Animations: Paleohydrology of Rio Grande Rift
Mark Person, Professor of Hydrology

Introduction This study focused on trying to reconstruct the hydrothermal evolution of the Rio Grande Rift during the past 28 million years using finite element analysis. The study has relevance to understanding wide spread potassium metasomatism of the Hells Mesa Tufts. Details of this work can be found in: Mailloux, B., Person, M., Strayer, P., Hudleston, P.J., Cather, S., Dunbar, N., 1999, Tectonic and Stratigraphic Controls on the Hydrothermal Evolution of the Rio Grande Rift, Water Resources Research, v. 35(9), p. 2641-2659.

Basemap showing location of model cross section

Animations

1. Stratigraphic Evolution of Rio Grande Rift across La Jencia and Socorro Basins (3.1 MB Quicktime movie)

Stratigraphy

Red: Pre-rift Bedrock (> 28 Million Years old)
Turquoise: Hells Mesa Ashflow Tuft (onset of rifting)
Gray: Conglomerate
Blue: Silts
Green: Playa

2. Grid Evolution of central fault block showing triangular finite element mesh. (18 MB Quicktime movie) We included special slip nodes to allow for large scale fault block motion.

3. Hydrologic Evolution of the Rio Grande Rift. (5.5 MB Quicktime movie) Warm colors represent high hydraulic heads associated with recharge areas on the west edge of the basin and over pressure generation within the playas. The flow vectors are depicted by the lines. Larger line segments denote higher velocities.

4. Thermal Evolution of the Rio Grande Rift. (3.5 MB Quicktime movie) Warm colors represent higher temperatures, cooler colors lower temperatures. Shifting of temperatures through time are due to the convective effects of groundwater flow.