Introduction
The Southwest Mineral and Environmental Investigations Project is designed to
address issues raised by rapid urban development in the basins of the southwestern
U.S. These issues require objective geoscientific data that can be used by land managers
and stakeholders to develop informed land and water use strategies. The project
integrates new and existing geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data, and imagery
to provide three-dimensional visualizations of the basins of southeastern Arizona.
Emphasis is on developing better knowledge of the aquifer systems of both the basins
and the ranges, on acquiring background and baseline information, and on determining
the distribution of metals related to mineralization and the fate of these metals in
surface and subsurface environments. The products of the project will be used in
resolving issues of water quality and quantity, in understanding environmental impacts
such as riparian ecosystem maintenace, and in evaluating mineral resources beneath
and within the basins.
The field trip highlights three topics and areas (figs. 1 and 2): (1) geology and
geophysics of the upper San Pedro and upper Santa Cruz basins (M.E. Gettings, M. W.
Bultman, and B.B. Houser), (2) geology, geophysics, and mineral resource potential of
the San Rafael basin (M.W. Bultman), and (3) hydrology and aqueous geochemistry of
the Red Mountain and Sonoita Creek drainage system (Floyd Gray). The trip guide,
which begins and ends in Tucson, Arizona, also includes commentary on the cultural
and mining history of the area.
|
First posted May 27, 2003
Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). For best results viewing and printing PDF documents, it is recommended that you download the documents to your computer and open them with Adobe Reader. PDF documents opened from your browser may not display or print as intended. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.
|