Small-scale structures in the Guadalupe Mountains region: Implication for Laramide stress trends in the Permian Basin

Abstract

Numerous small-scale structures exist in the Guadalupe Mountains region that can be interpreted as Laramide in age. These structures, observed in the Bell Canyon Formation, include tectonic stylolites and associated veins, slickensided thrust and strike-slip faults, and local folding. Within the Guadalupe Mountains, northeast-southwest compression is identified by tectonic stylolite teeth and thrust fault slickensides in Pine Spring Canyon at N28°E and N31 ° E, respectively. Northward in the McKittrick Canyon region, tectonic stylolite teeth change in trend to N38 ° E. Eastward in the Delaware Basin a further change in stress field trend is identified from slickensides trending N42°E on a thrust fault. This evidence for northeast-southwest compression is consistent with the trend of Laramide compression found elsewhere in Trans-Pecos Texas. trending N42°E. Several small calcite veins were oriented at N48 ° E, 87°NW. The trends of the slickensides