Origin of the Chuska sandstone, Arizona-New Mexico; a structural and petrographic study of a Tertiary eolian sediment

The Chuska sandstone as here restricted forms the cap rock of the Chuska Mountains, which extend 60 miles along the Arizona-New Mexico State line north of Gallup, New Mexico. Its maximum preserved thickness is about 1750 feet. It is unfossiliferous, cross-bedded throughout, and contains no shale or conglomerate interbeds; there are several thin ash beds. The cross-bedding dips consistently in the northern quadrants at angles around 25 degrees . Alternating strong to weak chalcedonic and opaline cement in thick layers throughout the formation provides a topography of alternating resistant ledges and gentle slopes.