Skip Links

USGS - science for a changing world

Open-File Report 02-99

An Interpretation of the 1996 Aeromagnetic Data for the Santa Cruz basin, Tumacacori Mountains, Santa Rita Mountains, and Patagonia Mountains, South-Central Arizona

By Mark E. Gettings

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (508 kB)Abstract

High resolution aeromagnetic survey data flown at 250 m above the terrain and 250 m line spacing over the Santa Cruz Valley and the surrounding Tumacacori, Patagonia, and Santa Rita Mountains has been interpreted by correlation of the magnetic anomaly field and various derivative maps with geologic maps. Measurements of in-situ magnetic properties of several of the map units determined whether or not mapped lithologies were responsible for observed anomalies. Correlation of the magnetic anomaly field with mapped geology shows that numerous map units of volcanic and intrusive rocks from Jurassic Middle Tertiary in age are reversely polarized, some of which have not been previously reported. Trends derived from the magnetic anomaly data correlate closely with structures from major tectonic events in the geologic history of the area including Triassic-Jurassic crustal accretion and magmatism, Laramide magmatism and tectonism, northeast-southwest Mid-Tertiary extension, and east-west Basin and Range extension. Application of two textural measures to the magnetic anomaly data, number of peaks and troughs per km (a measure of roughness) and Euclidean length per km (a measure of amplitude), delineated areas of consistent magnetic anomaly texture. These measures were successful at the delineation of areas of consistent magnetic lithology both on the surface and in the subsurface beneath basin fill. Several areas of basement prospective for mineral resources beneath basin fill were identified.

First posted March 11, 2002

For additional information, contact:
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
345 Middlefield Road, MS 901
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591
http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/gmeg/

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.


Suggested citation:

Gettings, Mark E., 2002, An Interpretation of the 1996 Aeromagnetic Data for the Santa Cruz basin, Tumacacori Mountains, Santa Rita Mountains, and Patagonia Mountains, South-Central Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-99, 44 pp., https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/0099/.



Contents

Abstract and introduction

Magnetic property data

Comparison of aeromagnetic map data with geologic data

Inferences from textural measures of the aeromagnetic data

Conclusion

References


Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/2002/0099/index.html
Page Contact Information: GS Pubs Web Contact
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Dec-2016 19:25:51 EST