies derived principally from the coeval Alisitos arc to the southwest, subquartzose petrofacies derived mainly from the Mogollon paleohighland fo rming the northern rift shoulder, and quartzose petrofacies also derived fr om the rift shoulder. The joint association of disparate petrofacies reflec ts the unusual geotectonic setting of the Border rift belt. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.