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Hell-to-Finish Formation

Geologic formation in New Mexico From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Hell-to-Finish Formation is a geologic formation in southwestern New Mexico. It preserves fossils dating back to the early Cretaceous period.[1][2][3]

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Description

The formation consists mostly of red to red-brown to gray or green shale, mudstone, and arkosic siltstone. The base of the formation is a well indurated conglomerate derived from the underlying Paleozoic beds. Minor arkose and limestone are present in the uppermost beds.[1] The total thickness is up to 1,700–3,500 feet (520–1,070 m) but varies considerably over the region. The formation rests on a profound unconformity with underlying Paleozoic formations in most locations, but overlies the Broken Jug Formation in the Little Hatchet Mountains.[4] The Hell-to-Finish Formation is transitional to the overlying U-Bar Formation.[3] The transitional contact with the Aptian U-Bar Formation suggests that the Hell-to-Finish Formation cannot be much older than Aptian.[5]

The formation is interpreted as being deposited in an arid client, based on the nature of paleosols within the formation.[6] Deposition took place in a west-northwest-trending rift basin.[7]

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Fossils

The upper beds of the formation contain abundant pelecypods.[1] However, no age-diagnostic fossils have been found in the formation.[5]

History of investigation

The formation was first defined by Zeller in 1965 for exposures near the Hell-to-Finish tank in the southern Big Hatchet Mountains of New Mexico.[1]

See also

Footnotes

References

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